Ashok turned and made his way towards the sofa. He had a sudden urge to check his status, but he did not want to do it in front of them.
As he sank into the soft cushions of the sofa, his gaze shifted back to the trio. The Head Butler, Cassius, and the Duke were still watching him with a mix of caution and uncertainty.
Their eyes never left him, as though keeping their distance was the only thing standing between them and whatever kind of threat he had become.
"What?" Ashok asked, his tone laced with genuine confusion.
The three exchanged a quick, silent glance. The Duke’s eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, his voice cool but sharp, "You… What did you do?"
"What do you mean, ’What did you do?’" Ashok shot back, "First off, why are you all looking at me like I’ve committed some crime? I just got rid of the witch hiding in your mansion. Doesn’t that call for a celebration?"
He leaned forward, his eyes scanning the trio. "So, why instead of being happy and celebrating, you’re all standing there making faces like I just forced you to eat shit?"
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Not caring about Ashok’s last remark, the Duke said, "You just sacrificed a living person, making you no different from the cultists from before. And now, you expect me to celebrate?"
’So that’s the problem,’ thought Ashok, his lips curling into a small smile. He leaned back, enjoying the soft cushions of the sofa, and looked at the Head Butler. "You can remove this isolated space. I am sure it will be hard to maintain such a space barrier with that old body."
Ashok turned back to face the Duke, his expression steady and unbothered. "First, the difference between a cultist and a priest is determined by the god they believe in.
Second, neither do I have the time nor the patience to explain about the god, that I Believe In, to someone like you.
All I’ll say about me is: I stand above the job of a priest, but I am far from being a cultist."
"What difference is there between a priest who performs a sacrifice and a cultist?" the Duke asked, his voice rising, refusing to back down from the argument.
"You want to know the difference? Fine, I’ll explain it," Ashok said, his smirk widening. "But first, tell me—what’s the difference between your daughter and a witch?".
No word came of out Duke’s throat when he heard the question and he remained frozen in place.
"HEHE! No answer?" Ashok chuckled. "There’s a saying, ’You should not throw stones at the house of others when your own house is made of glass.’ I’m sure you’re literate enough to understand the meaning behind that."
The Head Butler dissolved the Barrier. The Duke remained still, his lips pressed tight, unwilling to speak.
It was Cassius who finally spoke "But why do you have to sacrifice? Why couldn’t you kill her directly?"
"Ah, you finally opened your mouth! I was waiting—after all, how could the Sword Saint remain silent?" Ashok said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Cassius turned his head slightly, his gaze hardening, but he said nothing in response.
"So, now the problem is not with killing, but with the sacrifice?" Ashok asked, his voice laced with incredulity. "And you want to hear the reason behind the sacrifice? Am I right?"
"Yes," mumbled Cassius, his voice barely above a whisper. Though the Duke and Head Butler remained silent, their eyes spoke volumes. They, too, were curious, though reluctant to admit it.
Everybody awaited to hear the reason behind the choice Ashok made.
"The Reason behind is simple… You three are weak." Said Ashok.
"What do you mean, weak?" Cassius asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. He struggled to process Ashok’s words, unable to understand how they were being blamed when Ashok himself was the one who had carried out the sacrifice.
"Let’s say, Sword Saint, you beheaded the witch in the way you’re famous for," Ashok began the explanation, his voice steady. "Do you know what would happen after that?
The witch’s soul would remain in this place until the spatial lock is released. The spatial mana sealing this room would prevent her soul from getting out.
But once the barrier is removed, the soul would return to the original body—and thanks to your choice, the witch would be alive again."
"Wait!" The Duke’s voice rose, his expression shifting to one of confusion. "You never mentioned anything about the soul returning to the original body upon death, when you described the witch’s power."
"Even if I had described it," Ashok replied, his tone calm and almost dismissive, "what could you three have done?"
