Chapter 277 (1): The Heavenly Father is an Ancient God

“I do have a way...”

Wayne made a strange face as he explained the solution: have Auston undergo his experiment. Even if it failed, it would provide valuable experience for Silvia and Veronica. For his wife and daughter, Wayne urged Auston to go for it.

Auston refused immediately. He would rather endure more pain than have Wayne become his faith. It would be too painful—more so than killing him!

Wayne didn’t force the issue since he didn’t want to do that, either. Instead, he said, “There are other ways. For example, I could attack Master and Veronica while pretending to be a divine messenger. Given your intelligence, though, my acting can fool them, but definitely not you...”

“How troublesome. Why do you have to be so smart?”

Auston was silent for a moment. Then he said slowly, “I have a way that might work.”

“Go on.”

“The Ministry of Magic has a research project on Astral Beasts. I can clone my body, and when I can no longer bear the pain, transfer my thoughts to it. After a few times, I may succeed.”

Would that still be you?

Wayne shook his head, not optimistic about the proposal. Magic could grant immortality, but not easily. Transferring bodies would inevitably come with permanent consequences. Besides, it involved Astral Beasts, which were potent sources of corruption.

If he was going to be corrupted anyway, better let Wayne do it. At least it would be safer.

Neither of them had a good solution, but they agreed that the Darkness Knight had to go to the Frozen Land. The crisis was too great for the Darkness Knight to be absent.

Wayne was mentally prepared to go in Auston’s stead, but he didn’t say it. Instead, he urged Auston to endure more of the pain.

In the past, Auston had endured pain to gain power, but now, his purpose would be to protect his loved ones. Although magic didn’t understand the language of love and connections, there was no denying that the responsibility of protecting others could transform a person.

“It’s time. I’m going to Silvia...”

Auston straightened his clothes. Whether Silvia forgave him or not, he had to become the true Darkness Knight. It wasn’t to protect the goddess, but to protect his family.

When he took two steps toward the door, he realized that Wayne was straightening his clothes, too. Auston’s face darkened, cursing out the figure mirroring him. He pushed open the door and left quickly.

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Wayne also stepped out of the study. Finding Megan still standing at the door, he gave her a thumbs-up. “Good luck and work hard. Shift all the blame to Auston, and Master will forgive you.”

(눈_눈)

She was only a butler. She didn’t know what the young master was talking about.

“Megan, you don’t have a lot of time. He’s only a Silver-ranked mage at the moment. Once he becomes the Darkness Knight, you won’t be his match, whether you use force or drugs.”

Wayne pointed out the harsh reality, urging Megan to make a move soon.

Stop wasting time. Set an example for Veronica and show her that all men in the Lando family shopped around while having a perfectly good partner, and the Lando heir was only following tradition.

(눈‸눈)

Megan didn’t understand, not at all.

Wayne waved goodbye at her and rubbed his hands together as he headed to the young lady’s mansion. Avoiding Veronica, he made it to the bedroom window and claimed a good seat. Veronica went up to him curiously. Why would he ignore his fiancée to look out of the window...

Hmph, she would have the window removed tomorrow!

Wayne pulled her into his embrace. “Master is bothered by Auston being the Darkness Knight. Although she’s forgiven him about eighty percent, she still can’t come to terms with it. It’s impossible to reverse one’s beliefs in a short time. I’m guessing that Auston will play the pity card to appeal to Master as usual.”

You know the trick so well!

Veronica huffed, pinching Wayne’s waist and twisting hard a few times.

Bang!

Under their expectant gazes, a figure flew toward the grove. That familiar arc and the pleasant sound of flesh hitting ground—who else could it be but Auston?

Immediately after, Silvia jumped out of the window and chased him into the grove, followed by Megan, who was carrying a medical kit.

A trace of Darkness rippled out. Explosive noises resounded from the grove nonstop.

“Amazing. As expected of Master. She’s pinning the Darkness Knight down and beating him up. The one and only chosen knight of Darkness can’t even resist.” Wayne chortled with an admiring expression.

Veronica tilted her head and leaned on his shoulder, asking her external brain, “Jerk, is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

That’s practically flirting for them. It’s likely a good thing.

Wayne lifted her chin and kissed her. “Auston is good at deceiving women. He even daringly deceived the Goddess of Darkness. I don’t think Master can resist.”

How good is he at deceiving women? More so than you?

Veronica bit her lip, savoring her fiancé’s kiss.

She had been troubled by her troubled relationship and didn’t know how to face Wayne and Kristen. But when Twilight Despair hit, and Shadow Nightmare knocked it away, she chose to exercise selective amnesia and put the issue aside for now.

She’d wavered!

Veronica stood at a crossroad, affirming her determination to move forward with the trash can, but thinking of her white moonlight’s heartbroken figure walking away made her heart ache, preventing her from taking the first step.

