Caenis sneered coldly. "Heh… No need to pretend. You discovered my spies long ago, didn't you? You deliberately refrained from exposing them so that we would lower our guard and believe that your every move was within the rules of the Council of Elders — am I right?"
Aglaea couldn't help but shake her head. "When it comes to schemes and intrigue, even Zagreus would fall short compared to the Council of Elders."
Caenis seemed completely unconcerned. "Hehe… I'll take that as a compliment, Chrysos Heir. We have no other intentions. We simply want to remind you once more — the Chrysos Heirs' management of the Holy City is only temporary. This is merely a temporary entrustment of power during extraordinary times.
Gods have their own eyes and ears, and humans have their own ways of responding. When the so-called 「oracle」 is shattered… the fate of Okhema will once again be held in the hands of its citizens."
Aglaea turned her head, her gaze sharp. "Returned to the citizens' hands… or returned to your hands, Lord Caenis?"
[I get it now. This Caenis is a real bitch.]
[So this old hag was planning this all along!]
"No need to be so aggressive. During the resolution vote back then, nearly half of the elders refused to hand the Holy City over to you. I was merely an unremarkable member of the opposition." Caenis waved her hand.
"Continue walking your own path, demigod. Use every means at your disposal to prove that we are wrong… But never forget for even a moment that in Amphoreus, even 「gods」 cannot do as they please. I also want to see how long your habit of handling everything personally can last… Hehe."
After delivering her harsh words, Caenis left the area.
Aglaea watched Caenis's departing back for a long time, unable to calm her heart.
"I will do everything in my power to save Amphoreus, Lord Caenis. Whether it is from the hands of the gods… or from your hands."
[No need to guess. The Council of Elders will definitely come out and cause trouble.]
[And it'll be the kind that immediately creates a huge mess for you.]
[It's already the end of the world. They wouldn't pull something like mutual destruction, right?]
[I feel like Aglaea is under so much pressure.]
— —
Aglaea walked up behind Trinnon. She hadn't expected that they were already making preparations to defend Okhema.
"The threats in the city have been eliminated. I have cleared out the filth one by one."
Trinnon spoke in an extremely soft and gentle voice. "Thank you, Agy. That elder… Did she cause you trouble again?"
"It's nothing serious. You don't need to worry about me, my teacher."
"You should know, Caenis. During the Golden War, she…"
"She is an assassin who specializes in 「cleansing」 Chrysos Heirs. I understand. As I said, the Council of Elders is not our enemy… at least not for now. Let's return to the more urgent matter."
"Mm…" Trinnon nodded. "Mm. We have already made preparations to deal with Nikador. This won't be easy… Trianne is already nearing her limit."
[It's over, it's over!]
[miHoYo is already feeding us knives this quickly?]
[Shit, no way. Trianne is my favorite one. Don't do this!]
[Sigh, I didn't expect it to come so soon.]
[Be confident. What if there's a turning point?]
— —
Aglaea frowned. "How much strength does she have left?"
"Including this time… she might still be able to open three… no, two more 「Hundred Realms Gates」."
"And after that?"
"According to the previous agreement, Tribbie will take over the duties of the 「Gatekeeper」."
"..." Seeing that the topic was becoming heavy, Aglaea changed the subject to the oracle. "Please tell me, my teacher… In the world you see, is the prophecy still as clear as it was on the first day?"
"The golden runes flicker in the azure sky, and countless fragments of words dance around Kephale. The oracle remains as clear as ever."
"Does it speak of Phainon and his companions' victory?"
Trinnon blinked. The perspective shifted to her first-person view. Countless symbols resembling Amphoreus floated around Kephale.
"It… remains silent. It seems to know the answer… yet it does not wish to share it with us at this moment."
Aglaea smiled faintly. "It seems that this time, we cannot obtain comfort from the oracle's mouth. That's fine too. If he truly is the child chosen by fate… then the prophecy is merely the narration of his story."
The scene changed. The camera turned.
The perspective returned to Caelus's side.
He, together with Castorice and Mem, had once again returned to Castrum Kremnos.
However, even from the high vantage point of Castrum Kremnos, they could still hear the sounds of everyone fighting Nikador.
