Chapter 902 For Eternity

"How can the land of life die?" Rain asked confusedly. She was the most knowledgeable about Janea out of the three, and the quick education they gave Ai about this world was not enough. Even an extensive one would not be enough to rule.

"It is beyond our understanding, but the forests are withering as if something is feeding on its life force. This is not only in Janea; all the farmlands worldwide are witnessing such occurrences. The lusher ones are the first to be struck."

"Can it be a herd of ethereal monsters?" suggested Ai, since similar recordings were common in Alka. However, Tiara shook her head and shrugged.

"Our knowledge about the matter is as minimal as yours, even if you have just heard of it. However, our reports have stated that the price corps worldwide have skyrocketed because of this sudden shortage."

"I heard something like that in a town a few days ago," blurted Layla before addressing Ai. "This might also be an issue in Ilios, but we have been too occupied to notice it."

"Even if Ilios has yet to suffer this problem, it is bound to appear one day. Would it not be better to find a solution to avoid such an economic crisis?"

Ai was silent as she knew their empire would be the first to fall if this were true. Many around the world are still hostile against them, and if sieged at that opportunistic time, many of their cities will fall.

"You come to us and ask for help, but we are the weakest of nations. Even if we wanted to aid Janea, we might not have the means or time to do so. You must be aware of this, so why visit Helios?"

"You are currently the weakest, but none of the other nations care about this. We have sent warnings to every city and nation, but no actions have been taken, and no one even reported about this phenomenon."

"This is a classic behavior of the current seven families," said Rain, and Tiara nodded with a sigh. "As your advisor, I am against this endeavor. It might be noble to look into this, but we are currently too weak."

"That is the wise thing to do is to avoid this matter entirely, but this is a sword hanging on our necks. We will all be affected when famine strikes the entire world. This is not an issue resolved by simply having enough farmlands. The economy will collapse quickly, and food won't be the only scarce thing."

"You came to Ilios not only for our help but theirs," said Ai as she raised her eyes toward the sky. High above Ilios floated the Runic Dome, a threat to all who thought of seizing the weakened empire. "We can be the medium that connects Ascent to Janea, but he needs to be the one to decide."

"We have asked the Seika once before, but he refused to aid us. It cannot be helped since Janea allied with the other seven families. As a ruler, you should understand how we want to protect our people."

"…or so she says, Seika," said Ai with a smile at the sky. "You heard everything, right? Are we going to get involved with this issue?"

Ai suddenly addressed him, which surprised the three as they looked around. No one could be seen or felt; even if someone were listening, it would not escape their notice. A breeze blew from afar, carrying golden petals from Golden Plaza.

As they twirled in a spiral, they were like a curtain to reveal the figure in front of the four women. Arthur appeared with his golden-engraved black robes and a white shirt, carrying a smile on his face.

"It might be impossible to eavesdrop anymore with that blessing of yours," said Arthur as he walked toward the three. The golden petals did not disappear but kept floating around them like a barrier. "This will keep us hidden from prying eyes."

"Greetings, Guild Master Arthur," said Tiara as she rose from her seat and bowed. "I am glad that our meeting this time is under better circumstances. You look well."

"Your departure last has been sudden, but that is understandable given what I said at that time," said Arthur with a smile as he stopped a few feet away. "Ascent will help."

Everyone present was surprised, and the most shocked was Tiara. It seemed evident that she did not expect any help from Arthur or Ascent.

"Can I know what changed your mind?"

"You have helped me repeatedly, but I gave very little in return. Furthermore, Ai warned me about this a few weeks ago," said Arthur as he stared at the saint, whose hand glowed golden. "Janea should know what they are facing."

"…we do," said Tiara with a sigh. "One of the Four Horsemen of Doom, Famine. We have records of such an event striking our land in the past, and the one who saved it was… you."

"I will help Janea overcome this disaster, but I need more than just world peace. I want Janea to fight alongside Ascent to stop the other Horsemen. If you truly care about the world, then protect it all."

"…I will relay the terms to my mother," said Tiara before she bowed again. "Thank you for the kindness, creator. Janea will remember."

After that, Tiara left. Rain was about to escort her out, but Yuran appeared out of nowhere. All of them smiled as the two left the Light Palace while chatting.

"Are you sure, Seika?" asked Ai with hesitation. "We have sent a threat to Runera, and these two endeavors are too hard to accomplish simultaneously."

"Ascent will offer its members to Janea, letting them learn about this phenomenon and the focal point of these incidents. During that time, we will capture the ruins of Runera," Arthur said before turning to Layla. "I feel like I owe you an apology for not telling you the truth about your brother."

"You were honoring his wishes," said Layla with a shake. "He kept me safe, but I…" she stopped talking mid-sentence before shaking her head. "I shall refrain from self-pity. Everything that happened has turned out for the best."

"He is in a better place now," said Rain, making Layla stare at her, unconvinced. However, she did not say anything. Rain followed, "I have been with him ever since the start of the rebellion. He was more miserable than happy."

"His wish was indeed to leave this world," said Arthur as he stared at the golden petal floating around. "We might be the pitiful ones for staying behind."

None of them said a word after that and simply stood in silence. Then, Arthur raised his hand and created a portal before entering it. The three women were confused before following him.

On the other side was another world. Cherry trees were everywhere, surrounding countless lakes. Pink petals flew in the wind only to land on the water, creating a mesmerizing scene. Arthur stood atop the hill and stared into the distance when the three arrived.

"I heard about this place from an old man named Casper, who applied to join Ascent," said Arthur as he gazed into the distance. "Lyle has talked to him about this place, both awake and in a dream. In his dream, he kept mentioning how he and Anna visited this place on her birthday."

"This looks… like a place she would love," said Layla as she stared at the cherry trees with amazement. Then, she bit her lower lip as tears gathered in her eyes. "I wish I could bury him here."

"I thought the same, so I did it," said Arthur as he began to walk down the hill. Rain and Layla were shocked before following him, with Ai strolling behind the three. As they descended the mountain, they reached a lake covered in petals. Besides a giant littoral cherry tree, there was a small tombstone.

Petals were gathered atop the tombstone, and the land in front had flowers spurting from it. The two-woman stared at the engraved words with tearful expressions.

Lyle Mantra. 2026-2049.

A Hero, Son, Brother, and Leader.

"I gathered his ashes and buried them here. This place feels like a proper ending for a great man. However, I noticed something the second time I came here."

Rain and Layla turned toward him with confusion. Arthur did not say anything but simply tapped his ear while closing his eyes. After following suit, the three began to hear what Arthur was referring to.

Child-like laughter echoed throughout the cherry forests, and the voices of two children talking to each other came from afar. Once the three heard them, all of them snapped their eyes open.

"This forest does not have a single human," said Arthur as he stared at the cherry trees. "This is not something I know about, but… it seems that their memory of this place has been preserved for eternity."