However, before they could properly admire the beautiful view, a voice shattered the tranquility:
"Looking to take some photos? I'm Damionis. How about letting me, a great explorer of Okhema..." A man in exploration gear had appeared on the rooftop at some point, wearing an overly enthusiastic smile.
"Damionis, we are still here," Trianne abruptly interrupted him, the tone in her voice dropping sharply.
The man's smile instantly froze on his face. "Ah, haha, so it's Lady Trianne," he laughed dryly, fine beads of sweat appearing on his temples.
"Does Lady Trianne wish to be in the photo? I can help you and these guests from outside take a few..." He deliberately emphasized the words "from outside."
His gaze swept over the faces of the three Express crew members, as if trying to see the reaction he hoped for.
"Damionis! We do not wish to be in the photo! We only wish to take photos for the guests from other lands!" Trianne's voice grew even colder. Her small frame actually emitted an air of unquestionable authority.
Damionis, having been rebuffed, could only scratch his nose and slink away sheepishly.
Only after his figure disappeared down the stairwell did Trianne turn back around. The earlier formidable aura vanished instantly. She lowered her head, her small hands anxiously rubbing the hem of her clothes.
"Sorry for letting Grayie and the rest of you see an unlovely side of Trianne..." Her voice became soft and light, filled with obvious chagrin.
"But that man, back then, tried to win our trust by getting close to Trinnon, just to extract information from us about the 'world beyond the sky.'"
"Even though he apologized to us later, he still keeps telling people around him things like how even the Demigod of Passage acknowledges the existence of the 'world beyond the sky,'" Trianne's voice grew smaller and smaller.
"So Trianne just can't like him. Is Trianne wrong for feeling this way?" She looked up. Her sky-blue eyes were misty, looking pitiful and vulnerable.
"It's alright, Teacher Trianne," Cyrene said gently, patting Trianne's head. "Even in fairy tales, a fairy lady beloved by many, many people cannot gain the approval of everyone in the world, right?"
"Hmm... Cyrie makes sense." Trianne's mood seemed to improve slightly. She lifted gently off the ground, hovering about a foot in the air. "Never mind that. For now, let Trianne take some nice photos for you all!"
...
The three Express crew members ended up with a few relatively perfect group photos.
At the very least... the aperture wasn't too small, and the depth of field wasn't too great.
...
Somewhere in Okhema.
Trinnon sat at a heavy stone round table.
Twelve seats were arranged around the table, but half of them were empty at this moment.
All six of Okhema's current demigods had gathered here. The air was thick with a near-solid gravity.
"Trianne has already told them about the benefits of becoming a demigod, including the so-called wish," Trinnon's voice broke the silence and introduced the topic.
Cerydra's gaze turned to Aglaea.
"Then, Aglaea, could you discern any greed or strange feelings in their hearts when they heard the word 'wish'?" Her voice was steady, yet carried undeniable weight.
Aglaea closed her eyes slightly. After a moment, she responded gravely: "My 'Golden Threads' did not detect any repulsive fluctuations from them. They do not seem to harbor any fervent desire for the so-called Coreflames or demigod authority, even though we explicitly revealed the nearly miraculous opportunity of a wish."
Aglaea opened her eyes. Deep within her pupils, fine threads of golden light seemed to flash briefly. "Their souls are... beautiful. No, perhaps more accurately... pure."
"It seems that, even measured against the starry seas beyond, they are worthy of being called 'good.' We can grant them preliminary trust."
Cerydra concluded, a barely perceptible hint of relief in her tone. "Tomorrow, let us appear together and formally meet with them."
"With that matter settled," Hysilens took over, her voice clear and cool like icy spring water, drawing everyone's attention to the next focal point, "we proceed to the next agenda item: The subjugation of the Titan of Strife—Nikador."
Trinnon sat up straighter and continued: "What assaulted Okhema earlier was merely an avatar invested by Nikador."
"After that avatar was jointly destroyed by Mydei and Phainon, the accompanying Titankin retreated like a tide, their traces difficult to find."
She paused, looking around at those present. "We have already dispatched Trissha to track the aura and traces left by these Titankin of Strife. We believe it won't be long before we pinpoint the specific coordinates of their lair—Castrum Kremnos."
"Subduing the Titan of Strife?" Terravox, in human form, spoke in a low voice. He sat with his arms crossed. His form seemed ordinary, yet it contained an immovable, mountain-like strength.
"Anyway, I'm not bound to the holy city like Aglaea or Tribios. I can serve as the main force for the expedition."
"With Terravox participating, the success rate of the expedition undoubtedly increases greatly," Aglaea nodded in agreement, but then raised a question: "There's little suspense regarding combat strength now. However, once the Coreflame of Strife is obtained, who should it belong to? Phainon? Or Mydei?"
These words cast a brief silence around the round table. This concerned the birth of a new demigod, after all. No one had the right to determine the ownership of the Coreflame.
Cipher, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger, broke the silence and suggested: "I say, why not have both of them accompany Terravox to subdue Nikador. Let them decide the ownership of the Coreflame themselves on the battlefield, after fighting side by side. Wouldn't that be more fitting?"
"I'm telling you, those two get along very well. They can handle this sort of thing themselves."
"For now, this seems the most feasible plan," Cerydra made the final decision. "Does anyone else have questions? If not, Hysilens will declare the meeting adjourned."
After waiting a moment and seeing no one else speak, Hysilens declared crisply: "Meeting adjourned."
The moment these four words were spoken, the previously tense atmosphere instantly relaxed.
Only... after declaring the adjournment, Hysilens did not hurry to leave. Her gaze did not shift away but remained fixed directly on Cerydra.
That gaze was calm and unruffled, yet carried a clear note of reminder—Cerydra, it was time to come home with her.