"... What is your real goal?"
The question was direct, cutting through any pretense of small talk.
"Pardon?"
Celis's voice remained gentle and unsettled despite the sudden question.
"Art thou the type of woman who wisheth to keep my Savior solely to herself?"
"That's not what I inquired."
Aurelia stopped walking, turning to face the Saintess fully.
Her golden eyes were serious, though not hostile.
"I'm not naive enough to believe I can keep Lord Nero to myself forever. His ability to summon powerful individuals, to grow at such an incredible rate, to even bring back the supposedly dead like myself... Lord Nero is destined for something greater than any of us can fully comprehend."
She crossed her arms.
"I know more women will come. I have accepted that reality. So your confession about wanting to be his woman isn't what concerns me."
"Then what dost concern thee?"
"Your real purpose."
Aurelia's gaze sharpened.
"Celis… What are you actually after?"
The point was clear.
The angel was basically saying: "Don't dodge the question".
"..."
The gentle smile faltered for the first time since they'd left Nero behind.
Celis studied Aurelia's expression carefully, as if weighing how much truth to reveal.
Finally, she sighed softly.
"... Thou art more perceptive than I gave thee credit for, First Star Valkyrie."
"Aurelia is fine."
"Very well... Aurelia."
Celis's expression grew more serious, though her gentle demeanor remained.
"In truth, mine confession was not merely born of attraction, though I do harbor genuine affection for my Savior. 'Tis also... a necessity."
"A necessity?"
"I have an important mission. One that may very well determine the fate of this world and all who dwell within it."
Her voice dropped to something softer, almost vulnerable.
"And in order to accomplish this mission, I must remain close to my Savior. I must earn his trust, his affection, his... cooperation."
"Why?"
"Because the mission requireth it. Because mine very nature demandeth it. Because..."
She trailed off, searching for words.
"Because 'tis a selfish request on mine part, yet one I cannot abandon."
"..."
Aurelia's expression didn't change, but she waited patiently for Celis to continue.
"Mine constitution is... special," Celis said carefully.
"Different from most beings, mortal or divine. 'Tis both a blessing and a curse, one that hath defined mine existence for longer than I care to remember."
She looked down at her hands again, studying them with an expression that might have been sorrow.
"Mine body is cursed, Aurelia. Cursed in a way that makes me unable to die, no matter what fate befalls me. No matter how much I might wish for release."
"..."
Even Aurelia, with all her eons of experience, couldn't hide her shock at that revelation.
Immortality through curse rather than blessing was something altogether different from normal longevity.
"Thou now understandst why I must be cautious about revealing such matters."
Celis's gentle smile returned, though it carried a note of sadness now.
"But rest assured, I mean no harm to either thee or my Savior. Mine goals may be complex, but they align with thy own in the ways that matter most."
The somber atmosphere that had settled over them suddenly lifted as Celis's expression brightened deliberately.
"I cannot reveal more at this time. There art matters that must unfold naturally, truths that must be discovered rather than spoken. But I can promise thee this..."
She met Aurelia's gaze directly.
"I am thy ally. Truly and completely. Whatever suspicions thou mayest harbor, know that I would never betray the trust my Savior hath placed in me."
"..."
Before Aurelia could respond, a familiar voice cut through the air.
"Aurelia!"
Both women turned to see Yui waving enthusiastically from the festival grounds, her cheerful energy a stark contrast to their serious conversation.
Aurelia looked at the waving girl, then back at Celis.
Without another word, she began walking toward the celebration.
But just before she moved out of earshot, she spoke without turning around.
"... I'll take you up on your words. Do not lose Lord Nero's trust."
The warning was clear, though not unkind.
"... Yes."
Celis's response was soft, spoken to Aurelia's retreating back.
She stood there for a moment longer, watching the First Star Valkyrie rejoin the festivities with a grace that spoke of eons of practice.
"..."
Then her gentle smile widened just slightly, but this time a lot more genuine.
***
Meanwhile, in a more isolated section of the settlement, Nero had found a quiet corner away from the celebration's noise.
"..."
His mind was still reeling from Celis's shocking confession.
'She wants to be my woman? Just like that? No buildup, no gradual development, just straight to the point?'
As much as his degenerate side wanted to immediately say yes to having a literal mommy goddess join his growing harem, his more rational side knew it was too early for that.
There were too many unknowns, too many mysteries surrounding the gentle Saintess.
'Let's check her stats again.'
He pulled up the interface, studying the information more carefully this time.
===
Summon: Celis Verillia – "Sanctified of the Immortal Daylight" (SSR)
Race: Demi-Human (Immortem)
Class: Saintess
Type: Diviner/Healer/Support
Affection Gauge: 28%
STR: ✦
DEX: ✦✦
INT: ✦✦✦✦✦
VIT: ✦
CHA: ✦✦✦✦
– Notable Skills –
[All High Heal (Grandmaster)]
[Purging Descension (Master)]
[Song of Resurrection (Advanced)]
===
'Aria, what the hell is an Immortem?'
