Lilith patted the back of her hand, comforting her. "Audrey, the fact that you have this intention is already very good. After all, what you have done and what you want to do actually run contrary to the class you belong to."
"You must remember, changing the world isn't something that can be achieved by the efforts of just one or two people. Even if your father was among the wealthiest men in Loen—even if he handed over all the money of the Hall family—he might not even be able to support a single Borough of Backlund for very long."
Audrey sounded troubled. "Then what should I do?"
At this moment, Susie spoke up: "Audrey, do you still remember the question you once asked me? About the dog king?"
"Oh, I remember."
At that time, after learning the true face and conspiracy of George III, Audrey had casually asked Susie what one should do if such a kingdom of dogs existed.
She continued, "I think the very first step has to be toppling the rule of the dog king!"
"And after that?"
Lilith secretly gave Susie a thumbs-up, then said, "And then—reform! If the underlying logic of this world doesn't change, nothing you do will matter!"
Audrey nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly asked in puzzlement, "Lilith, how come you suddenly understand so much?"
"Why wouldn't Miss Lilith understand this much?" Lilith planted her hands on her hips with a hum. "Have you forgotten that I am the smartest cat—no, the smartest person in the world!"
"Yes, yes! Miss Lilith is the smartest!"
"Hmph!"
Lilith hummed proudly twice, then pulled out several thick books—and handed them over. "Alright, I actually learned these from books. If you're interested, Audrey, you can read them too~"
Audrey opened a few books, glanced at them, and asked, "These are all written in English. Did Edward give them to you?"
"That's right!"
"Edward's world became prosperous and harmonious because it was guided by these works."
"That's right!"
Lilith pointed at the third book with an old, worn-out cover, her eyes shining. "Especially the last one."
Audrey hugged the three books to her chest and said earnestly, "Alright—then I'll study these carefully!"
Susie asked, "Can I read them with you?"
"Of course!"
Lilith narrowed her eyes and smiled. Susie, you are the dignified Dog of Imagination…
And Audrey…she's merely your experimental maid.
———
Night deepened.
Lilith passed through layer upon layer of mirror worlds, arriving at the edge of the Battlefield of Gods in the Sea of Ruins.
Barefoot, she walked across the ocean surface as though it were solid ground. Her figure gradually grew larger, slowly restoring the appearance of an adult. Then she swung her arm sharply toward the front; the ocean instantly parted, opening a road that led directly to the projection of the Giant King's Court—straight into the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
She snapped her fingers with a crisp pop, and a mirror appeared out of thin air. Lilith stepped into the mirror, and both she and the mirror shot toward the distant projection of the Giant King's Court. After a shifting interplay of illusion and reality—
The mirror shattered with a bang, scattering into countless falling starlight.
Taking advantage of the moment, Lilith leapt from the projection of the Giant King's Court, passed through the mirrored world, and landed before the real gate of the Giant King's Court.
It was a great door dominated by greyish-blue hues, covered in symmetrical symbols, sigils, and patterns. On the left side of the door's seam was a pitch-black opening.
This was the furthest point most beings could ever reach. To proceed any further, one either had to sneak in as Amon once did—by deceiving the True Creator—or be personally allowed entry by the True Creator.
Lilith placed her fair palm against the grey-blue gate. A moment later, she murmured, "Still sealed…Has the True Creator truly gone mad?"
She pondered for a moment, then tapped her delicate finger lightly on the door. Ripples spread across it as though she had touched water. A few seconds later, the door transformed into a silver mirror.
Lilith stepped forward and entered the mirror. After another bout of transit, she emerged again from the mirror surface.
"Tch. As expected, going through the mirror world still can't get me inside."
She folded her arms across her chest and pinched her chin in thought. After thinking for a while, she suddenly raised her hand and began hammering on the door—BANG, BANG.
"Open up! Open up! Ouroboros, did you hear me? Come and help me open the door!!"
"The Lingering Hero Spirit of The River; The Grace of the True Creator; The Eyes that Look at Fate—Ouroboros, can you hear me?"
"Hey! If you don't come help me, I'm going to force my way in!"
"Ouroboros!"
After calling for quite a while, Lilith grew a little disappointed.
"Is he unable to hear me…or was he hurt too badly when the True Creator went mad to respond at all?"
Just as she muttered to herself, Lilith's ears twitched slightly. She turned around—only to see a man standing a few meters away.
He had delicate, handsome features, a gentle expression laced faintly with aloofness, a slender and tall figure, and long silver hair cascading down to his shoulder blades. He wore a plain, simple linen robe and stood motionless and silent.
"…Truly worthy of being a snake through and through—you even walk without making a sound."
Ouroboros looked at her with slight confusion. "...What?"
"That's not important."
Lilith waved her hand dismissively and stepped forward quickly. "I heard that the True Creator went mad, that even you were injured. Are you alright? What exactly happened? Didn't the True Creator fuse completely with Adam? How could He go mad again? Did Adam pull another trick?"
"…"
Perhaps she had fired off too many questions at once. Ouroboros opened his mouth, but after a long pause, he managed to utter only one sentence:
"I…am fine."
