Chapter 699 - 699 STABBED IN THE BACK
699 STABBED IN THE BACK
[SHOULD I just kill them all?]
Trevor didn’t forget that the baby saint told them to comply with the enemies, but he didn’t like the aura the boy with rose-gold hair was emitting.
[He must be the fake saint the crows created. If I get rid of him now–]
“I’ll give you a prophecy, Mr. Sorcerer,” the boy with rose-gold hair and clear blue eyes said. “If you kill me tonight, the bad karma that Princess Neoma will receive will be too heavy for her to bear.”
Trevor didn’t have to look at the mirror to know that his eyes were glowing menacingly now. He didn’t like what the boy said, after all. “Why would my Moon Princess receive bad karma if I’m the one killing you?”
“Because you intend to kill me for Her Royal Highness’ sake,” the fake saint said, smiling. “Whether you accept it or not, I’m also a saint like Prince Skylus. A saint serving the Moon God, to be precise. Princess Neoma is the descendant of Lord Yule. Hence, killing a representative of the Moon God like me would give Princess Neoma bad karma. After all, it’s forbidden for the de Moonasterios to kill a representative of the Moon God.”
Ah, was that the reason why Emperor Nikolai didn’t touch his appa– the former Saint Dominic Zavaroni– no matter how many times the former saint acted rudely towards the former emperor?
“The boy is telling the truth, young sorcerer,” Manu said hesitantly. “The boy has the same amount of divine power as Prince Skylus has. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that both of them are ‘half-saints’ at the moment.”
Trevor turned to Manu with a frown. “Are you recognizing that fake as a real saint now?”
.....
He couldn’t confirm the truth using the Bookworm’s knowledge. After all, his ability to gather information never worked on powerful people.
Regina and Dilan Crowell weren’t superior to Trevor, but the two were protected by a god.
[It’s probably Helstor’s protection. The gods are wary of the Bookworm because they didn’t want their weaknesses exposed. Hence, they managed to create a spell that prevents the Bookworm from absorbing information around them.]
Helstor probably shared that protection with the crows.
Anyway, Trevor got the answer he needed while observing the Moon Priest’s expression.
Manu didn’t respond verbally, but his shaking pupils said everything.
Tsk.
No wonder Regina and Dilan Crowell both looked confident.
[It seems like the crows were more prepared than we thought.]
How annoying.
“It’s okay, Brother Trevor,” Skylus said in a calming voice. “Neoma noona said she’s going to make me a real saint. I trust noona.”
Hearing that from the baby saint calmed him down.
[The baby is right. There’s no point in getting mad since Princess Neoma will surely do something to make everything fine again.]
Of course, there was another reason why he forced himself to calm down.
Regina Crowell scoffed after looking at Trevor’s now calm face. “Boring. It would have been fun if you lost your cool and attacked us.”
“Too bad I’m not dumb, huh?”
The wench just raised an eyebrow at him.
“You managed to hide your presence from us, and you could have dealt us serious damage earlier using your meteors. But you didn’t,” Trevor said, smirking. “You’re scared of accidentally harming Skylus Griffiths, aren’t you?”
The sudden sharp look on the crows’ faces was enough for an answer.
“Of course, Skylus Griffith is also a half-saint like that boy over there,” Trevor said, scoffing. “We don’t know whose sperm or egg cell you stole from, but Calyx is also a de Moonasterio. Hence, if you kill the baby saint for the sake of your fake prince, then he will also receive bad karma.”
Now he finally understood why the crows never attempted to kill Skylus.
Calyx did try to abduct the baby saint, but he didn’t harm the young princess even though he could.
“Heh.” Trevor said, smirking. “Thanks for sharing vital information with us, crows.”
“Brother, just because you know that we can’t kill each other’s half-saint for the sake of the de Moonasterios we serve doesn’t change anything,” Dilan Crowell said arrogantly. “We still have the upper hand.”
“For now, yes,” Trevor said, shrugging. “So, enjoy it while it lasts.”
“I didn’t expect you to easily accept your defeat tonight,” Regina Crowell said mockingly. “Your Princess Neoma might be disappointed in you if she found out how easily you surrendered.”
