The Serpent’s Tears (XII)

The moonlight shattered.

Amidst the churning, tearing black mist, the Silent Moon’s countless scarlet eyes shrieked ferociously, brimming with boundless rage as they fixed upon the old man with the crossbow.

‘Insects.’

‘Yet another insect.’

‘How dare they?’

‘How dare you, you wretched insects?’

The ethereal blue moon began to thrum wildly, its agitated aftershocks twisting space into rippling layers. A blood-like hue spread across its surface, transforming the entire celestial orb into a crimson spectacle in an instant.

Yet, it wasn’t fury that turned the Silent Moon scarlet, but rather… poison.

This deadly venom, meticulously crafted by a Grand Archmage of the Origin tier, was rapidly spreading across the lunar disk, steadily eroding its exquisite moonlight.

It was a ‘certain death’ power capable of affecting even the true body of an evil god. How could a mere projection withstand such virulent corrosion?

Boom—

The Withering King’s myriad withered hands extended once more, this time meeting no resistance as they swiftly clutched the luminous moon. Searing crimson flames erupted, causing the grotesque eyes to continuously disintegrate within the inferno.

The lunar disk twisted, a clear testament to the supreme deity’s boundless rage and madness in that moment.

It also revealed their utter powerlessness.

Under the corrosive effects of the lingering death poison, and the relentless suppression and dragging force of the Withering King, this evil god’s projection—one capable of turning an entire nation into a desolate wasteland overnight—was slowly but surely forced back into the depths of the void.

Only an endless hatred remained.

What awaited them next was the terrifying consumption by another evil god.

****

The evil god, the Silent Moon, had calculated everything to evade the divine war with the Withering King and to avert the fate of being devoured.

They had even gone so far as to abandon their divine body and position, intending to descend with their will and authority as an evil god into the perfect Serpentkin body, using Anna as a vessel.

Ultimately, however, the plan was thwarted by the backlash of these lowly ‘insects’ in their eyes.

Both projections were annihilated, and all their followers were incinerated.

From this point forward, the delicate balance between the Withering King and the Silent Moon, two evil gods of equal standing, would be completely overturned.

The supposed outcome, perhaps, had been predestined long ago.

****

“To think even *that* entity made an appearance,” Jinze exclaimed in astonishment from beyond the dark mist. The old man had snatched his crossbow, leaving him to merely observe the spectacle from the sidelines.

He had known the situation would escalate significantly, but he never anticipated it reaching such a monumental scale.

Two evil gods rolling up their sleeves for a brawl was truly a rare sight, occurring perhaps once in a century.

“It’s only natural for *that* entity to appear. After all, from beginning to end, this affair was essentially between those two. Strictly speaking, everything that transpired in Belrand was merely collateral damage,” the old man remarked, tossing aside the crossbow.

He gasped for breath, appearing to have aged another decade in an instant. To ensure the Stone of Origin struck its target, he had exerted his full strength for the first time in a long while.

However, his half-decayed body clearly struggled to bear the strain. Despite this, he felt immensely gratified.

To personally shoot an arrow into the moon’s face would be exhilarating for anyone. Especially for someone like him, who harbored considerable resentment and hatred towards the moon.

Over the past decade, he had watched that young girl silently confront despair alone. Even if his heart was once steel, it had inadvertently been forged into the sharpest blade.

“Huh? This dark mist?” Jinze suddenly gasped.

Even though the Silent Moon’s projection had vanished, the Dark Moon Mist still lingered. In fact, the rift torn open by the Withering King was gradually healing, once again isolating the area.

“It seems things aren’t entirely over yet,” the old man sighed, settling onto the ground. “However, there’s nothing more we can do. The cleanup of the evil cultists is almost finished.”

“Let’s just wait here. With me around, even if something unexpected happens, it won’t cause any major trouble.”

“Yes!” Jinze acknowledged.

However, a thought suddenly struck him, and his serious expression shifted. He frowned in confusion, asking, “Speaking of which, *that* entity seemed to have been lured here by Ewan Campbell, wasn’t they? The power of the two evil gods was too chaotic just now; I couldn’t discern how he did it. Did you see it clearly?”

“…I didn’t either. The oppressive power of the two evil gods was too intense. Who would pay attention to that boy?”

“…True enough,” Jinze sighed softly, a hint of regret in his voice. While a little wary, he didn’t dwell on it.

In this world, there were many ways to attract an evil god’s attention, not just through cultists and prayers. As the Duke’s son, it wasn’t strange for Ewan Campbell to possess peculiar items.

“But privately possessing items related to evil gods is a serious crime. Can I arrest him later?” Jinze asked matter-of-factly.

The old man cast a blank look at Jinze. “You should ask the Princess Overseer over there about that. If she’s willing to overlook it and not report you to His Majesty for abusing your authority, I have no objection.”

“Oh,” Jinze responded, falling silent. ‘Who would want to do that?’

Even though he was deeply immersed in the work of the Silent Watch, he had heard that Ewan Campbell was the Princess’s fiancé. Doing so would be deliberately inviting trouble.

