{Then why weren't you possessed earlier?}
Elsa had asked Lillian this before. He had been puzzled, thinking he hadn't signed a contract with a spirit, so possession should have been an option.
At the time, he couldn't answer her. Now…
Petelgeuse, once a great elf, now an evil elf, had retained abilities despite his changed nature. He was not limited to [Unseen Hands]; forcibly signing contracts was also one of his powers.
"He's in!"
---
Petelgeuse appeared within Lillian's mental world. His deranged expression was mixed with uncontainable joy as he stretched out his hands, feeling the overwhelming spiritual energy.
"—Not bad at all."
What he hadn't expected was that this body gave him no rejection at all. What did that mean? Previously, the other "Fingers" he had chosen had all displayed varying degrees of resistance. This had caused each possessed "vessel" to manifest different levels of power.
"A perfectly fused spiritual space… and a powerful body…"
Petelgeuse suddenly wondered why he hadn't chosen to possess this vessel before. At the time, he thought he sensed a dangerous aura—but now, it seemed unnecessary. Such a perfect vessel…
His thoughts paused for a moment when he noticed a tiny golden seed in the distance.
"That is…"
A faint golden glow shimmered on the seed, subtle as the morning sun. Yet it made his hair stand on end—the source of that dangerous aura came from this seed!
He sensed within it… an almost "terrifying" consciousness.
"This vessel has already signed a contract with another spirit?! No! Then I wouldn't even be able to enter! Then… what is it… what kind of spiritual entity is this?!"
As if confronting some ultimate horror, Petelgeuse reined in his usual madness, displaying an unusual calm.
"I need to leave! Leave!"
Instant judgment flashed through him. He had to escape—even from this perfect vessel. But the consciousness in that golden seed emanated a horror beyond comprehension, something that should not belong in this world.
Yet no matter how loud he shouted, his soul could not escape this space—every "Finger" had been destroyed, and Lillian, the "vessel," had not lost functionality. He could not flee.
At that moment, he saw a streak of mana suddenly enter the golden seed.
Buzz.
Like a spark igniting gasoline, the mana made the seed radiate a pulsating golden light. The previously dark mental space transformed into dazzling gold. Heavenly fire erupted. Petelgeuse had nowhere to hide; even a touch of the flame burned him like torture, and he screamed in agonizing pain. The fire seared his soul—an agony beyond comprehension.
Lillian stood motionless in the real world. He could hear Petelgeuse's screams in his mind, but could not control his body. Until Petelgeuse's soul was fully annihilated, control of the body remained uncertain.
Unexpectedly, that golden seed in Lillian's mind had such a power—it could burn intruding souls.
"Ahhhhhhh—!"
The pain pierced Lillian's head as if he were experiencing it firsthand. Seconds passed—perhaps a dozen, perhaps longer—and Petelgeuse, consumed by fire, finally fell silent.
Ashes?
Thinking this, Lillian suddenly heard a gentle voice.
"Hello."
"…."
It was a voice within his mind. Lillian paused—this tone was Petelgeuse's. But such a normal, calm tone? From that madman?
"Thank you," the voice sounded again, restraining extreme suffering. "…Allowing me to die in a normal state—so that I don't have regrets."
"You are…!"
Lillian suddenly remembered: years ago, Petelgeuse was not always a madman, but a talented and accomplished Great Spirit teacher! His true name—Geuse.
"I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you, and for the disasters I've brought to this world…"
Geuse's voice, in its natural tone, was warm and gentle.
"Though I do not know whose consciousness resides in your mind now… it is impossibly powerful, unlike anything from this world. Even the witches could not contend with it. Congratulations—you now have it protecting you; no evil spirit can assault you mentally."
"…Is that… her?"
"My time is short… though I have no right to speak as I do, given the havoc I've caused this world… I selfishly ask, if you can, please look after Lia. That child… is destined to have a hard life."
"Her, huh…"
"And my student Beatrice… I wonder how she is…" Geuse murmured, his voice growing hazy.
Lillian was silent.
"I apologize for this rude request. My soul is about to be consumed entirely. Before the end… you must, you absolutely must, be careful of Pandora…"
"Pandora?"
"The Witch of Vainglory… Pandora…"
At the mention of the name, Geuse's tone betrayed a hatred that reached his bones.
"She is the origin of all evil… Pandora… cough cough… a century ago, to resist her attacks, I forcibly used the 'Sloth' Witch Factor. But my body… was poorly suited for the Witch Factor, and it went out of control. The Witch of Vainglory… seized the opportunity to use her power to alter appearances, leading me to accidentally kill Emilia's adoptive mother—the woman I loved, named Fortuna… cough cough…"
He continued,
"After that, I went mad… became 'Petelgeuse,' committed countless sins under that name, and met this inevitable end. Rightfully so…"
"…."
Lillian had nothing to say. Geuse truly was a pitiable man—but he was powerless.
"After I die… as the one who kills me, you will obtain the 'Sloth' Witch Factor… cough cough cough! Your body is highly adaptive, capable of wielding its powers to a far greater degree… I hope you make good use of it…"
"…Power, huh."
"I wish I could see Lia one last time… please, tell her I'm sorry… and Beatrice too…"
Geuse's voice grew weaker, the fire dimmer, almost completely extinguished.
"Remember… be careful of the Witch of Vainglory, be careful of Pandora…"
Huff—huff.
The wind and clouds dispersed, and the flames extinguished completely once the fuel burned out. The process was unexpectedly fast, like covering a spirit lamp with a lid.
Consciousness returned to his body. Lillian slowly regained his bearings, his expression complicated.
"Witch of Vainglory… Pandora…"
He hardly knew the person Geuse had warned him about repeatedly, but he could imagine: she was the kind of existence that thrived on chaos in the world. If the world ran normally, that kind of person would be bored. She needed upheaval to find amusement…
A headache struck. The mountain of the Archbishop of Greed still weighed heavily on his mind, and now, there was Pandora quietly manipulating events from the shadows. Danger seemed endless.
However, he now understood why Petelgeuse hadn't possessed him at the stronghold earlier. It was because he had sensed the aura inside himself… an aura belonging to a "god"…
Only now did Lillian realize that the golden seed contained a trace of "her" consciousness. Though Geuse said it would protect him, shielding against mental attacks, there was still an irritating sense of being constantly watched.
Still, irritation was just irritation; there was nothing he could do. He certainly couldn't extract the seed—even if he could, he wouldn't. In this world, many could launch mental attacks, so having it as a shield was useful.
He glanced at the bloodied dagger in his hand.
—"Then why weren't you possessed just now?"
The answer was now known, though he couldn't verbally explain it yet.