Chapter 141
Chapter 141
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: Great Devil Immortal (5)
A soft voice, laced with a subtle heat, reached my ears.
"Okay, Eve. My wish is..."
The voice, which had seemed ready to demand something right away, suddenly trailed off.
Celestina fell silent for a moment.
Her ruby-red eyes began staring fixedly at me without a word.
With a gravity, as if carefully measuring some delicate angle.
"...?"
In the abrupt silence, all I could do was tilt my head.
'...Is she actually thinking it over?'
The Celestina I knew was more meticulous than anyone.
So, I had assumed she'd naturally prepared the wish she wanted to ask for long ago.
But why was she hesitating like this after coming all this way?
The somehow ominous atmosphere made me feel oddly tense as well.
"......"
"........."
Then, at last, she spoke.
"It's okay if I don't use the wish ticket right now, right?"
Her response was utterly unexpected.
"Huh? Why not?"
Celestina smiled and lightly winked one eye.
"You know it too now, Eve. If you have a good card, it's more effective to play it when the board is perfectly set up. So... I want to hold onto it for now. I'm sure the right moment will come."
"Well..."
It was a point she'd proven herself earlier.
No matter how much she knew a typhoon was coming, she wouldn't have achieved these returns without first designing a board that drew in investors from around the world for maximum profit.
But I hadn't expected that logic to come up again here.
As I stared at her in bewilderment, Celestina continued.
"That's fine, right? You never mentioned a deadline for the promise."
She spoke with a smile far prettier than usual, as if smoothing over any reluctance.
At that brazen grin, I could only nod dazedly.
"Y-Yeah... Do whatever's convenient for you."
"Hee-hee. Thanks, Eve."
Truth be told, it didn't matter to me whether it was now or later.
I'd happily grant her most any request.
But something still nagged at me.
Celestina was a born gambler, as evident.
The type who always calculated how to wield her weapons most effectively, when to play her hand for the biggest gain. That made me a little worried.
If she was holding onto that opportunity so tightly... what on earth would she ask for later? It was a bit frightening.
'...She'll be fine, right?'
Still, I could trust Celestina.
She wouldn't plot anything bad against me.
Probably.
"......."
For a split second, it felt like the divine beast in my mind had twitched... but it must've been my imagination.
My faith was at rock bottom anyway, so it couldn't be used.
In any case, with Celestina putting her wish on hold, our conversation lulled for a moment.
Seizing the chance, I picked up my paused spoon and scooped a bite of the dessert ice cream in front of me.
A luxurious sweetness filled my mouth, drawing an unwitting sigh of admiration.
"Mmm...!"
"......."
From across the table, I felt a pleased gaze watching me.
Feeling embarrassed for no reason, I shifted topics back to this incident to divert attention.
"Even knowing the future, I never imagined you'd pull off such insane returns."
It was sincere. I was constantly amazed by Celestina's abilities.
In truth, massive capital was like a living creature in itself. Mishandle it even slightly, and the fish that bit the bait would've sensed something off and cut losses before the typhoon hit.
But Celestina had kept tantalizing their greed with perfectly timed trades and volumes.
Thanks to that, a single victory netted an enormous pot.
Having watched the whole process, I could only marvel.
"You're incredible. I was really shocked."
The boldness to burn billions of credits as mere bait without hesitation.
The foresight to predict global investors jumping in on the risky short-selling.
And in that engineered board, toying with hedge funds and institutions like playthings.
Everything was perfection incarnate.
As I lavished praise, Celestina simply flashed her signature confident smile.
"Hee-hee, thanks for the compliments. But it's all thanks to you, Eve."
That smile suited her so well and looked so cool that I couldn't hold back more praise.
"No way. I guarantee you, even knowing the future, no one else could've pulled it off like you did, Cella sis. Seriously, it was so cool. Having such a pretty, amazing, capable sister makes me feel so lucky. How can anyone be this perfect? Oh, but... there's one tiny problem. If my standards get too high from always seeing someone like you, you're gonna have to take responsibility?"
The last bit was a playful jab, recalling how she'd overreacted to the Ronan engagement fiasco last time.
But oddly, no reaction came.
"......."
Wondering if I'd messed up, I moved to smooth it over—only for Celestina to thrust out her hand to stop me.