No matter how rigid he usually was in his duties, he wouldn’t do something so utterly foolish.

However…

Jinze looked at the dark moon mist, his expression suddenly growing strange.

‘Princess, your fiancé is currently alone with another girl in the most secluded place in the world. No one outside will know what they’re doing in there.’

‘Don’t you care?’

****

“What does that have to do with me?”

Celicia stood in a stark white gown, strikingly conspicuous against the night. Despite the torrential rain, not a single drop clung to her, making her appear like a breathtaking night-blooming cereus.

Yet, at this moment, she seemed colder than usual, her eyes, like solidified ice, fixed on the balding middle-aged man wiping sweat from his brow.

“Viscount Guen, your work is stalled. What does that have to do with me?”

“Your Highness, please show me some understanding.”

Viscount Guen, the governor of the Lower City, showed none of the composure expected of one who commanded the entire district. Instead, he resembled an overworked middle-aged corporate drone, the recent stress having significantly worsened his receding hairline and dark circles.

The heavy rain had drenched him completely, yet he continued to wipe sweat from his forehead.

“It’s truly not for lack of diligence on my part. Your Highness is well aware of the chaotic situation in the Lower City. Even if I were to investigate as per your command, it’s not impossible, but it requires a certain amount of time.”

Viscount Guen appeared deeply aggrieved. “Moreover, Your Highness, you haven’t pressed me before. Why this sudden…”

“Of course, I understand you perfectly,” Celicia interjected, a profound meaning in her tone. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have bypassed you and used my own methods to investigate those matters.”

“What?” Viscount Guen’s face instantly turned ashen.

“According to my investigation, the number of missing persons in the Lower City has reached an utterly terrifying figure, far exceeding the number I presented to you last time.

Among the criminal gangs in the Lower City, only the Crimson Flame Gang, foolishly, colluded with evil cultists, secretly engaging in human trafficking and selling people for sacrifice to an evil god.

However, how could the Crimson Flame Gang alone make so many people vanish into thin air?

So, the question arises.”

Celicia gazed at Viscount Guen, a cold, indifferent curve gracing her lips.

“In the Lower City, besides those gangs, who else would find it so convenient to commit such acts?”

The answer, naturally, was singular.

The Guard, an organization entirely under Viscount Guen’s control.

What other official body, whose primary purpose was to maintain peace and order in the Lower City, could more easily make certain individuals ‘reasonably’ disappear from this world?

“…” As her chilling words fell, silence descended upon the street where only the two of them stood, broken only by the sound of the rain.

Viscount Guen suddenly fell silent.

Yet, in that stillness, his form began to grow, his thick muscles twisting and colliding like a giant python. In an instant, his clothes ripped apart, and he transformed into… a complete and utter monster.

“I see.”

Observing Viscount Guen’s transformation, Celicia nodded knowingly. “You are the Sleepless Man from the urban legends.”

“I never thought Your Highness would uncover me,” Viscount Guen—or rather, the Sleepless Man—said, his face contorting into a ferocious snarl as he glared at the young woman. “I never wanted to do this, but now, to conceal this secret, I can only ask you to die, Your Highness!”

He charged towards Celicia like an enraged bull, the ground cracking under his every powerful stride!

“Is that so?”

Celicia, however, showed not a flicker of panic. Instead, a hint of mockery flashed in her eyes.

With a flick of her slender fingers, snowflakes, unnoticed until now, mingled with the falling rain.

“Who gave you the courage to say such things to me on a rainy day?”

In an instant.

An icy chill permeated the air.

Freezing everything.

****

Celicia stood amidst a landscape of white, allowing the gentle breeze to stir her gown.

At some point, the rain had ceased.

The dark clouds that had blanketed the entire city gradually dispersed, allowing the inherent vastness and grandeur of the city to return to its streets and alleys.

Only occasional snowflakes still drifted down, catching in Celicia’s hair and brows, like the silver frost flowers of a winter morning.

“Your Highness.”

The golden-armored knight knelt behind her.

“Take him back and interrogate him thoroughly. There are likely other nobles connected to these matters. Draft a list and submit it to me as soon as possible… No, forget it. Let whoever is in charge handle it directly. I am merely a student now, and I no longer wish to concern myself with such troublesome affairs.”

Celicia glanced at the ice sculpture beside her.

“Yes.”

The knight acknowledged the command, directing his subordinates to swiftly remove the ice sculpture.

Only Celicia remained, alone, appreciating the approaching dawn.

The sky was almost bright.

The city had regained its quiet, and the Silent Watch’s suppression of the evil cultists was largely complete.

Everything that had transpired this night, as expected, drew to a close.

Only…

Celicia looked up, her gaze fixed on the half-circular shroud of dark moon mist in the distance.

“You truly always appear in the most conspicuous places, don’t you?” Celicia murmured softly, her silvery eyelashes fluttering, her gaze lowered.

At this moment, the young woman’s thoughts were as elusive as the snowflakes aimlessly drifting on the wind.