Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son-Chapter 395: [Terror of the Dead God] [3] [Arthur]

"It's been a while."

Arianell said, smiling brightly.

"Sir Azariah."

I tilted my head, looking at her.

"Sir?"

"W-well, you are higher in rank than me." She hastily explained herself. "..So, yeah."

"....I see."

I looked at her for a moment.

Arianell.

Her white hair framed her, and her clear white eyes sparkled as if genuinely happy to see me.

[<...She's nervous.>]

'Yeah, I can tell.'

"It's been a while for you too," I said casually, sliding my hands into my pockets.

Arianell shifted slightly on her feet, fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. "You really changed, you know?"

"Did I?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

She nodded, a little too quickly.

"You feel… different. Like…" She trailed off, searching for the right word.

"Scarier?" I suggested dryly.

Arianell flinched. "N-not exactly! Just... more powerful. And maybe a bit scarier, yes."

I chuckled under my breath.

At least she was honest.

[<She liked you before you became scary. Now she's confused.>]

'Not my problem.'

"So, I can't call you a princess now?" I asked, gesturing her to move with me.

"Well, I was kinda expelled from my family." She replied, shaking her head.

"Must be hard." I mumbled, looking at her.

"Not really...." She whispered softly, shaking her head.

'...'

I quietly looked at her without any words.

She may say that but I do know the church hadn't been kind to her.

'They wanted to burn her alive.... because of me.'

I don't know if I saved her life or destroyed it.

"How do you even know it was me?" I asked, walking down another bridge as she walked beside me.

"Well, I have known since we were children." She replied, smiling at me. "I would still recognize you no matter how much you change."

"....I see."

She smiled as she walked lightly beside me, her steps almost floating across the crystalline bridge.

[<She's fragile.>]

'Yeah. But she's stronger than she looks.'

Maybe it's because I know her more than anyone else but I can tell she doesn't have much reason to live.

'....' freewebnøvel.coɱ

"So...." I began, glancing at her. "When are you going to kill me?"

Arianell blinked innocently, staring into my eyes.

"Ah, no." She quickly replied, shaking her head. "Don't worry about it."

"Hm?"

"Well, the church made me swear on my bloodline and family." She explained, touching her cheek. "And I couldn't care less if they die.... don't worry I won't try to kill you."

"...That's good to hear."

I mumbled, nodding my head gently.

An awkward silence lingered between us as she tried to speak but couldn't bring herself.

"A-Az—."

"It's Himmel now." I corrected her with a light smile. "Please call me that."

"Right, Himmel." She whispered, her voice slowly turning into a whisper. "...About Christin—."

"Oh, I see Helena." I cut in her words, pointing towards the girl.

Before she could say anything, I quickly moved towards Helena.

[<....You don't want to talk about the past?>]

'....'

I don't know.

Things that happened in the past...I don't really want to remember them.

Let the past be in the past.

[<You can't always run awa—.>]

'I am not running away.'

I scoffed as I walked closer to Helena.

She stood outside a beautiful black car that hovered slightly over the ground.

"Are you ready for a ride?" She asked, giggling as I looked at the car.

"How much does this cost?" I asked, touching it.

Arianell also arrived as she stood close to Helena.

"A lot more than you think." Helena replied, opening the door. "Please come in."

I nodded and walked inside and just as I did the space around me expanded.

The interior of the car was almost the size of a hall with a bed as well.

'Is this space manipulation?'

I wondered, marveling at the design of the car.

Helena and Arianell walked inside as well as their complete focus was on my reaction.

"Lady Nyxara designed it." Helena said, taking her seat on the bed. "Isn't it nice?"

"It is."

I mumbled, giving the place another look.

Damn I need one of these.

"You didn't tell me how much...."

My words died in my mouth as I looked at Helena taking off her veil.

Her veil slipped from her fingers, floating lightly onto the bed beside her.

And for the first time, I saw Helena's face completely.

'...'

Even for someone like me, who had seen a lot of beautiful women... she was breathtaking.

Long, flowing silver hair framed her sharp, elegant features.

Her skin was flawless, pale like moonlight, with a faint glow that seemed almost unnatural.

But it was her eyes—twin pools of galaxy-like eyes—that truly caught me.

They weren't human.

They weren't even angelic.

They were something entirely different.

Something dangerous.

[<...She's not normal.>]

Helena tilted her head slightly, smirking at my reaction.

"Speechless, Himmel?"

I coughed lightly, leaning back into the plush seat and crossing my arms.

"Not bad," I said casually, forcing my voice to stay even. "Seven out of ten."

Arianell, who had sat stiffly near the door, let out a small choked sound, covering her mouth with her sleeve.

Helena simply laughed, clearly amused.

"You wound me," she said dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest. "Only seven?"

"You are beautiful." I said, leaning back on the chair. "Remind me why you hide your face?"

"When I was a child my narcissistic mother tried to burn my face." She replied, smiling towards me. "Since then I hide my face and only show them to those who are close to me."

"...I see."

Come to think of it, she is a princess of one of the four major powers of Kandam Continent.

'So, her mother would be a queen?'

