Cipher suddenly lifted her head. Her hood slipped down with the motion, revealing cheeks still wet with tears from crying.
"Aren't you... worried I'll ruin this place's reputation? Or that I might sneak off with your precious clothes and sell them?"
Cipher's eyes were full of disbelief, and her voice still carried a trembling sob.
"I wouldn't have invited you if I were worried about those things."
Aglaea replied with a smile.
"You're weird, seamstress. You know, they say a child who often lies remains a liar for life..."
"I've tried not to become a liar. But... honestly? It's just too hard... I'm close to giving up."
Cipher bit her lip as she spoke. It wasn't that she had never tried to change.
But change was difficult, because she had nothing.
The adults hadn't been wrong. She was a bad child, a bad child who couldn't get rid of her bad habits.
Then why was Aglaea still willing to take her in?
Aglaea revealed a gentle, affectionate smile. She reached out and softly stroked Cipher's head.
"Because I can feel it, not with the power of a demigod, but with the heart that beats in my chest, you love this place."
"That's why you keep coming by but also why you hesitate to stay longer. You worry you'll tarnish the "Goldweaver" name."
"After taking over Mnestia's divine authority, I became used to letting the golden thread distinguish sincerity from falsehood. However, the mission I need to complete requires me to learn to trust and rely on my heart."
After hearing Aglaea's words, the young Cipher had completely become a pitiful little stray kitten that made one's heart ache.
That secret affection born from extreme self-inferiority struck everyone with overwhelming force.
It was heartbreaking. Painfully so.
She clearly loved this place. Yet because of her inferiority, she didn't dare approach it. She could only pass by again and again.
Relying on those brief moments of passing by, she would gaze at Aglaea's shop. In those fleeting moments, perhaps she imagined herself walking through its doors.
Even sadder than that... The little kitten had been wandering all this time, enduring cold and hardship.
She had tried to change. But what she was doing wasn't merely a bad habit, it was something tied to her survival.
How could a homeless little girl with no skills survive otherwise?
Stealing was her talent. It was the skill she relied on to stay alive.
It was her guarantee of survival. Okhema wasn't some ideal world.
Naturally, there wasn't an environment where the right to survive came before everything else.
In the eyes of the other residents, Cipher wasn't someone stealing bread because she couldn't live otherwise.
She was simply a thief.
"Stay here with me. You have a beautiful face that deserves better than to be covered in scars and grime." Aglaea stroked the top of Cipher's head as she spoke.
"..." Cipher sniffled, suppressing the urge to cry, though she couldn't hide the trembling in her voice.
"You've got a way of talking that's hard to follow."
"Alright, let's make it a deal. You have one day to change your mind, once the Action Hour passes, there's no turning back."
Cipher still couldn't believe this was real.
"Of course I won't." Aglaea answered firmly.
The memory ended there.
What happened afterward was already familiar to the audience.
Aglaea never pushed Cipher away. It was Cipher who chose to leave.
...
: Waaaaah, Cipher was so pitiful when she was little.
: The relationship between those two is so heartwarming.
: That kind of insecure affection really makes my eyes sting.
: Cipher didn't even dare agree immediately. Instead, she gave Aglaea a day to reconsider. She was probably afraid Aglaea would regret it.
: She was afraid it was all just a beautiful dream. Even more afraid of being hurt and disappointed.
: She was so humble it hurts.
: But Aglaea is genuinely such a kind person, taking in our little stray kitten.
: I don't understand! These two cared so much about each other. The kitten wanted a home so badly when she was young. Why did she end up distancing herself from Aglaea?
: Cipher's sense of belonging and her feelings for Aglaea weren't fake. When she spoke with Aglaea in Styxia, her expression and tone made that obvious!
: I completely understand how Aglaea felt now. No wonder she wanted to understand this question even in her final moments.
: Guys, looking at it from Aglaea's perspective, it's really hard to take. The kitten you raised suddenly starts hissing at you and scratching you. Years of feelings seem to shatter in an instant. Just imagining it hurts, let alone living through it like Aglaea did.
...
After the two memories ended, the audience finally understood how Aglaea felt.
And they finally understood why these two memories, despite being about Aglaea and Cipher's story, were shown after Aglaea's departure.
Because Aglaea had already left first. Only by looking back on those warm and loving interactions could everyone end up asking the same question she had.
How did it come to this? How did they end up as strangers?
How could Cipher even ignore Aglaea's final request? The question Aglaea spent her entire life unable to answer...
The audience couldn't answer it either.
The most reasonable explanation seemed obvious. But that didn't feel right.
Back in Styxia, when Cipher bid farewell to Aglaea, the extreme restraint she displayed proved that Aglaea was not meaningless to her.
The audience felt miserable, that feeling drove them to flood the comments with complaints.
...
: Thinking about how all this was revealed only after Aglaea died makes it hurt even more.
: A relationship this strong ending up like that? Something definitely happened.
: Those damn writers did this on purpose.
: Damn it, I've seen stories that build up before the tragedy, and stories that start with tragedy right away. But who puts the emotional buildup after the knife?
: 'Board first, buy the ticket later' storytelling.
: The worst part is that it actually worked on us...
: We were already full of resentment over Aglaea's death. Then they hit us with Cipher's story too. Any future Aglaea content is going to hurt like hell.
: No!! I'm already suffering enough!!
: They're really innovating new ways to emotionally destroy players. I'm so mad I can't even help but laugh.
: They're pulling every dirty trick on us.