Lilith widened her eyes, staring at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue answering the rest.
But all that followed was silence.
She held her forehead helplessly.
"Alright, take me inside. I'll just ask Steph."
Ouroboros gave a slight nod. The layered wings of radiant light behind him gently moved. He stepped forward and pushed open a narrow gap in the grey-blue gate. After glancing back at Lilith, he walked in.
Lilith followed immediately.
Passing through the gate, she arrived at a beach illuminated by dusky twilight. Deep-blue waves surged from afar, breaking layer upon layer against a shoreline filled with black gravel and stones—yet they made no sound.
In the distance stood a mountain bathed in dim yellow light, upon which rose countless palaces, high towers, and tiered, majestic walls.
Lilith sighed. "It's been such a long, long time since Miss Lilith last came here."
"Big Snake, do you think I should just go straight to find the True Creator?"
Ouroboros frowned, thinking.
"…Never mind. Forget I asked."
———
Afternoon Town
As a town abandoned for thousands of years where humans and giants once lived together, this place had originally been overrun by all sorts of aberrant monsters. Under normal circumstances, anyone wishing to settle here would have needed to clear it out first.
However, when Bernadette and Edward last came here, they had already exterminated all the monsters occupying the town. Therefore, over the past few days, the City of Silver's exploration team had mostly been repairing the houses that were less damaged, forming a small area suitable for habitation.
Steph sat quietly in a room prepared specifically for Him. He sat cross-legged on the ground, eyes tightly closed, completely still. He had remained in that position for three or four days.
Meanwhile, in another nearby building, after Colin Iliad announced that they would continue forward in the afternoon, Derrick couldn't help asking:
"Chief, why do we still need to continue forward?"
Colin replied in a calm voice, "We finally reached this place. We're only one last step away from the Giant King's Court—the final exit. If we stop here, everything we've worked for would be wasted."
"But that lord said the True Creator has already gone mad. If we keep going…isn't it the same as committing suicide?"
"Don't worry. I'm not a fool, and I definitely don't want to die. I just intend to go forward as far as I safely can. I can't simply retreat when hope is right in front of me."
"Derrick."
Colin looked at him with a seriousness that was almost solemn. "Whether I return or not, the future of the City of Silver will be in your hands."
Derrick panicked immediately. "I—I'm not capable of that!"
"Just because you aren't now doesn't mean you won't be in the future."
A faint smile appeared on his usually stern and solemn face. "You've done very well."
Derrick froze, suddenly understanding something: Chief must have known all along that I had abandoned the Creator and chosen to believe in another deity.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
While Derrick was lost in his thoughts, footsteps suddenly approached, accompanied by an unfamiliar voice:
"This Afternoon Town doesn't look very different from when I last came."
"Oh, I suddenly remembered…It actually hasn't been that long since I came here last time."
"That's true~"
Swish!
In an instant, everyone inside the room drew their weapons and prepared for battle. With just one order from the Chief, they would strike.
Colin shook his head, signalling everyone to stay calm. Then he walked toward the door and pushed open the decayed stone slab. A man and a woman stepped inside. The girl was curiously looking around, while the man's expression was indifferent.
Those hiding in the surrounding buildings were all stunned—they could clearly tell that the pair were not from the City of Silver. So where had they come from? Were they even humans? Or illusions created by monsters?
"I'm here to see Steph."
Lilith instantly spotted Derrick—City of Silver's Little Sun—standing among the crowd, but did not greet him. She looked around and called out:
"Lil Steph! Lil Steph! I'm here to see you~!"
The people of the City of Silver exchanged bewildered looks, trying to figure out whom she was referring to. So far, Derrick had only revealed Steph's identity to Chief Colin and Elder Lovia.
Derrick, too, grew curious. Are these two also from the Giant King's Court, like Lord Steph? If so, could they tell us about the situation there? Could I persuade the Chief not to keep going forward?
"Lord Steph is over there…"
He couldn't worry about anything else and quickly pointed toward Steph's room—only to realise that Steph was already standing at the doorway, staring directly at the two newcomers.
A few seconds later, He bowed first toward Ouroboros.
"Angel of Fate."
Lilith stepped forward with a grin. "Why did you turn into a child as well? You don't seem like someone who enjoys pretending to be young."
After a moment of silence, Steph concealed the emotions in His eyes and spoke in His usual calm, even tone:
"After ascending to Sequence 3—Trinity Templar—whether child, youth, or elder, all are myself. They are merely different forms without real distinction."
"Stubborn."
Lilith shook her head. "You're clearly injured and can only maintain your child form."
She then glanced at Colin and the others. "Everyone, relax. We're just here to ask Lil Steph a few questions. No need to mind us."
Colin let his gaze linger on the pair for a moment. "Alright. Feel free."
He turned and returned inside. Lovia, her expression grim, whispered, "Those two are very dangerous."
Colin grunted softly in acknowledgement and sat down without elaborating. After so many years, the City of Silver hasn't seen a single outsider…yet now we meet several in quick succession. Does this mean our departure from this place is truly near?
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.