Chapter 25: Phoebe Wants to Help
It must be said that after a period of busyness, suddenly having free time can indeed plunge one into an inexplicable state of bewilderment.
Take Aeron, for instance.
After reporting the situation to Carlotta, he sat alone in the guest room, agonizing over what to do next.
Originally, Aeron's plan was to deal with external threats first before settling internal matters.
He had already taken care of those in Montelli's household who wanted him dead, and he had also sent Cartethyia and Phoebe to a safe place. Their affairs could be left to Rover to resolve.
But now, the situation had changed slightly compared to before.
According to the information revealed by Capollo before his death, the person within the Order who wanted Aeron dead was Fenrico, the current Primus of the Order of the Deep.
Aeron certainly wouldn't let Fenrico off the hook, but at the moment, there was simply no opportunity to act.
Since Fenrico ascended to power, he had been ruling the church through tyrannical means.
He sealed away matters related to the previous Carnevale and the Blessed Maiden, imposed strict control over art, and even sent those deemed to have improper faith on pilgrimage ships.
No matter who you asked, they would undoubtedly consider him a tyrant.
But Aeron knew the reason behind his actions.
The Threnodian threatening Rinascita—Leviathan—after merging with the Sentinel Imperator, sought to destroy the civilization here. It secretly altered the doctrines within the Order of the Deep, deluding the faithful to strengthen its own power and triggering the Dark Tide disaster that erupted twenty years ago.
As the Primus, Fenrico, to prevent a recurrence of the tragedy and to combat the Dark Tide, chose to usurp the status of a deity as a ruler. He used violence to consolidate the doctrine of the Nexus, forcibly linking people's spiritual worlds through dictatorship.
Of course, to put it simply:
If Aeron were to kill Fenrico, it might allow the Threnodian to take advantage of the chaos caused by the loss of the Primus and infiltrate.
This was clearly something Aeron did not want to see.
Imagine, after a long day of work, you're ready to lie down in a warm, soft bed and sleep, only to close your eyes and see that damn fish dancing in front of you while looping ASMR in your ears. Who the hell could stand that?
Moreover, Aeron had worked diligently under Fenrico for so many years. There was no reason for Fenrico to want him dead.
Combined with the sudden trouble caused by Phrolova earlier, it was likely that the Fractsidus had Fenrico take action.
So, Aeron decided to take a longer-term view.
Soon, the long-awaited Carnevale would be held again in Ragunna. By then, the Order of the Deep, Montelli, the Fractsidus, and the Rover would all gather at the festival, contributing to a spectacular performance.
Of course, this had little to do with Aeron.
Recently, all sides had been preparing for the Carnevale. Aeron planned to use this lull to find ways to seek death and enhance his strength.
So, everything circled back to the most fundamental question: how to find a way to kill himself.
Thinking about this made Aeron's head ache.
He just felt utterly uncomfortable, as if he had been completely drained. He never expected that his former work partner from the rival company, who used to accompany him on jobs, would be so damn oppressive!
Knock, knock.
Just as Aeron was still nursing his aching back, the guest room door suddenly rattled with knocks.
"Mr. Aeron? Are you there?" Phoebe's slightly timid voice followed from outside the door.
Aeron jolted upright, quickly straightening his posture and clearing his throat. "The door's unlocked, come in Phoebe."
The door creaked open a crack, revealing Phoebe's small face peeking through. She was still wearing her well-fitted acolyte robes today, carefully holding the pure white ceremonial hat in her hands. Her golden hair cascaded softly over her shoulders, and her clear eyes looked at Aeron with concern.
"What's wrong? Did something happen? Did Little Carte bully you? I'll go teach her a lesson right now."
"N-n-nothing like that at all!"
Seeing Aeron about to stand up, Phoebe called out to stop him in a fluster, genuinely believing he would immediately go confront Cartethyia.
"It's just... you didn't come back last night, and I was worried... and you look very tired..."
As she spoke, a concerned expression appeared on Phoebe's face. Since arriving in Montelli, she had known nothing about Aeron's activities, only that he was busy with something from morning till night every day.
"I'm fine, just a bit tired. I'll be better after some rest." Aeron looked at Phoebe who had come to check on him, a rare genuine smile appearing on his face.
"But you, why are you still wearing that? You don't need to be so formal in Montelli."
Phoebe lowered her head, gently smoothing the already unwrinkled cuffs of her sleeves, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks.
"B-because you told me before, Mr. Aeron, that most clergy in the Order act with goodwill and faith... so I want to convey that to the people of Montelli too."
She lifted her head, her gaze clear as she looked at Aeron.
Hearing Phoebe's words, Aeron couldn't help but freeze.
At this point, he couldn't bring himself to say that those words had merely been meant to comfort her.
Moreover, Aeron was feeling something else in his heart now.
Seeing his former junior who always used to follow behind him speaking such responsible words, he actually felt a sense of pride.
"Heh, you've grown up."
In the end, Aeron genuinely expressed this sentiment.
"I haven't!" Phoebe quickly shook her head, her cheeks reddening further. "There's still so much I need to learn from you, Mr. Aeron. It's just... I don't want to always trouble you. I want to be able to help you, even if just a little."
Her words were sincere and earnest, warming Aeron's heart. After experiencing so much fighting and killing, he truly needed something to balance it out now, feeling like the aura of death around him had lightened somewhat.
Aeron looked at Phoebe, about to say something lighthearted, but noticed her face growing increasingly red, her eyes fixed intently on his tired face as if mustering some kind of resolve.
She remained silent for a moment, her hands nervously clutching the hem of her acolyte robe.
Finally, Phoebe summoned the greatest courage of her life, lifted her head, and said to Aeron in a trembling voice:
"Mr. Aeron... I-I heard... the Blessed Maiden... before... you... you made a special request..."
"...Huh?"
Aeron tilted his head. What strange request had he made to Cartethyia before?
"If... if this can help you..." Her voice grew softer as she spoke, then she moved somewhat stiffly to stand before Aeron, beginning to unzip her white ankle boots.
"?????"
The long uniform skirt of the Order made her movements somewhat awkward. Phoebe bent down clumsily, her slender fingers trembling slightly from extreme nervousness and shyness.
Aeron stared dumbfounded as the outline of her calves, sheathed in pure white stockings, gradually became clearer, revealing delicate ankles.
With some effort, Phoebe carefully slipped her left foot out of the snug boot.
The slender foot, finally freed from the boot's confinement, was neatly wrapped in the white stockings that traced elegant lines along her ankle and instep, faintly revealing the rounded shape of her toes beneath the fabric.
Phoebe kept her head lowered throughout, golden strands of hair falling forward to completely conceal her burning cheeks. Not daring to look back, she timidly, almost experimentally, shifted her left foot—now freed from the boot and sheathed in white silk—just slightly backward toward Aeron's direction. Her entire body remained tense during the process, even holding her breath.
"If... if you don't mind..."
After uttering these words, she seemed to have exhausted all her strength, her ear tips turning transparent red, her whole body trembling.
Aeron stood completely petrified, his mind gone blank.
Cartethyia, just what exactly did you tell Phoebe!
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