The Truth of the Cradle Project

At this very moment.

As Ian and Light's Embrace conversed.

A road revealed itself to everyone.

As the radiance atop the Mountain Summit flashed, everyone's hearts trembled inexplicably beneath a powerful psychic wave. A path emerged between illusion and reality, stretching out from beneath their feet all the way to the summit of the distant Holy Mountain.

The path seemed forged from light, brilliant and immaculate. Yet it was also like a river, surging without end, winding on without cease, flowing against gravity as it carried them all toward higher ground.

Everyone nearby—all those living around Dawn Avenue—saw this scene. They cried out, clasped their hands in prayer, and bowed their heads in reverence toward Ian and the others.

For this was a miracle—the miracle of Light's Embrace. It was the respect and invitation extended to the visitors by the Light of Light's Embrace high upon the Holy Mountain.

"What... happened?"

Of everyone present, only Isengard was rather bewildered, unclear on what had just occurred. Frozen Fish Mentor and the Roadbuilder Split Soul, however, both wore solemn expressions—or perhaps, in the latter's case, simply did not wag its tail—as they looked at Ian, then turned toward the distant Holy Mountain.

"This is Light's Embrace's welcoming ceremony," the Split Soul said flatly. "This sight has not appeared for nearly a hundred years. Even when the Dragon King came in person, there was never such grand pomp."

The last time the Light-forging Road opened was for someone you know quite well, Isengard.

Frozen Fish Mentor said cautiously, "That was your great-grandfather, the pioneer Inaga II. It was precisely because of Inaga II that the Empire introduced the Church of Light's Embrace, allowing it to nearly become the Empire's state religion."

Now, the Church of Light's Embrace was so widespread throughout the Empire