Chapter 1269: Aether or Victor. Oh, Jolly~Golly!

Unlike other Empires that were suffering under the relentless invasion of Clarion energy, in the Void Empire... nothing of the sort was happening.

Not even a trace.

The skies were calm, the land undisturbed, as if the chaos of the other empires had nothing here.

Even though those strange trees still stood, their leaves were alive and vibrant.

For some reason, nothing here was touched.

It made no sense at all.

Not the faintest!

Beyond the mansion walls, people still bustled. Everyone appeared perfect, unbothered. The streets rang with the shouting of citizens demanding answers about Grace’s disappearance.

They didn’t even seem truly worried... as though life continued like a regular day.

Aether’s gaze drifted to Morgana. He stared blankly at her, at the amused, innocent expression she wore, as if the cries outside and the looming Clarion threat were nothing more than distant whispers.

"Colour me surprised..." Morgana tilted her head, her voice laced with mocking sweetness.

"You did well, saving your empires... hmm." She clapped her hands slowly, the sound sharp, deliberate, her smirk dripping with sarcasm.

Aether narrowed his eyes. "So the reason you never accepted my project is that... you people already did something," he muttered.

Morgana shrugged, her soft smile unfaltering. "We have our own ways of dealing with our problems," she said, "We don’t need an outsider meddling in our affairs. And unlike you... we don’t parade ourselves to the world, boasting of greatness. We prefer results over spectacle." She smirked, a flicker of pride glinting in her eyes.

Aether raised his hand slightly, feeling for the Mother’s energy. It pulsed faintly, stretching outward, expanding steadily within this empire.

He felt its rhythm, its spread—and yet... no one here seemed to suffer its weight, not even in the smallest measure.

So confusing... what had they done to resist it?

What forbidden method or hidden secret kept them untouched?

If only he had known sooner, he could have saved countless lives.

"You selfish bastards!" Aether’s teeth ground together as the screams of the dying from other empires clawed at his memory, "You could have at least shared this with the other Empires—"

"And why would we do that?"

Mary’s voice cut through the veranda. She descended the stairs slowly. Her crimson eyes blazed as she fixed her gaze on Aether.

!~Ding~!

[Charm Effect Removed!]

Mary came to stand beside Morgana. She leaned casually toward her, though her tone was venomous as she muttered, "What is so great about sharing our Empire’s hard-earned secret with others? Giving it away freely? Of course not. Bitch, no way~." Her lips curled into an amused grin, mocking Aether’s outrage.

Aether clenched his fists tighter. He didn’t understand it... Mary had saved her people?

Mary—who had never cared for anyone before?

He frowned, "I am not asking for free."

Mary smirked, the corner of her mouth lifting with dangerous playfulness. "And you don’t have what we want... so," she said, shrugging her shoulders in amusement. Her eyes glinted as she turned to Morgana and added coldly, "What are those pests still doing outside my mansion?"

Morgana exhaled a long, tired sigh. "They’re still barking about the disappearance of Grace. Their voices won’t stop. What should we do with them?"

Mary’s expression hardened into something merciless. "Of course... kill those bitches. I don’t want the wailing of insects disturbing my daughter’s sleep."

Morgana nodded. "Of course it will be done." She smirked, her eyes never leaving Aether.

Aether stared at them... both of them grinning, amused, as if their expressions alone whispered: do what you can.

Aether let out a long sigh. Honestly, he couldn’t force others to do what he wanted. If some pest had barged into his own Empire and demanded such things, he too would have been annoyed. Still, despite that understanding, he couldn’t help but feel a deep anger burning toward them.

Wait... if they had prepared for this, then did that mean...?

"So you know about the Origin?" Aether asked with curiosity.

Morgana said nothing. She only smirked. Mary, however, opened her mouth with a careless laugh. "Of course we do... ahaha... after all, those guy—"

Before she could finish, Morgana immediately slapped her hand over Mary’s mouth, her face twisting in horror.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Morgana shouted furiously. "Were you just about to tell him everything?!"

