Phainon stopped in front of a simple building.
It was a square building, neat and rectangular, with a small courtyard left open in the middle.
Looking at the place, Phainon recalled, "When we were little, we'd always meet either by that statue in the village or right here."
Cyrene covered her mouth and chuckled. "Right! And I remember you never used the front door when you wanted me to come play. You always climbed over the wall. You were such mischief-makers!"
Just as Cyrene was about to reveal more embarrassing stories about Phainon from their childhood, she suddenly sensed something and turned to look behind her.
"Just like a certain someone who has a habit of showing up unexpectedly, right?"
And at the end of Cyrene's line of sight were Stelle and Phainon. The audience couldn't tell at all whether Cyrene was speaking to Phainon or to Stelle.
"Can't pin me down, can you?"
Stelle pointed at herself, somewhat puzzled.
Hadn't she been following the two of them this entire time? And when she first met Cyrene, Cyrene had even spoken a few words to her.
But then, Stelle quickly realized something.
That wasn't the case. While they were on the road, Cyrene's gaze had never truly been able to see her directly.
In other words... Within Cyrene's perception, Stelle had not continuously existed.
Now this was interesting.
Stelle instantly realized where the problem lay.
At this very moment, in the eyes of Phainon and Cyrene, did she exist or not?
Was it really as Lygus had said, that everything she was seeing was nothing more than a simple play?
Stelle had yet to come up with an answer when Phainon crossed his arms and replied, "Guess."
"Ha! I bet she said something clever just now."
Cyrene blinked mischievously.
"*ahem* Hey, I was just copying those storybook heroes. They never take the beaten path!"
Phainon could only say this to save face.
At this moment, the sharper-minded members of the audience began using the process of elimination.
If Stelle were removed from this conversation and her position were assumed to be "nonexistent," then the entire scene would suddenly become exceptionally smooth.
Looking back at the conversation again, it developed like this, the two stood there reminiscing about the past, and Cyrene casually asked a question: "There's someone whose timing of appearance is impossible to predict, right?"
Phainon immediately replied, "Guess."
Cyrene then guessed that this "person's" response would probably carry a hint of confusion and uncertainty.
Afterward, Phainon had no choice but to save face for this "person."
End of topic.
The conversation itself flowed logically.
At this point, if one discarded all previously known information and simply worked backward from Phainon and Cyrene's dialogue and behavior to infer the logically consistent facts, one would arrive at the following points:
Both Cyrene and Phainon knew this "person" and knew of their existence. Phainon had a closer relationship with this "person" than Cyrene did.
Most of the time, if Cyrene wanted to know this "person's" attitude, she had to obtain it through Phainon.
Combining these three points and then looking again at Cyrene's behavior toward Stelle, the audience suddenly discovered a fact.
This nameless hero... might only exist within Phainon's imagination.
Just as every child, when young, might imagine having an all-powerful friend.
Phainon had done the same.
But he had told Cyrene about this imaginary friend, so Cyrene naturally came to know about Phainon's "nonexistent friend." Why did the conversation between the two feel strange to the audience, and even to Stelle herself?
Because this "friend" should never have actually appeared in the conversation in the first place. Most of Cyrene's questions were actually directed at Phainon himself.
But because Stelle was present, it looked as though Cyrene was asking Stelle.
So under normal circumstances, it would have gone like this:
Cyrene deliberately brought up a question concerning the nameless hero. (Cyrene knew that this nameless hero was something Phainon had imagined.)
Phainon would answer on behalf of the nameless hero according to his own thoughts or mood that day. (He pretended that this hero truly existed, while Cyrene was happy to play along with Phainon.)
Although no one knew on what day the nameless hero had been "born," nor when Cyrene had learned about it, judging from the interactions between the two, conversations like this should have happened many times before. Neither of them was unfamiliar with it, so it felt perfectly natural.
This sort of conversation could simply be regarded as a little secret shared between the two, as well as a special way they interacted with each other.
But once Stelle truly appeared, an extra step was inserted into the process, Stelle felt that Cyrene could see her and was asking her the question.