“This is why you shouldn’t open your mouth when you know nothing,” Trevor said calmly. “Princess Neoma’s creed is…”
“No mission is worth dying for.”
Trevor, Tteokbokki, Skylus, and Manu said at the same time.
“What a wonderful creed,” the fake saint with rose-gold hair and clear blue eyes said while clapping his hands. “Now I can’t wait to meet Princess Neoma. Shall we go?”
“Uncle Dion and the rest of the Holy Knights who have turned into little children,” Skylus said in a calm yet firm manner. The baby saint would often talk in a voice that suited his age. However, this time, he sounded like a man trapped inside a child’s body. “I assume you kept them alive because you need them to confirm our position as half-saints.”
[Yes, Skylus really sounds like a young man now.]
Trevor wasn’t fazed, though.
[Saints like Skylus already lived an adult life back in the Moon God’s home. But a saint has to be born human. Hence, a saint is sent to the human world as a baby. Moreover, they retain a good portion of their past life’s memories.]
“I’ll take them to the banquet safely,” Dilan Crowell said. “The current High Priest and the Holy Knights will go with me using a different portal.”
“You’re going to bring the Holy Knights, too?” Skylus asked while looking at the Holy Knights who had turned into little children. “In that state?”
Regina Crowell smiled. “We can’t greet Princess Neoma empty-handed, can we?”
“Ah, so you’re going to blackmail Princess Neoma using the Holy Knights,” Trevor said, nodding. “Fine, do your worst. My Moon Princess is good at paying back what she receives anyway.”
***
[HE’S a saint… but also not…]
Skylus couldn’t help but stare at the other half-saint.
The two of them were being carried by Uncle Manu in his arms. Hence, it was inevitable that they ended up facing each other.
“My name is Dustin, Prince Skylus.”
Skylus smiled at the other saint. “Hi, Brother Dustin. You don’t have to address me by my title. You can just call me by my name.”
“I can’t do that,” Brother Dustin said, smiling at him. “‘Prince’ is the only title you’ll ever receive in your life, so I must address Your Highness properly.”
Of course, he didn’t miss the other saint’s sarcasm.
[Brother Dustin is practically telling me that I will never be addressed as the new saint in this life.]
Skylus just smiled in response.
“I see, you’re kind like the former Saint Zavaroni,” Brother Dustin said, obviously disappointed. “You were probably chosen as the new saint because of your patience.”
“Do you wish to provoke me, Brother Dustin?”
“Don’t you feel annoyed by my existence as the other saint?”
“You may not believe me, but I’m not threatened by your existence,” Skylus said calmly. “I was born the saint, and I will become the saint.”
Dustin chuckled while shaking his head. “Are you confident because you think lightly of a ‘creation’ like me?”
“No. Even a half-saint like you could lead the temple, Brother Dustin,” he said kindly. “However, you made a mistake.”
“What mistake?”
“You chose the wrong de Moonasterio to be friends with,” Skylus said, smiling innocently. “I am confident of my position as the new saint not just because I was born as one– but also because I chose Neoma noona as my empress.”
Dustin looked surprised at first, but then he laughed. “Didn’t Princess Neoma teach you not to count your chickens before they hatch?”
That was a warning that he shouldn’t depend on an assumption until he was certain it would happen.
It was a piece of sound advice, however…
Uncle Manu cleared his throat. “Children, don’t fight.”
“We’re not fighting, Uncle Manu,” Skylus said while shaking his head. “Brother Dustin, Neoma noona is the one who decides which egg gets to hatch or not. If she said she’d give me ten chickens, then I’ll receive ten chickens.”
“Child, you also need to learn how to count yourself.”
“I am learning, Brother Dustin. And that’s exactly why I decided to be friends with you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m already doing my job as the new saint,” Skylus said, his eyes glowing with divine power. “And I’m going to start with you, Brother Dustin.”
[Because I can hear your inner voice.]
Dustin didn’t say anything back, but his pupils shook a bit as if he was surprised.
Skylus smiled warmly.
[I’ll save you.]
***
.....
TREVOR didn’t want to, but he could hear Skylus’ conversation with the half-saint who introduced himself as ‘Dustin.’
Haaah.
