Truth be told, from the very moment she arrived in the Elysian Realm, Aponia's presence had struck Lynelle as rather peculiar.
Among the other Flame-Chasers, some saw her purely as a junior, while others—like Mobius—might have harbored some unspeakable, peculiar feelings toward her.
But Aponia was an exception.
Lynelle was absolutely certain that Aponia was not unaware of her arrival.
Yet despite being in the Realm for so long, she had only heard snippets about Aponia through conversations among the Flame-Chasers, never once encountering the woman herself.
Even her attempts to reach the Deep End were gently thwarted—every time Lynelle tried to approach that place, little Griseo would find some reason to cling to her in the Dreamscape of the Painters.
And Lynelle… simply couldn't refuse.
Come on, who could possibly say no to little Griseo holding your hand and wanting to play?
Besides, Griseo was easily influenced by others, and coupled with Lynelle's widely recognized gentle and yielding nature, every time Griseo spent time with Lynelle, she would become even more obedient, soft, and adorable.
Because of this, Kosma's fondness for Lynelle had skyrocketed.
But this time was different. This time, Lynelle had actual business to discuss with Aponia.
However, perhaps because she had already foreseen the reason for Lynelle's visit today, this time Lynelle smoothly entered the Deep End—or more precisely, that pitch-black corridor.
'If I keep walking straight, I should reach the Deep End… But why does this place feel strangely familiar?'
"Because this is not your first time here."
A gentle voice resonated in Lynelle's mind, and then it felt as if a pair of warm hands took hers, leading her into the darkness.
"Aponia, sis…"
"Yes, it's me." As if anticipating Lynelle's next words, Aponia spoke while guiding the girl.
"You might still remember, the first time you snuck into the Elysian Realm, you landed in a place of complete darkness."
"?"
A question mark seemed to float above Lynelle's head, quickly replaced by a flush of embarrassment.
"W-wait… You mean, my perfect smuggling operation back then was actually…"
"Actually, it unfolded under my watch—you dug a little path from the outside straight toward the Deep End." Aponia couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
"It was quite an adorable endeavor."
"Wow… Then, that later 'chance encounter' with Elysia…"
"That was my doing as well. I selected a portal for you that would inevitably lead to where Elysia was."
"…You're so mean, Aponia sis."
Lynelle puffed out her cheeks. "Bullying a poor, lost little soul like that!"
"Lost little soul? Is that what you call that form of yours?"
Lynelle suddenly felt as if Aponia had patted her head. Then, light flooded her vision, and an exceptionally holy-looking church appeared before her.
"Welcome to the Deep End. This place… is the cage that holds a sinner like me. Though, compared to the Deep End, the outside world feels more like a prison to me."
Aponia, who had been praying at the center, rose and slowly extended a hand toward Lynelle.
"It's good to see you, Lynelle… I hope you haven't held any grudge over my previous avoidance."
"Ah, not at all…" Lynelle quickly shook her head. "If Aponia sis acted that way, you must have had your reasons. But I'm still curious… why didn't you want to see me before?"
"It's simple."
Aponia gently stroked Lynelle's hair, her voice soft. "Because, at that time, I had not yet seen your true self. Thus, I could not determine who exactly lay behind the mist veiling you."
"However, once your true self entered the Elysian Realm, all those doubts were naturally resolved… and I felt at ease meeting you then."
"And also…" As Lynelle's mouth hung open wider and wider, Aponia smiled.
"Give my regards to Elysia, and to that warm, pure white presence within your consciousness."
Lynelle: "?"
Meanwhile, Kiana-cat, who had finally snatched a moment to slack off and had just opened a cup of instant noodles in the system space: "?"
'Seriously, Kiana-cat, why do you keep getting exposed like this?!'
[Isn't it this lousy system's fault… It was like this in the first playthrough too, what am I supposed to do?]
Customer Service Kiana-chan pouted and chose to focus on her noodles again.
[But Aponia probably means no harm. I sensed her power earlier—she might just have been worried her precognition could affect you somehow…]
[Anyway, since she didn't directly ask about your situation, you can just gloss over it. With the residual trace of Elysia's power in the system as guarantee, she won't press further.]
After listening to that less-than-reliable answer from a certain clown, the corner of Lynelle's mouth twitched.
She then turned to the smiling Aponia.
"Ahaha… Aponia sis, what are you talking about? What white presence? That's just a little kitten living in my consciousness, you know?"
"Is that so? What an adorable way to put it." Aponia nodded with a smile, not pressing further.
"Don't worry, I bear no ill will toward you or her. After all, I was the first in the Elysian Realm to confirm your origins. The traces of Mobius's techniques on you were obvious to me at a glance."
"But I was concerned my prophecies might lead you down a mistaken path."
"Moreover, I was uncertain how the existence behind you would regard my prying. So, I remained here in the Deep End, quietly observing you."
"Prophecy? Aponia sis, you still retain that ability now?"
"For me, it is an innate gift and a curse… Even though Elysia severed the threads of fate, it only made the futures I see less certain."
"For example…" Aponia revealed a mysterious smile. "I know the purpose of your visit concerns Fu Hua, am I right?"
"That's true…" Lynelle laughed a little sheepishly.
With the plot having changed so significantly, Lynelle naturally had to prepare thoroughly for potential problems.
For instance, Fu Hua originally shattered her Sword Heart and broke free from the shackles of her SWARA with Li Sushang's assistance in Kolosten.
But given the current situation, it was unclear how Otto would carry out his plans.
So, for Fu Hua's needed reinforcement this time, Lynelle had to find another way.
And the solution she thought of was, naturally, to seek the one who tied the bell in the first place—since SWARA was essentially Aponia's handiwork, why not go straight to Aponia for a solution?
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.