"Enough. Haah... Please, just stop there for today."
"Huh?"
"You're pretty good yourself, Eve. But no matter what, I'm not using the wish ticket now. After how we got this chance..."
"...?"
What did that mean?
I watched her expression closely, inwardly anxious, but thankfully she didn't seem too offended by my joke.
'Phew...'
Anyway, my admiration for how incredible she was remained utterly genuine.
And one more thing.
Having observed her up close for a good while now, I could see why she was called a "white shark."
I'd felt it in the Prosper Wellness insurance deal before, and now in this Reliance Group investment.
Luring with tasty bait, then snapping shut at the perfect chance—like a predator's hunt. It was awe-inspiring to watch, and I understood why victims fell helplessly.
But something felt off... Her style seemed strangely familiar to me.
Maybe from seeing it too often?
"...."
Musing briefly, I absentmindedly scooped more dessert.
Under the silk-smooth vanilla mousse hid crisp pistachio crumble.
A subtle, refined saffron aroma wafted delicately.
Here, desserts were closer to luxuries than food... but still delicious.
Naturally, a place serving cuisine at this level was the upscale restaurant Celestina had brought me to.
Maybe because she had gourmet tastes herself, our meetings always happened at such fancy dinners.
Feeling guilty about always being treated, I'd offered to pay once, but she'd refused outright.
'This should repay some of the meals she's covered so far.'
Thinking that, I savored another scoop of the ice cream.
The flavors blooming in my mouth. Made with real spices, not synthetic flavors—the aroma was luxuriously authentic.
The varied textures delighting my tongue were exquisite too.
Delicious food like this surely played a part in why meeting Celestina was always so enjoyable.
"Mmm~"
As I let out an unwitting hum, those red eyes stared intently at me.
"Hee-hee, was this meal good too?"
"Yes! It was the best!"
Buoyed by the tasty food, I answered brightly.
Celestina let out a satisfied, leisurely laugh.
But in that flawlessly beautiful smile...
Why did I sometimes feel a chill down my spine?
It was inexplicable.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Heading back after dinner with Celestina.
With the investment worries cleanly resolved, the tension that had gripped my body for weeks melted away like a lie.
Perhaps because of that, my body felt languid.
I leaned deeply into the plush backrest of the AV, lost in thought.
"......"
The leisurely chat with Celestina just now had only been possible because we'd achieved our goal.
Over 30x returns.
That success made my promise to grant her anything feel not the least bit wasteful.
Thinking back to those days clinging to the edge, just waiting for the typhoon...
Now, at last, I could breathe a sigh of relief.
Even foreseeing the future, I'd been too hasty and reckless in this investment.
It came down to risk management.
Celestina had trusted my foresight absolutely, which let her act so boldly.
'But what if some variable delayed the typhoon even by a day?'
All the precisely calculated investments could've unraveled.
And the blame would've been entirely mine.
'Luckily, everything's gone according to prophecy so far...'
Even as I changed the future bit by bit, how could I be so sure a natural disaster wouldn't shift too?
No, now I realized—it wasn't certainty, but impatience.
The horrific end I'd seen in the future had become a trauma, an obsession I had to avert.
The thought that I absolutely couldn't repeat the deaths of the donors, the followers' sacrifices, the pointless war.
That desperation had blinded me, driving me to pour everything in without risk controls.
'Incredibly reckless.'
I had no choice but to reflect deeply on that.
From now on, even if it took longer, I'd choose more stable paths to profits.
"......"
But the payoff for taking that risk and succeeding... was awfully sweet.
Overwhelming returns.
The church's allies had seized massive capital in one go.
In a world where money was power, how immense was the strength we'd just gained?
Reinvesting this future knowledge to balloon our assets further, we could complete the body grade for Great Devil Immortality.
Then, no one would dare target the church without serious resolve.
But... even nearing that goal, a corner of my heart felt unsettled.
I knew the reason.
The hurricane had brought us vast wealth, but it was also a horrific disaster that stole homes from countless people.
The thought that this money was built on others' misfortune wouldn't leave my head.
Right then, the use for part of the profits was decided.
The three port cities caught in the hurricane.
More precisely, the refugee camps sheltering those who'd evacuated beyond the storm's reach after warnings from our pre-deployed priests.