Chapter 93
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: End of the Dream (2)
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It seemed the God of Nightmares had indeed left something behind in me.
"Lady Adriana, could you explain that in a bit more detail? Like, did you feel something similar while I was passed out?"
"Of course. It's not that hard. First off, when you were asleep, there wasn't any real sense of wrongness. ...Sadly, I couldn't look too closely out of consideration, and it didn't hit me with that ideal type vibe like it does now."
Adriana shrugged her shoulders. At the same time, Yuria, who had been rolling around on my thigh, started growling like a puppy spotting a stranger.
"Grrrr."
"Yuria, what's really gotten into you today...?"
Yuria lacked a Bloodline Ability, so she barely clung to human levels, but today it felt especially intense.
Self-assessment again...?
I shook my head inwardly with that thought when Cornelia, who had subtly averted her gaze from me, answered instead.
"Yeah. Looks like Yuria got hit pretty hard."
"...You mean the weirdness coming off me right now?"
"Yes. Yuria's always been a tiny bit more beast than person... but not to this extent."
"Huh. Lady Adriana said it was fine while I was asleep. But then she also said Yuria was on guard, making it hard to check openly."
"That's right?"
"Doesn't that not add up?"
"...Duke Zahav, remember this isn't some pointed remark—it's me speaking as Yuria's friend."
"What are you trying to say?"
"Yuria's always been a tiny bit more beast than person."
"Hey...!"
Yuria lunged to clamp Cornelia's mouth shut. I grabbed her by the scruff, pressed her neck until she settled down, and nodded.
"Aha!"
Perfect understanding.
Cornelia gazed at Yuria with a complicated expression. That sparked one question in my mind.
"Just occurred to me."
"Yes?"
"Isn't staring at a sleeping person's face rude in the first place? Unless you're really close, it seems pretty improper."
"...Auntie! You heard that?! It's basic etiquette even Duke Zahav knows! I told you not to!"
"Tch."
Cornelia oddly emphasized "Zahav" in particular. Adriana clicked her tongue in regret.
What the hell happened while I was out? Bizarrely, I was curious but didn't really want to know.
As I sighed heavily, Adriana, who had been scolded by Cornelia, composed herself and got to the point.
"Anyway, something's off. I've always thought you had that manly look I like, but not to the point of ideal type."
"The ideal type from your dream... something like that?"
"Yeah. And the enemy we just took down was the God of Nightmares, of all things. Doesn't feel dangerous to me, but best to leave this to an expert."
"Your senses, huh... Never thought mine were dull, but feeling nothing this strong about something happening to me is unsettling. Think Archbishop Byron can handle it?"
"He's one of the top priests stationed in the capital. Plus, he faced the God of Nightmares directly, so no worries."
"If that's the case... mind asking him?"
"Good call."
She nodded and summoned a servant to relay the message.
Byron arrived soon after. The moment he saw my face, he traced the church's holy symbol and offered a brief prayer.
"Thanks be to Nix. And congratulations on waking safely, Your Grace."
"Yeah. You hear the gist?"
"Yes. Lady Adriana said the God of Nightmares might have left some remnant in you, Duke Zahav."
"What do your eyes see?"
"...Please don't resist for a moment. It's not harmful."
Byron muttered something softly, then an immense surge of holy power poured from him.
"Oh? Feels stronger than before."
"It's not woven into divine spells—just raw holy power emission. ...Though helping bring about a historic moment alongside Your Grace probably earned some divine favor."
Byron spoke with the gentlest expression imaginable.
The God of Nightmares was meant to be a child of the Goddess of Night but was denied even birth due to its danger.
Tragic, but mixing dreams and reality did seem inherently risky.
Somehow, I'd ended up handling the Goddess of Night's business.
All gods were recovering power, making direct interventions like oracles nearly impossible, but they could boost or reclaim holy power via pre-made systems.
This must've been a huge issue for the Goddess of Night all along.
"Then let's begin."
"Sure."
Byron closed his eyes quietly, and the holy power circling his body slowly seeped into me.
Not plain black—deep navy with hints of purple. And darkness carrying countless starry specks, warmly enveloping my body.
I kept my aura suppressed and waited patiently, as Byron advised.
"Whew. There's a faint but definite repulsion."
Byron sighed deeply and spoke.
"To cut to the chase, your concern was spot on. For some reason, Duke Zahav, you carry a fragment of the God of Nightmares' authority."
"...Any way to remove it?"
"The authority itself—not holy power—is beyond my power alone. The Pantheon might have a way... but hard to say for sure."
"Tch. Got it."
"But there's good news too."
"Good news?"
"The authority in you isn't linked to anyone. It's degraded to mere traces."
"Meaning...?"
"No chance of the God of Nightmares suddenly reviving by making Your Grace a follower, or you suffering nightmares. It holds authority-level rank, but the total power is minuscule."
"That's definitely good news."
I'd only checked just in case—it made sense on reflection.
The God of Nightmares ultimately faded quietly back to nothingness without being born.
So, if anything...
"Just a trace, or proof."
The God of Nightmares was denied birth, yet not fully erased.
No miracles clung to it, but people dream nightmares and fear them anyway.
The faint authority left in me was probably much the same.
"Got the gist. But this seems key... any idea what it does?"
"Yes. You'll find it familiar, Duke Zahav. You've experienced Dream Projection firsthand."
Per his explanation, it was essentially the same power that let the capital's people all watch my nightmare.
Just far weaker, stripped of its nightmare identity—no danger, barely noticeable unless intense.
Thus, people seeing my face unconsciously project their ideal type onto me.
That explained Adriana's unease and why already-odd Yuria went full weirdo.
"Doesn't activate while I'm asleep, though. What's that about?"
"Night and day. Wakefulness and sleep are two sides of the same coin. The authority radiates outward while you're awake, but flips inward the moment you sleep."
"...So when asleep, it focuses solely on me. Awake, it affects those around me instead."
"Yes. Any oddities while you slept?"
"Not really... oh, I slept like a rock. Don't remember, but felt like good dreams."
"That's the authority at work."
"Totally harmless... "
Deep sleep at night, auto-affection by day.
As I chuckled wryly, Yuria suddenly jerked her head up and shouted.
"Hypnosis magic...!"
"What."
"I know this, Oppa! Hypnosis magic, right? Doesn't matter why now—forces girls who like you straight to the bedroom en masse?!"
"No, never crossed my mind."
"Heh heh. They lose their purity cluelessly, go home, snap out of it, grind their teeth, come back for you... but one look and hypnosis hits again, stumbling in a daze! That's the plan!"
"Yuria... is that what you think about all day?"
"Sigh. No choice. If Oppa wants, I'll offer up my friends. Can't fight hypnosis!"
"Never happened."
"Starting with Cornelia... huh? Besides Cornelia and Maykin, I got no... mffph!"
I forcibly clamped Yuria's mouth as her eyes sparkled mischievously. Why was the embarrassment always mine?
Glancing over, Cornelia buried her face in her hands, mortified. Felt a strange kinship.
Still, shame aside, I had to ask.
"Archbishop Byron, just to be sure—could something like Yuria worries happen?"
"Absolutely not."
Ka-vi-ah-gap-song...
Honestly, a little disappointing.