"I am going away to deal with a matter of some urgency." Cate said at the dinner table. The table was full with all manner of delicacy. In the Wandering Palace, Cate had the best chefs, able to cook anything. As long as one could name it, they would get it prepared as fast as possible. Mary was still in the palace, and she had yet to ask to leave. Cate took this to be a good sign for their future unless Mary feared that requesting to leave would be her doom.
Cate did not want to think about his possibility. "Are you returning to Avalon?" Catherine asked. This young woman had settled nicely into the palace. She had even made friends with the maids and other servants. Even Ion, who was an undead being with barely any emotions, spoke well of the young woman.
Cate shook his head. "I will not be returning to Avalon for some time. I am even thinking of sending in a request to extend my time away from my duties there." Cate answered even though she did not have to. Mary put down her cutlery and looked at Cate. The two had already discussed the matter earlier. "I am going to do something else." "What ar…" "You do not need to know what I am going to do."
Even though Cate trusted the people in this room right now, she was still someone who had lived through countless betrayals. Trust was not enough to get Cate to reveal all details of what she planned to do. The only thing Mary knew was that Cate was going to search for one of the Twelve Keys of Chaos. She did not even know which key it was.
"Will you be staying with us?" Catherine asked Mary with caution in her voice. Everyone in the palace had already realized that Cate treated Mary very differently from everyone. Even though the two had not confirmed their relationship, everyone already believed that Cate was with Mary. "I will be visiting my family in London," Mary said.
With these words, Catherine understood why the Wandering Palace had stayed over London for so long. Usually, the palace rarely stayed in any particular location. Catherine gave Cate a knowing look. Cate did not understand what it meant, and she did not care to know.
The following morning, Cate escorted Mary from the palace. They were in a clearing outside London. There was already a black car waiting to take Mary home. "Are we okay?" Cate asked as Mary was about to enter the car. "I need some time," Mary replied. Cate felt a great hope rise up in her heart when she heard these words. They seemed like nothing, but in fact they left the path open for them to make up and finally have an honest relationship beyond lies.
The Wandering Palace moved through space and headed towards the Red Sea. With the Wandering Palace tearing through space, it reached its destination in the blink of an eye. "Are you sure that this is the place?" Ion asked politely. He was the only one with a full understanding of what Cate was doing in this place.
"The temple of Set was built on an island in this place hundreds of years ago when the Egyptians gave up their faith in their old gods. The island can only be seen by those who hold Set in their hearts. Since the two of us see Set as just another god, there is no way we can see the island."
Ion and Cate looked down at the endless water and the human ships moving about. "What are we to do?" Cate just smiled at this question. "I am going to believe in Set for a few minutes; that should be enough for the way to be shown to me."
Cate sat down cross-legged on the balcony and closed her eyes. Ion stood by and waited. Nothing changed after a week came and went. Ion began believing that this may end in failure. To truly believe in a god was not something that one can just do as they please. They have to truly accept the god into their hearts and embrace the ideals preached by the god. It can take years for one to become a true believer.
Ion understood that his mistress was truly talented. She was now a Supreme Sorcerer. With her young age, she was the only one in history. Still, Ion did not think that talent was enough to fool a god. What Ion did not know was that Cate had lived for thousands of years, and she had spent most of that time in endless agony, as one would expect if they only had their head left.
In that time, Cate's will and mental capacity had grown beyond human understanding. She had reached a level that allowed her to tune out the pain, the world, and the rage she felt from the betrayal that led her to this place. Cate stayed deep within her severed head, where she created a mental realm filled with all the things she desired and hoped for. She managed to create such a place only by convincing herself that it existed within her.
At this moment, Cate was convincing herself that she had always been a worshiper of the god Set. A year came and went. Ion still stood in place without any complaints. In 2004, Cate finally filled her heart with faith for the evil god. When she opened her eyes, all she could see before her was an endless desert and not a sea.
The place appeared to be a normal desert, but in her heart, this desert was a wonder in this world. It was the most beautiful thing. She could even see herself spending her afterlife in this place, serving and worshiping Set. At the center of the red desert was a mighty palace whose style had not been seen in this world for hundreds of years. Cate took in a deep breath at the sight of its magnificence.