After the meeting, Albert stayed behind to speak with Daniel. Sensing that this conversation might not be meant for her, Envy decided to leave the room along with the others, allowing Daniel and Albert some privacy.
She still didn't fully trust Albert, but she had faith in the A.I. She believed that this deadly, yet loyal, machine would do everything in its power to protect Daniel and provide him with the necessary information to make informed decisions, particularly if Albert attempted to deceive Daniel.
But... her concerns were completely unfounded.
Inside the meeting room, Daniel took out ten small circular metal tokens, each intricately designed with a clockwork pattern that emitted a faint ticking sound.
"Albert, consider this confidential," Daniel said, pushing the tokens toward Albert.
Albert picked up one of the tokens and examined it. He quickly realized that the token was designed to hold some sort of power, a power beyond his understanding. Knowing it was best not to reveal his ignorance, especially since his lord seemed disinclined to explain, Albert decided not to pry further.
Placing the token back on the table, Albert asked, "How may I assist you with these tokens, my lord?"
Seeing that Albert was wise enough not to ask further questions, Daniel nodded in approval.
"This step is crucial, so listen carefully. Buy or acquire the land deeds in Greece and put them under my name. You cannot kill the former owners of the land, and you must make it clear that the land is now mine and that I am the rightful owner. Here's a list of the types of land I need." Daniel handed a list to Albert.
Albert took the list and studied it:
Land with a connection to fire (e.g., land near a volcano, hot springs, blacksmith shops, or foundries).Land with a connection to water (e.g., land near a river or sea, or land that has been flooded for more than two years).Land with a connection to wood (e.g., large public parks with at least 40% tree coverage, land within a forest, or zoos with at least 40% tree coverage).Land with a connection to light (e.g., churches, shrines, religious orphanages, holy grounds, or museums with many holy objects).Land with a connection to darkness (e.g., haunted houses, haunted buildings with confirmed reports of more than ten ghosts or dark entities, catacombs, mausoleums, cemeteries, or mass graves).
Note: Prefer land with two characteristics combined, such as: Flooded cemetery (Water/Darkness)
Swamp forest (Forest/Water) Blacksmith shop near the sea (Fire/Water)
Vatican holy armament workshop (Holy/Fire) Necromancer sanctum sanctorum under a church (Holy/Darkness)
After reading the list, Albert pondered his master's possible intentions. An idea began to take shape in his mind: perhaps his lord intended to draw mana from these lands for some sort of ritual, especially given that he knew his lord was planning to go to Greece soon.
Hmmm... why does His Lordship want to go to Greece? ...Wait, His Lordship's surname is Emberweave, right? Don't tell me... It's that Emberweave!? Ohhhhh, ohhhhhh HOHOHOH HAHAHAHAHA! This... this... this is magnificent!
With this realization, Albert's excitement reached its peak, as if a grand play he had long awaited was about to begin. Now, he found himself in the prelude of the first act, and he was the one who would help set his master's plan into motion.
"Wait... you mean that Emberweave? The ancient Emberweave? How is that possible!? It hasn't even been two years since Daniel entered the Curtained World!" Envy exclaimed, trying to dismiss the idea forming in her mind.
"From what I know," Albert began, "his lordship got his surname from Lady Greed. You should ask her where she got it. You might be surprised." Albert said with a mysterious tone.
Just as the elevator was about to reach the ground floor, Albert suddenly felt a shift in time, sensing that it had slowed down tenfold.
Albert looked up and around the elevator. In his eyes, he saw the outline of a grand, hellish fortress, the size of a mountain, towering high into the sky and covering the entire Astral Corp building.
"This must be your Sanctum Sanctorum. It's far stronger than your old one in the United Kingdom," Albert observed after taking in his surroundings.
"Speak clearly. What do you know?" Envy demanded.
Albert remained nonchalant, shrugging as he answered.
"I don't know where Lady Greed got the Emberweave name from, but I do know there's an old relic from the Era of Gods that helps certain items eventually find their way into the hands of someone worthy, no matter how long it takes. That relic was once in the possession of the Oracle of Delphi during the Era of Gods.
It changed hands many times—perhaps it ended up with the Cult of Prometheus," Albert explained.
Time resumed its normal flow as the elevator dinged, arriving at the ground floor. Albert stepped out, waving his hand.
"I'm sorry, Lady Envy, but I have some urgent matters to attend to. Best of luck tracing those reckless fools from the Cult of Prometheus," he said, departing.
"No way..." Envy muttered in disbelief as she slowly stepped out of the elevator and sat down in the lobby of the Astral Corp reception area. Gradually, she regained her composure and began piecing together what she knew about the name Emberweave, the ancient name she and Albert had mentioned.
This name dates back to the Era of Gods. Initially, it wasn't even known as Emberweave. During that time, most gods were cruel tyrants who cared little for humanity. They saw mortals as mere sources of power or entertainment, deriving their strength from the worship of humans, which enabled them to dominate the Era of Gods.
Due to their actions, several cells of rebellious mortals and even supernatural beings rose up in opposition to these gods.
The most powerful of these groups during the Era of Gods was the Cult of Prometheus. These followers worshiped Prometheus, the Titan who brought fire from the gods to humans and suffered divine punishment for it.
The followers of Prometheus could wield a small portion of his power, but the war between humans and gods took a heavy toll on their strength, causing their organization to shrink significantly.
In the end, to avoid being hunted by the followers of Olympus, they transformed themselves into a mage family and adopted the name Emberweave.
As centuries passed, some members died, many lost the will to continue fighting against the Olympians, and others succumbed to the ravages of time. Eventually, the name Emberweave faded into history.