: Now that's what you call a backhanded emotional stab.
.....
The comments exploded across the screen.
But everyone's heavy mood immediately went on another roller coaster ride.
After the flashback ended, the scene did not return to Cipher.
Instead, it shifted to Dan Heng!
And the situation here was strangely bizarre.
The assassins did not make a move, and neither did Dan Heng.
The two groups simply stared at each other.
It was obvious that Dan Heng was already getting thoroughly impatient.
"These folks in black..."
"Are not responding to provocations, nor do they seem intent on fighting. What exactly are they waiting for?"
Dan Heng frowned, silently calculating the time.
At this point, at least thirty minutes had passed.
Lygus stood beside him with his arms crossed and said,
"Pressure. Fear. Planting seeds of anxiety. It seems this is the strategy they've chosen."
"Meaningless." Dan Heng shook his head and replied calmly.
He wasn't showing off. It was simply the truth.
Even if another group came, they would only be slightly larger cannon fodder.
He could still manipulate Amphoreus's water veins.
Here, that was power nearly comparable to a Titan's.
"Perhaps they have other plans." Lygus neither agreed nor disagreed.
"I don't think standing here and wasting time with me could possibly serve any other purpose."
Dan Heng sighed. Since these people only surrounded him without attacking, it wasn't appropriate for him to strike first either. Left with no choice, he turned toward Lygus.
"Lord An organization persisting through time, now working tirelessly to obstruct the Flame-Chase. Are they truly so terrified of the "Era Nova" the Chrysos Heirs strive for?"
Lygus did not avoid the question and gave his answer directly.
"Even in these crumbling end times, there are always those who find ways to profit from the chaos."
"To ask the vested interests to abandon their status, wealth, and ambitions in this world for a distant ideal, may be no easier than creating a miracle."
Dan Heng turned away in disappointment.
Because he also felt that Lygus was telling the truth. The words were sharp.
But the viewers outside the screen immediately understood the answer behind Lygus' statement.
No matter what kind of apocalypse it is, there will always be people with vested interests unwilling to let go, obstructing others from moving toward a new future.
That was why revolutions had existed throughout history. That was why revolutions were necessary.
Clearly, Okhema did not possess such resolve.
And Aglaea naturally could not be the one to open that path and stain her hands with slaughter.
It would only make more people fear Aglaea.
Because revolution means bloodshed. It is a violent process in which one group destroys another.
A city-state civilization lacked the ability to mobilize on that scale.
And the people's lives were not miserable enough to drive them into rebellion, in fact, that was largely thanks to Aglaea's governance.
So this was an unsolvable dilemma. Unless everything was torn down and rebuilt from the very beginning.
From that perspective, although Aglaea had not launched a direct revolution, she was pushing forward the plan of Re-genesis.
Back in the scene... just as the atmosphere became increasingly unsettling...
A series of hurried footsteps suddenly broke in.
Krateros had arrived with soldiers!
"Retreat!" The assassins, who had remained silent for over half an hour, withdrew decisively at that very moment.
Dan Heng did not stop them. Instead, he looked toward Krateros, who had come to break the deadlock.
He could see the anger and grief on the man's face.
"There you are, Lord Dan Heng. We couldn't reach you on the teleslate, so the Holy City Guard almost assumed you and Stelle had met some terrible fate."
Krateros panted heavily, looking at Dan Heng with eyes exhausted beyond their limits.
"What happened? These assassins..."
Dan Heng began to ask. But before he could finish, Krateros interrupted him and said sorrowfully:
"Lady Aglaea... has been assassinated!"
"?!" The calm expression that had never changed on Dan Heng's face completely shattered.
His eyes widened as he asked in disbelief: "What did you say?"
"Lady Aglaea is dead."
"It was that despicable Caenis who did it. Those assassins were sent to kill you, or at least delay you."
"So that... so that Lady Aglaea would be left isolated and without aid."
"We feared Caenis might target you as well, so we split up and searched for you. Since you're safe, please... return to Okhema, so that we can protect you."
Krateros closed his eyes and told Dan Heng everything.
Aglaea's weakened state, and how the Chrysos Heirs had scattered in all directions, leaving almost no one capable at her side.
After listening, Dan Heng stood frozen in shock. Even his mind temporarily stopped functioning.
Even if everything Krateros said was true, Aglaea was still a demigod despite her weakened condition!
How could she possibly be assassinated so easily?
"Let's go." After a brief moment of blankness, Dan Heng did not hesitate.
He immediately led everyone back. The Flame-Chase Journey was only one step away from success.
Now that the Council of Elders had completely torn away their mask, there were practically no influential figures left within the city.
Tribbie and Trianne could not handle a situation like this. One mistake could lead to irreversible consequences.
For now, it didn't matter how Aglaea had been assassinated. If the re-genesis truly stalled or even failed because of this...
Then all of Aglaea's efforts and sacrifices would have been for nothing.
And if the situation reached the worst possible outcome...
In just a few seconds, Dan Heng had already formulated an entire suppression plan, including procedures for the absolute worst-case scenario.
Without even realizing it, Dan Heng had completely abandoned the mindset of an ordinary ally.
Instead, he had become firmly bound to the Chrysos Heirs.
As Dan Heng rushed back... The perspective shifted once again.
The Grove of Epiphany. Phainon!
Compared to Dan Heng's side, things here were far more intense.
Phainon's patience had long since run out.
His decisiveness and resolve were finally beginning to show...