[Princess Neoma, it seems like Skylus shared your quirk for picking up charity cases.]
“You’re the one who’s been stalking me recently, aren’t you?”
Trevor turned to Regina Crowell with a bored look on his face. “And what about it?”
It wasn’t like he was keeping it a secret.
Of course, he would hide himself because he didn’t like mingling with insignificant people. However, he didn’t bother erasing his traces. After all, he wanted Regina Crowell to know that she was being watched.
“What do you need from me?” Regina Crowell asked, frowning. “Why are you following me?”
Trevor smirked at the wench. “I’m not telling you,” he said playfully. “I want to live in your mind rent-free for some psychological damage1.”
Regina Crowell glared at him. “Bastard.”
“Bitch,” Trevor cursed back, obviously shocking the female crow. “What? You should expect to be cursed back after you cursed someone. Do I look like a gentleman to you?”
***
[ARGH.]
Neoma clutched her head after she saw and heard everything that Tteokbokki experienced earlier.
Yes, her Soul Beast shared it with her.
It was one of the techniques that she learned from Papa Boss.
[My Papa Boss can use his Soul Beasts as his eyes and ears. Tteokbokki and I can do that, too. But not when we’re far from each other. Even so, Tteokbokki can share the things that he had seen and heard.]
And that was what Tteokbokki did as soon as their eyes met earlier.
Thanks to that, she now had a gist of what happened.
[Yep, I’ve really been had.]
“Are you alright, Princess Neoma?” Calyx said, obviously faking his concern. “Should you retire for tonight?”
“What do you want?” Neoma asked. First things first, after all. “What do you want in exchange for returning the Holy Knights back to normal, and removing whatever spell you put on Dion Skelton and Hendrik Benedict?”
She didn’t have time to be annoyed since it was time for negotiations.
Admittedly, she didn’t feel that attached to the Holy Knights for her to accept defeat. The main reason she decided to negotiate with the crows was Dion Skelton.
[I was the one who made Dion the High Priest– he’s my person, and my responsibility.]
Moreover, if something bad happened to Dion Skelton, Paige would be heartbroken.
[I’ll take the L for now.]
FOR. NOW.
“You’re going to use Skylus Griffiths to prove that you’re the First Star, aren’t you?” Calyx said. Although the psycho crow was smiling, the gleam in his eyes was serious. “Because you want to prove that I’m not Emperor Nikolai’s son.”
“You’re not my father’s son.”
“That’s what you think, and your opinion doesn’t matter,” Calyx said, shrugging. “You must give up your ambition of becoming the First Star, Princess Neoma.”
It seemed like she didn’t have any other choice but to comply for now.
She was curious about one thing, though.
“Why did you let Skylus arrive here?” Neoma asked suspiciously. “You could have easily threatened him not to show up.”
Calyx offered his hand to her. “Come and find out, Princess Neoma.”
Lewis tried to get in between them, but she stopped her “son.”
“It’s alright, Lewis,” Neoma said, grabbing Calyx’s hand. It was disgusting, but she had no choice but to endure. “We might have lost this battle, but we’re still going to win the war in the end.”
***
NEOMA already expected that everyone in the hall would be in a state of confusion.
She didn’t care about the other nobles.
As soon as she got inside, while being escorted by Calyx, she immediately scanned the entire place to look for her people.
Nero and Hanna were with Duke and Duchess Quinzel.
Ruto and Jasper oppa (and was that Aspen?) were together for some reason.
Aunt Brigitte and Uncle Glenn were looking up at Tteokbokki because Skylus was there, in Manu’s arms.
Of course, Dahlia and her “children” were also there.
[I have to apologize to everyone for losing tonight’s battle.]
“Everyone, please calm down,” Calyx said in a loud and friendly voice. Thanks to that, all eyes were on them now. “I know you are all curious, but I’m sure your questions will be answered after hearing the prophecy.” The psycho bastard turned to Neoma with an arrogant smirk on his face. “A prophecy from Lord Yule himself about having two saint candidates for this generation.”
Neoma, despite her will to stay calm, was caught off-guard.
The Moon God was already awake?!
[And Lord Yule gave a prophecy to the crows?]