But Caelus also understood that he still had work he needed to do. With Mem's help, he successfully returned to the past of Castrum Kremnos.
At this time, Aquila had not yet closed their eyes. The sky was still bright!
However, the most critical task right now was to first figure out which era they were currently in.
After inquiring with others for information, Caelus bought a weapon from a merchant within his memories. Through the inscriptions on the weapon, Castorice roughly deduced the era they were in.
"To summarize the existing information, sir. Lord Mydei has already led his people to defect to Okhema. The old king Euripon is still alive, but the Strife Titan Nikador has fallen into slumber. Castrum Kremnos is currently recruiting warriors and holding a festival…
It seems we have returned to the final years of the Golden War. Castrum Kremnos is facing the dual blows of internal division and the loss of its Titan's divinity."
Caelus nodded. "Do you have a plan?"
"The safest way is still to integrate into the rules… Since a festival is being held in the city, perhaps we can go sign up.
Let's enter the city first, then find an opportunity to act. If necessary… I will deal with the followers of the Strife Titan Nikador. That should be the registration point."
With that, Castorice pointed to a spot not far away.
...
"What a pity! Those three warriors were just a little short of passing the trial, paying respects to the majestic King Euripon, and claiming the laurels of Castrum Kremnos warriors… But they still fell at the final step! The Vanguard of Divine Retribution raised his blade and chopped them into minced meat… May the Strife Titan Nikador acknowledge their bravery and receive their heroic souls.
Next group! Where is the next group of warriors coming to challenge? King Euripon is still waiting — waiting for the first warrior who can stand before him alive!"
The Castrum Kremnos registration officer stood at the front, speaking passionately.
Caelus couldn't help but scratch his head. "Is this event this hardcore?"
Castorice patiently explained, "That was an era where life was cheaper than bread. People were accustomed to wilderness and death."
At this moment, the registration officer began shouting again. "Does no one dare to fight? Do you not wish to bet your glory and burn your lives under the radiance of Castrum Kremnos?"
Suddenly, a warrior stepped up to the registration officer. "Let me through."
The registration officer sized up the warrior. "It's you again, you inarticulate fool! You come here empty-handed and still dream of joining the Castrum Kremnos festival? This is an insult to the 「Lance of Fury」!
I've already emphasized — this is a trial that tests three people at once! If you can't even find companions willing to go through life and death with you, then go home and herd sheep as soon as possible!"
Hearing this, the warrior was stunned for a few seconds, but he still stepped forward. "Let me through."
"It seems you're not only inarticulate, but your ears aren't working well either… If you continue to pester us, don't blame us for being impolite."
Castorice and Caelus watched this scene from the side. "A three-person team… Sir, this might be an opportunity… We can enter the city together with that person."
Caelus nodded. It seemed he and Castorice were thinking the same thing. The two of them walked up behind the warrior. "The two of us are his teammates!"
"Hm? You are?" The registration officer looked at their clothing and felt it was somewhat strange.
The warrior looked at their appearances and only then recalled that these two had asked him questions earlier, though the entire exchange hadn't been very pleasant. "You two."
"Heh… Hehehe, I roughly understand now. No matter! Since you've found companions willing to die together with you, then come forward, you fool!
The scene of blood boiling has already become aesthetically fatiguing. Adding an 「interlude」 where the strength difference is so great is also a nice change of pace.
Come — 「survival」 is the only rule! As long as you still have a single breath left, either overcome all obstacles and win the glory of this world — or leave your souls in Castrum Kremnos and become nourishment for 「Strife」!"
After registering, the three of them stepped into Castrum Kremnos together.
Along the way, there was little conversation — only puzzle-solving and fighting.
Just as everyone arrived at a new palace, a familiar voice appeared from outside.
"Good weapon! This is truly a good weapon… After a little cleaning, you can't even tell it's second-hand, ha…"
Gnaeus made a shushing gesture. "Wait."
Caelus gripped the baseball bat in his hand tightly. "I can't wait. The desire to fight is rising!"
Castorice: "Please calm down a little, Trailblazer sir."
"Shh… Listen."
"Heh, hehehe… This is going to be profitable…"
Castorice nodded thoughtfully. "I heard it too. That's…"
"Pretend you didn't hear anything. Act as usual. We'll find an opportunity to make him show himself. Stop at the next corner. If it's an assassin… we'll deal with him there."
