Chapter 351: To Kill A Planet (07)

--This Chapter is written in Catherine’s POV--

The tension at the minefield that became the couch mounted with every passing second as Lapis threw more bombs around. Almost every word Azure and Lazo said seemed more likely to light the fuse that would blow their discussion into something more dangerous.

Lapis: "But, Azure... If you can’t kill that demon, can he kill you?~"

She spoke with a mellow, childlike voice.

Her apparent worry, however, could barely mask her excitement at the thought of such a life-and-death scenario.

Azure: "Fufu! Alkztaer? No way. I’m not too worried about him~"

It was impossible to miss the emphasis she put on "him" at the end of her sentence, but Lapis was the only one who smiled at it. The rest of us pretended not to have noticed.

Azure: "In any case, if being at the top of the power hierarchy were any requirement to making it to the next cycle, Asdrea would walk alone..."

She shrugged and, stretching her arms, flashed me a slight smile from the corner of her lips.

With Azure gone, I finally found an opening to excuse myself.

At long last, I had stepped away from the sparks.

Only to run straight into the fire.

Catherine: "Ah... I-I’m sorry."

I instinctively bowed my head until my gaze met the floor.

Asdrea: "Hm? And what are you apologizing for?"

Standing in my path, he wore the wide, amused smile of a grandfather looking at his grandchildren.

Meanwhile, a myriad of reasons raced through my head, preventing me from answering him immediately.

Asdrea had been the one who ordered me to deal with Alkztaer on my way to bring back Erick, but after Lazo and Azure’s discussion, I wasn’t sure he approved of how I had handled the demon.

Yet, something else weighed even more on my mind.

Catherine: "I... I wanted to apologize for meeting my Champion the night prior to the Second Phase."

Heavy steps approached behind me while Asdrea stood still.

After a second, he rested his palm on my shoulder and signaled for me to accompany him.

If my heart could stop by itself, that would’ve done it for me.

While I followed Asdrea, Nyxie kept a close distance.

I didn’t need to turn toward her or look over my shoulder to feel her stare stab at my back.

Asdrea: "You were allowed to meet your Champions. Even turning them into heroes was still acceptable."

With all the grace of a maid, Nyxie served us drinks from a silver plate.

Since every drink was different and I wasn’t willing to risk picking the one he wanted, I waited quietly for him before taking one for myself.

The judgmental maid wasted no time before nodding in approval.

Asdrea: "I also understand your choice. I’m interested in Miwen myself, after all..."

With his drink in one hand, Asdrea stepped closer and began patting my head with the other hand.

Nyxie began biting her nails furiously, but as much as I wanted to stop Asdrea, I couldn’t find the courage to so much as tilt my head away.

Amused at our reactions, Asdrea kept messing with my hair. He didn’t stop even after strands of hair started sticking out, and eventually swept my fringe to the side, messing it up completely.

Asdrea: "Rather, I should be the one apologizing. The maid I assigned to Miwen can be overzealous sometimes."

Nyxie furrowed her eyebrows, and for a second, even the skirt of her maid dress seemed to swirl.

Once Asdrea patted her instead, all of the vicious energy I sensed in her vanished, and she forgot to breathe.

Asdrea: "You’re free to meet up and even make your Champions into heroes if you want to. Just make sure not to hurt them."

He gave me a playful wink, but upon noticing Nyxie’s pouting cheeks, he resumed patting her head.

Catherine: "I see... In that case, would it be alright if I met Miwen again once he returns from this phase of the Divine Event?"

Asdrea paused.

After blinking a couple of times, a lightbulb seemed to light up in his head, and his lips curled into a devious smile.

Asdrea: "Of course. I’ve asked this maid here to guide him through the Celestial Palace, but I’m sure she won’t mind if you tag along."

While the King of the Gods laughed to himself, his maid stared daggers at me.

I wasn’t particularly happy with that either, but...

It’d be better to strike the iron while it was still hot and the memory of how I’d helped his friend was fresh in Miwen’s mind.

Besides, Nyxie’s death glares meant little against her master’s orders.

Nyxie: "Y-Your Majesty!?"

For a moment, I was surprised to see her begging with her eyes for Asdrea to reconsider.

But then, it all made sense...

Nyxie: "Does that mean she’ll have the same permissions? E-Even places like your chambers and..."

Despite her best attempt to maintain the composed expression of a highly disciplined maid, Nyxie couldn’t stop her face from flushing.

It was obvious at a glance where her mind had wandered, but I had little way of correcting her about my intentions.

Asdrea: "It’ll be just for a day. Maybe two since I’d still like to talk with him myself..."

Nyxie mumbled under her breath that even one minute with such a permission was too much of a blessing for vermin like Miwen and me.

Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to sip the drink in my glass and ask something that had been on my mind since the Divine Banquet.

Catherine: "...You expressed the same intention before. Since he’s my Champion, I’d like to know if there’s a reason?"

Considering what he’d told me about his relationship with Earth, it made some sense that he’d show interest in my Champions, but to go as far as invite them to his room and give them that ring...

The more I thought about it, the more I came to realize that perhaps I could use my Champions to obtain the same protection. Although, if optional, I’d prefer Asdre’s protection without his interest in me.

Asdrea: "Haha! You’re so hardworking..."

A few troublesome eyes glued to our conversation the moment Asdrea began laughing.

Nyxie seemed aware and slightly irritated, but ultimately, she and I kept quiet.

Then, despite being inside a closed room, the air felt heavier.

