Chapter 1556 - 84: Golden Skyline_3

Aisha couldn’t help but wonder, if she hadn’t met Serey, if she’d managed to survive until now, would she have become one of them... unlikely. By then, she’d probably be an old woman, and according to the Night Race’s blood grading system, she’d probably be fed directly to the Bloodthirsty, or crushed by machines into remnants, becoming part of the Blood Tax.

"Do you like this world?" Aisha asked calmly, "Answer my question seriously."

Serey hesitated for a moment as he vaguely remembered the flower field from the past, his nose seemingly recalling that sweet fragrance, but everything from the past no longer existed. All that was left now were endless corpses.

"I prefer those in my memories."

"Then why are you doing this?" Aisha didn’t understand, "Isn’t the Empire’s territory already vast enough?"

"It’s my father’s will. We need more territory and population to supplement the gradually depleting Blood Tax."

"Father! Father! Damn it, Serey, do you have no will of your own?" Aisha lost her composure and reproached him, "You’re just like a puppet without a mind! Letting him manipulate you!"

Serey was left speechless by Aisha’s words, trying to argue back but couldn’t find any reason to refute her.

Aisha’s momentum weakened as she muttered to herself, "So you’re just a child, controlled by your father, without a mind, unable to even differentiate between good and evil..."

"I should go."

Serey put on his helmet, as if fleeing, leaving Aisha’s side.

The iron cavalry marched through the blood towards the frontline of the battlefield, and Serey appeared in the ranks with his horse-riding attendants following behind, raising the bloody banner that heralded the arrival of the Night Race Lord Serey.

Aisha sat in place like a sculpture, quietly gazing at it all. The girl in her arms moved slightly, and Aisha looked down with a face full of apology.

"Did I disturb you?"

"No... it’s nothing."

Before Aisha and Serey’s argument, Olivia had already awakened. She remained very calm, having become accustomed to such things.

Olivia asked curiously, "What was the flower field you talked about?"

Aisha patiently explained, "It’s where many flowers gather together, as vast as the plains, full of fragrance and colorful."

"Is it like what’s in the paintings?"

"Even more beautiful than in the paintings."

"How wonderful," Olivia said with longing in her eyes, "Where can I see it?"

Aisha silently lifted Olivia and looked up at the endless dark curtain above. She comforted, "You’ll see it, but it’s not flower season yet."

"What’s the flower season?"

"The season when flowers bloom."

"Oh... when will that be?"

"I’m not sure, but don’t worry. We are the Undead; we have the time to wait."

"Oh."

Aisha firmly embraced Olivia, gently covering her ears as the distant sounds of slaughter slowly reached them. The Bloodthirsty uncontrollably charged and killed, followed closely by the iron cavalry, one after another Ether reaction rising. Amidst the supernatural phenomenon, the blood banner and dark clouds advanced together.

"Olivia, do you like this world?" Aisha asked softly.

"It’s okay."

Olivia didn’t have much understanding of the concept of the world. Since she was born, she had been following Aisha and Serey, living along the advancing frontline.

In her eyes, the world was just constant warfare, relentless blood sacrifices, terrifying and brutal Bloodthirsty. Olivia was initially very scared, but under Aisha’s care, she gradually grew stronger and gained the courage to accept it all.

Aisha recounted the notes left from her numerous adventures when she was still human to Olivia. Those were Olivia’s favorite stories, distant and exotic tales that were like the unreachable golden horizon to her.

Unfortunately, even if Aisha’s stories were interesting, many things were completely incomprehensible to Olivia.

Like the waterfall blown by the wind, unable to fall, the vast boundless giant wood forests, the warm town festivals, theatrical performances... flower fields, and so on.

As the Dark Iron Curtain advanced, everything in this world was crushed and destroyed, leaving only a wasteland of ruins.

Suddenly, Aisha said, "I’m sorry, Olivia."

"What happened?"

"Sorry, I thought your arrival would bring about some change in him."

Olivia looked blankly at her mother, completely unable to understand what she was saying.

"I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be so selfish..."

On that day, amidst the distant slaughter, Aisha repeatedly apologized to Olivia like this until the sounds of killing slowly faded, until the golden horizon dimmed, and darkness completely cloaked the land.

...

"Back then, I was confused for a long time, not understanding what she was talking about. Later on, a long time passed, and on an unintentional day, I suddenly understood."

Olivia repeatedly poked at the fries with her fork, as if a vulture gnawing at a shattered carrion. She murmured, "I realized that my mother might not love me... she truly does love me, but hidden beneath that love, she harbors other emotions."

"She viewed me as a tool."

Olivia spoke calmly, "A tool that could control Serey, to make him realize the beauty of the world."

Initially, when she sensed this, Olivia was heartbroken, but by then, Aisha had already left, Serey was nowhere to be found, and the Eternal Night Empire had disappeared without a trace. It took her a long time to come to terms with it all, until she no longer felt any emotional upheaval within.