Chapter 145: Secret Meeting 4

"Eup...!"

Kina clamped her own lips shut, realizing that she had just said something she shouldn’t have said.

Moreover, saying it directly in front of Ilunia would surely cause an unexpected problem.

Just as Kina thought, she found Ilunia "looking" in her direction with a reaction that was very hard to read.

Ilunia seemed frozen, her lips parted awkwardly, wearing the same expression as Ariel, who was frozen on the other side, just as stunned.

Kina looked at the two of them for a moment, feeling a sudden wave of embarrassment arrive along with sweat.

Fortunately, over these past few years, Kina had grown in many ways, especially in becoming more shameless, so in this situation, where she had blurted out something she shouldn’t have said in front of Ilunia,

she handled it well.

"I like Master."

The way she handled it was simple: just say it honestly. Kina could no longer lie, and she would speak about her true feelings here.

"I’m going to marry Master."

"Have children with him."

"And live happily."

One sentence after another came, taking over the silence of the surroundings.

For a moment, nothing happened, but in the next instant, Kina turned and found that, behind the transparent projected table, Ilunia had placed both hands on her lap, each one gripping the dress she was wearing.

"You... can’t... !"

Ariel turned around, and this time his confused gaze grew even more confused and widened as he saw how the ever-calm Ilunia now looked so restless and struggling.

"You can’t...! Marry him!"

Then she raised her voice.

"Why?" Kina was just as shocked, but she quickly calmed down, tilting her head in wonder. "What’s wrong with marrying Master?"

However she thought about it, Kina couldn’t think of anything that felt wrong about marrying her Master.

But Ilunia thought differently about this.

"He is the figure we worship, he is the light, he is a god, and we will never be his equal or be able to marry him!"

"Why are you the one deciding? Let Master decide. What if Master says ’yes’?"

This time Ilunia froze, thinking about what Kina had said, and it did feel very true. But deep in her heart, she truly wanted to avoid that scenario.

’Marry Master?’

"Ugh...!"

Ilunia groaned helplessly, looking very pale and unable to accept it.

"...Still... You must not do it..."

Then she fell silent, lifting her "gaze" with a presence and aura that felt demanding.

"How would you marry Master? Seducing him is a sin. Kina, you must not do it."

"I won’t seduce him, it would be more accurate to call it building a relationship."

"Building a relationship is no different from seduction."

"It’s different!"

"It’s the same! There’s no difference!"

"Why do you disagree so much!?"

"Because he is my god!"

In the midst of that seemingly never-ending argument, Ariel was still stone-still there, having lost his presence, becoming something insignificant, still trying to understand what was happening around him.

’They’re fighting? Oh right, they’re fighting.’

Not once had Ariel thought that the day would come when he would see these two women, who had always gotten along, fighting over differing views.

’Ariel is me, and I am Ariel. I, Ariel, am the best informant, one who even has trivial information like this about two candidates who might become legends in the future.’

Ariel always flattered himself about how great he was at gathering information, which is why, starting today, he no longer praised himself, but began to feel afraid.

’Seriously...?’

He couldn’t believe he had become an informant at a frightening level.

Thinking about the price of the information happening right now, it would surely bring him enormous wealth.

Ariel rubbed his chin, imagining that scenario and smiling like a fool as he nodded his head.

"Yes, I’ll definitely—"

"ARIEL!"

"....!"

Ariel flinched in shock, nearly leaping off the sofa where he sat as Ilunia and Kina shouted his name at the same time.

Startled, feeling as though his soul had nearly left his body, Ariel looked at the two women with his heart pounding hard.

"W-what? What? What happened!?"

There was no denying that Ariel was truly very shocked at this point.

Ilunia and Kina were right there, both looking at him with gazes carrying different emotions.

First was Kina, who looked at him with a demanding and threatening gaze as she said:

"There’s nothing wrong with me marrying Master, right!? Especially if Master himself agrees, that means it’s not a problem, right? Screw being a god or whatever! Master definitely still needs a beautiful wife!"

Then there was Ilunia, who looked at him with a feigned sad expression, but it made Ariel’s heart feel as though it were being torn apart.

"Ariel... Is it right to marry someone we worship? Someone we consider so holy that merely standing near him is an honor and a source of pride. At that point, wouldn’t marrying him only defile him? Defile the fact that he is a very holy god."

The gist and the point of the two could be explained as follows:

Ilunia and Kina apparently realized that their argument would never end. So, they needed a third party who could help decide who had the far more correct view.

And, with terrible luck, Ariel had been chosen as the mediator. Leaving him trapped in a strange situation.

’W-why are you two, damn it, trapping me in the middle of your argument!?’

Following his heart, Ariel leaned toward wanting to side with Ilunia. He didn’t care which one sounded more right, he simply felt far more comfortable with Ilunia, especially seeing that feigned sad expression.

But on the other hand, Kina’s gaze was so threatening it felt like it promised one thing.

’If you don’t choose me, I will—’

There was no need to continue. Ariel already knew it wouldn’t end well, so choosing Kina might be the right choice for survival.

But if Ariel did that, wouldn’t Ilunia become truly sad?

’This is a hard choice...! Why does it have to be me!?’

Ariel felt like cursing, banging his head over and over as he lowered his gaze to the floor with cold sweat dripping.

Once again, Ariel spun his brain hard. He didn’t have much time, and by making use of his brain, which was clever and quick at sorting the information stored in his head,

Ariel tried to find a way out with a gloomy expression. Carefully, he lifted his head.

"C-could you two listen to me first, before that?"

He held his breath slightly and continued, "I heard the Church of Ascension has apparently made a move. They say they want to take Lord Julian’s head."

Ariel had used everything he had, and this time, he realized he had spoken a sentence that would bring about an event he had never imagined would happen.

Both Ilunia and Kina froze when they heard the new news, and afterward their expressions turned ugly.