"This... Could this be the inception of your research into alchemy?"
Anaxagoras stood in the corridor, raising his head to gaze at the sky-filling Sky Father, and said calmly, "Indeed it was. Everything started from that verdant courtyard of yours. When I was pursuing my education there, I naturally also came to learn of Thalesus' theory as well."
Upon hearing that name, Cerces raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I remember that person. He was the one to come up with the concept of "souls," right?"
Anaxagoras nodded and continued, "Not only that, he also believed that life, as well as the composition, movement, and transformation of matter, all stem from souls themselves. This is why I thought that..."
"Since all living things stemmed from the same origin, why could I not sacrifice myself in order to resurrect my nearest and dearest?"
As his words fell… What appeared in Cerces' eyes was not just Anaxagoras. But also the memories surging up from his mind.
The scene shifted.
Beneath a brilliant starry sky, the young Anaxagoras stood together with a man.
Above them was the transparent dome panel of the workshop hall.
Through that crystalline glass, the starlight shone even more brilliantly.
"I did it, teacher." Under the dome, the young Anaxagoras shouted excitedly.
But the middle-aged man beside him wore a face full of terror. "B-But this is absolute blasphemy... Regardless of how much freedom the Grove provides, such an act could cause you to be burned at the pyre...!"
"Your beloved... Where is she now? Send her away from the Grove at once, to a place where nobody will ever be able to find her. Otherwise, the both of us will be judged by the Council of the Seven Sages...!"
Alchemy. The soul. There was no need to say more.
The audience had already guessed what Anaxagoras meant by "success."
Presumably, his teacher thought the same.
Looking at his terrified mentor, the joy on Anaxagoras's face faded somewhat. "Calm down, teacher. My sister, she... She's still not in the mortal realm... even to this day."
The teacher's terrified expression froze. "What do you mean...?"
Anaxagoras pointed to his own eye. "It was naive of me to think that I could snatch the deceased from Thanatos' grip by merely sacrificing one eye..."
But then, Anaxagoras composed himself and forced out another smile. "Equivalent exchange... All I received for that price was but an opportunity to see her for one final time. Nothing more."
The teacher understood what he meant. His "success" did not refer to reviving his sister.
But to his research into the soul. Thalesus' judgment about the soul was correct. Anaxagoras's experiment had successfully proven it.
The soul does not belong solely to Thanatos. The deep wrinkles on the teacher's face, formed from worry, eased somewhat.
Seeing a loved one's soul through research was still blasphemous, but not beyond redemption.
He let out a breath of relief. "Let it go, Anaxa. As one of my best students, I cannot watch you go down the wrong path without doing anything to stop it."
The teacher's goodwill and warning… did not enter Anaxagoras's heart at all.
At this moment, his inner voice sounded through the narration.
"No, teacher. After my fleeting glimpse of the deathly fog, I finally understood a single truth: Since ancient days, our understanding of souls is but the tip of the iceberg."
"I may have lost an eye, but my view of the world has become clearer than ever..."
"I have grasped the truth with my bare hands... Watch as I turn this farcical world upside down."
The narration ended. And the memory vanished with it. Cerces stood quietly in place, savoring what she had just seen.
But she still couldn't guess… what Anaxagoras's true goal was.
To revive his loved one? Or to defy the Titans?
She did not have the audience's third-person perspective. The information available to her was limited to this brief encounter with Anaxagoras.
But from the audience's perspective, his intentions were much clearer.
His childhood experiences. And his later research into the soul.
In their view, it all pointed to one outcome.
Anaxagoras wanted to defy the Titans, or rather, to challenge the gods.
....
: That last line from Anaxagoras was kind of cool.
: Didn't expect him to have that much backbone. When he stared directly at Kephale's body earlier, I already thought he was pretty impressive.
: So he's not just some simple traitor after all.
: Damn! Misjudged him again!
: None of the Chrysos Heirs are simple. Seeing Anaxagoras as just a traitor was definitely too one-sided.
: His dealings with the Council of Elders are probably part of his plan too.
: But as a scholar, trying to defy the Titans… that's not exactly easy.
: And how does he even plan to do it?
: Is he going to hide the Coreflame, or refuse to bear the Titan's responsibility?
: Maybe he wants to collaborate with the Council of Elders and use knowledge to find a way to revive his loved one?
: Still can't read this guy.
...
Defying the Titans. It sounded a bit too abstract.
There were many ways to go about it. But like Cerces, the audience couldn't figure out exactly what this man intended to do.
They weren't even sure if that was his only goal.
But regardless, the earlier misunderstanding caused by Aglaea could now be cleared up.
Someone who could stare directly at divine authority like that would never stoop to associating with trash like the Council of Elders.
However, this only made the audience even more curious about Anaxagoras's goal.
What kind of objective would require him to cooperate with the Council of Elders?
At that moment, on screen, a rapid series of footsteps sounded.
"Lord Anaxa...!"
"I have a message from Lord Lygus: Lady Caenis has met up with the Council of Elders and is awaiting your arrival, so please depart forthwith."
It's here! The main event has arrived. The audience felt a jolt of excitement.
They watched as Anaxagoras, led by a guard, walked deeper into the Dawncloud.
Along the way, the guard even chatted casually with him.
" I didn't expect you to agree to Lady Caenis' invitation... What a wonderful turn of events."
"To tell you the truth, there are many people who hold grudges against that Lady Goldweaver..."
Anaxagoras did not express any opinion on this.
Seeing that Anaxagoras ignored him, the guard didn't bother making a fool of himself and obediently shut his mouth.
