After Yasenia asked the maids to search for the three missing people, Doriel and Clara moved together with four other maids.
In the meantime, Yasenia looked around and asked, "Does anybody know where they went or what they are up to?"
Looking around, she didn't see anyone who knew about it, so she lifted an eyebrow. "Is there anyone who knows those three?"
Seeing the continued silence, Yasenia got thoughtful. 'Hm… Nobody knows them? Peak-level Epoch Cores are already considered Core Elders, and they have quite a few dealings with each other. Now you are telling me that nobody knows them?'
The dragoness thought of many different scenarios, but she didn't have clues, so it could really be anything. 'But, the most probable scenario is that they thought I discovered them and they were traitors because of my previous comment. So, taking advantage of the chance I gave them to roam freely, they escaped or returned to their original powers. Now… Will Doriel, Clara, and the others find them or not?'
Yasenia wasn't worried that it was a trap because each maid had enough life-saving treasures on them. Moreover, on the off-chance that something happened, she had confidence that they could resist and ask for help until the others arrived.
Plus, the place they were was not ideal to provoke people.
Regardless of how strong the Demons were, disrespecting the World Summit openly would gain them the wrath of everyone. Even the Continental Shadows had a history of punishing those who messed up with the event.
The maids returned ten minutes later. Doriel was holding one scared cat woman, and Clara was holding one terrified lizard man.
However, Yasenia blinked when she didn't recognize their faces. "Who-" The dragoness paused and sniffed. Her sharp sense of smell detected the hidden scent that they had in the past. "… Oh?"
Yasenia smiled and approached, her hips sashaying temptingly. "Well, well. You two managed to impersonate someone for so long under my radar? Very good. Talented, if I might say so myself."
Yasenia leaned down and asked with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Where is the other one and the people who you impersonated?"
The cat woman stuttered, tears slowly building in her eyes. "W-We don't know. We were tasked to keep an eye on you and inform other people, nothing more, I swear!"
Yasenia laughed. "Do you think I care about you? I'll ask again on the off-chance that you didn't hear me correctly." Yasenia lifted her chin and looked down at her with thinned pupils. "Where are my sect members?"
The cat woman felt the finger on her chin and a chill went up her spine. It was cold like ice cubes, and the predatory draconic gaze looking down on her made her legs tremble so badly that if Doriel weren't holding her, she would've probably fallen on her butt. "L-Lady Yasenia, I really don't-"
Yasenia released her and walked toward the man, leaving one sentence behind. "Tie her up and prepare to send her to the torture rooms when we return."
The cat woman, terrified out of her mind, wanted to beg. However, Doriel grabbed her chin and turned her head forcefully. "[Malevolent Devil Gaze: Nightmare]."
The cat woman's pupils expanded as she peered into the bottomless black abyss that was Doriel's eyes, and her body went limp as her mind fell into a chaotic, unending nightmare.
The dog man's gag was released, but unlike the cat woman, who had received information about Yasenia's true nature beforehand, he was fearless.
Once Yasenia was close, he lifted his leg and attacked Yasenia without holding back, revealing low-level Epoch Core strength.
The air before Yasenia compressed as his leg shot fast like lightning toward her dantian.
Yasenia looked at the approaching leg with cold eyes.
The dog man was expecting to see Yasenia's face full of pain, but instead, she saw the dragoness looking down at him with the same indifferent expression.
There was a change, though. He couldn't sense his leg.
Looking down, he saw a stump with blood pouring out. Then, dazedly looking up again, he saw a woman wearing a maid outfit who was as white as snow, holding a bloodied sword and standing faithfully by Yasenia's side.
Eira, looking at the dog man with disgust in her usually emotionless silver eyes, gently sheathed her sword after flicking the dirty fluids away.
Yasenia, looking at him with a bored expression and knowing that this person wouldn't say anything, spoke. "Send him as well. Also, gag him before he starts screaming in pain."
The man, who finally registered his leg being sliced, was about to shout when Clara took a strange, slimy liquid and shoved it down his throat, blocking his airway and silencing the about-to-explode cry of pain.
Yasenia turned to the maids and asked. "Explain your findings."
Doriel passed the gaged cat woman, who had become a crying mess, to another maid. Then, she cleaned her hands with a handkerchief before bowing respectfully toward Yasenia. Before she spoke, she instantly deployed a [Sound Cancelling Formation].
"There is no need to worry, Young Miss. For an initial assessment, we can guess that they were placed as substitutes during their outing. The techniques are relatively high level, and since we didn't bother checking because there was no real danger, they managed to sneak into our group."
Yasenia tilted her head. "What about our formation?"
Doriel straightened and commented. "Remember how you didn't spend as much time this time? We cut down on the detection methods. As long as they had the Sect's robes, their registered auras, and the same appearance, there wasn't any more in-depth detection built."
