When the surging waves raised by the fierce battle gradually returned to calm.
From the sky, a lady clad in a golden robe, noble and elegant, descended slowly like a person straight out of myth.
Her feet, clad in golden high heels, touched the ground gracefully.
Around her well-proportioned figure, strands of golden threads were woven everywhere.
Then, as though she were idly observing the aftermath left behind by the battle....
Those slightly indifferent eyes, that elegant and noble face. Everything spoke of how beautiful and elegant this woman was.
That arrogance, that cold detachment, and the perfectly balanced, feminine charm she exuded.
All of it made the comments scream out 'mommy'!
...
: Mommy, mom mom mom!!!!
: A new mommy appeared! How can we afford to stand still!
: She's so beautiful! Absolutely stunning! The outfit, the face, the figure, damn! Even as a girl, I dream of becoming someone like this!
: Why are there so many simps here, geez.
: She looks way too good in that outfit!
: Elegant! So elegant!
: Goddess!
: Aglaea, Goddess of Beauty!
: If I could become Mama Aglaea's child, I'd gladly drive luxury cars and live lavishly for her!
...
Completely different from the women before, Aglaea's beauty was the kind that made both male and female viewers light up instantly, crying out "mommy" without hesitation.
Especially at the moment when her high-heeled feet stepped onto the ground.
No one knew how many hearts were shattered in that instant.
After Aglaea landed, the golden threads in her hand trembled ever so slightly.
And dragged the lifeless Incarnation's body, down onto the ground.
"This is not the true Nikador, just one of his many godly forms. The Coreflame isn't here." Aglaea gently reminded Phainon and the other two.
Then, the camera shifted to the skies.
Three Furiae priests standing in the sky looked at the Marmoreal palace. Seemingly sensing the fall of the Incarnation, they changed direction one after another, turning back and flying out of Okhema.
Behind the trunk of a large tree, the small wings on Tribios's back flapped, lifting her into the air as she hid behind the tree, secretly observing the enemy's movements.
Only after all the enemies had left, did Tribios flap her little wings again, quietly following after them.
Inside the Marmoreal Palace, Aglaea walked slowly toward Stelle and Dan Heng.
Within those dual colored eyes, no emotional fluctuations could be seen.
"New allies of Okhema, welcome to Amphoreus"
"While this welcome banquet is far from elegant, it has helped to remove any misgivings that we had. From this moment forth, you shall be treated as distinguished guests of the holy city and of the Chrysos Heirs."
Hearing Aglaea's elegant wording. Stelle and Dan Heng exchanged glances. Both of them noticed a detail.
Aglaea's eyes seemed somewhat unfocused. Within them, there was scarcely any trace of human warmth.
Compared to an ordinary person's gaze, there was a chilling coldness in Aglaea's pupils.
From the audience's perspective. This trait could only be described as peak "mommy" material.
But to Stelle and Dan Heng, it meant only one thing. That the legendary master of Okhema was anything but simple.
"Curious about my eyesight?"
Aglaea saw through their thoughts and smiled faintly. "Well, I'm not blind. On the contrary, I can see much more than the typical person."
"Those with golden blood always have something extraordinary about them. For me, it's perception. I don't need light to measure the world - the wind carries messages along golden threads, delivering countless sensations to my fingertips."
Aglaea's voice was gentle. She was explaining things to Stelle and Dan Heng and at the same time, telling them clearly.
That nothing in Okhema could escape her notice. Stelle, being carefree, might not have felt it.
But Dan Heng felt a chill in his heart. And once again raised Aglaea's danger level in his mind.
"So that means she knows everything we've done since entering Amphoreus?"
Dan Heng thought to himself.
At that moment, Stelle scratched her head and looked at Dan Heng. "She sounds so cultured..."
Dan Heng didn't know whether to be relieved by Stelle's simplicity or feel helpless.
While the three were talking, Phainon on the side was behaving strangely.
Not only did he not interrupt, he kept staring at Nikador's incarnation, lost in thought.
"Could it be that my trial has not arrived yet?" He looked somewhat dejected.
"By following the threads of fate, you have begun to write the opening chapter of your story. How do you feel?"
Aglaea turned to Phainon and said.
"Truth be told, I don't feel any different. I anticipated a greater challenge."
Phainon pulled himself together and asked, "When Trianne followed those escaped soldiers, was that part Of the plan o?"
Aglaea nodded.
"Naturally. We have long foreseen this attack and didn't intend to waste such a golden opportunity."
"After Nikador succumbed to madness, their fortress disappeared into the fog, with no one being able to ascertain its location anymore. However, now that they have acted out of character and attacked Okhema of their own accord..."
"Then, the holy city shall also uncover their hiding place and sound the horn of retaliation."
After explaining Okhema's next steps, Aglaea and Phainon shifted their focus to Stelle and Dan Heng.
Phainon decided to first let them familiarize themselves with the history of Amphoreus as he had promised Dan Heng previously and asked Aglaea to help them.
And this decision seemed to align with Aglaea's intentions.
Aglaea placed her right hand lightly over her chest and said softly,
"Distinguished guests, since you have spared no effort in aiding the holy city, I will naturally take care of you as well."
"I've woven many unforeseen events into the tapestry of fate, this is but one instance."
"Hmm?!!" Hearing this, Dan Heng's eyes widened a little.
He caught something hidden between the lines. And so did some of the sharper viewers.
From the information learned earlier through Phainon, Amphoreus was currently heading toward ruin.
And according to prophecy, the Chrysos Heirs would rise to save the world.
