Myths Reawakened

“You’re stunning, Ana!”

Anastasia covered her mouth and chuckled, whispering that Ines had left her with all the memories. The secondhand compliments were not only ineffective, but actually made her laugh.

Wayne rolled his eyes. Ines had done it on purpose. She could’ve left Anastasia no memory.

“You’re amazing, Ana,” he grumbled. “You’re the first Holy Maiden to make your goddess jealous in the history of mankind.”

Anastasia wordlessly put her arms around Wayne’s neck and lifted her chin slightly.

He pecked her gently, patting her on the backside. “Not now. I owe you once. I have important matters to take care of.”

He turned inland to look toward Prussia. Stargazing and moon watching could wait. The priority now was to eliminate the potential risks on the Chosen Land.

Splitting space, he grabbed Anastasia by the waist and stepped back to Londan.

***

Manor of the Holy Maiden of Darkness.

Vichy was meditating in the back garden with her eyes closed. Sensing the disturbance in the space, she stood up and bowed to her superior—superiors.

“This is Ana, not the Goddess of Darkness.”

Wayne patted Anastasia. After the trip to Hell, especially the three days he had spent with Ines, he now saw Vichy in a much more positive light. He had found the knight serving two masters disloyal, being hung up on her previous master while receiving an allowance from Sir Wayne. She wasn’t truly on his side. But now...

“Good. Serve me well, and Ines will treat you right.”

Wayne patted Vichy on the shoulder before walking away, leaving her confused.

Anastasia tugged on Vichy’s sleeve and whispered a few words to her. Vichy’s eyes widened. Sucking in a breath, she shook her head and said, “I don’t believe it. It’s... There has to be something wrong.”

Anastasia said nothing. Taking Vichy’s hands, she played her a few scenes she could show.

Those scenes were too PG, so Vichy, while surprised, remained unconvinced. Anastasia had no choice but to show her the explicit scenes.

Vichy staggered with disbelief, questioning her faith and her life.

Anastasia smiled and whispered a few more words to her. Simply put, the goddess didn’t have a thick skin, so if Vichy didn’t want to be dragged in as an innocent bystander, she’d better stay farther away the next time she guarded the door. Otherwise, there was no telling whose body the goddess would take over.

Vichy broke into cold sweat. She nodded vehemently first, and then shook her head. Both Wayne and Ines were masters she had pledged her loyalty to. Once her two masters came together, she would no longer be put in a dilemma of divided loyalty. It was a good thing!

If that day ever came, she would be willing to take on the responsibility.

“That’s not right,” Anastasia reminded her. “If you want that, you should run far away...”

Right. Both superiors were the inhuman kinds who loved tormenting their subordinates. Vichy covered her face and groaned silently. The character was too complicated for her to play.

Passing by the living room, Wayne found Sukra lying flat on the sofa. The Holy Maiden of Death had been sealed by the evil sofa, wearing a luxury, custom-made sleep mask and an expensive white sleeping robe. With a novel in one hand, she reached for the snacks on the table with her other hand. Every once in a while, something funny would make her giggle.

She no longer had any use!

Wayne shook his head silently. He corrected her posture when he walked by and left with a simple, “Reading on your back is bad for your eyes.”

Sukra cocked her head. If that was the case, was reading a book through a mask any better? That man always said incomprehensible nonsense. Since he was her sugar daddy who paid for her food and accommodation on top of giving her allowance, though, she refrained from making a comment.

Lying down, she went back to reading, giggling.

***

Wayne’s residence.

A black car pulled over. Wayne greeted Veryl and found two Thrones having tea in the living room: Lust incarnate and Intelligence incarnate.

Hestia looked lewd, but had nothing to do with Lust. Similarly, Olga looked like an intelligent and wise beauty, but actually wasn’t any more intelligent than Hestia.

Both were on the stupid side!

“Śār!” x2

Hestia shot to her feet when she saw Wayne, rushing up to him. “You’ve been gone for days. Which demon is good enough to do that?”

“Why must it be a demon?” Wayne grumbled. “I’ll say it again. I do not attract demons.”

“You’re too humble, Śār,” Olga said with a faint smile.

You two deserve a lesson, too.

Wayne rolled his eyes. “Where’s Hesione? Forget it. I’ll contact her myself.”

Closing his eyes, he contacted Mona through the master and servant contract between them, asking her to come as soon as possible.

Hestia and Olga automatically translated ‘Hestia’ into ‘Mona’ in their minds. Although they were staring at the facts right in the eye, they couldn’t see it.

They couldn’t be blamed. Four of the Seven Sacred Virtues were covering for each other, and the great demon lords couldn’t be trusted. Wayne had to be Hesione, and Hesione had to be a simple clergywoman.

“Śār, the secretary has changed a lot recently. Her temper has become milder, but she’s also become even more unhinged. A loyalty that isn’t absolute is absolutely not loyalty. I suspect that she’s trying to replace you...”

