Chapter 267. Christina (2)
“Haa... seriously, where could His Majesty be?”
The A-rank Constellation ‘Handsomest Knight,’ Astolfo, let out a sigh.
At the moment, Astolfo was searching across the Middle East while riding his Constellation Armament, the Hippogriff.
Of course, his goal was to find the Nameless King, who had disappeared somewhere.
“I thought with the bond between His Majesty and me, I’d find him right away.”
Astolfo possessed the EX-rank Constellation Skill [Abundant Fortuitous Encounters]...
but unfortunately, it was no help at all when it came to finding people.
“Stop talking nonsense and search properly. And can’t you go a little faster?”
“That’s right! Fly faster!”
The people riding behind him started complaining after hearing Astolfo mutter to himself.
“You do realize we’re slower because you two are riding with me, right?”
Astolfo frowned and looked back.
The two people currently aboard the Hippogriff had followed him when he escaped Dis City to search for the Nameless King.
He had let them ride without thinking much about it.
But now that he looked at things, they weren’t helping at all and were only making noise.
“Should I just drop both of you?”
“That’s cruel.”
“Lord Astolfo! You can’t do that!”
While they were talking...
Astolfo noticed something glimmering in the distance.
“Hm?”
“What is it?”
“No, over there...”
At first glance, it looked like an empty wasteland.
But for a moment...
something seemed to reflect light.
How could that happen in the middle of nowhere?
“Haha! I knew I was lucky!”
Astolfo hurriedly sent the Hippogriff diving.
“Astolfo?”
The moment I saw the Hippogriff approaching, I realized Astolfo had found us.
Princess Longji had hidden our presence using water, yet somehow he had still noticed we were here.
“Your Majesty! I missed you!”
Before the Hippogriff had even landed, Astolfo jumped off and flew straight toward me.
Then he hugged me.
“I’m so glad you’re safe! Really, really glad!”
“Hey, let go first and then talk.”
When I pulled Astolfo off me, he glared at the others around me.
“You guys are awful! You should’ve taken me with you too!”
“You should’ve followed us on your own...”
Jason replied.
Astolfo practically jumped in place in outrage.
“I had lost my Hippogriff because of an attack back then! How was I supposed to follow you?!”
“You think we flew away? You’ve got two perfectly good legs...”
Apparently, Astolfo had waited until he could use his Constellation Armament again, then chased after us.
“Whew, still, I’m glad we managed to regroup after only a few days.”
“Astolfo, then you’re going to keep following me?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“No... never mind.”
Seeing Astolfo stare at me with wide eyes...
I smiled.
There was no need to doubt his loyalty.
So there are more than Jason, Lee Gyu, and Princess Longji.
There were still Constellations willing to stand on my side.
Realizing that gave me some relief.
“Astolfo, did you come alone?”
“No.”
Astolfo turned his head in response to Princess Longji’s question.
The people riding on the Hippogriff were climbing down now.
“Nameless...!”
The moment I saw one of them running toward me while calling my name...
I was startled.
“Number 49?”
“I was so, so worried about you!”
Number 49 burst into tears and threw herself into my arms.
But I had no idea what was going on.
“Why are you here?”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you unhappy that I’m here?!”
“No, you’re an Apostle. Once your work is done, aren’t you supposed to go back?”
I had thought Number 49 had abandoned me.
As an Apostle, she could find me easily.
So if she still hadn’t appeared before me...
I assumed she had given up on me and returned to her proper position.
“Ah, well...”
Number 49 wiped her tear-soaked face with her sleeve and muttered.
“I got penalized.”
“A penalty?”
“You remember when I openly defended you during the broadcast?”
“Ah...”
When Ha Mina exposed my identity, Number 49 had defended me aggressively.
Even though she was supposed to broadcast from a neutral position...
she had desperately defended one person in front of countless watching Constellations.
“I did something an Apostle wasn’t supposed to do...”
“So I received a penalty.”
“What kind?”
“I lost my Apostle powers for one month...”
"..."
“So right now, I don’t have any abilities at all.”
“I can’t even return to the Spirit Realm...”
That was completely unexpected.
“What? Then this little brat can’t do anything for a while?”
“She’s useless.”
“Don’t say that!”
“It’s true. What do you want me to say?”
Lee Gyu frowned as though dumbfounded.
“That’s why I warned you back then.”
“I asked whether you weren’t afraid of the penalty.”
A woman’s voice spoke.
The last person who had been riding the Hippogriff walked toward us.
“You...”
Kang Yujin glared at her with a terrifying expression.
“What the hell are you thinking, showing up here?”
“Do you have a death wish?”
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t put it that way, Kang Yujin.”
“Ha Mina...!”
That was right.
Ha Mina had also been riding the Hippogriff.
"..."
Ha Mina looked at me.
Then she slowly approached...
and knelt before me.
“I apologize for failing to recognize you all this time.”
“I have committed a sin worthy of death, Lord Lucifer.”
Lord Lucifer.
That was what she called me.
“Who the hell are you calling Lucifer?!”
Kang Yujin shouted.
Ha Mina didn’t even acknowledge him.
“I was foolish.”
“I had already seen you face-to-face long ago, yet I failed to realize who you were and only resented you.”
“Please punish me.”
“Wow. This is ridiculous.”
Jason’s mouth fell open as he watched.
Lee Gyu and Princess Longji looked much the same.
“Ha Mina.”
“Yes, Lord Lucifer.”
“I’m not Lucifer.”
I denied it coldly.
“You seem to have believed Christina’s words completely, but she was wrong.”
“I never tried to recover Lucifer’s power.”
“And until now, I didn’t even know Lucifer’s soul was inside me.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you calling me Lucifer?”
“Because you are Lucifer.”
“No, I’m not.”
“I have no intention of becoming Lucifer either.”
“I don’t intend to awaken Lucifer’s personality.”
“You are Lucifer.”
"..."
As Ha Mina stubbornly repeated herself...
I was left speechless.
I could even feel madness coming from her.
“Nameless, Nameless.”
Jason gestured for me to come closer.
“Wouldn’t it be better to just let her think whatever she wants?”
"..."
Hearing Jason whisper, I fell into thought.
If Ha Mina believes I’m Lucifer and gives me her loyalty... is that actually beneficial to me?
Considering everything Ha Mina had done so far...
maybe the fact that even a fragment of Lucifer’s soul remained was what mattered to her.
Even if Lucifer’s personality wasn’t actually inside me.
The problem is she could betray me at any time depending on the situation...
If someone appeared who was closer to the real Lucifer than I was, she might immediately switch sides.
But considering she chose me instead of Christina...
did she believe I was closer to the true Lucifer?
“Ha Mina.”
“Yes, Lord Lucifer.”
“What do you want?”
“To follow Lord Lucifer.”
“Let me rephrase the question.”
“What do you want me to become?”
"..."
Ha Mina looked thoughtful for a moment.
“I would like you to become... an even more perfect Lord Lucifer.”
“How do I become more perfect?”
“At the moment...”
Ha Mina turned her head and looked at Kang Yujin.
“I think you should merge with Kang Yujin.”
“What?”
That caught me completely off guard.
“Princess Longji, why did you flinch?”
“I did not react in the slightest.”
“Really? Then why do you keep...”
“Merge... the Nameless King and Kang Yujin merging...”
“You’re starting to go back to your old self lately...”
I ignored the conversation beside me and thought.
I understand why Ha Mina is saying that.
