Chapter 209 Augustina: How Could I Harbor Treacherous Intentions? (Two-in-one)
“As you command.”
Liliana spoke respectfully.
Although she had a casual acquaintance with the black-skirted maiden, and they sometimes joked around in private, Liliana knew very clearly in her heart…
Her relationship with their leader was, and would always be, one of pure subordination.
Or rather, the entire Elf Royal Court was essentially just a vassal to her. This wasn’t a self-proclaimed declaration or occupation by the leader; it was a genuine consensus from Liliana and all the residents of Snow City.
Without her existence, the Elf Royal Court, even now fallen into the abyss, would likely not be able to live in peace and contentment.
Her leaving Snow City alone for several years was also at the leader’s command.
“Following the guidance of the Holy Relic you provided for locating coordinates.”
“I set out from Snow City at the bottom of the abyss, spent several years traversing the desolate and barren entirety of the abyss, and finally reached the crevice between the abyss and reality.”
The journey itself was not particularly perilous. After all, there were almost no native Intelligent Races in the abyss. The occasional Elemental Life, devoid of intelligence and only retaining primal beast instincts, or simply treacherous terrain, posed no significant obstacles to Liliana, a legendary Grey Elf.
The only impediments were the long duration and the solitude of crossing the entire abyss. However, these were not significant issues for Liliana.
“This process took a total of five years and three months.”
“And when I arrived at the crevice between the abyss and the Prime Material Plane, the situation there indeed did not deviate from your expectations, my leader.”
The Grey Elf maiden spoke with a hint of astonishment.
“The barrier between the abyss and the Prime Material Plane, also known as the World Barrier you mentioned, has indeed shown signs of loosening.”
“Although it still doesn’t allow beings, or even inanimate objects, to pass through the boundary.”
“However, using the Holy Relic you prepared, I was indeed able to perceive the existence of the Spirit World within the Prime Material Plane from that gap.”
“And, using the Holy Relic as a medium, I successfully connected to the Spirit World and retrieved a portion of revelations and information within a limited scope from the subconscious ocean of the Spirit World.”
“This pertains to the pseudo-gods on the Western Continent and sister Heiser, as well as the matter of the Black Tower, which you are concerned about.”
Upon reaching this point, Liliana’s grey-black eyes held even more surprise. She was now a Legend and knew clearly how insurmountable the barrier between the abyss and the Western Continent, or more accurately, between the Prime Material Plane and the inner side of the World, truly was.
Let alone Legends; even Mythical Creatures could not budge it in the slightest. Even though it was now loosening, gathering even a sliver of information required finding it within the Spirit World at the crevice, aided by the Holy Relic. It could be said that these were two completely isolated worlds. Not only were gods forbidden entry, but even communication of information was extremely difficult. Yet, the black-skirted maiden before her had accurately predicted the events about to unfold on the Western Continent six years prior, before she even departed. This included the uprising of those pseudo-gods, sister Heiser’s movements, and the return of the so-called “Black Tower.”
“There’s nothing to be surprised about.”
“While it might seem incredible to you, for me, this is merely ‘spoiling’ without any difficulty.”
“Speaking of which, he used this method to reveal himself publicly when they were young, didn’t he?”
“How cunning…”
“Silently capturing one heart after another.”
The black-skirted maiden waved her hand dismissively. “Although I remember the general direction, the specific details and timelines still need to be confirmed.”
“Tell me the specific news you gathered.”
“Yes.”
Liliana replied respectfully. She didn’t understand the meaning of the word “spoiling,” nor did she wish to.
“Currently on the Western Continent, the Human race, due to their resistance to the ‘Fallen Sun’ and their resilience against madness and loss of control, has become the most prosperous Intelligent Race.”
“However, as the influence and pollution of the ‘Fallen Sun’ gradually recede, many Mythical Creatures that were previously in a semi-mad state are gradually regaining their intellect.”
“Perhaps they’ve discovered the peculiarity of the Human race, or perhaps they’ve realized that collecting faith from intelligent beings can help stabilize the out-of-control Divinity and Authority within their Divine Thrones… or perhaps it’s a combination of both.”
“In any case, the Western Continent is currently in a chaotic phase where Mythical Creatures are vying for the faith of different Human kingdoms.”
Liliana cleared her mind, recalling the vast amount of information she had observed from the subconscious ocean of the Spirit World using the Holy Relic bestowed by her leader.
“Nearly every Mythical Creature that has regained its intellect wants to establish so-called doctrines within Human kingdoms, to have more believers and followers.”
“And among the Human race, powerful individuals at the Legend rank have also begun to appear, with many unwilling to be mere shepherds for Mythical Creatures to preach to, wanting to resist.”
“But Legends, compared to true Mythical Creatures, still have a gap in Status.”
“So, overall, the Western Continent is still dominated by Mythical Creatures. The vast majority of Human kingdoms have been taken over by Mythical Creatures and developed into their own earthly theocracies.”
Liliana stated slowly.
At this point, she unconsciously raised her head again, looking behind the black-skirted maiden, towards the figure on the frozen throne.
She and this human youth named Shaya had, after all, only met briefly five hundred years ago.
But on that day, the day the Lost Island fell into the abyss.
Even though Liliana had only caught a fleeting glimpse of Shaya’s true power, the radiance of that moment was deeply imprinted in Liliana’s soul.
Come to think of it, he was also human.
If he were also on the Western Continent at this very moment, then perhaps those Mythical Creatures wouldn’t dare to be so rampant.
“I understand.”
The black-skirted maiden nodded. She didn’t show much emotion as Liliana conveyed this information.
