Chương 385: Uncertainty once more

The Paragons remained silent. Callum's hand slowly tightened around the hilt of his sword as his eyes remained fixed on Atherius.

"That doesn't sound like a first trial. How are we supposed to trust you?" Atherius' gaze swept across the group. Artoria no longer looked as shaken as before. Learning why she should have remained dead had answered one question lingering in her mind, but in exchange it had planted another. Now she, too, watched him with quiet caution, waiting to see whether his explanation would withstand scrutiny. Atherius noticed their expressions and reluctantly answered.

"The boy's abilities were useless. His Enigma was completely sealed. The only thing he truly possessed..." He paused briefly.

"... was his combat ability." Callum slowly unsheathed his blade an inch.

"Even then. His memories were erased by his curse, so explain something." His eyes never left Atherius.

"Why would his Enigma spend years teaching him combat... only to take it away afterward?" Atherius' expression hardened immediately.

"Because madness." The answer came without hesitation.

"Do you have any idea what something like that does to a person? I've endured horrors most people couldn't imagine. I've watched civilizations disappear, seen companions become monsters, and survived battlefields where death itself seemed merciful." He fell silent for a moment before continuing in a quieter voice.

"And yet... my spine still shivers whenever I remember that place." Silence returned. Callum studied him for several long moments before the blade finally slid back into its sheath. Click.

"Fine. I'll accept that explanation." Only then did Atherius quietly exhale, the tension leaving his shoulders. His attention shifted toward Evelyn.

"As for you..." Evelyn blinked.

"You know something about me as well?" Atherius rolled his eyes.

"I serve the most knowledgeable mortal currently alive. I know a little about almost everything." A faint smile crossed his face.

"That includes Soul Children." Evelyn immediately straightened.

"Then answer me. What did Xerax mean?" Atherius nodded once.

"Your Soul Mother was almost certainly another god. Not the Creator." He folded his hands behind his back before continuing.

"To clarify, 'Soul Child' is merely Creation's terminology. It refers to someone whose existence was shaped directly by a deity rather than by the Creator. Because of that... such individuals naturally possess an exceptionally high affinity toward certain Planes." Evelyn blinked several times. Surprisingly... the explanation felt right. Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

"I see." Yuki clicked her tongue loud enough for everyone to hear.

"So that's it. You've been cheating this whole time." She folded her arms dramatically.

"Turns out you're just a divine nepo baby." Evelyn shot her an unimpressed look.

"... Says the woman whose raw talent borders on unfair." The two glared at one another, neither willing to blink first. Before the argument could escalate, Atherius cleared his throat.

"It is, however, exceedingly rare. I've only ever known a handful." Artoria tilted her head.

"Who?" Atherius quietly raised four fingers.

"As far as I'm aware, four of the Six Founders created heirs, successors destined to inherit their will. After all... the Founders themselves remain imprisoned within this realm." Caesar folded his arms thoughtfully.

"Speaking of the Founders... if they're our way out, can they be freed?" Atherius slowly shook his head.

"Not yet. At present... it's impossible." His expression grew noticeably more serious.

"My superior discovered that freeing even one Founder requires two things. The first is a deity known as the Father of Flaws. The second is a relic called the Tear of Emerald." He paused briefly before continuing.

"Both are required to perform an extraordinarily lengthy ritual capable of destroying the seals placed upon whichever Founder is being released." Caesar frowned.

"Seals? As in... plural?" Atherius nodded.

"There are two."

"The first is absolute. Their souls are missing. Their bodies remain imprisoned while their souls cannot return, because the stagnant Atum of this realm prevents the two from ever reuniting." He raised a finger.

"The second seal is placed upon their heirs. It differs depending on the Founder, but every one of them exists for the same reason, to prevent the heir from reaching their complete potential." His expression darkened.

"And that second seal..." He let the words linger for a moment.

"... is precisely why rushing the process would be catastrophic."

"If a Founder were released lackluster Ly, with the second seal still in place... the backlash alone could destroy this entire realm." Silence settled over the valley. Caesar's eyes narrowed as everyone else could practically hear his mind working. Thousands of possibilities branched into hundreds of conclusions before being discarded one after another. Eventually, he nodded.

"I understand. so the failsafe isn't the Founder." Atherius nodded once.

"Correct." Caesar remained thoughtful.

"Do you know any examples? The second seals." Again, Atherius answered without hesitation.

"I know one. The Founder known as Unyielding Steel."

"He cannot wield a weapon." Several confused expressions appeared, prompting him to elaborate.

"He possesses an endless arsenal, more weapons than anyone could hope to count. But he himself cannot swing even one."

"He may command them. He may guide them. But he can never personally wield them. He is effectively an avatar surrounded by perfect blades... and entirely incapable of using them himself." Caesar slowly nodded.

"I see. So... the weapons themselves are the true threat." Atherius smiled faintly.

"Exactly." No one spoke after that. Several minutes passed before Caesar finally turned away.

"That's enough. We should leave." His gaze swept across the group.

"Does anyone still have unanswered questions?" The others exchanged brief looks before, one by one, shaking their heads. Without another word, the group climbed onto Ember's colossal back. The ivory wyvern released a thunderous roar before spreading his immense wings, and with a single powerful beat launched himself into the heavens. Atherius remained below, standing alone within the valley as he watched them disappear into the clouds.

Only after Caesar confirmed through his sensors that the man had completely vanished from detection did he finally speak.

"He's lying." The others immediately turned toward him.

"I don't know how much. but he and his people are hiding something important." Evelyn frowned.

"I felt that too."

"What he said about Vale... it didn't quite fit." She hesitated before continuing.

"I mean... a first trial like that? My own first trial practically skipped the first three stages. It was considered brutal." She slowly shook her head.

"And even that sounds gentle compared to what he described." The others quietly nodded. Only Caesar remained silent. Then,"No."

"What do you mean no? Obviously no first trial could be that horrib-""He wasn't lying." Caesar interrupted calmly.

"He told the truth about the trial." Yuki blinked.

"He also told the truth about Artoria's soul being restored." Artoria looked toward him in surprise.

"Then what was the lie?" Caesar remained silent long enough for the question to become uncomfortable before finally answering.

"There were two. The first, was how Artoria's soul was repaired. The second, was his explanation of Vale's Enigma." Callum frowned.

"You think his Enigma works differently?" Caesar nodded.

"I do." Artoria crossed her arms.

"How? the explanation sounded perfectly reasonable. If my soul really had been destroyed... what else could possibly rebuild it?" Callum nodded in agreement.

"And your sensors only detect ordinary biological responses." He glanced toward the distant horizon.

"What if Atherius simply doesn't function like we do? What if your readings don't apply to him?" Caesar didn't answer immediately. The wind rushed past Ember's wings as clouds drifted beneath them, leaving only the steady beat of the wyvern's flight to fill the silence. Only after several long moments did he finally speak.

"I don't know." His voice remained quiet.

"But until we understand more... it's safest to remain cautious." His gaze drifted toward the distant horizon.

"They invaded the Plane of his Enigma. That alone tells us they possess terrifying strength."

"If they're truly dangerous... the last thing we should do is convince them that we're a threat before we understand who they really are."