CH 198

“Ugh.”

It was then.

Veronica let out a low moan and cupped one side of her face.

Then she murmured in a voice that was distinctly different from the first one, a voice so low it was scratching the floor.

“What are you doing, do it right.”

“Ah, yes.”

I think I did it right. Hans thought something had gotten tangled up in the middle of the incantation and repeated the spell, but still nothing happened.

‘I wrote down the spells accurately…….’

It should either succeed or fail, but nothing happens. The spell itself is not working at all?

‘Maybe God’s malice can really only be handled by Valentine, so it’s impossible to transfer it to someone else’s body…….’

But to say that, there was a time when he tried to temporarily transfer the malice to the gutter rat. Of course, the gutter rat melted away as soon as the malice touched him.

That means it’s not impossible to move it. So, if he had to put the current situation in words.

“It seems that goodwill and malice will never mix… They are separate like water and oil, and they do not even try to enter the saint.”

“What crazy nonsense! The feelings were originally in one body!”

What was originally one has been divided into two. They were just going to be placed back together. So to say they don’t want to mix?

“No, even if you scold me…”

What can he do, if it doesn’t want to work in the first place? Hans felt the situation was unfair, but Veronica was also taken aback.

She hadn’t considered the possibility that it would be impossible to transfer God’s malice at all.

“Bring a stronger spell!”

“It’s impossible. It’s beyond my ability. It’s already exceeded the range I can handle.”

Hans replied sternly.

It was close to a miracle that he had already fully instilled God’s goodwill into Veronica. Now, it has left his hands.

“Ha!”

With that word, Veronica, who was trembling with her head bowed down, lowered her hand from her cupped cheek. And when her face was finally revealed, Hans could only gasp for a moment.

It was because Veronica’s face was terribly distorted, like her skin had melted.

“You worthless bastard…!”

“Kuuhk!”

Veronica waved her arm without hesitation. Then, the enormous power she wielded burst out in an explosion.

With no time to fight, Hans was thrown hard against the wall of the labyrinth. The wall collapsed in an instant.

Trapped under the rubble of a huge stone wall, Hans couldn’t even make the slightest movement. It was unknown whether he was alive or dead.

“Haa, haa…….”

Veronica stumbled with a rough breath.

Then, her subordinates who were waiting around her hurriedly helped her. There was no agitation at all towards her face which had turned ugly. They had half lost their own will.

Of course for Lloyd, having gone blind in both of eyes, he had no idea that one side of Veronica’s face was melting.

“You’re very impatient.”

“Shut up!”

In front of Veronica, who suddenly swore, Lloyd just smiled leisurely.

Like he knew from the start that it would be like this.

“……you know how, do you?”

Veronica shook off her subordinates’ hands and staggered over to stand in front of Lloyd.

“You must know how to bridge God’s goodwill and malice.”

“Hmm.”

Veronica bit her nails.

Threat? There is no way it will work. For now, there was no choice but to compromise with each other.

“Alright, you do know. If we keep going like this, we’re both going to die anyway. Let’s just have our fair share of goodwill and malice.”

“…”

“How about we become Fineta’s Valentine and Garcia’s Papal Palace, as we always have been?”

Veronica’s original plan to become a god by accepting all of the malice and goodwill went awry. The plan was unfeasible.

But even if it did, she wasn’t completely at a loss.

She somehow got the power of God. With that power she was able to bring down the pope, and Garcia was now in her grasp.

‘Now I’m just taking a step back. For bigger things.’

She was not giving up. Veronica has lived only for this moment.

She sneaks into the Battenberg family and constantly persuades and brainwashed the family head. She whispered that only him could make her a true god. That only she could make him the Emperor.

Just like with Gabriel, she didn’t even have to use her powers.

It was only in an instant that Duke Battenberg, who had ambitions in the first place, fell for Veronica’s tricks.

‘If you squeeze a few tears with a nice face, you will quickly gain sympathy. Like an idiot, believing that the only person who can save me is him.’

