Odys smiled faintly at Bernadette's younger brother, Bornova. "If I'm so dangerous, why doesn't the God of Steam and Machinery descend and kill me himself?
"Why send someone who clearly can't kill me?"
As Odys saw it, Bornova could not kill him while Bernadette was there.
He had wanted to make a few cutting remarks about the God of Steam and Machinery, but Bornova was a devout believer. That would bring the conversation to a dead stop.
Odys still wanted to talk and see whether he could learn more about the Church of Steam's leadership.
"That's because," said Bornova, who also had long chestnut hair, "killing you now would help you—and the Hidden Sage."
Odys froze. "Help me? Help the Hidden Sage? What do you mean?"
Bornova merely looked at him. He clearly had no intention of telling Odys more.
Bernadette spoke up. "Then why are you here? If you didn't come to kill Odys, did you come to kill me?"
"I came to drive you away," Bornova said. "This isn't a place for you to play at adventuring."
Cattleya had remained silent. She was surprised by how seriously the Church of Steam took the Hermit, but she now understood the Calamity Queen's earlier prophecy: they would encounter a powerful enemy without being in much danger.
Bornova was a powerful enemy, but given both their strength and his family ties, they were not in much danger.
Odys's thoughts raced. He suddenly recalled the intricate symbol he had seen in the ruins. "These are the Stiano Family's ruins?"
It had struck him that the symbol resembling a family crest looked much like the Mechanical Holy Emblem.
The Mechanical Holy Emblem also had an inverted triangle as its main shape, with lines and figures forming a geometric design inside it. But it