The question had been bothering him since he'd first seen the designation.
[Hmmm… Master noticed the unique racial classification…]
Aria's curious voice chimed in immediately.
[Based on Aria's intuition, Immortems are one of the connecting pieces to Celis's mystery, but based on Aria's knowledge, they're dark practitioners seeking true immortality through forbidden methods!]
'Dark practitioners? Like evil cultists or something?'
[Not necessarily evil, Master, but definitely practitioners of forbidden arts!]
Aria explained carefully.
[Throughout history, many have sought true immortality—the kind that transcends even the limitations of Gods. But none have been successful so far! Most attempts only resulted in becoming undead liches, or perhaps developing unique abilities that allow reincarnation, or maybe even transferring their souls to another vessel through body-snatching techniques!]
'So they're all failures?'
[Exactly! None of these methods grant true soul immortality, Master! Even souls deteriorate through time when subjected to such unnatural processes. The soul becomes corrupted, fragmented, or eventually fades entirely!]
Her tone grew more serious.
[That's why the term "Immortem" typically refers to these failed practitioners—beings who achieved pseudo-immortality at best, but are slowly degrading. They're not truly immortal in the absolute sense!]
'Wait, but if they're all failures, then what does that make Celis?'
Nero's analytical mind immediately caught the implication.
[... That's exactly what makes this so terrifying, Master.]
Aria's voice dropped to something almost fearful.
[The fact that Celis is classified as an Immortem... it might mean she's achieved what countless dark practitioners have failed to accomplish. She might be a full Immortem, not just a pseudo one. A being with true soul immortality that doesn't deteriorate, doesn't corrupt, doesn't fade!]
'Holy shit.'
[The implications run deeper than what either Aria or Master initially thought! If Celis truly achieved perfect immortality through dark arts while simultaneously maintaining her status as a Saintess with divine healing abilities...]
Aria trailed off, as if unable to fully comprehend the contradiction.
[It shouldn't be possible! The divine and the forbidden are fundamentally opposed! Yet somehow, she embodies both!]
"..."
Nero stared at the stats again, his analytical mind working through the puzzle pieces.
'Her VIT is only one star despite being immortal. That's bizarre.'
Normally, someone who couldn't die would have massive vitality stats.
'But if her immortality comes from a curse that binds her soul in an unbreakable way rather than making her body inherently durable...'
That would explain the low VIT.
Her body might be fragile, easily damaged, but the curse prevents her soul from being destroyed no matter what happens to her physical form.
'And her INT is five stars. Grandmaster level in multiple healing arts.'
For someone who supposedly mastered dark forbidden magic, her abilities were overwhelmingly focused on restoration and support.
'She mentioned wanting to be my woman as part of some mission.'
The pieces were starting to form a picture, though large sections remained frustratingly blank.
'What if the curse that made her immortal also trapped her somehow? What if she needs something specific to break free?'
It would explain her urgency about getting close to him.
'But why me specifically? What makes me important to her goal?'
His Waifu Summoner ability was unique, sure.
The fact that he could apparently bypass death and revive was definitely unusual.
'Could my ability somehow interact with her curse?'
The more he thought about it, the more questions arose.
How did the First Saintess suddenly become associated with dark forbidden magic?
What was the actual nature of her curse?
Why did she need to become his woman specifically rather than just staying close as an ally?
What was this major mission she kept hinting at?
And most importantly...
'Can I actually trust her?'
The affection gauge showed 28%.
Based on Aria's explanation before, it's not enough to consider love or loyalty, but something more to like, enough trust and perhaps respect…
"..."
Nero sighed heavily, running his hands through his hair.
'In the end, I don't have enough information to make a solid judgment.'
He'd noticed Aurelia's subtle reaction during Celis's confession.
That slight twitch in her normally stoic expression.
'I need to talk to her about this. Get her perspective.'
But that conversation would have to wait until they had proper privacy.
For now, there were more immediate concerns to address.
Specifically...
His eyes lit up with the kind of dangerous excitement that every gacha addict knows intimately.
'It's time.'
He pulled up his inventory, looking at the glorious numbers waiting for him.
Premium Waifu Tickets: 42x
Premium Relic Tickets: 52x
'My gambling addiction is back, baby!'
A grin spread across his face that would have worried anyone who knew him well.
'Time to pull!'
***
A/N: Sigh... Training week is finally finished. In case you're wondering, I've been busy these past few weeks, with the recent week being the most dreadful since it's an active training that lasted from 8 am to 5 pm... Thus, I apologize for the silence and 1 chapter update per day. Sumimasen!
I will try to release 2 chapters per day starting from now on, but do take note that if ever I only released 1... Welp, it probably means that my life is currently being bombarded with stuff that needs my attention or my chapter stockpile is in danger huhu...
I will also soon be making a discord, probably this coming days...
I will also be posting the next chapter, 3 hours from now on.
Anyways, that's it! Enjoy!
If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.