Mary blinked, muffled, then pushed Morgana’s hand away. "Of course not! I’m not snitching-bitch!"

"Then what the hell were you about to say just now?!" Morgana’s voice cracked with anger.

"Well..." Mary blinked once, then again, her expression slowly dawning with realisation. "Holy shit... I am snitching-bitch!!"

"..."

Aether’s lips twitched furiously before he let out a sharp snort and turned his back on them, preparing to leave. Dealing with these two... was more of a headache than facing any enemy.

What the hell did they want from him?

It was painfully obvious—they hated him to their very core. And it wasn’t because Lia loved him.

No... it was something else entirely.

"That’s what I told you!" Morgana snarled, her face tightening with a furious, annoyed expression. She couldn’t believe Mary had almost blurted out a secret.

Mary muttered, her tone dripping with self-disappointment. "What a snitch I am—wait!"

Then she frowned, puffing out her chest in defiance. "No! I’m not a snitching bitch..." She raised her voice, pride swelling in her posture.

"After all, I didn’t say that we were the ones who erased Lia’s memories about him, right?!" She turned to Morgana expectantly, waiting for a compliment.

Morgana’s eyes widened in absolute horror. Slowly, her neck turned stiffly toward Aether, who had halted mid-step at the veranda.

He turned his head back, ever so slowly. His eyes had gone pure black!!

Morgana flinched, sweat dripping down her forehead. She glared daggers at Mary. "You fucking bitch."

Mary blinked, still wearing an innocent expression, before gasping.

"Oh... shit!! I am really a snitching bitch!!"

"..."

Morgana’s face turned pale.... She was trapped dealing with an idiot... a dangerous idiot.

Aether began walking back toward them. With every step, the air grew heavier and heavier, pressing against their chests. He was connecting a thread in his mind, a truth forgotten long ago... and now resurfacing with terrifying clarity.

"Yeah... right... Jack once said they have someone with the ability to erase memories... right?" Aether muttered, his face turning into pure indifference.

How could he have forgotten that?

Well, it had been a long time, and... those minute details sometimes slipped his mind.

Even his own seduction list—hell, he almost forgot that GILF too.

So nothing new here!

Morgana’s face turned grim. She clenched her fist, readying herself for anything. Mary, on the other hand, merely shrugged, her expression calm, composed, as if she hadn’t just unleashed another storm that could shatter the balance of the Empire.

"Why... would you do that?" Aether’s voice dropped into a murderous tone. "Have you erased everything about me?"

Morgana didn’t answer. She knew this wasn’t going to end well... however—

"Yup! Totally~" Mary raised her thumb with a proud grin. "Everything about you erased. There was no person in her life named... Aether or Victor. Oh, Jolly~Golly~"

Morgana’s glance darted toward Mary, her mind screaming: Could you shut your freaking mouth?! She caught the flicker in Aether’s eyes—shifting between black and normal—and she gulped hard.

’He’s coming out... this is not going to end well,’ she thought.

Mary smirked, leaning forward "So what can you do? Hey, bitch..." She taunted him deliberately, like she wanted to light the spark of war with her words.

Aether’s eyes flared. In a heartbeat, he appeared before her, his fingers tightening, fist raised toward her skull—

BOOM!!

Aether blinked in shock. His fist never touched her.

Even Morgana’s eyes widened in surprise as Mary’s body rolled violently across the floor, crashing against the wall with a sickening thud.

Mary coughed, clutching her ribs. "Cough... Y-You got stronger."

Aether’s eyes slowly returned to normal. His brows furrowed in confusion—just then—

"What’s that sound, Mom?"

Lia appeared from the stairs when she heard the sound and... her eyes widened at the sight of her mother lying on the ground... and the man who had once saved her standing there with his hand still raised in the air.

"YOU!!!!"