Setting aside her fantasies about the white moonlight, Kristen was her best friend... one of her best friends. She couldn’t bear to lose that friendship.

After agonizing over the issue, she decided to stop thinking for now.

“Wayne, tell me about the Church of Sun’s mission.”

“Mission perfectly accomplished. I’ve returned the Sun Knight’s power. Moreover...” Wayne’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Vera found her parents. She’s happy, more so than before.”

“Really?” Veronica perked up, happy for Vera that she had recovered her parents. As her roommate and close friend, she knew that under Vera’s optimism and resilience was a heart full of regrets.

Now, the regrets were amended. Vera had to be thrilled.

Oh, wait!

Veronica realized her mistake. Her gaze sharpened as she grabbed Wayne’s collar with one hand, slowly raising her other hand in a fist.

“Veronica, what are you doing? Shouldn’t you be happy for Vera?”

“No, I’m sad for myself.” Veronica’s expression was calm, but her eyes were blazing with fury. “Let me guess. You helped Vera find her parents, didn’t you?”

“Um...”

Wayne blinked. The Dragonblood was always particularly smart at these moments. He decisively changed the subject: “As expected of a detective assistant at my agency. You’ve grown after reading all the diary, Veronica. You’re now a qualified detective.”

“So she and you...” Veronica raged. She didn’t want to say the rest, and Wayne didn’t need to answer. He wouldn’t have passed on such a good opportunity. She had kindly lent her fiancé to her good friend for the mission, and the result? Her friend ate more than she could swallow.

Damn it!

She would rush to Vera’s place now and beat her to death—no, she would wait until Vera had enjoyed the happiness of having a family, and once she had no more regret, Veronica would beat her to death!

Boom!

The punch generated a strong enough current to mess up Wayne’s hair. Surprised that he hadn’t been thrown out of the window, he gave the furious dragon-blooded girl a questioning look.

Oh, she was no longer a girl.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking. Once you fly away, you’ll just go home to find Senior or Vera.” Veronica ground her teeth together. The crossroad now had another route. Vera, her blonde loser friend, would walk arm in arm with her white moonlight.

No, her loser friend must not get close to her white moonlight. They should leave in separate directions.

“Don’t overthink it. Vera and I haven’t done a thing. She’s still a pure girl. If you don’t believe me...” Wayne shamelessly leaned in and whispered, “You can examine me and make sure that I haven’t misbehaved outside.”

His reserve was full and had not been plundered. He was ready for an inspection anytime.

Then...

(⁄⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄⁄)

His face was so detestable that Veronica punched him without thinking, hollering, “You’re the one who should stop overthinking. Tonight, you’re sleeping on the living room sofa. Don’t bother my rest.”

“In that case, Senior will be the one to examine me,” Wayne said. The goods he provided were precious, so she had to be decisive in procurement.

Shameless! How can you say something like that?!

Veronica furiously sent him flying through the window with a punch. Wayne stayed in the grove for five minutes to watch the show of the Church of Nature’s High Reverend beating up the Darkness Knight. Then he returned to the young lady’s mansion.

Obediently, he slept in the living room on the first floor.

An hour later, a dark figure infiltrated the bedroom and dragged the freshly showered young lady to the living room.

“Bastard, what are you doing? Who gave you the permission?!”

“You did. You said that I’m sleeping in the living room tonight.”

“...”

***

The next day, Wayne woke up in the bedroom. He got up, washed up in the bathroom, and put on his watch, ready to leave.

Bam!

Veronica shut the door. Wearing a white nightgown, she leaned against the door with her arms crossed and huffed. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re staying here from now on.”

“No can do. I have important matters to handle.”

“Vera or Senior?”

“The Princess.”

Veronica paused. The answer was unexpected but not unreasonable. While it seemed absurd at first, upon second thought, it fit the scumbag’s tendency not to push the same buttons.

Veins popped up on Veronica’s forehead. Fists clenched tight, she said in a trembling voice, “My patience has its limits. If you want to die, just say so. You don’t have to beat around the bush.”

“Do you have nothing else on your mind?” Wayne pulled her into his arms and kissed her face. “The Princess knows too much, so I can’t just let her go. She’s royal blood, though, and I did owe her one for tipping us off. I have to shut her up since I can’t just kill her.”

“That’s why you’re going to date her?”

...Whoa, why didn’t I think of that?

Wayne was astounded. The Dragonblood’s thought process was truly unorthodox, and she was an absolute genius when she was jealous.

“Ha, I got you!”

Wayne agreed. “I wasn’t going to do that. I just planned to lock her up and spend some time taming her. Now that you mention it, though, romance is a better method.”

There were so many things wrong with that response that Veronica didn’t even know where to start. She grabbed Wayne’s collar and made him explain himself.