Asura in Arknights

"The Queen's Voice only dispatched one person? And just a Tower Knight as a guard?"

After her initial surprise, Viviana quickly shook her head. "The Tower Knights aren't exactly elite, and they don't usually act alone, which doesn't make sense."

The Voice of the Queen, just from the name you know what kind of organization it is.

Composed of the most powerful sorcerers in all of Letania, they are the most trusted assistants of the Twin Queens. All Originium Arts related to music are their weapons. Their combined spells can even fight against enemies dozens of times their number. It is difficult for a single Queen's Voice to exert their full power, so the Queen's Voice has always operated in small teams.

The Tower Knights... are merely guards to protect the Queen's Voice from being disturbed while casting spells. Why would anyone send these guards out on separate missions?

Viviana had a deep understanding of these high-level secrets of Letania, and she was very clear about the operating patterns of the Queen's Voice.

The arrest of Adele seems illogical from every angle. If the Gemini Queens themselves issued the warrant, it's not impossible that the Queen's voice would be heard everywhere.

But they actually managed to escape from Brandenburg and even made it all the way to Casimir, which makes no sense when you think about it.

Viviana took a deep breath, temporarily suppressing her doubts.

Then she heard Adele ask, "The 'echo' you just mentioned... do you mean 'earthly sounds'?"

After explaining to Viviana why she was wanted by the authorities, Adele also asked her own question.

The Sound of the Mortal World... This concept was revealed to them a few months ago in the Eastern Kingdom by a tower sorcerer named Lynn.

It is said to be a melody left behind by the Witch King, which contains a fragment of the Witch King's consciousness.

If one learns this melody, all musical spells will be greatly enhanced, and one may even master the Witch King's unique spells.

The only problem is... the consciousness of the 'Witch King' will resurrect from these earthly voices. In order to prevent the Witch King's resurrection, the tower sorcerers have been hunting down these dangerous people, and Lynn has participated in many such operations.

However, they received the exact opposite answer from the Witch King.

The Witch King has never created any earthly sounds. Splitting one's consciousness is enough to qualify for the most foolish way to die of the year. The Witch King is weak, but it hasn't affected his intelligence.

As for what exactly the consciousness hidden in that melody is, no one can say for sure.

Later, after escorting Professor Valk back to Kazimierz, Lynn returned to Letania alone to investigate the Twin Queens, and he didn't know what their current situation was.

"You actually knew?" Viviana was taken aback for a moment, then nodded gently. "What resides within you is indeed a sound from the mortal world."

Few people know the secrets of the Sound of the Mortal World, especially those who serve as test subjects; they are even less likely to know these secrets.

However, compared to Adele's bizarre deeds, knowing about the existence of the Voice of the Mortal World doesn't seem like such a big deal.

“Don’t believe that voice in your head, not even a single word!” Viviana said seriously. “I can’t explain the specifics to you, but I can say that the voice is not the Witch King at all, but a trap set by the Twin Queens.”

"Oh...I see." Adele nodded, pretending to understand.

There was no earthly voice emanating from her at all; it was all a disguise by the Witch King.

Even if the Voice of the Mortals was created by the Twin Queens, they would never be able to see through the disguise made by the Witch King himself unless they could stand in front of Adele in person.

However, none of them knew what kind of state the host of the Voice of the Mortal World was in, so they could only say less and do more to avoid arousing the other party's suspicion.

[Ask her if she is the vessel for earthly sounds.]

Adele also wanted to know the answer to this question, so she asked it.

"Viviana, are you also a vessel for the voice of the mortal world?"

“No, I am not a vessel.” Viviana shook her head, but when talking about her true identity, she seemed unusually hesitant. “As for my identity before coming to Kazimierz…”

She suddenly fell silent, staring at Adele's face as if trying to read something from it.

After a long while, Viviana silently put down her violin, dragged a small box out of the darkness at her feet, and carefully placed the violin inside.

After doing all this, Viviana finally spoke, "I was once a prospective member of the Queen's Voice."

Adele: "?"

Wait a minute... Li Ang told her Viviana's backstory before.

Wasn't her father purged for plotting a rebellion? Could all this background information about her be fabricated just to dispel doubts about her?