"Sword Saint," he continued, his gaze sharp, "Do you know the Soul Sword, the mastery of the blade where one can even split a soul in two? Do you have such mastery over the sword?" He paused, letting the question linger. "Forget Soul Sword... Do you even know how to use Mind Sword?"
Ashok’s question struck Cassius deeply, causing him to lower his head in shame.
Turning his attention to the Head Butler, Ashok asked "Ignoring the incompetent Sword Saint, what about you, old man?".
"A great witch managed to force her way into the barrier you created. Do you even know what that means?" he continued, his voice filled with disdain.
"It means your understanding of the Space Attribute is not refined enough to even create a perfect barrier after you took your damn time creating it. Just what have you been doing all your life in the Mage Tower or at the Royal Palace? Licking the boots of your superiors?"
The Head Butler stood there, silent and stiff, his face having no emotion, but inwardly, he knew Ashok was right.
If the barrier had been truly perfect, the witch wouldn’t have been able to interfere in any way. He had no retort, no defense. The harsh reality of his failure weighed heavily on him, leaving him speechless in the face of Ashok’s accusations.
Ashok then turned to Duke "What can I say to a merchant?" his words filled with derision.
"To get an artifact that harms the soul? No such thing exists. Even if it did, who would wield it? The ability of an artifact is not determined by its rank alone but by the capability of its wielder."
Ashok locked his eyes onto the Duke’s "To harm one’s soul, one needs to have an understanding of the soul. Do any of you three even have that understanding?"
"I had artifacts to seal her soul," the Duke said, his voice defensive, as he tried to justify that he was not weak.
"HAHA! You truly are shameless," Ashok laughed, the sound mocking and sharp.
"Do you think I wouldn’t have thought of that? Do you think the Great Witch couldn’t track the sealed soul of her disciple? Sealing a witch’s disciple is the same as inviting a Great Witch straight into this place."
"If you have sealed, the great witch would have barge in this place anytime in the future. The Church at least has the Saintess to fight the Great Witch. Do you three truly believe you’re on the same level as the Saintess?" asked Ashok.
Ashok’s words hit hard, and the trio finally became silent, unable to retort in any way.
’Even if I sealed her soul, I would have still sacrificed it. I can’t take any risks with the witches until ’that’ witch is alive,’ Ashok thought.
He exhaled deeply, "Everything I did was in your favor," he said, "So don’t go around spoiling my mood if you can’t understand the depth of the favor I’ve done for you. First a cultist, and now a witch."
Ashok could not let go of this golden opportunity. Now was the time to make the Duke feel the weight of guilt. This was the moment he had been waiting for, to plant the seeds of debt deep within the Duke’s mind. Only then could he begin to extract what he wanted.
The Duke could only remain silent, the weight of Ashok’s words sinking in. He understood the hidden meaning behind them all too well. ’I’ve already done two big favors for you. What have you done for me, aside from doubting me?’
"You know what, just take me to your daughter. I don’t have time to waste looking at your incompetent faces staring at the floor, while your bodies remain standing like pillars," said Ashok.
Cassius only ground his teeth, cursing himself. He thought, ’If only I were competent enough, then the Duke wouldn’t have to bow his head in front of this damn kid.’
However, what could he do? No matter how hard Cassius had trained, he never reached enlightenment on the path of the Mind Sword.
’Just what am I lacking?’ thought Cassius beside him, the Head Butler felt no different. The weight of failures pressed down on him as well.
"I’ll show you my daughter’s room," the Duke said, his voice clipped and began walking ahead. Ashok stood up and followed behind him without hesitation.
Cassius and the Head Butler, their faces heavy with shame, trailed behind Ashok.
The four walked through the hallway, the soft hum of activity around them. Ashok couldn’t help but notice the glances from every servant they passed.
In fact, with the way he carried himself, it almost seemed like he was the one being escorted by the Duke, not the other way around.
’Nothing can be done about it,’ Ashok thought, a wry smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he accepted the unwanted stares.