Cerydra wasn't the clueless and inexperienced child she once was. Years of surviving under the royals' harshest training honed her as a perfect leader. There was also 'Merlin' to teach by her side, making her better compared to her original counterpart.
It is for this reason she keenly sensed something was wrong.
'Merlin's origin… It has happened.'
From day one, she held 'curiosity' at "Merlin's" origins. He couldn't be a simple "ghost" who spawned out of nowhere. The more she interacted with him, the greater her doubts became.
She started feeling fear.
Not because of his supposed background. Cerydra feared she would lose the "Merlin" she knew. She knew of his amnesia. She couldn't be certain whether he remains the same upon recovering his memories.
The person who accompanied her for more than a decade, disappearing just like that?
That was utterly unacceptable to her.
When she saw him now, she realized all of her doubts were meaningless. Amidst the sea of tranquility, Cerydra noticed the hint of playfulness she was accustomed with.
Hence, she decided to ask only one thing.
"Have you recovered from your injuries?"
"Yes."
"Good. I am waiting for your return."
The Imperator did not stay for long. Two pairs of eyes watched her gradually receding back along with the door's automatic closure.
"I did not expect that." Shi Tian commented.
"Place more trust on her. The Imperator (Caesar) has sharp eyes. She knows right from wrong."
"She has grown up…"
*****
The sudden appearance of the Flame Reaver did not change Okhema's main focus. Having settled from the war, Cerydra set her sights on the next action: the Flame-Chase Journey.
Amphoreus wasn't as simple as it seems. Although there aren't many signs, a disaster known as the "Black Tide" is gradually eroding the world. Everywhere it went, it would turn humans, titankins, and dromas alike into corrupted creatures known as the 'Black Tide Creatures'.
Hysilens' homeland, the deep sea, was the first to suffer. The seas are vast in Amphoreus, which made it easier to 'corrupt'. The Titan responsible for governing the sea, Phagousa, was the first Titan to be 'corrupted' by its madness. It resulted in all of the sea-folk to follow suit, with the sole exception of Helektra, Hysilens' previous identity.
She killed all of her kin and was pushed back to the ocean's surface through Phagousa's remaining rationality.
Undercurrents have swept through the sea since then. No direct signs show the Black Tide's emergence as of now, but Cerydra remains wary of it.
The prophecy brought by Tribbie pointed to one fact:
The Flame-Chase Journey is their way out from the Black Tide.
Only by gathering the heroes bearing the boiling blood (golden blood) and reclaiming the Titans' Coreflames could they resist this calamity.
As such, her first step was to gather as many Chrysos Heirs as possible. There was one problem, however. A war known as the "First Chrysos War" occurred a hundred years ago.
Many Chrysos Heirs interpreted Tribios' prophecy as a fight for the "crown". The Coreflames serve as the highest totem of authority, granting untold amounts of power. Every Chrysos Heirs viewed other Chrysos Heirs as their rivals. Things spiralled out of control until the war broke out. Not only were the casualties amongst mortals and Chrysos Heirs alike were massive, the Chrysos Heirs were also given a bad stigma due to their reckless actions.
There weren't many people who viewed the Chrysos Heirs in good light. Many who bore golden blood hid their identities in fear of discrimination. The "Flame-Chase Journey" was treated as an ominous prophecy used to spread seeds of calamity.
"The 'web' has been established successfully."
Aglaea did a formal greeting towards the short Imperator.
"Good work. Is there anything you want to ask for?"
She gently shook her head. Cerydra did not force her wish onto Aglaea, leaving her after a while.
Aglaea felt her golden strings tremble.
"Miss Aglaea. How are the clothes?"
Her eyes landed on Shi Tian. She immediately sensed a slight disparity from the previous Shi Tian.
Despite being puzzled, she maintained her usual elegance.
"It is done. Follow me."
He did not say anything else.
'Aglaea… She's different from her authoritative version.'
The Aglaea of now was akin to a young noblewoman. She hasn't learned much and is still grasping around what the world truly is. The version of herself a thousand years from now has a full grasp over humanity's darkness.
Thinking of his ongoing experiment, Shi Tian decided to strike.
"Can I tell you a story?"
"Hm? Go ahead."
A brand new memory was 'imprinted' into this world.
"There was once a King. Her might was renowned through her sword, dubbed as the 'Sword of Promised Victory'. She led her kingdom to prosperity, but also to its demise…"
Aglaea didn't think much of it at first. It served as a good past-time as they headed towards her store. However, the more the story progressed, the more it felt familiar.
The image of that golden-haired Knight King flashed on her mind.
"...Was it the Knight King's story?" She curiously asked.
"Yes, but it's different. This is a 'what if' had the history been a little bit off the mark."
He simplified the concept of "Singularities" to her.
"She ordered her loyal knight to return the sword onto the river. Its power will no longer be of effect. Her grievous wounds will take her to death. But that knight disobeyed for the first time."
From Bedivere's failure to return Excalibur back to the lake until Artoria's forced decision to take on the Holy Lance, Rhongomyniad, the story didn't take long. It ended with Artoria being eroded by the Holy Lance, turning into a Divine Spirit whose humanity had waned completely.
Even when the two arrived at their destination, Aglaea kept quiet. Shi Tian let her be as she entered behind the counter.
A while later, several golden puppets brought out one briefcase after another. Aglaea followed behind them, her eyes revealing a hint of melancholy.
"To lose one's humanity in exchange for her kingdom's continued prosperity… was it worth it?"
She suddenly posed a question.
"No."
Shi Tian's response came immediately.
"Without humanity, there is no empathy. No matter how selfless you are, there is no going back once you have thrown it away. The Lion King is not a human. How can she relate to the struggles of humans? The version of her as a bonafide 'King' faces the same trouble, but at least she had a bit of humanity left. But the Lion King? None."
The Lion King is on the other end of the spectrum compared to Artoria. The latter merely lacked 'human experience'. The former did not care about her lack of humanity.
"What she has become… is an empty husk of her former ambitions."
That response answered the doubt in Aglaea's heart.