Chapter 46: The Silver Iris Brooch

Ashina was clearly enjoying it so much that her tail was trembling, yet she still forced herself to act tough. “You perverted lord! If you touch my head without warning again, I’ll bite you!”

“I’m so scared.”

Phield had already had his suspicions, but he hadn’t dared to be certain. Now that he’d received a definite answer from Ashina, a surge of uncontrollable delight flooded his heart.

After all, divine artifacts only remained behind after a Divine Chosen’s death—and Divine Chosen themselves were already extremely rare. Naturally, divine artifacts that actually survived were even rarer. Because of this, every divine artifact was placed under strict imperial and noble control and almost never circulated freely. The Empire had once sold five of them due to financial hardship, and even a single first-tier divine artifact had started at a reserve price of one million gold coins.

Phield felt as though he were holding a lump of solid gold in his hand.

“This must be what Sister Eliza meant when she said many divine artifacts were lost in the Northern Frontier Province,” Phield said smugly. “When I asked her back then whether Nightfall Domain had any divine artifacts, she got all tsundere and refused to say a word.”

“According to imperial law, everything within a territory belongs to its lord.”

Without the slightest hesitation, Phield slapped a “Property of Nightfall Domain” label onto the divine artifact.

He then handed the brooch to Ashina. “See if you can use it.”

“No,” Ashina said, gently pushing it back. “This is a Divine gift of the Goddess of Holy Light. It conflicts with my Bitter Winter divine power. If I force its use, it would cause backlash instead. But you can use it—or someone else could.” She softened her voice. “Just drip your blood onto it, and the divine artifact will recognize you as its master. I think it will help you.”

“Alright.” Phield immediately pricked his finger with the brooch.

As a wave of profound, mysterious power spread outward, the brooch absorbed his blood, and Phield instantly felt holy light pour into his body.

What followed was an inexplicable sense of familiarity, and the comfort made Phield let out an involuntary hum.

After bonding, the divine artifact felt like an extension of his own hands—perfect unity between will and object.

A new section also appeared on the lord’s interface.

Divine Gift: The Silver Iris Brooch (First-tier Divine Artifact)

Origin: Goddess of Holy Light

Effect: The wearer may freely alter their appearance, physique, and voice (illusion only; no change to actual structure).

Active: Activate the brooch to transform it into The Silver Iris Longsword (First-tier Divine Artifact; special effects usable only by Divine Chosen of Holy Light).

Phield hadn’t expected the divine artifact to be this powerful.

At first glance, the effect seemed unimpressive—but once used, it was undoubtedly terrifying.

Freely changing appearance, voice, and body shape—didn’t that mean he could do whatever he wanted in the future?

“Stepmother, don’t turn around—I’m really my father.”

Becomes: “Stepmother, please turn around—I really am my father.”

“Lord Phield, you seem to be thinking about something very strange. You’re even drooling,” Ashina said, her eyes flickering with suspicion. “Does this divine artifact have… odd functions?”

Phield didn’t bother explaining. He directly activated The Silver Iris Brooch.

Space twisted slightly, and Phield instantly transformed into Ashina.

Ashina clapped a hand over her mouth. “Th-this is bad… The lord turned into a girl—no, wait, that’s me!”

“Heh heh, let me test the size,” Phield said with a wicked grin, reaching out and grabbing. However, the two snow-white, fluffy-looking masses were nothing but illusions—he couldn’t even feel skin. Seeing Ashina’s stunned expression, Phield laughed. “All illusions. Relax. I’m not that much of a pervert.”

Ashina sniffed the air before finally relaxing. “The scent and heartbeat haven’t changed. It really is just an illusion. Still, this transformation ability is impressive—it even fooled my eyes. But it can’t change smell. You’ll need to remember that.”

“Mm. Looks like the effect isn’t overwhelmingly strong, but it’s definitely practical.”

Phield bent down, trying to peek under the skirt.

“H-Hey! Please don’t do that!” The girl was on the verge of tears. “My greatest regret is giving this thing to you.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing you.”

After canceling the transformation, Phield activated the artifact’s other ability. Instantly, a gorgeous longsword shimmering with silver light condensed into existence. Unlike ordinary weapons, The Silver Iris Longsword vibrated faintly, as if it possessed its own awareness.

“What a shame that only Divine Chosen of Holy Light can unleash the divine artifact’s full power.” Turning the longsword back into the brooch, Phield pinned it onto his clothes. “Judging by its abilities—disguise plus a concealed weapon—its previous owner was probably an assassin.”

Transform into someone the target trusted, then strike when their guard was down—complete with all sorts of dramatic, romantic twists along the way.

It sounded like something straight out of a movie. Pretty cool.

Unfortunately, the body had already rotted into scraps. Phield had no interest in abandoning a perfectly good noble lifestyle just to cosplay an assassin. He shrugged. “Take the recording stone as well. I don’t think her death was as simple as it looks. This footage might be useful for gaining some leverage in the future.”

“Oh, right—Ashina, memorize that strange ritual pattern too. It really gives me a bad feeling.”

“I feel the same.”

Phield climbed out of the basement along the creaking stairs. Ben had already organized the slaves to search for useful supplies and pile them in the open area—mostly furniture, along with some logging tools.

Seeing Phield emerge, Ben jogged over to report.

“Honored lord, the logs here are thicker than my waist. Transporting them will be a massive undertaking. We’re short on manpower—should we move the smaller planks first and come back for the logs next time?”

“Yes, that’s our only option.” Phield looked around. Many of the unrotted timbers were made of materials he’d never even heard of in his previous life—durable enough to serve as main beams for large structures, but also incredibly heavy. After taking a few steps, he turned back. “Also, have someone bury the bodies in the basement. There’s no rush—do it after you finish the work at hand. Oh, and be careful with those old wooden stairs. Don’t break a leg.”

The young girls who had died in the basement had perished under unclear circumstances, but their deaths were undeniably horrific. Since he’d taken their divine artifact, it was only right to show some respect.

“As for transporting the logs, let me see if there’s a shortcut.” Phield opened the minimap, planning to find the optimal route.

“From the great winery’s—holy shit! What is that?”

A crimson red dot was wandering right along the edge of his territory.

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