Chapter 596: Welcome To Second Bloom

Right now, all the guards stationed near the massive iron gates of the warehouse looked like they were in absolute bliss.

Each of them had a weapon in one hand and a warm piece of bread in the other, happily munching away at the treats Isabelle had handed out.

The sweet aroma of freshly baked loaves filled the air, and soft sounds of satisfaction could be heard among them.

"Lady Isabelle’s the best." One of the guards mumbled between bites. "No one else in this world could bake like this. She’s not even human—she’s an angel."

Another guard chuckled, wiping a few crumbs off his chin.

"Angel? She’s more than that. She’s the perfect lady. Kind, beautiful, and she’s Lord Cassius’s wife. And I’m telling you, she deserves to be his wife one day."

"Wife? I’d vote for her to be Goddess of Mercy at this rate." Another added dreamily. "Any man would fall head over heels for her, especially when she walks in like that, smiling and handing out food."

They all laughed, nodding in agreement as they chewed contentedly.

But between bites, their eyes kept darting toward the main warehouse entrance—where a much stranger sight was unfolding.

The group that had entered with Isabelle didn’t look like they were there for a peaceful visit.

Far from it.

Every single one of them had a hardened, determined expression, their postures tense and battle-ready.

Joy was adjusting the holy emblem around her neck, while Carmela unsheathed her twin daggers, their silver edges glinting faintly under the afternoon light.

Joy’s sisters were loading small crossbows and muttering quiet prayers; even Maria was fumbling nervously with something hidden in her robes.

Several of them had already taken fighting stances, doing quick stretches and warm-up motions.

It looked less like a scouting mission and more like they were about to storm a fortress.

One of the guards who had been mid-bite froze and whispered nervously.

"Uh...Gerald, sir? Is everything going to be alright?"

"Because, uh...they look like they’re about to declare war on that warehouse."

Another guard nodded quickly.

"Yeah, weren’t we assigned to protect this place from exactly this kind of group? If we just let them in, and they wreck the whole building, we’ll be the ones in trouble."

Gerald, who was still chewing a mouthful of bread, looked at them with a calm, lazy expression. Then, after swallowing, he shrugged casually.

"Don’t worry about it. The pink-haired lady’s with Lady Isabelle and our Lord has given her full control over this place."

"So, if Lady Isabelle wanted to burn down the entire building, I’d still trust her judgment."

The guards blinked at him.

Then, with complete faith in that reasoning, they all relaxed, shrugged, and returned to eating.

"Fair enough." One said cheerfully. "If she’s fine with it, then it’s fine."

Within seconds, the uneasy tension dissolved completely.

Every guard resumed devouring their bread, chatting about Isabelle’s cooking again while occasionally glancing up at the group that was now arming themselves to the teeth just meters away.

Meanwhile, inside the perimeter, Joy stood in front of everyone, gripping her weapon tightly. Her eyes were fierce, her expression unwavering.

"Everyone." She said, her voice cutting through the wind. "We don’t know what’s inside this place. But after what we’ve heard, it’s clear this is no ordinary building."

A hush fell over the group as her words sank in.

Joy continued. "This could be something ancient. Something dangerous. There’s a chance that what’s sealed inside isn’t human at all..."

"...possibly an ancient deity, or a demonic being trapped by dark ritual."

That statement sent a visible ripple of tension through the group.

"Which is why..." Joy went on. "...I want everyone to be ready. Whatever you have—holy charms, blessed water, talismans, goddess wards—use them now. I don’t want to lose anyone."

She swept her gaze over her sisters.

"Watch each other’s backs. If you see anyone faltering, help them. No one gets left behind."

"We face whatever lies inside together."

Her words stirred the others, and one by one, they nodded determinedly, holding their weapons close and whispering prayers under their breath.

Aqua, however, stood frozen, looking around in disbelief at the sight of everyone arming themselves as if preparing for doomsday.

"Um...Joy?" She said uncertainly. "Don’t you think this is a little...overboard? We’re just going into a warehouse. Not a cursed dungeon filled with monsters or some mythological beast."

Joy didn’t even look at her.

"We don’t know what’s going on in there, Aqua. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Everything we’ve seen, every report we’ve heard points to something huge and horrible."

