Chapter 305 (1): Raw Power is True Power

After Douglas departed, a robed woman arrived at the Western District Great Cemetery. Reaching the heart of the cemetery, she took off the black hood that obscured her face, revealing her tall nose, red lips, smooth skin that looked as fair as snow, and eye-catching red hair.

Anastasia.

The dark elf was an unusual beauty even in her regular form, which was to be expected since she had been Senna’s rival, including in looks and figure.

A gust of wind parted the mist and wrinkled the black robe Anastasia was wearing. The black cloth hugged her body, showing off her alluring curves. From the side, her voluptuous bust contrasted starkly with her slim waist, leading down to the shapely, smooth line of her bottom and then her long, lithe legs. She was tall, slim, and had perfect proportions.

Wayne glanced at Do.

Don’t generate wind for no good reason. This woman is different. Stop creating a mood that’ll lead to unnecessary misunderstanding.

Still, he glanced at Anastasia a few more times.

He had seen Anastasia’s regular form in the packaged videos Senna sent him. She was a beauty who could rival Senna and Filomina. In comparison, Veronica and the other girls her age might have youth on their side, but their youthfulness meant that they lacked the mature charm that only came with years.

“Mr-Mr. Wayne.” Anastasia bowed in greeting, taking two steps back silently. The Holy Maiden was panicking, and she had started panicking as soon as she received the summons. Why would her faith call on her this late at night? It couldn’t be for that, could it?

It shouldn’t be. Her faith wasn’t as perverted as Senna had described him to be. Anastasia had witnessed his willingness to make sacrifices in person, and he matched the three chosen knights in that regard. He was also kind-hearted and compassionate. He...

Anyway, he had his strengths!

It was a sacrilegious offense to make rude comments about her faith, so she didn’t dare to speak too much about him. She also felt an unspeakable sense of anticipation. She was worried that he would do something, but even more worried that he wouldn’t do anything. Most of all, she worried that he would do something inappropriate.

Anastasia felt conflicted. She lamented how far she had fallen and kept her distance to show her unwavering stance: she would not approach on her own volition!

Unless Wayne approached or made the order, that was.

At the end of the day, he would not have her heart!

“What are you even thinking about...”

Wayne’s voice spoke in Anastasia’s heart. Knowing that her thoughts had been read like a book, the Holy Maiden made an embarrassed whine. Her scaredy-cat side was in stark contrast with her frosty elegance as an elf, and Wayne almost gave in to his urge to bully her.

But he couldn’t, regrettably.

What Anastasia had done inspired a deep respect in Wayne. He said bluntly, “Holy Maiden, you came at the right time. My recent research yielded results that will allow you to retain your autonomy.”

Anastasia didn’t believe him. An evolution would not stop once it began. She had already lost her autonomy, and there was no going back.

Wayne wasn’t completely confident, either. He said with a sigh, “Let me try. At least I won’t let you fall further.”

That was an offer Anastasia couldn’t reject. She took off her black robe and unbuttoned her collar.

“That won’t be necessary. In the future, don’t just take off your clothes first thing. You have recovered your body and are no longer a magical puppet...”

Wayne hurriedly stopped her. As soon as he took two steps toward her, she took two steps back. He rolled his eyes and ordered her to stand still.

“I know that Senna said strange things to you. Ignore her. She’s already lost her mind. I’m not what she made me out to be,” Wayne grumbled in explanation, but he couldn’t convince himself since he had done the deed with Senna.

Thankfully, Anastasia wasn’t aware of that.

Wayne came up to Anastasia from behind, placing his hands on her trembling shoulders. He used the research findings on her through the Pale Nest.

Senna could’ve received the procedure, but she said no. She had fallen so completely that her thoughts had submitted to her faith fully. She saw autonomy granted by faith as creating distance from her faith and refused to accept it.

It wasn’t too late for Anastasia yet. Her thoughts hadn’t been corrupted in the beginning. Only afterwards did her thoughts begin to change along with her body, so she might still retain her self.

Five minutes later, Wayne wiped his forehead even though there was no sweat. He unconsciously sniffed the fragrance lingering on his fingertips.

He was close enough for Anastasia to notice his behavior. She shuddered and took two steps back, her head lowered. “Mr. Wayne, thank you for your help. I’m... feeling better now.”

“Really? Don’t you need me to check you again?”

“Oh no. I’m good, truly.” Anastasia quickly shook her head, looking at Wayne like he was a source of plague to be avoided. Unfortunately, the plague was her faith, and the more she wanted to get away from him, the more her heart ached with reluctance. Getting closer was her only remedy.

Wayne frowned, sighing in resignation when he sensed Anastasia’s thought process. She retained herself, but not fully. Like a person standing on the edge of a cliff but couldn’t back away, she would fall into the abyss if she took one step forward.

The analogy was an apt description of Anastasia’s current mindset.

It was a common phenomenon. Humans had an instinctual fear of height, but when they were standing at a high place, they couldn’t help but imagine jumping down or being pushed off. Anastasia was in that exact situation, or even worse, since she couldn’t get away from the edge of the cliff. Feeling like she was treading on thin ice, she couldn’t help but want to jump off for a quick release.

“Holy Maiden, find me once every month so that I can stabilize you. Believe me. Time will prove my conviction. You only have to be yourself.” Wayne made a promise to her.

Feeling a bloom of warmth, Anastasia nodded slightly.