In that sense, as her face was now distorted was a huge blow to her future plans.

‘I have to be perfect.’

To become a god, she must become an idol that transcends humans. From her abilities to her appearance, personality, and intelligence.

All aspects should be overwhelmingly excellent, so that no one would dare to surpass her.

So now she has no choice but to say this.

“Of course, I can guarantee the lives of everyone involved with the Valentine family. I don’t think that’s a bad suggestion?”

So if Lloyd knows how to connect goodwill and malice, he should speak up now.

Despite Veronica’s earnest persuasion, Lloyd remained silent and closed his eyes, leaning against the wall. It seemed like he was completely ignoring her and turning away.

It made Veronica just grow more and more nervous.

“Aren’t you curious what I did to your wife?”

“…”

“I handed her over to my knight, but I don’t know what would have happened by now.”

Only then did Lloyd react.

He stretched out his hand precisely towards Veronica. Several of her subordinates stood in the way, but Lloyd pierced them through.

“Now I can’t see anything, so I can’t control my strength at all.”

His eyes were completely open. He had lost all his sight, and his blurred eyes looked dry. There was no glimpse of the passionate anger. As if it wasn’t even worth it.

“I wasted a lot of time trying to control my power from before…”

Lloyd murmured in a world where he could see nothing but total darkness. And he blinked his eyes slowly, then languidly lowered them and spoke again.

“I’m sorry it turned out this way before I got used to the feeling of being blind.”

After shaking off the blood and chunks from his hands, he dealt with the priests and knights one by one.

With no sword and no sight, he moved only with his hands and senses. Because of that, he had to be more brutal with his hands than usual.

Veronica flinched and stepped back.

Lloyd drew closer to her, who was holding her breath.

“What is your last will?”

“You know what will happen if you kill me!”

“There are many ways to make sure you never wake up without taking your life.”

Before she knew it, the last remaining subordinate had collapsed.

The road to hell spreads out in the underground labyrinth where one can never escape once they step in.

‘Damn, I never thought to use this trick, but…….’

The last bastion. But now there was no way.

Quickly stepping back, Veronica swiftly drew a dagger from her chest and slit her wrist.

“Kugh!”

Long solid red line was dripping with blood.

The dagger vibrated with a low hum in response to the drops of her blood. A bright red pattern appeared on the blade that had absorbed her blood.

It was like the mark on the false siren’s ear lobe, and the very one that gave off the unpleasant aura that had pursued Aria. It was also the pattern on the nape of Gabriel’s neck and the subordinates that Veronica had been leading.

Finally…….

[“What is the matter, Contractor?”]

A black figure appeared. A grotesque figure with two bird heads attached to a human body.

Veronica said hastily to the giant human bird.

“Make a contract with me.”

[“The contract is already in progress.”]

“I want an additional contract!”

The bird head tilted as she spoke impatiently.

[“I will listen.”]

“Lend me your malice.”

[“Hoo. My malice?”]

It’s been a long time since the figure has been such a greedy person. The figure stopped mumbling and burst into laughter.

[“Do you understand the meaning of what you are saying? You’re going to accept this Mammon’s malice?”]

Mammon. The Devil of Greed.

He whispered in a funny way, but Veronica didn’t bat an eye.

As she was using God’s feelings at will, there was no way for her to fall for the devil’s trivial threats.

[“Are you trying to become a Devil God?”]

Devil God.

Lloyd stopped what he was doing and raised his head in the direction of the voice.

“Yes, that’s it. Make me a Devil God.”

Veronica made a grotesque expression, groping her own face with her hands, unknown whether she was smiling or not.

[“That’s a pretty novel wish.”]

Mammon murmured as he ran his finger under his beak.

[“Then what is the price?”]

“The remaining half of God’s feelings.”

She replied, pointing her finger at Lloyd.

Exchanging ‘God’s malice’ that Valentine had carried for generations and the ‘Devil’s malice’.

“Take that human to hell.”