"You can call me paranoid if you like, but I’m not risking any lives today."

"You’re definitely paranoid..."

Aqua muttered under her breath before glancing at Carmela—only to realize with a shock that Carmela had also drawn her dagger, her expression cold and focused.

"You too, Carmela?!" Aqua exclaimed. "I thought you trusted my brother since he was your lover!"

"W-Who said anything about him being my lover!?"

Carmela turned slightly, a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Ridiculous."

"And right now, I’m just being cautious." She said as she stared at the door in front with a solemn face. "Even if I trust Cassius...what’s going on here doesn’t look simple. And as she said, it’s better to be ready than regret it later."

Aqua let out an exasperated groan. "Unbelievable..."

She then turned desperately toward Maria.

"At least you’re not going along with this madness, right, Auntie Maria?"

But to her horror, Maria was clutching a small silver knife with trembling hands.

"Auntie Maria?! You too?!" Aqua exclaimed. "Why are you holding a knife? Don’t tell me you think my brother’s hiding some kind of demonic entity in there too!"

Maria shook her head frantically, her eyes wide.

"N-No, no, no, it’s not that at all!" She said quickly. "I don’t think your brother’s evil, Aqua, I swear!"

"Then why the knife?!"

"Because of the ghosts!" Maria squeaked, holding the knife tighter.

Aqua blinked. "The...ghosts?"

Maria nodded quickly.

"Y-Yes! With everything that’s been said about this place, it sounds haunted! Haunted buildings are filled with restless spirits! And I hate ghosts! I can’t stand them!"

She held up her knife nervously.

"So this is just for protection! I even poured holy water on it—look!"

Aqua stared at her in disbelief, then slumped in defeat.

"...Right. Of course. Holy knife for ghosts. Why not."

Maria looked genuinely terrified, clutching the knife to her chest.

"Better safe than sorry!" She whispered as well.

Aqua sighed deeply, glancing around at the whole group preparing like they were marching to war.

She was about to throw her hands up in disbelief when her eyes fell on Isabelle.

Unlike the others, Isabelle looked serene. Calm. Her usual gentle smile was still on her face as she adjusted her gloves, completely unbothered.

That small sight grounded Aqua instantly.

"Thank the Goddess." She muttered. "At least someone here is sane."

Finally, Joy took a deep breath and turned toward the warehouse. Her hand rested firmly on the handle of her battle-axe.

"Everyone ready?" She asked.

"Yes, my lady!" Her sisters answered in unison, voices strong and determined.

Joy nodded once, her eyes locked on the massive wooden doors ahead.

"Then it’s time." She said quietly. "Time to uncover what the he has been hiding all along."

She raised her gleaming axe high, its holy crest catching the light of the sun, and took a single step forward.

The others followed, weapons ready, breath held.

And then—with a loud creak and a heavy echo—Joy pushed the enormous doors open, muscles tensing, her stance firm as she prepared for whatever horror awaited inside.

"Brace yourselves." Joy’s voice, low and determined. "We’re stepping into the Devil’s Den."

The moment the massive wooden doors swung fully open, a blinding white light poured out from within, flooding their vision like the midday sun had suddenly burst before their eyes.

Joy instinctively threw up an arm to shield her face, her aura flaring to life around her like pink fire.

"Everyone, be ready!" She shouted.

The sisters behind her instantly formed up, blades drawn, staffs raised. Spells were whispered under trembling breaths, charms pressed tight in hands slick with tension.

Aqua, Maria, Carmela—all of them squinted into the overwhelming light, their hearts racing.

’It’s starting...!’ Joy thought sharply, tightening her grip on her axe.

The light was too bright. Too sudden.

It could only mean one thing—an attack.

And so, without hesitation, she prepared to leap forward, muscles coiling as she raised her weapon high, ready to cleave down whatever enemy awaited beyond.

Her sisters followed suit, blades drawn back, ready to strike in perfect unison.

And then, with a sudden burst of motion, she stepped forward and swung her weapon—

Only to stop.

Dead still.

Her arms froze mid-motion, her eyes widening in disbelief.

