Ch.7979. Black Sun (3)

Time passed like that.

It was enough time for the Emissary of the Sun with his disheveled hair to grasp the situation, and for Black Sun to calm his agitated mind.

Fidget. Fidget.

Black Sun, who had been squirming in my arms, quietly spoke to me.

“Y-you can let go now.”

“You let go first.”

“What…?”

“Put down that sword.”

「Child of the Lost Star: Understood.」

I clearly gave the instruction to Black Sun, but the innocent constellation answered instead.

Before I could express my confusion, the sword that had been gripped in those pale hands trembled and fell away on its own.

-Woong woong.

“Was that yours?”

「Child of the Lost Star: I considered using divine manifestation, but this seemed more efficient.」

What kind of efficiency is he talking about?

Putting aside these headache-inducing thoughts, I finally released Black Sun from my arms.

“Tch…!”

“Here we go again.”

Black Sun, who had been waiting for an opportunity, tried to lunge at the Emissary of the Sun again, so I immediately grabbed his clothes to stop him.

“Don’t.”

“But…!”

“I said don’t.”

When I warned him with a deliberately stern tone, Black Sun finally stopped.

As he cautiously looked up at me with his height reaching only to my chest, quite confusing emotions stirred within me.

He used divine manifestation.

Though I’d seen it several times through other constellations, seeing Black Sun use it evoked a different feeling.

“Pretty.”

“…!”

I left my honest impression first.

It’s exactly my type, you could say.

He was displaying a beauty that reminded me of home after a long time.

With just a bit of makeup, I might actually shed tears.

‘Oh my.’

I might unconsciously start wanting to go back.

“A-Absolute One…?”

“What?”

“You look sad.”

“Is it that obvious?”

“S-sorry. I won’t cause any more trouble…”

Misunderstanding my intentions, Black Sun lowered his eyes and showed an expression full of guilt.

“That’s not it.”

“…?”

Leaving Black Sun looking puzzled at my words, I turned my attention to the Emissary of the Sun who was still dumbfounded.

“Sun?”

“Yes?”

“Yes…!”

“No, the other Sun.”

I should give them individual names.

It’s confusing as hell every time I call them.

“Go call the constellations again and prepare to sort out the situation.”

The situation is still chaotic.

Though the adventurers are efficiently slaughtering monsters with my buff, the dangers of a dungeon are often unpredictable even for me.

“Let’s wrap this up quickly first.”

I decided to deal with the immediate issues first.

#

The constellations, including myself, focused our attention on the dungeon break.

No event has ever been escalated to this scale before.

‘Are you watching?’

I harbored resentful feelings toward the Incarnation of Dianon who must be observing the situation from somewhere.

This bitch, just say it with words.

Looking all innocent on the outside while harboring a cunning snake inside—that crazy woman.

That was the image of the Incarnation of Dianon in my mind.

「Event Complete!」

「You have successfully prevented the ‘Dungeon Break’.」

And so.

The massive event that threatened to throw Dungeon City into chaos finally ended.

“Phew…”

“That was amazing.”

“H-how did you…”

Ignoring the admiring constellations behind me, I squeezed out more divine power to bestow blessings in the vicinity for follow-up treatment.

“Hmm.”

There were casualties, but not at a desperate level.

As calculations ran through my mind without my awareness, an unfamiliar emotion surged up.

‘Damn it.’

It wasn’t a particularly good feeling.

In my previous life, I had barely witnessed the experience of people dying.

‘Dianon, you bastard.’

Though I wasn’t angry enough to lose my reason, my resentment toward her continued to rise.

-Ding!

「Receiving reward.」

A reward tab belatedly appeared in the corner of my vision.

「▶Constellation’s Remnant (Equipment)」

“…Huh?”

“W-what’s wrong…?”

“Nothing.”

When I showed a puzzled expression at the reward tab, Black Sun reacted sensitively.

Ever since facing his divine manifestation form, he’s been startled by every single reaction.

It was becoming burdensome even for me.

「▶Constellation’s Remnant

: An artifact that can store and record the complete form of constellations that have manifested. No one knows its manufacturing process.」

「Additional Effect: When taking a new photo with the Constellation’s Remnant, ‘affinity’ with that entity increases.」

I looked at what I was holding.

Just as described, it was in the form of a camera.

A camera with a cold metal surface, sized perfectly to be held in one hand, had dropped as a reward.

‘Affinity.’

In Ragnarok terms, it means the efficiency of interaction with other constellations would increase.

“…”

Silently, I raised the camera and took a picture of the constellation standing in front.

“What?!”

Black Sun, who had been blushing with a prim expression, was startled.

-Click!

「You have photographed a ‘new entity’!」

“Oh.”

“W-what is that…?”

“Taking pictures with this is good, they say.”

I wonder if a constellation can understand a product of 21st-century civilization?

“What is it…?”

When I showed what I had taken to the bewildered Black Sun, he looked at it with a dazed expression.

“That’s… me.”

“You recognize it?”

“Of course I’d recognize my own divine form…”

“How is it?”

“H-huh?”

At those words, Black Sun lifted his gaze from the photo to look up at me.

“I’m asking how you think it looks.”

