Yasenia proceeded to walk across the entire sect with the rest, parading while being welcomed by the sect members. There was conversation everywhere about her achievements, but Yasenia never stopped once during this, also giving a cold yet authoritarian aura.
It took her around 5 hours to do so at a moderate pace. On the way, she spoke with Ghana about many matters but never went into details. Ghana asked, "What are your plans, Sect Master?"
Yasenia started. "I will go to the office and-."
Tatyana snorted. "No, you won't."
Yasenia blinked twice, turning to look at Tatyana. "Eh?"
Tatyana lifted an eyebrow. "You haven't heard me?"
Yasenia coughed. "I heard, I heard. But… why?"
Tatyana linked arms with her, dragging her away toward their residence. "You just arrived here, and you want to disappear another month doing who knows what? I didn't support you making this sect to have your time stolen away from me by it! Let the maids do all the work; that's why I summoned them in the first place!"
Yasenia's lips twitched. "But-."
Tatyana gave her a side eye, making her words get stuck in her throat. "I allowed you to do as you pleased until after the summit because it was a learning time. From now on, it's just rinse and repeat, plus a few war strategies. You are plenty good at them for your age. At age 60, I was…" Tatyana paused and frowned. "What was I doing at that time? Killing people? No…" Tatyana dismissed it. "Anyway, I wasn't doing all of this!"
Yasenia didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Okay, okay. I'll spend time with you and the other girls."
Tatyana nodded. "That's right. Doriel!"
Doriel approached and bowed slightly. "Yes, Lady Tatyana?"
Tatyana waved her hand and commented. "Clean up the small troubles and sort all the information to give to my little treasure later. If there is a major decision that needs Yasenia's approval, come to our house and ask for it. Also, speed up the human assimilation plan and refine it. With the new human sect, we have a competition where there wasn't previously any."
Tatyana added. "Also, expect those juniors to come for a talk. While they are helping that crazy child, Tang Xian, they are doing so because they don't have any other option. The Divines and Demons are the people you need to be careful of the otherworlders. The rest are harmless, and honestly, quite stu..." Tatyana looked at the spirits and coughed. "Sturdy and not worth the hassle. They are not even our enemies."
Embera looked at Tatyana speechlessly. 'She was about to say stupid, didn't she?'
Doriel asked. "What about the Undead? They looked competent…" Doriel looked at Tatyana and coughed. "Ah. Nevermind. With Lady Tatyana here, they are nothing."
A military advisor who had been listening asked. "Why not? The news we've received-."
Tatyana waved her hand and her Death Energy spread around like a tide of darkness. From the ground, tens of thousands of undead rose while moaning a cacophony of desperate howls. Tatyana looked at that person, her red eyes glowing slightly. "They are no problem. Before me, any Undead is nothing but a subject."
Her tone sounded regal and chilling, giving everyone a single warning. "I'm called the Death Empress not as a decoration but because all undead weaker than me are nothing but my subjects. Even those stronger have to be careful."
At some point, the man Tatyana was speaking to had subconsciously fallen to his knee. 'W-What? When? How? Why did I-?'
"Answer."
Tatyana's voice, carrying her [Empress Intent Level 9], hit him like a hammer, and out of pure pressure, she forced him to answer. "Understood, Your Majesty."
Tatyana waved her hand again, dispelling everything and sending the undead back while returning freedom to that man. "It's good. However, this is the first and only time I'm saying this, so make it known." Tatyana looked away and spat. "I hate repeating myself."
The rest didn't dare speak. They weren't expecting to be suddenly surrounded by thousands of undead by a gesture of a hand. Tatyana looked at Doriel, and Doriel nodded. "We will follow your orders, Lady Tatyana. Have a nice evening with Young Miss."
Then, the thirty-seven maids that returned with them started moving as one while Tatyana leisurely pulled a dumbfounded Yasenia toward their home. 'It's that easy?'
Tatyana saw her expression and smiled. "Little treasure. You are fantastic at leading, but there is a very big flaw that you've yet to fix completely." Yasenia listened attentively. "You still try to do everything by yourself. In short, you are too controlling."
Yasenia opened her mouth, wanting to say how she had been relegating a lot of work to other people, including Andrea, Angel, and the others, but she didn't speak in the end. Tatyana looked up at her and chuckled. "You are doing much better now, love. And this process is slow and gradual. I'm just pointing it out. So, go slowly. Learning how to rule is a matter of hundreds and thousands of years of experience."
Tatyana commented. "To be honest with you, there have been many times I just wanted to step forward without holding anything back and deal with every problem in Distancia myself. However, I haven't done so yet for one reason only. I was seeing betterment in your attitude toward work relegation as your trust in your subordinates increased."
Yasenia asked. "What changed?"
Tatyana snorted. "I'm pregnant, and I was practically ignored for one week! I was left alone for longer during the event, but that was inevitable. However, what happened this week is unacceptable!"
Yasenia's face became guilt-ridden. "I'm sorry, Tatyana. It seems I really lost focus for a few days after the summit."
