The moment Olivia confirmed Greg's identity, the scales in Veronica's heart began to tip as well.
Though she maintained her calm, unruffled expression, she was already re-evaluating the young man in front of her.
If even a Great Archmage standing at the peak of the world like Olivia was willing to testify for him, going so far as to stake her own reputation on it, then the matter was already set in stone.
Everything they said was true.
Veronica fell silent for a moment before voicing her final question:
"Since you both knew all along that Lord Greg is the reincarnation of Lord Zeyn Hardy, why didn't you inform the Church of Light sooner? If we had known beforehand, we would have welcomed Lord Zeyn back with the utmost honor and protocol."
"Um, that's because..."
Olivia froze.
Because she herself had only just learned that Greg was Zeyn Hardy's reincarnation, so she hadn't given any thought to that question yet.
She could hardly say, "I only found out five minutes ago myself," could she?
Fortunately, Greg picked up the conversation in time.
"I asked Olivia to help me keep it secret."
Veronica's gaze fell back upon him.
Greg continued, "I fought countless battles for Lady Serafina, yet I never sought fame or profit, nor did I ever bear a single stain on my honor."
Pausing slightly, a trace of struggle surfaced in his eyes:
"Yet now, I bear a shackle that even I find hard to accept. Therefore, I hope you can grant me a little more time. When the moment is right, I will personally show you the reason why I could not immediately return to the religious order."
Greg had deliberate reasons for leaving things on a cliffhanger like this after careful consideration.
He wanted to lay the groundwork for Veronica to naturally remove his curse later on.
The curse he bore was triggered because, as the other half of the Goddess of Night, he had given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to Silvia—the Candidate Saintess of the Goddess of Light—which resulted in a kiss.
If he abruptly pulled out his Shining Excalibur back then, Veronica would still most likely slay him on the spot.
Now that he had earned her trust, all he needed was to build up her affection step by step until the right opportunity arose for him to fulfill his goal of drawing close to Veronica.
Watching Greg patch up the lie with a straight face, Olivia couldn't help but feel a sudden pang of admiration.
This guy's brain always spins so fast in life-or-death situations. Looks like he isn't trying to commit suicide after all.
Veronica accepted Greg's explanation as well.
She refrained from probing further. Her devotion to the Goddess of Light was intensely devout; in her view, although Greg was currently a student, his soul was that of a Heroic Spirit who had once fought for Lady Serafina in ancient times, deserving of proper respect.
She gave a subtle nod. "I understand. I trust your judgment, Lord Zeyn."
Greg shook his head. "Strictly speaking, I am no longer who I used to be. In this life, I am Greg Sass. Thus, Her Ladyship the Saintess may simply call me Greg."
Veronica readily complied. "I understand, Lord Greg."
Looking at Greg with a tinge of complexity in her eyes, she continued:
"While I am overjoyed at your return, Lord Greg, there is a regretful matter I must inform you of—Lady Serafina, the Goddess of Light, has not personally descended for centuries. As such, you may be unable to meet Her Ladyship for the time being."
Greg, having played the original game, naturally knew this.
In fact, it was precisely by exploiting this fact that he dared to adopt the identity of a reincarnated Heroic Spirit.
Because Serafina had not descended in centuries, no one could confront her directly to expose his lie.
Still, he put on an expression of regret as though hearing it for the first time, lowering his head slightly in silence for a moment before speaking in a faintly mournful tone:
"Is that so... It seems many things have indeed transpired during the years my soul was asleep."
Seeing his crestfallen demeanor, Veronica shifted the topic and asked:
"Then, Lord Greg, what do you plan to do next?"
Greg raised his head, his eyes growing firm and bright once more.
"As I mentioned before, the reason I returned at this juncture is that I sensed this world falling into crisis once more. Therefore, what I must do next is naturally what I did back then—protecting from the shadows this world that Lady Serafina once guarded."
He paused, looking sincerely at Veronica.
"Furthermore, I hope Her Ladyship the Saintess can keep this confidential for now. To save this world, someone must walk in the shadows."
Veronica froze slightly.
She had thought Greg would seize this chance to demand status and resources from the Church; after all, if his identity as a reincarnated Heroic Spirit were made public, it would certainly suffice to grant him a lofty position within the Church.
Yet to her surprise, he still intended to walk alone in the shadows just as he had in his past life, seeking neither fame nor reward.
A surge of reverence rose in her heart—as expected of a Heroic Spirit, he truly possessed a soul and ambition noble as a Holy Spirit.
She gave a solemn nod. "I understand. I shall keep your secret."
She then stepped forward, taking Greg's right hand in both of hers and pressing it gently against her plump chest. Lowering her head slightly, she offered a blessing in a devout, solemn tone:
"May the Goddess of Light watch over you."
Greg: "!?"
The soft touch and warm body heat against his palm caused his mind to short-circuit for a fraction of a second.
While Greg knew certain blessing rituals of the Church of Light involved physical contact, didn't they know the boundaries between men and women?
Nightmare's voice chimed in right on cue inside his mind, laden with mockery:
"Heh, a bitch after all. No matter how many Saintesses they swap out, their true nature never changes."
Standing to the side, Olivia witnessed the entire scene. Her lips twitched as she complained inwardly: Are you two serious? Getting flirty right in front of me? I'm a living person still standing right here!
It was only when Veronica noticed the slightly odd expression on Greg's face that the realization suddenly hit her.
A vivid blush instantly bloomed across her cheeks, spreading all the way to her ears.
Rate on N.U.