Viviana is actually a member of the Queen's Voice? This answer is several times more outrageous than the fact that she is the vessel of the Earthly Voice. Even if she is a prospective member... that would still make her a confidante of the Gemini Queens.

Isn't the job of the Queen's Voice and the Tower Warlocks to prevent the Witch King's resurrection and eliminate the carriers of those earthly voices? But look at what Viviana is doing now, how many of them are related to the Queen's Voice?

"You...no, how could you..."

Adele was now filled with questions and even became somewhat incoherent.

"I know you definitely don't believe what I'm saying, but that's okay."

After revealing her identity, Viviana's expression visibly relaxed. "I think... there are many problems with what you've been through, which is why I told you my identity. Even if you don't believe me, it doesn't change the facts."

"So... Miss Nauman, can you tell me where the fragments of the Earthly Voices on you came from? Those things are part of the Twin Queens' conspiracy, and we can't let them continue collecting them."

"...To be honest, I can't believe you."

Adele took a few steps back, maintaining a relatively safe distance, and cautiously watched Viviana.

She was extremely nervous. She had only asked a question casually, but she had overheard such an explosive secret... Adele had never been exposed to any worldly voices, so how was she supposed to answer Viviana's question?

Let's postpone this for now...

Thinking this, Adele questioned Viviana, "If you are a member of the Queen's Voice, then why are you here? And... you don't seem to have any hostility towards me. Isn't capturing the Voices of the Mortal World your job?"

"As I just explained, I am only a prospective member of the Queen's Voice, and I was a prospective member in the past."

Viviana lowered her eyelids and answered Adele's question softly, "Capturing the Voices of the Mortal World will only make things worse. Even the deaths of you vessels will push everything toward the abyss."

Her voice carried an undeniable weariness.

"Your Majesty... and those members of the Voice of the Queen, they have gone mad."

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Chapter Ninety-Three: The Mark of Dionysus

Both the Gemini Queens and their most elite Queen's Voices have gone mad.

No... to be precise, it turned into a monster.

Dirty sewage dripped from the cracks in the blackened stone bricks, and the rusty iron railing was covered with blackened bloodstains. The surrounding darkness seemed to be alive, writhing and changing shape.

Beneath the gleaming armor flowed flesh and blood resembling silt. A strange buzzing sound emanated from the black robe, and dark red appendages emerged from the gaps in the robe, slowly climbing up the young girl's forehead.

In that darkness that devoured people, only a faint candlelight was the girl's last resort.

That was a nightmare hidden deep within Viviana's heart.

Viviana suddenly covered her forehead, her delicate face contorted in pain, letting out a muffled groan.

In an instant, Viviana's face turned deathly pale, and her body swayed as if she were about to fall over at any moment.

The candlelight on the three candlesticks on the ground beside her suddenly dimmed, and thick darkness quickly surged up, covering most of Viviana's body.

Seeing this, Adele quickly went over to help Viviana and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

Adele had no idea what had just happened. Why would a perfectly healthy person become like this? He was barely breathing, his pulse was extremely weak, and he looked like he was about to die at any moment.

An acute attack of Oripathy? The symptoms are somewhat similar, but Viviana is clearly not infected... This isn't something that can't be announced due to the Grand Knight's authority; rather, a detailed medical report from when Viviana joined the Bloodblade Knights already explained everything.

However, it is also possible that this is a case of someone who has just been infected with Oripathy and is experiencing their first flare-up.

Fortunately, there is a hospital nearby, and if we send him there now, it might still be in time for him to be rescued.

"I'll take you to the hospital!"

Without much hesitation, Adele decided to carry Viviana on her back and take her to the emergency room of the nearby Central Hospital.

However, just as Adele was about to do so, Viviana suddenly grabbed Adele's arm tightly.

"I'm fine... I don't need to go to the hospital."

These words sounded as if they were squeezed out from between teeth, incredibly weak, and utterly unconvincing.

Adele persisted in her decision, supporting Viviana's body and lifting her off the ground.

Before Adele could take two steps, Viviana suddenly burst forth with power from nowhere, broke free from Adele's hands, and fell to the ground, rolling twice in a sorry state before landing next to the three candlesticks.

She shakily reached out and grasped the candlestick, as if adding new fuel to the flame, causing it to leap upwards slightly.

