"Having said that, let's continue..."
Just as Anaxa was about to announce 'class dismissed,' Hyacine stepped forward: '... Please wait a moment, Professor!'
According to Grove's lecture guidelines, at the end of the last class, the instructor should "have a heart-to-heart talk with students about their post-graduation aspirations and guide them onto a solid path."
"We can't miss such an important step, Professor!"
"Tch..." Anaxa snorted coldly.
"Ms. Hyacine, who is the teaching assistant... is truly Teacher Anaxa's nemesis," Castorice said with a smile.
"... Ahem, alright. Since Hyacinthia insists... let's go through the process."
At that Anaxa's eyes locked onto Phainon. "I see some people have such a strong desire to express themselves... Why don't you go first, Phainon of the Aedes Elysiae —Question: What is your ideal?"
"Hmm... I wouldn't call it an ideal. The only thing I want to do is protect everyone I care about..."
"... I see, you want to be a 'hero'. Utterly boring answer, next!"
Phainon scratched his head and explained, "Uh, I didn't say that..."
"Hehe~" Castorice laughed again after hearing this.
Anaxa then turned her gaze to Castorice, " Castorice! You've been secretly laughing since earlier, why don't you share the moment?"
"Huh...? I..."
Castorice said, "Perhaps my answer is somewhat vague and meaningless, Professor Anaxagoras..."
"I hope this world can be freed from the pain of 'death,' and that every living person can embrace sweet peace..."
At that Anaxa closed her eyes and commented:
"So naive... so naive it makes me want to cry over your fairy tales."
"See! That's why I don't want to refer to that outdated lecture book; all I get are boring answers."
At that Anaxa looked at Hyacine again, " Hyacinthia —since the suggestion was made by you, let's conclude it with you as well."
Share your "ideal" with everyone here, and let us see if your answer has anything special.
"Hehe~ Luckily I was prepared, so I won't be stumped -- my ideal is to complete the final 'blank page' of the heroic epic."
Hyacine put her hands on her hips, gave a crooked smile, and answered confidently.
"... Blank page"? That's an interesting way to put it. Perhaps you could explain it further, assistant lecturer.
"During my time studying at Grove, I read through all of Amphoreus's heroic epics and discovered their commonalities—"
"Almost every epic ends with the hero's achievements, but very few mention how the masses lived in the era they created, or what hardships and suffering those ordinary people endured."
"Are you saying that you care more about ordinary people on the fringes of history than heroes who go down in history?" Anaxa asked.
"Perhaps it's because of my lineage. My ancestor," the Knight of Dawn's Thunder Senios, raised her lance to challenge the heavens, ushering in the era of Flame-Chase that continues to this day."
"Every Sky People grew up listening to her story. For us, Senios ' greatness is beyond question, but because of that... her towering figure swallowed up that era."
" The Knight of Dawn's Thunder's family, allies, and companions; survivors and victims of the great war... Whenever I think of their stories by the campfire, I always find that the details of the legends have long been lost, leaving only the name of Senios."
"Unbeknownst to her, her radiance became as dazzling as Aegle's, overshadowing everything on earth..."
Hyacine said with satisfaction, "Therefore, I am very fortunate to live in an era that is not lacking in heroes."
"Our ancestors only have a sorrowful past, but I have a future that needs to be nurtured."
"What I want to do is stand behind the heroes, and as the golden wave propels the world into new life, do my best to heal every ordinary person who might drown."
"I need not return to the sky, but walk among the people on the earth. This is my wish, and I believe that only in this way, as the epic of Creation is written..."
Only then can I add a mortal's footnote to that blank page.
Now, the " Whispering Woods " Grove of Epiphany
"Thinking back to how stiff and deliberate I was when I wrote those words... it's really embarrassing." Hyacine smiled.
"However, my thoughts have never changed. Now, I truly have the opportunity to stand behind the heroes and realize my own dreams."
"... Hyacine?"
Just then, a voice came from behind her.
Hyacine turned around. " Little Dan! What are you doing here?"
"I didn't expect to meet you again in the Grove. Phainon said you were preparing for the conquest of Aegle, could it be...?"
"You guessed right. To reach Aegle's celestial realm, a descendant of the Sky Clan needs to perform a bloodline ritual to summon the spirits of their ancestors and receive their blessings."
"Only in this way can the creatures of the earth create the Rainbow Bridge to the sky. And the soul of the first ancestor I seek resides in the Grove."
Dan Heng said seriously, "To retrieve Aegle's Core Flame, building the Rainbow Bridge is necessary. Such an important ceremony, it's far too risky for you to act alone."
"Don't worry, Little Ica is with me—she'll protect me, right?"
Hyacine turned to look at Dudu and called out to the flying divine horse, Little Ica, and smiled.
"Beep... beep beep!"
"Sweetie~ What are you looking for here, Little Dan?"
"I'm doing my best to record all the myths and related research concerning the Titan. Once I return to the Astral Express, everything about Amphoreus will become a valuable entry in the Data Bank."
"Ah... right. If everything goes well, Little Dan, Little Gray, and Little Seven will be able to go home after this battle, right?"
"Well, that's assuming we can actually break the curse of the ' World Beyond the Sky '... although I have a feeling it won't be that smooth sailing."
Danheng expressed his concern, saying he had reason to suspect that something unexpected might happen during the campaign against the "Sky" Titan, Aigle.
It's best to be cautious about that " Flame Reaver ".
"Hey, could it be that Little Dan now also possesses some kind of hidden prophetic power?"
"If we're really talking about prophecy, March 7th is known as the Little Saintess," Dan Heng remarked.
"Why?"
"It's nothing. A conversation I had with a Senate earlier made me somewhat skeptical about the veracity of all this."
"Beep... beep?"
Little Ica, standing nearby, let out a puzzled cry.
"I didn't understand either, Little Ica."
"... Don't worry about it, there are too many things I can't understand right now."
"Since we've already met by chance, Little Dan, would you like to come with me?"
Hyacine sent out a team invitation.
"I share the same thought. Grove is currently facing numerous crises, and having another person provides an extra layer of protection."
The familiar " Eternity " audience seats, but with different people.
A portal shimmering with stars opened, and Blake and Fulisina, already dressed in the robes of the Flame Reaver, stepped inside.
"Um..."
Fulisina took a deep breath of the air, filled with " Eternity "... and perhaps a hint of " Elation " mixed in?
Hey, why can I still smell her scent?
Fulisina froze, following the peculiar aura as she searched the " Eternity " audience seats...
Finally, she and Blake looked at the ice coffin standing before them and fell into deep thought.
Sometimes, silence is the answer.