The final stage of the taming, which Ansel found thoroughly enjoyable, was approaching, just as unexpected as the second phase had been for Ravenna.
Within Nostrom, as they walked towards the teleportation chamber, Ansel, holding Ravenna's hand, spoke with a serene air, "My dear Helen, do you recall the domains of Spirity Lake and Watson?"
"..."
Ravenna's figure stiffened slightly, and after a brief silence, she responded softly, "I rember."
Of course, she rembered—the frenzied and brutal war, the sick and absurd ga.
The grand entrance of the Etheric Academy's chanical armor was ant to be a sweeping victory, but it went rogue, destroying everything in its path; the counterasures painstakingly devised by the Tower of Babel were anticipated by the enemy. What should have been a crushing defeat turned into a ludicrous "victory."
The war left an indelible mark on Ravenna.
She would never forget the dead, the price paid, the sacrifices forced upon them; nor the continuous reversals and the final overturning of the situation.
It was then that she resolved to build the continuation of the Tower of Babel on the war and destruction that could have been avoided, and indeed, she succeeded.
That decision was a pivotal mont, for it was the "victory" of that war ga that allowed the Tower of Babel to break free from Evora's tyrannical control.
Inside the Tower, few now criticized Ravenna's choice at the ti, and most maintained their silence regarding the event.
Now, standing before the teleportation array… Ansel's sudden question left no doubt about their next destination.
Ansel... is he taking to the Watson territory?
Does he want to see the aftermath of the war in the Watson territory?
No... it can't be that simple. The war never touched the heartlands of either side; there was no destruction, no additional harm. Ansel wouldn't just rely on such a thing to induce guilt in .
So, what will he do?
Ravenna subconsciously tightened her grip on Ansel's hand, a gesture that seed affectionate but betrayed her taut nerves.
Now, reviewing everything from the beginning—the initial conversation with Ronger and the recent exchange with that man—what Ansel wants is—
Is it... my isolation?
Is he emphasizing that I have nothing left, that I need not have anything, and that the only one I can rely on is him?
Even upon realizing the most likely possibility, Ravenna's heart numbed.
The truth would not change with her recognition; instead, her resolve would be shaken even more by the acknowledgnt of reality.
There was no need for Ansel to articulate it, no need for any further scheming on his part. Ravenna, being intelligent, recognized the cold reality—her only reliance was on Ansel, who no longer acknowledged her.
That was the unchangeable truth.
"I surmise," Ansel suddenly spoke, "you were pondering what sort of surprise I plan to present next, analyzing from the beginning what my intentions might be in using this opportunity to reshape your will, correct?"
Without waiting for a response, Ansel's smile slightly lifted, "You've beco much easier to predict than before, little Helen. It seems my efforts over this period have been remarkably effective."
"...That statent."
"Hm?"
Ravenna lifted her head, gazing at Ansel's profile, "Speaking of pushing into the abyss of rationality... but in the end, was that truly your intention?"
"You flatter too much, dear Helen."
Ansel, who delighted in the father-daughter ga, continued to use this na for her, which Ravenna couldn't discern if it held any special aning, his tone appearing utterly innocent, "I rely made a statent. How you think and act is your choice, isn't it?"
But I had no choice—Ravenna wanted to say this, yet she remained silent in the end.
Because she knew, if Ansel truly harbored the intention of twisting her into a tool, then no matter what she did, any shift in her personality or ntality towards that direction would benefit him.
And on Seraphina's birthday, everything she experienced—the favoritism towards Seraphina, the cold treatnt she received—was enough to prove that this possibility absolutely existed.
—If you cannot beco a compliant vassal, then you must beco a useful tool.
Every action and word of Ansel conveyed this ssage.
Next... Ansel would likely continue to focus on this, attempting to ta .
Forcing herself to remain calm, Ravenna kept her thoughts orderly: Then, as per the original plan, maintain this state, neither swayed by Ansel nor letting him believe... that I have completely lost the potential to be tad.
From an extre antagonistic ntality to the current compliance, Ravenna had no ti to reflect on why her emotions towards Ansel had undergone such a transformation. She simply lowered her head, truly like an obedient and sensible daughter, holding Ansel's hand, following by his side.
However, her compliance would not bring Ansel any sense of achievent, let alone move him. This behavior, clearly motivated by self-interest and made after objective rational deliberation, could not compare to the candid and direct emotional expressions shared with Seraphina.
But...
This familiarity, yet, gave Ansel a subtle sense of tranquility.
He looked down at Ravenna, his gaze seemingly able to easily penetrate the hazy black veil, landing on her indifferent face.
Purely motivated by self-interest, objective rational thinking... in the end, are you like , or am I like you, Ravenna?
With differing thoughts, the two stepped into the teleportation array and vanished in a flash of light.
When Ravenna opened her eyes again, she found herself in a dimly lit alleyway.
She had no ti to marvel at the precise teleportation capabilities of Nostrom, instead focusing intently on every word Ansel said, striving to maintain the fragile stability between them.
"This is a typical domain city on the edge of the Watson territory," Ansel explained leisurely.
"It's not much different from the majority of domain cities within the empire. The lives of the citizens here are neither good nor bad; they get by, and the environnt isn't too poor, everything is quite average."
"It's neither a rare city governed by a wise lord where the commoners live stable and comfortable lives, nor is it a land of sin where internal and external divisions are clear, and chaos and strife are endless."
As Ansel spoke, he led Ravenna out of the alley. There weren't many people on the streets, but from their deanor, it was indeed as he described—not particularly well-off, but nothing notably dire either.
This amplified Ravenna's caution and suspicion—without heightened contradictions, there wouldn't be anything to impact her emotions significantly. Ansel surely wouldn't bring her to a place where nothing would happen.
Could it be that Ansel's purpose wasn't to continue making feel isolated and fragnted?
With this doubt, Ravenna found herself being pulled along the sparsely populated streets by Ansel.
"Old bungalows, decaying houses..."
The young Hydral glanced over the houses on both sides of the street. Their appearances boasted no beauty, only fulfilling the most basic residential needs, with a few so old and damaged they barely t even those.
He suddenly laughed, "Having grown accustod to the splendid buildings in the upper district and the simple beauty of the civilian residential areas in the lower district... looking at these dilapidated houses now, Helen, what do you think?"
Ravenna's gaze also swept across the houses on both sides of the street. After a mont of silence, she began to reply:
"If it were possible to utilize—"
"If it were possible to utilize that kind of alchemical apparatus that can quickly construct houses, this place would be vastly different."
Ravenna had only started her sentence when Ansel completed her thought.
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