Chapter 167: None of them are human

“Ehh, now that’s more like it.”

Peretti smiled with satisfaction.

“I once saw this style of clothing on a pure-hearted girl. She left quite a deep impression on me, so I recreated the outfit, thinking I’d prepare it for our next meeting.”

As she spoke casually, her gaze subtly drifted toward Isabena.

Peretti had always suspected that Marsha was still alive.

Back then, Isabena explained her weakened state as simply being due to depleted mana…

If Peretti had never personally experienced having her mana completely drained before, she might actually have believed that explanation.

Then later, Isabena’s private conversation with Crimson Night only further confirmed Peretti’s suspicions.

Crimson Night was a reincarnator. Caroline definitely would have told Isabena that much. And since Crimson Night possessed memories from her previous life, she undoubtedly knew that Marsha was still alive.

That was why she had feared Isabena’s room.

What Crimson Night truly feared wasn’t Isabena’s mana at all—

It was Marsha.

And Isabena had clearly noticed this from Crimson Night’s reaction, which was why she deliberately spoke to her in private.

Really, the only thing to blame was Crimson Night’s terrible acting skills.

Marsha wasn’t dead.

Her condition was simply extremely poor right now, forcing her to survive in hiding through Isabena’s protection.

That was Peretti’s preliminary conclusion.

Showing this outfit to Isabena was, in reality, Peretti’s way of indirectly telling Marsha:

I’m someone you once briefly knew within Eternal Moment. You can trust me.

Peretti handed the clothes to Sevyara, who unwillingly went off to change.

The group continued discussing how to handle Sevyara’s situation, though the atmosphere no longer carried the lively feeling from earlier.

Everyone had their own private thoughts.

Peretti understood that state of mind, so she had no intention of forcing things. She also knew everyone carried secrets of their own.

Caroline silently observed everything.

She couldn’t tell what exactly Peretti was plotting.

Ever since Peretti mentioned the phrase “Eternal Moment,” her emotions had clearly fluctuated much more intensely, as though something inside her had been awakened.

After Crimson Night changed clothes, Peretti had Isabena, Caroline, and Crimson Night enter another room together.

Then Peretti took out the outfit she had specially prepared for Marsha and placed it beside the clothes Isabena intended to change into.

Peretti told Crimson Night that she had secretly tampered with Isabena’s room. As long as Marsha was still inside, she wouldn’t be able to leave.

The outfit she prepared had been made using fabric fragments left behind by Marsha herself.

Peretti wanted to see what abilities the clothing possessed.

At the same time, she hoped to use it as a medium to sense Marsha’s powers.

Isabena carried the clothes into the room while Peretti, Caroline, and Crimson Night waited outside.

Caroline kept glancing at Peretti.

She knew Peretti was using this method to probe exactly what kind of abilities Marsha had been hiding.

Peretti noticed Caroline’s gaze but merely smiled faintly without saying anything.

After Isabena finished changing, Peretti had her hand the clothes to Caroline.

Taking them, Caroline said:

“If you give me these clothes, I’ll return your abilities to you.”

Isabena’s eyes immediately turned wary upon hearing that, but she still handed over the outfit.

After receiving it, Caroline sealed Isabena’s power into the clothing before saying:

“You can put it on now.”

Once Isabena changed into the outfit, her abilities truly became stronger.

She stared at Caroline in astonishment, unable to understand when exactly her powers had been sealed into the clothes.

Seeing Isabena’s expression, Caroline merely smiled faintly before leaving.

Peretti then said:

“You can put the clothes on now.”

After Isabena changed, her powers once again noticeably improved.

This time, she looked at Peretti in shock, unable to determine when Peretti had sealed her abilities into the outfit either.

Peretti only smiled mysteriously before walking away.

She had Isabena change clothes because she wanted to see exactly what kind of abilities Marsha possessed.

Later, Peretti and Caroline headed toward the study, leaving Crimson Night alone in the corridor.

Peretti said quietly:

“Marsha’s abilities are incredibly powerful. Her body simply couldn’t support them before, which is why she chose to hide.”

Caroline nodded.

Peretti’s reasoning sounded very convincing.

“And now that her body has recovered somewhat,” Peretti continued, “it’s about time she showed herself again.”

Caroline looked puzzled, not understanding why Peretti sounded so certain.

“Marsha is powerful,” Peretti explained. “And she also controls Eternal Moment. There’s no way she could truly be Isabena’s enemy.”

Caroline’s eyes widened slightly.

She hadn’t expected Peretti to know about Eternal Moment at all.

“Eternal Moment is Marsha’s ability,” Peretti said calmly.

“She can freely alter the flow of time within Eternal Moment… even stop time completely.”

Caroline was even more shocked now.

She hadn’t imagined Marsha’s powers were this terrifying.

“Marsha’s enemy is time itself,” Peretti continued.

“Because time causes her to age. That’s why she chose to hide.”

At this point, even Olivia—who knew nothing about these ancient matters due to her comparatively young age—could still vaguely sense from instinct alone that the ancestors’ moods were extremely grim.

“What all of you are worried about is whether Sevyara will cause some kind of trouble, right?”