The two moved forward in silence. Along the way, they brushed past many people gathered in small groups.
They were all dressed in splendid attire, their gazes arrogant.
When they saw Anaxagoras, some let out mocking laughs. Others turned their heads away in disgust.
"Isn't that the "dromas draped in finery"?"
"...Avoid his gaze. I don't acquaint myself with blasphemers."
"Don't worry, he's too full of pride to pay us any attention."
Each sneer and veiled insult reached Anaxagoras's ears, yet he remained as unmoving as an old monk in meditation, his expression steady.
The audience, however, clicked their tongues in amazement.
...
: I can't take it anymore, how is Anaxagoras really this universally hated...
: Aglaea can't stand him, but even people from Okhema also dislike him?
: Too miserable...
: Probably the least popular Chrysos Heir so far.
: But Anaxagoras probably doesn't care about this.
: After all, he's a blasphemer. Amphoreus is still too civilized, if this were a real medieval setting, he'd probably already be burned at the stake.
: Damn!
...
While the audience continued their commentary, Anaxagoras had already passed through the crowd and arrived at a marble structure resembling a semicircular theater.
The building spread out in a half-circle. At its center was a raised stone platform, while the fan-shaped area around it formed rows of seats.
A crowd of men and women, young and old, dressed in elegant clothing had already filled the seats.
Yet despite the packed venue, it was completely silent. Only pairs of scrutinizing eyes fixed themselves on Anaxagoras as he approached.
An invisible pressure quietly rose. This was the power center of the Council of Elders.
Countless elected representatives, each representing different factions and interests, gathered here.
When Anaxagoras stepped into the hall, the silence finally broke.
"A student of Empedocles? I hear that his views run counter to the Venerationists."
"This is what being a scholar is about: A collision of ideas only occurs when there are differences in beliefs, and it is such collisions that lead to progress."
"Yet in my view, there are only right and wrong perspectives, neither of which can coexist with the other."
Different whispers spread throughout the hall. Some were scrutinizing, some tolerant, some strict, and some disdainful.
All these human attitudes, in Cerces' eyes, revealed a simple truth, Black or white.
People never stopped fighting, all for that single reason.
"What radical thinking... I guess this is why the children of humanity always squabble with each other."
Cerces spoke within Anaxagoras's mind.
As the Titan of Reason, she had no desire to witness such things again.
"That's not up to you." Anaxagoras let out a cold laugh in his mind and ignored her.
He walked straight up to the old woman.
"Lord Anaxagoras! I've heard so much about you..."
No matter how many times one heard Caenis' voice, to the audience, it always sounded harsh.
The old woman looked like a witch, her gaze venomous, her voice dry and rasping.
Just looking at her made one instinctively uncomfortable. Even though she spoke calmly, the audience could still sense a thick aura of scheming from her eyes.
"Head of the Nousporists of the Grove of Epiphany, notorious blasphemer, a Chrysos Heir who bears Cerces' Coreflame, a survivor of the Grove calamity..."
"Did I miss anything? If so, please be so kind as to enlighten me."
It sounded as though Caenis was reciting Anaxagoras's titles. But mixed within were many unpleasant labels, as if she were reminding others, or pinning charges on him.
Just like always, the old woman was trying to assert dominance right from the start.
But Anaxagoras wasn't buying it.
"Heh… Since Lady Caenis is already well acquainted with me, I won't waste any effort introducing myself again."
Anaxagoras glanced at Caenis without courtesy.
"But then again, perhaps the customs are different here? Back in my hometown, there is a form of etiquette known as "honoring guests": The host will welcome their guests with warm hospitality by treating them to fine wine and a cozy bed..."
"And yet, ever since I arrived, I have not been welcomed with warm courtesy or ceremonial gifts. Instead, I am met with intense scrutiny. Even more absurd, the host has sharpened their blade and instructed their servants to lie in wait in the shadows..."
At this point, Anaxagoras looked toward the guards hidden in the shadows. They emitted an ominous aura, clearly no ordinary soldiers.
"Even more absurdly, this host has already sharpened the butcher's knife and stationed attendants in hiding."
"Perhaps you intend to cut open my heart, retrieve the Coreflame, and then hold a grand feast for all of the guests?"
If she could make insinuations, so could he.
After Caenis' veiled remarks, Anaxagoras directly exposed the reality, there was no need to play noble games.
Why else station executioners? Stop pretending.
His blunt words made Caenis' expression darken.
She glanced around, at the hidden guards, then at the Council of Elders members waiting in the distance.
"Everyone, stand down." With a wave of her hand, the guards concealed in the shadows withdrew.
"Thank you for understanding. I am but a feeble scholar who is not used to the stench of avarice and blood."
Anaxagoras sneered.
Faced with his mockery, Caenis quickly adjusted. She narrowed her eyes, and within a moment, a smile returned to her face.
"No need to be humble, my lord. From my perspective, your courage and gumption are worthy of the reputation of the Seven Sages. Your bravery is more than adequate to accomplish our perilous endeavor."
Anaxagoras caught the implication. "So, you wish to start a war?"
Caenis did not hide it. "Well, since the Chrysos Heirs are calling for war, we will respond in kind. Conflict is inevitable. Since Aglaea endeavors to suppress the virtuous commoners with blood of gold, we will not hesitate to display the rights and mettle that the citizens of Okhema are so entitled to."
Suppress Virtuous Commoners? Defend dignity?
As always, when the audience heard Caenis' words, they completely lost it.