After hearing Ansu's insight, Celia nodded silently. "Mhm~ Elder Hermit is indeed far-sighted."
"Not at all, not at all." Ansu waved his hand. "It is all thanks to the brilliant command of the beautiful, noble, and wise Cult Leader Celia! I have merely made a few insignificant contributions."
Celia let out a giggle. "You're always so smooth-tongued with me, yet I find myself enjoying it. If you ever truly deceived me one day, I probably wouldn't even notice!"
Ansu looked at her silently, thinking to himself, 'Why has the conversation turned back to this dangerous topic again?'
"Anyway..." His expression turned a bit more serious as he returned to the previous subject. "As long as we maintain our current style and gradually take over the core affairs of the cult, everyone will eventually realize through the shifting tides that you are the most suitable person to lead the Echoes of Truth."
"Celia is no longer the mad witch she once was." Ansu gazed at her and said softly, "She will consider the bigger picture instead of just doing whatever she pleases. She will become a true leader worthy of our following."
Celia watched Ansu quietly. "Is that also the person you want me to become?"
"Me?" Ansu was startled.
He certainly didn't want Celia's personality to be as 'humanized' as it was before, but to be honest, after all this time, he had almost adapted to everything about the witch—her domineering nature, her confidence and pride, and her cuteness...
"Not exactly... What I want to shape is an image in the eyes of the cultists."
Ansu knew well that only a 'transformed' Celia could truly make the cult submit. In the original plot, she reached this stage after turning completely dark, but his witch was still far from having that kind of resolve.
Therefore, she needed some 'packaging' from him.
After all, in his plan for the partially redeemed Echoes of Truth, an 'unfathomable' leader was far better than an 'unrestrained' one.
"Yes, I understand your efforts." Celia looked at the serious Ansu and nodded gently. "I'll listen to you."
After chatting for a while longer, Celia looked at the ancient texts in her hand and smiled as she bid Ansu farewell.
"My learning progress is getting faster. I can already construct small-scale space barriers. Wait for me patiently! Once I finish my task, we can meet in person~"
"You should also pay more attention to your health." Ansu watched her. Even though she was just a phantom, he could see the dark circles under her eyes; she carried a sense of fatigue that wouldn't dissipate. "You haven't been listening to me about sleeping on time at all, have you?"
Celia's eyes flickered for a moment, but she still didn't want him to worry. "I have been sleeping on time!"
"Really?"
"Really." Celia nodded.
It was just that her 'on time' meant sleeping only after finishing her daily study tasks on time. As for those 'daily study tasks'... they might have been taking up a bit too much of her time.
Ansu sighed helplessly, suddenly feeling like he had been hit by a boomerang.
"If you say so. I can't control you..."
Celia's eyes crinkled with a smile. "I really am being obedient! Alright, get back to work! I won't disturb you anymore."
After saying that, the ghostly blue magic phantom leaned forward.
Celia approached Ansu's cheek with a smile, gave it a light peck, and finally vanished into the air.
Ansu touched the spot where the projection had just kissed him. Although there was no physical sensation, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.
...
Hundreds of kilometers away, inside a dilapidated mud house in a deserted village.
Samantha stared at the message sent back from Benalu City with uncontrollable rage, her clouded eyes bloodshot.
"Why? Why is the Hermit not dead yet! Haven't I already issued so many orders?"
"Can't they see them? Or is it..."
Her predatory gaze swept over her three silent confidants.
"Those orders never even reached the hands of the cult executors? Have we been cut off from the cult by that damned fellow?"
"Yes, that's it! It must be!!"
The more Samantha thought about it, the more she believed it to be true. Her ugly, aged face became increasingly distorted with fury.
The three confidants lowered their heads in terror, not even daring to look her in the eye.
"I have issued so many orders. How could they possibly be ignored? I am the supreme leader of the Echoes of Truth! This situation must be the work of villains! Ansu! Celia!! They must be threatening the Council of Elders!"
After all... it couldn't possibly be that everyone was tacitly ignoring her and being publicly compliant but privately defiant!
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
As long as she, Samantha, returned to Benalu City at the fastest possible speed and regained control of the cult...
Everything would be fine!
"Scholar! How much longer until we arrive?" Samantha glared gloomily at one of the three.
The Chief Inquisitor Scholar raised his head tremblingly. When he saw the terrifying state of the Cult Leader, his heart tightened, and he quickly glanced at the ruined village around them.
Having followed Cult Leader Samantha for so long, he had never seen her reduced to such a pathetic state.
The Cult Leader had truly gone mad...
How could anyone with a sane mind think it was because the Hermit had blocked the cult's communications?
After all, aside from the orders to kill the Hermit, their group could still obtain support from the intelligence department. Otherwise, how could they have avoided the pursuit of the Church's clergy and hidden in this ruined village without any enemy informants?
"Cult Leader, if we can still find a carriage, we should be able to reach Benalu City by tomorrow..." Scholar lowered his head. During the days since they fled from the Royal Capital, they hadn't dared to use most forms of transportation. They could only blend in with the commoners and trek forward with extreme caution.
"No, no..." Whenever Samantha thought of her daily orders disappearing without a trace, an immense panic filled her heart. "We can't waste any more time... Matthew, I want to use teleportation! Assist me quickly!"
Elder Matthew quickly looked up. "Cult Leader, you must not! That Pope's guard is still chasing us! The massive mana fluctuations from teleportation will draw his attention!"
"What a joke!" Samantha glared at him in annoyance. "Do you think I can't beat that Pope's guard? Do you think I'm afraid of him?"
Elder Matthew was utterly speechless. If you could really beat him, would you have been reduced to this state?
"Lord Cult Leader, I think it's better to be cautious..." Scholar quickly interjected. "I know that Pope's guard is nothing in your eyes, but since we've already come this far, Benalu City is only a day's journey away. It's not worth exhausting your mana for this..."
Samantha's cold gaze swept over the three of them before she took a deep breath.
With a final cold snort, she eventually accepted the suggestion.
"Find a carriage quickly! Set off as soon as possible!"
Samantha returned to the dilapidated mud house and closed her eyes to meditate and recover her mana. Once they saw her finally quiet down for a moment, the three of them breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Scholar and Elder Matthew exchanged glances, both of them constantly thinking about how to rid themselves of this crazy old hag...
Rate on N.U.