The three held their breath at the corner, waiting for the voice behind them to approach…
Gnaeus: "Quiet…"
Not far away, the figure of the weapons merchant emerged from the darkness. "Ha… You ran really fast. One bag is almost full… After this trip, I probably won't need to scavenge leftovers to fill my stomach for the next few days, right? Hehe… I really hope this festival can last a while longer."
"Now."
The next moment, the three rushed out from the corner, startling the merchant!
"No wonder the weapons you sell have a bloody smell." Castorice finally understood the abnormality of the weapon from earlier.
"Uh, uh uh, that… Three warriors, I can explain! Look, I this…"
"Despicable scavenger like a dog or rat… Let me send you to meet Thanatos, thief." Gnaeus clenched his fists, his eyes filled with killing intent.
At this moment.
Castorice stepped in front of the merchant. "Lord Gnaeus, wait! This isn't right. Please… let him go."
[????]
[I didn't even skip ahead to watch this.]
[What the hell does this mean?]
[No-kill principle?]
[I think it's fine. After all, he's just a looter. No need to act like this.]
[Actually, it's to establish character — showing that Castorice respects life.]
Gnaeus was somewhat speechless. He pointed to the path they had come from. "Look back at those shattered corpses, girl — you can kill those warriors without hesitation, yet you want to show mercy to this filthy dog or rat?
Give me an explanation… Prove that you are not as foolish as that group of rabble."
"Because… he still holds fear toward death. Although despicable and filthy, his crimes do not warrant death. He should not become a sacrifice to the 「Hand of Shadow」.
It is the most terrifying darkness in this world. If allowed to grow… all light will be devoured.
To answer your question, what drives me to swing my sword has never been enthusiasm for killing, but fear of death."
Gnaeus's gaze returned to the merchant. "Get lost, dog or rat. You got your life back today."
The merchant immediately climbed up from the ground. "Th-Thank you, thank you, thank you! I… I won't appear around this city-state again. I promise!"
Seeing the merchant leave, the three continued on their way. After finding the second exit, they also arrived at the second layer of Castrum Kremnos.
Looking at the corpses scattered everywhere, Gnaeus spoke bluntly. "Such brutality… Who exactly is this festival meant to satisfy?"
"Beasts that have lost their purpose are merely following their instincts to track blood."
"Lord Gnaeus, we have already penetrated deep into the heart of Castrum Kremnos… It's time to let you know our purpose. We don't expect cooperation, but we ask that there be no conflict."
Gnaeus slightly turned his eyes. "Speak."
"We came to find a way to destroy Nikador. We received… intelligence that the irrational Strife Titan is forging an immortal body for himself. If we don't stop it, it will pose a huge threat to future Amphoreus."
Gnaeus snorted coldly. "Our goals do not conflict, girl. Once we find the Titan, we can each take what we need."
Hearing this, Castorice quietly breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.
"The souls of the sacrificed are still wandering in this hall… Meaningless sacrifices have wronged them. Their tragic howls never cease. Perhaps I can hear something from them…"
She came before a corpse. "Appear, warrior's soul… I know you have not yet rested. Guide us. Let us see what you have seen, hear what you have heard…"
Gnaeus couldn't help but feel somewhat surprised. "You can awaken the dead?"
"No… The only souls I can summon are those that have not yet completely died." As they spoke, a warrior's soul had already appeared. "One who has not found rest… Please tell us, what did you hear?"
From the soul's mouth, they learned the truth of the events.
The entire trial was actually a deception — merely a way to temporarily suppress the madness within Nikador through killing to stop killing!
Afterward, Castorice disregarded her physical discomfort and forcibly used her ability. Through communication with the dead souls, she learned the entire truth.
...
Gnaeus summarized, "No need to listen to the voices of the dead anymore. The information we have now is sufficient. The people of Castrum Kremnos have tampered with Nikador's soul. We only need to find the site of their blasphemy. Don't fall — we haven't reached the end yet."
"It'll be done soon. Give me a few seconds… Let me send this unfamiliar soul to a gentle place. The other shore is calling… Rest in peace, departed soul… There… that should be enough."