Chapter 532 (2): Can’t Hurt to Try. What If It Works?

Lando Estate, Londan.

Wayne stood at the window in the study, looking out over the lawn and the grove and nodding in contentment. This was it. This was how the Lando Estate should be. The inner world was only a nightmare.

Though the negativity had no sway over him, he couldn’t help feeling negative emotions whenever he talked about the inner world. He had to look at the beautiful things in the world to recover. Moreover, he needed a trash can for his negative emotions.

The door opened. Auston came in with his butler and secretary, Megan, in tow. Seeing Wayne with his hands behind his back, Auston’s expression immediately shifted, his eyes brimming with displeasure.

Because they were fellow trash cans, they could not tolerate each other.

“Here you are, Saint Auston.” Wayne provoked Auston immediately. Taking the seat of the head of the family, he huffed in satisfaction and looked up at Auston’s dark face. He pointed at the sofa across from him and said, “Make yourself at home. Sit, and let’s have an earnest conversation.”

He turned to Megan. “Second Mother, pour Mr. Auston some black tea.”

Megan nodded and walked out of the study.

As Auston’s butler and the Darkness Knight’s mount, she should have taken Auston’s side rather than helping Wayne rile Auston up, but she couldn’t say no after being called Second Mother. The young master had had it hard. Let the master be the punching bag today.

Auston refused to take the guest seat, but he didn’t kick Wayne out. Instead, he went up to the window, fiddling with his silver coin. “Speak. What happened this time? Have you become god?”

“Nah, it’s not that easy to become god.” Wayne shrugged. “It hasn’t been long since I started learning magic. It’s been barely two and a half years.”

That’s more like it!

Auston’s face brightened somewhat. He wanted his heir to do well, but not too well, or it would feel worse than death.

“Although I haven’t become a god, I am as powerful as one,” Wayne said coolly.

Instead of responding, Auston started humming an unknown tune to escape reality, getting lost in the palace of art.

“Also, I got married some time ago.”

“What?!” Auston stalked up to Wayne with widened, furious eyes. “Your fiancée is Veronica. How could you marry another woman? Who is it? I’m going to kill her.”

“You can’t win.”

“So what? I’m killing her even if I’ll die for it. I’m not going to recognize the marriage.” Auston drew Twilight Despair to show his determination.

“I don’t think that’d be appropriate since She’s your superior.” Wayne’s eyes lit up. As expected of Saint Auston, he could always bet on the man to provide him with entertainment.

“What?!” Auston’s face crumbled, and his voice shook. “Have you... married the Queen?”

Speaking of a female superior, the loyal official of the Tulip Families immediately thought of Queen Sophelia.

“No, you must not. You must not marry her.” His head rang. He had been Sophelia’s boyfriend. Although they had been a little more reserved because she was a princess and he was her subordinate, never going all the way, they had done everything else. In fact, they had toed the line of the final base recklessly.

Thinking of Wayne and Auston’s ex-girlfriend...

He shuddered, but then realized that it couldn’t be the Queen. Trash Jr. had purposely misled him.

As expected, Wayne made a face and said, “What are you thinking? You truly are an old noble of Londan, your mind never far from the gutter. No one knows depravity better than you do.”

“Then who is it? I have no other superior save for the Queen.” Auston continued to grip Twilight Despair tightly even after he calmed down. He demanded an explanation from Wayne.

“How loyal of you!” Wayne gave him a thumbs-up. “What a Darkness Knight you are. Saying you have no superior other than the Queen while holding Twilight Despair? I wonder what Ines would think if She heard.”

Auston’s heart jumped. He was smart enough to put two and two together.

After a moment of silence, he sat down on the sofa across from Wayne, breathing erratically. His hand was shaking while he fiddled with his silver coin.

“Oh, why did you put Twilight Despair away?”

“...”

Wayne pressed, “Haven’t you noticed that Twilight Despair has been much more docile lately? That it no longer makes you uncomfortable randomly?”

Auston didn’t answer. He stared at Wayne, still questioning his marriage to the Goddess of Darkness.

The trash cans understood each other. Wayne could tell what Auston was thinking from that look alone. He nodded and said, “That’s how it is. The Goddess of Darkness is named Ines, and some time ago, She and I got married.”

“What about Veronica?”

“We can still get married...” Wayne lowered his voice. “Ines and I were registered in the Divine Realm of Darkness. It’s not Windsor, or the Chosen Land for that matter. Veronica and I can still get married in Londan.”

What a genius you are!

Auston glared at Wayne coldly, dissatisfied with the explanation. With a sigh, he said, “Tell me how it happened. Someone who usually tries to maintain balance like you wouldn’t have hurt Veronica like that. So, what happened? What made you... and the Goddess of Darkness choose marriage?”

“Love.”

“I’m walking out if you won’t tell me.”

“Why won’t you believe that? If you’re going to deny even love, is there anything wonderful in the world that you believe in?” Wayne grumbled to himself. He retrieved a newly drafted Sacred Tome from his personal storage and tossed it to Auston. “The reason can be found in this novel. Read it yourself.”

Auston scowled hard. He refused to open the Sacred Tome of Silvia’s Happy Hour.

“Just read the last chapter, the Revelation. I must make it clear first, though. While the chapter is my idea, the coincidences are only coincidences. Elohim, the Heavenly Father, is the mastermind. I have nothing to do with Him. I truly didn’t know about his plan, and I’m not Elohim.”

Confused, Auston quickly browsed through the Revelation with a frown. “You mean that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are real, and the Goddess of Darkness enters a marriage of convenience with you because She fears death?”

