Saintess? Not Anymore! I'd Rather be a Destroyer-Chapter 134 - 120: Convincing Prisoners

"But before that could happen, the knights would have captured them," Aurianna concluded, acknowledging Ostusi’s silence as agreement.

"It’s fortunate that you folks have me to lend a hand," Aurianna remarked, her smile carrying a touch of playfulness.

"I suppose so. The more I reflect on it, the more I realize I was on the verge of rushing in without careful consideration. Lives could have been at stake. Aurianna Vanluad, I extend my sincere gratitude for your assistance," Ostusi conveyed, offering a respectful bow.

"As I mentioned earlier, you needn’t view this as an act of kindness. I’m involved solely due to my debt to Vatium!" Aurianna’s voice turned cold, her light blue eyes seeming to intensify.

"Nonetheless, your skills and tools have certainly proven to be remarkably valuable," Ostusi complimented with a smile.

"Let’s not jump to conclusions. You can offer your thanks when this plan is successfully completed," Aurianna suggested, casually flipping her hair.

"Would you be up for a dinner then?" Ostusi inquired, his hand scratching his head.

"I’m just 9 years old, you pervert!" Aurianna clarified, her expression contorted in disgust.

"That’s not what I meant! I presumed young children like to enjoy good food, hence why I asked whether I should bring you a fantastic dinner from my own home (⁠༎ຶ⁠ ⁠෴⁠ ⁠༎ຶ⁠)!" Ostusi exclaimed, his demeanor slumping as a cloud of sadness enveloped him.

"You should have been clearer!" Aurianna chided, before pausing to scratch her cheek. "I wouldn’t mind some meat and candy," she added, her expression thoughtful.

’I’ve always been curious about how demons prepare their meat,’ she mused, unable to suppress her anticipation of the flavor of demon-crafted meat.

"I’ll certainly make sure to bring you some!" Ostusi’s mood brightened upon hearing her response.

"Shall we proceed?" Aurianna asked.

"Absolutely!" Ostusi agreed with a nod, and together they continued forward.

"So this is hall five," Aurianna remarked, casting her gaze around the dimly lit and eerie corridor. The hovering lights emitted a faint glow, and knights similar to those stationed before the entrance were guarding the area. These knights were tall, robust, and exuded an unsettling aura that put her on edge. Despite their stature, they wielded massive swords, staffs, spears and axes, twice their height with apparent ease. Silently, they patrolled the corridor, their watchful eyes fixed on each cage they passed.

Continuing along with Ostusi, Aurianna observed individuals with icy glints in their eyes occupying the cages. Many bore visible, gruesome scars on their bodies, while others engaged in exercises within their confines.

"They even have giants imprisoned here?!" Aurianna’s astonishment was palpable, her voice catching as she noticed several immense cages containing individuals towering over 15 feet.

"What brings you here, child? And how did you manage to find your way here?" A deep male voice suddenly resonated in Aurianna and Ostusi’s minds. Startled, they scanned the area, attempting to identify the source of the voice. However, the patrolling knights continued their rounds, seemingly oblivious to their presence. If not the knights, then who had detected them?

"Did you hear that voice?" Aurianna inquired, her anxiety evident as she looked up at Ostusi.

"I heard it too," Ostusi affirmed.

"Eva?" Aurianna mentally called out, hoping for an explanation.

"I suppose I should have made your presence more discreet," Eva’s voice sounded in Aurianna’s thoughts.

"Would you mind addressing my question, child?" the male voice echoed once again.

"Where are you?" Aurianna questioned.

"Right above you," the voice responded, prompting Aurianna to direct her gaze upward, following the spiral arrangement of cells to the fourth level.

"Ostusi, let’s move," Aurianna instructed, springing upward to the third level and then leaping to the fourth.

"So, you’re the one communicating in my mind?" Aurianna queried, her attention fixed on the middle-aged man confined within a nearby cage.

Chains covered his entire body, adorned with intricate magic circles. His mesmerizing red eyes held her gaze, and his hair blazed with a fiery crimson hue, while his entire body emanated a pitch-black hue (🖤 as black as this). A long crimson beard and disheveled scarlet hair framed his visage.

