The days became slightly 'better'. Hysilens' addition to the army made a lot of things easier. Due to her presence, Cerydra held post-battle 'banquets' to fulfill her promise.
The one who was the most lax was none other than Shi Tian. That was until Hysilens came over and played with his cheek. Her delicate fingers cupped around his face, treating him like a fluffy slime.
It wasn't as if Cerydra did nothing. She and Shi Tian spent years together. From her rise to the throne until the conquest of city-states, he saw through everything with her.
However, Hysilens is a vital force of the Imperator's army. Barring personal feelings, she could only "sacrifice" Shi Tian to the sea siren.
'Humph. This Imperator can make the necessary sacrifices…'
Despite her 'strong' words, she felt something—the feeling of a valuable person being taken away. It brought back the feeling she loathed the most.
To lose control over her life.
This time, Shi Tian is the part of Cerydra's life.
Whenever she wasn't free, he was with Hysilens.
Whenever she was free, he was still with Hysilens!
Subtly, the relationship between the Imperator and Dux Gladiorum deviated from the original.
The 'conquest' lasted for another half a year. Having conquered dozens of city-states, Cerydra set her sights on the city-state at the center of the continent, Okhema. Part of it was the practical benefits of conquering it. Another was the prophecy brought upon by a small red-haired girl they rescued inside a city.
Cerydra ordered her to be brought to her temporary camp. The loyal Dux Gladiorum stood behind her. 'Merlin' was able to escape from her grasp this time, standing on her right.
"To rally the blessed children born with golden blood and usurp the Titans' Coreflames… Are you not afraid of being branded as a heretic?"
Cerydra's words were met with a firm refusal.
"No… We have taken upon the burden of spreading Kephale's prophecy. We believe your presence will shift the Flame-chase Journey's for the better."
Shi Tian caught onto her 'weird' verbal tics.
"We… She's not split into a thousand pieces, is she not?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it was more than enough to resound inside the tent.
"Mn. You are right, Goldie."
"..?"
"..!"
"..?!"
Each of the three has varying reactions. They were so used to Shi Tian's non-existence they treated him like a walking ghost. Only the two of them could see him… until now.
Amidst their silence, he felt extremely curious.
"Why did you call me Goldie? Isn't my hair purple? It should have been Purplie or something, no?"
Janus' priest, Tribbie, shook her head.
"We have seen your eyes. It defines who you are."
Her answer stunned him.
"Who I am… Perhaps you are right."
This meeting, which shifted the focus from man to god, ended. The next destination of the Imperator has been confirmed:
The Holy City, Okhema.
*****
Over two years of siege ended Okhema's sturdy defense. Occupied by the allied army, its residents experienced a wave of killing. The authoritative force was replaced by the people of these allied armies—including Loukas' remaining original forces.
They wanted to reclaim Loukas from the Imperator's grasp, but the allied army was wary of the 'enemy' that conquered dozens of city-states. They chose to fortify their turtle shell.
Unbeknownst to them, they are cooked. Absolutely cooked.
First came the lull of the siren. Then the attack on the western and southern walls. The archers fired at them from a long distance. Some of them did not survive. Most blocked or dodged the arrows.
The enemies inside Okhema felt it was a senseless attack. Although they couldn't create moats in this short timespan, the city gates remain tightly shut.
They were proven wrong.
The very siren they feared got inside through Tribbie's [Century Gate]. Like a wolf in a flock of sheep, she easily opened the western gate. The southern gate, on the other hand, was taken care of by one of Cerydra's generals.
The rest was self-explanatory. With the gates open, the allied army lost half of their advantage. Their desire for a prolonged fight inside their turtle shell backfired. Okhema's streets are narrow. Less people can fit inside a road's width. The battles depended more on individual and small-scaled teams' might.
In this regard, Cerydra's army outpowered the allied armies in both.
Before the curtain-fall hour, the Imperator slew all of the enemy generals and proclaimed herself as the ruler of Okhema, silencing the Council of Elders within the Holy City and vowing to bring justice to its people.
Naturally, a feast followed soon after. It wasn't limited to the soldiers, but also Okhemian citizens. They understood how it was to participate in a city-wide banquet.
"I haven't asked you yet. Where did my nickname come from?"
"Your voice is beautiful enough to attract schools of fish, yet none reacted. If not a ghost, what shall I call you?"
Her rhetorical question made him laugh.
"You don't want to eat, Ghost Fry?"
"I don't eat, but if you want to see me eat, then I guess I will…"
Hysilens' silence gradually receded with time. Under the heated and lively atmosphere of this 'feast', she found herself once more.
The time of being lost, without purpose, was over. She was forced to murder every single one of her kin who turned into corrupted monsters (i.e., Black Tide Monsters). After that ordeal, she left her homeland and emerged to human land. She went through numerous campaigns, only to find herself without purpose.
The 'feasting' they had done under the sea, the bloody battles she fought… Hysilens found nothing from them.
It wasn't until the appearance of the two oddballs—a pair of a King and Jester—did she have the hopes of an 'inextinguishable' flame. She placed her trust on Cerydra… and Shi Tian to keep this flame from burning forever.
"Hm..? It tastes sweet, mellow, and temptious…"
The 'Honey Brew' was a special non-alcoholic beverage personally created by Hysilens. It was supposed to keep one's mind sharp and free from external troubles. Its flavor alternates between the three with every second.
From his gradually lowering voice, Hysilens noticed something unusual.
"What is the matter? Is it not to your liking?" She asked.
"No. It's just… I can't explain it. I haven't tasted this before, but it feels very familiar…"
'Hysilens' Honey Brew tastes good…'
For some reason, it felt like there was a cat scratching at his heart. Shi Tian felt very embarrassed thinking about it. There was nothing wrong with this line of thought, yet it felt dirty the more he thought about it.
This made him feel more guilty towards Hysilens. She might have played with his soft face often, but it doesn't warrant this kind of treatment.
The confused siren and the flustered 'Merlin' continued their back-and-forths for quite some time before he slipped away.