Olivia had previously tried to pull out the sword, but her failure was precisely why Tide had managed to uproot it, along with a massive chunk of surrounding stone, and bring it back.
If someone else had seen someone effortlessly accomplish what they couldn't, they might have felt jealous. But Olivia didn't. Instead, she was genuinely happy for Aria. Didn't this prove Aria was a truly worthy Paladin? A good person?
A good person obtaining a powerful weapon—isn't that a wonderful thing?
Moreover, according to Tribios, they seemed to be trapped in some special... place. In any case, it didn't seem safe. With one of their teammates now wielding a Divine Artifact and gaining significant power, wouldn't that only improve their chances?
Olivia turned to Tribios and asked, "So what's the situation exactly?"
Tribios replied, "Based on the information Aria and the others provided, I hypothesize that the Evil God known as the Child of Flesh pulled us into this unique temporal space. If we can find and kill the source of this intrusion, we might be able to break free from our current predicament."
Olivia nodded. "Take down the mastermind?"
It was a perfectly normal question, but with the real mastermind, Evernight, standing right beside her, she found it hard to keep a straight face.
In her original plan, the final boss of this elaborate prank was indeed the Child of Flesh—a deliberately weakened version created by Cipher's abilities.
If Evernight were the true final boss, just imagining the scene... hmm, unexpectedly thrilling? But for Aria and the others, it would be a nightmare beyond belief—a battle they couldn't possibly win!
Switching focus back to Aria and her companions, now that they'd identified their target, the next step was devising a strategy. Where exactly was this so-called Child of Flesh lurking? And how were they supposed to take it down?
Around this core question, the group began devising their battle plan. First, to prevent another monster siege like the one they had just endured, someone needed to remain behind to defend the Grand Duchy of Augustus. The choice for this role was quickly decided.
A Giant over three meters tall had silently appeared behind the group. His mere presence blocked out a large swath of sunlight, plunging Aria, Feidric, and Douglas into shadow.
Douglas, in particular, had initially wondered why the sky had suddenly darkened. When he turned around and saw the colossal figure looming behind him, he froze in terror. "Holy shit?!"
The Giant was none other than Tide. He had been helping transport lumber at the logging site, far from the city gate, and hadn't been able to reach the battle in time to provide immediate support. His sudden, silent appearance was due to Tribios opening a Century Gate to pull him here.
Olivia swiftly explained the situation to Tide. Without hesitation, he nodded and rumbled, "Defending the city gate, right? I understand. I won't let a single monster through."
Tribios added, "Don't worry, I'll stay and guard with you. Just handle any stragglers the Century Gate misses."
After all, even if Tribios went to the front lines, she wouldn't be of much help in direct combat. Since she could open Century Gates anywhere to provide support, it made more sense for her to remain in command at the rear.
Thus, the chosen expedition team consisted of Olivia, Aria, Feidric, and Douglas. Feidric's immediate reaction was, "Where's Jay? Doesn't the Grand Duchy of Augustus have a Great Mage? Why isn't he coming along?"
Whether in the legends of the Demon Lord Hero or the historical records of Okhema, Jay was always portrayed as an exceptionally powerful wizard. It struck Feidric as odd that he wasn't included in the expedition.
Upon hearing this, Olivia couldn't help but reveal an awkward expression. "Um... he is indeed a Great Mage, but he's not very skilled in direct combat. Yes, that's exactly right. So it's better for him to stay behind and defend the Grand Duchy of Augustus."
Paladins never lie, and Olivia's words were no exception—every sentence was true. Yet Feidric was left utterly bewildered.
Having heard their explanation, Feidric couldn't argue. So, they all returned to the city gate. Jay was still there, cleaning up the battlefield. Countless faceless figures were diligently working, their heads bowed low. Though these were illusions conjured through Illusion Magic, they possessed physical substance and could interact with objects.
Seeing this, Feidric raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "What kind of magic is this? I've never heard of it before."
Jay crossed his arms, smirking. "It's just a First-Level Illusion School spell—Minor Illusion. But I've modified it a bit myself. Impressive, right?"
Feidric was completely stunned. "Huh?"
Jay had never hidden his talent. For instance, when he paid with illusion-created coins that looked almost identical to real ones, Olivia and the tavern landlady had merely marveled at the magic's realism and the coin's authenticity before moving on.
But as a fellow wizard, Feidric understood the immense difficulty of achieving such a feat. "How did you do this?! It's just First-Level Magic?!"
Seeing someone finally understand him, Jay elaborated further. "Actually, aren't all High-tier Magic fundamentally derived from Low-Level Magic? So, if you thoroughly master the most basic spells, learning any subsequent magic—or even creating your own—becomes effortless."
"I don't think it's particularly difficult. Maybe you should try it too? Focus your efforts on a magic you enjoy, study it diligently, and who knows? You might achieve novel effects that other wizards can't even imagine."
Feidric's expression turned thoughtful. "Could it really work like that? Perhaps I should give it a try..."
As the two wizards conversed, Tide had already reached the main entrance. His massive frame blocked over seventy percent of the doorway just by standing there. He planted his weapon in the ground, rested his hands on its hilt, and froze into statue-like stillness, his gaze fixed firmly ahead.
Witnessing this, Douglas couldn't help but ask curiously, "Uh, buddy, are you seriously planning to just stand here until we get back?"
Wouldn't it be more sensible to find a place to sit and rest, then confront the monsters when they arrive? Why stand guard here like this? What's the point?