Right, when Tribios first set out, she had opened the Century Gate right outside her own home. Olivia was still waiting for news at Tribios's doorstep.
But the semi-permanent teleportation gate couldn't be stuck at Tribios's doorstep. So she chose an open space outside the Grand Duchy of Augustus's city walls.
Tribios extended her hand again, opening another Century Gate. In the next moment, a bewildered Olivia was sucked through, landing on her bottom with a thud. She stared blankly at her surroundings, her face a picture of confusion: Who am I? Where am I? Am I still in my own country?
"E-eh... EH?!"
But when she saw Tribios and Jay, Olivia immediately jumped to her feet, her face lighting up with excitement. "You're back! How did it go? Did you find the southern kingdom?"
Tribios continued to gently lick her finger. "We did indeed."
She pointed to the spot where her golden blood had dripped. "Just stand here, clasp your hands together, and silently recite, 'Thank you, Lady Tribios.' That will open a Century Gate to the Kingdom of Ukel in the south."
Olivia blinked, then clasped her hands together and began to pray. Moments later, a Century Gate radiating golden light materialized before her. She gasped in astonishment, "Wow, it's actually real! How amazing!"
At that moment, Jay finally voiced the question that had been nagging him for ages: "So, Tribios, how exactly did you do that?"
Tribios paused to gather her thoughts. "Actually, I'm the Demigod of Passage," she explained. "The Century Gate is a manifestation of my Authority."
She had wanted to reveal this sooner, but she kept getting interrupted. "Anyway," she continued, "for various reasons, I came to this world. In the near future, a Demon Lord will emerge, and seven Heroes wielding seven Divine Artifacts will rise to defeat him."
"My purpose here is to find these seven Heroes."
While watching a nation slowly develop from nothing, gradually grow prosperous, was quite satisfying, Tribios couldn't realistically stay in this remote corner of the world and help the country develop for decades, could she?
The central narrative of this era remained the Demon Lord and Hero. She had to get involved.
"A... a Demigod?" Olivia and Jay both wore expressions of bewilderment and shock, though the former's confusion outweighed her shock, while the latter's shock predominated.
Tribios's revelation carried an overwhelming amount of information. After a long silence, Jay finally murmured, "Demigod... So that's it?"
This explained the golden blood Tribios left behind with her finger, as well as the absurd Century Gate—a gate that seemed to defy all limitations of magic power, distance, and cooldown, usable at will.
But Olivia interjected, "But... what does 'Demigod of Passage' even mean?"
The God of Life, the God of Death—their names immediately conveyed their domains. But the Demigod of Passage? A god who opens doors? It felt... strange.
Moreover, the very term "Passage" lacked the grandeur of "Life" or "Death."
Tribios tilted her head slightly, her gaze drifting elsewhere. "The Demigod of Passage is simply the Demigod of Passage. What else could it mean?"
To others, being a demigod might seem utterly extraordinary and awe-inspiring. But to Tribios herself, it was clearly no big deal.
Cipher, Mydei, and Castorice—these other identities were all far more powerful "Demigods." Compared to these alter egos, the Demigod of Passage, who could merely open doors, seemed rather insignificant. So when Olivia asked what the Demigod of Passage meant, Tribios actually felt a twinge of embarrassment.
It was akin to a friend asking about her exam score. Tribios usually scored a perfect 100, but this time she only got a 95. The score was a bit disappointing, and she felt awkward admitting it.
Of course, to Olivia, casually opening doors and teleporting everywhere was already incredibly impressive. Oblivious to Tribios's slight embarrassment, she continued, "So, Little... Lady Tribios, how old are you exactly?"
Tribios waved her hands hastily. "No need for such formality. Just call me Little Trib, treat me like you would any ordinary person. You must understand how that feels, right? Just like how you'd rather the people of the Grand Duchy of Augustus treat you like a friend, rather than as their all-powerful Ruler."
Olivia immediately nodded her head vigorously. "I get it! I understand, Little Trib, Little Trib!"
Jay chimed in, "Demon Lord and Hero? So, Tribios, you came here to help the Seven Heroes save the world?"
Tribios hesitated for a moment. "Not exactly."
Since she had already revealed so much, she decided to confess everything. "Actually, I came from three hundred years in the future due to a magical accident. It was an accident, and I can't return yet. But I know that the story of the Demon Lord and the Hero is very famous in this era."
"I figured, since I'm here, why not experience it firsthand? Besides, the Magic Circle that brought me across time is located at the site of the final battle between the Demon Lord and the Heroes. If I can find these Heroes and witness their battle against the Demon Lord, perhaps I can also find a way to return to my own time sooner?"
At that moment, Olivia's Lord, the Little Husky named Half, materialized out of thin air. He stared at Tribios in astonishment. "I always knew you weren't just an ordinary half-elf, but I never imagined you were a Demigod? And from three hundred years in the future?!"
After a moment, Half continued, "But you must be careful. As a Traveler who doesn't belong to this timeline—and as a Demigod—you should avoid any actions that could drastically alter the timeline. The consequences could be catastrophic."
Half's warning stemmed from Tribios's status as a Demigod. An ordinary time traveler might not be able to cause significant ripples, but a Demigod possesses far greater power and potential for disruption.
Tribios nodded. "I had no intention of interfering with history in the first place. My arrival in this timeline was purely accidental, not intentional."
