"Agy… Agy…"
Stelle repeated the name several times and inexplicably felt a wave of sadness in her heart: Even Aglaea has been messed with to this extent? Luckily only she could see this scene right now. If the Golden Descendants of the original universe saw this, their jaws would probably drop.
—Especially Teacher Anaxa. Ah, of course, others would probably open their mouths wide from shock, while he would purely be unable to close his from laughing.
Phainon explained to Stelle from the side, "Lady Aglaea is a demigod who inherited the divine authority of [Reason]. Due to the flaws brought by the divine authority, her humanity will gradually drain away over time, so… please don't mind it."
"Oh right, I haven't told you about the Titans of Amphoreus yet, have I? They are the gods who built the heavens and earth. There are twelve in total…" (The following tens of thousands of words of popular science about Titans, divine authority, and demigods are omitted)
"…In short, due to certain reasons, Golden Descendants who bear divine authority all carry certain flaws. Lady Aglaea's is 'loss of humanity.'" Phainon lowered his voice and whispered,
"According to rumors, don't listen to Lady Aglaea when she tells others to call her 'Aya.' Although she can say it, you cannot. Otherwise, a mysterious phantom thief will steal your wallet that very night."
Stelle's mouth twitched. She replied in a low voice as well, "But look at Aglaea. Does she seem like she's lost her humanity? I feel like she's actually easier to approach than most people?"
Phainon (whispering): "No? The way she acts indifferent toward strangers doesn't that mean she no longer cares about ordinary etiquette?"
Stelle: "??? So that's how you understand 'no humanity'?"
Phainon: "Isn't it?"
"Hey, you two idiots, feel free to speak even louder."
Aglaea stood with her arms crossed, calmly staring at Stelle and Phainon. "Whispers that can be heard by others are no longer 'whispers.' You might as well just say it openly to save trouble."
"They're just some idle chatter. Say whatever you want. I won't mind anyway."
Stelle and Phainon scratched their heads and said in unison, "No, you misunderstood."
Aglaea: "Hah! This look is truly unbearable, just as foolish as Anaxagoras."
Stelle muttered quietly, "Agy, you really don't have eyes to see…"
Aglaea: "······"
—Aglaea walked away by herself.
"Trailblazer, you really are something."
Seeing this scene, Phainon looked somewhat surprised. "Whether in the Tree Court or Ochema, few people can leave Lady Aglaea speechless."
"Stop it." Stelle looked sorrowful. "I won't be hated by Lady Aglaea, right?"
"Mmm… That won't happen. Lady Aglaea generally doesn't take other people's words to heart. If she really gets angry, she'll most likely just give the answer directly with her dual guns."
"Alright." Stelle sighed. "By the way… is Lady Aglaea the leader of this rescue team?"
Phainon shook his head. "Not exactly… Although Lady Aglaea has been a demigod for a long time, in terms of seniority she still can't compare to Lygus."
"Remember I just told you about the twelve Titans and the 'Flame Reaver' story? Lygus… he was the original initiator of the Flame Reavers and is a highly respected elder in the Holy City. Although he has always refused any rights or duties, he always provides help when needed."
"Don't be fooled by his Antikythera appearance. In truth, Lygus is a very gentle senior."
As he said this, a smile unconsciously appeared on Phainon's face.
In contrast, Stelle's expression was one of complete horror.
Snowy, what are you even saying?
"Eh? Trailblazer, what's with that expression?"
"N-nothing. I was just a bit shocked to hear that Lygus is actually a figure from a thousand years ago, hahaha. I thought he was very young, hahaha."
"Oh? Why would you think that?"
"Because he's schemed like a grandson… cough cough cough. I mean, he doesn't give off any sense of decay at all, hahaha."
"Of course. The theoretical lifespan of Antikythera people is endless, and they can perform self-renewal and iteration… Are there such people beyond the sky too?"
"Mhm. Actually, beyond the sky, such people are generally called mechanical intelligences…"
The two chatted and laughed as they talked. Soon, the rescue team began to set off. The terrestrial beasts, as large as small mountains, started moving their legs and walked step by step in formation toward the glow on the horizon.
·····
Some time later.
Holy City, Ochema.
Rumble—
"Wake up quickly."
Because the journey was long, Stelle had slept on the way. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Lygus's pale face hovering above her, still shaking her. "For your safety, wake up quickly."
!
Stelle jolted awake and sat up straight. "W-what are you doing?"
"Careful!"
Lygus didn't answer. Instead, he suddenly lunged toward Stelle. At the same time, a fireball whistled past the two of them and smashed heavily into the surrounding buildings, erupting in a violent explosion.
Stelle looked around and realized she was already inside a magnificent classical city. However, at this very moment, the sky was filled with dense fireballs, smashing into the city like missiles.
She could even see statue-like creatures moving about everywhere.
It was the part where Nikador attacks Ochema… Stelle's heart stirred. She looked at Lygus in front of her with a strange feeling: He just saved me?
No… is this real? Could Lygus in this world actually be a good person? Were all my previous thoughts just prejudice?
Phainon had also said earlier that Lygus was a highly respected nice guy in Ochema. Was everything true?
"Trailblazer, Lygus, careful!"
Before Stelle could think further, Phainon stepped out from the side and stood in front of the two. His greatsword swung with fierce winds as he used exquisite sword skills to clear away the falling building debris for them. "Not good, Nikador has come! Careful!"
"Stelle!"
Dan Heng and Sunday promptly moved closer to Stelle. Once the three regrouped, they felt much more at ease. Their gazes met as they held a wordless conversation within the Astral Express crew:
Stelle: What do we do? It looks like a fight has broken out here.
Sunday: Don't be afraid, I'll protect you!
Dan Heng: Although we shouldn't intervene in local conflicts too early, we can't just watch civilians get hurt. Let's take action.
Stelle: Did Lygus give any instructions on what to do next?
Dan Heng: No. We'll probably have to rely on ourselves. For now, we can only give Lygus fifty percent trust.
Sunday: Fifty percent? Haven't you noticed that Lygus doesn't seem like a good person?