Alexia stared at the mark left by the key on her palm, momentarily dazed.
The ruthlessness and decisiveness of the Witch Council’s methods had far exceeded her expectations.
Even she had not anticipated matters would escalate to such an extreme.
What surprised her even more was the promise the Witch Council had made to her.
Indeed, acting according to the doctrine of the Church of Light would impose significant restrictions.
But at its core, this matter was one of freedom, capable of being defined at will.
To be honest, Alexia found herself deeply tempted.
She glanced sideways at Simon.
Simon gave a slight nod, descended the steps to stand before Rosalind, and picked up the stone that sealed the soul of the Witch of Apocalypse.
He paused briefly.
Without waiting for a judgment of will, he was certain the stone could be touched, though whether the soul of the Witch of Apocalypse was truly sealed within remained unknown.
Since he did not understand magic, he naturally could not sense its mysteries.
He then turned to Alexia, nodding in confirmation.
Telling her that this Soul Stone appeared unremarkable.
At least on the surface, there was nothing unclean about it.
Alexia stood up and stepped forward, a faint smile on her lips.
“The Witch Council is certainly generous, but what I’m curious about is how you knew the Witch of Apocalypse would attack me.”
It had only been two days since the incident.
She had not even sent anyone to pursue the Witch Council’s responsibility, yet they had come first to apologize.
If the Witch Council claimed to know nothing about this, she would never believe it.
Rosalind looked up, a false smile on her face.
“The movements of every witch in the Witch Council are known to the Origin Witch.”
“The Origin Witch has long since fallen.”
Alexia scoffed at the statement.
The Origin Witch was the first leader of the Witch Council.
If she were still alive, the position of Witch Council Chief would never have changed hands.
As for who the current chief was, Alexia did not know, but it was certainly not the Origin Witch.
“That may be true for you, but for us witches, the Origin Witch lives on within each of us.”
Alexia chuckled softly, making no attempt to argue.
Such matters were pointless to dispute.
“Your apology is thorough, and your reasoning quite sufficient. I am very satisfied…”
Alexia descended the steps, her tone suddenly sharpening with a hint of danger.
“But unfortunately, I do not accept!”
Her gaze was sharp as a blade, piercing Rosalind.
“Do you take me for some kind of pet who becomes docile after being beaten with a stick and then given a sweet date? If an apology could resolve everything, there wouldn’t be so many sorries in the world!”
“And what do you take the Empire for? A backyard you can enter and leave as you please?!”
“Since the incident has already occurred, the Witch Council must bear the corresponding consequences. For those who died due to your deception, I demand a hundredfold repayment from the Witch Council!”
Alexia had not forgotten those guards she executed for fear of Evil God Taint.
Their loyalty had moved her, but she had truly been left with no choice.
Evil God Taint was not something she could handle; once it began, that person was already lost.
No matter how normal one appeared, taint was taint.
Moreover, the incubation period of Evil God Taint was extremely unstable; it could begin at the start, or only after death.
It could not be detected by isolation.
It was something more terrifying than a plague.
For the safety of the entire Imperial Capital, Alexia could not take such a risk.
If it spread, the entire capital would be finished.
Alexia’s relentless questions struck Rosalind like arrow after arrow, leaving her speechless and silent.
Seeing this, Alexia gently flicked her sleeve.
“You may go. Just return and tell those high and mighty witches directly—say I do not accept their apology.”
She said softly.
The smile on Rosalind’s face froze in an instant.
She had not anticipated that the Empress would reject the Witch Council’s apology.
This was a situation she had never encountered.
“Your Majesty, will you not reconsider? There are countless people in this world who crave the aid of the Witch Council.”
“Of course, if Your Majesty finds this insufficient, we have another proposal.”
Rosalind tried once more.
“Heh…”
Alexia sneered.
“Then let me ask you, on the day Lady Pandas’ head was delivered to me, how many families were shattered because of it?”
“What?”
Rosalind was momentarily stunned, unable to follow Alexia’s line of questioning.
“Fifty-three innocent lives lost, thirty-seven families destroyed. On that day, fathers, husbands, sons were lost forever… The remaining sixteen are orphans.”
Alexia spoke solemnly.
Rosalind replied indifferently.
“Just some worthless lives. It was their honor to die for Your Majesty.”
Hearing this, Alexia laughed coldly instead of becoming angry.
A chilling smile.
“This is why I will never collude with you. In your eyes, lives are nothing more than cold numbers for achieving your goals! You care nothing for them!”
She walked down the steps, her gaze locked on Rosalind.
“Still not leaving? Must I make you crawl out without mercy?”
Rosalind was silent for a moment, her expression growing colder.
“Your Majesty, may I take this as the Empire’s declaration of war against the Witch Council? At the moment you most need allies?”
Suddenly, a hand rested on her shoulder.
For a moment, her thoughts and breath ceased.
She was enveloped by a sense of extreme danger, like being wrapped in a cocoon with no chance of escape.
She realized the other’s strength far surpassed her own, leaving her with not even a trace of intent to fight—nor even to flee.
Her body trembled uncontrollably, collapsing to the ground.
“Then you’ve overstepped, witch.”
Simon said coldly, turning his head.
His other hand was already near the hilt, the blade drawn an inch from its sheath.
“For enemies of the Empire to appear in this hall, the only possibility is as a severed head. Do you wish to stand against Her Majesty?”
Seeing this, Rosalind understood that negotiations had utterly collapsed.
She had not expected the mighty Empress to stand against the Witch Council over the deaths of ordinary people.
To anyone, it would seem unworthy.
Truly a tyrant like none before in the Empire! Utterly mad!
Even her thoughts differed from normal people.
Yet for the sake of witchly dignity, Rosalind forced herself to speak.
“I hope Your Majesty will not regret today’s decision. There is no medicine for regret in this world.”
“I only regret not ordering Simon to properly handle Lady Pandas’ aftermath, which led to this tragedy that remains unresolved even now.”
Alexia had already walked before her, reaching out to draw Simon’s sword.
“Now… I give you only five counts. If you do not leave, you will remain here forever.”
“Five…”
After their exchange, Rosalind knew the tyrant Empress before her meant every word.
She said no more and fled the hall.
Watching Rosalind flee in panic, Alexia’s expression grew ever graver.
As Rosalind had said, offending the Witch Council at such a time was far from wise.
But Alexia knew well that some principles and positions could not be compromised.
The lives of ordinary people were not trivial in her eyes—they were the foundation of the Empire.
To protect this foundation, she was prepared to bear any consequence, even if it meant making enemies of the mighty Witch Council.