Don't Worry, You Still Have Me!

While Ansu was deep in thought, Samantha's expression grew increasingly somber.

"If we cannot kill the Chosen One, the Chosen One will surely kill me in the future!"

The divination results made Samantha realize her end was drawing near.

Suppressing the fear in her heart, she said coldly, "I am not fearing my own death! I am worried that if I die, all our great endeavors will be destroyed in an instant!"

"So, Hermit, do you understand the importance of this mission?"

Ansu silently watched Samantha, who was clearly terrified of dying yet claimed it was for the sake of the 'great cause'.

He sneered inwardly but maintained a loyal expression on his face, looking as if he were sharing his leader's burdens.

"Cult Leader Samantha, please rest assured. I will definitely root out that damned Chosen One for you! I will ensure you no longer have any worries!"

"Very well." Samantha nodded, her expression finally softening a bit.

The abilities Hermit had displayed lately had indeed given her a glimmer of hope.

At this moment, Ansu looked at the worried Samantha and then glanced at Celia beside him, and a thought suddenly occurred to him.

A perfect idea to drive a wedge between them.

He was going to gamble! He would bet on the extent of Samantha's trust in Celia.

"Cult Leader Samantha... how about this?"

Ansu spoke up, sounding as if he were looking out for her best interests.

"You are currently overseeing things from the rear, and various factions are watching you, so you might not receive information in a timely manner..."

"Therefore, if I find this Chosen One, I will report it to Lady Celia immediately. I'll let her strike and kill the target right away, and you can simply wait for our good news!"

Ansu's suggestion was actually quite reasonable.

After all, Celia was the most suitable person to execute such a mission, yet Samantha insisted on handling it herself.

After finishing, he kept a close eye on Samantha's expression.

Samantha froze for a moment, then quickly glanced at Celia.

"No!" she immediately rejected the proposal. "Your mission is only to search. Once found, you must report to me immediately. Then, I will take action personally!"

"But Cult Leader, why?" Ansu asked, feigning confusion. "Wouldn't it be the simplest way to let Lady Celia make the decision directly? With Lady Celia's strength, the target would be dead the moment they showed their face!"

"That's true, Teacher..." Celia was also somewhat puzzled.

In fact, the entire mission had been strange from the start. If Samantha wanted the target dead so badly, why not just send her?

However, when Samantha first notified her of this matter, she only asked her to choose an inquisitor as an informant within the academy and repeatedly warned her not to act rashly...

Why go through all these unnecessary complications?

Samantha did not directly answer Celia's doubts. She pondered for a moment before speaking in riddles.

"This... naturally, I have my own considerations..."

"Because this matter is not as simple as you think."

Ansu shot a quick look between the two. A look of sudden realization flashed in his eyes for an instant, but he quickly suppressed it.

"Ah, I see! Since Cult Leader Samantha has already made a plan, there must be a reason for it... I..."

He swallowed the rest of the sentence, pretending he didn't dare to speak further.

'The clever Hermit' had 'cleverly' discovered that Cult Leader Samantha did not trust Celia, so he chose to shut his mouth.

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment. A subtle light flickered in Celia's eyes.

Samantha, meanwhile, furrowed her brows and shot a cold glance at the young man who had talked a bit too much.

"My apologies..." Ansu quickly lowered his head in feigned terror. "Cult Leader, I shouldn't have made random suggestions..."

"Do not think that just because I promoted you to deacon general, you can speak out of turn!" Samantha threatened coldly. "In short, you must remember! If you cannot complete this mission, there is no need for you to exist in the cult anymore!"

Ansu lowered his head even further.

"But if you can complete this mission..." Samantha's tone shifted as she began to paint a rosy picture. "Then it will be a tremendous opportunity for you!"

"I will convince the Council of Elders to promote you, Hermit, as the youngest elder in the history of the cult. Infinite glory and wealth will await you."

