An indescribable emotion burned wildly in the hearts of the audience. The grief and sorrow brought about by Aglaea's death all became fuel.
Previously, defeating the Titans, seizing the Coreflames, and even confronting the Black Tide...
Most people never truly understood the meaning of the Flame-Chase Journey.
Until now, at this moment, the concept of the Flame-Chase Journey was deeply etched into the audience's minds.
The Flame-Chase Journey was only the name.
Every sacrifice, hardship, and conflict existed for the sake of that lofty ideal.
That ideal was called Flame-Chase, yet it represented the future of everyone.
Trianne's "See you tomorrow" had already made it very clear.
Tomorrow was the greatest blessing. The Flame-Chase Journey was also a blessing upon all of Amphoreus, representing the world's tomorrow.
For this, Aglaea could bear so much and face death calmly. Only by carrying out the will of The Flame-Chase Journey and completing the re-genesis, could the Chrysos Heirs fulfill Aglaea's final wish.
As flames began to burn within the audience's hearts... A lingering sense of gloom settled heavily upon them once more.
But... was it really that simple? Could it truly be so straightforward?
If completing the the Flame-Chase Journey and carrying out the re-genesis were really that easy, then what exactly was the Black Tide?
The audience did not dare think too deeply about it, yet they could not suppress their unwillingness and anger.
Aglaea was already dead. They no longer had the heart to distinguish right from wrong.
The same conclusion remained. Only re-genesis could provide even the slightest comfort.
On screen, the tempering process had finally come to an end.
Chartonus took out the bracelet, examined it carefully, and then set it aside.
The master craftsman displayed little excess emotion. Everything that needed to be said had already been said earlier.
Now, there was only one thing left to do. The forge's furnace burned even hotter, and the sound of hammering grew louder and louder.
As the future leader of the Chrysos Heir, Phainon needed a weapon worthy of his hand.
...
Marmoreal Palace.
The guards had already sealed off the area.
The Council of Elders' lackeys had become unusually quiet, perhaps because they simply did not dare act.
After all, every warrior standing here wore grief plainly upon their faces.
If the Council of Elders chose to put on airs at a time like this, whether they could even leave behind an intact corpse was questionable.
Beside the heavily guarded bathhouse, Dan Heng sat quietly with his eyes closed.
The situation was better than he had expected.
This sudden upheaval was likely nothing more than an assassination carried out by the Council of Elders after seizing an opportunity, with no supporting operations whatsoever.
There were no armies gathering to storm the Marmoreal Palace, nor any of the elaborate conspiracies behind it.
For a moment, even Dan Heng felt somewhat dazed. How exactly had this bunch of fools managed to assassinate Aglaea?
If it had been him... The moment he decided to carry out an assassination, he would have already prepared a complete plan.
Seal off routes, control key transportation points, isolate the inside from the outside, purge loyalists... establish the plan with overwhelming force.
As he thought about it, Dan Heng suddenly froze. Now was not the time to think about such things.
Those thoughts had surfaced uncontrollably again. Dan Feng's influence was still at work.
"We've already sealed off all the major routes around the Marmoreal Palace as instructed, sir."
At that moment, several centurions approached and reported to Dan Heng.
"Thank you for your hard work." Dan Heng opened his eyes and nodded.
"Now we just need to wait for Phainon to return."
"Understood." The centurions withdrew.
Only then did Dan Heng finally let out a sigh of relief.
After arriving, he had relied on the memories in his mind and the knowledge he had learned to first secure all critical locations, then station heavy forces across the advantageous terrain surrounding the Marmoreal Palace.
His purpose was to prevent the Council of Elders from attempting to attack it.
Although Okhema was a holy city-state and the Council of Elders stood high above all others...
The Citizens' Assembly had already made one thing very clear: Okhema operated under a triangular power structure.
The Marmoreal Palace symbolized Aglaea's faction. The Chrysos Heir rested here, and power from across the mortal world converged here as well.
It was not merely a bathhouse. It was the pinnacle of authority for the Chrysos Heirs.
