The moment Aria saw her, she wanted to rush over and greet her. But Feidric, quick as lightning, grabbed her arm and warned, "This is Tribios from five hundred years ago. You know her, but she doesn't know you now. Be careful."
No, even the Tribios from five hundred years ago would actually recognize Aria, Evernight thought silently from her nearby observation spot.
"Oh... right, I understand!" Aria nodded earnestly. The three of them walked side by side toward Tribios. Feidric spoke first, his tone perfectly polite as if meeting her for the first time: "Lady Tribios, are you the one Olivia mentioned? She said we could come to you if we needed anything."
Feidric's demeanor was impeccably polite, as if this were their first meeting. Yet Tribios couldn't help but freeze for a moment as she gazed at the trio. If Evernight hadn't already given her a heads-up about the situation, Tribios might have pounced on Aria and smothered her in a hug right then and there.
Fortunately, Tribios restrained her impulse, offering a warm smile and a nod. "Ah, Olivia's new recruit? What brings you here?"
Feidric explained, "Just recently, a monster called the Child of Flesh attacked us. One of our companions, Cipher, forcibly restrained the creature and became separated from us. Could you help us? Whether it's dealing with the monster or finding our companion, we'd be eternally grateful."
"In return, we're willing to do anything for this nation and for you, Lady Tribios."
Feidric's strategy was remarkably shrewd. On the surface, it appeared to be a transactional exchange of mutual assistance. However, he knew that Tribios undoubtedly recognized Cipher. By deliberately mentioning Cipher's name, the Tribios from five centuries past would likely inquire further, greatly increasing the chances of her offering help.
As expected, Tribios paused slightly, her expression shifting to one of confusion. "Cipher!? She's here now?"
Although Feidric possessed great intellect, Evernight had anticipated this scenario and had already briefed Tribios on how to "act" her part.
This wasn't to suggest that Evernight's intelligence surpassed Feidric's; rather, Feidric simply had no other viable options. This was the optimal solution, and he would inevitably choose it. It was precisely because Evernight trusted Feidric's intellect that she had devised this plan.
After a moment's hesitation, Tribios extended her right hand, mentally rehearsing Evernight's "script." A Century Gate materialized within their vision.
But the other side of the gate was pitch-black. Tribios exclaimed in bewilderment, "How is this possible? The destination doesn't exist?"
Seeing this, Feidric adopted an expression of grim satisfaction. Just as he had predicted, this wasn't the true five hundred years ago, but a Stitched Space-Time—likely containing only the Grand Duchy of Augustus, the Outer God's Child of Flesh, and hordes of monsters.
Five hundred years ago, Cipher might have been somewhere, doing something. Tribios attempted to open the Century Gate to find her from that era, but failed. This place simply didn't exist within the Stitched Space-Time; even the Century Gate couldn't reach a place that never was.
After failing to open the Century Gate, Tribios turned to Feidric and said, "Can you explain in detail exactly what's happening?"
Feidric quickly explained the Child of Flesh, adding, "Although Cipher is likely keeping the main monster occupied for now, its spawn—and other monsters—could attack the Grand Duchy of Augustus at any moment. If possible, it would be best to have everyone prepare in advance."
The instant Feidric finished speaking, a thunderous BOOM erupted, accompanied by a pillar of crimson flames that shot skyward. Tribios startled, exclaiming, "Is that Olivia's Divine Smite?"
"Divine Smite?" Aria's eyes widened. "Sister Olivia is a Paladin too? But is there a red Divine Smite?"
Feidric and Douglas, meanwhile, were observing the situation more closely. Feidric remarked, "This direction... it's towards the city gate?"
Though they "didn't know" what was happening, the appearance of a Divine Smite meant trouble was undeniable. Tribios hastily opened a Century Gate and stepped through. Aria and the other two exchanged a glance before quickly following her.
In the blink of an eye, the group found themselves back at the city gate of the Grand Duchy of Augustus. Feidric couldn't help but silently marvel at the Century Gate's overpowered ability, whether in the past or the future.
His attention then turned to the scene before him. At first glance, all he could see was an overwhelmingly scorching and blinding sea of fire. Olivia's Divine Smite attack covered an immense area and possessed devastating destructive force.
Standing before this sea of fire, sword in hand and her back to the group, Olivia looked incredibly cool. Her white ponytail swayed gently in the heat waves as she took a deep breath and raised her right hand once more, the flames continuing to blaze fiercely along the blade.
"So... so cool!" Aria couldn't help but exclaim. But just then, a monster engulfed in flames burst from the sea of fire, thrashing wildly as it emerged. Hairless, its charred skin was exposed as it crawled rapidly on all fours, resembling a "Licker" from a zombie movie.
In truth, this creature was a Pterodactyl-like monster unleashed by the Moon during the battle at the Floating City. Now, with its wings completely burned away, it could only crawl on the ground.
Following the first, a dense swarm of Licker-like Pterodactyls surged from the sea of fire, scattering in all directions. Douglas immediately began casting Divine Magic, conjuring weapons for himself and Aria. "Everyone, prepare for battle!"
But before his words could fully register, Olivia swung her longsword in what seemed like a simple horizontal slash. Yet, the searing flames lashed out like a whip, sweeping all the charging monsters back into the sea of fire. An enormous Fire Wall rose from the ground—five meters high and hundreds of meters long—sealing the area.
Feidric murmured, "The power of the Divine Smite... it's utterly absurd..."