Chapter 562: Extermination

The power of the Goddess Freyja slowly began to wane. Time, which had stopped, started moving again, and the world's traces destroyed by the Descent were immaculately restored, as if nothing had happened. These traces included those of the deity, divine revelations, and sacred artifacts. It would have been hard to find anything more perplexing.

Even though the Goddess Freyja had departed, the knights of the Contas Empire couldn't easily lift their heads. Among the three empires, the Contas Empire was the most liberal. Valuing substance over formality, it had been labeled as barbaric, but it had its own distinct culture. One notable aspect of this culture was its minimal reliance on religion. While the clergy's restorative abilities were highly respected, they did not elevate the Goddess Freyja's teachings to the status of a state religion but simply ensured freedom of religion. Naturally, the people of the Contas Empire were not inclined to readily bow to a deity.

However, they could not easily lift their heads now. The only one who managed to regain his composure with a blank expression was the Emperor of Contas.

"Why are you behaving this way?" Davey quietly asked the dazed Emperor after Freyja had left.

"Davey... Are you the prince?"

"Yes."

"So, just now..."

"The Goddess Freyja temporarily incarnated in me."

After hearing the explanation, the Emperor remained in a daze for a long time. It wasn't just a trace of the deity; the goddess herself, whom no one had ever seen in physical form, had descended. The implications of this were enormous.

"Even I, who knows little about divine power, feel that this place is too sacred..."

"In about ten years, this will probably become famous as the continent's top sanctuary."

"That's not exactly reassuring..."

"Please keep it hidden if possible. The very fact of the goddess's descent will have significant repercussions."

The Emperor nodded in silent agreement. Sanctuary, a pleasing term indeed. However, it carried too many complications. If news spread that the capital of the Contas Empire, which considered religion as no more than an additional factor, had transformed into a sanctuary... The influence of the temples within the empire would become overwhelming. Perhaps, this was what concerned him.

As he mumbled to himself, the Emperor slowly turned his head. He didn't reprimand the incapacitated knights; instead, he directed a question to Davey.

"But... If the image of Goddess Freyja was projected through you..." His eyes narrowed. "That girl there... She surely isn't the goddess?"

Although it sounded unbelievable, there was an unmistakable apprehension in his voice. The form that the Goddess Freyja had taken while incarnating in Davey was undeniably Rinne, only without the halo and wings. Bypassing Davey, the Emperor approached the unconscious Rinne and gently reached out to her. He then carefully supported her by the neck and thigh.

"Be careful with her back."

"What do you mean... cough?!" Before the Emperor could fully grasp Davey's words, he nearly stumbled while attempting to lift Rinne. "Ahem! Cough!"

Almost landing on top of Rinne, the Emperor, looking dazed, gazed at the knights.

"Em... Emperor..."

"Forget it."

"Pardon?"

"Forget what you just saw. Right now."

"Yes, y-yes!!"

"Would you give your life to erase it from your memory?"

His voice turned cold and threatening as the Emperor managed to regain his footing and stared at Davey.

'Why is he looking at me?'

Of course, since Davey had not provided a proper explanation, he looked down at Rinne with a complex expression. Gathering his strength once more, he attempted to lift her.

"If you handle Rinne carelessly, you'll hurt your back."

"Don't mock me! Hrmph!!"

Simultaneously, a surge of mana poured from the Emperor's entire body, causing Rinne to levitate, feeling lighter than before.

"She's sturdier than I thought. She feels even stronger than the women of the Empire."

Despite being able to lift her effortlessly with mana, he was sweating profusely due to her unexpectedly heavy weight. Rinne weighed just over 200kg. While she appeared as a small child on the outside, the components inside contributed to her substantial weight.

Of course, the Emperor had no way of knowing these details. Whether it was out of pride or reverence for her godlike appearance, the Emperor seemed unwilling to put her down.

"Let's discuss this. The appearance of the Goddess Freyja was identical to this girl's. Can you explain this?"

"I don't know either."

"What? Aren't you a Saint of the gods?"

"Even if you search all the scriptures and ancient texts, there's not a single clear description of the gods' appearances."

Everyone only provided vague explanations.

"Can you put it in simpler terms?"

"I'm saying I don't know either."

At his straightforward answer, the Emperor stared blankly at Rinne for a while. "In that case, I will bring her to our Contas Empire and treat her as a sacred maiden."

Hearing this, Davey approached him and gave a broad smile. "Don't attempt to deceive us, Emperor."

Davey responded with a cold smile and pushed him away. The Emperor, looking surprised, raised both hands in defense. "The prince truly has no fear."

"If I were afraid, I would not have devised such a plan."

"Right, there are still remnants remaining." The Emperor's expression hardened. "What do you intend to do with the remaining remnants?"

"Just leave them be."

"What?"

While lifting the heavy Rinne, Davey calmly responded, "We will receive communication from them soon."

