Asura in Arknights

"After some searching, I found this candlestick in the castle's treasury."

"This ancient creation is not only a powerful magical medium, but it also helps me suppress the effects of that mark. In short, I am very fortunate to have found a way to survive."

"So I forged some letters and fled to Kazimierz alone. After some coincidences, I was adopted by the Grand Knight."

In this version of the story, there is no loyal old servant; Viviana completes her revenge alone and also obtains an item to suppress the special mark on her body.

This development sounds quite dramatic, but it is indeed Viviana's personal experience.

"Wait, didn't you not conceal your identity at all? Aren't you worried about the Queen's Voice coming after you?"

Viviana didn't hide her identity at all... Drost's name was openly displayed, and she had lived in the Great Knight Territory for many years without anyone from the Queen's Voice causing trouble.

"My identity means nothing to them. Apart from the two queens who found me, no one knows who I am."

Viviana shook her head, indicating that Adele's worries were completely unnecessary. "And those two Queens' Voices... died shortly after bringing me back."

After a pause, Viviana continued, "I lived in the Great Knight Territory for many years. Although the mark would occasionally flare up, it was always suppressed by the candlelight. I thought this kind of life would continue until the end of my life, but one day about half a year ago, I suddenly sensed the presence of the Witch King."

"This is a required course for all Queens' Voices, used to search for the Witch King's dangerous relics. It has been tested for more than ten years and there is almost no possibility of error."

"The Witch King's relics represent a huge problem. I originally wanted to investigate the situation there, but later I discovered that the aura was actually coming from the abandoned Plot 21. Due to the obstruction of the natural disaster, I had no choice but to give up at that time."

Adele listened silently. That must have been when she and the Rhodes Island operators entered Tile 21 and first awakened the Witch King's will... The Queen's Voice spell was truly powerful. She hadn't expected to be able to sense the Witch King's presence from so far away... Of course, it could also be because the Witch King had just woken up and made a lot of noise. After that, Viviana didn't find any trace of the Witch King's activities again, did she?

“Even if the natural disaster stops, I still won’t be able to go to Plot 21 to investigate. Those reporters… they follow me wherever I go, it’s so annoying.”

Viviana showed a very rare expression of annoyance, indicating that she was indeed quite annoyed by the paparazzi.

Whenever she makes an appearance in public, at least half of the day's news is filled with reports about Viviana.

With so many people watching her every move day and night, Viviana could hardly even leave her house, let alone sneak into Plot 21 to investigate.

“Until recently, I finally got a legitimate reason to enter Plot 21, where I confirmed the presence of the Witch King.”

“A few days ago, I confirmed that the aura had been present at Plot Zero, so I decided to try to make contact with you.”

“This is why I called you, and everything you want to know.” Viviana stared calmly at Adele. “Then, can you tell me where you get the earthly voice from?”

"I……"

Adele hesitated, unsure how to answer, and quickly asked for help from the sidelines.

Teacher, how should I answer her?

It's been such a long time...

The Witch King's sneer reached Adele's ears. [The mark on the back of her neck is the mark of Dionysus.]

[I knew those fools would inevitably stir up trouble again. The Queen's Voice... Heh, it seems the Anna sisters have put in quite a bit of effort in this, even offering their confidants to Dionysus.]

After a cold laugh, the Witch King turned his attention to Viviana.

Don't you think her life is like a poorly made, third-rate stage play?

[From family downfall to subsequent revenge, it all reeks of a familiar stench. Don't they ever get tired of this kind of trick?]

Teacher, you mean...?

Hearing the Witch King's mockery, Adele was startled, realizing a terrifying possibility.

[You guessed right. Like a puppet on a stage, her entire life was orchestrated by those Dionysian followers, but she herself never realized it.]

[This drama called 'Viviana Droste' has never ended; the peace of these past few years has merely been a brief intermission, and now a new act is about to begin. It's truly... disgusting.]

Chapter Ninety-Four: Claybrazon

Dionysus is the god of art, and his followers are all people engaged in related industries, such as musicians, actors, or painters.

They all hoped that their works would catch the eye of Dionysus and thus gain the favor of the god.

This doesn't seem wrong at all, and Dionysus doesn't seem like an evil god, but the problem is... there are countless forms of art, but Dionysus is particularly fond of chaos and madness, tempting people to indulge their desires, and his followers are happy to please their god in this way.

When the Witch King was young, there was a festival in Letania called the "Bacchus Festival," which was a celebration specifically for worshipping the god of wine.

That festival... can only be described as utterly disgusting.

Having grown up in that environment, the Witch King didn't think anything was wrong at the time. However, after he came into contact with the world outside of Letania, he suddenly realized just how incompatible the so-called Dionysian festival was with the civilization of this world.