Asdrea: "The thing is... He and I might become enemies. Maybe he’ll come dethrone me if I let him be."

I could feel the blood pumping in Nyxie’s heart as Asdrea’s words reached her. The dragon horns she’d usually hide burst from the sides of her head, and the tip of a small blade slid below her wrist.

Even without a mirror, I knew my reaction was far from hers, yet the muscles on my face tensed like never before.

Those were not words I thought I’d hear.

Ever.

Asdrea: "Of course, I’m not going to let it come to that without putting up a fight, but... I’d like to know more before deciding our course of action."

Just by holding his open palm before Nyxie, Asdrea made the maid’s horn fade, and the blade retreated into her uniform.

Though in her eyes, I still saw silent, barely contained rage.

Asdrea: "It’s not set in stone either. He could also become my greatest ally, or the key I need to end this tragedy. As long as he chooses to, we could work together."

The thought that a mortal could pose a threat to Asdrea should be outrageous.

However, I couldn’t deny the possibility when two monsters like Cassandra Novaes and Elizabeth were already under the command of the mortal in question.

If anything, I had a gut feeling that the King of the Gods was not exaggerating, and it was too late now to begin doubting the instincts that kept me alive for so long.

Catherine: "...I shouldn’t have threatened him."

My regret escaped as I mumbled under my breath.

I regretted my approach the moment it failed, but perhaps I had disturbed a bigger lion than even Elizabeth and Asdrea.

If that were true, Lapis would be a small cub, and even Nyxie wouldn’t be much of a threat in comparison.

Her anger I could flee from by hiding behind Asdrea’s orders.

Miwen’s I had failed to measure.

Even if it meant bothering Nyxie, so long as I managed to establish myself as his ally, or someone he could trust, it was worth it ...

Catherine: "...In that case, what about the ring that Your Majesty gifted his sister?"

Asdrea raised an eyebrow, acting as if he’d forgotten about it.

Catherine: "I mean... Your protection is immensely precious."

Few things could compare, and I would’ve gladly given everything for the same gift.

Alas, I knew better than to bother those higher than me with requests.

Nyxie: "Mm. Very precious indeed."

She joyfully nodded along, with almost no sign of her previous hostility.

With how much her lips had curled, I could imagine that my words promoted me from vermin to worm in her mind.

Unfortunately, she was too unstable for me to be happy about it, and I feared even crossing Asdrea’s path in a corridor could earn me her undying wrath.

Asdrea: "You believe she’d use the ring to protect his brother? Or even to win the Final Phase of the Divine Event?"

But of course.

It was their only hope, after all.

I even imagined he’d given her the ring so that the Champions would be spared.

Asdrea: "Mind if I tell you a cruel secret?"

With a hand placed beside his lip, Asdrea whispered into my ear.

Asdrea: "If I’m right and she is truly the person I believe, then... She’ll never use it against me."

I tilted my head in confusion.

Wouldn’t that be the ultimate shield against the ultimate threat?

Asdrea: "She’ll do her best to prove me wrong. To do that, she can’t have me by her side."

He stepped away, wearing a melancholic smile I couldn’t read well.

I looked at Nyxie in search of another hint, but she had lowered her gaze too much for me to see her expression.

Asdrea: "But even if she does... My promise was to protect her, not her brother. If it saddens her so much that she feels like she can’t live anymore, I will do everything I can to make it better."

Disturbing as they were, I found no cruelty or ill-intent in his words.

They felt like a painful compromise. Almost as if he wished it weren’t the case.

Catherine: "I-I see. S-Should I do something to help you?"

It’d be easy to kill Miwen if he asked me to, but since he stopped Nyxie and even said they might be allies, I was at a loss as to what he expected by telling me this.

Perhaps he truly just wanted to mess with my head, as instead of answering, he simply waved me goodbye before slouching on a nearby couch.

Asdrea: "Don’t worry too much, Catherine. This Divine Event is all about having fun. I’ll only start thinking about tomorrow once it’s over."

As if I could have fun when every single action of mine brought me closer to a different cliff.

It was such a mistake to accept Hwa’s offer.

I was fine living in the shadows.

I had traded everything for it.

Catherine: "...Haah."

After a long sigh, I looked for somewhere to sit in peace.

Preferably, somewhere with no one else around.

Unfortunately, trouble seemed determined to find me, no matter how hard I tried to avoid it.

Hwa: "...I see that you’ve been getting close to Asdrea."

Even though he stood before me and blocked the Lenses of Divination, I didn’t have the strength to lift my chin and look him in the eye.

Hwa: "Isn’t it already time you pay the Divinity you owe me? After all, I’ve given you a second world, and Asdrea gave you two more."

He seemed to be on the same page as Julie and her brother.

They had probably talked to him about this, though the attention Earth and its Champions brought me certainly didn’t help.

Catherine: "I can’t."

I simply didn’t have enough yet.

Hwa: "I see..."

He placed a hand under his chin, as if pondering.

Hwa: "In that case, you can pay me back by returning Earth to me."

I closed my eyes and held my breath.

The very world that had caused me so much trouble now was essential to me.

To get close to Elizabeth’s master, I would need to remain that world’s Goddess-in-charge.

But I also needed to get rid of that world before it could draw me into an even bigger mess than the current Divine Event...

Angering Hwa wasn’t an option.

Displeasing Asdrea wasn’t an option.

But forfeiting Elizabeth...

And the other Gods...

No matter what I chose, it felt like I was hammering a nail into my own coffin.

Yet, there was only one choice I could make.