Once she was in a better state, Wayne asked, “Holy Maiden, why did you come to Londan and become an ally of the Queen?”

Anastasia smiled bitterly. “I didn’t want to come, Mr. Wayne, but my thoughts create a yearning for the city in me...”

There was nothing about Londan that would make her yearn for it; she was yearning for Wayne. She didn’t voice that thought, hoping Wayne would come to the conclusion on his own.

Outside of her longing for her faith, there was another reason Anastasia had come to Londan. The Goddess of Darkness had erased part of her memory and given her a suggestion to amplify her want for her faith, worsening her ailment. As a result, she couldn’t resist her anxiety and ended up coming to Londan.

Anastasia didn’t remember her goddess’s manipulation, so she assumed that she was done for. She often imagined her faith holding her and doing things to her in broad daylight—in other words, she had been having wet daydreams.

There was no need to talk about what kind of dreams she had at night.

It was all because of the Goddess of Darkness, who was a sadist adept at taming the human heart. Auston was an example, followed by Anastasia. The goddess only planted the thoughts, allowing her followers’ desires to consume them.

That was why, while Anastasia’s symptoms were less severe, her illness that caused the symptoms was actually more serious. Wayne could only treat the symptoms rather than cure the illness, and in the future, there would be more mess to clean up.

Neither of them knew that at the moment, so they believed that the treatment had gotten the illness under control, and everything was going in the right direction.

Staying by Wayne’s side, Anastasia kept having inappropriate thoughts. Her gaze darted around, alternating between his eyes and lips. Her mouth felt uncomfortably dry.

She volunteered, “Mr. Wayne, building a base for the Church of Darkness is a mission I gave myself. It doesn’t matter if the church works with the Queen. If you find it disagreeable, I’ll turn them down now.”

That won’t be necessary. The fact that you’ve found yourself a justification means that you can still be saved. When you stop looking for an excuse, you’ll have become Senna.

Wayne didn’t expose Anastasia by voicing the thought. “The Queen is allying herself with the Church of Darkness and looking for the Darkness Knight, primarily to go after the Tulip Families. The Life Alliance and the Church of Heavenly Father are secondary. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes, you hailed from one of the Tulip Families and are the Lando family’s only son. I’ve gathered the information.” Anastasia hesitated for a moment before explaining herself, “I didn’t want to say yes, but I want more information, and the Church of Darkness does need the royal family’s support to gain a foothold. So...”

“There’s another reason I didn’t tell you immediately...”

Her hesitance made her seem like a different person from the woman she had been in the Frozen Land. Wayne knew what she was worried about, so, to show consideration to the patient, he didn’t shamelessly force her to spell out the truth.

“Anastasia, do you know who the Darkness Knight is?”

“Not yet.” Anastasia shook her head. Her instinct told her that Wayne knew the Darkness Knight and might have a benevolent relationship with him.

“The Darkness Knight is Auston Lando.”

“Your father?”

Anastasia was somewhat surprised, and then she became incredibly surprised. Based on what she had gathered, Wayne was Auston’s illegitimate son.

They looked similar in appearance and were identical in the way they held themselves; even their hairstyles and the types of clothes they wore were similar. No one would question their relationship.

“...”

Wayne had given up on correcting the assumption. A major reason he seemed so similar to Auston was Veryl. As the former head butler of the Lando Estate, Veryl had taught Wayne to become just like Auston. To outsiders, it would seem like a perfect case of apples not falling far from the tree.

Not knowing the truth, Anastasia believed that the two of them were father and son. What surprised her even more, though, was the other intelligence she had collected: Auston’s wife was the Church of Nature’s High Reverend.

She had met the woman. Silvia introduced herself as Wayne’s master and backup mount. To her knowledge, great dragons didn’t just allow anyone to ride them. Wayne’s third mount was Veronica, Wayne’s fiancée and Silvia’s daughter. The family’s relationships...

She made a mental chart and marveled at all the intersecting lines. Just like a typical old noble family, the Landos checked all the stereotypes she had for nobles.

(눈‸눈)

Wayne huffed.

She’s broken. There’s nothing but lewd thoughts in her brain, and all of them are the incestuous type. How is she the Holy Maiden?

Where’s the headmaster? Come and discipline her!

To avoid making her misunderstanding worse, Wayne didn’t try to explain, but instead said, “I told you who the Darkness Knight is because I don’t want you to find him by accident. Regarding the Queen’s plan, just make an appearance as the Church of Darkness’s Holy Maiden. Do not contact the Darkness Knight.”

“Isn’t he your father, Mr. Wayne?”

Anastasia didn’t understand. The Queen was planning on having the Death Knight and the Darkness Knight pressure the unruly local factions. Auston should be informed both from a logical standpoint and an emotional standpoint. Keeping him in the dark...

Was this an attempt to usurp the head of the family?

As the Holy Maiden of the Church of Darkness, Anastasia should be taking the Darkness Knight’s side. Since Wayne was also the Darkness Knight, she stood by Wayne.

“You have an active imagination!”

Wayne couldn’t help but expose himself for constantly reading Anastasia’s mind. She lowered her head and blushed, quickly clearing her head. She could not let her faith see the daydreams she had been having.

The more she told herself not to think about it, the more she thought about it, and Wayne saw everything.

As expected of a Holy Maiden, you’re more naive than Filomina had been!