"It's still a little unbelievable. We only just returned Nikador's Coreflame… and your arrival has melted the glaciers of history, to put it without exaggeration."
Phainon led everyone back into the Cloudstone Celestial Palace.
Caelus unconsciously straightened his chest. "We've melted real glaciers before too…"
Aglaea picked up the thread of conversation.
"Rather, this is what history truly looks like: a thousand years of slumber, awaiting a single moment of awakening. Unfortunately, this isn't the time to discuss historical perspectives."
The next moment, her gaze fell upon Phainon.
"Anaxa isn't here. Was that your doing, Phainon?"
"Yes," Phainon didn't deny it. "Rather than watching the two of you argue until you're hoarse, I thought this would be more efficient."
Aglaea let out a soft sigh.
"It was reckless. After all, he still carries a Coreflame. But your judgment on improving efficiency… is probably correct. We'll set his issues aside for now. The most urgent matter is Oronyx's Coreflame. This is especially tricky."
"Regarding the order of returning the Coreflames, the Chrysos Heirs originally had a strategy. For Titans who would not actively harm humanity—such as Oronyx and Cerces—we had planned to assume their divine positions last. But this upheaval has disrupted everything."
Tribbie reminded from the side, "If we don't return the Coreflame to the Vortex of Creation and leave the Titan's divine seat empty… who knows what calamity might occur! But the biggest problem now… is that we haven't found a Chrysos Heir capable of bearing Oronyx's divine role."
"Phainon, Castorice, Mydei, Hyacine… My teacher and I searched the world for a thousand years before finally finding them.
We only invited those with the qualifications to bear divine authority—those chosen from among millions, the leaders among the Chrysos Heirs. If we weren't certain these individuals possessed the potential to carry divine power, my teacher and I would never have extended the invitation.
Forcing ordinary people to fulfill this duty would be no different from sending them to the gallows."
As she spoke, Aglaea's gaze occasionally flicked toward Caelus.
Phainon glanced at Caelus and let out a deliberately exaggerated sigh.
"What a headache!"
The emphasis on "headache" was deliberate.
"Mmm…" Tribbie blinked at Caelus.
"Mem~" Mem suddenly popped out and pointed a claw at Caelus beside her, speaking a full human sentence. "Want to let the Trailblazer try?"
Caelus wasn't stupid either. He swept his eyes over the group. "Pet speaks, owner takes no responsibility."
Mem explained, "Mem! (I'm serious! You have special significance to Amphoreus—everyone knows that. And Oronyx… the one who projected me into this world and gave me this body was that Titan baby who's more willful than a child!)"
——
At the same time, somewhere in the Cloudstone Celestial Palace.
Mydei glanced at Okhema. It was time to arrange matters concerning his future.
He then looked ahead. "Even the god of death has abandoned you, my teacher."
Krateros let out a cold snort.
"Hmph. It simply handed my life over to the Twilight Court.
That priest girl's medical skills… are no simple matter. She might be far less innocent than you and I imagined.
But my affairs aren't important. Mydeimos, I saw it… In the end, you still embraced your own fate."
At the end, he couldn't help but let out a light chuckle.
"Now… the power of 'Strife' surges within my chest. My sinews have turned to steel, and my blood boils and burns. The kings of Kremnos throughout the ages could only look up at this power, but I—I have already become one with it. I have shaped history. From this moment on, god and king coexist."
"Indeed. You have fulfilled the ambition of every Kremnos king before you." Krateros nodded with satisfaction.
"Now you can finally lead your people home and restore the glory of Kremnos."
"Unfortunately… I have no intention of doing so." Mydei's words poured cold water over Krateros.
"What… do you mean?"
"More than two thousand years ago, people who worshipped the power of Nikador, the Titan of Strife, gathered at its feet and founded a city-state. From then on, the people of Kremnos became the blade of the war god, following the Titan's footsteps to conquer all directions.
But now, as I look down upon this history in the form of a 'god'—I finally see everything clearly.
This is an absurd and lowly history. People rushed to the battlefield like ants, greedily killing and plundering, and like ants… they were trampled.
The city-state, the faith, and the so-called 'traditions' that the people of Kremnos take pride in—are, in its eyes, nothing more than an anthill that crumbles at the slightest touch."
"You…" The corner of Krateros's eye twitched uncontrollably. "You want to strip away the pride that the Kremnos people have accumulated over a thousand years with just a few sentences?!"
"That pride is worthless, Krateros. Now that I have taken up the divine authority of 'Strife,' the next step…" Mydei issued a command.
"I will cast aside the title of 'king.'"
"No, don't!" Krateros roared.
"Pass my words to every person of Kremnos. I command you."
"Don't do this, Mydeimos… I beg you…!"
Mydei ignored Krateros's pleas.
"Beginning in Light Calendar Year 2506 and ending in Light Calendar Year 4931. I, Mydeimos, the final usurper of Castrum Kremnos, son of Gorgo, hereby declare—on this day, the Kremnos Dynasty officially comes to an end."
[How tragic. They finally got their king back, and then…]
[I feel a little sorry for Krateros now.]
[He didn't even yield in front of the Flame Reaver, and now he's saying "I beg you."]
[If I translate it, Mydei's meaning is that the previous Strife was meaningless conflict. Now he wants to redefine Strife. Probably something like that.]
——
"You killed us… You killed all of us…" Krateros's voice was filled only with accusation.
"No," Mydei shook his head. "I gave you a new life."
As he spoke, he took out a ring and handed it to Krateros.
"What is this?"
"My mother's signet ring. It was once proof of kingship. Now, I will give it a brand new meaning.
Take it and gather the people who have lost their identities. Tell them that Mydeimos, who has ascended to godhood, proclaims to the world—
There is no longer any need to chase after fleeting glory, nor to treat dying in battle as the only destination. But you must change and integrate into this city that once looked upon you coldly.
Amphoreus will face a cruel tomorrow. With a great enemy at our gates, even the most glorious dynasty is nothing more than a pile of rubble.
But you will walk the only path forward, and at its end will be a brand new world."
Krateros held his forehead with one hand. "Why make me your mouthpiece? Why don't you explain all of this to them yourself?"
"Because the path people must walk can only be led by people. Not by a 'person' who covets divine power and falls into madness… but by a 'person' willing to raise a shield and protect the lives behind them."
Krateros sighed. "I failed to save that child."
"It doesn't matter. As fellow demigods, they had already come to terms with it. What matters is that you will be there—standing in front of her."
Hearing this, Krateros clearly sensed something.
"That night… was it you who persuaded Aglaea to release me, Mydeimos?"
Mydei did not deny it. "It was me."
"She isn't so easily swayed. What conditions did you offer?"
"I staked my mother's honor and guaranteed to her the uprightness of your soul. And… I made her a promise—that I would dedicate everything I have to the Flame-Chasing Journey."
At this point, everything was clear.
Krateros asked, "And now, Mydeimos? Where… are you going?"
Mydei turned his head toward the direction of Castrum Kremnos.
"To fulfill my promise and return to where I belong. The madness that tormented Nikador, the darkness that devours all of Amphoreus… Now it is my turn to fight against it."