Lilith opened the door and entered a room that at least had space for resting. There was a single bed, with a table and chair beside it.
She was now in an inn.
She walked over to the bed, took off her white robe, and placed it on it. Lilith sat there with a sigh.
"Haah…"
Her thoughts were in disarray, thinking about the Blades of Mirage that were shooting towards the sacred tree of Everness. She was still in this city.
(I just have to go in the direction the Blades of Mirage are shooting. But…)
She briefly recalled Infori, the shopkeeper of Atziluth Artifacts, who had touched the blades and resonated with them. Lilith realized this. Because of this, she could only choose to remain silent this afternoon.
"Infori Atziluth… He's just an ordinary Nephilim. However, I sense that the blood and soul of the Nephilim race within him can connect with the Blades of Mirage," she whispered softly.
Lilith recalled the incident earlier that afternoon, when Infori wielded the knife again for the second time. The knife reacted and suddenly shot towards the world tree.
However, she still obeyed the Seraphim's rule of not involving other races like the Nephilim in this sacred task.
"Ah, never mind..." she whispered, shaking off her thoughts of Infori. "I won't involve him in my sacred task. He's just a shopkeeper."
Lilith got out of bed and walked to the window. She looked out the glass—seeing the city now bathed in light.
The magical lamps lit up one by one, casting a warm glow on the cobblestone streets that were beginning to be dampened by the night dew.
The sky above had completely turned a deep blue, dotted with softly sparkling stars, while the sun was about to set and be replaced by the moon.
As Lilith gazed out the window, a knock suddenly sounded from her room. It made Lilith a little surprised, who was knocking on her door this afternoon?
Could it be the innkeeper?
Lilith walked towards the door, stopped in front of it, and slowly opened it halfway. She peeked through the still-open door.
She saw a girl with short blonde hair, green eyes, and wearing the same white robe as Lilith.
"Iris?" Lilith said, stating the girl's name.
"Hello, Lilith."
A few minutes later, Lilith invited the girl, named Iris, into her room. This was where their conversation would begin.
Lilith sat on the bed, while Iris sat in a chair.
"Okay, Iris. What are you doing here? Have you found the artifact you were supposed to be looking for?"
"Of course. I've managed to secure one that the 'devil' might be after," Iris replied.
Then, she opened the pouch she was carrying around her neck. She took out some sort of artifact she had found, a gold bracelet with abstract motifs they didn't recognize.
The bracelet held a small, round crystal attached to it.
"Wow." Lilith was amazed by the shape of this artifact. Even from her eyes, it emitted a powerful and profound aura.
"This is the Bracelet of Arise. A rare artifact with extraordinary power, it can control all the magic in the world."
Hearing this, Lilith was shocked. No artifact could allow the user to use all magic at once.
"All magic?!"
This was the first time she had heard of such a thing.
"Yes. Elemental magic, buff magic, debuff magic, even light and darkness magic, which are considered high-level holy magic."
Iris's concise explanation made "that person's" goal make sense.
"Amazing... No wonder they want this artifact to destroy Everness and enter the underworld," Lilith said. She was convinced that her mission was one she must undertake with full conviction.
"Iris, our task is a special one that will determine the fate of Orleans. We need to find the other artifacts before they fall into the wrong hands."
Iris immediately smiled enthusiastically as she nodded, letting out an "Um," confident in her current mission.
Then, Iris asked Lilith about the artifact she was supposed to obtain. However, hearing this made Lilith feel guilty for not being able to secure the Blades of Mirage.
"Speaking of which, have you obtained the other artifacts?"
Lilith sighed.
"Haah... Unfortunately not, I lost them on the way here."
"I see," Iris said, sensing Lilith's sadness.
"But, I can't stop here. I will get them back with all my heart."
Iris smiled faintly at that, and this time Lilith was not alone. She was now with Iris, her longtime companion, in the sacred task entrusted to her by the Elder Seraphim.
⟨⟩ ⟨⟩ ⟨⟩
On the city streets, still bustling with people even though it was almost nighttime, Infori walked among them quietly. He, who hadn't left his usual life for a long time, had finally discovered something completely new.
"So going out in the evening is quite pleasant, huh?" he murmured.
Although he wasn't an adventurer, she would soon embark on a journey similar to one.
He hadn't yet left the city to search for the rare artifact, as he needed something first before leaving.
A calm wind blew from ahead, gently moving his clothes and his hair, which also moved casually.