Fortunately, those fools in the Council of Elders truly believed victory was already theirs. They genuinely thought that once Aglaea was dead, the Chrysos Heir would scatter like monkeys after the tree had fallen.
As thoughts continued racing through Dan Heng's mind, Krateros walked in from outside.
"Lord Dan Heng..." The elderly general sighed with emotion.
"You truly are remarkable for someone so young."
"Why bring that up all of a sudden?" Dan Heng returned to his senses and asked curiously.
"I just inspected the surrounding defenses. They are practically impregnable."
"I originally thought this old body of mine would have to withstand the pressure here, but I never expected your methods to be so seasoned and decisive." Krateros spoke sincerely.
Looking at the young man before him, his youthful face was undeniably immature.
Yet at such an age, he had immediately seen through the heart of the storm and, in such a short time, deployed a formidable defensive formation to safeguard the Marmoreal Palace.
Such talent and wisdom left Krateros utterly astonished.
Even knowing that Dan Heng was a visitor from beyond the skies, he still found it difficult to calm himself.
After all, these were matters involving politics and warfare.
How was Dan Heng so experienced? Were all people from beyond the skies this terrifying?
What kind of lives had they lived?
"Uh..." Dan Heng paused, then covered his forehead and sighed.
How was he supposed to explain this?
Fortunately, he didn't need to.
Because hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from outside, accompanied by excited voices.
Dan Heng and Krateros turned toward the entrance at the same time.
The doors were pushed open. A massive shadow stretched into the hall from outside.
Though backlit, everyone could make out the figure from its silhouette.
Phainon had finally returned.
In truth, not much time had passed since Phainon left Okhema.
But after the sudden catastrophe that had occurred, seeing him again felt completely different.
His eyes were razor-sharp, like a blade on the verge of leaving its sheath. Frost covered his face, making him awe-inspiring and intimidating.
This was no longer the cheerful young man from before.
Yet regardless of what emotions or aura Phainon carried at this moment, everyone present felt relieved the instant they saw him.
Whether ordinary soldiers or Krateros himself, it was as though they had suddenly found their pillar of support.
Thankfully, thankfully Aglaea had pushed Phainon to the forefront during the Citizens' Assembly, and Phainon had lived up to expectations and earned the recognition of all the Chrysos Heirs.
Otherwise, in a situation like this, no one knew how things could possibly have been resolved.
"Where is Aglaea?" The first thing Phainon did after entering was look for Aglaea.
"..."
"Lady Hyacine is staying by her side."
Krateros let out a sigh and said, "Phainon... she really has already..."
"I need to see it with my own eyes." Phainon interrupted Krateros and spoke in a low voice.
He did not ask how it happened, nor did he show any uncontrollable anger or hatred.
But no one would think Phainon wasn't angry. He had simply swallowed everything down.
Like a leader, he began fulfilling his responsibilities, without any hesitation to stop and grieve.
While Phainon was speaking with Krateros, Dan Heng also stood up from the side and quickly walked over to Stelle.
"Are you okay?" He looked her over from head to toe, as if making sure she was truly uninjured.
"I'm fine. I didn't even have to fight. Phainon knocked all those assassins away by himself." When Stelle said that, she hesitated.
"Go ahead." Dan Heng nodded.
"Aglaea... she didn't fake her death? There isn't some backup plan?" Stelle asked painfully.
"I know that's hard to accept. But it's true."
After speaking softly, Dan Heng looked at Stelle seriously to gauge her attitude.
"So, what are you planning to do next? We've already come very far on this journey."
"Then we'll keep going!" Stelle's eyes instantly became resolute, that stubborn determination surging forth.
"The Flame-Chase Journey must continue, and it absolutely cannot fail. Castorice, Phainon, Tribbie, Hyacine, Cipher... they're no longer just travelers passing through our lives. They're our companions."
"We're Nameless. We're Trailblazers!"
A smile tugged at the corner of Dan Heng's lips.
That's right. They were Trailblazers. They had long since become deeply tied to this world.
Forging a happy future for Amphoreus was also Trailblazing. That was what Mikhail had taught them.
