Chapter 123: Goodbye, Aglaea
"Of course, Aya," you said, looking at her with determination. "For the Journey of Chasing the Flame, for you, I am willing to bear this responsibility."
"Orion-kun…"
"However—" You gently stroked Aglaea's cheek. "Now is not the time."
"What?"
"I want to wait until all the Kindling is collected before accepting the trial," you explained. "After all, the Divine Authority of Time is extremely important, and I need to be fully prepared."
Aglaea was a little worried. "But…"
"Don't worry," you interrupted her, saying confidently. "I have the qualifications. Trust me."
Looking at your determined gaze, Aglaea finally nodded. "Okay, I trust you."
You sneered inwardly. Accept the trial? What a joke.
Not to mention whether it could be passed… that Titan of Time might have been by Stelle's side all along, perhaps having guessed something. You would never walk into a trap.
Days later, in the Weaving Workshop.
You sat at the workbench, needle and thread weaving through the fabric in your hand. This was a skill Aglaea had taught you. Hundreds of years had passed, but your craftsmanship still couldn't compare to hers.
Just then, a small Golden Thread appeared before you. A Golden Thread Nymph.
You stopped what you were doing and calmly looked at it. No surprise, no unexpectedness. As if you had known this moment would come.
"After so many years, your craftsmanship still hasn't improved," the Golden Thread Nymph said.
"After all, I'm not you," you replied.
The Nymph was silent for a moment. "Orion-kun, I said before that meeting you in this form means…"
"I know," you interrupted. "You're leaving."
"Yes… I've come to say goodbye."
You put down the fabric in your hand and looked at it directly for the first time. This might be the last time you spoke to Aglaea. But strangely, there wasn't much sadness in your heart. Perhaps because you had known this day would come for a long time. Perhaps because you had become numb.
"The Weaving Workshop is yours, Orion-kun."
"I will take good care of it."
"And… remember to accept the Divine Authority of Time."
"…Hmm."
Before the Golden Thread Nymph left, it seemed to want to say something else. "Orion-kun, these years… thank you."
"Thank you for always being by my side."
"Thank you for supporting my ideals."
"Thank you… for loving me."
You looked at it, your lips moving slightly, but you said nothing. No goodbyes, no attempts to make it stay. Just quietly watching.
The Golden Thread Nymph seemed to understand something and smiled softly. "This is good too, no goodbyes."
"Because… we will meet again, right?"
The golden specks of light began to dissipate, like petals scattered by the wind, slowly drifting into the distance.
Silence returned to the Weaving Workshop. Only you remained, with a room full of unfinished fabric.
You picked up your needle and thread and continued your work. Your hand was steady, without a trace of tremor. But for some reason, the lines sewn this time were neater than ever before.
The dawn from outside the Weaving Workshop streamed in, illuminating the empty chair. That was Aglaea's usual seat.
Now, no one would ever sit there again.
After a while, a white-haired woman walked into the Weaving Workshop. Caenis. An Elder of the Council, and also the leader of the "Cleaners."
A triumphant smile was on her face.
"Well done… my son."
The needle in your hand stopped, and your brows furrowed.
"Didn't I tell you?" you said coldly. "Don't call me that."
Caenis laughed even harder. "Are you afraid of being discovered? What does it matter?" She swaggered in, looking around. "That woman Aglaea is dead. No one can discover our plan now! Haha…"
Her laughter echoed in the empty Weaving Workshop, extremely jarring.
"Thanks to you, Castorice was swayed, and Aglaea was deceived, allowing her to die peacefully…"
"Heh heh, and that annoying scholar from the Tree Garden, after obtaining that false truth, he dug out the Kindling from his chest and died ridiculously."
"Stop talking nonsense," you interrupted her. "Why have you come to see me?"
"Why?" Caenis approached you. "Can't a mother and son catch up and share the joy of victory?"
You didn't look at her, continuing to manipulate the fabric in your hand.
That's right. It was you and Caenis who planned for the Council's assassins to send off Aglaea, who only had a fragmented soul left. You had long ago evaded Aglaea's surveillance, secretly allied with the Council, and step by step dismantled the Journey of Chasing the Flame.
And Caenis… When your Uncle and Aunt died when you were young, your Aunt had revealed that your parents were in Okhema. After arriving in Okhema, you accidentally found her—your mother, the leader of the Cleaners.
A woman who aimed to assassinate the Chrysos Heirs, yet gave birth to you, who flowed with Golden Blood. To avoid being discovered, she threw you into Dolos. And when she recognized you, the memories and hatred of the Cleaners had been passed down for generations. From your birth mother, all the way to the current Caenis.
"What's wrong? Why aren't you speaking? My son…"
Suddenly—
A Golden Thread shot into her mouth!
"Ugh…!"
Caenis made a muffled sound, hands clutching her throat.
Crack!
A cutting sound rang out. Blood gushed from her mouth, and a severed tongue was coughed out, falling to the ground. She stared at you with wide eyes, filled with shock and incomprehension, seemingly asking—why would you attack your own mother?
"I told you," you stood up, looking at her coldly. "Don't call me that!"
You had no feelings whatsoever for this so-called mother, this monster who had inherited countless generations of hatred. She was merely your tool.
"Ugh…ugh…" Caenis covered her mouth, blood seeping through her fingers. She glared at you furiously, wanting to curse, to call you an unfilial son.
She stumbled towards you.
"I never had a mother."
Your gaze was terrifyingly cold.
Caenis stopped, the shock in her eyes deepening. She finally understood—you were also a complete monster. Even more cold-blooded and ruthless than her, a Cleaner who had inherited countless generations of hatred.
"Go and be buried with Aglaea."
The Golden Thread flashed.
The expression on Caenis's face was forever frozen. Her head fell to the ground. Those eyes were still staring fixedly at you, as if she couldn't believe it even in death.
You didn't even glance at the corpse on the ground, turning around to sit back down. Picking up your needle and thread, you continued your unfinished work.
Silence returned to the Weaving Workshop once more. Only the faint sound of needle and thread passing through fabric.
[Successfully plotting Aglaea's death, trapping the Trailblazer, obstructing the Journey of Chasing the Flame, and righteously eliminating a relative, Villain Value +1500!]
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