THE RISE OF WHITE CONQUEROR

Chapter 108: Misspoke

"Anyway, it has nothing to do with me now. Just thinking about her... that woman was trouble."

"Which woman?"

"AHHHH!"

While the woman Kei had referred to walked down one of the castle’s long, winding corridors, an oppressive silence followed in her wake.

Normally, she always wore the gentle smile of a loving mother. Her presence was calm, soothing like the endless surface of a tranquil sea. Anyone who had ever met her would describe her as warmth itself.

But if any of those same people saw her now...They would never believe she was the same woman. Her lips were still curved in that familiar smile. Yet every trace of kindness had vanished. In its place was something far more terrifying. Murderous intent. A suffocating aura poured from her existence, spreading through every corner of the castle like an invisible tide of death.

A chill ran down the spines of every living being within its walls. The more perceptive among them froze where they stood, their instincts screaming as an indescribable dread gripped their hearts. It felt as though death itself had quietly arrived... yet none of them could understand where that feeling was coming from.

The beasts, however, understood far more than humans ever could. With their sharper instincts, they sensed the truth instantly. And they were utterly terrified. Not a single creature in the entire castle dared to make a sound. An unnatural dread had swallowed the castle whole.

And it didn’t stop there. Even the world outside seemed to respond to her anger. Dark clouds gathered above the castle, swallowing the sky. Thunder roared violently through the heavens, and heavy rain poured down without mercy, as though nature itself trembled before her wrath.

And yet...Shockingly enough She was controlling it. She was making sure he intent didn’t leak out. If anyone knew all of this was happening simply because she was in a bad mood, they wouldn’t even know how to react.

Unconcerned by the chaos surrounding her, the woman continued forward. But there was unusual haste in her pace.

With every step she took, her figure vanished Only to reappear nearly a hundred meters ahead. As hard as it would be for the residents of this kingdom to believe...The truth was She was actually walking seriously this time.

For the first time in the three years since she had come here, she was no longer suppressing herself as she usually did.

Soon, she reached her destination. In front of her stood the place where the rats were hiding. Two massive doors blocked her path. Normally, she would have knocked. Normally, she would have maintained her façade. But today

BANG!

However, today, she was in no mood to play such games. Without the slightest hesitation, she kicked the doors open and stepped inside. Inside stood the Holy Pope of the kingdom. But if anyone were to see him now, they would only feel pity.

He looked nothing like his noble, dignified self. His face was pale and haggard, his body trembling with fear. Ever since he heard the news, he hadn’t been able to stop sweating. It had gotten so bad that he had even lost weight in just this short time.

For someone who had always lived a life of luxury free from worry, untouched by danger it was a complete collapse.

After all, he was the true ruler of this small kingdom. This land was his playground. But today... The moment he heard the news, he understood something clearly. If he was lucky, he might be granted a quick death. Standing opposite him was the Knight Captain, William. His face was filled with fear... and guilt.

After rescuing the remaining students from the dungeon, he had rushed back to the castle with Agawa in his arms, immediately reporting everything that had happened.

And that report. Was the very source of the Pope’s terror. A short distance away stood Joan. Her face lacked its usual fervent fanaticism. At this moment, she simply hoped for a miracle. Then They heard it. The deafening sound of the doors being blown open.

All three of them turned toward the source at the same time. And froze. The moment they felt her presence Fear gripped their very souls. They had always known she was strong. Stronger than any of them. William and Joan had even believed that, combined with the kingdom’s ultimate power, they might be able to stand against her. But now Standing before her. They realized the truth. The legends... were real.

If she wished. She could kill them all. She could flatten the entire kingdom. The Pope, who knew more than the others about her true strength, reacted immediately.

Without hesitation, he bowed deeply, his posture filled with submission. Following his lead, William and Joan also lowered their heads.

Yet, looking at these so-called displays of obedience, the woman showed no reaction. Her gaze was cold. Her eyes an icy blue held no trace of emotion. As if nothing they did held any meaning to her at all.

The moment she entered She spoke. Her voice was low. Cold. And filled with death.

"What happened?"

The moment her voice drifted through the room. Silence. A suffocating, absolute silence. Pope Lotario felt his throat go dry. He was too terrified to speak. And equally terrified of what would happen if he didn’t. For a brief moment, he stood there frozen, his mind blank, his body trembling under the crushing pressure of her presence. Then, forcing himself to speak, he lowered his head even further and said,

"There... there was an accident, Your Grace."

The woman said nothing. She simply looked at him. Coldly. Her icy blue eyes rested on him in silence, yet somehow that silent gaze commanded more than words ever could. Continue. Lotario’s body trembled. A bead of sweat slid down his temple. Stammering, he forced the words out.

"Un...unfortunately... we lost two of our assets..."

"Yours?"

Her voice was quiet. Soft. Almost conversational. And yet. The temperature in the room seemed to plummet. The air froze. Pope Lotario’s breath caught in his throat. William and Joan felt an invisible weight crash down on their shoulders so suddenly that their knees nearly buckled. And the terrifying part She hadn’t moved. Hadn’t raised her voice. Hadn’t released more of her aura. She had merely changed her tone.

Her gaze remained fixed on the Pope. Calm. Controlled. Almost curious. Then she spoke again.

"Tell me..."

Her voice was smooth. Refined. Measured. The kind of voice that didn’t need to threaten. Because everyone in the room already understood what came after failure.

"Were they yours... to lose?"

With a speed none of them had ever seen from the aging Pope before Pope Lotario dropped to the ground.

His forehead slammed against the floor as he prostrated himself without the slightest hesitation.

"I...I misspoke!"