Crack~
His gaze pierced through the shattered world, and Gwen caught sight of that familiar figure.
What greeted Gwen was a pair of azure eyes.
"Ah, you succeeded."
Though her tone sounded surprised, Aponia's calm voice was enough to make anyone inexplicably annoyed.
The faint smile at the corner of Aponia's lips further confirmed that this woman was merely reading the line flatly while secretly laughing.
"..."
Though he had already had some impression of her, seeing Aponia's smile still made Gwen feel as though the compassionate and tranquil image she had once left him with had shattered.
"I think I finally understand why Kalpas treats you the way he does..."
Inconspicuously withdrawing his gaze from the crystal at Aponia's collar, Gwen spoke casually while pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand. He looked as though he had a terrible headache, but his mental self-examination began once more, guarding against being tricked again.
"Ha...
Kalpas..."
Hearing this, Aponia, who was still kneeling before the statue, chuckled softly. She slowly lowered her hands from before her chest and rose to her feet.
"Like a child who never grew up, sometimes it is quite amusing to watch him get so furious and helpless..."
Moral Standards Need Lowering
"..."
Gwen did not reply. He merely glanced sideways at Aponia, giving her a look that said, "I've seen through you, you thoroughly rotten woman."
"Ha..."
Faced with Gwen's gaze, Aponia merely chuckled and shook her head, paying it no mind before steering the conversation back to the main subject—
"Originally, I thought you would break free sooner.
After all, the mind is not your weak point..."
"You mean I should have ignored the stability of the Elysian Realm from the start, grabbed you by the throat, and declared victory?"
Hearing Aponia's words,