At the same time, within the study.
Having heard Ivyst's inquiry, Hillena's hand holding the cup paused imperceptibly before she gently blew on the hot steam rising from the tea and took a sip.
"The Helius Mausoleum? The Ancient Relic discovered not long ago in Clamond Ancient City?" Hillena's voice seemed somewhat indifferent, "Why do you ask about this?"
The slight joy she had felt from the sisterly late-night chat vanished in an instant.
Ivyst said nothing, only looking at her steadily.
Seeing this, Hillena murmured softly, "Regarding this mausoleum, my knowledge is rather limited; I only know that the entity interred within is ancient."
"Judging by the style of the bas-relief on the mausoleum, its era could even be traced back to the dawn of the Second Epoch."
The Second Epoch, also known as the Era of the Divine Wars.
At that time, the gods had not yet founded the Divine Kingdom and walked the earth in their true forms, exercising their Authority.
To have such a grand mausoleum from such an age was unimaginable regarding the identity of the tomb's owner.
However, this was not the point that Ivyst wished to dwell upon.
She didn't care about the origin of the mausoleum; she was solely focused on fulfilling her long-held desire to trace her own origins.
Casting a glance at Hillena's stunningly beautiful face that could bewitch the soul, Ivyst suppressed the irritation and envy within her heart.
On reflection, being able to sit face-to-face and chat with this woman was already a marvel.
In the past, even the sight of that face would have driven Ivyst to tear it apart.
Back then, surely due to hatred and envy, she twisted her into a monstrous figure.
Fortunately, there was Lynn now, who had subtly transformed her into her current self.
One was the world's most despised entity, while the other was a deity's favorite surpassing all concepts of beauty; the two should have been inherently incompatible.
Yet, in the eyes of the little dog, she had become the most beautiful woman in the world, while it was Hillena who repeatedly faced setbacks with him.
Therefore, envy was no longer a concern.
Even if there was any, it was solely reserved for the woman in a hundred thousand years.
With this thought, Ivyst sneered, "You don't know much? Although you've just returned from the frontier, that excuse will not fool me, Hillena."
"As I understand it, the Grave Digger Team is currently under your control, and you are in charge of the excavation of this mausoleum."
The atmosphere grew somewhat silent.
Hillena lowered her eyelids, gazing silently at the pale brown tea in her cup as her full chest rose and fell lightly.
After a long while, she gently set down her tea cup.
Under Ivyst's gaze, Hillena looked at her seriously, "As far as the information on my side goes... the Helius Mausoleum is a trap."
"As of last week, several of my Grave Digger Teams have entered it a total of eighteen times; thirty-six people have perished within, while seventy returned to the surface with various degrees of physical deformities, even developing a phenomenon known as 'Shell Syndrome'."
"It is as though... their spirit and consciousness have been stripped from their bodies, leaving only a shell-like husk," Hillena said solemnly.
She emphasized the words "stripped" particularly heavily.
Hearing this, Ivyst's eyes brightened slightly.
This matched exactly with what Saint Laurent VI had described.
"I need to know what exactly lies hidden within that mausoleum."
She spoke up without hesitation.
Upon seeing this, Hillena sighed softly.
Even though Ivyst had seemed like a completely different person since her return from the frontier, having undergone some positive changes, she became reckless once more whenever the subject pertained to the Curse Mark on her face.
"Little Ivyst..." Hillena twisted her long hair beside her ear, "Didn't you notice any change in father and the council's attitude toward you during your visit to Orn City?"
Although it wasn't very nice to speak ill of her own father behind his back, Hillena decided to warn Ivyst nevertheless.
From the beginning to the end, all she had felt from those around her was malice.
Whether it was Saint Laurent VI, the great nobles of the council, or the entirety of Glostit.
Since it was all malice, why discuss change?
Seeing her confusion, Hillena explained softly, "To father and the others, the former you was nothing more than a tool to deal with the Sealed Object."
"There was fear, certainly, but more so a greed for the mysterious Authority within you."
"However, too much has happened during this frontier journey, and without a series of coincidences as well as Lynn's desperate efforts, you might have already fallen into slumber or suffered an even more severe backlash by now."
"Do you understand why?"
At this, Ivyst knitted her brow lightly, but said nothing.
Hillena continued from her previous point, speaking slowly, "Because, they fear you."
"Previously, with the oversight of the great Churches, and with an Empire with several Demigods and even a Saint present, even a great power remained within controllable bounds."
"But as this unidentifiable force grows day by day, they're realizing that you are beginning to escape their grasp."
"And for those uncontrollable Sealed Objects, you are quite aware of how they've been dealt with in the past."