The old priest who had witnessed his grandfather's death with his own eyes more than a decade ago had long since passed away.
Even his son looked to be in his forties or fifties. As a priest who had mastered the Sacrificial Fire Method, growing this old in appearance meant his true age was certainly no lower. He might well have lived in Eagle Cape Village for a very long time.
But the priest had not been able to provide Iver with much useful information.
He had not held his father's position for very long, so there were many things he had yet to come into contact with. He might not even know as much as Iver did now.
The only information he could offer was probably the village's burial tradition.
"There's no cemetery in our village."
The priest answered softly as he handed pastries to Iver and Lily. "All the remains are thrown into the marsh, and there are no unified rites of remembrance.
"Because remembering and making offerings are acts of the Path of Twilight. We're merely a group of Nameless people who sold our souls—unwanted in life and unremembered in death. Those without names don't get gravestones."
"Then why do those Children have names?"
Iver asked the question that had puzzled him for a long time.
The priest merely smiled. "We're all Nameless remnants trapped here, shadows forgotten by the Hourglass... But they're different. They're all healthy children."
"...Why did you sell your souls?"
Iver asked, "And why would Amber accept such a price?"
For ordinary phantoms, human souls might be a scarce resource. Demons could even sign contracts and serve people in exchange for souls.
But to a Pillar God, that was completely insignificant. After death, a person's soul would naturally flow into one of the