Hearing this combination of threats and promises, Ansu's eyes immediately lit up, and he raised his head excitedly.

"Thank you for your trust, Cult Leader Samantha! I will definitely complete the mission!!"

"Good..." Samantha nodded once more. Her gaze slowly shifted toward her other confidants.

After the interlude regarding the Chosen One ended.

Samantha gave a few more instructions about the cult needing to keep a low profile and reduce activities in the near future, and then she left the mansion with her other confidants.

After they left, the drawing room became quiet.

Ansu quietly observed Celia. She was leaning against the edge of the sofa, her brows tightly knit, seemingly deep in thought.

"Lady Witch..."

Ansu finally broke the silence. "Are you thinking about what she just said?"

Celia's deep purple eyes stared at Ansu for a moment. Suddenly, she cast an airtight magic barrier.

"Just now... did you ask that on purpose?" Celia narrowed her eyes.

Ansu nodded honestly.

"I figured as much." Celia pursed her lips. "Otherwise, why would you go through the extra trouble..."

"Since you are so clever, Lady Witch, you must have seen it too." Ansu looked directly into her eyes and said word by word, "Your teacher does not actually trust you."

"Since the prophecy says the Chosen One will eventually kill Samantha..."

Ansu said calmly, "Then no matter what, she will not leave this mission to you, because she is full of suspicion and wariness toward you."

"Samantha is worried that after you find the Chosen One, you might turn around and use him to get rid of her so you can take her place."

Ansu attempted to plant a seed of doubt in her heart, and after saying this, he quietly watched Celia's reaction.

"Perhaps she is just too worried and feels she must kill the Chosen One personally to be at ease..." Celia let out a faint sigh. "After all, it concerns her own death. Ansu, perhaps you are overthinking it..."

Ansu could clearly feel Celia's dissatisfaction and skepticism, but just like last time, she resorted to habitual avoidance. This made him feel a sudden burst of frustration at her lack of resolve.

She seemed quite domineering and crazy in front of others, but in reality, her heart was quite weak, the type that was easily manipulated by those closest to her.

Thinking about it, it made sense. First there was Samantha, and then there was himself.

Ansu felt that his method of using hypnosis to gradually soften her heart toward him was actually quite similar to manipulation.

But Ansu still felt that his was 'good' manipulation.

The old witch Samantha was 'bad' manipulation.

"Lady Witch, it cannot go on like this!" Ansu's tone grew heavier as he stepped closer to the conflicted Celia.

"You've been by her side for so many years, yet she hasn't developed even a shred of trust in you. Even a pet would be treated better than this! She's only good to you now because she can use you, but what about the future?"

Ansu stared at the beautiful face inches away and pressed coldly, "If an irreconcilable conflict arises between you two, she won't hesitate to strike you down. Yet, the naive Lady Witch doesn't have a single bit of wariness! You will definitely suffer greatly!"

"Ansu..."

The witch, who always presented a tough front, showed a rare trace of confusion in her eyes.

She leaned against the edge of the sofa and slowly lowered her head, murmuring to herself, "Even if what you say is true... that day hasn't come yet."

"Teacher couldn't really want to kill me, could she? How could there be such a massive conflict between us... I can't imagine it..."

Ansu sneered in his heart. She really did think that way.

This teacher-student pair was a sham, and all the warmth was fake. How could a wicked old witch who only wanted to survive have feelings for her vessel?

But he didn't show it. He knew that going too far was just as bad as not going far enough.

Causing Celia to doubt her teacher today was already a mission accomplished. Once the seeds of doubt were sown, they would spread like a plague, and the other party's conspiracy would eventually be exposed bit by bit.

So...

Ansu looked at the rare, fragile version of the young witch caught in mental turmoil, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Lady Witch, I don't think it matters. Even if you and your teacher become enemies, so what?"

Celia slowly raised her head, staring intently at that gentle smile.

"Because you are not alone."

Ansu smiled softly. "Even if you lose your teacher, you still have me!"