For a moment, she simply stood there, her axe raised but unmoving, her face shifting from fury to shock.

The sisters behind her, already half a second from charging forward, skidded to a halt, confused.

"Lady Joy?" One called out, uncertain.

But Joy didn’t respond. She simply stared forward, her mouth falling open slightly.

Seeing their leader frozen like that, the others followed her gaze—

—and then they, too, froze.

The confusion spread like ripples through the entire group.

Even Carmela, who rarely showed surprise, blinked several times, her usually composed expression replaced with utter disbelief.

Maria’s eyes widened as she rubbed them, as if certain she must be hallucinating. Aqua leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing in confusion.

"What in the world...?" Joy whispered, her voice barely audible. "What...is this supposed to be?"

And then, as their eyes adjusted to the light, the sight before them became clear.

Inside the massive warehouse were women.

Hundreds of them.

Just as Joy had suspected.

But they weren’t chained.

They weren’t kneeling.

They weren’t screaming or crying or caught in some demonic trance.

They were working.

Yes—working.

The entire interior of the building was vast and open, clean and brightly lit with rows of crystalline lamps hanging from the ceiling.

The floor was spotless, the air smelled faintly of fabric dye and freshly baked treats, and every corner was organized neatly into sections.

At one section, groups of women sat at long tables, sewing pieces of fabric together, carefully stitching patterns by hand and passing garments down the line.

In another section, several were weaving baskets, their fingers moving quickly and skillfully.

Nearby, others were making shoes, hammering soles into place or shaping leather straps with practiced ease.

Across the far end, a group of women were arranging flower bouquets, their laughter soft and bright as they worked.

There were even a few creating small decorative items—ornaments, belts, ribbons, and dolls.

A faint melody played from somewhere—a gentle tune that filled the air with calm energy and a few of the women were humming along, smiling faintly as they worked.

In a corner, there was even a refreshment area, where several women were chatting over tea and sweet biscuits.

And seeing this everyone in the group, exchanged confused looks.

This wasn’t a prison.

It wasn’t even a factory with slave labour.

It was like club that got together to arts and crafts only on a much larger scale.

Aqua blinked rapidly until finally saying,

"Okay, this...is not what I expected."

She looked around, utterly bewildered.

"I mean, sure, I knew nothing serious was going on, but this—this is just...women sewing dresses and doing other handiwork?"

Maria, equally stunned, pointed toward one of the corners.

"There are children here." She whispered.

Indeed, a small group of little girls and boys could be seen running around with wooden toys, giggling happily while a few older women kept watch.

"I thought...I thought we’d find ghosts or...horrors, not this."

Even Carmela frowned slightly, her mind struggling to process the contradiction before her.

"This isn’t a Den of Sin...it’s a workshop."

Joy’s grip on her axe loosened. Her voice came out low, unsure, as if she herself couldn’t believe what she was saying.

"This...this can’t be it. This doesn’t make sense."

She took a step forward, scanning the hall in disbelief.

"They’re supposed to be enslaved, brainwashed, sacrificed—"

Her words trailed off.

Because every single face in the room looked content.

Some were laughing together, some focused deeply on their craft, and others were helping the younger girls learn how to weave or sew.

It was not a scene of torment.

It was a scene of life.

Finally, Carmela turned toward Isabelle, who had been standing quietly behind them the entire time.

"All right." Carmela said slowly. "What exactly is this place?"

That was the question everyone was thinking.

Isabelle, seeing all eyes on her, giggled softly.

"Oh, dear." She said, shaking her head with a smile. "You’re all looking at me like I’ve been hiding the world’s greatest secret."

Joy’s glare was sharp enough to cut stone.

"I’d appreciate it if you stopped smiling and explained what this is, Isabelle."

Isabelle sighed lightly, then stepped forward into the light. She turned, spreading her arms wide toward the vast hall.

"Well..." She said brightly. "I suppose I’ve kept you in suspense long enough."

Her voice rang gently through the air, carrying a warmth that contrasted beautifully with the tension of the moment.

"Welcome...to Second Bloom."

She said, smiling proudly.

"The sanctuary created by my Young Master for the sole purpose of letting broken souls find their lives once again."