Even though Eresh felt this wasn't her concern, she inexplicably felt a pang of guilt. She had already resolved to leave the Underworld and experience the dazzling world outside. Therefore, she would inevitably agree to Jiang You's request.
Illya finally let Jiang You off the hook, understanding that he needed to forge connections with others to strengthen his abilities while searching for his lost Deck.
"No matter who you seek out later, you must report to me first! Understand?"
"Understood! Then I'll make my preemptive report right away!"
Since Illya had put it that way, Jiang You spilled everything. Hiding anything would be pointless; she'd find out eventually anyway.
"Next, I need to find Lancelot, Gawain, and Morgan. Then there's Gorgon and Tiamat. So far, Tristan and Medusa have joined me..."
"The Knights of the Round Table? Weren't things settled over there already?"
Illya had been present during those events. Although she hadn't participated in the final battle, Minamoto no Raikou had told her about the conclusion of that Singularity. Since the current Singularity was Mesopotamia, there shouldn't be any reason for Jiang You to encounter the Knights of the Round Table.
"Tristan has already joined you? Winning against him might let you claim him, but summoning the corresponding Servant requires their approval, right?"
"I know that."
Eresh raised her hand to speak. As Jiang You was Illya's servant, she figured they would be seeing each other often and thought they should get better acquainted. Unaware that her next words would cut Jiang You deep, she added, "The Fairy Knights have replaced the Knights of the Round Table in name. Tristan is a young girl who's quite close to Jiang You."
Jiang You forced an awkward smile, hoping to brush the matter aside. He wondered where Eresh had gotten her information—perhaps from a deceased undead? But none of the people under Jiang You's command had ever died.
"It seems you've been keeping quite a few secrets from me."
In response to Jiang You's forced smile, the corners of Illya's lips slowly curved upward. With a grin, she pointed in Jiang You's direction. "Berserker!"
When Jiang You and Eresh returned to the Underworld, Medea was studying an undead she had captured, her methods so extreme that she seemed to be treating the undead as Spell Material.
Eresh was so startled her twintails nearly flew off. She swiftly rescued the undead from Medea's grasp, declaring, "These are residents of my Underworld! I have a duty to protect them! You can't do this to these poor souls!"
"I was merely curious about how souls maintain their physical forms," Medea replied.
Having never been to the Underworld before, Medea had begun exploring its unique properties after Jiang You and Eresh vanished.
"In a sense, we Heroic Spirits are also undead. When we lose our magical forms, we revert to souls and return to the world's underside. I was wondering if I could use this method to continue acting as a soul. It's just... it seems my consciousness can't be maintained in this form?"
Seeing that Medea's Potion Bottle contained a part of the unfortunate undead's body, Eresh snatched it back and stuffed it back into the creature's torso. The undead whimpered, as if crying out in protest. After soothing it briefly with her magical power, Eresh guided it into a gun cage. The undead's form dissipated, transforming into glowing fireflies within the cage.
Eresh finally exhaled in relief and explained to Medea, "Maintaining this form requires constant magical power. Powerful individuals can retain their consciousness after entering the Underworld—Gilgamesh is a prime example. As for forming physical bodies, that's a unique characteristic of the Age of Gods' Underworld. It requires the Authority of the Underworld to manifest souls into corporeal forms; Spell alone struggles to achieve this... no, only a spell can accomplish such a feat."
"Since the Lord of the Underworld has spoken, I'll have to abandon my plans for now."
Medea hadn't come away empty-handed. The abundant soul energy here had sparked new ideas. Perhaps she could use the form Jiang You had summoned to construct her own complete body. Moreover, Eresh seemed easily manipulated, and Medea was confident she'd eventually work together with her. She'd have plenty of opportunities to borrow the God of the Underworld's Authority.
Thinking this way, Medea felt less resentful about being ordered around by Jiang You. At least being by his side offered numerous opportunities.
"Speaking of which, Jiang You, what's with all these injuries? Did you suddenly decide to brawl with the God of the Underworld?"
Medea stared at Jiang You, whose body bore unmistakable signs of severe trauma, her expression puzzled. Given his unique nature, he shouldn't be vulnerable to physical harm.
"Not to be rude, but your combat skills are even worse than Jason's. Where did you get the nerve?"
"Actually, it wasn't me."
Eresh couldn't help but chuckle to herself at this thought. Even if Jiang You possessed the power to defeat a Great God, he would still be at the mercy of his Master. She now believed Jiang You wasn't the kind of Evil Servant who sought to destroy the Human Order.
Jiang You's lips twitched. Eresh had defected after just a few words with Illya. At least in the Seventh Singularity, Eresh would be keeping an eye on him for Illya.
"Just think of it as me triggering a punitive side quest that drains a percentage of my maximum Life Points."
Speaking of which, Illya seemed to have fully embraced her elementary school-aged persona. No longer needing to live solely for the Holy Grail War, she stood in the sunlight and began to enjoy her own life, just like a normal girl.
"By the way, you seem remarkably obedient to Illya... Where's your pride as a Goddess?"
Jiang You didn't particularly mind the outcome, but there had to be a reason, right?
"How should I put it? I'm the Goddess of the Underworld, right? I can see that child's soul."
The moment Eresh laid eyes on Illya, she used her Authority to perceive her soul. If souls were flames, Illya's would be the faintest firefly, on the verge of flickering out.
"Her soul isn't whole. Part of it is artificial. She was likely created for a specific purpose from the start, which is why it has a limited lifespan. But for some reason, she no longer needs to fulfill those missions. Her soul and body have undergone meticulous adjustments."
Eresh glanced at Jiang You, guessing that he was the one who had orchestrated this outcome. Illya's affection for him likely stemmed largely from this act. "But this is merely a patch-up, not a cure. Her soul can only sustain her for another decade or so."
With heartfelt earnestness, Eresh patted Jiang You's shoulder. "So, don't let her down!"