In this world, Titans and divine revelations carried immense weight.
Visitors from beyond the skies were never mentioned in the prophecies.
They were unforeseen events. What did that mean?
...
: ??? Is Aglaea hinting at something?
: Damn, that line was explosive!
: Is this meant to harm the two? Or is it telling them something else?
: No, no, no. I think Aglaea foresaw an unforeseen variable, something not mentioned in the prophecy!
: But no matter what, at least Stelle and Dan Heng are safe right?!
: Not necessarily!
: Aglaea is such a riddler! Damn it, I'm getting so anxious!
...
From that single line, the audience interpreted all kinds of different meanings.
But no matter how they speculated, one thing could be confirmed.
Aglaea wanted to hide that from the citizens that they were from outside the sky or something along the line.
That line woven into fate read more like the remnants of something that had already been handled.
With all kinds of thoughts in mind, the audience continued watching.
But next, Aglaea didn't take any particular action.
Instead, she led Stelle and Dan Heng to a secluded place.
Within the Marmoreal Palace, hot springs were everywhere, and with war approaching, there was hardly anyone around.
By the hot spring, Aglaea began introducing the history of Amphoreus to the two of them.
This was Phainon's request, and also something she herself wanted to do.
However, before that, Dan Heng made a rather awkward request.
"Lady Aglaea, could you give us some time?"
"We'd like to get back to our mission now that the situation has calmed down. We want to lay down a beacon of the Trailblaze here."
"I can assure you that this will not bring any repercussions to Okhema. Think of it as a ceremony when traveling to someplace new."
Although he didn't know whether Aglaea would agree, Dan Heng asked her.
Trailblazing is trailblazing. Arriving somewhere and not placing a beacon, what kind of trailblazing would that be?
"Beacon... of the Trailblaze..."
Aglaea gave a light nod.
"No problem, go ahead."
Dan Heng didn't stand on ceremony. He took out the beacon and placed it beside a hot spring of the Marmoreal Palace.
That blue crystal, emitting a mysterious glow, made Aglaea fascinated.
In the end, Aglaea withdrew her gaze and spoke.
"What an interesting way to mark the start of your journey. I grow more and more curious about your cause."
This scene left the audience full of doubt.
Aglaea, who looked like the kind of person who grasped the entire situation.
Yet she so easily allowed Dan Heng to place the mark. Did she really have no precautions at all? Or did she have deeper intentions?
But no matter what, the beacon was ultimately set.
With no further worries, Stelle and Dan Heng began listening to Aglaea's account of Amphoreus' history.
Though Aglaea said she would explain, in reality, it was a sprite from the Marmoreal Palace bath doing the narration.
Under this spirit's narration, the scene gradually transformed into murals.
"Okie doke, make yourself comfortable~ Time for a history class on Amphoreus!"
"Amphoreus started off as a ball of chaos!"
"The three Fate Titans wrote laws to govern the world, another three Foundation Titans created the earth, ocean, and skies, and a different three Creation Titans designed and gave life to human beings - like you and me."
"But three baddie Titans soon snuck in, bringing a terrible horrible disaster with them!"
"So, the Titans got angry, and no one was willing to give in. Their followers then decided to do the same, fighting and killing each other."
As the narration flowed like water, the murals successively revealed the appearances of the Titans.
At last, the audience fully understood the complete picture of all the Titans.
Twelve Titans. Not complicated at all.
In short, Amphoreus' history could be summed up in a single sentence.
Nine Titans created everything belonging to humanity.
The remaining three were baddie Titans, who descended upon the world and brought calamity.
Humanity began waging bloody wars against itself.
"So sleepy… Ah..."
Stelle forced her eyelids open, her eyes already filled with drowsiness.
Just a few sentences in, and she was already on the verge of nodding off.
"It's fine. We can change the approach."
Aglaea observed Stelle's reaction with interest and said, "These spirits are best at catering to their audience."
As her words fell, the spirit's originally aged voice immediately turned playful and eccentric, speaking in a light, exaggerated tone:
"Everyone fought for a really, really long time, disturbing and hurting all people living in the world. Until one day - something big happened!"
"A prophecy appeared on Amphoreus! Something no one saw coming!"
"The tripartite prophecy says there is only one way to stop this war."
"Assemble a band of heroes powerful enough to take on the twelve Titans and reignite their Coreflames. Only then will their divine wrath abate, and peace return to the world."
"We know this band of heroes by a certain name~ Any guesses? That's right! The Chrysos Heirs!"
Under the little spirit's narration, the Chrysos Heirs, the Twelve Titans, and the core conflict facing Amphoreus all became clear.
"Sounds like they may have glossed over somethings." Stelle scratched her head and said, trusting her intuition.
"Is that so... Looks like you're a bit hard to please. Trusting and perceptive at the same time." Aglaea looked at Stelle in surprise. Then led them to the another bath exclusive to the Chrysos Heirs.
Aglaea then, as if remembering something informed the two about the rules of the bath set by the Council, and that she could only take one of them.
"I'm willing to make an exception, considering you're guests from beyond the sky. But if I were to bring both of you in at once... I'd be blatantly disrespecting our traditions."
"That's a puzzling custom." Stelle commented, trying if she could see what was special about the bath.
"It's probably more of a "hero's privilege.'" Dan Heng spoke stopping Stelle and continued.
"Why don't you go up with her, Stelle? I don't mind waiting for you here."
"You have a very considerate partner. Follow me, then." Saying that Aglaea turned around walking to a lift like mechanism.