Witch

Nabistin Imperial Palace, Witch Confidential Office. This had originally been merely a temporary office where Annan reviewed and approved confidential documents on the Empress's behalf. As the First Witch, Annan's proper workplace was supposed to be the newly constructed Witch Bureau of Political Affairs in Nabistin, while the place where the Yisu Empress handled government affairs and received foreign dignitaries was the Sound Palace—which had been known as Diyin Palace during Lisidiya's reign. The Sound Palace stood firm as iron, while empresses came and went like flowing water. Over the past seven hundred years, the Sound Palace had always been the supreme symbol of royal Yisu authority, yet the world rarely paid much attention to it. The Yisu royal family had always held few meetings and intervened little in governance. There had even been one empress who did not issue a single policy in fifty years. Many ordinary citizens who paid no heed to politics even assumed that the Yisu royals were mere figureheads, while the financial oligarchs were the true masters of the nation. Yet as the Witch Bureau of Political Affairs systematically reformed Gospel's various institutions, disobedient archons were dismissed and had their homes seized one by one, and major financial conglomerates yielded and submitted. The Yisu royal family, which had never directly meddled in social operations but instead regulated national politics and economics through the "invisible Gospel," had completed centralizing power in just a few months under the ambitious Annan's stewardship. Or rather, the idea cherished by the conglomerates that they ruled the realm alongside the Yisu royalty had merely been an illusion granted to them by the throne. In this world where miracles existed, the entire operation of Gospel society rested on the support of the Gospel God. With a flick of her finger, Annan could cut off a city's electricity or gas supply, and with just a bit more effort, she could bring down catastrophic natural disasters. Anyone who dared conspire behind her back to feign compliance would immediately find themselves pushed onto the Book of Gospel's priority hit list for the month. Under the suffocating canopy of absolute big data, every person was a cog in the state machine of Gospel—even the Yisu Empress. There was no such thing as an entity that was "too big to fail." In the past, the Yisu royal family had permitted large cartels and grand clans to exist simply because an upper class kept within reasonable bounds benefited the development of social productivity. After all, sheepdogs were needed to manage the flock. But if anyone dared cross the line... over seven hundred years, wealthy magnates that quietly went bankrupt overnight were far from few. Now, however, supreme decisions originated neither from the Sound Palace nor from the Bureau of Political Affairs, but from the Witch Confidential Office, Annan's workspace in the imperial palace. This rankled the conglomerates that had schemed endlessly to install their finest family members into the Bureau of Political Affairs. Annan clearly had no intention of relinquishing power. The Witch Bureau of Political Affairs was responsible solely for proposals and execution, while decision-making authority remained firmly grasped in the Purple Moth's hands; she did not even bother putting on a facade like democratic voting. Hapi hurried to the door of the confidential office and knocked twice on the oak door. Pushing it open, she immediately bowed ninety degrees, her voice brisk and clear. "The Blood Moon envoys are already seated. Witch Qinna requests that the Chief preside over the banquet." "Understood." Annan beckoned from behind the desk. "Hapi, come here." Hapi trotted over in dainty steps. Annan pointed to the documents on the desk, leisurely stroking the custard-yellow scarlet-gold dragon lizard on the back of her hand. "See for yourself." The Thirteenth Witch opened the folder, and her face instantly drained of color. Having finished reading, she dropped to her knees before Annan without the slightest hesitation and lowered her head. "The Xitisi family has defied the state, breached decrees, and committed treason! The primary culprit, Sodam, and all his associates should be stripped of their posts, thrown into prison, investigated, and dealt with severely! They used my name to collude with other families and cartels, employing threats and bribes to coerce government officials into opening backdoor channels for them. I cannot shirk my responsibility. I voluntarily request to resign from my position as a witch!" Annan remarked with keen amusement, "What are you getting on your knees for? Even when meeting the Empress, you only need to drop to one knee. Are you proposing to me?" "Dropping to one knee suffices for the Empress, but the Chief is the leader of all witches. It was only by your favor that I was fortunate enough to hold such an important post. Serving at your side these days has brought me immense growth—it has been the happiest time of my life. In my heart, I have long revered you as both a loving elder sister and a strict mentor. Now that I have erred, how could I not kneel and beg for your forgiveness?" Hapi leaned against Annan's lap with tear-filled eyes, her voice laden with heartfelt sincerity. "Just the thought of no longer being able to follow you, sister, makes my heart..." She let out a whistling sob like a boiling kettle, tears streaming down her face in no time. "The ones who made the mistake were the Xitisi family—your father and your uncles. What does that have to do with you?" Annan chuckled. "Even the most savage reaches of the Abyss don't practice collective punishment. As long as you make no mistakes, you remain my witch sister for life." Hapi let out a tearful hiccup, breaking into a delighted smile. "Thank you, sister!" "In truth, the Xitisi family hasn't committed that great a wrong. Like the other families, they merely hired firms to sabotage and steal their competitors' means of production. After all, the world is changing by the day, with new technologies and industries exploding constantly, and the law simply can't keep pace. These cartels, well-versed in the law, always find loopholes in Gospel to seize the hard-won inventions of others. Even prosecuting them is a bit of a nuisance..." "Yet you, sister, have already issued decrees encouraging the public to start businesses and learn foreign technology! The actions of families like Xitisi run counter to progress and disrupt the big picture! If thieves don't have their hands cut off and trespassers don't have their legs broken, who will still believe in Yisu's glory and revere the witches' majesty?" Hapi spoke the word 'sister' with natural fluency, showing not the slightest hesitation. "There is no need to talk about laws with these people. Seize their property, exterminate their clans, and let the other families know the consequences of defying the state!" "Aren't you being a bit too radical? The five nations are connected now; those cartels and families might very well flee to other lands..." "I will guard the Void Gates between the five nations for you, sister!" Hapi wiped away her tears and declared at once. "Without Gospel, they would be nothing! If they dare transfer their assets, they should be charged with selling out national resources!" Annan remained noncommittal, handing the documents back to her. "Since it's your family's affair, you deal with it. I trust you will give me a satisfactory answer." "I will never fail your expectations, sister!" Annan stood and walked toward the adjoining dressing room. "All right, it's time to head to the banquet hall. Those Blood Moon vampires have probably grown impatient from being kept waiting." Clutching the documents, Hapi followed close on her heels. "The Blood Moon envoys are merely here to finalize a trade agreement, whereas you hold all of Gospel in your heart and manage affairs of state. How dare they have any complaints?" Watching Annan take off her clothes from behind, she hurried over to assist her. She still blushed whenever her fingers touched Annan's skin, and the affection in her eyes surged like an undisguised tide. Once Annan was fully dressed, Hapi couldn't help but feel bewildered. "Sister, isn't this your tactical formal attire? Why...?" "This is Blood Moon's first official diplomatic visit. Did you really think tonight would be peaceful?" Annan patted her head. Hapi instantly beamed with delight. "Let's go."