Neoma, needless to say, felt completely betrayed.
***
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[SHOULD I just kill them all?]
Trevor didn’t forget that the baby saint told them to comply with the enemies, but he didn’t like the aura the boy with rose-gold hair was emitting.
[He must be the fake saint the crows created. If I get rid of him now–]
“I’ll give you a prophecy, Mr. Sorcerer,” the boy with rose-gold hair and clear blue eyes said. “If you kill me tonight, the bad karma that Princess Neoma will receive will be too heavy for her to bear.”
Trevor didn’t have to look at the mirror to know that his eyes were glowing menacingly now. He didn’t like what the boy said, after all. “Why would my Moon Princess receive bad karma if I’m the one killing you?”
“Because you intend to kill me for Her Royal Highness’ sake,” the fake saint said, smiling. “Whether you accept it or not, I’m also a saint like Prince Skylus. A saint serving the Moon God, to be precise. Princess Neoma is the descendant of Lord Yule. Hence, killing a representative of the Moon God like me would give Princess Neoma bad karma. After all, it’s forbidden for the de Moonasterios to kill a representative of the Moon God.”
Ah, was that the reason why Emperor Nikolai didn’t touch his appa– the former Saint Dominic Zavaroni– no matter how many times the former saint acted rudely towards the former emperor?
“The boy is telling the truth, young sorcerer,” Manu said hesitantly. “The boy has the same amount of divine power as Prince Skylus has. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that both of them are ‘half-saints’ at the moment.”
Trevor turned to Manu with a frown. “Are you recognizing that fake as a real saint now?”
.....
He couldn’t confirm the truth using the Bookworm’s knowledge. After all, his ability to gather information never worked on powerful people.
Regina and Dilan Crowell weren’t superior to Trevor, but the two were protected by a god.
[It’s probably Helstor’s protection. The gods are wary of the Bookworm because they didn’t want their weaknesses exposed. Hence, they managed to create a spell that prevents the Bookworm from absorbing information around them.]
Helstor probably shared that protection with the crows.
Anyway, Trevor got the answer he needed while observing the Moon Priest’s expression.
Manu didn’t respond verbally, but his shaking pupils said everything.
Tsk.
No wonder Regina and Dilan Crowell both looked confident.
[It seems like the crows were more prepared than we thought.]
How annoying.
“It’s okay, Brother Trevor,” Skylus said in a calming voice. “Neoma noona said she’s going to make me a real saint. I trust noona.”
Hearing that from the baby saint calmed him down.
[The baby is right. There’s no point in getting mad since Princess Neoma will surely do something to make everything fine again.]
Of course, there was another reason why he forced himself to calm down.
Regina Crowell scoffed after looking at Trevor’s now calm face. “Boring. It would have been fun if you lost your cool and attacked us.”
“Too bad I’m not dumb, huh?”
The wench just raised an eyebrow at him.
“You managed to hide your presence from us, and you could have dealt us serious damage earlier using your meteors. But you didn’t,” Trevor said, smirking. “You’re scared of accidentally harming Skylus Griffiths, aren’t you?”
The sudden sharp look on the crows’ faces was enough for an answer.
“Of course, Skylus Griffith is also a half-saint like that boy over there,” Trevor said, scoffing. “We don’t know whose sperm or egg cell you stole from, but Calyx is also a de Moonasterio. Hence, if you kill the baby saint for the sake of your fake prince, then he will also receive bad karma.”
Now he finally understood why the crows never attempted to kill Skylus.
Calyx did try to abduct the baby saint, but he didn’t harm the young princess even though he could.
“Heh.” Trevor said, smirking. “Thanks for sharing vital information with us, crows.”
“Brother, just because you know that we can’t kill each other’s half-saint for the sake of the de Moonasterios we serve doesn’t change anything,” Dilan Crowell said arrogantly. “We still have the upper hand.”
“For now, yes,” Trevor said, shrugging. “So, enjoy it while it lasts.”
“I didn’t expect you to easily accept your defeat tonight,” Regina Crowell said mockingly. “Your Princess Neoma might be disappointed in you if she found out how easily you surrendered.”