“But you’ve all seen her current state. She’s so tiny she probably couldn’t even beat a stray dog by the roadside. What damage could she possibly cause?”

As Peretti finished speaking, Sevyara happened to return after changing into the white draping robe.

The tailored robe suited her surprisingly well. It lessened her awkwardness and added an elegant air unique to ancient races, though the contrast between her childish face and arrogant expression remained strangely amusing.

“Phew… now this feels proper!”

Sevyara let out a long breath, finally recovering some of the composed dignity of an ancient dragon elder.

Naturally, she walked over beside Peretti and sat sideways on her lap.

Tilting her head upward to examine Peretti carefully, she spoke seriously:

“Honestly speaking, I think this outfit suits your temperament far more than the clothes you’re currently wearing.”

This wasn’t some random comment.

In Sevyara’s era, the only people who wore such clothing were the Beast God race—white-haired, golden-eyed beings.

According to her aesthetics and understanding, this style of attire was practically made for white hair and golden eyes.

Watching this scene, Crimson Night felt both jealousy… and fear rise within her heart.

Sevyara resembled her far too much.

And Sevyara’s knowledge matched Peretti’s interests even better.

Peretti had also frequently mentioned how much she liked dragons.

Crimson Night was afraid.

Afraid Sevyara would steal her place in Peretti’s heart.

Peretti deliberately displayed these clothes publicly because she wanted to give those two ancient four-digit-aged monsters a little shock.

It was practically a direct declaration:

I have come into contact with remnants of the Beast God race. I may even have personally met Marsha herself. I know truths you believed nobody else knew.

And as for whether she’d be pressured over it?

Peretti wasn’t afraid at all.

The elves still needed her help to solve the World Tree’s problem. Even if Xiaomu had her own thoughts, she absolutely wouldn’t reveal them right now.

And after resolving the World Tree issue?

Peretti wasn’t stupid.

The initiative remained entirely in her hands. Why would she ever hand it over to the elves?

Besides, those two old monsters clearly knew far more than ordinary people.

Humans might not know the God of Light and the God of Night were the same being—

But could those two possibly not know?

Even if they didn’t know directly, Marsha’s relationship with the Winged Gods alone revealed plenty.

People who had lived for over a thousand years were all terrifyingly shrewd.

Peretti understood that better than anyone.

“An aesthetic born from the same origin. It’s only natural for it to look pleasing.”

Peretti accepted the praise openly while casually twirling a strand of Sevyara’s silver-white hair between her fingers.

That action alone was practically Peretti directly telling Xiaomu:

I came to the Elven Forest out of friendship and promises, but my roots and allegiance will always belong to witches.

“Hm, what Peretti says does make sense. Such a tiny dragon really can’t stir up much trouble. It seems my concerns were somewhat excessive.”

Xiaomu appeared to accept the explanation and slowly rose from her seat.

“As the leader of the elves, there’s nothing wrong with preparing for the worst regarding unknown risks,” Peretti replied calmly.

“Problems exist so we can solve them ourselves, don’t they?”

“Ourselves…”

Xiaomu softly repeated the words before smiling gently.

“The fact that you can understand my difficulties is honestly rather flattering. I originally thought someone your age would prefer more interesting things… be a bit more childlike.”

“Eh? Should Peretti be more childlike?”

Olivia couldn’t help recalling Qingcheng before looking at Peretti again.

In her impression, the words “Peretti” and “childlike” had absolutely nothing to do with each other.

Especially because Qingcheng was clearly much younger than Peretti, yet carried herself with the maturity of an elf who had lived for centuries. Olivia often forgot the other girl wasn’t even fifty yet.

“The way witches measure age differs greatly from elves. The two races can’t really be compared the same way.”

“Wait, wait, wait… weren’t we originally discussing how to deal with Miss Sevyara?”

Seeing the conversation gradually heading in an uncontrollable direction, Isabena hurriedly interrupted.

“Mm, true enough.”

Xiaomu smiled warmly and turned back toward the main topic.

“So then, as the witch who rescued her from the curse… what exactly does Peretti intend to do with her?”

“What else?”

Peretti answered casually.

“I’ll just keep her as a pet.”

“Hey! I’m a dragon! A supreme Violet Radiance Dragon! And you’re calling me a pet?!”

“Hm?”

“Even if you are Mother, you still… still…”

Before she could finish, Sevyara’s voice grew quieter and quieter.

The pride of dragonkind simply wouldn’t allow her to accept the identity of a pet.

But if she replaced it with another word…

She couldn’t bring herself to say “daughter” either.

No matter how she looked at it, a dragon acknowledging a witch as her mother was simply too shameful.

Watching Sevyara’s reaction, Isabena finally failed to hold back her laughter.

The moment she imagined this little dragon—whose actual age exceeded her own—calling a girl barely in her twenties “Mother,” her previously tense expression completely collapsed.

“Hey! What are you laughing at?!”

Blushing furiously, Sevyara desperately tried changing the topic.

“Hehe~ your embarrassed expression is really adorable.”

“I swear to god… are there even any normal lifeforms among witches?!”

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