An extra step had suddenly been inserted into what should originally have been a smooth conversational flow, so naturally there was a strong sense of awkwardness and obstruction.
This was the main reason the audience found the scene so strange.
...
: So that's what it was...
: The nameless hero was Phainon's childhood imaginary friend?
: Damn, I thought there was some special secret behind it. Turns out it really is just a play.
: But looking back at it with that interpretation, everything really does fit together perfectly.
: But then how did Lygus know about this secret?
: Right? That's right! ...Right? Somehow it still feels wrong...
: I keep feeling like we've overlooked something... but this logic is flawless, and it perfectly explains why the dialogue and plot felt so strange.
...
The comments streamed across the screen.
This logic was indeed correct. But Amphoreus was, after all, the Emperor's Scepter.
And this was a place where three Paths intertwined.
Sometimes... Even when the logic was correct, the actual truth did not necessarily follow it.
The audience had placed too much emphasis on the logic of the conversation. They had arrived at an ingenious and reasonable answer, yet overlooked a close-up shot that contained no dialogue.
It was the instant when Cyrene first appeared and opened her eyes on the swing.
The camera had given an extremely detailed close-up.
Cyrene's expression changed from obvious shock to a sweet smile. Because there had been no dialogue, the audience had not thought much of the scene at all.
They had merely thought that this girl's beauty truly defied all. But upon closer consideration, why had Cyrene been shocked?
There was nothing in this small village, not even Phainon himself, that should have been capable of shocking Cyrene.
Why had shock appeared on her face before joy?
Although the audience had not thought of this point, enough seeds had already been planted throughout these warm, everyday scenes.
All that remained was to wait for the moment they sprouted.
...
On screen.
Phainon and Cyrene stepped into the courtyard.
Cyrene was the only person living here. Although the courtyard was large, she lacked the strength to maintain it, causing it to look somewhat messy.
"Still, it's embarrassing, I've been the only one here for a while, and I haven't kept up with the cleaning."
Although Cyrene said that, she didn't look embarrassed in the slightest.
Phainon immediately understood and began tidying up while searching around. Because the courtyard was too large, the two eventually had no choice but to split up.
Phainon went to the second floor and the rooftop.
Cyrene searched the first floor.
Meanwhile, Stelle, who had nothing to do, simply stood in a corner, rubbing her chin as she watched the two of them busily search.
As Stelle went through her thoughts, her feet unknowingly carried her behind Cyrene.
Cyrene wasn't doing anything. Although they had agreed to split up, in reality, she was leaning against the railing, gazing at the distant scenery and secretly slacking off.
"What is she thinking?"
"Were those words really meant for me?"
"What kind of role am I playing?"
"If this is a play, then why do I feel... such a sense of closeness toward her?"
Looking at Cyrene's back, Stelle asked herself one question after another in her mind.
She was only asking instinctively. Stelle didn't expect to receive any answers.
Yet Lygus's voice always seemed to sound at the most inappropriate times.
"The girl before you carries an air of mystery, her secrets elusive, yet her demeanor toward you is exceptionally warm..."
"You can't help but wonder: Could there really be some kind of mental connection?"
His mysterious ramblings sounded directly inside Stelle's mind.
Stelle was utterly speechless. Just as she was about to furiously roast Lygus and let him experience the might of the Galactic Baseballer, Cyrene before her seemed to sense something and suddenly turned around.
This time... Phainon wasn't beside Stelle.
The camera shifted to Cyrene's face.
Stelle and Cyrene were clearly standing very close to each other, yet the camera would only show either Cyrene or Stelle, stubbornly refusing to put the two of them in the same frame.
So when Cyrene spoke, it was still difficult to tell whether she was talking to herself or speaking to someone.
"Mmm... the view here hasn't changed a bit."
"You know, besides the swing under the big tree, this has to be my favorite spot in all of Aedes Elysiae."
From the sound of it... Cyrene simply seemed to have seen the beautiful scenery and voiced her feelings about it.
