The Warden of The Witches

Absence of Presence

"The essence of the Divine Words lies not in language but in the authority carried by language as a vessel. Those who grasp the Words grasp the authority; language merely serves as a means to convey that authority," Mephilia said as she rolled the dice. "Be it a phonograph or the creation of written records, they are nothing but cold noise without the power of authority attached. Even if mortals hear them, all they learn is a mere utterance of noise. Only those who wield the authority of the Words can choose to impart them to others."

"Would the recipients then suffer from mental contamination?" Aiden inquired, joining in the dice-rolling.

"Indeed, simply voicing the Words does not affect the minds of others. It is only when you attempt to forcefully instill the authority of the Words in someone that interference with their spirit occurs."

"So, the Divine Words can only be passed down orally or extracted from the remains of the wielder?" Aiden pressed on. "Doesn't that pose a risk of extinction? What if all bearers of a certain Word perish, and their remains are destroyed?"

"You need not worry about that. The Words, like divinity, are indestructible. If the Words lose all external forms, they will return to their corresponding 'Sole Authority.' The next individual to inherit the authority will automatically grasp that Word."

"So that's how it is. How can I adapt to the Divine Words?" Aiden brought up the main point.

"There's no need to do anything. Once you grasp the Words, they will gradually transform you into a state that aligns with them,Mephilia calmly stated, continuing to move her chess pieces.

"Transform?" Aiden paused, his hand holding the dice halting. "Does mastering the Divine Words have any side effects?"

"Yes, after mastering an authority, aspects of that authority will gradually manifest in the wielder," Mephilia explained.

"But I don't feel anything..." Aiden was momentarily puzzled.

"That's because your compatibility with the 'Order' authority is very high, so you haven't sensed anything unnatural yet. Soon, you should start noticing it," Mephilia said calmly. "You are fortunate; your first mastered Divine Word is 'Order,' which is a suitable authority for you."

"What characteristics does this Divine Word have?" Aiden asked, rolling the dice again.

"That's something you need to explore for yourself; the best way to seek knowledge is through practice," Mephilia smiled. "Adapting to the characteristics of the revealed Words has both positive and negative aspects. The 'Wisdom' authority, for instance, greatly enhances cognitive abilities. The 'Life' authority strengthens the wielder's physical capabilities. The 'Death' authority makes it easier for the bearer to attract entities like the undead. The 'Void' authority gradually diminishes one's sense of presence..."

"Eliminate presence?" Aiden suddenly became intrigued.

"Yes, in simple terms, it makes a person very inconspicuous, blending into a crowd effortlessly. Others quickly forget his appearance, even if they standing right beside him; they inadvertently overlook him," Mephilia explained.

"Then I must have been a saint of the 'Void' authority in a past life," Aiden couldn't resist a self-deprecating remark. "Most people in this world are just ordinary, unremarkable individuals, lost in the crowd. This characteristic you describe seems quite common."

"No, the presence-erasing effect caused by the 'Void' authority is much stronger. Even if the wielder is striking in appearance, dressed uniquely or even naked, they can easily be forgotten at a glance. It's actually a very dangerous authority; with the Words, the wielder can actively erase others' memories of them and temporarily erase their own existence from this world," Mephilia cautioned.

"It sounds like a power that provides a strong sense of security, I'm tempted to learn it," Aiden suddenly felt intrigued.

By erasing his own presence, he wouldn't become a target. He could evade any danger effortlessly, even if pursued with a knife to his doorstep, he can slip away unnoticed.

"Show a bit more maturity; most people who wield this authority use it for infiltration and assassination," Mephilia couldn't help but sigh.

Meanwhile, in Cell 12 of the core area's prison block after lights out, Dailey and Priscilla lay down on their respective beds, exchanging a few words before getting ready to sleep.

"...Alright, time to sleep," Priscilla said.

"Mm, goodnight," Dailey replied, wrapping herself tightly in the blanket and turning over.

"Goodnight to both of you," a sudden third voice interjected.

However, neither of them paid much attention at the moment, just responding with a couple of nonchalant "mmhm"s, and preparing to drift off.

After a while, Dailey felt a nudge on her shoulder, jolting her awake. The voice from earlier wasn't—

She opened her eyes and looked towards the edge of the bed.

"Well, well, look who's here, Dailey," Qimora sat by her bedside, smiling, and held a slender cigarette in her right hand.

This time, she was adorned in an extravagant gown, with striking red dancing shoes. Her ensemble included a tiara, necklace, earrings, bracelets, rings... every possible spot for jewelry was adorned. If the lights were on, she would probably shine like a crystal chandelier, exuding a lavish aura.

"Qimora!?" Dailey's eyes widened.

Upon hearing the voice, Priscilla also sat up, turning to look and equally surprised. "You—"

But before she could finish her sentence, she realized they couldn't attract the attention of the guards patrolling the corridor and quickly lowered her voice, "What are you doing here? Are you here to break us out of prison?"

"Just dropping by to see you, using my abilities to infiltrate this prison is already pushing it to the limit. Asking me to take someone out would be too much," Qimora replied calmly.

"That's true. You're the kind of person who doesn't care about our well-being," Priscilla said, reaching out to her, "Give me a cigarette!"

"I'll give you the whole pack. It's not easy to get cigarettes here, right?" Qimora took out a pack of cigarettes and matches from her chest, first offering one to Dailey.

"Not too bad. Back when I was a fugitive, I couldn't just buy cigarettes either. I had to grow my own tobacco... You should give one to Priscilla; I can get mine here," Dailey borrowed fire directly from the cigarette Qimora was holding. "Don't leave the box and matches here; it would be troublesome if they were found."

"Oh? Sounds like you're doing pretty well here?" Qimora teased.

"Ignore her; this one has already been tamed," Priscilla quipped at Dailey, then lit her cigarette with the match.

As she lifted her face, she inadvertently made eye contact with the succubus Fei from Room 13 across the way, who was staring at them in shock.