The group did not travel far up the snow mountain. Before they had even reached the halfway point, the old man turned toward an eastern snow slope. After climbing it, they spotted an ancient temple not far away, nestled within the mountain's shadow as though embedded in the rock wall.
It was an intact gray-stone structure. Eight stone pillars supported the portico before its main entrance, whose doors were currently shut tight.
"Is this the place?"
President Lenormand asked Old Man Charat, who was holding the child. The latter nodded gravely.
"Yes."
Compared to the reputation of an Old God Temple, this one did not look particularly magnificent. But Shade had seen temples and divine structures of different Ancient Gods across different times and spaces. Other than grand cathedrals on the scale of the Golden Music Hall, Ancient Gods' temples were generally this understated and ancient in style.
When the group crossed the snow slope and arrived before the temple, the patterns of enormous snakes coiling around the eight pillars of the portico, along with the complete Ouroboros Emblem carved upon the closed stone doors, came into view.
President Lenormand spoke softly.
"Something is wrong."
"What is it?"
Miss Eden asked. The monocled diviner frowned deeply.
"Lord of the Ring's temple should indeed have snake decorations, but huge snakes wrapped around the entrance pillars are still far too exaggerated. It is not as though we have never found ruins of ancient temples before. Compared to a temple of the God of Fate, this resembles a snake god's temple more."
Stella, who had remained silent until then, also spoke softly. She stood behind Shade.
"The snowflakes told me that the giant snakes coiled around the pillars were not originally part of this building."
"Was that Mr. Snake's handiwork?"
Since they had