And apart from the Painter herself, the only person who could move freely through this world was probably...
In the distance.
A figure descended from the sky, revealing his true form, and gazed at Lynn's back with a complicated expression.
It was a young man in robes engraved with patterns common in the Violet World. Compared to the last time Lynn had seen him, he seemed much more weathered, but Lynn recognized him.
Lin Meng of the Western Borderlands.
One of the Four Kings of Hell.
Back when they were in Hell, he had been the one who led the Jailers into conflict with their Dark Night City.
Lynn had also learned about his past through the Violet Great Lord's memories. During the era of the Old World, he had ranked second among Violet's seven great kings, and had once been the Violet Great Lord's most trusted and relied-upon deputy. Even after the Old World's rebirth, his loyalty seemed never to have wavered.
Lynn did not respond, only glancing sideways at him.
He did not know what Lin Meng had come here for, but he held no affection for these old followers of Violet.
"I mean you no harm. I am deeply sorry for what happened before. The circumstances were unusual, and for the sake of the bigger picture, I had no choice but to act. For everything caused by that conflict, I hope you can forgive me."
His gaze was complicated.
"Can we talk?"
In the Azure World, the two stood in the gentle breeze.
That same face made it seem as though, once upon a time, in that distant realm of old, he too had stood beside that figure for a moment, looking down upon all living beings.
But he knew they were not the same