All of this had happened so suddenly that no one was prepared.
First came the shredded clothes, then the pierced head, and finally, the dozen dead bodies that were hung from golden trees for all to see.
No one could have imagined that the grand councilor would meet such an end.
*Hummm—*
Suddenly, a deep hum echoed from the depths of the Temple of the Three Fates, followed by several soft murmurs.
Even though the voice was indistinct and the words were vague, making it impossible to understand what was being said, everyone in Janusopolis knew that this was the voice of the Passage Titan Janus delivering a prophecy!
Among the three Titans of Fate, Janus was the most revered Titan because, compared to the formless Talanton and the silent Oronyx, Janus was far more willing to guide mortals along their path.
*Thump!* *Thump!* *Thump!*
In an instant, those who had been standing all dropped to their knees in succession, yet raised their heads to look at Mortis in Lucian's arms, waiting for her to interpret the prophecy and reveal the truth to all, for only the holy maiden who delivered the prophecies could understand the words of the Titans.
Mortis closed her eyes, focusing all her attention on listening to the words of the Passage Titan.
"******"
Lucian could not help but frown because all he heard were incomprehensible utterances, with no way to make out their meaning.
"Respected Janus, I ask you, is Tribios safe?" Mortis asked in a solemn tone.
"******"
Upon hearing Tribios's name, Lucian could not help but be concerned as well.
"Well? Is your daughter alright?"
If the script's protagonist were in trouble, that would be a big deal.
Mortis kept her eyes closed and nodded her head gently.
"Janus said she is perfectly safe, so I don't need to worry."
If the Passage Titan said so, it had to be true.
Mortis never doubted it, so the worry that had been hanging over her finally lifted.
"******"
Soon, the Titan's voice once again chattered on incomprehensibly.
"What did Janus say this time?"
Lucian lowered his head and looked at the beautiful woman in his arms, asking softly as she kept her eyes closed.
Once the Titan finished speaking, Mortis finally opened her bright, beautiful eyes and met Lucian's gaze.
"Janus said you are to stay—stay in Janusopolis, stay by my side."
Mortis's expression was firm and unwavering as she spoke, clearly not lying.
'Does the Titan language always pack so much meaning into so few words?'
Lucian raised his eyebrows and could not help but complain inwardly.
However, he was also thinking that this Passage Titan truly had the power to guide people onto the right path. They probably knew the future would be better with him staying, or else they would not have so easily trusted an outsider like him.
Besides, he was confident he could change Tribios's tragic fate.
For example, had he not already changed the outcome of death for the holy maiden in his arms?
Suddenly, Mortis seemed to realize something and looked at Lucian.
"Aren't you a Titan envoy?" Mortis asked in wonder. "Why can't you understand their language?"
"Actually... I'm not a Titan envoy." Lucian shook his head. "I'm an envoy of an Aeon—or rather, an Emanator of an Aeon. I come from... beyond this world."
"Aeon? Emanator? Beyond this world...?"
Mortis did not quite understand, but she was shaken because her worldview had just taken a hit from something beyond her understanding.
It was only natural.
After all, the sky had been sealed by the Titans, so no one could leave, and no outsiders could enter.
Given that, how had Lucian appeared here?
Before Mortis could continue questioning Lucian, the believers below could not wait any longer and began to shout loudly.
"Holy Maiden! Please deliver the prophecy to us!"
Only the holy maiden could interpret the Titans' prophecy.
In the past, the holy maiden would receive the prophecy, pass it to the government official, and then the official would announce the prophecy. Now that the grand councilor was dead, naturally, the believers only trusted the holy maiden.
Seeing this, Mortis had no choice but to deal with what was in front of her first.
She gently patted Lucian's chest, signaling him to descend to the entrance of the Temple of the Three Fates.
Holding Mortis, Lucian walked step by step through the air, passing right above everyone's heads—his aura was truly at its peak.
As soon as his foot touched the stairs on the ground, a patch of green grass grew beneath him, causing the believers to cry out in surprise.
"Everyone, I have heard Janus's prophecy: the divine envoy is to remain in Janusopolis to guide our way forward!"
"In the prophecy, the divine envoy refers to the person beside me—Lord Lucian!"
Mortis reached out her hand to Lucian with great solemnity.
As both the high priest and holy maiden, she stood as the representative of the three Titans of Fate and all of Janusopolis.
""Please guide us, Divine Envoy!""
As expected, with Mortis's speech, all the believers shouted in reverence together.
"I sincerely hope you will stay and help me—help all of us… Can you?"
Mortis asked gently, her beautiful eyes fixed on Lucian.
Seeing the atmosphere set so perfectly, Lucian felt it would be letting down the locals' enthusiasm not to agree. Besides, he had planned to stay anyway, to find Tribios and finish the script.
Having a position of authority would only make things easier.
"Alright."
Lucian reached out and placed his hand in Mortis's palm.
However, it felt strangely like being proposed to in public, leaving him a bit embarrassed.
Mortis smiled at Lucian's positive answer, firmly grasped his hand, and then declared to the believers.
"As you all heard, the divine envoy has accepted us!"
"May Janus reveal to us the road ahead, as well as all that is yet to come!"
""OOOOOHHH—!!!""
Hearing Mortis's declaration, the believers erupted in cheers, as though they had received some kind of priceless treasure.
Of course, it was because they all believed Lucian to be the divine envoy of the Titans that they were so excited.
Mortis had no intention of revealing Lucian's true identity either.
Since the Passage Titan had said so, there was definitely a good reason for it, so there was no need for her to do anything more.
After a long period of celebration, the holy maiden and the priests finally completed the prophecy ritual, bringing this farce to an end.
Originally, it should have been Holy Maiden Mortis who died, but thanks to Lucian's intervention, she survived, while Grand Councilor Dannalio died.
Now, Lucian had even become one of the leaders of Janusopolis.
After all, being handpicked by the Passage Titan themself, no one dared to object.
Of course, with Dannalio's death, the power vacuum left many at the top of both the sanctum and the city itching to climb higher.
===
Unknowingly, time passed into evening—or rather, to the 'parting hour,' according to the Amphoreus calendar system.
Nonetheless, the light from the Dawn Device ensured it was never night in Amphoreus, so even after work hours, the sky remained blindingly bright.
Mortis had arranged living quarters for Lucian right inside the Temple of the Three Fates, but they were not ready yet.
"Your own chambers are still being cleaned, so why don't you come rest at my place first?"
Once all the believers left the temple, Mortis asked Lucian with gentle eyes, though there was a hint of shyness in her gaze.
She couldn't help it, since this was her first time inviting a man to her home.
Everyone assumed she must have had a partner to give birth to her daughter, but in reality, she was still pure.