“There are many ways to form an alliance, such as paying tribute. Marriage of convenience is only one of them. She got married to me because She likes me.” Wayne had to make that clear.

Without corruption, it was next to impossible to make a goddess fall in love. Among all the goddesses, the only one who might develop a genuine relationship with Wayne was Kaleb. The fire elements would play an important role in matchmaking.

Ines should’ve never fallen in love. She had started out wanting to turn Wayne into Her subordinate god. Then She pursued a mutually beneficial alliance instead. Her strategy kept adapting until She realized that She could never really control him, and She might end up getting bitten in the rear instead. An alliance wasn’t reliable enough. That was why She pivoted to leveraging feelings.

Analyzing Wayne’s way of doing things, Ines compiled many of his shortcomings and identified ‘sentimentality’ as one of his few good traits. By establishing a reciprocal relationship, She wouldn’t have to worry about him walking all over Her after getting stronger.

With all the stress She was under, Ines tried to make Herself fall for Wayne, and in the process, She developed genuine feelings. Putting aside his shortcomings, Wayne was a good man, especially because of his evolution. That beautiful strength was his best trait.

Wayne tried to explain everything to Auston, but had to stop after a couple of sentences when Auston began to retort sarcastically. It was impossible to wake someone pretending to be asleep!

Some man assumed that just because he couldn’t win over the goddess, others couldn’t do it, either. Even when someone had won over the goddess, it couldn’t be love, but something much more complicated.

Learning that Wayne had had no choice but to get married to Ines, Auston appeared to be in a much better mood. He never truly worshiped the Goddess of Darkness, and he wasn’t going to feel superior to Her just because he was Wayne’s father. He wouldn't foolishly believe that he could do whatever he wanted at the Church of Darkness.

None of that was what he wanted. Instead, he warned Wayne as a parental figure, “Treat Veronica well. Don’t disappoint her.”

Wayne nodded meekly. Before he could say anything, Auston continued, “If you disappoint Veronica, both Silvia and I will be disappointed. You respect your mother too much to disappoint her, right?”

“Don’t worry. To guarantee her elevated status, I’ve invaded the Divine Realm of Nature and kicked the Goddess of Nature out. From now on, Master will be the God of Nature’s mother.”

What? Auston froze, his mind blank. The words didn’t make sense to him. If Wayne meant it literally...

It can’t be. Please repeat that if you don’t mind.

Auston pressed a hand to his thumping heart, taking a pack of cigarettes off the tea table with shaky hands. Lighting one cigarette, he inhaled deeply.

Darkness was only the beginning. This was the real assault. He had fallen for it in a moment of carelessness!

Wayne’s glorious feat made Auston antsy. After finishing the cigarette, he said, “I know you don’t like the Church of Nature, but... the Her power is crucial when the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse descend. Why would you antagonize Her? You’re so good at fooling women that you even won over Darkness. Nature shouldn’t be a challenge to you.”

“I should've let Veronica hear this,” Wayne grumbled, then he explained in a low voice, “Nature is named Elian. She’s the Horseman of Death among the Four Horsemen, impossible to win over... To lower Her influence, I conquered the Divine Realm of Nature and defined Her as the evil thoughts of the God of Nature... I’m now the God of Nature... In a few days, the church will move to Londan...”

Auston’s brows drew close. “So, you sought me out for advice? I’m not powerful enough to fight the Four Horsemen, but my brain has value.”

Wayne didn’t say anything, waiting for Auston to make a fool of himself.

“Based on your deduction, Elohim, the Heavenly Father, and Elian, the Goddess of Nature, are among the Four Horsemen. They are the strongest gods. The Goddess of Darkness and you alone cannot fight them.”

Auston stared at Wayne. “There’s no time to hesitate. Secure the power of the Goddesses of Death, Sun, and Moonlight as soon as possible. It’s not too late as long as the Final Judgment has not arrived.”

“Are you done?”

“Yeah.”

“I knew you would think the same.” Wayne nodded, swinging his arm for dramatic emphasis. “It’s too late for you to say that, though. I’ve already secured the power of Death, Sun, and Moonlight. I made them submit to me and even took over their Divine Realms.”

His hand balled into a fist.

“Heaven and Hell, too. I’ve taken all faiths in the Chosen Land. While I’m not a god, I’ve taken control of all the gods!”

“...”

“Say something, Saint Auston!”

The hell am I going to say?!

Auston clutched his chest with a distorted face, biting out, “You’ve done all the preparation, then why did you seek me out? For entertainment?”

“Yeah.”

“...”

“That’s it. That’s the expression. I was so stressed that I needed your help to relax.” Wayne gave him a thumbs-up, looking rejuvenated. “I knew you could calm me down immediately.”

And my heartbeat is turning into a calm, flat line!

Auston’s eyes turned red with rage. He slammed his silver coin at the carpet and rose to leave, but he stopped himself and sat back down, frowning. “I have a question I need you to answer honestly.”

“Go on.”

“You...” Auston said in a grave tone, “Are you one of the Four Horsemen, the Horseman of Pestilence? Or to put it bluntly, are you Elohim, who’s slowly waking up from His slumber?”

“Definitely not.” Wayne shook his head decisively. Although there had been many coincidences, like the Heavenly Father and the Anointed One, the Lord of Greed and the Book of Greed, and the Horseman of Pestilence and the Pale Knight, Wayne was certain that he had nothing to do with Elohim.

The reason was simple: the Book of Greed was too strong!

Elohim wasn’t worthy!