"A Death Folk!" Ostusi blurted out, his eyes trembling.

"You’re correct," the middle-aged man nodded, acknowledging his race.

"What’s that?" Aurianna inquired, her confusion evident.

"You genuinely don’t know their race?" Ostusi turned towards Aurianna with a surprised expression, and she nodded.

"Not a clue," she shrugged.

"I can understand, considering most of us were hunted down by the Church of Paige," the middle-aged man sighed, his gaze fixed on them.

"Why was that?" Ostusi asked. "I thought your race faced extinction due to reproductive issues."

"That’s a false notion. We’re actually dwindling because we’re the only race capable of assaulting a person’s soul. And despite having established peace with other churches, the Church of Paige rejected those terms and hunted us down some years ago," the Death Folk explained.

’Assaulting a person’s soul, akin to the weapons King Girsal produces,’ Aurianna thought, recalling the memories Eva had shared.

"So, that black liquid... it all falls into place," Aurianna muttered.

"So, what brings you two here?" the Death Folk inquired.

"We’re here to rescue all of you, naturally!" Aurianna declared with a sense of pride.

"Pfft hahahah," the Death Folk burst into laughter. "I can’t decide if you’re insane or simply foolish. You intend to stand against Paige?" He raised an eyebrow, amused.

"I never gave a fuck about that bitch of a goddess," Aurianna responded coldly, her eyes dark.

"Hahahaha, what’s your name, child?" the Death Folk asked with a slight chuckle.

"Aurianna."

"And you, demon boy?" the Death Folk turned to Ostusi.

"Ostusi," he replied, thinking, ’Why is he referring to me as a boy? I’m considerably older than that.’

"I am Valfar. I have no idea how you plan to save us, nor can I fathom how you intend to persuade everyone here to rally behind your cause. So, impress me!" he stated, a wicked grin crossing his face.

"Quite the cheeky old man. Well, can you communicate with people through their minds?" Aurianna asked, her gaze fixed on him.

"What kind of silly question is that?" Valfar retorted.

"How many minds can you connect with simultaneously?" Aurianna inquired with a smile.

"I can address everyone here simultaneously," Valfar responded.

"So, can you transmit my thoughts to them?" Aurianna asked.

"Absolutely, that’s possible. They’ll be able to hear you."

Aurianna leaped from her original spot on the fourth floor down to the ground level and landed gracefully.

"Eva, is there a way you can shield my image and presence from the knights and anyone who isn’t associated with these captives?" Aurianna requested.

"I can manage that!" Eva agreed. Suddenly, all those confined in cages perked up, sensing a sudden new presence in the room.

"Everyone, please remain calm. She’s with me," Valfar’s voice resonated in the minds of everyone present.

"Is that you, Valfar? What’s happening?" a voice from one of the cages asked.

"This young girl wants to talk to you," Valfar stated, and some individuals who could see Aurianna looked at her.

"How did that girl even get in here?" another person asked curiously.

"I have no clue, but she possesses remarkable concealment skills," Valfar acknowledged with a nod.

"I’m Aurianna Vanluad, and I’d like to say," Aurianna began with a cheerful tone, but her mood swiftly shifted, "...that all of you are utterly worthless."

"What the heck did she just say?!" Some people in the cages became agitated, banging on their enclosures and shouting. The knights, however, paid them no attention.

"Who does she think she is, mocking us like that?"

"Reveal yourself to them, girl, so those knights can teach you a lesson in my place!" another voice demanded.

"Do you find it odd that she’s standing there while the knights are acting like she’s invisible?" someone mused, prompting others to quiet down and express their confusion.

"Perhaps she’s a ghost?" one person suggested.

"I’m not a ghost!" Aurianna snapped angrily before regaining her composure.

"Aurianna, is it a wise idea to provoke them?" Ostusi asked, appearing at her side.