“The priests of Dionysus roam the mountains and forests, wielding their Dionysian staffs and torches, dancing wildly. When this frenzy reaches its peak, they destroy everything around them, tearing apart and devouring all life they encounter, not even children are spared.”

This is a true record of the Dionysian festival from a document that was burned by the witch king.

It is no exaggeration to say that the greatest contribution of the Witch King was not that he single-handedly resisted the invasion of the Gallic Empire, but that he used his reign of terror to almost erase all records related to Dionysus in the country of Letania over a period of seventy years.

Among these fanatical believers, there is always a small group of special individuals who are particularly favored by Dionysus; they are known as playwrights.

The favor of Dionysus granted his followers near-eternal life. They had ample time and patience, sometimes even hundreds of years, to meticulously plan every encounter in a person's life, all to turn his life into a grand stage play. This was the best way to please their gods.

In Letania a century ago, this situation was commonplace. No one could say for sure how many people in that frenzied country of art had been corrupted by Dionysus, nor could anyone say for sure how many people had spent their lives under the control of Dionysian believers.

It seems I didn't completely kill the troupe leader back then... After decades of silence, he found a new playwright for the Scarlet Troupe.

[The fact that such a shoddy production could even attract the attention of Dionysus shows that the Crimson Theatre Company is truly declining with each generation.]

Upon realizing the Scarlet Troupe's current predicament, the Witch King let out a heartfelt laugh of pleasure.

Although his current state was indeed miserable, barely clinging to a wisp of his soul, the Witch King's mindset instantly calmed down when he thought that his mortal enemy wasn't doing much better.

In that era when Dionysian cultists were rampant, their theatrical productions existed not only within Letania but throughout the entire continent of Terra.

Dionysus could not possibly pay attention to every performance; only the works of the most outstanding playwrights would attract his attention.

The lead actors in those works will also be noticed by Dionysus, thus bearing his mark.

From the Witch King's perspective, Viviana's life was nothing short of a terrible, third-rate stage play... no, even third-rate would be an overstatement; it was merely a mediocre production.

With a boring backstory, a shallow villain, a slow plot, and abrupt transitions, the Witch King couldn't see anything commendable about this performance. Well... maybe the lead actress is pretty, which could be considered half a positive.

While actors' appearance is essential for stage plays, when will a performance be able to capture the attention of Dionysus, and the only thing that can be considered outstanding is the appearance of the lead actor?

This may be cruel for Viviana, but her life so far has been nothing more than a low-class stage play that was preordained by others.

This convinced the Witch King that the Crimson Troupe's strength had indeed weakened to the extreme. Even though he had been dead for nearly twenty years, they had only barely recovered a little bit, and that was only on the premise that they might have the support of the Twin Queens.

Although he didn't know in what form Dionysus existed in the world, the thought that He could only watch this garbage performance with a pinched nose made the Witch King want to burst into laughter.

It's worth noting that the last performance by the Scarlet Theatre Company was known by later generations as—

The Witch King.

After laughing, the Witch King regained his usual composure. Hearing Adele's plea for help, he spoke in an aria-like tone...

My youngest apprentice, now is the time for you to make a choice.

Although I hope you will become the new King of the Tower and save this nation from falling into the clutches of Dionysus once again, during my slumber I have thought carefully. If I impose my wishes on you, how am I any different from those Dionysian priests who arbitrarily manipulate the lives of others?

Now it's time. The troupe's lead actress has returned to the stage, inviting you to join her in this wild performance.

Choose.

Tell her you heard a strange melody in the ruins of Brest, and you can escape all the calamities brought by Dionysus; they will find what they seek in those ruins.

With your husband's protection, you need not worry about any threats. You can live a peaceful life in this city, and I will still keep my promise and pass on my knowledge to you.

If you want to accept her invitation, remember this: from the moment you step onto the stage, you are no longer a spectator, but a supporting character in the playwrights' hands, a power bestowed upon them by Dionysus.

Adele remained silent.

Viviana, who was not far away, could not hear the conversation between Adele and the Witch King, but she did not show any anxiety. She quietly waited for Adele's answer, waiting for... the answer she had been longing for.

What will happen to Miss Viviana if I refuse to go on stage?

A grand performance is never interrupted by the absence of a supporting actor; even a novice wouldn't make such a basic mistake. As for the ending of this performance...

The Witch King chuckled coldly and said, "[The god of wine is fond of tragedy, my naive apprentice... what kind of ending do you think she will meet?]"

Even the Witch King, who successfully rebelled against the rule of Dionysus, ultimately ended up disgraced and ruined. In the end, he still couldn't escape this drama called "The Witch King." Fortunately, the Crimson Theatre didn't fare much better, so the Witch King was still somewhat satisfied.

In the plays written by Dionysian followers, a clean and tidy death is considered a good ending; the worst outcome is a fate worse than death.

