Then, Phaethon's solemn voice, like a tolling great bell, spread throughout the silent platform and rippled out toward the more distant city districts:
"Here, with this body!"
"I vow in the name of the Deliverer, guaranteed by the path I walk!"
"I proclaim—the Dawn Device shall be lit!"
His arm swept out, pointing at the silent giant behind him: "After the light returns, the Empress and I will host a grand celebration, worthy of being etched into history, for all who have held fast until now and never given up!"
"All of you—" Phaethon's voice rose to its peak, like a blade cleaving through gloom, "—witness the miracle!"
Chaotic and fervent shouts erupted from the crowd, eventually merging into a surging wave of sound: "Great Deliverer! May the light of the Dawn Device never be extinguished!"
Phainon stood at the edge of the crowd, gazing up at the figure on the high platform. He watched as the Dawn Device behind that figure truly reignited.
Seeing that long-awaited light, he smiled and whispered to himself, a voice only he could hear:
"A lie told by one becomes truth when believed by ten thousand... The soil where 'Trickery' can take effect has always been the deep-seated desire in people's hearts to believe."
"Whether that's a fleeting yearning for a grand celebration, or... a desperate, all-in hope for a better tomorrow."
...
The Dawn Device had been lit, and a grand feast began as promised.
Under that rare illumination, people laughed, people sang, people toasted tomorrow with the mead in their hands.
Hysilens abruptly moved to Phaethon's side at that moment, her voice unusually cheerful, perhaps because of the festivities: "Phaethon, those crabs and shellfish clinging to the shadows, gnawing at order within the city, have been thoroughly swept clean. I knew I wasn't wrong about you. Cuttlefish have always been good at cleaning up crabs and shellfish; they never disappoint in that regard. Neither do you."
Phaethon also smiled. "Miss Hysilens 1, your way of complimenting is truly unique. But... I gave them a choice before the tide swept in. The path was one they chose themselves."
"Choice?" A cold curve lifted the corner of Hysilens's lips. "Some lives simply shouldn't exist. That's a truth even newborn fry in the deep sea understand. Never mind. The Empress is looking for you. I'll take my leave." Her words fell, and her figure receded quietly like a retreating tide.
Almost at the same moment, Cerydra approached. Her gaze fell on Phaethon, carrying undisguised appreciation.
"Well done, Fortune Baron. Truly, why didn't we meet sooner?"
Her voice held a thread of pleasure. "This purge was precise, efficient, and thorough. It should have been done long ago."
Phaethon shook his head. "You praise me too much. If we're really talking about governing a nation, how could I possibly compare to you, Your Majesty the Imperator? It was just a bit of cleverness."
Cerydra laughed. "This is no mere cleverness. You understand the essence of monarchy better than anyone—the consolidation of power is inseparable from iron and blood methods, but the foundation of rule is never fear. Its true foundation is actually whether one can bestow upon the people tangible hope and lasting peace."
"You're making me blush with such praise." Phaethon smiled, deflecting, then abruptly changed the subject. "However, I am curious.
You gave my brother Phainon the title Solar Baron. His blazing, domineering nature makes the name fitting indeed. But you gave me the noble title Fortune Duke... for what reason?"
Cerydra fell silent for a moment. Her gaze imperceptibly shifted toward the distant, blurry outline of the Hall of Three Fate.
"Solar Duke—your brother. He recounted some of your past to the Fate Duke/Dux Fatorum, that is, Tribbie."
She spoke slowly, each word seemingly weighed. "As a monarch, caring for my subjects is my duty. Thus, I listened to some of your stories. However..."
She paused, her focus returning to Phaethon, carrying a probing curiosity. "I found that your power always seems to come effortlessly, that you have never paid any price for it. Isn't that itself a form of immense 'fortune'?"
Phaethon fell silent. The distant sounds of laughter and merriment from the crowd seemed his only response.
After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice so light it almost scattered into the wind. "Perhaps."
He neither defended nor acknowledged.
...
Phaethon walked alone up the long steps returning to his quarters.
Patrolling soldiers along the way, upon seeing him, all immediately halted, bowed their heads in respect, their eyes filled with awe and reverence.
He gave a slight nod, his steps never pausing, but his thoughts had already drifted far away.
The echo of Cerydra's probing, appreciative judgment—"fortune"—still seemed to ring in his ears.
The corners of his lips lifted in a barely perceptible arc. It wasn't joy, but a weary, bitter smile. Fortune?
*Heh...*
And it was precisely at this moment that a cold, mechanical notification sound, perceptible only to him, exploded once more in the depths of his mind:
[Detected duplicate folder. Overwrite old folder? Y/N]
The sound was sharp and abrupt. It had already interrupted his reverie more than once today.
Almost instinctively, Phaethon responded with a mental command tinged with exhaustion:
"No. Create a new folder based on the old one... and add a '1' after the name."
The moment the command was issued, an indescribable sensation flashed and vanished. He closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, only profound weariness remained in their depths.
His quarters were arranged in a secluded palace chamber. Pushing the door open, the interior was dim, only the faint daylight from the window outlining the hazy contours of the furnishings.
He walked straight to the bed, throwing himself heavily into the soft fabrics as if wanting to bury all thoughts and fatigue together. However, the moment he closed his eyelids, attempting to seize a moment of peace—
A merry, manic, yet somehow eerily cyclical voice abruptly sounded in the silent room:
"Ahahahaha, Aha has no face, Aha has no face! Aha's mask has been soaking in the room's bath for almost a whole day, and no one noticed! Ahahahaha!"
Phaethon's eyes snapped open, his body instantly tensing as he warily scanned his surroundings. That laughter... Aha? But... why did he hear a trace of almost aggrieved accusation in it?
"Aha?" He sat up, his voice carrying a barely detectable edge. "How did you get to Amphoreus?"
The laughter immediately erupted again, as if right next to his ear: "Ahahahaha, Aha found a great delight, of course it must be explored!"