Chapter 360: Worth Being Chosen (Subscribe Please)

"..."

The fallen angel, her body taut, hesitated for quite a while before finally slowly relaxing, her body growing soft once more.

For a moment, Lucille felt dazed.

She held Herbert gently, afraid she had misheard, and lowered her head to ask again: "You mean, compared to Him, you'd rather choose me?"

Not Him, but... me?

Do you really know what you're saying?

Seeing that expression, feeling the change in the fallen angel's body, Herbert's smile grew even brighter.

"Yes, you."

He nodded and said softly, "No matter how He tries to win me over in the future, what promises He uses to tempt me, or what means He uses to force me... I won't submit. I'll stand firmly by your side."

"Compared to the joy and anger of a god who means nothing to me, I care about you... you, right here before my eyes."

Herbert spoke earnestly, spoke from the heart.

And after hearing this mortal's sincere declaration of "choosing her steadfastly," the fallen angel pressed her lips tightly together.

"..."

However, her expression wasn't because she was so moved by Herbert's words that she was about to cry.

It was — she was a little startled.

The fallen angel felt a long-forgotten shock and a sliver of fear.

In the thousand years before this, Lucille had never heard such absurd, blasphemous words.

Although there were no overtly explicit words on the surface, that utterly indifferent attitude alone was enough to be called blasphemy.

If the believers of the Church of the Sun were to hear Herbert's earth-shattering declaration, he'd probably be strung up on a rack and burned by the Sun's flames from the start of the year to the end.

Burned through and through, inside and out, back and forth, reduced to cinders, then burned anew a hundred times over.

Herbert... does he really know what he's saying?

Disrespecting a god is one thing — among the pagans, most harbor hostility toward other gods.

But he picked the wrong target!

He was actually looking down on that existence — that being who could truly be called "great"!

Even the outrageously arrogant Miss Xie Shen wouldn't dare show such an attitude openly!

Whether in the past or now, Lucille had never felt there was the slightest chance she could be mentioned in the same breath as that lord.

She couldn't imagine even more that one day she would surpass Him in someone's choice.

Choose me, and not Him?

Moreover, there was one thing that made Lucille the most dazed — Herbert was clear-headed; he fully understood the implications behind his own words.

Even so, he still spoke these "blasphemous" words.

"Um..."

Lucille hesitated considerably, worried he would pay a price for these words, and reminded him: "Herbert, I'm grateful you chose me, but please don't say things like this again."

Being able to choose me moves me, but you should still watch what you say and do!

However, though Lucille worried, Herbert didn't think there was anything wrong with his attitude.

He is a god, true, but so what?

It's not like I haven't seen one before!

There's a chatty god in my head every day, and I don't think He's anything special.

He smiled, didn't take Lucille's reminder to heart, and said casually, "It's nothing, don't be so nervous."

"If He can't even tolerate others' opinions, then He really isn't worth revering."

Although some gods might indeed grow angry over mortal slander, send messengers to punish, or even descend with divine punishment.

And such things weren't isolated incidents — in history, they'd occurred dozens of times, and some flourishing kingdoms had even fallen because of it.

But Herbert figured that for the Sun God, He should at least have that much grace.

Besides, the arrogant blazing sun actually wouldn't care about an ant's opinion — He would only react to words from beings of the same level.

If Herbert's words could draw the Sun God's attention, then his own strength would already be enough to converse with Him, giving him the standing to offer an opinion.

Herbert didn't intend to dwell further on this boring topic, and proactively changed the subject: "Also, are my words really that surprising? I don't think they're all that bad."

"I'm not close to Him at all, but I'm very close to you — isn't this the obvious choice?"

The Sun God?

Not close, not close, get lost.

How could such a boring-sounding old thing possibly compare to the "soft-bodied, slit-eyed, four-armed, big-chariot fallen angel" Young Lady?

Can't compare!

He just doesn't have what it takes, got it?

Finally, Herbert said firmly, "You don't need to overthink it. My thoughts are my thoughts — they won't change because of others. Even if the Church of the Sun really comes knocking, it won't change my mind."