Tatyana pouted. "I'm not satisfied with just that."
Seeing the usually composed Death Empress pouting was a direct hit to Yasenia's heart. Yasenia lifted her up in a princess hug and carried her toward their house while the rest followed behind and laughed.
Once they arrived at their home, Yasenia saw plenty of reports accumulated in her personal office with her spiritual sense, but Tatyana grabbed her hand and led her to the sofa in their living room. It wasn't really necessary, as Yasenia was already not going to go there. "Relax for a moment. Let Doriel and the others do these things."
Yasenia laughed. "Are you that afraid that I will go?"
Tatyana clicked her tongue. "Evil paperwork. You can't free yourself from it even when you reach my level. It's wicked, really."
Yasenia rolled her eyes as she sat on the large sofa, Tatyana and Cecile flanking her, while Flame and Kaleina sat by her legs' sides on the comfortable and warm rug.
Yasenia asked, curious. "Are you usually this laid-back during wartime, Mom?"
Tatyana rolled her eyes gently. "As if doing things one or two days prior can change anything."
The dragoness blinked. "It can't?"
Tatyana smirked. "It can."
Kali, who had just taken a sip of tea, coughed and choked on the beverage. Yasenia looked at the Death Empress with her eyebrow twitching. "Then…?"
Tatyana commented. "You aren't in a dire situation. Is there any reason to be so rushed?" Tatyana took the drink she asked a maid to do and took an elegant sip. "These kinds of wars take several years to unfold and get a winner. Is there a point in rushing things? If you create a plan, they will create a counterplan, and you'll have to plan around it later. Of course, they will also create a counterplan to that, and things snowball until you are playing tag with each other."
The girls got thoughtful and understood where Tatyana wanted to go. After all, these lessons weren't just for Yasenia. The others also participated in many things, getting increasingly more responsibilities.
She extended her arms and placed them around Tayana's and Cecile's waists. Her hand on Tatyana's navel rubbed it in circles, trying to feel the slightest bump, but to no avail. 'Tsk, tsk. The little one is taking their sweet time.'
Tatyana clearly saw the disappointed expression and almost laughed. "So impatient~. Hahaha."
The dragoness snorted. "It's my… second child. Of course, I'll be impatient."
Evelyn laughed while caressing Kaleina's body. "I can imagine how she will flutter around like a nervous bee when we are all in term. This time, if it weren't for the summit, she would've probably not separated from her."
The other girls easily imagined and laughed as well, making Yasenia's pout grow.
Andrea spoke. "By the way, love."
The dragoness looked over, and Andrea smiled. "Prepare the tribulation area. I will tackle the fifth tribulation in one and a half weeks."
Yasenia's eyebrows jumped in surprise. "So soon?"
Andrea nodded. "My battle with the undead and the previous ones gave me a few ideas, so I'm ready as long as I gather enough energy to break through."
Yasenia nodded thoughtfully. "Sure, I'll do so. Are you confident, darling?"
Andrea nodded. "I think I've prepared the best I can. Now, I need just to do it."
Yasenia laughed. "That's a very good way to put it." It was about time to get dinner, so Yasenia gave each of them the sandwich that she had prepared.
The girls looked at it and smiled hungrily because it smelled delicious. Angel commented. "It looks so nice~."
Kali agreed. "Very juicy and thick. Honestly, I'm having trouble thinking where and how to bite it."
Evelyn, with her face full of grease and a large chunk missing from it, blinked, speaking with her mouth half-full. "Troublfe wif wha?"
Kali's lips twitched. "Trouble not becoming someone like you right now."
Evelyn rolled her eyes. "We are between family. Is there such a need for modesty?"
Kali sighed. "Well, I agree…" Evelyn nodded, but Kali continued with a smirk. "With what Andrea told me, there is no saving you."
Andrea, who just took a bite, blinked, not expecting to be thrown under the bus. She wanted to speak, but her mouth was full. Evelyn looked at her with playful scorn. "Ho~ ho~, miss, do you have any problems with me? Do you want to taste some of this!"
Andrea swallowed and spoke with a raised eyebrow. "Taste what? Are you tempting me?"
Evelyn coughed and looked sideways, her dirty mind going a round trip who knows where.
Angel asked while coming to her side and plopping her butt on Yasenia's lap. "What meat is this? It's so flavorful!"
Yasenia laughed. "Fu Lang Zu."
The girls paused for a second, looking between Yasenia and the meat.
Yasenia blinked and asked. "Is there something wrong?"
Evelyn said, speechless. "You've managed to cook that piece of shit so deliciously? Are you sure you haven't entered the Transcendence realm of Spiritual Cooking?"
Andrea, who just took another bite, almost choked with laughter. As they were talking, they couldn't help but notice the loud and voracious munching coming from Yasenia's side.
Looking over, they saw Kaleina devouring the food with glittering eyes. It was much more vicious than usual as she ripped the food to shreds, making some food fly around.
Yasenia looked and her face went from a smile to confused to severe. "Hurry up and clear this place!"