Chapter 237: Celestine and Veronica
Chapter 237: Celestine and Veronica
This event happened while Roy is still looking for Veronica.
Veronica was on the run, and is hiding in the forest. It was because of what she heard from Sonia about how to hide.
She can escape by flying, but she didn't do that because she will leave no trace when she's flying. She doesn't know what Celestine's elements are, but she doesn't think that Celestine has wind element. And even if she does, Veronica doesn't think that Celestine's wind magic has reached expert level.
Veronica need to leave a trace so Celestine can find her and chase after her. It's so that in case when both of them encounter other cult members who are tasked to kill any one of them, they can take care of the cult members together. But having Celestine to do that without prior notice would be difficult since Celestine's goal is to kill Veronica to avenge the orphans.
Of course she doesn't know yet that the orphans are safe. Since the orphanage is destroyed by wind magic, and she heard rumor that it was someone with similar feature as Veronica who destroyed it, she only thought of killing Veronica.
But Roy thought that having someone about the same level as Veronica might increase the chance of her survival in case she encounters assassins sent by the cult. In case the two of them were found by the cult members after the two met and fight, their battle will be able to delay the cult members from approaching the two.
Roy didn't ask Veronica to hide in a safe place. He told Veronica to run to open space like the forest so she can escape by flying at any time in case something happens. And it's also to make fewer casualties. If she hides in the city, there would be many people died if it ends up with a fight.
While on the run, Veronica finally noticed that one person is approaching her. It was Celestine. And when Celestine gets closer, Veronica can feel the ground shaking. It was Celestine's earth magic that she uses to make Veronica lost her balance.
Although losing balance, Veronica didn't panic. She just waited until Celestine appear so she can talk some sense to Celestine.
"Celestine. I've been looking for you." Veronica said calmly.
"Looking for me, or trying to run away? I don't think your action after destroying the orphanage is that of someone who is looking for me. You destroyed the orphanage because you know how important those orphans to me, right? You left a lot of dead bodies around the destroyed orphanage, but there's no corpse of children. Where are they?" Celestine asked.
"They are safe. We need to hurry and leave before the cult finds us. My friend is coming and he should be able to help us getting out of this mess." Veronica said.
"This mess? What mess? You're just tricking me, right? You wanted to capture or even kill me and return me to the cult so you will gain more achievement. I can't trust you. Where are the children!?"
"They should be in a safe place that even the higher ups won't notice. Listen to me, I'm not your enemy. I also want to leave the cult for a while already." Veronica said while trying to calm Celestine down.
"…what?"
Then Veronica spoke in low tone in case someone is eavesdropping even though she knows that there shouldn't be anyone nearby.
"I've been playing as a spy since last year to inform the cult's movement to someone. I planned to leak more news about the cult, the cult has no plan in moving for a few years. All the small moves are made by individuals or groups from the cult and the Archbishop doesn't mind them doing what they want. And I have been watching you for a while as well while you're putting spies on me. I thought that you are too kind to be in the cult, so I want to get you out of there as well. You're putting spies on me to watch over me, right? You want to see if I'm with the cult since you think that I'm being forced." Veronica explains.
And it seems like Celestine still trust Veronica a bit, she's starting to open up.
"…I heard report from them that you would sometime cry in secret when you kill someone until last year. After that, you never cry anymore, but you lock yourself in your room more often. I guess it must be because you already figure out what you want to do, huh? Good for you."
"You knew about that? That's embarrassing, but you're right. I'll call my friend now, and we can figure out everything… I guess we can't do that now. We are being surrounded. We need to kill them all first. For now, you can think that I'm taking the orphans as hostages. And you have no choice but to follow my order." Veronica said.
"Wait, you were luring me here for them? So that you can kill them all?" Celestine asked.
"Yes. A friend told me that rather than just hiding and escape, I need to kill as many as possible while doing it. These guys must be being kept as secret even from us and their mission is to kill anyone who betrays the cult. And some of them might be as strong as we are. That's what my friend told me, but I think he's right. Will you help me killing them all?"
"…sure. But if you lie and the orphans are not safe, I will kill you and your friends."
"Deal!"
Celestine thought that if what Veronica said is true, that mean she can also have a way out of being part of the cult and save the orphans. Much like Veronica, she is also forced to become part of the cult since she was young. Although her luck is different.
Veronica doesn't have anyone she can trust in the cult, while Celestine found some people who sympathized with her in the cult. But Veronica was approached by Victoria, and no one from outside the cult approached Celestine.
The two agreed to temporary truce until all the pursuer has been taken care of.
"Celestine, get down!"
Veronica casted a powerful Wind Slash toward a direction where she sensed a lot of pursuers coming. Many are killed, but none of them are expert level mages.
Multiple magic was casted and aimed toward the two. Those pursuers are either have known that Veronica is actually helping Celestine, or doesn't care at all that Veronica is there.
They are the most loyal members of the cult raised from they were born, and brainwashed to only follow someone's order. Most likely, the one who gave them order is the Archbishop.
"Tsk! There are too many of them!" Celestine complained.
Then she casted a powerful ground-shaking magic that split the earth. Many non-wind element mages lost their balance, and some of them fall into the fissure. Celestine attacked those who have fallen with her magic.
"Even after all that, there are still about fifty of them. Just how many things are the cult kept secret from us?" Celestine asked.
"Too many, I guess. Especially since the two of us are just there for publicity and to get new members joining us. We are just being used for our appearance. And our acting is good enough to make them think that we won't betray the cult." Veronica said.
"Hah! Can't agree with you more!"
Then, the two sensed more people is coming. About twenty of them.
"Tsk! There are more people coming! Veronica, if I die here, please escape and take care of the orphans." Celestine said thinking that this might be the end. But for Veronica, it was not despair that is coming. It's hope.
A black snake wrapped her leg and continue moving toward her shoulder and whisper in low voice that only Veronica can hear. Celestine didn't focus on Veronica, so she doesn't realize that a snake is next to her.
"No, they are not enemies. They are my friend's allies. We're safe now."
Just as Veronica said that, the new presences approaching in high speed toward the pursuers from the cult.
Celestine prepared to cast Earth Wall to protect the two, but there's no need to it since the new presences actually killing their pursuers.
"What the… those are… monsters? They look like humans." Celestine asked.
"They are Werewolves. My master called them to help you get out of here."
It wasn't Veronica who replied. A new voice appearing from Veronica's shoulder, and Celestine finally see a snake on Veronica's shoulder. The snake then jumped and transformed into a beautiful lady, whose breasts are bigger than Celestine, and have bigger butt than Veronica.
"…Victoria, this is not your usual appearance." Veronica asked.
"It has been more than a year since we last met. Of course I have changed!" Victoria said shamelessly.
"Are you Veronica's friend who will help us? A beastform mage?" Celestine asked curiously.
"No, I'm not even a mage. I'm a summoned monster. It's my master who will save you. Look, he's coming this way!" Victoria pointed at a man approaching from distance.
The appearance of the man soon became clear, and the two expert level mages can see him.
"Hello, I came in peac… why did you transform like that!?"
The man, Roy, was about to approach Celestine and Veronica peacefully, but he was shocked by the appearance of the third bombshell who is his own summon and one of his girlfriends.
Meanwhile, the Werewolves that he called, already attacking the pursuers. When one Werewolf killed a mage, that Werewolf quickly move and help the other Werewolf who hasn't finished their target.
Veronica sighed in relief seeing Roy appear. She thought that she can finally left the cult after all these years.