Chapter 545: Chapter 546: The Final Kick_1
The Great Witch is willing to put in her utmost effort to pursue knowledge, the purest of witches. Abigail’s main purpose for selecting the Great Witch to attend the gathering at the witch assembly was for the exchange of knowledge rather than the exchange of sentiments.
In pursuit of knowledge and power, the Great Witch would disregard morals and laws. This selfish and free nature made it difficult for them to follow strict rules, and they hardly had any credibility. This led to the witch assembly becoming a loosely organized entity where the witches would only unite when their interests aligned.
The drawbacks of the witch assembly finally became apparent as the power of its members grew to a certain stage.
"This conversation has dragged you both down, there’s no need to attack each other just because there’s a lack of trust. How are you any different from the shrews quarreling on the streets?"
Aiden’s words silenced both parties.
"It seems the policies of various nations towards you were correct, a bunch of foolish witches, best to be left unattended," Aiden remarked, tapping on the table, "You simply have no cohesion, and the likelihood of internal strife is far higher than the prospect of uniting against external forces. Declaring war on you would only unite you against a common enemy."
"That’s a fair point," Vila suddenly chimed in. "The witch assembly should possess the power to withstand nations, but due to lack of unity within, the witches have always been pursued by the heretic inquisition. You are supposed to be the leading figures of the witch assembly, yet you’re the ones instigating infighting, what does this say about your stature?"
"Now is not the time to promote your advocacy, Vila," Lamia snapped coldly. "Besides, no one here other than you has ever considered turning the witch assembly into some significant organization, not even Abigail harbors such ambition."
"There’s still no need for such foolish infighting," Vila pointed an accusing finger at Abigail and Qiqimora, raising her voice, "You two are bringing shame upon us all."
"I think you might as well just fight it out. Why negotiate when a fight could settle the matter?" Habanis egged them on from the side, "Qiqimora, now that you’ve ascended to sainthood, you shouldn’t fear her, especially since that egg isn’t exactly suited for combat."
She clearly intended to provoke Qiqimora and Abigail into a mutually destructive conflict, to find an opportunity to make her move.
"Don’t cause trouble at a time like this!" Vila glared at Habanis.
"Alright, all of you on the sidelines, quiet down," Aiden interjected, gesturing for others not to interrupt.
"You’re hardly even a witch, boy, what gives you the right to silence us?" Habanis was clearly dissatisfied with Aiden’s approach.
"Quiet," Aiden glanced at her and repeated with a stern voice.
With a simple repetition, an indescribable authority radiated from him, giving Habanis an inexplicable shock that silenced her temporarily.
The nature of "order" became more and more apparent in Aiden.
"Abigail is not entirely wrong; our conflict does involve me to an extent. The Hand of Erasure is no longer in my possession, but its holder currently trusts only me, not you," Aiden stated frankly. "In other words, this negotiation has to go through me as the middleman."
"That’s right," Abigail nodded.
"Then let me first confirm the conditions of each party. Tony Dodge wants his health restored, Qiqimora desires to obtain the Hand of Erasure, and Abigail claims she wants the right to use the Hand of Erasure. Abigail, what do you want to do with the Hand of Erasure?" Aiden inquired.
Abigail fell silent for a long while before slowly speaking, "I finally found the whereabouts of the Wilderness King, and I’m preparing to kill him."
"To kill a ruler with the sole authority? Or should I say, the ruler of life?" Aiden asked.
"Not to kill, but at least to weaken him," Abigail responded.
"Don’t you plan to get Qiqimora to help you?"
"The opponent is a ruler; why would any sane person readily agree to help?" Abigail retorted.
Aiden glanced at Qiqimora, who replied coolly, "If I can get my hands on the Hand of Erasure, I don’t mind taking a risk, but if Abigail can’t trust me, there’s nothing I can do."
"Actually, I am the one who can cure the boy, and he has something I want as well. This transaction doesn’t need to involve Qiqimora, does it?" Abigail added.
"That military base was discovered by me in the first place!" Qiqimora erupted in anger.
"Ultimately, it boils down to a lack of trust between you two," Aiden looked back and forth between them, "Then let’s settle it this way: Abigail will heal Tony, the right to use the Hand of Erasure belongs to Abigail, but it remains in the hands of Tony or me. When Abigail vies for authority, Qiqimora will help her, proving her trustworthiness through action, and we will hand over the Hand of Erasure to her when the time is right."
"In other words..." Qiqimora sensed something.
"I’m the guarantor in the middle," Aiden spread his hands, offering a blunter explanation, "I’m different from you; I have a moral baseline, which should make me reliable enough for you."
"That’s a bit much, kid," Lamia interjected, "They’ve known each other for decades and haven’t built trust, and you’ve only been around for a few months, how could they trust you so easily?"
"Indeed, Your Excellency, you do have some credibility with us, but credit has its limits," Abigail shook her head, "Why would you believe yourself to be trustworthy enough to be entrusted with the sole authority? If you already were a ’saint’ of order, then you could indeed enforce a contract for us to follow, but I know you’re not there yet; you’re unable to fully harness the power of the Wordless Code. We used to be wary of you, but now we see you clearly. The entity behind you poses a threat to you as well..." Abigail continued unhurriedly, "Your Excellency should know that enforcement requires a higher level of power. You don’t have enough binding force over me or Qiqimora. Unfortunately, you’re not qualified to be a guarantor right now."
"So you’re saying, if I become a saint, that will enable your transaction? If you had stated that earlier, it would have been simple!" Aiden snapped his fingers.
Vila and Habanis were speechless; becoming a saint sounded like a trivial matter to the man, while exceptional witches like Abigail and Qiqimora, relying on luck and circumstances, took decades to reach sainthood.
But the other Great Witches did not consider it an idle fantasy, as Aiden’s growth rate had been too detached from reality all along.
"Jailer, are you close to ascending?" Qiqimora asked.
"Somewhat, just one step away, I suppose," Aiden replied nonchalantly.
