And when the traveler arrived, Paris didn't hesitate to ask him for help, to help them both escape.
----------------------------
The gray-haired traveler had no objections.
Under the miracles of Oronyx, he had come for the sake of truth.
The plan was quickly made. But the Titankin remained stubborn: "I have angered my creator. Only by throwing myself into the Tide of Death can I atone."
"Oh, come on." Paris spread his hands and said, "If chopping yourself into pieces and tossing them into a pot could calm Nikador's wrath, then He must be the Titan of cooking, not conflict."
The humorous words hit the point. So-called acts of atonement were nothing more than foolish self-delusions of servants.
The gray-haired traveler added, "That actually sounds a bit funny."
"Enough!" The Titankin could no longer bear the two insulting Nikador. "How dare you insult my lord right here in Castrum Kremnos! Guards! Intruders-"
She tried to shout, calling for the guards to kill them. But before she could finish, the gray haired traveler closed the distance in a flash, closing her mouth
"We can't reject the life granted to us by fate, just as we can't reject the failures it brings!"
"Buddy, her stone-forged body isn't light. I'll need you to give me a hand later."
The traveler and Paris lifted the Titankin together and began their escape.
Meanwhile, the audience in the theater felt a wave of thoughts rise in their hearts.
"Paris is an idealistic man."
"The poor Titankin is just an empty shell, brainwashed."
"The glory and rules she knows are nothing more than dangers humans justify in the name of gods."
"Hopefully, Paris will save the Titankin."
"So far, it seems to be a play praising love and freedom, but it also carries satire about war and brainwashing."
"It actually has depth, worth watching, and being an original play, it's quite refreshing."
The story continued.
On stage, as the three traveled together, Paris never stopped showing his optimism and encouraging others. He tirelessly told the Titankin beautiful stories and shared hopeful thoughts.
The audience's affection for him kept growing.
And as Paris forced his way through the jailbreak with the Titankin, the curtain for the second act came down.
A massive curtain slowly fell from both sides, covering the stage.
It was time for a scene change, and also a short break for the audience.
During the intermission, some people went to the restroom, while others whispered their thoughts to the people next to them.
So far, everyone was quite invested in this play, I was once in Arcadia.
Soon, the lights brightened again, and the curtain rose.
The third act began.
The divine power of Oronyx once again took effect.
The gray-haired traveler crossed time and arrived in Okhema.
His narration sounded off to the side, explaining the connection between the Black Tide and Okhema.
"The Black Tide drove all living things into madness."
"They invaded in great numbers, and Okhema suffered repeated assaults."
"The dirge of sacrifice never ceased."
"With the power of Oronyx, I returned here."
When the narration ended, two senators dressed in ancient Roman attire stood center stage, conversing.
"Oh brave one who snatched my life from the hand of darkness, when will you return from the waves stirred by strife?"
The senator named Seris spoke longingly.
Beside her, another senator, Sinon, grumbled: "Senator Seris, your wisdom is like a stream cleansing the cliffs, but even streams can be clouded by…"
The two spoke in a rhythmic, classical tone.
As the dialogue went on, something even more interesting emerged.
Because Paris had once saved her life, Seris had fallen for him, and deeply so.
Before the Titankin could even develop feelings for Paris, a third party had already appeared!
The audience sensed drama brewing, something juicy and scandalous.
Such developments always make stories more engaging.
After a while, as the two senators conversed, Paris and the Titankin appeared.
Seris was overjoyed. She was just about to express her feelings to Paris when she noticed the Stone Titankin standing behind him.
As members of opposing sides, both senators were startled. Sinon drew his weapon, almost attacking on the spot.
After Paris's explanations and persuasion, Sinon still objected to accepting the Titankin, but with Seris's help, the Titankin was finally allowed into Okhema.
"Thank you, Seris," Paris said sincerely.
"No need to thank me, Paris. If you hadn't pulled me back from the fate that almost claimed me to the Black Tide, my kindness would have been powerless." Seris spoke with genuine warmth.
Then, the three entered the city.
The weakened Titankin no longer had the strength to argue with Paris and let him lead her through Okhema's streets.
To help her adapt to life in Okhema, Paris even had special human accessories made for her.
They were things belonging to ordinary human life. Perhaps meaningless to a being made of stone, but Paris insisted that she wear them.
The Titankin was speechless. Her entire life had been spent in obedience and battle, believing every order had a purpose.
Yet this time, she couldn't understand his motive. So she asked why he had saved her.
Paris's answer was, as always, about "freedom."
"The god Mnestia once said: one must not turn a blind eye to the passing of something beautiful. You understand what I mean, don't you, beautiful lady?"
"But there's a deeper reason, it's that I can't stand it!"
"Faced with an unjust fate, if you won't even choose to fight, then I'll save you to prove that fate is not something unbeatable!"
These passionate words nearly made the theater audience break into applause and cheers.
"Well said!"
"To defy unfair fate, to chase the life you want."
"That's the meaning of life."
"This Paris character is really well-written."
The actors on stage ignored the sudden applause and continued performing with full emotion.
During their time in Okhema, Paris took the Titankin to experience human life, to the marketplace to see food vendors, and even to the bathhouse for a soak.
Even though the Titankin, as a creation of Nikador, didn't have the ability to sense such pleasures, Paris still did it, as he had done in the past.
All he wanted was to see the moment the Titankin changed. Even when the Titankin constantly mocked and ridiculed Paris, he didn't mind.
