"A favor?" Nero asked, genuine surprise on his face. He had expected many things, but not that Julius would ask him for a favor.
Julius nodded. "Of course. After all, you have already shown what extraordinary power you possess."
Nero ignored the flattery and simply looked at Julius skeptically. "Is this a joke? You come to us, first accuse us of something we had nothing to do with, and then you have the audacity to ask us for a favor?"
Julius smiled patiently. "I am sorry about our previous misunderstanding, but hear my offer. I promise you, it will be worth your while."
Nero thought for a moment. "What kind of favor?" he finally asked.
Julius smiled with satisfaction. "We already mentioned the two people who went missing. They are close friends of mine and my sister, and we are very worried. The last thing we heard was that they were hunting a very powerful Reil. We fear the worst. But since you, sir, have already proven how easily and ruthlessly you deal with those damned creatures that threaten the human realm, we were hoping you might accompany us. With you, we would feel much safer, would we not, sister?" he asked, turning to Zyta, who wore a rather dark expression. She muttered something unintelligible, clearly not in agreement.
"Excuse me, dear sister?" Julius asked, giving her arm a subtle but firm squeeze. Zyta clenched her teeth. "Yes, brother. I've heard nothing but great things about your deeds in the battle against the accursed Lizzian, gentlemen! With the two of you, no one could possibly harm us!" she praised the two of them—a compliment so obviously false that Eleanor almost burst out laughing. He barely managed to keep a straight face.
Julius, on the other hand, acted as if she meant what she said, "Exactly, I see it the same way. So, what do you think of our offer?"
Nero leaned back and took a small sip from his wine. "We would, of course, love to join the hunt for a repulsive Reil, but you must understand, Mister Julius, that we are not part of the Order. We are nothing more than ordinary people trying to live normal lives. Hunting a Reil would require a great deal of effort, and I am not sure whether we have the necessary resources."
Julius immediately understood what Nero was implying. "I assure you, sir, I will make the effort worth your while."
Nero raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how exactly will you do that?"
Julius smiled and pulled out a small bundle from a side pocket. It was an object of unknown material, wrapped in cloth marked with symbols. When Julius unwrapped it, it revealed a beautiful red ring that seemed almost transparent. An immense amount of magic radiated from it, flooding the room.
Eleanor raised his eyebrows in surprise. He was the only one able to perceive more than just the surface sensation of power. The ring had its own aura, like Nero's blue stone that created the rift between worlds, yet different. It was wilder, less controlled, like an untamed flame it surged outward and reached toward the auras of those present.
It was almost as if it were alive. Eleanor tried to see more, to look deeper into the nature of the object, and in doing so, he accidentally released part of his own aura. Zyta looked at him in surprise, as she had never felt such a kind of magic before. Nero briefly tore his gaze away from the artifact and looked at Eleanor without emotion, and Eleanor immediately realized his mistake. Not even a heartbeat later, he had withdrawn his aura again. Unfortunately, he had not been able to discern more about the ring. "What is it?" he asked nervously.
Julius looked at him. "This is the Eye of Aryha, an artifact recovered from the depths of the Aryha Forest. It is ancient and has long been in the possession of the Order, yet it only gathers dust. So why not use it to build potential new friendships?"
"What can it do?" Nero asked, now genuinely curious. Julius shrugged. "No one knows exactly. If you wear it," he demonstrated by putting the ring on his finger, "nothing happens. But if you try to use it…" Julius let his magic flow into the ring. It immediately emitted a glowing red light, casting strange shadows across the walls. To the naked eye, that was all that happened, yet Eleanor saw something deeper. The aura of the ring seemed to merge with Julius's aura. The once beautiful green tree began to show red cracks spreading through its entire form.
Then Julius stopped, smiling, though there was a faint trace of discomfort in his eyes. The red light faded, and the ring became still again.
"What am I supposed to do with this ring?" Nero asked. "It seems to be nothing more than a decorative candle."
Zyta growled angrily and was about to speak, but Julius, unfazed, cut her off. "It is a very old object. No one knows its exact age, but it is said to be the key to opening a gate to Asrahlis."
"Asrahlis?" Eleanor asked, even more confused. Julius nodded. "It is no surprise you have never heard of this legend. It is as old as the human realm itself, perhaps older. Many people have never heard of it, and only a few writings still mention the legendary place. Supposedly, there was once a golden city created by the gods for the first humans. Its name was Asrahlis, also called God's Blessing. The city does not exist directly in this world, but in a space between. It has no fixed location, drifting like a cloud. Within it are said to be artifacts of such immense value and power that anyone who enters would become unimaginably wealthy and a demigod, vanquished only by the gods themselves. So powerful that all others must kneel before him. Yet no one knows where the entrance lies. One can only speculate. This ring, the Eye of Aryha, is one of many keys brought by the city's inhabitants when they spread across the continents, in case they ever wished to return home."
Nero looked at Julius skeptically. "Even if that story were true, why would you give me the key to such a treasure?"
Julius shrugged. "I will not lie. They are only rumors. The Order has spent centuries searching for the entrance, even before the war of the three races, without success. And this is only one of nearly twenty such keys we possess. It will likely never be of use to you, but consider it a token of our friendship. We give it to you not only for your services, but also as a sign of our sincerity. We are willing to cooperate with you, sir. Are you willing to do the same?"
Nero thought for a moment. Although he didn't believe the city had been created by gods, he couldn't completely rule out their existence. He only had to think of the dimension of the Polykenas, which bore a striking resemblance to the description of the Golden City. The only difference was that it wasn't filled with powerful artifacts, but with demons. If what Julius said was true, such a city could be immensely useful for Nero and his army, however small the chance of ever finding it.
Suddenly, a thought struck him like a parasite sinking its teeth in. What if the entrance to this legendary city was what had been discovered in the heart of Krisalis? The very thing that had triggered the war of the three races. According to Julius's story, it would certainly be valuable enough to explain such a conflict. But how likely was that? And if it were true, why did no one know? These thoughts and many more raced through Nero's mind.
He looked at Julius. "What do you expect from us in return for the Eye?" he asked.
Julius smiled. He knew that even someone like Nero could not ignore the possibility of such a treasure, no matter how slim the chance. Now it was time to secure the alliance.
"That you assist us in the search for our friends. And perhaps, in the future, lend your strength to the Order. For appropriate compensation, of course."
"My friend and I will have to leave soon. We have important matters to attend to in the south. What if we make no progress until then?"
Julius waved it off. "Do not worry. You will receive the Eye regardless. As I said, it is mainly a token of goodwill from the Order. We do not expect you to travel into the lands of the Reils to find the culprit. Simply assist us for as long as you can. With some luck, we may uncover important clues."
Nero glanced briefly at Eleanor, as if sharing a silent exchange, even though he had already made his decision. He nodded to Julius. "Very well. How could we refuse such an offer? We have long wished to cooperate with the Order anyway, as you, like us, seek only the best for humanity."
Julius laughed in relief. "That is wonderful to hear, honored guests…"
Nero raised a hand. "You may call me Nero. And my quiet companion here is Eleanor. I look forward to a fruitful cooperation."
With that, Nero stood and extended his hand. Julius accepted it with a bright smile. "Likewise, likewise!"
Good, he thought to himself. Step one is complete.