Greg was now basically certain that although Wendy herself didn't know it, she definitely had some connection to one of the Outer Gods, the Mother of Clepsydras.
Otherwise, there was absolutely no explaining why that kiss had been able to boost his dark mana to such a massive degree, just like when the Mother of Fragmentation had fed him one of her fingers.
So when Nightmare said, “Someone might have deliberately left this pocket watch there to lure Us over,” Wendy's name immediately sprang to Greg's mind.
Since the Mother of Clepsydras' power was related to time, Greg speculated that this power might have given her some sort of premonition, which led her to use this method to draw Nightmare away in advance.
“Did something cross your mind? We can see it from your expression.”
Nightmare keenly caught the change in his expression. She set down the pocket watch, her black vertical pupils shifting toward Greg.
Greg snapped out of it and shrugged. “Yeah, I accidentally thought about what you'd look like as a gentle catgirl again.”
Nightmare's tail stiffened for a fraction of a second, and then she let out a low, disgusted snort.
“...You truly have no intention of hiding your desires, do you?”
Greg retorted, “I remember you once said that was one of my good points.”
Nightmare ignored him and looked back down to study the pocket watch.
The smile on Greg's face gradually faded. He leaned back against the chair, his gaze drifting to the ceiling as he fell into deep thought.
He didn't plan on telling Nightmare what he had just realized.
This was because he remembered that after the Mother of Fragmentation had made him eat her finger, she had used her power to forbid him from mentioning it to Nightmare. There might be some hidden secret behind this.
Therefore, if the pocket watch really was related to Wendy, its purpose was likely also to keep Nightmare in the dark.
Given Nightmare's hostile attitude toward the Outer Gods, Greg felt it was best not to tell her for the time being.
Of course, this didn't mean Greg no longer trusted Nightmare.
On the contrary, he actually trusted Nightmare quite a lot.
However, the one he trusted was the Nightmare he knew now, not the one who had once been the Goddess of Night.
There was a subtle difference between the two.
The current Nightmare would bicker with him, look down on his thick skin, face dangers together with him, and curl up next to his pillow late at night, purring softly.
Meanwhile, the Goddess of Night was someone Greg had never truly known.
Although Nightmare had told him that, according to her lingering memories, the Outer Gods were evil entities that would destroy the world, Greg was actually starting to question that now.
He had been thinking a lot about it.
If the Outer Gods were truly evil beings who only wanted to destroy the world, then after he was swallowed by that rampaging monster in the Academy Dungeon, there would have been absolutely no need for the Mother of Fragmentation to grant him her power.
She could have simply stood by and watched him get digested by the monster to become part of the dungeon's nutrients. After all, if he died, there would be one less person to get in the way of her destroying the world.
Yet, she hadn't.
She had even bestowed a powerful strength upon him to save himself.
Furthermore, from the scene he had witnessed back then, her own situation didn't seem to be very good either.
This couldn't help but make Greg wonder: were the Outer Gods sealed within the dungeons really his enemies?
Was it possible that Nightmare's memories of the past were flawed, leading to such a mistaken perception?
After all, she had admitted herself that her memories were incomplete, leaving many things uncertain even to her.
“By the way...”
Nightmare continued to study the pocket watch in front of her, speaking without looking up.
“We haven't had the time to ask you before, but since you openly revealed Our name last time, what do you plan to do next?”
“Those fools who long to lick Serafina's feet will definitely take action. If things get too out of hand, even that bitch might notice and descend in person.”
Greg stated directly, “That doesn't matter, because I am now a spy sent by the Church of Light.”
“?”
Nightmare's movements abruptly froze.
She looked up, her vertical pupils filled with incomprehensible confusion.
Greg said, “Stinky Jimi, you can't even provide the most basic fanservice angles. Reflect on your actions.”
“!?”
Nightmare looked shocked and began to hiss, the fur on her back puffing up slightly as she went into full alert mode.
Seeing that Nightmare was genuinely getting worked up, Greg quickly raised his hands and explained at lightning speed:
“Of course, I'm not a real traitor. I have no intention of abandoning my Hajimi, who has gone through thick and thin with me, just to worship some goddess masquerading as a busty babe. I'm merely taking advantage of the identity they gave me.”
“From now on, before any major operations against the Dark Night Order, Saintess Veronica will consult me first. So we don't have to worry about things getting too loud. I can keep everything within a controllable range.”
Hearing this explanation, the hissing in Nightmare's throat gradually died down, and her puffed-up fur slowly flattened.
She lowered her head again, a hint of approval in her tone.
“We see. We like this plan. We can toy with them while gaining benefits. However...”
She suddenly raised her head again, her small black nose twitching slightly as if carefully sniffing the air.
Then, her gaze turned sharp, carrying an interrogating look.
“Why is there such an exceptionally strong scent of that bitch on you today?”
Greg yelled, “That's just your imagination—wait, don't claw at my pants!!!”
Rate on N.U.
