Read Novel Full Chapter 477- Two Conditions
Chapter 477: Chapter 477- Two Conditions
Reinhardt deactivated his skill, and the scale faded.
The verdict was neutral. However, how was that possible? Half of her soul was demon; she was the one who unleashed the Abyssal Compass, manipulated everyone, and brought this nightmare to the capital.
As if seeing through his dilemma, the Queen opened her mouth to resolve his doubts.
"In those long years that I was alive, although it couldn’t be said that I hadn’t committed any good, it was not like I committed any evil either. Even though I had the power to destroy, I chose to hide it and live a peaceful life, believing that the world still had its redeeming potential"...
"Until finally I could no longer watch it and sealed myself. Likewise, my other half, as you know, only accumulated more contributions. Even today, it was not I who willingly did all this but rather a plot of another demon, a Heavenly King to be more precise"...
"For some reason, they were aware of my existence and wanted to awaken the fragment within her in order to kill you. In that regard, they even went as far as to manipulate the King to force my other half into a desperate situation."
There was no lie in her words; his title confirmed it. Then that meant everything that was going on in the capital for the past few days was not her scheme; the one who wanted to kill him was not her.
"The people..."
"I simply put them to sleep. They are currently dreaming the best dream of their lives. As for the tower, it is simply sapping their power to show them the dream they want. Once they run out of strength, they will automatically wake up from the dream. Naturally, I didn’t spare that Heavenly King either. Since they messed with my other half, all of them should suffer a little... hmph."
No wonder the scale showed balanced. The other half of the Queen was dragged into all of this mess against her will, and so she punished everyone by putting them to sleep. A harmless but powerful revenge.
For the first time in his life, Reinhardt had no idea what to do. If it were any other demon, the solution would have been simple: purify first, ask questions never. He usually incinerated them with the same casual ease one might swat a mosquito.
He’d even been proud of it once, so much so that if there were trophies awarded for killing demons and hating them to the bone, he would have decorated his office with them.
But this situation... This situation was not in the handbook. He had never seen a demon who was half human. Never seen a human who was half demon, and more so, never seen a demon who wasn’t automatically evil.
And he absolutely had never been put in a position where his blade was pointed towards... the Queen.
Reinhardt’s oath demanded he serve her, but his divine duty demanded otherwise. The irony of the situation was such that even a man who had stepped into the realms of the divine, like himself, had his brain drop kicked.
He felt like someone had played a reverse card on him, a cruel joke.
"This is... quite the situation," Reinhardt muttered, rubbing his temples. "If it were anyone else, I’d have already roasted them with divine fire, extra crispy."
His unserious words, even at such a tense time, brought out a chuckle from Minerva.
"If you truly hold no ill will toward Solaris... then forgive the innocent. The people in the capital did nothing wrong. They don’t deserve to be trapped." He sighed deeply and looked up at her with heavy eyes.
Seeing him struggle, the woman’s expression softened. She leaned against him; her tantalizing softness and scent stimulated him.
"You are the Divine Paladin, my knight. Struggling does not suit you, nor does making such a heavy face. If it’s my existence that is causing you to make such a face, then I will make it easier for you. I shall release everyone from the dream. And I shall return my other half, the Queen you cherish so dearly. However, I have two conditions."
The fact that she was willing to end all this nightmare willingly was more than what he could ask for.
"That would solve everything. What are your conditions?"
At his words, Minerva raised her index fingers.
"My first condition... is simple... but absolute. Protect my other half. At all costs."
Well, that was simple. Reinhardt was about to nod his head. However, the woman wasn’t done yet.
"I don’t want an ordinary promise. I want to become your first priority. Even if the world turns against me. Even if chivalry itself condemns me. Even if your role as Divine Paladin demands you choose otherwise... you are to choose me."
The moment the last of her words fell, his body stiffened. No wonder she said it was simple, but at the same time complex. What she wanted was his loyalty, but not that of a knight. She wanted a promise that prioritized her over everything.
His oath, his creed, his entire code of existence; she wanted to stand above them all.
Reinhardt’s mouth closed shut, and his eyes lowered visibly. Minerva had put her condition, and it was absolute. However, it was not the reason behind his current reaction. Her words had struck a nerve; they dug up a memory from the deepest recesses of his being.
Reinhardt turned his head and looked away for a moment. His eyes, which were glossing through memories, clouded over with something old, something nostalgic.
Years ago... this body made a similar promise. A promise meant to be kept until the end. One that overruled all his oaths and duty.
The promise that he had failed to complete. One that still bounds this body so tightly that even after reincarnation, Reinhardt felt its pull.
That said, calling it failed... would be inaccurate since the current him still planned to fulfil that promise.