Shock coursed through me as I heard the familiar name of someone I considered a friend in the past.
"S-Stefan… is also…?" My eyes twitched slightly.
I was already aware of the atrocities he had commited for the Nether Cult, but I had viewed it in a sympathetic lens when I considered his family's history and the inherent inferiority complex he had developed over time.
He desperately wanted to surpass his cousin and rival me, but, much to his despair, the gap kept getting wider.
In the end, he sought the Nether Cult for more power.
'Maria doesn't remember much about their fight, but she told me the details of what she remembers. She defeated Stefan and managed to rid him of Nether through her Familiar's Purification Magic.'
He had managed to escape, but I didn't expect him to be on Legris' boat.
'No… what am I thinking? It makes sense!'
Wasn't Legris the one who brought Stefan into the Nether Cult's fold? It all added up, considering the manipulative nature the former had.
'I wonder what he offered you, Stefan…'
What could he have to gain in exchange for destroying countless worlds and destroying so many lives? I had no idea.
"As Constellations, we are unable to directly mere mortals. The only way we intervene is when they intrude on our teritory or disrupt an essential part of existence… like the balance of a world's order, or something like that." Aquarius interrupted my thoughts.
With that she was saying, Ciel and Stefan were just a slippery as Legris was. As such, all three of them made a formidable team, evading the Constellations when they could, and retreating whenever they got close enough.
"Its a stalemate, huh?" I murmured.
No, not really. Legris and his party, while having to worry about the Constellations from time to time, still had the advantage of moving forward with their goals.
But the Constellations were stuck.
"You're all in a bind. I can see that now." Rubbing my chin, I began to stare at each othe twelve.
I didn't know when my body had become acclimated to my surroundings, to the point that I no longer felt the pressure of their presence. Instead, I felt comfortable.
Almost as if I had been here forever.
"Do not say it so casually. Its too crude." Aquarius muttered, causing me to bow in apology.
However, after all the problems had been exposed, there remained one thing I needed to know.
'... What can we do about it?'
Clearly, the Constellations couldn't do anything on their own at this point, so I had to find a reasonable solution to the problem.
'I don't have enough arrogance to think I can think of a better plan than them, but…' If there was something I had learned in this brief exchange, it was that the Constellations weren't perfect.
They were immortal and boundless, sure.
But… they were still fallible.
As long as that was the case, I thought it would be alright to think things through on my own and profer a solution to them.
Right here and now, that was the only thing I could do.
"Why don't you all make a deal with me?"
My voice echoed in the infinite expanse as the twelve watched me with both curious and surprised eyes.
"What?" I heard some mutter, but I didn't let that deter me—not when I knew how desperate these entities were.
"Neron made a deal with you, right? That means its possible for a mortal to bargain with you Constellations. I want to propose a mutually beneficial arrangement for both sides."
Stretching out my hands and widening my lips, I gave them my stare of confidence and opened my lips once more.
"Do you care to hear me out?"
"It depends on what kind of deal you are willing to make." Leo responded.
"We should at least hear him out." I heard Libra mutter.
"He did manage to come to this space. That shows his worth, at the very least." Aries added with what I could only guess was a smile.
"He has a track record too. Going against the Nether, though the latter wasn't at full power…" Saggitaurus uttered.
"He also met Aether, so there's that…" Next was Virgo.
"If Aether chose him, and Neron approves of him, then he must have something good to propose." Pisces bubbled out.
"He also has the world's best interest at heart. We would do ourselves a disservice if we do not hear his words, at the very least."Gemini echoed out.
The other Constellations aired out their thoughts. However, once they were all done, all of them glanced in the direction of one Constellation for the final call.
The oldest of them all—Aquarius.
"Are you confident your offer has worth?" She asked me with her faceless face.
I could respond with a million things, but there was no need to overplay my card right now. I was well aware of my position.
The only reason I was allowed to speak was because of the recommendations of stronger, more important figures.
Aether and Neron—those two granted credence to my worth.
As frustrating as that was, I had to swallow my pride and focus on the task ahead.
'Even though you have only chosen to listen to me because of them… I will make sure my words stand on their own merit.'
That had been my goal from the very start.
"I am confident." My response was swift and simple.
Aquarius nodded, giving her implicit approval.
"Let's hear it then… Jared Leonard." Their combined voices filled the expanse around me, and my brows furrowed in determination.
'Neither Aether nor Neron are here to save you. The only one present…' My lips curled up to form a grin as I prepared to speak.
'... Is me!'
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[A/N]
Thank you all for reading!
Jared faces the Constellations and prepares to astound them with his plan. Will it be worth their time? Or will it be discarded?
I guess we'll find out in the .