To win back the Śār’s love, Hestia added embellishments liberally as she told on Hesione, "Before the other reincarnated angels, she has been using your name and even trying to mislead Śār Auriel into believing that you are the Anointed One.”

“Well, maybe she is Hesione?”

“Śār...”

Hestia pouted. Scarcity wasn’t the worst offender, but inequality. Seeing that the secretary was getting everything while she had nothing made her dejected.

Mona walked into the living room then, adjusting her glasses and sitting on Wayne’s lap. As a demigod, the glasses were nothing more than decoration to her. She only kept them on because Wayne liked the look.

As soon as she sat down, Hesione took over and said, “Great Anointed One, is the demon this time that formidable? You took so long to return.”

I knew you were the one spreading the rumor.

“I’ll say it one last time. I do not attract demons...” Wayne gave up. He said instead, “Yes, I’ve run into some formidable demons this time. To tell you the truth, I went to Hell. I fought all Seven Demon Lords in a prolonged fight until I finally prevailed.”

Heaven’s seal is on Hell. You can’t just come and go as you wish. x3

Hestia and Olga shook their heads silently, knowing that Śār Hesione was entertaining his secretary again.

Olga envied the secretary. Śār Hesione was such a nice angel. Hestia was envious, too. She would also like to be teased by the Śār.

Hesione smiled wordlessly. Heaven’s seal was indeed on Hell. No one other than the four Śārim could freely pass through the gate. Even the Anointed One... Oh, the Anointed One? It wouldn’t be a problem for him.

Hesione corrected her posture and said with a frown, “Great Anointed One, given your power, you’d be able to easily free yourself even if you were chased down by the Seven Deadly Sins in Hell. Why did it take you half a month? Perhaps... Forgive my lack of perspective, but are demons worthy of redemption, too?”

“Yeah, I tried to save the Lord of Lust in Hell, as well as Wrath and Gluttony.”

Hesione froze. Thinking of how Wayne had redeemed her and then of Lust’s appearance, she stood up without another word.

“Hey, why are you moving so far away?” Wayne huffed.

“Please don’t take it the wrong way, Great Anointed One. My mental state hasn’t reached a great enough height to understand your redemption. It’s my fault.” Hesione moved so far back that she was outside the living room.

“Why? Do you find me filthy?”

“That-that’s not the case.”

Wayne patted his legs, urging her to sit on him. Hesione dragged her feet toward him slowly, standing right before him with wariness.

He reached up... and grabbed nothing. He tried again... and once again missed.

“...” x2

Is this a game Śār Hesione plays with his clergywoman? I don’t understand it. x2

“Oh my. I was deceived by the Lord of Lust in Hell, leaving me filthy and pungent, ravaged by the poison of lust. Only the baptism of Purity’s holy water can cleanse me. Yet you find me filthy. You don’t understand the spirit of self-sacrifice at all.”

Wayne sighed. “Hesione, this is a battle between good and evil, meant for the Anointed One to judge Lust and Purity. It’s a psychological match that shouldn’t be understood in the framework of physical interactions. I’ve got to say... I’m disappointed. Your mind is too deep in the gutter.”

When he saw the thoughtful look on Hesione’s face, he reached out.

He missed again.

This was better. The Śār had finally recovered her derision for him. Smothering a laugh, Wayne left out the fact that he had put on protection and detailed his epic fight with the Lord of Lust.

Hearing how he had been taking on five and sometimes even dozens of succubi at a time, Hesione moved even farther away.

“Hesione, have you not figured out the simple truth about the Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Sacred Virtues?” Wayne put his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice.

Hesione shook her head. “Great Anointed One, please tell me. How do you measure the sins of Wrath and Gluttony?”

“I killed them both!”

“Is the Lord of Lust still alive?”

“Very much so.”

I have no question then.

Hesione stood outside the living room. If Wayne dared make a move, she would run away.

Wayne was close to laughing his head off. If not for the circumstances, he would definitely tease Hesione more for his amusement.

Clearing his throat, he said, “I was just teasing you. I didn’t visit Hell for Lust. I don't even know what she looks like. I’m saving all of Hell!”

“???” x3

The angels didn’t understand. Thinking about it only gave them more questions.

“Back in Prussia, I encountered the evolution of Mechanical Evolution. It’s powerful enough to overwrite the evolution of angels and demons. Hestia was a victim then...”

Wayne narrowed his eyes. “The information appeared in Hell. We have not eliminated the risks posed by Prussia. Accompany me to Buckingham Palace, Hesione. We need to gather enough manpower to eliminate the risk.”

“Great Anointed One, I’m afraid that Auriel will not believe you.” Hesione sighed. It was too difficult to prove that Wayne was the Anointed One. She had tried several times, almost making her into the Lord of Envy’s counterpart in Heaven.

“How so?”

“He won’t believe it—unless you’re willing to demonstrate your power and convince him that you are the Anointed One.”