I guess she also has some fucked up past.

"When are we going to move?" I asked, looking towards the window but I couldn't see anything. "It will take a lot of time, right?"

"We are already moving." Helena said, taking me by surprise. "We will reach in a few hours."

"...I see."

I nodded, looking at her.

Stretching her body she stood up from the bed while she took out something from her bracelet.

"Here." She said, throwing me a set of clothes. "Wear this."

"Why should I—?"

My words abruptly halted as she started unbuttoning her dress.

I blinked.

Once. Twice.

[<...She's serious.>]

'Yeah, no shit.'

Without a hint of shame, Helena calmly slid her arms out of her sleeves, letting her dress fall lightly to the floor around her ankles.

She stood there in nothing but intricate silver undergarments.

Arianell, sitting stiffly on the edge of her seat, immediately jerked up to cover her from me.

"HELENA!" Arianell squeaked, her voice cracking. "W-what are you doing?!"

"What?" Helena said nonchalantly, turning slightly as she pulled a new outfit from her storage bracelet.

"We're going to a formal Assembly. We need to change into appropriate attire."

She glanced at me over her bare shoulder, a mischievous glint in her galaxy eyes.

"Unless you want me to attend naked, Himmel?"

"..."

I rubbed my eyes as I formed a layer of translucent mana around me.

'...Yep, I hate this woman.'

I glanced at the dress she threw at me.

'...'

Sighing, I started to undress myself.

***

It took us a total of three hours to reach the EEA Academy.

Even though it was half a continent away it was possible because of a thing called space tube.

They were made from aligning different wormholes.

Again, they were also made by Lady Nyxara.

'It seems she had a lot more importance than I expected.'

That makes me wonder...why hasn't my mother done anything about her.

She is a direct competition for her in the battle of wealths.

'Or maybe she doesn't see Nyxara as someone important.'

Anyway, I had to meet this woman sooner or later.

"Are you ready?"

Helena's words snapped me out of my thoughts.

I looked at her wearing a formal gown that loosely hugged her body.

'...She is definitely a lot more curvy than she shows.'

I mean, I saw it myself—.

[<Pervert.>]

'...'

"Is the function still going on?" I asked, looking at her.

"It should be. Come with me." She said, glancing at me. "By the way, don't try to make young ladies fall for you."

"...I won't."

I replied, letting out a sigh.

Glancing back, I saw Arianell returning back to her knight duty wearing her helmet.

She nodded as her eyes met mine.

A sudden sound of cheering made me look forward at the building.

It was as beautiful as I thought.

A sprawling white structure that looked like a massive lotus blooming under a sky painted in colors.

'...It's even bigger than the screenshots from the game.'

Helena moved inside the building and I followed her.

As soon as we walked someone quickly came closer.

A tall woman in resplendent black robes stepped forward, her hair tied in a severe braid, golden spectacles perched on her nose.

"We were waiting for your arrival, Lady Helena." She said, bowing towards Helena.

"Can you please take us to the place where we can see the function properly?" Helena asked sweetly, looking at her.

"Y-yes."

The lady replied, stealing a glance towards me but didn't say anything.

We followed the lady through multiple different doors before we reached a balcony.

From below we could see the entire plaza where the function was going.

"It's cool, right?" Helena asked, bumping her shoulder with mine.

I just glared at her before focusing back on the plaza.

One glance was enough to know what was actually going inside.

Thirty or so students were trapped inside a pocket realm fighting against multiple monsters.

Multiple large monitors were floating above giving live updates of what was happening inside.

"....."

Why do I feel something is wrong?

[<Himmel that boy....>]

Inna's stunned voice echoed in my head as I looked at one of the screens.

A boy with short blonde hair was fighting against a space monster.

Though wounded, the boy had the upper hand.

[<Wait! wait! isn't he—?>]

'...Yep.'

I smiled as I found him.

'Arthur or should I say...Adon.'

[<Wait, how is this possible!?>]

'Hmm?'

[<It's strictly prohibited for a god to reincarnate then how did he!?>]

'Oh, he didn't reincarnate.'

Just like how Avatars are made, Adon did the same.

But—.

Instead of using a tiny bit of soul, that fucking god used half of his soul.

[<HAD HE GONE MAD!?>]

'Stop shouting in my mind.'

[<No, Himmel. You don't understand—>]

'I do.'

Of course I do.

If he dies, Adon will lose half of his soul.

He will also lose his position as a Primordial God.

'Which he did.'

The entire game three was wild.

'Anyway....'

I quickly averted my gaze, trying to find someone else.

And...

It didn't take me long to find her.

A beautiful girl who looked no more than fourteen.

She had long black hair along with golden eyes filled with spirals.

'...'

Ragnar's daughter.

....Joshephe.

One of the [Main Heroines] of the third game.

The reason for Ragnar's demise in the game.

I clenched my fist as I looked at her.

She looked a lot like Ragnar.

And I hated every bit of it.

"....Himmel."

Helena's voice made me turn to look at her.

"Did you notice?"

"Yep."

I replied, looking back at the pocket realm.

"The place is about to detonate."