In her previous life, she had watched countless time-travel-themed anime and movies. The classic example was The Flash going back in time to save his dying mother, triggering a series of butterfly effects that invariably led to disastrous outcomes.
For instance, Superman might never be born. Without his immense power to defend Earth, the planet would be vulnerable to invasion by villains, ultimately leading to its destruction.
Although Tribios didn't quite understand how The Flash's mother and Superman were connected, she had read a post arguing that the very fact history had progressed so safely and stably to the present day was a miracle. Humanity was constantly facing world-ending disasters. If someone were to travel back in time and alter even a minor event, it could erase this "miracle," plunging the world into a destructive end.
In any case, casually tampering with time could never be a good thing.
Olivia, completely lost in the human and dog's discussion about time, interjected, "So, what's the deal with the Demon Lord and the Hero? Is a great Demon Lord who intends to destroy the world going to appear later?"
Tribios pondered for a moment, then replied uncertainly, "Probably...?"
After all, the focus of Legend of the Demon King and the Hero was clearly on the Seven Heroes, not on what the Demon Lord did day after day. Tribios genuinely didn't know what evil deeds the Demon Lord had committed. But wouldn't it just be the classic plot? Using his immense power to dominate the world and destroy it? That's the standard trope, isn't it?
"That sounds so cool!" Olivia exclaimed. "Am I one of the Seven Heroes?"
Tribios shook her head. "None of the Seven Heroes are Paladins or Warlocks. Unless you immediately change your class to Warrior, diligently hone your combat skills, and reach Beyond Legendary status, it's unlikely."
Olivia scoffed. "How could I not be one of them?! If a Demon Lord is trying to destroy the world, I'd go fight him without a second thought!"
Olivia was a Paladin of the Oath of Overlord. While Aria's Oath of Devotion represented selfless sacrifice and the Black Knight's Oath of Vengeance embodied righteous hatred, the Oath of Overlord Paladin leaned toward a more... 'self-centered' approach.
When Olivia came of age and first assisted her father with state affairs, she silently swore to herself:
"I will strive to make this nation prosperous and powerful, ensuring no one need worry about survival!"
"I will strive to make this nation beautiful and happy, so that every face beams with genuine smiles!"
"I will... protect this nation, protect everything within it, until the very moment my life ends!"
In that moment, Olivia's conviction burned so fiercely that she instantly became a Paladin. Aria's Oath of Devotion granted her Divine Smite, which specialized in striking down evil, while the Black Knight's Oath of Vengeance focused her Divine Smite on her enemies—the Braun Family Nobles.
Olivia, however, was unique. Her Divine Smite lacked a specific "specialization." Instead, it possessed raw, overwhelming power.
The burning love Olivia held for her nation manifested as an eternal flame that surged through her blade. Moreover, as a Ruler—a Princess—Olivia didn't merely represent herself; she embodied the Grand Duchy of Augustus itself.
The instant Olivia became synonymous with the Grand Duchy of Augustus, the love of every citizen for their nation, their reverence for Olivia, amplified the power of her Divine Smite.
After all, Olivia was the Grand Duchy of Augustus, and the Grand Duchy was all its people. Therefore, the will of every citizen was Olivia's will, a collective resolve recognized by the Paladin's sacred oath.
While the people of the Grand Duchy of Augustus might not possess Olivia's indomitable will individually, when their collective will converges and empowers her, her strength reaches terrifying heights.
When Olivia rescued Tribios and slew the three Dire Wolves earlier, it was merely a casual strike. If she were to unleash the full power of her Divine Smite, annihilating an entire army with a single blow would likely be effortless.
Returning to the matter at hand, given Olivia's sworn oath, if a Demon Lord ever threatened to destroy the world, the Grand Duchy of Augustus would inevitably be affected. In that scenario, Olivia would undoubtedly intervene to confront the Demon Lord.
This explains why Olivia insisted she would inevitably be part of the Hero party.
At this, Jay scoffed, "If the Demon Lord's power could truly destroy the world, you might participate, but you wouldn't be one of the Seven Heroes—you'd be just a nameless grunt behind them."
It's akin to a Cultivator who, from childhood, possessed extraordinary talent far surpassing ordinary people. Their cultivation progressed without any bottlenecks, allowing them to rise steadily, embodying the very archetype of a Protagonist in everyone's eyes.
Yet one day, disaster struck. This Cultivator was summoned alongside a hundred thousand other identical prodigies to besiege a monkey that had just emerged from a Stone.
Jay's reasoning was simple: Olivia might be strong, but there were always greater powers beyond human comprehension. In a true battle for the survival of the world, her Divine Smite, capable of wiping out entire armies with a single strike, might prove insignificant.
Hearing Jay's words, Olivia puffed out her cheeks and glared at him, activating her 'Death Stare' Skill as if trying to kill him with her eyes alone.
Jay shrugged and turned to Tribios. "So, your goal is to find the Seven Heroes or a way to return to your own time, three hundred years in the future?"
Tribios nodded slightly. Olivia chimed in, "Then it's settled, Little Trib, Little Trib! I'll help you find the Seven Heroes and a way back to your time, and you'll continue governing this nation for me. Deal?"
Tribios had no objections. In fact, her entire confession had been for this very purpose—enlisting help to search more efficiently than she could alone.
With Tribios's approval secured, Olivia cheerfully went to check on the commoners she had assigned to chopping down trees. Next came transporting and selling the timber.