Guinevere had been contemplating the best time to pay a visit, never imagining that Melusine would beat her to it by arriving at Alexander's place first.
Just as Alexander kept a watchful eye on her, Guinevere monitored Alexander with maximum vigilance.
That was precisely why she was able to detect their arrival and rush over immediately.
Rather than letting that "White Princess" twist the narrative, she figured it was better to come plead guilty herself and sever this wretched fate early.
Even if it cost her life.
Melusine was indeed caught off guard by the other party's "do with me as you wish" attitude.
Had this been before, she certainly wouldn't have held back, but the situation now was a bit different.
Before, she only wanted to root out Guinevere to eliminate future trouble.
Now, however, her goal was to usurp the fate of the Last King, becoming the sole Last King across all parallel worlds.
By doing so, she could spread her fame to every corner of existence and reap a massive amount of recognition.
And when it came to summoning the Last King, no one held more authority than Guinevere.
"I believe Lady Guinevere didn't just utilize Lady Melusine's power, did she?"
Alice said with a smile, smoothly brushing aside the name "Lancelot," which Guinevere had used to try and butter up the goddess.
"..."
Guinevere knew full well her timing was wrong. With Alice here, she would only constantly undermine her.
But it was already too late; waiting any longer would only make things worse.
Regardless, she wasn't afraid of death now, so there was no need to hide anything.
Speaking openly might even earn her some impression points with Melusine.
"I am deeply sorry, Knight Lancelot," Guinevere said, ignoring Alice entirely, her eyes reflecting only Melusine's form. "If you cannot forgive me, I offer my life as the price to appease your fury."
Alice said nothing more.
She, along with the others, knew Guinevere had come here to die.
Alice especially knew that Guinevere possessed the ability to reincarnate, but the current situation was already the best scenario she could have imagined.
At the very least, reincarnation took time. Even if Lady Melusine forgave her afterward, that time would be enough for her to find a way to destroy the resources Guinevere had accumulated over the years.
However, Melusine's response left both Alice and Guinevere looking at her in stunned silence.
"I did indeed intend to kill you, but I changed my mind along the way," Melusine stated plainly.
"May I ask... what that means?" Guinevere confirmed again, realizing she hadn't misheard. But just because she heard it correctly didn't mean she understood it.
Based on her two previous observations of Melusine, she didn't seem like the type to leave the roots intact after cutting down the weeds.
Alice's heart trembled, shocked to hear those words.
Though she maintained a smile, it was noticeably stiffer than before.
Athena and the others didn't react much. After all, Erica firmly believed that the god she chose could do no wrong, and Liliana simply obeyed.
"I do not intend to let you go; I just need you to accomplish one thing before I kill you," Melusine continued, not waiting for a reply.
"I want you to complete the ritual to resurrect the Last King. After that, I will kill you completely."
Smiles won't vanish, they just transfer.
That sentiment was perfectly illustrated at this moment.
The smile that had originally hung on Alice's face could no longer be maintained, but the gloom on Guinevere's face was instantly swept away, replaced by a smile of pleasant surprise and disbelief.
"Do you... truly intend that?"
"Yes."
Melusine was expressionless. "To achieve my goal, the resurrection of the Last King is necessary."
"Please... wait a moment?"
Alice chimed in, unable to believe her ears. "Lady Melusine... the Last King should be the mortal enemy of both you and Lady Athena...?"
One a Dragon-Serpent, the other a Mother Earth Goddess—why would they want to resurrect the Strongest Steel?
Did Athena become a Heretic God too? But she clearly hadn't.
"Precisely for that reason, I must resurrect him, and then thoroughly slay him." Melusine knew her actions had given Alice quite a shock, so she offered a word of comfort.
"Do not worry, I am the Strongest."
"..."
Alice dared not speak further.
Which Heretic God or Campione didn't think they were the strongest? They all felt that way until they died.
Once they were truly dead, they behaved.
No, ultimately, Heretic Gods didn't even die; they just returned to myth. The only ones who truly suffered were humans like them.
Thinking of this, Alice's expression grew more bitter, but she knew she was powerless to change it.
It was better to stop interrupting and see if, through spending time together, she could gain this goddess's guilt or pity, and use that to change her mind.
Previously, Alice wouldn't have thought this way.
After all, it was common knowledge that Heretic Gods could not communicate because they did not empathize with humans and cared nothing for human values or ethics.
But Melusine's earlier question and Erica's attitude had given her this hope.
Guinevere, however, was in a state of ecstasy, completely unbothered by Melusine's words.
Resurrect the King, then kill both the King and herself?
Setting aside whether that was actually possible... well, considering her suspicions about Melusine's true form, it might just be possible.
But it didn't matter even if it could be done; or rather, Guinevere had no choice at all.
As long as Melusine lived, her King and Melusine would inevitably have a fight.
Instead of throwing her life away to bet on Melusine letting it slide, only to slowly arrange the plans to resurrect the King again later, getting Melusine's help right now was an absolute jackpot.
A minute ago, she felt like she was walking on thin ice, wondering when she would reach the other side.
Now, it was as if she saw the dawn of victory. The shift in mood was so vast that even Guinevere couldn't quite process it.
"Your martial prowess and mercy fill me with awe. Thank you very much!" Guinevere bowed once more.
"Do not feel gratitude toward me; I am merely fulfilling my own purpose," Melusine said, still not giving a pleasant look despite her reverence and attitude, but Guinevere didn't care.
"Even so, your attitude has allowed me to see hope," Guinevere said with a smile.
"How do you intend to summon the Last King?" Athena couldn't bear to watch this scene any longer, stepping forward to interrupt their pleasantries and forcibly drawing Guinevere's gaze toward her.
"Lady Melusine and Lady Athena need not worry about a thing; I will be able to prepare the necessary conditions for the ritual very soon." Guinevere obediently bowed to the two of them.
"It is just that... during this process, I may need to borrow Lady Melusine's martial strength."
"Just do it," Melusine nodded.
She certainly didn't believe Guinevere could get things done quickly without her. "If necessary, you may contact Athena."
"Yes!"
Guinevere bowed again.
Only after Melusine and the others left did she straighten up, casting her gaze toward the direction of that Far Eastern island nation.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.