A Villainess Should Be Strong

Chapter 180: Collect Them All

Estelle smirked as she obtained the older woman's permission. She gestured for the other to lower her head down so that Estelle could bestow the title to her with the same ceremony she had tried out on Shirley recently.

"Are you ready?" Estelle asked. The woman in question took a deep breath before nodding and showing determination inside her eyes. Although her heart still had some effects of wavering thoughts, she tried to stay calm and receive this particular title and the blessing that should come with it.

"I'm ready," Minerva verbally said.

In a sense, becoming one of the Constellation's members could also be said to be the same as becoming a Goddess' apostle because of the person Estelle was and their duties.

"Minerva.. Eire, the Crimson Witch. Right here and now, using the basis that I am the Constellation Leader, and with the power bestowed in me, I offer you as the second member of the Constellation Order. As someone who is bound by nothing, but still manages to fulfill the requirements to a sufficient degree, may you fulfill your duties with great honor and achieve large results along with the upcoming governors," Estelle used the same basis as the one she used for Shirley's election for her speech, only having to change a few major details here and there.

"Do you agree to accept this invite?"

"I shall gratefully accept," Minerva nodded, and closed her eyes as she waited for Estelle's next move, which would declare her as the next member officially.

The same bright light that occurred with Shirley began to form this time around too, and Estelle's divine power poured into Minerva. It trickled down her body, and it felt quite stinging in some places. After a few moments, the effect receded and she raised her head up.

Instantly, she felt things change within herself. To the point where she was shocked as well. "This.. this is the effect of getting contracted? I am feeling so strange," Minerva took in a deep breath.

Estelle raised a brow at Minerva's statement. "Change? Right away? I thought that the change should happen with time. Shirley did not feel anything right off the bat. How come you..." Estelle questioned.

"Hm? Maybe it was thanks to the speed of adapting.. Or something like that. Your divine power is foreign to Shirley, but like before, I have encountered it in the past a lot, haven't I? Perhaps that's the cause. Shirley's body might take more time to adjust to the new intrusion, but my body will be somewhat more used to it," Minerva hypothesized.

"That could be correct. How do you feel? What type of change is it?" Estelle asked.

"Like my senses were all sharpened at once. It feels like I have clarity in every single atom of my body. It feels great, but a bit too overpowering in my opinion," Minerva answered.

"Hmm... That's a bit too vague. Tell me if there is any specific change in the future. I still have to figure out the effects of my power on other people. In theory, without the Constellation elections, I could still pour my divinity into other people that I don't plan to turn into a member, right?" Estelle's curiosity spiked as she wondered.

"...Haah, I really shouldn't be saying this, but I think you should be more careful in electing the other members in the future. You never know what they are going to become.."

"And are you saying that you, Heine, and Yulia are safe because you three spent a lot of time with me in the past? Even though Heine ended up betraying me a couple times if you really calculate the events?" Estelle laughed, paying no heed to Minerva's warning.

To her, her own instincts and feeling currently were much more trustworthy than those three. She saw something within Shirley, and knew that the older woman would be of great help to her if she stayed as brainwashed as she is right now. No one could be fully trusted in her eyes. As much as Shirley was heavily infatuated with her, there was no telling when her sentiments would break down and making the Elven Queen turn her back against Estelle. She didn't want to be 'betrayed' anymore.

If she was aware of the things the betrayer was plotting to do, was it still a betrayal at that point?

"Where is Yulia? I will elect her too, so tell her to come to me if you see her," Estelle tidied up her clothes, which had been roughed up in some places due to the wind gust that was produced from the election.

"Will Yulia agree, though?" Minerva wondered about this matter. Even though they are close, Yulia was still a hard person to pull. She was someone who loathed groups and crowding, and Estelle's entourage should be no exception as well. Unless Estelle was able to prepare a reward that is enticing enough for Yulia to join on her own accord, Minerva found it hard to believe that Yulia would agree upon being asked.

"I don't think that she will play along with this farce. There is no substantial benefit, and Yulia will find it hard to come into terms if nothing is of great value to her," Minerva understood her sister's intake on the world very well. After all, she was her sister that had spent over hundreds of years with her.

However, Minerva's assumption would soon be proved false.

"Who said that I won't agree?" All of a sudden, Yulia's signature charismatic voice rang out from the direction behind Minerva, making the crimson haired beauty turn around in surprise.

"...Sister!" Minerva exclaimed as the blonde woman approached where they were standing and stopped before Estelle.

"Hi, new Constellation Leader," Yulia waved cheekily.

"..Hi?" Estelle replied.

"Heine has already told me everything that happened to you and your current knowledge base. He asked me to come here to receive your blessing," Yulia quickly stated, making Estelle a lot confused.

"Which means.. Heine perfectly knew what I was going to do right after reaching the Alfheim castle, and.. Wait, that doesn't make much sense. How did Heine contact you? Doesn't that mean he's right around here?"

"Heine visited and quickly left. He's being very stealthy, but I don't think he means any harm this time around. It's more like.. He's the one being pressured. His facial expression was ugly when I saw him," Yulia reported, shrugging carelessly. "Then? What are you going to do? You are thinking of recruiting me, right? I suppose Heine understood my personality, so to save me the trouble, he already created the offer for your sake. I have agreed to this thing,"

"That.. will save a lot of time. I will have to thank Heine later on. How did he convince you in the first place?"

"I will keep that a secret between me and him. What am I supposed to do? Kneel down before you?"

"Hey, learn a thing or two about dignity!" Minerva interjected from the side, trying to prevent Yulia from actually kneeling down without any warning.

"...For the thing Heine offered me, I can afford to lose my dignity. It can't be eaten, and I practically have no use for it. Better be thrown away or used like this," Yulia said with a straight face, as she conveyed the utmost seriousness with her attitude and actions.

"You.. really, I'm starting to become so curious that I could die. What did Heine give you?"

"It's... something that you will probably see in the future. For now, you don't need to know,"

After the bickering, they began to proceed to the main course- the actual election. Since Yulia was willing, Estelle repeated the same speech format for her and quickly ushered divine power into the older woman, making her become the third member of the Constellation.

The same light effects came to play and Estelle finished up the loose ends on her powers, retracting everything back.

She heaved a long sigh before pursing her lips, knowing that something was not quite right.

"Wait.. if Heine came here, why didn't he just ask me to elect him right away? He must know that I want him on my side," Estelle was dead set on this decision. Heine was that good of an ally, and that scary of an enemy. She knew that the man was fixated on her past identity, and planned to use that to her own advantage.

"I don't know too. I was just confronted with the offer. It took him about fifteen minutes to convince me, and then he rushed out of the castle after saying a short goodbye,"

"...I see. Then I will chase after him, I suppose,"

Her matters in the castle were about to end, and she got a lot of good experiences out of it along with knowledge and such. She thought that she had received a lucky deal and was content. She was alright with leaving.