Chapter 393: Arianna's Maid Cosplay Time
To obtain more Authorities, he needs to defeat more Heretic Gods.
But there's a problem: previously, King Melqart and the God of War Verethragna were pleased to see an existence like him join the situation, so they didn't reveal his circumstances.
Future Heretic Gods, however, are unpredictable. They might possess abilities to detect his abnormalities and report them.
So, what should he do?
From now on, he must avoid being recognized as an Apocalypse Knight—meaning he shouldn't use the power of plague.
Now that he has acquired the Authority of the God of War Verethragna, especially the Tenth Avatar ability, Renji has a way to cope.
Moreover, he doesn't necessarily have to personally defeat Heretic Gods; Erica and Lucretia can handle them on his behalf.
So, the current issue is actually: where to find Heretic Gods?
One method is to locate so-called holy relics—items related to Heretic Gods.
These are remnants like bones or objects left behind when Heretic Gods descended to the mortal world and were eradicated.
Through these relics, certain rituals could potentially summon Heretic Gods back to the mortal world.
Another type of item includes things lost by gods in the human world during the distant Age of Gods, within the woven myths.
These can also lure Heretic Gods.
However, such items are exceedingly rare, and the factions that possess them won't hand them over easily.
But currently, there is one item that Erica should be able to obtain.
Not long ago, her affiliated organization, the Copper Black Cross, salvaged an artifact from the Age of Gods off the coast of Calabria.
As for which myth it's related to, she deliberately kept it a secret for now.
"Mr. Renji, where are we going now?"
The voice belonged to a maid. Though slightly less stunning than the young lady, she was still a beautiful maid who would attract attention wherever she went.
She had been left by Erica to take care of him.
Meanwhile, Erica returned to the Copper Black Cross headquarters to retrieve that item.
"Where to go?"
Renji pinched his chin and scanned the somewhat naive maid before him, causing her to tilt her head in confusion.
"Um, is there something strange about me?"
Arianna said puzzledly, also examining herself because the person opposite had been staring at her.
"Isn't it strange that I want to go somewhere? I'm going to buy clothes."
"Alright."
Arianna smiled slightly. It was indeed necessary to purchase some everyday clothes for the person before her.
In the blink of an eye, they were inside a fitting room of a clothing store in a large shopping mall.
The room was divided into two areas by a small curtain, and from the other side of the curtain came faint rustling sounds—the subtle friction of fabric.
When the rustling ceased, a slender hand reached out from behind the curtain, grabbed it, and pulled it aside.
Then, the figure of a maid came into Renji's view.
Compared to the maid outfit she had worn before, aside from the black-and-white color scheme, there was another difference: the current maid dress featured a large bow and many frills, making it look much cuter.
Oh, and one more significant difference: previously, her legs were covered in black stockings, but now they were in white ones.
"Hmm, this style makes you even cuter, Arianna."
"R-Really?"
Arianna's face flushed slightly as she spoke in a very shy voice.
She had thought they were buying clothes for him, but it turned out they were for her.
"So, this will be your usual indoor attire."
"Alright, but—"
"But?"
"Well, maybe I need a size larger. Otherwise, it's too tight and inconvenient for movement."
"No need. I think this fits perfectly."
"Huh?"
"It's precisely because it's a size smaller that Arianna looks even cuter."
A smaller size would hug her figure more tightly, accentuating the girl's perfect curves.
"R-Really?"
In the blink of an eye, she tried on another new maid dress. This time, after putting it on, Arianna's ears turned slightly red, as she felt more skin was exposed.
Especially the skirt—it was too short, giving her a sense of danger with even the slightest movement.
"By the way, Arianna, have you ever thought about acquiring special powers?"
The sudden question caught the maid off guard.
"I have, but it seems impossible. My talent for swords and magic is zero."
She said this with a smile, appearing content with her current self and showing no signs of disappointment.
However, Renji could still sense a trace of dejection deep in her eyes.
This dejection had grown increasingly noticeable since he first met her.
So, he understood the reason.
It was likely because Erica was becoming more and more powerful, stepping into a world increasingly distant from ordinary people. As an ordinary person, Arianna would eventually have to part ways and could no longer serve Erica.
Being an ordinary person, if she stayed by Erica's side, she would only become a burden.
"Then, do you want special powers?"
"Huh?"
Arianna was taken aback again, her expression subtly wavering.
Of course, she wanted it. That way, she could stand by Miss Erica's side.
So, did the person before her have a way to grant her power?
Perhaps he really did. And this person—no, he might not even be human.
Although Erica hadn't explicitly explained who he was, she hadn't hidden certain things either, trusting Arianna. So, Arianna had more or less deduced the identity of the person before her.
So, she also found it quite unbelievable. Logically speaking, such an existence should bring calamity upon the earth, shouldn't it?
Instead, he had bestowed upon Miss Erica a Divine Authority, making her a figure akin to a Campione.
"Um, I don't need it. Please don't waste your power."
Arianna refused. She had no talent in this regard, and granting it to her would merely be a waste. It would be better to give it to someone more deserving.
"No, the power I intend to give you is different in form from what I gave Erica. It has nothing to do with whether you have talent for swords or magic. The more you trust me, the more you will receive my Blessing, enabling you to wield a portion of my power."
"Ah? Trust?"
"You'll understand once you try it."
"Try it?"
Was he going to bestow power upon her now?
This made Arianna somewhat nervous. She watched anxiously as the person before her rose from his chair and approached.
Closer and closer, she felt as though their bodies were about to press together.
The next moment, a sudden action made her eyes widen in shock, her mind going completely blank.