Chapter 598: Making A New Friend

But just then, amid the emotional quiet and tearful smiles—

—a sudden burst of laughter and shouts of joy rippled across the hall.

The sound startled everyone.

Dozens of heads turned at once, eyes darting toward the commotion. And there, a few rows down between the knitting tables, stood a woman clutching a small boy tightly against her chest, tears streaming down her face.

"He...He called me mother!"

She cried out, her voice trembling with pure emotion.

"He just called me mother!"

She buried her face into the child’s hair, her shoulders shaking.

"Oh, I waited for this moment for so long...and he actually did...He finally did!"

The women around her smiled warmly, some reaching over to pat her back, others offering comforting words.

"You deserve it."

"He’s your boy now."

"See? I told you he’d come around."

The boy, no older than five or six, wrapped his tiny arms around her neck, his little hands clutching at her dress as if afraid she might disappear. He murmured softly.

"Mother..."

The sound was so tender, so real, it sent another wave of emotion through the crowd.

And seeing this, Aqua, who had just managed to stop crying, wiped her eyes and asked,

"W-Why exactly did she say something like that? It seems like she’s his mother already, right? Why’s she so surprised that her own son’s calling her mother?"

"That’s...what every child does, isn’t it?"

Maria tilted her head thoughtfully, her eyes glistening.

"Maybe the child couldn’t speak before and he’s only now managed to say it?"

But then she frowned slightly.

"No...he looks old enough to talk."

Carmela nodded slowly. "So why does she sound like she’s hearing it for the first time?"

Before anyone could speculate further, Isabelle’s gentle laugh came from behind them.

"Ah." She said warmly, watching the woman and child with a fond smile. "That would be because the boy isn’t actually her son."

Everyone turned toward her instantly, eyes wide.

"What?" Aqua asked, blinking. "But...she just said—?"

Isabelle nodded. "I know. But listen. The woman you see there...she had a son once. A beautiful little boy. But unfortunately he was kidnapped years ago and later found dead."

Her words struck like a silent wave through the group.

Maria gasped softly, covering her mouth. Even Carmela’s eyes darkened in grief.

Isabelle continued gently. "And that boy she’s holding—his family was killed when bandits raided his village. He lost everything, just like she did."

"And this...this is what my Young Master saw."

"He realized there were so many mothers who had lost children, and so many children who had lost mothers...so he decided to bring them together."

She smiled faintly, her eyes shining.

"He called it his Bonding Program, though he’d never admit how sentimental the idea really was."

Aqua blinked back tears. "So...he pairs them together? The mothers and the orphans?"

"Yes." Isabelle said softly. "He gives each motherless child a chance to feel love again, and each grieving mother a chance to give love again."

"Over time, these pairs begin to truly care for one another—not as replacements, but as family."

She turned her eyes back to the woman and the boy, her voice becoming tender.

"The little boy you see there...he refused to call her ’Mother’ for months. He couldn’t accept her because he was still holding onto his old family."

"And she...she never forced him."

"She waited patiently. She loved him quietly, every day. And today...he finally called her Mother on his own."

For a moment, no one spoke. Then one of the sisters suddenly covered her face and started crying loudly.

"Th-That’s too beautiful!"

Another joined in, wiping her eyes.

"I can’t— I can’t handle this anymore!"

Aqua laughed through her tears, sniffling hard.

"Goddammit, I just wiped my eyes a minute ago! I thought I was done crying, but you—you just keep adding more emotional stories!"

Maria clutched her chest dramatically.

"My poor heart can’t take this much positivity in one day! It’s beating too fast—I swear I need a break before I faint!"

Her over-the-top tone made a few others laugh between tears, easing the tension a little.

Carmela was also smiling quietly, shaking her head in disbelief.

But Joy, standing a few paces apart, didn’t laugh.

She looked down, her face thoughtful, her emotions tangled beyond words.

She had seen enough to know this was no act.

