"Find that guy?" The Greater Will and the Fire Keeper walked along the street, with giants passing them by from time to time.
However, their house-sized feet were held up by magic circles three or four meters off the ground, and their mountain-like bodies cast no shadows.
"Yes, with you, and Lord Patches, it should be possible," the Fire Keeper said with a smile, walking half a step behind the Greater Will.
"Whoo—" A dull whistle sounded, and a disc tens of meters wide descended from the sky.
The dull whistle came from the jet nozzles around the disc; huge bursts of hot air were expelled and then absorbed into the core beneath the disc, repeating in a cycle.
"What an interesting little contraption. He should like it too." The Fire Keeper watched as the disc, filled with people, flew towards its next stop—the Royal Capital's public transport.
"Similar to golems?" The Greater Will took a look and immediately understood its construction.
"Yes, Lord Patches' guidance, Nokron's design, and this is the final product," the Fire Keeper said, smiling.
Speaking of Patches, he seemed even more mysterious than Yu Jin.
The Greater Will nodded. Nokron? He had some impression of it; they seemed to have created weapons capable of inflicting DMG on him back then.
Unfortunately, it couldn't even block a casual meteor from him, so that weapon probably could only be used to trim his toenails.
"Why don't you call him by his name?" The Greater Will asked out of the blue.
"I don't call your name either," the Fire Keeper replied to the Greater Will with a smile.
The Greater Will gave the Fire Keeper a meaningful look; likewise, He also did not call the Fire Keeper by her name.
"Why should I help you? He has caused me quite a bit of trouble." As if nothing had happened, the two continued walking.
"There are too many things in his body that don't belong to him. I want to take them out," the Fire Keeper said simply.
The Greater Will paused, then looked at the Fire Keeper again. Another madwoman.
But soon, He started walking again, neither agreeing nor refusing.
Their speed suddenly picked up; though they appeared to be merely strolling, with each step they took, the scenery behind them receded rapidly.
Leaving the Royal Capital Avenue, the Greater Will and the Fire Keeper wandered around and stopped in front of an ordinary shop.
"This is the place you wanted to bring me to?" The Greater Will affirmed, looking at the sign that read "Patches' Shop."
"Mm." The Fire Keeper nodded, then walked in first.
At this moment, Patches was sitting behind the counter, tinkering with a mechanical core, muttering to himself from time to time:
"It's counter-intuitive. They can make robots without even a steam engine. It just goes to show that the world is different, and the development paths are also different."
However, Patches soon looked up and saw the Fire Keeper approaching again. He said helplessly:
"I'll call you 'Sis,' alright? Stop looking for me. I really can't find him. Maybe he's really dead?"
Actually, Patches truly wished Yu Jin would die peacefully. In his perception, Yu Jin's continued existence was simply because someone wanted him to live.
Someone cared about Yu Jin, so Yu Jin lived.
If one day Yu Jin was the only one left, Patches had no doubt he would commit suicide directly.
Patches could see the shadows of many people in Yu Jin. But he couldn't see Yu Jin's own shadow.
To Melina, he was a king who cared for the world and saved The Lands Between; to Ranni, he was the other half who could betray everything and understand the Dark Moon; to Malenia, he was the light who rescued her brother and restored her human dignity... Patches had once seen Yu Jin's true face, but now he had forgotten it. What did Yu Jin look like before? He couldn't remember.
A suit of knight's armor, with a few tattered cloths draped over it—that was Patches' last impression of Yu Jin.
As for what the face beneath the armor looked like now, perhaps no one would ever know.
"Lord Patches is joking. I'm just making some attempts," the Fire Keeper maintained her elegant and dignified demeanor.
Patches waved his hand impatiently and said, "No attempt will work. I'm just a retired thief who can't do anything."
"Why do you always assume I'll help you?" The Greater Will interjected at this point.
The Fire Keeper smiled, explaining to both Patches and the Greater Will, "Wouldn't taking the darkness out of him align with your intentions?"
"He will find peace, and he will also become weaker, too weak to threaten you."
"Gods cannot be killed, but there are many things more terrifying than death."
"I can protect him." The Fire Keeper's skirt began to show molten traces; she also possessed the power of fire.
"Deal." The Greater Will smiled, looking at the serene Fire Keeper.
A person who transcends gods, He saw it now.
However, it seemed what was transcended were merely the rot, the Frenzied Flame, and other wastes.
"How about it, Lord Patches?" The Fire Keeper retracted her power. While saying something, she brewed tea for the Greater Will and Patches.
The Greater Will took a sip. It was something He had never tasted, quite peculiar.
"In the future, you can go to the Starry Night and have a look; he should like the sun."
"I wonder if he is still so afraid of water?"
"Should we also take out the fire? The pain of Burning seems no less than the gnawing of humanity."
...Patches looked at the chattering Fire Keeper, took the tea she brewed, and placed it on the counter without drinking it.
"You will die!"
Patches gripped the teacup tightly, enunciating each word: "He, will, slaughter, you!!!"
The Fire Keeper froze for a moment, then smiled with resignation: "It's alright. The current me should be able to hold him in my arms."
Patches closed his eyes, whether from anger or helplessness. After a long while, he opened his eyes again, utterly exhausted, and said:
"Olive, I can call you that, right?"
"Of course, Lord Patches." The Fire Keeper bowed to Patches.
"You said you were afraid of the gnawing of humanity, so he devoured all the darkness."
"You also said you yearned to see the light, so he gave his eyes to you."
"In the end, you even began to betray the duties of a Fire Keeper; you said the fire had bound you for too long, so he took away even the First Flame."
Seeing the Fire Keeper about to speak but hesitating, Patches didn't stop. He continued:
"I'm not trying to blame you. I just want to emphasize that he saved you only after confirming your inner thoughts!"
At this point, Patches slammed the table and roared, "What about you! Do you know what he wants! How can you assume he's in so much pain! Don't be so wishful, Olive!"
Patches' roar left the Fire Keeper standing frozen. Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the Fire Keeper would give up, he heard a cold voice from the darkness.
"My name was given by him, my light was brought by him, everything about me is tied to him. I must find him."
"I apologize, please sleep for a while, Lord Patches."
Patches could see nothing. He felt as if he was in an endless darkness.
The Fire Keeper had seen the darkness of the Age of Fire, but that darkness was far less intense than what she saw when Yu Jin burned to death.
Patches also felt her stubbornness and couldn't help but curse loudly in the darkness, "Madwoman! You're crazier than him!"
Then he took a deep breath and shouted, "Let me out! Without me, you'll only be able to sacrifice the Greater Will next to you to possibly open a hole!"
"I knew Lord Patches was extraordinary. I apologize for my offense just now, Lord Patches." Light returned to Patches. The Fire Keeper bowed to Patches in front of her, smiling as she apologized.
"Sigh~" Patches lay slumped on the counter like a salted fish. He rolled his eyes and said, "We don't even know if it'll work! Don't get too excited."
"As long as there's hope." The Fire Keeper visibly cheered up; her smile hadn't stopped since Patches agreed to her plan.
"Also, if it really works, you need to be a bit more composed. I can feel it; he's doing better." Patches' dead fish eyes looked into the distance.
"Mm." Although she didn't know what "doing better" meant, the Fire Keeper still nodded.
Because Yu Jin had once warned her that if any incomprehensible words appeared in Patches' mouth, she should just ignore them.
Every word from Yu Jin was etched into her heart, and this one was no exception.