Goddess Freyja had ordered Davey to eliminate them, and he also had plans to eradicate them completely. The only ones who remained unaffected by Goddess Freyja's influence were the dark magicians from the continent of Peslisa, where the leader of the Illuminati, Descent, had originated. Even though the leader had died, some of his followers still existed. That was why Davey had dispatched personnel to handle those marked for annihilation.

* * *

Although Davey ideally wanted to return to the Heins territory and rest, a simple reason kept him here: the severe depletion of his mental energy rendered him incapable of using magic. Due to the descent of the Goddess Freyja, most of his mental energy had been drained, leaving him feeling overwhelmingly powerless.

"Davey, have you expended a significant amount of mental energy?"

"Yes. I feel as if I might not make it."

Without the divine protection of a saint or a priestess, just one summoning could cause one's spirit to leave the body and enter the cycle of reincarnation.

"But you still have plenty of mana."

While Davey sat exhausted, he gazed at Rinne, who lay motionless beside him.

"Asking her for answers when she wakes might not yield any results."

Hearing Davey's words, Perserque nodded. "Davey." Seeing him yawning and not hiding his exhaustion, Perserque gently untied the large ribbon in her hair. As she did, her silver hair cascaded beautifully. "Would you like to lie down?"

When Davey looked at her with sleepy eyes, she chuckled and helped him onto a spacious bed, making him lie face down. She then quietly climbed onto his back.

"What are you doing?"

"There's no better way to recover mental energy than to rest. You've used up a lot of energy recently. Let me help you with this."

She then sat on Davey's lower back and began to press down on his back with her small, white hands. Her flowing hair tickled his legs, but the contact with her was astonishingly invigorating.

"It's a bit tough; can you endure it?"

"Stay still."

With a captivating and playful smile, she used both hands to skillfully press down on his spine.

"It's a form of massage, not the rough and crude kind you're accustomed to." Saying this, she continued to massage him with her palms and elbows. Her touch was surprisingly gentle.

At first, Davey resisted, but he soon buried his face, realizing resistance was futile.

"Davey? Your ears are turning red."

"We'll find out after our marriage."

"Haha, I'll be the one in charge until then," she playfully teased while sitting on his back, tickling him with her fingers. It was unusual for her to act so playful and cheeky, which left Davey wondering about her sudden change in behavior.

"What's going on?" Davey asked, and the woman's fingers, which were massaging his back, paused for a moment.

However, they soon resumed their movements. As he felt her touch on his back, she slowly moved her hand again and said, "When the Lord tried to take you away..."

Her voice quivered slightly.

"To be honest, it was quite frightening."

"..."

"I know it's a matter of greed and arrogance, but... it was scary..."

Eventually, she leaned forward, pressing her upper body against his back. She then rested her head near his wing bone and whispered with a voice mixed with sobs, "Don't leave, Davey."

"..."

"If you've stirred my heart so profoundly, now you have to take responsibility."

"I won't go anywhere," Davey responded briefly and then fell silent.

If Goddess Freyja had attempted to take his soul as a bride, he would have resisted with all his might. He had one means to resist her. However, seeing Perserque emerge from within him out of fear of possibly disappearing made him feel better that he didn't have to resort to the forbidden technique.

"Just stay with me."

Normally, she would have dismissed such a comment with a laugh, but she remained silent, burying her head on his back for a long while.

"Davey..."

"The news from the Illuminati will come soon. Once we deal with them..." His voice trailed off, and he said softly, "Let's get married. We don't need a grand ceremony."

"We can also go on a honeymoon."

As Davey chuckled with his face buried in a prone position, Perserque flinched briefly. She said, "I cannot bear a child. This body is fake."

"Do we need a child?"

There was no necessity to necessarily see the fruit of a child.

"I'm not marrying you for a child."

Having said that, Davey slowly closed his eyes. Then, Perserque too, as if swept up in Davey's pace, lay on top of him and fell asleep.

A tranquil silence enveloped them as all three remained asleep with their eyes closed. That day, they slept soundly, feeling a warm comfort without dreaming a single dream.

"Have you woken up, human?"

When Davey opened his eyes, he first looked at Perserque sleeping in his embrace, then his gaze shifted to the blue-haired boy in front of him, making a displeased face. He asked, "Why are you here?"

Standing before Davey was Valkyrie with a petulant expression. Kain was there.

"It's a prophecy."

Carefully getting up so as not to wake Perserque, and laying her down gently, Davey, feeling more refreshed than before, stretched his body lightly and asked, "A prophecy? From Illyna?"

"No, from my Lord."

With that statement, a vastly more composed and sagacious aura began to emanate, unlike immature and impulsive Kain.

"Pleased to meet you, Davey O'Rowane. I am Valkyria, speaking with you through Kain."

"Is this Neltarid?"

"No, Neltarid is an entity that a mere creation like me cannot easily imitate. The message I have to deliver is..."

While it was still Kain's body, the atmosphere changed entirely, as if he had a dual personality. It now genuinely felt as if he was an apostle of a god.

With a gentle smile, Kain looked at Davey and said softly, "The source of the abyss has begun to move."