Viviana's complexion then visibly regained its color.

She knelt on the ground, took a handkerchief from her pocket to cover her mouth, and then coughed violently.

A trickle of crimson blood seeped from the corner of Viviana's mouth, gradually soaking the palm-sized handkerchief.

Although she looked rather pitiful, Adele could sense that Viviana's condition was rapidly improving.

"I'm sorry about that..."

Seeing this, Adele obediently lowered her head and apologized.

Perhaps... this isn't the first time something like this has happened; just now, Adele actually caused Viviana trouble.

"It's alright, you meant well just now, it's just that I didn't explain clearly."

Viviana let out a soft breath, feeling every trembling muscle in her body, and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The outbreak came too suddenly, catching Viviana somewhat off guard. Fortunately, the momentum came and went quickly. As long as she could withstand the first wave, Viviana was able to control the subsequent situation.

However... Viviana was completely drained of energy for the time being.

Looking at her trembling fingertips, Viviana leaned helplessly against the wall behind her, waiting for her strength to return.

"Um, may I ask what happened just now?" Adele asked cautiously, seeing that Viviana seemed to have calmed down.

"...As you can see, this is a spell used by the Queen's Voice to control her subordinates."

Viviana tossed her long blonde hair aside, showing Adele a section of the upper part of her neck.

There was a strange pattern about the size of a silver coin, with a color close to pale red. Because there was some distance between the two of them, and the only light source around them was the three candlesticks in Viviana's hand, Adele couldn't see it very clearly.

"The day before I officially became a member of the Queen's Voice, I escaped from the tower, but that ominous mark has been left on me forever."

Viviana's expression remained unchanged as she calmly recounted her past experiences, as if she were talking about something completely ordinary.

"Ever since I escaped from the tower, this mark has been tormenting my mind and body, just like it was before."

"Soon, I felt that I couldn't hold on any longer, so I wanted to see my hometown one last time before I died."

"So I returned to the town where I was born and secretly sneaked into the castle that my uncle had taken away."

"No one has found my trail. The training of the Queen's Voice has given me power, enough to deal with most people. All the sheriffs in the town combined would not be a match for me."

“A strange impulse arose in my heart. I was no longer satisfied with just waiting for death here. With my strength, I could do more.”

“I started searching the castle for the person who took everything from me and brought me to this state.”

"I found him."

“In his sleep, I ended his life without any pain.”

Viviana's past was largely the same as what Leon had told her before, but with some very subtle details added.

It is precisely because of these subtle details that Viviana's life story has become two completely different versions.

In the version told by the Grand Knight Commander, Viviana was simply an innocent noblewoman whose family had suffered a great tragedy and who was sent to Kazimierz for refuge by her loyal old steward.

After being adopted by the Grand Knight Commander, she worked hard to hone her swordsmanship and eventually became an outstanding competitive knight, a position she still holds today.

However, in Viviana's own account, the development is completely different.

Her father also died for treason, but after that, young Viviana did not escape her fate. Instead, she was captured by her uncle and imprisoned in the dungeon.

Viviana's life had many other uses, and her uncle certainly wouldn't let her die like that.

Originally, Viviana's best ending would have been to die silently in the dungeon, but a turning point soon appeared.

For reasons unknown, the Queen's Voice approached Viviana.

Even the real Baron Droste wouldn't dare disobey the Queen's orders, let alone Viviana's uncle who seized the position through illegitimate means.

So he could only watch helplessly as the Queen's Voice took Viviana away.

Viviana became a prospective member of the Queen's Voice, which, upon closer examination, is not actually that unusual.

To ensure the loyalty of special units like the Queen's Voice, the core members are orphans adopted from various places, and it's even possible that some orphans are deliberately created.

Viviana was very talented and happened to meet this requirement, so the Queen's Voice came to her door.

After several years of training, Viviana is qualified to become a full member of the Queen's Voice. Candlelight magic and elegant swordsmanship are only part of Viviana's strength. Her mastery of music magic is absolutely extraordinary. She has never shown any of her music magic abilities to outsiders.

The violin was the instrument Viviana chose for herself.

“I lit a fire in the castle, intending to bury myself and everything in the castle with the flames. But strangely, even with a lot of accelerants, the fire never burned for long and would go out on its own.”