Chapter 264 (1): Drama? Impossible

“What do you mean that Vera will wear you?”

Wayne tilted his head in question. If Valkyrie permitted it, Vera could wear the armor, but the effectiveness would be lacking. One plus one wouldn’t even become two, but zero. Moreover, why would she mention Vera now...

Valkyrie knew very well the relationship between Wayne and Vera. Since Valkyrie was Valkyrie, he wouldn’t suspect her of breaking her chivalrous spirit and virtuous character. Were it anyone else, he would think he was being set up.

“According to the messenger, the Watson family was once squires of the chosen knight. Vera’s father, Cushing Watson, served the current Sun Knight. Receiving the knight’s order, he had crossed the Ocean of Mist with some of the knight’s power...”

Valkyrie slowly told the story. The world on the other side of the Ocean of Mist had something to do with the seal in the Frozen Land. The Sun Knight couldn’t leave his post there, so he gave his power to his squire, Cushing, and entrusted him with an important mission. Cushing entered the Ocean of Mist with his wife, Carter, accompanied by a group of mages from the Church of Sun. They went missing later.

Since the Sun Knight’s power was involved, the church considered it more than a simple case of a missing person. There had been many investigation attempts, but the investigators either disappeared or found nothing.

Given how important the matter was and the need to keep the information on a need-to-know basis, the higher-ups declared Mr. and Mrs. Watson killed in the failed mission. Vera was thus orphaned.

Wayne listened in shock. He knew that Vera had lost her parents young, but he didn’t expect the disappearance of his in-laws to be connected to the Sun Knight. How did he not know that chosen knights could lend their power to others? Oh, right, the Headless Knight had effectively lent him the power of the Death Knight. He understood now.

“The Watson family was the knight’s squires, so Vera had to be the one I was waiting for on Dragonheart Island. Only you turned out to be more talented.”

Vera found her and acquired the knight’s legacy, so she would be heading to the Ocean of Mist and recover the Sun Knight’s power to deliver it to the Frozen Land. All was going according to fate’s plan.

Really? Does fate have such ridiculous reach?

Wayne raised an eyebrow. He had to admit that Valkyrie had a point. There were two treasures on Dragonheart Island: Valkyrie and the dragonslaying swordsmanship she could pass on, and the blood of a dragon's heart, left by a great dragon.

The two corresponded to Vera and Veronica. They happened to set foot on Dragonheart Island and acquired their treasures. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to call it fate. Still, Wayne found it unlikely—because of his involvement.

His investigation on Dragonheart Island was the reason Vera had tempted Veronica to go on a trip with her. Without him, the dragon blood would be taken by Blood Tyrant, the demon from hell, and unable to defeat Blood Tyrant, Valkyrie’s thoughts would run out and meet a true death.

Since he was a transmigrator, without him, the original Wayne was fated to become the Death Knight. The Goddess of Death had made the first claim. That much was proven by the inner world mirroring the real world.

In other words, there was no fate, but only coincidences. The goddess’s messenger then twisted the coincidences into fate to convince Valkyrie, a devout follower of the Sun. What a shame for a wonderful big sister like her to be destroyed by faith!

Senna would’ve agreed, and so would Ottilia.

“I know the overall situation, but have you considered the possibility that the messenger of the goddess...”

Wayne stopped himself, giving up on persuading her. Valkyrie’s faith was too unwavering, and there was no changing that. Pushing it would only make her think that he was slandering the messenger.

He went for a different approach. “Both you and Vera are important to me. I must participate in this mission. Give me a chance. I don’t want to lose you.”

Valkyrie was moved. She once again praised Wayne for being righteous, humble, loyal, brave, and willing to sacrifice himself, only he had been indirect in demonstrating his virtues. Clearly, she hadn’t heard the subtext of his words, or perhaps she did but didn’t care, seeing Wayne as nothing but her student.

Teachers shouldn’t get involved with their students.

As for Vera’s relationship with Wayne, it did trouble Valkyrie. “You should let go of her, Wayne. She has reason to leave. If you insist on partaking in this mission, she’ll only be tormented by this toxic relationship. It’s too cruel.”

“If you say so, that’s all the more reason for me to go!” Wayne huffed. He had made up his mind. No one was going to stop him. “When are you setting out?”

“The day after tomorrow, in the morning.”

“That soon?”

Troubled, he calculated how much time he had. The schedule was tight, but he should be able to make it.

He took off the armor and left it in a corner, driving straight to the Lando Estate. He had important information to discuss with the old man!

***

Young lady’s mansion, Lando Estate.

Three girls huddled together, chatting and laughing. While Veronica was actually happy, though, the other two girls were both a little down.

More so for Kristen. She had been observing Veronica in secret, and Wayne hadn’t lied to her: they had slept together.