Stelle had also grown accustomed to Cyrene's way of speaking, where it seemed like she was talking to her, yet also seemed like she wasn't. Stelle adjusted her mindset, treating herself as nothing more than a spectator, and followed her gaze toward the distant scenery.
Just as Cyrene had said. The scenery truly was beautiful.
Despite being such a tiny village, almost every few steps revealed another sight that made one's eyes light up.
At this moment, the fighting outside had already become incredibly fierce.
Only this village, under Oronyx's protection, remained as peaceful as before.
Even a paradise hidden from the world could hardly be more idyllic than this.
"It does lift your spirits, being up high." Stelle sighed sincerely.
"I remember drawing Aedes Elysiae as a child, nestled between the sea and the mountains."
Cyrene spoke again, seemingly talking to herself, yet also seemingly speaking to Stelle:
"The villagers always said I'd become the next Priest of Time, just because I heard prophecies as a child."
"But here's the thing. The more divinations I do, the more doubt creeps in. I want to believe the prophecies, but actually leaving Aedes Elysiae..."
"Where will that waiting ship take us, I wonder..."
As she finished speaking, she looked into the distance.
Through the overlapping layers of houses, she could see the pier at the farthest edge of the village, as well as the ship docked there.
It looked... Like a young girl quietly voicing the worries and uncertainty in her heart.
But it could also look as though she were speaking to Stelle. This was exactly the impression Cyrene had been giving the audience ever since her first appearance.
"Here they are! The oracle cards!" Phainon's voice came from downstairs.
Cyrene snapped back to reality, and the confusion from moments ago instantly vanished.
"There we go! Looks like the gods do listen to our thoughts."
Cyrene giggled and hurried downstairs, arriving beside Phainon.
At Phainon's feet sat a dust-covered box. "Here it is! This is the box where we kept the cards."
Cyrene confirmed it without a doubt and reached out to open the box. But there was nothing inside.
"But the cards are gone... Who could have taken them?"
Phainon and Cyrene were both stunned.
The two hurriedly leaned closer and searched carefully. Only then did they find a note tucked away in a corner.
The writing on it wasn't in the common language of Amphoreus, but rather another strange script.
Cyrene, however, could read it.
There were only two short lines written on the note:
[One two three four five six seven]
[Do re mi fa sol la ti!]
At the end was a strange paw print. Seeing it, Cyrene burst out laughing.
"Ah, I see now! Those sneaky little ones... So that's what they've been up to."
Phainon immediately remembered a group of adorable little creatures as well, and his eyes lit up.
"The ones from Membrance Maze, you mean?"
"Yep. Let's head to the back of the courtyard."
Stelle couldn't understand their cryptic conversation at all.
But Phainon and Cyrene offered no explanation and simply left. They passed through the forest and paths beside Aedes Elysiae.
Eventually, they stopped at a secluded spot. Looking at the weeds that stood taller than a person, Cyrene said helplessly, "The entrance should be around here somewhere..."
"Right here~ The path to the Maze is hidden under all these weeds. It's been too long since we visited the fairies."
Phainon smiled brightly and said to Stelle, "Did you forget? We used to visit them all the time when we were little."
"Alright, let's do this! These weeds need to go."
"He's talking to me again... Do I exist or not...? At least make that clear first..."
Stelle complained inwardly, then shrugged and buried herself in the work alongside Phainon.
Before long, the weeds beneath their feet had been cleared away, revealing a small patch of open ground.
At the end of the clearing were the densely tangled roots of a massive tree, exposed above the ground.
"There it is! The entrance, that hollow in the tree,"
Phainon looked at the tiny opening, eager to give it a try.
"After you~" Cyrene giggled and stepped aside.
Phainon didn't stand on ceremony and immediately crawled inside. But just as Phainon entered the tree hollow and Stelle was preparing to follow him inside... Cyrene turned her head and looked at Stelle.
This time... On the left and right sides of the frame... Cyrene and Stelle appeared on screen at the same time.
Stelle's footsteps froze.