Chapter 1016

"Er… You might have a bit of a misunderstanding about our profession? I and that esteemed person are indeed in the same profession, but that doesn't mean we're partners!" Batelus thought hard for a few seconds, then offered a more fitting analogy: "The relationship between us should be considered rivals—Between enemies, we don't want to meet on a narrow road, hehehe!"

Aglaea let out a soft sigh: "…Never mind. If you meet Saifeier next time, tell her for me: as a demigod, we can never escape our duties."

——

Is it a mistake to seek an encounter in the dungeon?

"Saifeier? She's also a demigod? Didn't Aglaea say there are only two demigods in Aohema?"

"Bel, this is easy to explain: although Aohema has only two demigods, it doesn't mean there are none outside Aohema."

"Exactly…"

Weierfu sat opposite Bel, enjoying a chilled mug of beer. Seeing Baterus's round, smooth appearance, he curiously stroked his chin and said, "Though this monster‑like fellow knows a demigod, he's hardly a mere bandit—his connections are quite extensive."

"Saifeier… must be the trickster demigod who returns the fire seed to its place in the Primordial Vortex Core." Hesitiya recalled the totem she had seen earlier in the vortex core, "Could her divine role be theft and fraud? She's already a demigod—surely she isn't that short of money?"

"Um, Lord God… cough cough." Bel gave a light cough as a reminder, hoping that while the Lord God complained about the Olfros demigod, she wouldn't forget that, as a deity, she is still crammed with him in that tiny church basement.

From this angle, becoming a god probably has no direct link to wealth, right?

"Lady Hesitiya, perhaps that demigod didn't choose theft and fraud because she lacked money." Lili Luka set down her teacup, her tiny figure almost hidden behind the chair back, she cleared her throat and said, "Before I met Lord Bel, I too had stolen. But my thought back then was simple: while making a living, I wanted to take revenge on those adventurers."

"So you think that demigod's stealing is also for revenge?"

"No." Lili Luka gently shook her head. "Some people grow up starving and impoverished; once they become rich, they levy heavy taxes and extort ruthlessly, even though they know they could never spend all their money in a lifetime, they still cling to their greed for wealth. In short, the craving for money has been etched into their bones since childhood."

"I suspect that trickster demigod is the same—she's long past needing money; 'theft' is merely an instinct in her life."

——

"The other two sites of buried impurity were also quickly cleared by Aglaea, but as she prepared to return to see Tibao, she suddenly sensed a disturbance behind her."

""Who's there? Show yourself before the golden thread stains with your blood.""

"Kaines walked out with a cold smirk: "Tsk, as expected of a demigod. Even I, an assassin who's spent half a lifetime 【cleansing】, can't escape your senses.""

"Aglaea asked coldly: "Lord Kaines, what do you mean by this?""

""Hah… no need to pretend, you've long noticed my spies, haven't you?" Kaines spoke bluntly, "You deliberately didn't expose them so we'd let our guard down, believing every move of ours stays within the Senate's rules—right?""

""In terms of scheming, Zagelies is no match for the Senate—utterly outclassed.""

""Heh… thank you for the praise, Golden Descendants. We mean nothing else—just want to remind you once: the Golden Descendants' stewardship of the Holy City is temporary, merely a provisional authority in crisis." Kaines gave a cold snort, "Gods have their eyes and ears, and people have their responses. When the so‑called divine edict collapses… the fate of Aohema will once again lie in the hands of its citizens.""

"Aglaea, expressionless, countered: "Return to the citizens' hands… or to yours, Lord Kaines?""

""No need to be so confrontational. In the vote back then, half the senators refused to hand the Holy City over to you; I'm just an insignificant member of the opposition. Go your own way, demigod—use all your strength to prove us wrong… but never forget that in Olfros, even a 【god】 cannot do as they please.""

""I also want to see how long you can keep up this hands‑on, do‑everything‑yourself style… heh.""

"Having said that, Kaines gave a contemptuous smile and walked away without looking back."

"Feeling the tremor of the golden thread as the other party left, Aglaea's brows knit: "I will do everything I can to save Olfros, Lord Kaines—whether from the hands of the gods… or from yours.""

——

The Legend of Luo Xiaohei

"Senior sister, I still don't get it." Xiaohei sat on the park bench, his legs swinging back and forth beneath the seat, "Clearly the Fire Pursuit Journey benefits all Olfros citizens, so why do these Senate members look pleased at the thought of Aglaea's failure? If the Fire Pursuit Journey fails, they'll die too."

"Xiaohei, do you still remember what General Huaiyan said earlier?" Luye lowered her head to look at him.

"Old General Huaiyan?"

"Mm." Luye closed her eyes and recited to Xiaohei the deep impression left by General Huaiyan's warning to Jingyuan: "Some termites doubt your loyalty, judge you as foolish and ignorant, and delight in seeing the Divine Strategy General falter, for that is their nature—they lack any accomplishment and only crave to feed on others' failures as sustenance."

"Weren't you curious what those 'termites' look like earlier? Well… here they are."

"In other words, the Senate itself lacks any accomplishment and just hungers for Aglaea's failure?" Xiaohei's expression fell further; for the first time he sensed how complicated the adult world is, "When faced with an imminent threat, shouldn't we rally all of Olfros's strength to meet the crisis? Why do we keep attacking each other instead?"

"A united front, mutual hatred of the enemy—often this is merely the ideal state people imagine when facing external danger, but real people are far more complex. Some see crisis as disaster, some as a chance to consolidate power, and others even profiteer from national calamities before an invasion, amassing wealth greedily… such people are legion, and Kaines is merely one of them."

"Luye sighed deeply: "Besides, from her tone it seems a great force opposing the Golden Descendants and the Fire Pursuit Journey has been gathering within Aohema. It looks like the threat they face is far more than just a Titan.""