Veronica didn’t seem any different, judging by appearance alone. She was still a tsundere, and she didn’t seem to have matured, but... her cup size appeared bigger.

“Senior...”

Veronica sat by Kristen’s side, taking one of Kristen’s arms while covering her own chest. Although Veronica still had lingering feelings for her white moonlight, and she always felt the urge to stick close to her when they met, she had a fiancé now; she had to keep an appropriate distance, or her fiancé would surely misunderstand.

Given her fiancé’s assholish tendency, he probably would use that as leverage to get personal with Senior.

Haha, Senior. You don’t want Veronica’s reputation to be stained, do you?

Bah, that pervert!

Noticing Veronica alternating between blushing shyly and flushing angrily, Kristen finally decided to have an open conversation with her after a moment of agonization. The conversation was long overdue!

“Veronica, Wayne said that you were adopted. Is that true?”

“Of course it is. Silvia is Wayne’s real mother, and Auston is his real father. I’m nothing.” Veronica made a face.

As expected!

Kristen glanced at Vera, who was humming with her eyes closed, her mind straying elsewhere. She thus whispered to Veronica instead, “Wayne said that when you were in Ostarrichi, you and he did that... I mean...”

“I didn’t! It’s not me! Impossible!”

Veronica jumped like Monica the cat did when it was shocked. Face flushed, she kept waving her hands, refusing to admit that she had been tainted by the scumbag.

(╥﹏╥)

Vera felt like crying. They were supposed to be three sisters having a girls’ talk, but she couldn’t join the chat because she didn’t have a story to tell.

“Veronica, are you sure you haven’t done it?” Vera forced herself into the conversation, huffing. “Sorry about that, but I have.”

It effectively triggered Veronica. She tackled Vera to the sofa and locked her two arms, demanding fiercely, “Say it. Say that you haven’t done it, or I’m beating you to death today!”

Vera tried and failed to stay strong. After three seconds, she begged for mercy and said that she had lied, that Wayne was still pure.

Only then did Veronica let her go, but, still angry, she hit Vera’s head with a hand chop, warning her not to run her mouth again, or she would be sentenced to death!

“I didn’t do it, but one girl here has slept with Wayne—no, she’s a woman now,” Vera said pointedly, leaning into the sofa.

“I said I haven’t done it,” Veronica insisted with a blush. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m not talking about you.”

“Then who else?”

Veronica looked at Vera and then at Kristen, figurative question marks popping up. She didn’t see a fourth person in the room.

“Senior, of course.” Vera sighed. Silly girl, she was not only dense but also refused to listen to reason, stubbornly seeing Vera as her rival. No wonder Senior would succeed in stealing Wayne from her. Given Senior’s looks and figure, even Vera would salivate after her. It was impossible that nothing had happened when Kristen tutored Wayne every night.

Maybe there was already a bun in the oven!

Veronica raged, pinning Vera back on the sofa to punish her. “Senior isn’t you. She’ll never take something from me. Even if Wayne pursued her, she wouldn’t—”

“I would,” Kristen said.

“Huh?!”

Veronica froze. Hearing Vera’s pained shout, she hurriedly let go of her and stared at Kristen, holding her breath. She said stiffly, “What are you talking about, Senior? I don’t think I’ve heard you clearly.”

“I said I would. I became Wayne’s girlfriend last November. We’ve done it, and I now live in the master bedroom in Wayne’s residence,” Kristen said through gritted teeth. She didn’t specify when they did the deed, intentionally mixing up the timeline to make the first claim.

Veronica felt as if she had been struck by lightning—no, by a thunderstorm. She froze, her jaw dropped. Her pure, otherworldly white moonlight, her gentlest and kindest senior, and the older sister who had been taking care of her, slept with her fiancé behind her back.

It can’t be true, it can’t be!

Even if a dog were to bite Senior Kristen, it had to be the most excellent dog in Londan. Her little trash can was full of problems, not good enough to taint her pure white moonlight.

Veronica sucked in a breath, going up to clutch Kristen’s shoulders with a grave look on her face. “Senior, please stop joking. Tell me, did Vera put you up to this? If so, I’d beat her to death now.”

“Hmph!”

╭(╯^╰)╮

Vera lay on the sofa bonelessly. Finally, the cat was out of the bag. She had been waiting for the farce to conclude for a long time. Her only issue was that while she was the first to fall, she was actually too pure to be part of this conversation.

You should be punished for this terrible sin, Wayne!

The one audience member was frustrated, while the two actresses found it difficult to smile. Veronica’s eyes reddened. When Kristen insisted that she had told the truth, it felt like Veronica’s belief was falling apart.

Like a massive boulder had fallen into a calm lake and triggered endless ripples, Veronica saw a bottomless fissure widening between her and Kristen, making them grow more and more distant.

That couldn’t happen!