[Vol. 7] Chapter 222: The Irreverent One
“Chosen Hero of the God?”
In a beautifully decorated living room full of classic medieval noble style, a red-haired little girl, who appeared to be lazily watching a live broadcast on a crystal screen, tilted her head and glanced at the two figures who had appeared out of nowhere. She sighed helplessly.
“Why do I have to take on such a troublesome-sounding role? Please, I'm a descendant of Constantius. If I casually accept a blessing from another god, wouldn’t that be the same as betrayal? Also, how did you sneak into my house again? And this time you even brought a goddess with you!?”
“Ahaha…”
Feeling a little awkward, Violet played with her own hair, about to say something, but the goddess who came with her spoke first.
“Miss Lucine, I’ll be blunt, you should know very well that the Blood Ancestor Constantius was never a true god. And with the way that divine weapon is affecting you, your body is already in a very dangerous condition. What Sainz is doing for you now is only treating the symptoms, not the cause. It’s just slowing things down temporarily.”
“To be honest, the energy purification effect you achieve by utilizing [Source Crystals] is merely a crude imitation of [Origin Power]. It’s rough, unstable, and wouldn’t even work if you weren’t personally keeping things balanced.”
“It’s only been about a thousand years, and your body has already broken down this badly. Your senses and physical functions are completely out of order. Do you really think you can last much longer like this?”
Faced with the vampire’s slightly surprised gaze, Sethlin continued seriously.
“Since you're already fighting against the Twilight Council, that means we share the same enemy. What Violet and I want to ask of you is basically something you were already planning to do. If you accept the blessing of [Life] power, it will greatly reduce the side effects caused by that divine weapon. This kind of cooperation would benefit you a lot and it wouldn’t hurt you at all.”
“Oh…”
Wearing an elegant lolita dress, the vampire princess, who looked like she was only twelve or thirteen years old, slowly stood up. Her deep red eyes, filled with an ancient feeling far beyond her age, locked onto the green-haired goddess. Then, with grace and a smile, she held her skirt and gave a proper noblewoman’s curtsy.
“As expected of Lady Seth, once one of the Three Main Gods of Order and the Goddess of Earth. Your insight is as sharp as ever. Even though you clearly have all the power and advantage, you still chose to gently reason with me and speak so kindly. You remind me of that grand gathering over three thousand years ago… the last meeting of all the gods in this world.”
“Back then, you sat high above all as the one of the Main God, and I was just one of the nameless followers beside the Blood Ancestor. All I could do was look up at the brilliance of the gods from below… When you and the other main gods descended, the awe and admiration I felt were beyond words. I even foolishly hoped, without knowing my place, that maybe one day, someone as great as you might look my way. I imagined what an incredible moment that would be.”
Letting out a soft sigh, Lucine’s smile faded. She shook her head. A red glow swirled in her hand and formed into a long, strange-looking spear. But she didn’t attack with it. Things were different now. As the current head of Sainz Academy, the vampire princess only gently ran her hand along the spear’s shaft, her expression filled with emotion.
“But it’s only been a little over three thousand years, and that grand scene is now long gone. Most of the gods who attended that meeting have already faded into dust. Even my own Blood Ancestor, the mother I once believed to be all-powerful, has completely fallen.”
“You know, when I thrust this spear into Her Divineness Constantius’ heart and used her blood and life to forge the name ‘Godslayer’, I felt such a profound tremor for the first time. Gods… aren’t as great and invincible as we imagined. They have desires just like we do. They make mistakes, they can die, and when things get tough, they seek help too… just like you’re doing now.”
“Even though I’ve finally experienced the moment I once dreamed of, being seen by you, I feel no excitement at all. Hah… how ironic. ‘Chosen Hero of the God’... It is a great honor and blessing. What you want from me is perfectly fine. But please… just don’t use those words.”
She looked like a child, but the young vampire gave off a heavy, weary aura like a setting sun. Dismissing her weapon, she quietly stared at her small, pale hand.
“These hands are already stained with filth and blood. I’ve long lost the passion of my youth and the respect I once held for the gods. A title that glorious… it’s better suited for someone young and full of energy, don’t you think?”
“If that’s your wish…”
The goddess gently nodded, her tone serious.
“I understand. Then we’ll find another way to work with you, Lucine Constantius.”
“Thanks for understanding~”
Lucine gave a relaxed smile. Though she spoke casually and claimed not to care, Violet could tell, facing Sethlin, a true goddess, still made her feel a lot of pressure. It was a big contrast to how relaxed she acted when alone with Violet.
It seemed the name of the Goddess of Earth still held great power and respect from the age of the gods.
Since they were already here, the vampire princess ordered her maid to set up a tea table. She invited her two distinguished guests to sit down and watch the academy tournament together on the crystal screen, while also taking the chance to talk about their cooperation in more detail.
You could tell, Lucine really did love hosting tea parties.
By the way, if Violet remembered correctly, this should already be the second-to-last match of the tournament. The event had been going on for over a month now, and the points and strength differences between the academies were starting to show clearly. As expected, the top three teams were the Saint Academy of the Holy Empire, the Frederick Royal Academy of Austre Empire, and the host, Sainz Academy.
Following closely behind were the strongest academies from the Human United Kingdom, the Azure Sky Kingdom, and the Snow Country. Some secondary academies from the five major powers or other large nations fell into the third tier, but there was already a noticeable gap between them and the top three. Unless a miracle happened, the final champion would almost certainly come from those top three teams.
Sipping on her usual overly sweet tea, so sweet it could barely be called a drink, Lucine tilted her head and watched the match being broadcast on the screen. The three women in the room, all among the most powerful and influential figures in the Conference, stayed quiet for a while. None of them spoke, instead focusing on the live match taking place at the main venue downtown.
After a long pause, the vampire princess finally spoke up, asking a question similar to what Felina had asked before, but with a different nuance.
“What do you two think… Who will win this game in the end?”
Staring at the ever-shifting images on the screen, Sethlin calmly shook her head.
“It doesn’t matter who wins. The final result won’t change. The only difference is how much the winner has to pay, and whether they act first or second.”
“Oh~?”
This riddle-like answer seemed to hit just the right chord with Lucine. Her eyes sparkled with interest as she narrowed them and pressed further in a low voice.
“So what your Divineness Seth is saying is they've already made up their minds, haven’t they? And this tournament in Sainz… It’s just a fuse to light everything up. Whether they succeed or not… war will come anyway.”
The goddess just smiled without confirming or denying.
“I never said that. And I don’t really care what mortal rulers are thinking. All I’m saying is that this conflict is bound to happen. It’s a future set in motion by the ‘Wheel of Fate’. Any small differences only change how soon it arrives.”
She tapped the clean tablecloth on the tea table in front of her and said with meaning.
“Think about it. If the table itself or even this entire room suddenly started to shake violently, could you really expect a full teacup to stay perfectly still without spilling a drop?”
“Let alone… if someone decides to throw the teacup at us and use it as a weapon.”
The green-haired girl gave a faint smile.
“Also, my name now is Sethlin, the Goddess of Life. Miss Lucine, please don’t keep calling me by the wrong name~”