"Furthermore, if we can gain your support at the Citizens' Assembly, we will spare no effort to ensure the return of the Golden Age to the world!"
Upon hearing this, the Senate cheered. " Golden Age! Golden Age! Golden Age!!"
"The balance has been broken, the outcome is clear. By the Kephale and Talanton, in the name of the Audience of Divine Ordeals, I see—"
' Lygus ' proclaimed: ' Okhema has chosen her destiny.'
"The agenda for this citizens' assembly will be changed to 'Suspending the Journey of Flame-Chase,' and this resolution will be posted in front of the Wall of Heroes' Names, so that all citizens may know the future of the city-state."
" Aglaea, Aglaea... what has softened your heart and made your tongue less sharp than it used to be?"
Anaxa smacked her lips and crossed her arms.
"Go ahead and boast. The Journey of Flame-Chase is ordained by the Prophecy; we will not fail."
"Heh~ Let's see who comes out on top at the Citizens' Assembly."
After that, ' Lygus ' announced the end of the debate, and the participants dispersed one after another.
As Xing watched ' Lygus's' departing figure, she felt a familiar aura about him. Was he someone she had met before?
And then there's Castorice... what's her story?
"It seems that sending you to find Anaxa has ironically led to your cooperation with him?"
"I..." Castorice looked hesitant. "I'm sorry, everyone. I know you have many questions, and I will not hide anything from you."
"Please tell us everything," Aglaea said.
"Go find out what happened to Anaxa."
"Actually, he showed me a... a long and heavy past."
Rewinding to a short time ago, at that Anaxa revealed her Remembrance of her previous life to Castorice and Cerces through her 'fusion' with " Worldbearing " Kephale.
"Unfortunately, I am not compatible with the Supreme God and have not been able to completely fuse this fellow's soul into my own. However, being able to glean these insights is still exhilarating enough—"
"There's no mistake: before the Titan, known to the world, were born, there was also a group of heroes who traversed the land."
"By listening to prophecies, they took over divine authority one by one, and eventually became the gods of the new world..."
"Just like today's Journey of Flame-Chase —the history of Amphoreus is a kind of 'cycle'."
A sigh escaped Cerces's lips, "Ah, truly astounding..."
"So, the demigod who bears the ' Core Flame ' will also become a new Titan at the ends of the world, recreating heaven and earth?"
"I believe this is the truth behind the ' Re-Creation ' mentioned in the Prophecy."
"It's... unbelievable. And those twins from the past... even if they were truly Thanatos himself, their whereabouts are still unknown..."
"Truly vanished without a trace? That Polyxena mentioned it, didn't she? The seaside town where the fairy tales of alchemy and dragons were born..."
At that Anaxa looked at Castorice, " Styxia —in our world, there is also a city-state that perfectly matches this description."
"But they worship Fagina there, and have no connection to Thanatos. I've never been there either; during my time in Aidelia... it's long since become a submerged ruin."
Upon hearing Anaxa handed Castorice a uniquely shaped stone. "... Take this."
"This is..."
" The Philosopher's Stone," a masterpiece of the " School of Wisdom Seeds," is an entity forged from the flesh and blood of wise men, representing all their wisdom.
"Remember? I said that alchemy is the art of transformation, refinement, and ascension, and this applies equally to the pursuit of truth. No matter how unbelievable, the truth of the world has been refined from impurities."
"Think of the dragon tales—this pebble will surely guide you back to your true homeland, rebuild the gates of the Underworld, and find the whereabouts of Thanatos."
Cerces chuckled softly, "You still look so confident. But what if you're wrong?"
"That's simple; just admit to the world that the experiment failed. But my thinking will never fail, because I have sown the seeds of 'doubt' in everyone's heart."
"Prove it with your actions, Castorice. The resolution is about to begin; don't forget your promise."
Castorice nodded, her determination beyond question, "I've already gone through a long search, and I don't mind trying again."
"But before I leave, I have one more question: what exactly was everything we just saw...?"
"That is the world imprinted on Kephale's soul. To prove it, you must take the final step. Go, and don't let me down."
"... I see."
After Castorice left, Cerces began to question Anaxa:
"Hey, son of man..."
"Don't be impatient, I've always remembered your question. I'm a scholar, and I don't want to, and can't, give ambiguous conclusions. Let's discuss this again after she finds the evidence."
"I just wanted to say: that pebble was forged from your heart, wasn't it?"
"You... can never be brought back to life."
Cerces's words are always straightforward.
"Why not? I lost my loved ones when I was young, gave up my faith when I was young, and although you recently saved my life, I still lost my soul..."
"It's just that we've abandoned our physical bodies again, why make such a fuss?" Anaxa.
Why rush to your death? Isn't living better?
"It is merely a necessary sacrifice in the conversion to the purest state."
"Ha~ Can the dead be called pure beings? Moreover, if your conjecture were proven, wouldn't that confirm the truth of the myth and render your theory futile?"
"Heh..." Anaxa corrected, "No, quite the opposite. If my guess really comes true..."
"That means—I can ascend to the throne of God and reshape the absurd world you created."
Returning to the " Garden of Life," Castorice finished recounting that Anaxa and her experiences to everyone.
"This... this is too much information." Phainon was almost overwhelmed.
Seeing Aglaea's thoughtful expression, Castorice said, "Lady Aglaea, please hear me out."
"... Speak."
As you also know, the Core Flame of "death" is always the greatest unknown in " Re-Creation."
"Whether it's Canis or you, you both hope to win the right to decide the name of this Core Flame in the upcoming citizens' assembly."
" At that Teacher Anaxa and Canis reached an agreement: after recovering Thanatos's Core Flame, the trial would be shelved in order to eliminate 'death' from the world."
"This way, there's no need to continue the Journey of Flame-Chase, and Okhema can enjoy peace forever."
"But I know this goes against your ideals: without completing ' Re-Creation,' the Black Tide cannot be eradicated. Even with your help... the Black Tide is still far from us."
"To be honest, I find it hard to weigh the pros and cons... but in any case, someone has to bring it back before negotiations can begin regarding the Core Flame."