In such an atmosphere, the comments began flooding in.
...
: Wuwuwuwu, this is both heartbreaking and uplifting. I wonder if Aglaea saw it. The children she raised have all become capable of standing on their own!
: Phainon... Aglaea and Tribbie never misjudged him...
: Even at the height of his rage, he wasn't consumed by it.
: This is what a perfect leader looks like...
: No matter how huge the burden is, he can carry it.
: Follow Aglaea's path and keep moving forward, Phainon! Lead us in the The Flame-Chase Journey! Lead us to final victory!
: And Stelle and Dan Heng's words too! Wuwuwu, the Astral Express Crew are forever the best! They haven't forgotten Mikhail's spirit either!
: This is truly Stelle's own Trailblazing journey. Watching her resolve to forge ahead feels like inheriting Mikhail's legacy!
: They were legends from the start!
: Charge forward, Nameless! Write your own path of Trailblazing!
...
After exchanging a few brief words, the group headed together toward the gardens of the Palace.
The closer they got, the heavier their footsteps became. Neither Stelle nor Dan Heng wanted to see Aglaea's... body.
Among them all, only Phainon kept his lips tightly pressed together as he walked at the very back.
When they entered the garden, they saw the motionless figure lying upon soft fabric, along with Hyacine, Tribbie, and Trinnon standing nearby.
Hearing the footsteps, Hyacine turned around.
Tears still stained her small face. Seeing that it was Phainon and the others, she forced out a smile so strained it looked more like crying.
"It's wonderful that you managed to return so quickly..."
"Phainon..." Tribbie tried hard to keep her eyes wide open and stop the tears from falling.
But the moment she saw Phainon, tears silently streamed down her face.
Phainon did not answer his companions' calls. He merely softened his footsteps and slowly walked to Aglaea's side.
Looking at that face that no longer held any trace of life, his lips trembled slightly, but no sound came out.
Stelle's pupils contracted, her throat tightening.
Dan Heng let out a sigh and turned his gaze away.
"She... was stabbed through the heart from behind with a dagger."
"By the time I returned, it was already... already..." Hyacine's voice trembled.
She forced herself to take a deep breath before continuing.
"I tried to restore her vitality with my divinity, but the wound... it was simply too severe. I... I couldn't do it... Announcing her death was the hardest thing I've ever done."
"That has nothing to do with you, Hyacine. Don't blame yourself." Still looking at Aglaea, Phainon spoke word by word.
"The real culprits are the Council of Elders and Caenis."
"Go get some rest. You probably haven't rested for a very long time."
He finally withdrew his gaze from Aglaea, and the expression on his face softened slightly.
Was Phainon not hurting?
No. The moment he saw Aglaea's pale face, his anger had nearly exploded.
But he could not allow himself to be angry. Because his companions were still grieving.
Hyacine, Tribbie... They were all overwhelmed with sorrow because of Aglaea's death.
At a time like this, he had no right to indulge in grief or anger. That would betray Aglaea's expectations of him.
What he had inherited was Aglaea's responsibility.
In the past, Aglaea had always been the one comforting them.
Now, it was his turn.
"Mhm." Hyacine nodded.
After taking one last look at Aglaea, she stood up and left.
After Hyacine departed, Phainon finally allowed some of his emotions to show.
Looking at Teacher Tribbie, he wore the same guilt and pain he had shown as a child.
His throat tightened, and he could barely speak.
"Phainon. You don't need to apologize to us." Tribbie wiped away her tears.
"You went to the Grove to become stronger, strong enough to deal with Okhema's enemies. You didn't do anything wrong. Please don't blame yourself."
"Throughout this long journey, we've stayed by Agy's side the entire time. We understand her thoughts better than anyone."
"She knew she wouldn't live to see the end of the The Flame-Chase Journey, yet she still burned herself away without reservation... for everyone's tomorrow."
Hearing those words, Phainon closed his eyes.
Once again, he swallowed down that guilt and pain.
"Yes... I know what Aglaea expected of me. Right now, the last thing Okhema needs is a guide who wallows in self-pity."