The " Sovereign " card typically symbolizes discipline, authority, and glory, but it is also often equated with loneliness and war.
Even if you wish to accuse me of being the final king, all glory will belong to me...
"A king who can kill his king can no longer bear the title of king: let the dying lion walk his final path alone."
Phainon stroked his chin. "Does this represent a ' Sovereign ' who... has turned his back on his people?"
" The Aedes Elysiae is too far removed from the world of bloodshed... Such a legendary story can't help but spark the imagination."
Xing flipped over the " Stranger " card, Cyrene explained from the side:
"Oh! The ' Stranger ' card, this is the most mischievous one. It often appears on the back of other cards, adept at disguising itself as other cards; drawing it is no easy feat!"
"... Here? Or... here? You've been fooled! Hehe, your eyes and hands are too slow!"
The cunning voice echoed in the ears of the three, a voice Xing knew all too well.
"What a cunning voice... like playing hide-and-seek? Only someone skilled at playing tricks could pick up this card."
The three then examined the other Oracle Card, one of which, the " Handmaiden " card, caught Xing's attention.
"The ' Handmaiden ' brand has a light, airy feel, with the cool scent of Antimone Flower, like the stars in the sky."
"It symbolizes new life and hope, but it can also easily evoke associations with setbacks, sadness, and emptiness."
A gentle voice reached Xing's ears, "Those flowers that can be touched by my hands... must they be born under the shadow of death?"
"It sounds both solemn and tinged with an undeniable sadness..."
As Phainon spoke, he drew the next Oracle Card – " Healer ".
"The small ' Healer ' card, though its colors are soft, contains no less courage than any other card, and could even melt the coldest ice."
"I will do everything in my power to help you heal the rifts and strive to let the sunshine reach every corner of the world!"
"This time, we'll pinky swear, and it's a promise. You can't go back on your word!"
Phainon was slightly taken aback. "Hmm, this card seems to be very close to my thinking: I want to maximize the area I can protect..."
"However, I wouldn't even dare to think about 'protecting every corner of the world'—that would require an incredible amount of ability!"
Cyrene finally drew the " Scholar " card. "This is the ' Scholar ' card, which has many titles such as Grand Magician, Grand Performer, Left Eye of Wisdom, and Desecrator of Cerces."
"Ah, so there's only one? It sounds like there are more than a dozen..." Phainon retorted.
"Let's still call me ' The Earth Beast in Fine Clothes' —at least it's concise enough and most powerfully encapsulates my essence."
"Uh... this voice... it's like it can predict what we're saying?"
It's no wonder it's called the " Scholar " card; Phainon turned his gaze to his Oracle Card.
"The ' Savior '... In the context of the Tripartite Prophecy of Fate, this card signifies harmony and perfection."
"Moreover, this is the only oracle card among all the Oracle Card that doesn't have any negative connotations."
Phainon closed his eyes and sensed, "Huh, is there no echo from the Oracle Card this time?"
"What are you thinking? This is the hand you've been dealt."
The small, Aedes Elysiae was suddenly graced by countless figures, some noble, some legendary: Weaver, Gatekeeper, Sovereign, Stranger, Handmaiden, Healer, Scholar...
This time it was Xing's turn to be stunned. She looked up, "At least give me a hint before the narration appears, you scared me..."
Their words, and the "wishes" revealed in them one by one, sketched out the boy from the Aedes Elysiae's earliest imagination of the outside world.
There were battlefields of Strife, holy cities bathed in golden light, and many languages he couldn't yet understand, quite different from the village he had known since childhood, a village that had remained almost unchanged since time immemorial.
The boy had only ever seen these identities written on pages in the Oracle Card of his childhood playmates. However, fate seemed to resonate with the mystery...
Now, they are right before our eyes.
" The Savior... it's that card again."
"Ah, child... it seems you will become someone who responds to the world's expectations and bears the hopes of many," said the Dodora Mi.
"Bearing... a wish?"
"Yes. Just like... the Kephale standing atop the mountain."
Phainon murmured, "... My father and mother's wish was simple: they just wanted me to grow up safely, do more good deeds for the village, and cause less trouble."
Teacher Pisces hoped the small schoolhouse would have more books so the children could learn useful knowledge; Little Piso hoped to grow up to be a hunter as strong as his father as soon as possible...
"Am I to... grant their wishes?" Phainon asked.
"Perhaps, for the true Savior... these wishes are but a drop in the ocean."
"After all, Kephale is carrying the weight of the entire world on his shoulders," Cyrene, looking at Phainon.
"Yes. It's really hard to imagine how mortals could possibly compare to Titan."
"Hmm, I'm Curiosity too. How about..."
To Xing's astonishment, Cyrene placed a cup of dreamy pink milk tea on the ground, and several figures automatically appeared in front of her.
"This is...?"
"These are the future revealed in the Oracle Card. In other words, the people you will meet in your life next."
"We're all confused, aren't we? Why not talk to fate? Maybe that'll help us figure out why we embarked on this journey in the first place..."
"... Furthermore, how much must a person bear to be worthy of the title ' Savior '?"
The " Oracle Card " – a toy that Phainon and Cyrene used as children – reflects the familiar yet unfamiliar figures of the Flame-Chase Heroes.
Does it symbolize an undeniable thread of fate, or is it merely a hazy backdrop on a stage?
At that time, the stars were still unknown.
While Phainon went to listen to the echo in the Oracle Card, Xing hurriedly turned to Cyrene: "Wait, who gave you this milk tea?"
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
Cyrene blinked. "Why would you ask such a question?"
"Because..."
Xing choked on her words, realizing she had forgotten something: her current identity should be ' Ye Yan '.
If it were Ye Yan, then distributing milk tea to Cyrene and Phainon would indeed be perfectly reasonable.
"It's nothing... haha~ Isn't the milk tea delicious? I have more if you need more."
Xing displayed all the milk tea she had preserved, many of which were key " Eternity " items given to her by Ye Yan.
Unfortunately, because she was too powerful, many of the " Eternity " milk teas never got a chance to be used.
Wow~ You're a true milk tea collector!