Liliana was not human, and neither was she. Naturally, she wouldn’t feel outrage like “her own kind being reduced to the pawns of Mythical Creatures.”
The reason she paid attention to human affairs was, and always had been, solely because of Shaya.
“Then, what about the Tower of Absolute Darkness?”
“Information about the Black Tower was not abundant in the subconscious ocean of the Spirit World, indicating that this is not widely known information among the people of the Western Continent, but rather circulated within a small radius.”
“This seems to be inferred by the Mythical Creatures through subtle clues.”
“Disturbances are emanating from the deepest reaches of the Astral Realm…”
“In their words, that Golden Elf, meaning sister Heiser, is about to return.”
“And when she returns—”
“It will be the day the Tower of Absolute Darkness is established.”
…
“Has the Prime Material Plane reached such a stage?”
On the seat woven from the night, the black-skirted maiden gently tapped her exquisite chin.
“I understand.”
“You’ve worked hard this time, Lily. Go and rest in the city now.”
“Okay.”
Although she still had many doubts she wished to explore, at this moment, Liliana merely responded respectfully and then quietly retreated.
The entire hall returned to silence.
Only the pensive black-skirted maiden and the figure on the frozen throne remained.
After a long while—
The black-skirted maiden, or rather Augustina, finally emerged from her deep contemplation.
She gently turned her body, looking at the youth on the throne who appeared to be fast asleep.
“Did you hear, Shaya…”
“Or rather, Master.”
A faint smile curved Augustina’s lips.
“Your Shī Jiang, whom you’ve been longing for, is about to return from the Astral Realm.”
“And the moment she returns, she intends to fulfill your dream and establish that tower, the Black Tower, a tower solely for wizards.”
“However… your teacher’s current situation is likely not very good…”
“After the massive commotion you caused, the existence of the Lost Island and its secrets are no longer secrets to those pseudo-gods who survived the Great Calamity.”
“The Lost Island… it involves some remnants of the Creator from the Glorious Era, and might even directly relate to the ownership of the Throne of Heaven in the new era…”
“By then, your Golden Elf teacher might be targeted by a horde of half-mad pseudo-gods—”
“Although I believe Heiser has probably already prepared to fight against the entire world…”
“But, can you truly bear it?”
“To sleep alone, watching the girl you love the most, or at least second most, fight alone…”
“A few months ago, I sensed that ancient fluctuation disappear…”
“So, it’s about time you woke up, isn’t it?”
Augustina’s soft whispers faded into the night.
And on the frozen throne, the bowed youth continued to sleep, showing no sign of movement.
“I suppose I’ve spoken too much.”
Augustina pursed her red lips, a hint of complexity flashing in her eyes.
“She is your beloved Shī Jiang… just like Little Ai, she’s already been branded by you, a girl solely yours.”
“Even without me saying it, if she were in danger, you would forcibly awaken, even if it wasn’t time for you to wake up, and save her from peril.”
“Just as you did over five hundred years ago.”
She murmured softly, her crimson gold dragon eyes growing distant.
“Someday—”
“I too will have a place in your heart.”
“In the story of ‘my hero who comes to save me whenever I cry’,”
“Will I be the one and only heroine?”
…
Augustina’s quiet monologue dissipated into the night, unheard.
She sighed softly and then languidly leaned back on her chair.
The next moment, Augustina’s fair fingers faintly clenched in the void.
A faint night mist emerged.
A delicate and exquisite glass cup, accompanied by the night, materialized silently in her hand.
The crimson liquid swayed slightly with the movement of her fingers, reflecting a kaleidoscopic radiance.
“These five hundred years have been truly boring for me.”
“I even developed the skill of winemaking out of sheer boredom.”
“But this was my own choice.”
“My reason for helping the Elf Royal Court is only partially due to my superficial friendship with Heiser; the larger reason is to assist you.”
“Although I know you didn’t have the capacity to consider these things at the time, and the elves of the Lost Island were also cursed by that Ancient Sun God, you also worried that the Ancient Sun God might have further contingencies threatening Heiser’s safety—”
“That’s why you forcefully made the entire Lost Island fall into the abyss with you.”
“However, in your heart, you still feel considerable guilt towards these elves of the Lost Island, who were dragged down by you, escaping the grasp of the Ancient Sun God only to fall into the abyss.”
“These years, I’ve looked after the Elf Royal Court and helped them establish Snow City—”
“It can be considered as helping you alleviate some of that guilt towards the Lost Island.”
As she spoke, Augustina raised her wine glass.
The rim of the glass lightly touched her lips, making her vibrant red lips appear even more striking against the crimson liquid.
However, at this moment, Augustina’s movement paused slightly.
The next moment, she looked at the glass in her fair fingers, her gaze deepening.
“Expensive wine brewed with such effort must be tasted by you as well…”
“Although drinking in your current state might be a bit troublesome…”
“But—”
“It’s not entirely impossible.”
She pursed her vibrant red lips and drank the wine in the glass.
“At this time, Little Ai’s will should still be dormant…”
Over five hundred years, Augustina had gradually figured out some patterns.
The Holy Spear, and the maiden’s intent residing within it, existed with periods of rest and dormancy, as they had to assist Shaya in the Spiritual World.
Of course, even if the Holy Spear was dormant, if Shaya’s main body were in danger, it would be immediately activated.
But…
From beginning to end, Augustina’s intention was never to harm Shaya.
It was merely a tiny, insignificant—
“Treacherous” intention.
Augustina’s figure slowly leaned closer to the youth on the throne.