“It’s cute.”

“….Ugh!”

Black Sun froze stiffly at my honest comment.

“Suddenly, saying that…”

I don’t particularly want to tease him.

He really does look cute.

Each of his reactions is as lively as a small animal, and his interest in me is clearly evident.

Perhaps it’s because the image of him wailing over my disappearance remains vivid.

“S-so! What is this…?”

“Ah, this is…”

I roughly explained about the ‘Constellation’s Remnant’ to the constellations present.

“A-affinity means…”

“It strengthens constellations affiliated with me.”

“…!”

The constellation was startled at those words and stared at the camera.

It was the divine manifestation of ‘Forgotten Wisdom,’ with impressive calmly settled eyes.

“Is such a thing possible…?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

One shouldn’t try to understand the creator’s intentions.

Instead.

-Click! Click! Click!

I took pictures of the well-positioned constellations one by one, strengthening our bonds.

“These photos really do them justice.”

The divine manifestations are all beautiful without exception.

Though my gaze lingered especially on Black Sun, the divine forms of the other constellations also had appearances incomparably beautiful by human standards.

‘This is the life.’

No, is it divine life now?

I printed the commemorative photos like Polaroids and distributed them on the spot.

“Is this… me?”

“This feels strange…”

Fortunately, the reactions weren’t too bad.

Since they generally have personalities that enjoy self-promotion, they didn’t seem to feel much resistance.

“…Absolute One.”

As I was handing out the photos one by one, a voice called me from behind.

“….?”

“…Um.”

Black Sun looked like he had something very important to say.

Fidgeting his two fingers timidly, he appealed for time alone with me.

「Child of the Lost Star: The Incarnation of the Black Sun currently desires a private audience with you.」

“…You don’t need to say that…!”

「Child of the Lost Star: I will help you.」

At those words, Black Sun’s face flushed with shame again.

‘What exactly has he been trying to do?’

I’ve sufficiently appreciated Black Sun’s beauty, and now it’s time to ask about the truth behind his visit here.

And.

‘They get along strangely well.’

I watched the comedy act between Black Sun and Child of the Lost Star.

The floating holy sword and the black-haired woman who was needlessly quarreling with it.

Her small stature might make her look like a girl at first glance, but she clearly carries the air of an adult.

-Woong woong.

“Stay still! I’ll handle this myself!”

-Woong woong woong.

“Don’t talk back!”

‘What are you two doing?’

Seeing their tense confrontation with neither side backing down, I stepped in to stop them.

“Let’s go.”

I decided to move to a space where we could talk among ourselves.

#

This was Black Sun’s first experience with divine manifestation.

The dignity and pride of being a constellation.

Rather than such thoughts, instinct took precedence, leading to this result.

And that result was—

‘T-this is awkward.’

The sensation of bare skin touching the cool air, the feeling of clothes brushing against her as she moved.

Someone’s gaze, especially the Absolute One’s.

The Absolute One’s warmth, the Absolute One’s voice, the Absolute One’s reactions.

When she reacted, the Absolute One responded in turn.

Interaction.

Among constellations, such interactions were considered extremely important.

“Absolute One.”

“Yes?”

-Shiver!

With each exchange of such interactions, the Incarnation of the Black Sun discovered new emotions she had never felt before.

‘If I had known this…’

“So.”

Whether aware of these feelings or not.

Ron simply faced Black Sun alone to quickly understand the situation.

“Huh…?”

“What exactly is going on here?”

She used divine manifestation.

In fact, the reason Ron hadn’t forced Black Sun to use divine manifestation until now was out of consideration.

First and foremost, and most frequently.

Knowing that Black Sun had worked as his closest aide by his side, he had done so to give her at least some distinction from the other constellations.

But now.

“W-what do you mean, what’s going on?”

“Why did you use divine manifestation?”

He wasn’t interrogating her.

He was quite curious.

By what process she had manifested as a ‘divine form.’

How she had descended to this land voluntarily, not by force.

“….”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“…because.”

“What?”

“I was worried about you!”

“Excuse me?”

A shocking statement finally burst out.

Worried? Who?

Black Sun, about me?

Ron’s thoughts momentarily froze.

“Why?”

That’s why he couldn’t help but ask.

“What if something really happened to you?”

“Wouldn’t that be freedom for you?”

“Where would I go for freedom! Isn’t this too much even for you? How can you be so oblivious!”

If she were to declare independence from the Absolute One now.

Would the other constellations really leave Black Sun alone?

There are no fools who would leave Black Sun, a potential threat who might return to his embrace at any moment.

“Ugh…! Take responsibility! Take responsibility for this!”

“Whoa, why are you acting like this?”

At this point, Black Sun decided to throw away any shame about wanting to be by someone’s side and just go all in.

She suddenly approached him and pushed her fragile frame against him with all her might, deciding to acknowledge her weakness.

“If you won’t take responsibility, just kill me! Kill me!”

「Child of the Lost Star: Interesting. Very interesting.」

“Oh come on. Are you treating this like someone else’s problem?”

Have they all gone crazy?

With the sudden dizziness that came over him, Ron couldn’t help but declare his surrender.