“This is why you shouldn’t open your mouth when you know nothing,” Trevor said calmly. “Princess Neoma’s creed is…”
“No mission is worth dying for.”
Trevor, Tteokbokki, Skylus, and Manu said at the same time.
“What a wonderful creed,” the fake saint with rose-gold hair and clear blue eyes said while clapping his hands. “Now I can’t wait to meet Princess Neoma. Shall we go?”
“Uncle Dion and the rest of the Holy Knights who have turned into little children,” Skylus said in a calm yet firm manner. The baby saint would often talk in a voice that suited his age. However, this time, he sounded like a man trapped inside a child’s body. “I assume you kept them alive because you need them to confirm our position as half-saints.”
[Yes, Skylus really sounds like a young man now.]
Trevor wasn’t fazed, though.
[Saints like Skylus already lived an adult life back in the Moon God’s home. But a saint has to be born human. Hence, a saint is sent to the human world as a baby. Moreover, they retain a good portion of their past life’s memories.]
“I’ll take them to the banquet safely,” Dilan Crowell said. “The current High Priest and the Holy Knights will go with me using a different portal.”
“You’re going to bring the Holy Knights, too?” Skylus asked while looking at the Holy Knights who had turned into little children. “In that state?”
Regina Crowell smiled. “We can’t greet Princess Neoma empty-handed, can we?”
“Ah, so you’re going to blackmail Princess Neoma using the Holy Knights,” Trevor said, nodding. “Fine, do your worst. My Moon Princess is good at paying back what she receives anyway.”
***
[HE’S a saint… but also not…]
Skylus couldn’t help but stare at the other half-saint.
The two of them were being carried by Uncle Manu in his arms. Hence, it was inevitable that they ended up facing each other.
“My name is Dustin, Prince Skylus.”
Skylus smiled at the other saint. “Hi, Brother Dustin. You don’t have to address me by my title. You can just call me by my name.”
“I can’t do that,” Brother Dustin said, smiling at him. “‘Prince’ is the only title you’ll ever receive in your life, so I must address Your Highness properly.”
Of course, he didn’t miss the other saint’s sarcasm.
[Brother Dustin is practically telling me that I will never be addressed as the new saint in this life.]
Skylus just smiled in response.
“I see, you’re kind like the former Saint Zavaroni,” Brother Dustin said, obviously disappointed. “You were probably chosen as the new saint because of your patience.”
“Do you wish to provoke me, Brother Dustin?”
“Don’t you feel annoyed by my existence as the other saint?”
“You may not believe me, but I’m not threatened by your existence,” Skylus said calmly. “I was born the saint, and I will become the saint.”
Dustin chuckled while shaking his head. “Are you confident because you think lightly of a ‘creation’ like me?”
“No. Even a half-saint like you could lead the temple, Brother Dustin,” he said kindly. “However, you made a mistake.”
“What mistake?”
“You chose the wrong de Moonasterio to be friends with,” Skylus said, smiling innocently. “I am confident of my position as the new saint not just because I was born as one– but also because I chose Neoma noona as my empress.”
Dustin looked surprised at first, but then he laughed. “Didn’t Princess Neoma teach you not to count your chickens before they hatch?”
That was a warning that he shouldn’t depend on an assumption until he was certain it would happen.
It was a piece of sound advice, however…
Uncle Manu cleared his throat. “Children, don’t fight.”
“We’re not fighting, Uncle Manu,” Skylus said while shaking his head. “Brother Dustin, Neoma noona is the one who decides which egg gets to hatch or not. If she said she’d give me ten chickens, then I’ll receive ten chickens.”
“Child, you also need to learn how to count yourself.”
“I am learning, Brother Dustin. And that’s exactly why I decided to be friends with you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m already doing my job as the new saint,” Skylus said, his eyes glowing with divine power. “And I’m going to start with you, Brother Dustin.”
[Because I can hear your inner voice.]
Dustin didn’t say anything back, but his pupils shook a bit as if he was surprised.
Skylus smiled warmly.
[I’ll save you.]
***
.....
TREVOR didn’t want to, but he could hear Skylus’ conversation with the half-saint who introduced himself as ‘Dustin.’
Haaah.
[Princess Neoma, it seems like Skylus shared your quirk for picking up charity cases.]