"If they weren’t so worthless, would they be trapped behind cages waiting to die? Waiting to be used as experiments? In my eyes they are nothing more than worthless slaves!" Aurianna projected her thoughts assertively into everyone’s minds, her tone detached. "See how quiet you all are it shows that I’m right. You’re all so fucking pathetic, strong warrior placed behind cages because they went against my father and the church!"

"Your father?" someone queried upon hearing her revelation.

"Yes, my father! I am the daughter of the man who exploits you for his twisted experiments. Ironically, even his own daughter isn’t spared from such treatment! So, I extend an opportunity to you worthless slaves—a chance at liberation, a chance to destroy this country and dismantle the Church of Paige."

"Brave words from a young brat. Despite all of us being Arc Humans, we’re helpless against the strength of the Grand Humans aligned with the Church of Beauty," a woman’s voice interjected, with a tinge of fear.

"Such a mindset only highlights your foolishness. To be blunt, you’re all acting like utter idiots," Aurianna retorted, eliciting irritation from some.

"I vow to destroy the Church of Paige, to kill that so-called bitch goddess of beauty. I will build a world where all races can coexist harmoniously. A world free from the influence of the Church of Beauty. I shall obliterate Sandeph and kill King Girsal!" Aurianna proclaimed with a crazed expression.

"I thought humans harbored enmity towards other races," another voice chimed in.

"Some do, and I comprehend why you hold us accountable. It’s a consequence of the Heroes from the first world war!"

"And why share this with us?" someone inquired.

"So you would rather die than be free and have revenge one day?" Aurianna challenged.

"Is there a hidden agenda?" another individual questioned.

"Why would you willingly oppose your own father?" someone ventured skeptically.

"She’s likely going to use us as a means to exact her petty revenge," another person remarked disdainfully.

Aurianna’s lips curved into a subtle, almost sinister smile. "Ofcourse I’m using you. And there’s a catch. I’ll get those collars of you on that day but today you must accept my mark and become my pawns," She stated.

"Your mark?" questioned a group of people, their tone tinged with confusion.

Taking a deep breath, Aurianna proceeded, "I have a skill that allows me to make anyone my subordinate but you can never betray me," she clarified, though a nervous bead of sweat traced its way down her face.

"If that’s all, why hesitate? As long as it leads me out of this cell!" a man’s resonant voice resounded, and a chorus of agreement rippled through the air.

"What repercussions would follow if we were to break that pledge?" queried another individual, their tone weighty as they leaned against the cold wall of their cell.

"Your head would go kaboom," Aurianna responded, illustrating an explosive motion with her hands.

"But wouldn’t we remain enslaved, in a way?" a woman questioned, her tone tinged with darkness. Aurianna sensed the collective gaze of everyone upon her, making her feel as though an icy blade rested against her neck. Despite this, fear did not grip her.

’A stark contrast to Carol’s lethal aura. She was a true embodiment of terror,’ Aurianna mused, her smile turning even colder. Suddenly, an image of Carol materialized in her thoughts, and the fear she had initially experienced upon encountering Carol replayed vividly. Unbeknownst to Aurianna, this memory was mirrored in the minds of everyone present in the room.

A collective tension enveloped the space, evident in the raggedness of their breaths and the trembling of their bodies. All eyes were fixed upon Aurianna.

"What in the world was that entity she’s thinking of?" Valfar queried inwardly, his smile masking a hint of unease. "I sensed an overwhelming aura of fear and DEATH emanating from that being. It’s astounding that a mere recollection of it was potent enough to elicit tremors from all of us." He mumbled with a wry smile.

Aurianna immediately composed herself and stated with a smile. "Not precisely, but it’s akin to that—except this time, you needn’t dread perishing here. You’ll also be granted the freedom to roam as you wish," she declared, her smile both vibrant and frigid. Their gazes turned apprehensive when they beheld her.

"I trust you’re all individuals of reason," she remarked.

"Agreed, I’m in," a person declared, rising from their spot.

"Count me in as well!" another voice chimed in, followed by a chorus of affirmations.

[ YOU’VE charmed 2,579 people. ]

"Excellent!" Aurianna’s crazed expression radiated satisfaction