Teacher, could what happened to my parents also be an arrangement by Dionysian followers?

After a moment of silence, Adele suddenly asked this question.

【I have no idea.】

The Witch King answered candidly, "At the height of the Crimson Troupe's power, they even had the ability to control an entire country to stage their desired plays. Even now, with only a mediocre, third-rate playwright, they can easily interfere in the life of any ordinary person."

Only the mark of Dionysus can determine whether someone is the lead actor in the play, while those supporting actors who only appear once or twice cannot be judged by any means.

Those supporting actors affected by the performance often only lament their misfortune, never imagining that their misfortune was caused by their own actions.

Having found the answer to this question, Adele had already made her choice.

"I see... Then teacher, please tell me the other answer."

Even the Witch King was slightly surprised to see that Adele made her choice so quickly, without much hesitation.

"Have you made up your mind? Are you planning to help her? She's been hiding quite a few secrets."

In Viviana's account just now, it was clear that she was hiding a lot of things.

For example, Viviana deliberately ignored her experiences in the Queen's Voice, why she was adopted by the Grand Knight Commander, and most importantly, why she betrayed the Queen's Voice.

However, this is understandable. Given Viviana's past experiences, it is only natural for her to keep things to herself under these circumstances, especially since the two of them are just ordinary friends.

Upon hearing this, Adele shook her head almost imperceptibly.

I did consider helping her... but the main reason is still the Gemini Queen.

[Didn't Viviana just say that the Voice of the Mortal Realm is a trap set by the Twin Queens? The relationship between my family and the Twin Queens is very complicated. I don't think they'll let me off so easily; they'll come after me sooner or later.]

Adele carefully analyzed her thoughts. Even though the warrant for her arrest had been lifted, it didn't mean the Twin Queens would ignore her existence.

Moreover, the Witch King once said that she was qualified to inherit the title of Lord of the Tower, a qualification that is extremely rare and may only appear once every few decades.

Most importantly, the Gemini Queen should know that she is qualified.

Therefore, even if Adele didn't have such thoughts, it's not necessarily true that the Twin Queens would let this threat continue to exist; they just haven't had a suitable opportunity yet.

The Lytania under the rule of the Twin Queens was far less powerful than during the reign of the Witch King. Even if Kazimir's military theories were not particularly strong, Lytania was unwilling to provoke such an enemy.

Over the past few months, Adele has gradually adjusted her mindset and no longer instinctively tries to avoid anything related to the Gemini Queens as she did before.

Now, Viviana's predicament is clearly inextricably linked to the Gemini Queens. If we calculate the timeline, it is very likely that it occurred during the years when the Gemini Queens suddenly went into seclusion.

Such an important clue came to her doorstep, and she shouldn't let this opportunity slip by, both morally and logically.

[Then tell her, tell her that the echo within you came from the region of Clerbrasson.]

"The echoes in my body... came from the Clerbrason region."

Repeating what the Witch King had told her, Adele soon saw Viviana's pupils shrink to the size of pinpoints.

She struggled to stand up, but the Dionysian Mark had left her with little strength, and after several attempts, she could only helplessly sit back down.

Viviana stared intently at Adele, the light in her eyes even frightening Adele.

"Claybrason? Claybrason! You've been there?"

"......Um."

Adele nodded timidly, while silently asking,

Teacher, what is Clerbusson? Why does she look so excited?

Clerbrasson was once a viscountcy in Gaul. After the fall of the Gallo-Gallic Empire, it was incorporated into Victoria. The city has long been abandoned and destroyed, and its location cannot be found on any map. The only unusual thing is that it was once the headquarters of the Scarlet Theatre Company, and Viscount Clerbrasson was once the company's largest patron.

After introducing the basic situation of Cleisbrough, the Witch King thought for a moment and added, "I destroyed that city."

Well... upon hearing this shocking news, Adele wasn't surprised at all.

In fact, Adele already had a vague premonition when she heard that Claybrason had once been the headquarters of the Scarlet Theatre.

His cheap teacher hated the Dionysian believers to the core. After killing almost all the believers in Letania, the few who survived could only flee to the territory of the Gallo-Baltic Empire at that time.

Adele even suspected that the Witch King had deliberately provoked the war between Letania and the Gallo Empire in order to eliminate the remnants of the Dionysian faction hiding within the Gallo Empire.

But... isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?

After the Witch King's explanation, Adele understood just how important the Clerbrason region was.

As the last base of the Scarlet Troupe, it must hold countless secrets related to Dionysus. Viviana may have known this, which is why she was so excited.

But what secret is she seeking?

The thought crossed Adele's mind. She stepped forward, reached out and helped Viviana up from the ground, then said, "I can tell you some things about the Clerbrasson region, but before that..."