When the Titankin said Paris was a coward who would immediately flee at the sight of a real war, Paris only laughed and admitted that he would indeed run, because if he died, he wouldn't be able to reach Arcadia.
As a devout follower of Mnestia who deeply believed in the legends, Paris's lifelong dream was to go to Arcadia and spend the rest of his days there.
When the Titankin looked down on the peaceful life of the Okhema people as that of penned sheep rather than a pride of lions, Paris casually replied, as always:
"We may be sheep, but you've been abandoned by the lions. Why not just put on a sheep's skin and experience the happiness inside the pen?"
These everyday interactions, little by little, began to show. The people of Okhema gradually accepted the condemned Titankin.
But the Titankin began to feel more and more lost. As a creation of war, her reason for existence and her sense of self-worth were being denied at that very moment.
Her empty shell was filled with confusion. Only one beam of light remained, shining on the Titankin.
Her monologue slowly began.
"A being born for battle flees from war. When fate veers off course, the soul aboard the ship cannot help but feel lost."
"When fighting on the battlefield, I need not beg for the drooping branches of Cerces, nor drive away Mnestia's insects. Sand and blood could hide my worries, and the sound of pain could blend with my voice."
"But here, under a clear night sky with no clouds to cover it, I have nothing, nothing I can see clearly."
The performance and tone were brilliant. The audience couldn't help but feel sympathy for the Titankin.
No name, no place to belong. All her value was given to her by others.
But fortunately, Paris continued to approach the Titankin as always.
Once again, he sincerely invited her to attend a grand ceremony of Phagousa with him.
To enjoy songs, dances, and honey wine at the feast.
And the lost Titankin, unable to bear the emptiness within her shell, needed to redefine her values and the meaning of her existence.
So she accepted the invitation.
"If the noise you bring can fill the void, I don't mind sinking into the bottomless cup."
At the banquet, the Titankin, under a warm invitation, performed an awkward dance.
But her powerful body accidentally collided with a stone pillar, breaking it easily.
People were startled. That strength, far beyond their own, made them afraid.
They began to wonder, if the Titankin were ever to act outside the law, wouldn't they all be at her mercy?
At this moment of doubt, Paris stepped forward again, loudly scolding the people for their sinister imaginations and asking our long forgotten gray-haired traveler to use the divine power of Oronyx to repair the pillar.
When they saw a 'priest' of Oronyx take action, the crowd calmed down. Under Paris's scolding, they came to their senses and offered a sincere apology to the Titankin.
But among the guests at the feast, one man watched the three closely.
Finok, the elder in charge of Okhema's defense and military, had been observing the Titankin's every move since she entered Okhema.
She hadn't done anything inappropriate or interfered with anyone's life, but he believed that while the people of Okhema showed boundless kindness, they still needed to learn restraint and caution.
Finok stepped forward to argue with Paris. But how could a person who only waged war outargue such a carefree soul? He quickly lost the debate.
Even the citizens of Okhema began to change their minds.
"Could it be that Paris is interested in the Titankin…?"
"Ha, that guy really has strange tastes."
"But no matter what, Paris makes a good point."
"We can't let a bit of prejudice blind us!"
"Even if she's an enemy, as long as it's true love, what's the problem?"
Those words from his comrades stabbed into Finok's heart like needles, leaving his face pale.
He sighed and walked off alone, muttering to himself.
"Mnestia, stop clouding my people's eyes with your threads. How can blind men face the coming conflict?"
"For both elder and Titankin alike, the most important thing should be the safety of the city-state, not useless emotions."
"If everyone becomes like this, how will we resist the threats that are coming? Will we defend against blades with your silken threads?"
An indescribable feeling lingered in the audience's hearts.
From the current perspective, neither Finok nor Paris seemed wrong.
Finok was fulfilling his duty, protecting his home and staying alert to enemies.
But on the other hand, the overly forgiving attitude of the Okhema people did seem questionable.
Still, when it came to Paris and the Titankin, could their relationship really be so intolerable? And besides, the audience truly loved watching their interactions.
As the story went on, the Titankin gradually developed a sense of humanity, a sense of redemption.
It was deeply satisfying.
After the banquet ended, Paris found the Titankin alone.
He thought she might be feeling down, but she wasn't sad about what had just happened.
She simply thought perhaps she really should return to the battlefield.
Because the Titans had granted humans endless possibilities, humans could worship any Titan, take on any role.
But she was different. Everything about her had been created for conflict. If not for the lingering power of Cerces in the world, she wouldn't even have the right to think or speak.
Only the battlefield suited her.
"Then you shouldn't be lost," Paris said. "It's all those damned Titans' fault!"
"There's nothing to fear about fate!"
"The Titans don't care what you think. They've always been so far above us."
Paris's words made the Titankin feel a little better. "You're right. To the Titans, we're nothing but ants."
"So, let's curse the Titans together! You're from Castrum Kremnos, right? You must know how to swear in your hometown dialect."
"Hinas!"
"…Hinas, that's not swearing, it's questioning."
"…Heh, what a fool."
Her clumsy imitation seemed to lift her mood a little.
And that curse sounded more like a declaration. The audience in the theater all smiled from the heart.
The emotion called love had finally taken root and begun to grow in the stone Titankin.
The stone, cold as ice, was finally beginning to melt.
The truth about the golden threads and the location of Arcadia, would gradually surface through the bond between man and stone.