And yet, one question gnawed at her relentlessly.

She turned toward Isabelle.

"Isabelle." She said, her tone serious now. "You’re telling me all of this, and I’m not denying what I’ve seen—these smiles, these emotions, they’re real. I can tell. None of this feels fake."

She paused, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"But...if all of this is true, then what about the things we heard outside?"

Carmela looked over, nodding in agreement.

"Yes, the screams. The guards’ strange behavior. The red light coming from the windows. The symbols on people’s faces. All of that made this place look like a cursed ritual ground."

Maria and Aqua turned to Isabelle as well, their curiosity reignited.

For once, Isabelle hesitated.

"Ah...well."

She began, scratching her cheek awkwardly.

"To tell you the truth...even I don’t completely understand all of that."

"What?" Joy said sharply.

Isabelle held up her hands quickly.

"I swear, it’s nothing sinister! My Young Master just...has some very peculiar ideas sometimes. And he gives some odd instructions to everyone here."

Joy’s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly that." Isabelle said with a sheepish laugh. "My Young Master has...how should I put it...odd habits. He gives out orders sometimes that make no sense to anyone but him. Like..." She counted on her fingers. "Every night, he has some of the women gather outside and shout specific lines he’s written down. Weird things—like something out of a horror play."

"And even though they don’t understand, they do it."

Aqua’s mouth fell open. "You’re joking."

"I wish I were." Isabelle sighed again. "And the red lights? Those are these strange glowing orbs he installed to help the night staff see better."

"For some reason, he chose red instead of white. He says it’s ’aesthetic.’ I think it’s just to confuse the neighbors."

"And the guards?" Joy pressed.

"Oh, that." Isabelle said, chuckling awkwardly. "He told them to write their names in the air every few hours. Some sort of, um team-building exercise? No one knows what it means, but they just do it."

The group stared at her blankly.

"And the women with marks on their faces?" Carmela asked slowly.

"Makeup." Isabelle replied immediately. "Young master told them to draw on each other’s faces sometimes, to improve their creativity. Some use ink, some use charcoal. They think it’s funny."

Joy looked utterly dumbfounded. "And they act like nothing’s there when asked about it?"

"Yes!" Isabelle exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "Apparently he told them to ’practice acting’ too. So they pretend not to notice. I told you, it’s silly!"

Carmela pinched the bridge of her nose.

"So you’re telling me...he’s deliberately making this place look suspicious? He’s spreading rumors about himself? On purpose?"

Isabella nodded slowly. "Pretty much, yes."

"Why?" Carmela demanded, voice rising. "If everyone knew what was really happening here—the families, the healing, the love—his reputation would skyrocket!"

"People would adore him!"

"So, why is he doing the exact opposite? Why is he making himself look like some kind of monster?"

Isabella’s smile was small, almost fond.

"I truly don’t know, Miss Carmela. The Young Master has thoughts and plans that a simple maid like me could never hope to understand."

"My only duty is to follow his instructions...no matter how strange they seem."

Carmela groaned in pure exasperation.

Joy, meanwhile, had gone very quiet.

Her mind was a storm.

She came here seeking proof of corruption, expecting to find darkness.

Instead, she found a sanctuary filled with light and just enough absurdity to make her question everything she thought she knew.

On one side: the divine voice. The warnings. The mission.

Cassius was dangerous.

Cassius needed to be stopped.

Cassius was a blight.

On the other side: this place. These women. These children.

These families born from ashes.

The way they spoke his name with gratitude, with warmth, with love.

The contradiction was tearing her apart.

It was too much.

Her head throbbed. Her chest felt tight. And before anyone could stop her, Joy turned abruptly and began walking toward the exit.

"Joy?" Maria called after her, startled. "Where are you—?"

Joy didn’t answer. Her pace quickened. The others exchanged looks, then hurried after her.

The guards outside tensed up as Joy approached, her aura flaring faintly around her like heat waves.