"And be a little more confident! You are worth being chosen by someone, worth being loved by someone."

"Not everyone can possess the courage to defy Him."

After Herbert finished speaking, the fallen angel, who had been silent for a long time, watching him quietly, let out a soft sigh and nodded.

"Perhaps you're right."

"I... am worth being chosen."

Right?

Sighing inwardly, Lucille, in her confusion, subconsciously raised her head and looked upward.

Just as she had done countless times in the years gone by.

She raised her head, trying to look at the blazing sun hanging high in the sky, hoping to get an answer from the gods.

But this time, just after raising her head, Luciel paused for a moment.

Luciel knew.

There was no sun there.

The gods were not there.

Moreover, her eyes had long since been unable to see the sun.

After pausing for a moment, Luciel slowly lowered her head and quietly looked at the youth held in her arms.

She had been lost for a very long time.

Hiding within this space that seemed like a cage, but was in fact a sanctuary.

When there was no sun above to guide her, she lost her way while moving forward, constantly trying to find a new direction.

And now… she felt she might have found a new direction.

So, would he be the new "sun" in her heart?

The Fallen Angel Young Lady stayed silent, not rushing to draw a conclusion.

She still needed to continue observing.

Luciel "gazed" at Herbert, and soon felt unsatisfied with such a look.

The eyes that had been tightly shut behind her black veil opened slightly, and the countless pupils within the slits gazed at the youth's face, as if to etch him completely into her mind.

Feeling himself being watched by "countless" gazes, Herbert felt slightly awkward.

He was good at talking a lot and doing many things, but he wasn't really used to being stared at so intently.

A little unaccustomed.

To cover up this embarrassment, he chuckled playfully and winked with a smile: "How about it? Are you feeling very moved right now?"

He just wanted to laugh it off and steer the awkward atmosphere away.

But who would have known, the Fallen Angel Young Lady actually nodded seriously.

"Mm, very moved."

Luciel hugged Herbert tightly once more and said softly: "No one has ever chosen me the way you did."

"Thank you for being able to tell me this thought."

The Fallen Angel Young Lady being so frank made Herbert feel a bit awkward.

"Uh!"

This honest?

How did it suddenly become like this?

You're being so obedient, it makes me feel very unaccustomed!

"You're feeling awkward."

Luciel sensed Herbert's uneasy emotions and asked with a light laugh: "Then, were you joking just now?"

Hm?

Still don't believe it… oh.

Herbert was a little puzzled at first, wondering why she was still asking.

But when he saw the smile playing at the corner of Luciel's mouth, he immediately realized she wasn't truly suspicious, but was teasing him.

He couldn't help but roll his eyes and twitch his lips.

"Tch."

When did you, this thick-browed and big-eyed fellow, learn to make jokes like this?

Who did you learn it from?

But after complaining in his heart, Herbert also laughed: "No, of course I wasn't joking."

"This is my promise."

Herbert valued promises highly.

Perhaps because of his profession in a past life, in his heart, the weight of a promise exceeded many people's imagination.

Once a promise was made, it would definitely be kept.

Luciel looked at Herbert's expression, seemed to sense something, and silently nodded — faintly feeling the weight of this promise.

As the two gazed at each other, Herbert suddenly raised his eyebrows and said in a rather strange tone: "Um, although I don't mind, but… are you planning to keep holding me like this?"

After the Fallen Angel "finished sucking the person," the two had remained in this intimately embracing ambiguous posture.

Holding each other tightly, like a pair of intimate lovers cherishing their skin-to-skin closeness.

To be honest, it was a bit overly ambiguous.

Although Herbert was subjectively trying to conquer Luciel, he felt their relationship hadn't developed to this stage yet.

The reason was… oh, right, she had been sucking on him at the start.

Brother, although I don't want to admit it, I might really smell good.

Luciel didn't let go directly, but hugged him even tighter and asked in return: "Do you want me to let go?"

"If you tell me to let go, then I will let go."

Although she said so verbally, her body showed absolutely no intention of letting go, even making her body harden once again.