Yasenia nodded. "Well, it is what it is. They would've been discovered as soon as they did something suspicious, so it's okay."
Doriel nodded.
"What about the powers they come from and the third one?"
Doriel answered. "While we are skilled, the third one was surrounded by many people. I came to ask what are your orders about it. Should we declare war against those three powers and kidnap that person anyway?"
Yasenia shook her head. "You did well in coming to me. We are about to begin the World Summit. The last thing I want is unnecessary drama."
The dragoness pondered and commented. "Place his name on the assassin board with high-level rewards. Also, mark him as a traitor. Our assassin department can have fun with them while the rest of the sect sees what happens when one betrays us."
Doriel nodded. "Understood. We'll manipulate the information to make it seem as if they were the original people."
Yasenia nodded. "What about the original members?"
Doriel shook her head. "Probably dead."
Yasenia sighed. "I see. Try to find them. If they've gone through torture, give them some treasures and give them a good home in Astral Sky City."
Yasenia dispelled the formation and ordered. "Let's go!"
While one of the maids quickly took those two down the mountain to place them together with the rest of the prisoners they had taken during their two weeks in Ascending Ocean City, Yasenia's group arrived in front of the doors placed on the side of the mountain. Those prisoners would be moved at a later date and spend the rest of their days in the torture rooms in Astral Sky Sect.
Yasenia saw that no one was beside the doors, making her puzzled. "Hm… Should we just… enter?"
Embera commented. "It seems like that."
Yasenia approached and touched the doors, trying to push them open. "Huh?"
Our dragoness realized that the doors were too heavy to move with her raw strength. 'Nonsense.'
Yasenia could probably lift a small hill with ease, not to mention pushing open doors around 100 meters tall.
Yasenia frowned, looking up at the large doors. "Are they closed?"
Andrea chuckled. "Since you can't move them, now they are closed?"
Yasenia looked at her and pouted. "Yes!"
Andrea laughed and kissed her pouty mouth. Then, she asked. "Well, seniors, what's your verdict?"
Tatyana smiled playfully. "Well, Little Treasure needs to train a bit more. It's open."
Yasenia dramatically clutched her chest, involuntarily deforming it temptingly. "Impossible, am I… weak?"
Yasenia paused when no one followed her silly act and looked at them with confusion, only to see them all looking at her chest. Her lips twitched. 'Perverts. All of them.'
She sighed and turned, this time using [Celestial Cosmos Dress].
Her robes transformed beautifully, giving her an empyrean look and presence. Then, she pushed.
OOOOMMM!
The loud grinding sound of the 100-meter-tall doors opening followed, and when Yasenia couldn't open them more because of her arms, she gathered strength and pushed.
BANG!
Both doors slammed open, hitting the mountain cliff and making the entire place quake.
The dragoness smirked as her dress slowly transformed back into her usual revealing blue dress. "Done."
Angel, Kaleina, Flame, and Soluna clapped with stars in their eyes.
Yasenia turned toward Andrea with an eyebrow raised and smiled charmingly. "Am I weak?"
Andrea approached and hugged her waist, looking at her with seductive eyes on her own. "Are you weak? If not, why do you always…" Andrea whispered by placing her mouth near her ear. "… fall below me?"
Yasenia blushed and snuggled in her arms. "Darling~."
Slap!
Yasenia's butt jiggled as Tatyana playfully scolded. "Let's go inside."
Yasenia blinked and nodded, following Tatyana while holding Andrea's hand.
Once they crossed the doors leading into the mountain, they were welcomed by a hollow mountain. It looked as if someone had dug the insides of the mountain out, leaving a carcass outside.
Still, there were many thick pillars to support the gigantic place from collapsing.
Even Yasenia had to give recognition this time. "This is impressive."
The girls all agreed. One had to give credit where it was due.
While the others looked around in awe, the Mermaid Queen appeared in front of her with a smile. "Little Yasenia, you've arrived."
Yasenia approached and gave her a gentle hug as a greeting. "This place is truly impressive. Be it the architecture, formations, materials used, or everything else. I'm honestly awed this time."
The Mermaid Queen guided them personally, and when she heard Yasenia, she laughed. "Agreed. This is one of the most ancient yet mysterious places in the entire continent. There are five mountains like this one across Distancia where the World Summits are held."
Yasenia blinked and asked. "Oh. You didn't do this?"
The Mermaid Queen shook her head with a laugh. "You overestimate us. These five mountains were there from a long time ago. We have the ability to do the maintenance, but to build something like this in a few hundred years is impossible. As you've realized, there weren't any [Living Materials] used, so the time and amount of work needed to do this would be insane. These five mountains are all 200,000 meters tall, and more than half of their entire volume has been emptied while creating many intricate things on their inside. They are basically sacred spots that all beings respect."
Yasenia nodded with the intention of learning a bit more about their history later on her own.