They thought she was about to attack.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she stopped in the grassy clearing just outside the building. Her fists clenched. Her breathing deepened.

Then—

A golden light burst from her hand.

Her divine hammer materialized in a shimmer of radiance, gleaming under the sun.

And without a single word, Joy raised it high—her face a storm of anguish and confusion and brought it crashing down.

BOOM!

The ground shook violently, cracks splitting through the earth.

Everyone froze in shock.

But Joy didn’t stop.

She lifted the hammer again—

—and brought it down once more.

BOOM!

Again.

BOOM!

And again.

BOOM!

Each strike split the earth, leaving small craters behind as light flashed with every impact.

Her eyes were closed, her expression strangely serene as if every strike was her way of venting the storm within her heart.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The others watched, stunned and speechless, as Joy’s frustration, anger, confusion, and awe all poured out in a storm of holy thunder.

Isabelle too watched in surprise before turning to Maria and whispering nervously,

"Lady Maria, should we...maybe stop her? Before she creates a crater the size of the estate?"

But Maria only let out a soft, tired laugh and shook her head, her expression gentle.

"There’s no need to do anything, Isabelle. It’s completely fine."

Isabelle blinked, confused. "Are you sure? She looks like she’s about to bring down the heavens."

Maria smiled faintly, her tone carrying a mother’s warmth.

"You see, my daughter has never been good at expressing her emotions. When she’s caught in something she can’t make sense of, something that twists her heart too tightly, she struggles to speak. She doesn’t like to cry. She doesn’t want to talk. So instead..."

She chuckled as she looked toward Joy.

"She breaks things."

"Breaks...things?" Isabelle repeated weakly.

"Yes." Maria said with a light nod. "When her feelings become too much, she turns to her hammer instead of her voice. It’s her way of releasing what she can’t say."

"I’ve seen her do this since she was a child, when she was hurt, confused, or angry at herself, she’d find something sturdy and smash it until she was calm again."

BOOM!

Another deafening boom echoed, and a cloud of dust rose in the distance.

Maria chuckled softly, crossing her arms.

"And right now, she’s probably struggling with the two sides inside her head—the one her Goddess has been whispering to her, saying that Cassius is a sinner, dangerous, unholy."

"And the other, what her own eyes have seen today—the laughter, the women, the children, all of it proving he’s nothing like what she was told."

"She’s torn between both truths and can’t decide which to believe."

Her eyes shimmered faintly with fondness.

"So she’s just...slamming the hammer to silence the noise in her heart. It’s good for her. Let her be."

Hearing that, Isabelle let out a long sigh of relief and smiled again.

"Oh, thank goodness. For a second I thought she’d start banging away at guards next."

Then she perked up, clapping her hands lightly.

"Well then! If Lady Joy is going to keep...uh, venting, why don’t the rest of you come inside?"

"We’ve got a lovely snack bar—the women here bake and share their treats every afternoon."

The mere mention of food made several of the sisters, who had been quietly observing for hours, perk up immediately.

They hadn’t eaten since morning.

"That sounds delightful." Maria smiled kindly. "Come, everyone."

Aqua sniffled, wiping her eyes again and laughing.

"Maybe sugar will help me stop crying."

With soft chuckles and murmurs of agreement, they followed Isabelle back inside the warehouse, their chatter mixing with the fading echoes of Joy’s hammer

And the only one who didn’t move was Carmela.

She stood there for a while, silently watching Joy, her crimson eyes unreadable. Then, as if making up her mind, she began to walk forward.

But she didn’t just go for a talk or conversation, as suddenly two blood-red daggers appeared in her hands.

Sching! Sching!

The sound of metal slicing the air drew Joy’s attention immediately.

She froze mid-swing, resting the hammer on her shoulder as she turned to face her.

"Well, well." Joy said dryly, her voice steady despite her ragged breathing. "So you’ve finally come for my eyes, huh?"

