"I understand..." Ronald calmly accepted the information.
Or it could be said that after experiencing so many incidents, the revelation of Layere’s identity by Costate was just an ordinary piece of the many significant news and didn’t particularly catch anyone’s attention.
Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding—
Just then, the clear chime of a clock came from upstairs.
After all the turmoil, it had already reached six o’clock in the morning.
The grandfather clock in Ronald’s room announced the current time with its steady movements.
Costate was the first to react to the sound of the chimes.
She immediately bowed slightly to Ronald and then seriously suggested,
"Sir, there’s still some time before dawn."
"After dealing with Vilarnika, we can go to the church in town first, as there are matters there that need to be addressed."
"I understand." Ronald nodded to the maid, then shifted his gaze to the uneasy Vilarnika, "I have roughly understood what happened."
"I have no particular perverted desire when it comes to taking others’ lives. So if you can assure me that you won’t make such dangerous moves in the future, I am willing to let you stay in this house."
Vilarnika, who was still healing from her injuries,
Almost immediately knelt before Ronald the next second.
Facing the decision of the man before her, she solemnly lifted Ronald’s right hand with both of hers and gently placed it on top of her head to make a venerable pledge,
"Young Master Ronald, Entroth the... Ahhh!"
Suddenly, Vilarnika screamed in pain.
Because Costate, who was watching everything from the side, had no intention of letting her complete the ritual.
The moment Vilarnika began to speak her name,
The maid thrust her right hand into the girl’s chest from behind.
Seated in his chair, Ronald saw it very clearly—Costate’s palm did not physically harm Vilarnika but extended into her body in some special state of a spell.
And thanks to the ability of "Spirit Dominance" of the Constellation,
Ronald could also see that Costate had torn a part of the girl’s spirit and firmly bound it.
Having completed this action,
The maid immediately withdrew her hand from the victim’s body.
The next second, a profusely sweating Vilarnika collapsed to the ground.
Although her eyes and expression indicated she was in a normal mental state, the girl’s convulsing body also made it clear that her current experience was far from pleasant.
Costate was utterly indifferent to Vilarnika’s condition.
She turned to Ronald and explained,
"Sir, I have extracted a part of her soul to ensure her loyalty."
"If you have no doubts, please accept it."
Ronald looked at Costate before him.
She knew Ronald had spiritual abilities because she had inspected his memories; that’s why after tearing Vilarnika’s soul, she presented it to him without any procedure.
"Alright." Ronald took a moment to think before accepting the soul Costate had offered and asked, "Costate, since you have such ability, why didn’t you perform it on Vilarnika from the beginning? Wouldn’t that have ensured her loyalty earlier?"
Costate replied in an even tone,
"According to what’s in your memory—For those of our own who have not erred, I will ensure their basic human rights."
Those who haven’t erred, our own, the most basic human rights...
Ronald probably understood Costate’s way of acting and couldn’t help but blink at the words:
"So... what about those who make mistakes?"
Costate’s expression remained unchanged:
"Sir, you indeed spared her life."
"If no command to change my attitude towards you is made, then as far as I’m concerned, Vilarnika does not currently count as part of the human category."
Having dealt with Vilarnika’s issue.
The two did not continue to delay at the estate.
After briefly tidying up their appearance, they immediately left the Adler family estate and headed deeper into the town.
This town’s structure was quite haphazard, with each household’s building essentially placed anywhere according to the terrain, unlike the pre-planned towns. As they walked towards the church at the northernmost part of the town, Ronald also casually asked Costate some other questions:
"Costate, I just had dinner, don’t you need to eat something?"
"Sir, eating is merely a ceremonial need for me, not a necessity for daily activities."
"So, you mean to say you can completely forgo the physiological needs like eating or drinking?"
"I am a magically crafted construct of exquisite craftsmanship, not the same as humans."
Though he anticipated this, Ronald still glanced sideways.
Not considering his subjective factors, Costate walking quietly beside him resembled a beautiful and serene painting, any passerby would only think she was a beautiful young girl.
Knowing that Costate was not human, he still did not experience any uncanny valley effect with this maid. At most, he would think there was a flaw in her personality.
Costate noticed Ronald’s gaze.
She immediately started to explain in a report-like manner:
"Sir, you can use the artificial deity you defeated as an analogy."
"It was an entity formed from the original text of ’The Prince’ as its core, a collection of many original texts, and from beginning to end, a powerful magical construct; whereas I am a magical puppet centered on Gestalt, continuously collecting spells and enhancing all aspects of myself, able to optimize on a simple foundation."
"At this stage—my personality simulation has reached its limit. If I can make a breakthrough in emotional processing, my abilities should be able to be promoted to the next level, resulting in a qualitative change."
"..." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ ɴovelfire.net
Ronald couldn’t help but scratch his head.
Costate’s attitude towards him was really impeccable.
Such absolutely confidential information for an individual, she volunteered when he didn’t even ask.
To make an inappropriate comparison—
It was as if while he was fighting the artificial deity, the opponent opened its arms without any sense of crisis and shouted loudly, "The core of my abilities is constructed from ’The Prince’, and I have many other magical abilities, you better watch out" – that ridiculous.
The town was medium-sized.
After chatting for a while, Ronald and Costate had already arrived at the church in the town center.
Costate, as always, fulfilled her duty as a maid and took the initiative to knock on the church’s great door.
Standing behind, Ronald looked thoughtful.
He had once read in an Investigation Agency report about this place—
When someone came to inquire, the person in charge of the church had not revealed any information and kept it confidential.
The priest responsible for this place, what kind of existence would they be?