“You’re the one who’s been stalking me recently, aren’t you?”
Trevor turned to Regina Crowell with a bored look on his face. “And what about it?”
It wasn’t like he was keeping it a secret.
Of course, he would hide himself because he didn’t like mingling with insignificant people. However, he didn’t bother erasing his traces. After all, he wanted Regina Crowell to know that she was being watched.
“What do you need from me?” Regina Crowell asked, frowning. “Why are you following me?”
Trevor smirked at the wench. “I’m not telling you,” he said playfully. “I want to live in your mind rent-free for some psychological damage1.”
Regina Crowell glared at him. “Bastard.”
“Bitch,” Trevor cursed back, obviously shocking the female crow. “What? You should expect to be cursed back after you cursed someone. Do I look like a gentleman to you?”
***
[ARGH.]
Neoma clutched her head after she saw and heard everything that Tteokbokki experienced earlier.
Yes, her Soul Beast shared it with her.
It was one of the techniques that she learned from Papa Boss.
[My Papa Boss can use his Soul Beasts as his eyes and ears. Tteokbokki and I can do that, too. But not when we’re far from each other. Even so, Tteokbokki can share the things that he had seen and heard.]
And that was what Tteokbokki did as soon as their eyes met earlier.
Thanks to that, she now had a gist of what happened.
[Yep, I’ve really been had.]
“Are you alright, Princess Neoma?” Calyx said, obviously faking his concern. “Should you retire for tonight?”
“What do you want?” Neoma asked. First things first, after all. “What do you want in exchange for returning the Holy Knights back to normal, and removing whatever spell you put on Dion Skelton and Hendrik Benedict?”
She didn’t have time to be annoyed since it was time for negotiations.
Admittedly, she didn’t feel that attached to the Holy Knights for her to accept defeat. The main reason she decided to negotiate with the crows was Dion Skelton.
[I was the one who made Dion the High Priest– he’s my person, and my responsibility.]
Moreover, if something bad happened to Dion Skelton, Paige would be heartbroken.
[I’ll take the L for now.]
FOR. NOW.
“You’re going to use Skylus Griffiths to prove that you’re the First Star, aren’t you?” Calyx said. Although the psycho crow was smiling, the gleam in his eyes was serious. “Because you want to prove that I’m not Emperor Nikolai’s son.”
“You’re not my father’s son.”
“That’s what you think, and your opinion doesn’t matter,” Calyx said, shrugging. “You must give up your ambition of becoming the First Star, Princess Neoma.”
It seemed like she didn’t have any other choice but to comply for now.
She was curious about one thing, though.
“Why did you let Skylus arrive here?” Neoma asked suspiciously. “You could have easily threatened him not to show up.”
Calyx offered his hand to her. “Come and find out, Princess Neoma.”
Lewis tried to get in between them, but she stopped her “son.”
“It’s alright, Lewis,” Neoma said, grabbing Calyx’s hand. It was disgusting, but she had no choice but to endure. “We might have lost this battle, but we’re still going to win the war in the end.”
***
NEOMA already expected that everyone in the hall would be in a state of confusion.
She didn’t care about the other nobles.
As soon as she got inside, while being escorted by Calyx, she immediately scanned the entire place to look for her people.
Nero and Hanna were with Duke and Duchess Quinzel.
Ruto and Jasper oppa (and was that Aspen?) were together for some reason.
Aunt Brigitte and Uncle Glenn were looking up at Tteokbokki because Skylus was there, in Manu’s arms.
Of course, Dahlia and her “children” were also there.
[I have to apologize to everyone for losing tonight’s battle.]
“Everyone, please calm down,” Calyx said in a loud and friendly voice. Thanks to that, all eyes were on them now. “I know you are all curious, but I’m sure your questions will be answered after hearing the prophecy.” The psycho bastard turned to Neoma with an arrogant smirk on his face. “A prophecy from Lord Yule himself about having two saint candidates for this generation.”
Neoma, despite her will to stay calm, was caught off-guard.
The Moon God was already awake?!
[And Lord Yule gave a prophecy to the crows?]
Neoma, needless to say, felt completely betrayed.
***
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