Her smirk was faint but challenging.

"If you want them, you don’t have to dirty your hands. I can take them out myself."

She raised a hand toward her face as if to do it.

But Carmela shook her head, her expression calm.

"I didn’t come for your eyes." She said, lowering her daggers slightly. "I have no use for them."

Joy narrowed her eyes. "Then what are you here for?"

Carmela smiled faintly, tilting her head.

"To tell you that slamming your hammer into the dirt is pointless."

Joy blinked, caught off guard. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Carmela said, walking closer until the light gleamed off her blades. "No matter how many times you smash the ground, it won’t ease what’s twisting inside you."

"Maybe if it were anything else, fine."

"But after what you’ve seen today—after everything that’s thrown your beliefs into chaos—smashing rocks won’t help. You need something stronger."

Joy’s expression shifted from confusion to curiosity.

"And what exactly do you suggest?"

Carmela’s grin turned sharp. "Me."

Joy pointed at her in surprise and Carmela nodded, twirling one of her daggers lazily.

"Honestly, I was disappointed when Cassius interrupted our fight yesterday. I wanted to see what the Saintess of the Church could really do."

"So why not now?"

Her smirk deepened.

"Let’s finish what we started. Test your strength against mine. If you’re really that frustrated...hit me instead of the ground."

For a moment, Joy just stared at her—then, slowly, the tension on her face melted into a dangerous, cold smile.

"...You know what?"

She said, rolling her shoulders.

"That actually sounds perfect."

The hammer in her hands shimmered with holy light, morphing and twisting until it reshaped itself into a massive battle axe.

"I wasn’t satisfied with smashing the ground anyway." Joy said, smirking darkly. "This is something better."

Joy’s tone turned teasingly cold.

"But I should warn you, Carmela. I’m not in the best mood right now. I might not hold back."

Carmela only chuckled, flipping one of her daggers in her hand.

"Good. I’d be offended if you did."

"Then come at me." Joy said simply.

That was the last word spoken before both women lunged forward.

Joy swung first—an immense arc of light cutting through the air with the force of a thunderclap.

Carmela darted aside with impossible speed, her daggers flashing as she countered, sparks flying when metal met divine steel.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Carmela’s twin daggers flashed crimson, slicing with blinding speed, while Joy’s massive axe swung in wide, devastating arcs, each strike powerful enough to send ripples through the ground.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Each impact between their weapons released bursts of divine and demonic energy that cracked the earth beneath them.

Shockwaves radiated outward, shaking the nearby trees and sending dust swirling into the air.

The guards standing nearby stumbled backward, faces pale.

"D-Do we...stop them?" one whispered.

"Stop that?!" The other swallowed hard. "Are you insane? They’d cut us in half by accident!"

The battle raged on. Carmela darted around like a crimson blur, her daggers leaving trails of scarlet light, while Joy swung her axe with unstoppable might, the sheer force of each blow creating miniature earthquakes that made the air tremble.

Despite the ferocity, both women were smiling.

There was no hatred—just pure, exhilarating challenge.

Inside the sanctuary, the women paused mid-conversation as the distant explosions shook the walls.

Maria blinked, setting down a teacup. "Oh dear..."

"Should we...be worried?" Aqua looked around nervously.

Maria quickly went to the main entrance and peered outside, hoping that Joy hasn’t lost control and done something regrettable.

But the scene before her made her pause.

Her daughter, laughing with fiery eyes, swinging her axe with fierce joy, and Carmela meeting her with perfect accuracy, both locked in what could only be described as a violent dance.

And instead of panic, a warm smile bloomed on Maria’s face.

She shook her head fondly

"It seems..." She whispered. "....my daughter is making a new friend."

Then, with a light laugh, she turned and went back inside—leaving the battlefield to echo with the sound of clashing steel and the guards who were pissing their pants at the thought of getting in the middle of their fight.