True Magician

Chapter 185

Geofu.

The light of the teleportation circle slowly faded, and I found myself surrounded by a closed field in the very same hall with a round table where my last meeting with Celestine and her Shields had taken place. The interior and decor hadn't changed at all, unlike the mood that reigned here, which was getting more and more intense with every passing second.

This time there were fewer of them. Apart from Celestine herself, there was only Claudia, a teenage girl with pink hair, and a dubious-looking Japanese priestess. That meant almost half of them were missing, even Alicia, whom I had practically defeated in battle. Apparently, even that wasn't enough for her to hold the fort. Heh.

In any case, those present were silent, their postures practically screaming of their nervousness and anxiety. The only sounds that echoed through the hall were breathing and heartbeats.

Claudia, exuding indignation, resentment, and helplessness, sat with her teeth clenched and her hands clenched into fists so tightly that they shook. A teenage girl with her head down leaned her hands on her legs and cried quietly. The priestess, however, maintained her dignity with her straight posture and impenetrable gaze. Although, all this could not hide her tension.

Celestine, of course, stood out from the rest. She displayed the firmness of a leader and intently studied the map of Eostia with its many sheets of paper lying on the table in front of her. Both her hands were pressed against the tabletop, and her tense eyes with black circles under them darted from side to side, creating a rather unexpected picture for me. However...

I watched for a few more seconds, but of course, I couldn't stay any longer. I wanted to know what had happened to the others, and most importantly, I was incredibly bored.

- "Wow, did someone die? If so, I would have brought flowers. For the grave, you know?" I chuckled, completely ignoring the mood and drawing all their attention to myself, then sat down on a free chair next to the teenage girl. And, of course, the first reaction to me was wide-open eyes, and then it began... Well, it should have begun. Heh.

- "You..." Claudia began, stunned, but the reborn goddess continued for her, until the priestess showed no reaction other than a suspicious squint, and hope appeared in the teenage girl's eyes.

- "Lord Romani?.." Celestine whispered, as if not believing her eyes. "Is it really you? If you've appeared here, then..."

- "I want to help you?" I smiled, interrupting her. "Well, you could say that, but not for free. Heh."

- "Thank..." Celestine smiled, but she was rudely interrupted again.

- "Lady Celestine, please don't jump to conclusions. We are not in a position to trust just anyone," the priestess interjected, giving me a cold look. "I cannot understand why you believe in this... god, but he may be the cause of our misfortunes, and..."

- "Kaguya, be quiet!" Celestine rebuked her sternly, even with a hint of divinity, causing everyone to gasp in shock. Then she took a deep breath and forced a faint smile back onto her face. "I understand that you, like all of us, have been through a lot. We encountered disaster and were not prepared for it, which cost us many lives, too many to count, but..."

She paused and looked at me with a faith and hope that even Lancelot would envy in Arthur. I raised an eyebrow, completely unable to understand where all this was coming from.

- "But Lord Romani is not evil. He is, rather, neutral, and he has the power to save us," Celestine continued. "And he is not the cause of the misfortunes that have befallen us. I can swear to that with my life and my name, Kaguya."

The priestess stared at me and Celestine for a long time, but in the end, she said nothing, her whole demeanor showing that she still did not trust me, while listening to the words of the goddess. Unlike her, Claudia and the teenage girl took what they heard quite seriously, showing emotions similar to those of their goddess. As for me...