Chapter 322 - Meeting With The Devotees Of Light

# After Kathedal Began

The villain meeting proceeded peacefully as it always had. Actually, when you think about it, it's a rather strange sight. All the world's top S-class villains gathered in one place, yet they don't fight or attack each other? It's quite mysterious just thinking about it.

And of course, there were reasons for this.

First, the villains gathered here weren't just ordinary S-class villains but bosses of villain organizations with subordinates under their command. In other words, they were somewhat socialized.

Second, and the main reason...

"..."

Right there, sitting with a mysterious aura as if she could see everything even with her eyes closed, was the silver-haired woman.

She was Celeste, considered the strongest among all villains.

Testeus, who built an underground kingdom across the American continent and aimed to collapse the Earth. Atlas, who ruled all sea creatures and governed the entire North Atlantic. These two were always counted among the top three strongest villains... And it was said that even if these two attacked together, they couldn't defeat Celeste.

She was a figure who had written a new legend in villain history and was currently considered stronger than anyone else.

"...Ahem."

And throughout the meeting, she had been staring blatantly in my direction.

Continuously, openly.

"..."

Her gaze was so obvious that other villains were nervously glancing around.

"...Egostic, is this okay?"

Her stare was so intense that Katana, sitting next to me, tugged lightly at my clothes and whispered with cold sweat.

And to her, I simply replied:

"...Don't worry. It's nothing."

I gave her a calm smile to reassure her.

...In truth, I was scared too, but showing it would be amateur behavior. I remained calm, as if I was used to it. Whenever my eyes met with Celeste's staring gaze, I didn't forget to flash a smile. Though there was no reaction from her.

Anyway, the meeting finally ended in that uneasy atmosphere.

"...And, Egostic. Would you stay behind for a chat with me?"

Finally. Those words came from Celeste as she stood up.

When Celeste said this, the other villains glanced between us, curious about her unusual behavior today. Only my companions looked at me with worried faces.

"Don't worry, go ahead without me."

At my urging, they all left, though reluctantly. ...After all, if Celeste made up her mind, no one could stop her anyway.

And so, with all the villains gone.

Finally, just the two of us remained in the Kathedal cathedral.

Inside the white cathedral with its grayish tint.

In front of the room with the round table, illuminated by colorful stained glass.

As I stood waiting with a smile, slightly leaning against a chair.

She opened her mouth coldly.

"...Egostic. What exactly do you want?"

With a chilling aura, she asked me in a sharp voice she had never shown before.

I smiled at her as if nothing was wrong and answered.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You don't know?"

She replied as if dumbfounded.

Then Celeste coldly stated:

"I'm asking why you harmed Infless. Don't pretend you don't know. Not after going all that way deliberately."

She was being very direct.

Yes. That was her reason for calling me. Why had I harmed the wish-granter, the Creation of the Sun God? As a devotee of the Sun God, it must have been unforgivable to her. ...More than that, she was clearly always attentive to Sun God matters.

While I was thinking this, Celeste, still with her eyes closed, gently touched the top of the ornate chair's backrest and spoke.

"Infless. He was a loyal messenger of our god, safely preserving his power in East Carceris. That place was originally a fortress for him."

"Yet you, Egostic, deliberately invaded and killed him in a horrific manner. As if you had a grudge."

"So, Egostic. I ask you here and now."

"Are you my enemy?"

And with those words.

For the first time, her eyes opened.

And so.

"..."

I found myself facing her burning golden eyes, which few in this world had likely seen.

Simultaneously, I felt an intense killing intent and fear of death. The meeting hall froze.

...The atmosphere of terror was similar to before, but the pressure was much more intense now. It was truly a situation where one wrong answer could mean death. Considering the power difference between Celeste and me, I could die from just one of her fingers.

In a situation where a guilty person would run away crying, and even someone with considerable courage would tremble while speaking.

I, as if not feeling any of that pressure at all.

Naturally moved my body, nodded my shoulder, and answered with a smirk.

"How could that be possible?"

After saying that, I approached her, still grinning. As if completely relaxed, as if not nervous at all, I walked casually with a smile.

"Rather, as I told you before, I would consider myself your comrade if anything."

"Hmm. I see. So as my comrade, you killed the messenger of the Sun God?"

As if telling me not to talk nonsense, she stared directly at me with her golden burning eyes.

I met her mysterious eyes directly.

And calmly opened my mouth again.

"...That too was the will of the god."

"Are you saying that you understand the god's thoughts better than I do?"

...Now, as if her patience had run out, she spoke even more coldly.

No, literally, the round table was freezing. It was actually getting cold. Either she was deliberately creating an atmosphere of fear... or she was so angry that she couldn't control her power. The problem was that the latter seemed more likely...

In this critical situation where my life seemed about to end.

Clap.

I lightly clapped my hands to change the atmosphere and spoke.

"Celeste. Let's do this."

"Do what?"

"Let's bet on who has stronger faith."

As she frowned at my seemingly absurd suggestion, I grinned and continued.

"Until the next Kathedal. I'll prove that I am closer to the god than you are. If I fail, well, you can kill me or torture me as you wish. I'm confident. If you're not, well. You can kill me right here."

I said this with my arms wide open.

She stared at me with her beautiful golden eyes, her thoughts unreadable.

Damn it. Kill me. If you want to kill me, try it.

...Actually, I did have an emergency plan to escape immediately if she really tried. You always need to prepare for unexpected situations.

But.

Knowing her personality, I was confident.

That she wouldn't do that to me right now.

And so.

After a moment of silence.

She finally spoke quietly in a cold voice.

"...Fine. Let's do that."

"But on the condition that if I'm not convinced, you'll spill everything you know."

"Yes. Understood."

I nodded quickly in response to her additional condition.

This boldness—smiling without fear even when the #1 ranked villain wants to tear me apart—makes me appear as if I have something more, as if I have secrets. Because no matter how strong Celeste is, she can't read minds.

"Well, I'm busy, so I'll be going now."

I decided to make a quick exit before she changed her mind. Busy, so busy.

And so.

"..."

Celeste quietly watched as I walked away confidently.

Good. Mother, I survived another day.

Hooray.

***

After Egostic left.

In the empty round table conference room of Kathedal.

Celeste, who had been standing still for a moment, opened her mouth without taking her eyes off the corridor where Egostic had gone and quietly said:

"Arthur. Are you there?"

"Yes, Lady Celeste."

As she finished speaking, a man in knight's armor quietly emerged from behind a curtain.

Without meeting his eyes, she calmly asked:

"...So. What did you think after seeing him today? Does Egostic still seem dangerous?"

To her question.

After a moment of silence, Arthur spoke again.

"...Yes, Lady Celeste. He still feels more dangerous than anyone I've ever seen."

"Sigh... I understand, you may go now."

As Celeste said this, he disappeared back behind the curtain like a shadow.

Alone again at the empty round table, she quietly looked at her silver hair reflected in the stained glass and muttered:

"...I need to investigate more."

Egostic.

A person who acts as if he knows the future, who thwarted the plans of those who follow the Moon God, and who has an abnormal obsession with a certain hero.

Yet he's friendly with Atlas, the second strongest after her, and directly eliminated a creation of the god.

In other words.

A strange person who knows as much about the gods as she does.

'...I should go find her.'

Celeste thought quietly as she left the round table.

She let him go today. Not knowing what he might do, what tricks he might be hiding behind that confident attitude... And after his words about showing something before being killed.

However.

She quietly thought that it was time to prepare to confront him properly...

After all, crushing those who were less than insects was something she was accustomed to.