Four arms bound Herbert in place like iron chains — though her chest remained unchanged, still soft.

Herbert, feeling her "body language," twitched the corner of his mouth and said resignedly: "I don't mind, it's up to you."

"If you want to hold me, then keep holding me."

Anyway, I'm not at a loss either.

However, although the two of them were hugging, Herbert actually didn't feel much of an ambiguous atmosphere.

On the contrary, he felt he was more like a little kitten being "mothered" in someone's arms.

Just hugging like this wasn't going to work, so Herbert took the initiative to bring up a topic: "Speaking of which, how's your relationship with Lucalia?"

"Hmm?"

He looked at a shard of mirror on the floor of the sanctuary, knowing that the Mirror Demon Young Lady had once been here.

Lucille had clearly declared so confidently before that she would help him suppress the other prisoners, but now it seemed she had ultimately and unexpectedly slipped up.

However, as the Warden, Herbert still didn't want genuine enmity to arise between the monster girls, and he advised: "Will you two still fight? You can fight, but I think it's best not to be too serious about it…"

But Herbert was cut off directly before he could finish speaking.

"Um, Herbert, hold on a moment."

The Fallen Angel raised one hand and gently covered Herbert's mouth, interrupting: "Before I answer that question, I have a small question here—could you answer it for me first?"

Hmm?

Herbert nodded silently.

"…"

After receiving a response, the Fallen Angel was silent for a while, frowning, and asked quite uncertainly: "So, could you first tell me—who is Lucalia?"

"Should I know her? Am I, supposed to be very familiar with her?"

Lucalia?

Who?

The Fallen Angel Young Lady professed complete ignorance on the matter.

Eh?

Herbert's expression at this moment was quite a sight; he blinked rapidly.

No way—you smashed her mirror, the shards are right there, and you're still saying you don't know her?

Her corpse hasn't even gone cold yet!

And before Herbert could start complaining, another person present couldn't hold back first.

"Hey, hey, hey!"

A voice of disbelief came from the mirror shards on the floor: "How could you say something so hurtful!?"

"I thought we were on pretty good terms."

"Didn't I tell you my name?"

The mirror shards on the floor gathered together, reforming into a complete round mirror, and floated over toward the two of them.

The angel's reflection in the mirror gathered a face full of grief and indignation, pointing at the heartless Fallen Angel to question her: "I clearly chatted with you for so long! How can you pretend not to know me?"

"You heartless…"

Whoosh—

But, at the very moment the person in the mirror was angrily rebuking her, a black feather shot out from the Fallen Angel's black wings and smashed the mirror directly.

Crack!

Herbert: Broken?

No way, Mirror Demon, you're no good either!

How could you break so easily.

The Epic Mirror Demon, who had been throwing her weight around in front of Herbert and the others, couldn't stir up any waves at all in front of the also-Epic Fallen Angel.

She broke just like that, that simply.

Also, my dear Fallen Angel Young Lady, how can you be so decisive in your strike?

A pure zero-frame startup.

"Sorry, I acted on instinct…"

Feeling Herbert's gaze, Lucille explained with a hint of apology: "I found her too noisy, so every time I make her be quiet for a while first."

"Don't worry, she'll come back in a bit."

Sure enough, before even half a minute had passed, the mirror shards on the floor trembled and gathered again, reappearing perfectly intact.

This time, the person in the mirror had learned her lesson; she didn't actively approach again, but instead watched from afar in a corner.

Lucalia complained quite resentfully, muttering: "You don't even remember my name, and you strike so ruthlessly—isn't that a bit too much?"

After finishing her grumbling, she looked at Herbert and smiled: "We meet again, you… wait!?"

The Mirror Demon Young Lady only now clearly saw Herbert's posture, and her eyes went wide.

"No way, how are you hugging another woman again?"

"Also… hiss!"

Lucalia stared in shock at Lucille, who was tightly hugging Herbert; the mirror itself was shocked into developing cracks.

Why is it you!!?

Wait!

How is he hugging you!!?

(End of this chapter)