"... I wonder where Xing and March 7th are now. If they've got my eye on me, she'll definitely suffer the same fate. I hope everything is alright..."
Just as Dan Heng was pondering, ' Lygus ' beside him took action.
" Dan Heng, I regret to inform you. It seems your mission must be terminated."
Dan Heng immediately became alert. "What do you want to do?"
"As Antikythera and also as a ' Audience of Divine Ordeals,' my neural network is active in the Holy City, and I often resonate with the golden threads of Lady ' Goldweaver ' Aglaea."
' Lygus ' suddenly added a patch, revealing a previously unknown characteristic.
Dan Heng:?
What are you doing?
Please understand. What I meant was... just a few minutes ago, Okhema lost a very important person.
"You should quickly open the communication stone tablet and inform the Holy City Guardians of the situation... otherwise, they will think that you and your companions have met with misfortune," ' Lygus ' suggested.
On a whim, Ye Yan, with the help of the unseen Fool's Mask, decided to hold an extraordinary funeral for the legendary figure Canis.
This is " Elation "... isn't it?
"As for these insects crawling in the shadows..." ' Lygus ' glanced at the " Purgers " who had lost their fighting ability, "They're no longer part of the story."
"The plan has failed, and it's too late to scatter and escape. Being escorted to the 'Holy City' offers a chance to survive..."
"But the more likely outcome is that you will be torn to pieces by the angry mob."
" Canis's assassination attempt on Aglaea failed; in the eyes of the citizens of the Holy City, you are already executioners with blood on your hands."
Meanwhile, on the other side
Xing and Phainon stood back to back, expressionless, staring at the group of " Purgers " on the ground, their fates unknown.
Ahead of them, only the captain of the " Purgers " was still struggling to maintain consciousness.
"Ha... it seems she misjudged you," the " Purgers " captain said weakly.
"She...? Are you referring to your mastermind?"
"She thinks you're weak. She believes that even when facing the 'evil' you firmly believe in, you still hesitate when you swing your sword."
"To mistake kindness for weakness, it seems your master is both arrogant and foolish."
Phainon looked at the " Purgers," "They're all still breathing. With a little care, they should recover in a few days."
"But I must warn you—my companions and I haven't pointed our swords at humans in so long that we can't guarantee we can control the force of our swings. They're lucky to be alive..."
"Could you be as lucky as them...? Want to try?"
Xing stood to the side with her hands on her hips; this was the first time she and Mimi had ever seen Phainon angry.
"Dude, he's kind of handsome, but also kind of scary."
"Get out of here, and don't ever show your face before us again. Tell your mistress that if she wants to stop the Journey of Flame-Chase, she'd better assemble an army even more powerful than the mighty Kremnos Armies at their peak."
"I have emphasized more than once, Your Excellency Phainon... we are not here for conflict."
The " Purgers " captain gave a wicked smile. "We're here simply to make sure you're not somewhere else."
"Without realizing it, we've already accomplished our mission of 'buying time'..."
"Then, Phainon... may we meet again."
After speaking, the captain of the " Purgers " intended to turn and run, but his stamina did not allow it, and he fainted instantly.
"Wow... we said we'd meet again someday, how come she's the one who's already given up?"
Mimi flew down, nudging the " Purgers " captain as she spoke.
" Phainon, are you alright?" Xing asked with concern.
"I'm fine. Those guys dared to use citizens' lives as leverage... that crossed a line."
"Even if they're after the Chrysos Heirs... do they really think they have a chance of winning?"
"It's probably a desperate gamble... I suspect the opposition in the Senate is still making a desperate struggle to stop the Flame-Chase."
"If their plot is exposed, they will be treated like rats in the street in the Holy City, hated by everyone. No matter how skilled they are at concealing their whereabouts..."
Beep beep beep!
At that moment, Phainon and Xing's phones beeped.
"Message slab..."
Upon opening it, Aglaea's Garmentmaker had urgently created a group chat:
[ Garmentmaker: Local gold line activated, for internal emergency communication only]
[ The Garmentmaker: Canis has passed away. Please return to the Holy City immediately.]
[ March 7th:?]
Upon seeing this message, Xing asked again, somewhat uncertainly:
[Star: Who passed away...?]
[ Hyacine: I know this is hard to believe, but...]
[ Hyacine: Please come back soon]
[ Dan Heng: I'm heading back right now]
" Canis?! This is--"
Having just experienced the " Purgers '" attack, Phainon was even more confused, "What on earth are those guys doing...?"
Xing analyzed the situation based on the facts. "It seems... Canis and her group of ' Purgers ' attacked Aglaea, only to be killed in the process?"
"Let me tell you something you don't know."
Phainon frowned. "This could be some kind of scheme by Canis. Until we see it for ourselves..."
"So... what should we do now?"
"Everything is as usual. I'll first send a message to Teacher Tribbie, asking her to do her best to reassure the citizens. We'll ride back to Okhema as fast as we can to check on the situation in the city."
"If we encounter enemies blocking our path again... I will not show mercy this time."
The " Flipping Coin " was tossed into the air, a golden arc of electricity flashed by, and Xing and Phainon returned to Okhema at the speed of light.
"Wait a minute... Canis is dead, isn't that a good thing?"
The Star Queen belatedly realized that Canis had just opposed the continuation of the Journey of Flame-Chase at the "Citizens' Assembly." How could such a villainous character, who usually dies at the very end in the novels, just disappear like that?
"Not necessarily."
In Phainon's view, this might harm the " Chrysos Heirs." Killing one Canis would only result in the Senate sending thousands upon thousands of " Canis " to take her place.
Apart from Aglaea, no one knew the actual situation. Before the incident fully escalated, it was necessary to resolve it as soon as possible.
Otherwise, if it were to be spread by malicious individuals... it might turn out like this--
' The Chrysos Heirs are bullying and lawless! They wantonly murder Senate leaders, using their power to oppress the weak. What will become of the citizens of Okhema?'
"The city was eerily silent; a sense of unease was building every second."
"The news has probably spread. Everyone is staying indoors... and all the shops in the market have temporarily closed."
Xing thought about it from another perspective, "There's no need to worry about Aglaea's safety; a few assassins really can't do anything to her."
"It could also be a scheme by Aglaea!" Mimi added, offering her analysis.
"If all of this is a scheme, then Teacher Tribbie must know something, but it's inconvenient for her to say it outright in the message."
"Let's go find her."