The Herald introduced herself with a welcoming smile, one that seemed unsettling yet kind. Although the silk blindfold completely sealed her eyes, Leon could tell that she was hiding something unthinkable within the mysterious pupils. But for the moment, the young Hero suppressed the urge to question her background and went straight to the main point.
"You claim to know where my comrades are?"
"Not claim, Sir Hero… I know where they are."
"Hoh, and how would you know that?"
The Herald continued her jovial smile as she continued her explanation: "I possess a special mutation called the Bifrost Eyes. They allow me to peer into the future and explore various realities. And everything that is happening now, I've seen it all in my dreams."
Leon and all the Eldorin members raised their eyebrows at the outlandish claims. No, all except one.
"Bifrost Eyes?! They existed?!"
Johann leapt up in shock and ran towards the Herald like a scientist ready to examine a specimen. If not for the time and place, he would have ripped open the gaunt woman's blindfold and gazed into her eyes himself.
"Johann, you know that term?"
"Y-Yes, the Bifrost Eyes are considered to be the pinnacle of all mystical mutations. They allow the user to see future events and even see things unseen. Those godly eyes were said to have existed alongside the Dragons and were instrumental in the Great Dragon War. I'd only read about them in books, so I'd never expected that they existed… Well, with the ancient city of El Dorado resurfacing, I guess nothing should surprise me anymore."
Being the resident expert in all things arcane, Johann unknowingly gave the Herald some semblance of legitimacy as Leon gradually changed his opinion on the stranger.
"That so… If that's the case, what do you know?"
Seeing that it was her time to shine, the Herald walked forward to the map before them and gave Leon a freebie.
"You're trying to locate the Demon Cult's lair, no, the Apostle hidden within it, right? He's hiding here."
None of Leon's plans should have leaked, and yet, the Herald accurately deduced his objective. Not only that, she immediately pointed out the Apostle of Chaos, Samael's, hiding location. That alone brought credibility to her words, but at the same time… suspicion.
Almost everyone present reached for their weapons, ready to subdue and neutralise the Herald at the sound of an order. Was she a spy for the Demon Cult? Or was she another agent sent to disorient Eldorin and Leon?
No one could trust her words without knowing what she wanted from them. Therefore, Leon asked.
"... what is your objective?"
"We're on the same boat," the Herald shook her head and raised both her arms in submission. "I don't want the Demon Cult to destroy my hometown, so I'm giving you my help."
"That sounds convenient," Leon harrumphed and stared right at the sun-kissed woman as if he wished to burn two holes in her. "Tell me what your true objective is."
"... I can't help it if you don't believe me."
The Herald never once broke her smile, as if she had seen it all happen before, and Leon's malice meant nothing to her. But at the same time, she threw a curveball at the young Hero.
"But if I had to give a motive… I just wish for you to make the right choice when the time comes. To save the most lives."
Leon frowned, unable to make sense of what the strange woman wanted. Nevertheless, they needed her assistance now, especially if her information was correct. Keeping a deep frown, he gave the order:
"Bane, dispatch agents to this location and ask Sir Horus and Sir Gallahad to remain on standby nearby. If it's confirmed the Apostle is hiding here, give them the order to strike without mercy."
As Bane left the tent, Leon glanced back at the woman with distrustful eyes. He ignored ugly smile that was plastered on her face and growled with a voice that wouldn't take no for an answer.
"Now tell me… Where were my comrades taken?"
Eris found her consciousness returning slowly as she opened her groggy eyes. She first examined her surroundings, a stone prison that seemed to have no apparent guard watching her. She wiggled her fingers as she attempted to fight off the throbbing headache that was plaguing her.
Bits and pieces of her faded memory resurfaced as Eris gained control over her body. She had dragged Fenric, Gale and Adelia into the inverted pyramid in an attempt to uncover the secrets of the lost dynasty. And in their curiosity, they'd discovered that human civilisation was older than once believed and that a cataclysmic event wiped out all civilisations on the planet.
The Sekhmet Empire was not an exception.
However, to save as many people as possible, the Emperor of the ancient empire gathered all of his subjects' souls into an inverted pyramid. He sealed them deep within the recesses of history. Protected by the Eternal Storm, no one had disrupted their rest… until now, that is.
Eris burst into life as she attempted to escape the cage. Unfortunately, a clay chain bound her ankles, preventing the physically weakened Necromancer from taking a single step out. And after hearing the ruckus, there was no need for her to seek help.
"You're awake, Death Witch."
The ancient man who knocked them out walked over with a dismal frown. Revealing himself to them as Manon, the man rested his long pole with a golden bell attached at the end over his shoulders as he rested in front of Eris.
"I thought you would never wake up. Humans of this era sure are weak."
"... where are my comrades?"
"They're safe," Manon replied lazily. "As long as they remain obedient, I won't harm them."
As much as Eris hated their current predicament, to the winner goes the spoils. Manon was far stronger, and no matter what they did, they wouldn't be able to escape the ancient man's clutches. Hence, it was better to simply do as he said, as they prayed for rescue.
"So… What do you want from me?"
"Smart," Manon smiled as he flashed his white teeth. "That's why I like witches. They've got a better head than most."
Eris didn't answer and stared right at Manon. With the pleasantries out of the way, she could focus solely on the ancient man.
"Well, my question is quite simple…"
Manon's brown eyes suddenly switched gears. The earlier nonchalance and playfulness evaporated like it never existed, and a cold hostility took their place. Eris felt her blood run cold as she faced the wrath of the ancient man known as the Sky Spear. She felt that if she gave a single wrong answer… her head would be sent flying without any shred of mercy.
"Are you the one trying to arouse His Majesty from his slumber? No, are you responsible for that disgusting energy floating around his chambers?!"
"... what energy?" ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ nοvelfire.net
Amon had sent Eldorin to investigate the circumstances of El Dorado and at the same time, curb the influence of the Demon Cult if they found any. They'd never received any orders to disrupt the Emperor's slumber or even trigger the opening of the ancient dynasty.
Seeing Eris's innocent face made Manon falter. Although it had been thousands of years since he'd last interacted with another human, he possessed the unique ability to see through deceit. And there was no falsehood with Eris's reaction.
"About a few hours ago, our position was under attack. They don't seem to be residents of our dimension, but outsiders from a different realm."
"Ah, that must be the Demon Cult."
While Manon was powerful and could likely wipe out the Demon Cult's forces single-handedly, he still wished to know their identities, to which Eris easily obliged. She divulged all of the details she knew, including the fact that an Apostle may be targeting Manon's liege. And that fact alone was enough for Manon to falter.
"What purpose do they have? Waking up His Majesty?"
"T-That, we're unsure of," Eris didn't dare to lie or manipulate the ancient man. When her life was literally in Manon's hands, she didn't want to piss him off or give any reason for him to wish for her demise.
"But, we're not here to disrupt your peace! If anything, we want to eliminate the forces of the Demon Cult for good! Please believe me!"
Manon, the Sky Spear, glanced down at the begging Necromancer with wavering eyes. Just from that one conversation alone, the ancient man could tell that she was being sincere and he was compelled to trust the Death Witch. But one hurdle remained.
"Alright, I believe you."
"But! You still owe me information."
Manon placed his bell down and approached the door of the cell. Casually pushing open the clay bars that weighed over a thousand kilograms, he entered the prison and sat right in front of the confused Eris. He dropped his body down and made himself comfortable before giving the pivotal command:
"Tell me everything you know about the world."