Medusa watched the sleeping Inara. Her daughter's face was filled with dried tears, her eyes puffy from crying too much, too hard.

Inara was clenching Medusa's hand tightly, so tight that if she was a Master-level being, her hand would have snapped open.

All of that as if she was searching for something to anchor her. Something that could help her from falling too deep into sorrow.

At this sight, Medusa couldn't help but shake her head wryly. The snake queen was still naked, unable to do anything with her daughter leaning her whole weight on her.

She had tried to move hours ago, but Inara immediately woke up and cried once more until she fell asleep again.

Medusa didn't want to live through that again.

It was both painful and annoying.

She sighed, green steam riddled with formless snakes escaping her mouth.

'Sometimes I wonder if it was the right choice,' she thought, shaking her head once more.

At that instant, her eyes shifted and became like the Ouroboros's symbol. For a brief moment, time lagged and visions sang into existence.

They showed many scenes. One of them was the first time Inara stepped into Fokay, and her meeting with—!

Medusa blinked. Her eyes returned to normal, the visions sinking back into oblivion.

She passed a hand over her face tiredly.

Lady Ouroboros didn't want to think about it, for her heart would be filled with worry for her daughter. But Medusa truly wondered if Inara was the right choice.

Not because she was weak. She was not. But no matter how rude she was and how much she loved to curse…

Inara was a soft girl inside. A true crybaby.

'But what's done is done, isn't it?' Her lips pressed together into an invisible thin line. She raised her hand and wiped away a tear from Inara's face.

'Be strong, my daughter,' she mused, leaning forward to kiss her on the forehead. 'Unfortunately, a heartbreak is the least painful thing waiting for you.'

She pulled her lips away from Inara's forehead, noticing her breathing growing calmer.

Medusa chuckled, finding her daughter cute when she was asleep.

She raised her hand again, about to pinch her cheek, only to stop mid-action.

Her runic communication tool flared with a bright green light. She turned her head, seeing it resting on the edge of the bathtub, pulsing sporadically.

With a beckoning gesture, the runic communication tool was coated in green light before flying toward her.

With a tak-like sound, it rested in Medusa's hand. She answered.

"I hope I am not bothering you on this night."

A voice echoed sharply from the tool, stern in nature.

"You are not, Heavens," Ouroboros answered Mayari Elamin. "But it's unusual for you to call at this hour…"

Inara shifted beneath her at her loud voice. Medusa caressed her head to lull her back to sleep.

She lowered her voice. "…what is the matter?"

"Something with my daughter made me forget to inform you about the meeting tomorrow with Progeny and Serena," Mayari's voice was edged with weariness. "We are due to talk about the beast settlements surrounding us. Also, the matter of the Stronghold of Kaleith needs some consideration. Our stance toward it must be decided."

"The Prophet is a serious matter. And even more so if we are to believe the rumors."

"But rumors are rumors," Medusa said. "You know better how they work. A whisper into the ear of a loud-mouth, and the next day a legend is born."

"That's exactly why," Mayari answered. "Most rumors have a core of truth. And that's enough not to neglect any of them."

Ouroboros nodded softly, her hand still caressing Inara. "Agreed," she whispered. "Well, I have information about some beast tribes around. I will share it with you."

"At what time?" she asked next.

"Nine in the morning," Heavens said. "See you tomorrow. And sorry for the late call."

The call ended briskly.

Medusa looked at the communication tool and set it aside. Then she leaned her head backward, gazing at her green-tainted ceiling. Slowly, she closed her eyes. Already, she could feel clouds of tribulation covering the sky of Waverith.

She didn't know how they would decide concerning the beasts or Kaleith, but what was certain was that it wouldn't be smooth.

Interests would be involved. And if interests were involved…then conflict would be inevitable.

Again, Medusa sighed, her hand still caressing her daughter.

"My sweet crybaby…" she whispered,

"…be strong. For you will need it. And hopefully…"

'I will be strong too…'

For I will need it.

…

The birds sang their morning glory, flapping their wings with vigor as they flew in search of the food of the day.

Prometheus envied their freedom. There was something poetic in their faith that they would find something to eat each day despite not anticipating it.

Such a belief in the unseen. Kaden was truly amazed.

His thoughts unconsciously went back to his master, The Slave. He remembered that in the hilt of his sword there was the engraving of a bird.

Freedom. Slave.

His master's wish for freedom was truly immense.

Kaden exhaled through his nose.

He was lying down on the tiled roof of the Elamin building, his Absence Trait still activated.

He had spent the whole night walking, putting his thoughts into their right place.

With the harsh words of Reditha, Kaden had reflected a lot about his past actions with the women around him, becoming aware of his mistakes.

He had thought staying silent and only watching was neutrality. It was not. In his case, silence was him fleeing responsibility for the feelings of the women.

He had chosen to only bear their feelings, letting them influence his own.

That didn't mean he didn't love them. He loved Meris. He loved Vaela. But in a sense, his love was not authentic, because he had simply gone along with it.

And Kaden now knew that love only gets real when he does it on purpose. In the same way Inara did.

Those realizations made him understand many things. And knowingly or not, Kaden began to look differently at his relationships with his women.

For the first time, he began to give it real thought. Until now, he never had.

But he couldn't continue this way. Whether he liked it or not, those relationships were an integral part of him. Neglecting them meant hurting himself in the long term.

He could not afford such a thing. Prometheus had enough to worry about. He scarcely needed bad relations that would eat his mind, gnaw his heart, and make him unfocused.

Closing his eyes, Kaden took a deep breath. Then he opened them slowly, his face focused.

'Okay, Kaden. You made mistakes. Don't forget them. And don't do it again. Inara's situation is still blurry. I will give her time. But I can do my best for Meris, Vaela, and eventually Rea.'

Now that he thought about it, Kaden recognized how multiple women were such a bothersome thing.

He wondered why he was seeking a harem to begin with. That thing was not made for everyone.

Still,

'I am already deep inside the pit of love. And despite my passivity, I love them already too much to give them up. I can only be a better man. A responsible man.'

'You are only fifteen,' Reditha interjected.

'Shut up.'

Reditha snickered. Since her evolution into Myth, the sword had become quite daring.

'Don't speak like that to the master,' Blanche added, trying to help Kaden.

'Why is this chicken talking, Kaden?'

'I am not a chicken! I am a Phoenix! The White Phoenix from the Great Phoenix family. A family of Myth!'

'I am worshipped in many parts of Fokay!'

'I have never witnessed such a scene,' Reditha taunted.

'You know nothing about Fokay! You barely even know Darklore.'

"Do you?" Kaden asked, slowly getting up, his body creaking, his muscles popping like balloons. He suppressed a moan.

"Do you know Darklore? And do you know if there is a link between the two? One for people of Fokay to come in?"

'Of course that exists,' Blanche nodded.

"How?" Kaden frowned.

'I don't know,' Blanche said. 'I have been sleeping most of the time, and when I woke up I was bound by that little girl, Shamsi.'

'All I know is that it's through dungeons.'

Kaden craned his neck, expression pensive. He had already thought of that possibility. But now, with Blanche's words, it was confirmed.

Still, there were many things to consider. What type of dungeon? Why dungeons? If that dungeon is destroyed, could the beings return to Fokay the same way the inhabitants of Darklore did, or not?

Many questions. Little answers.

Just like always.

Kaden clicked his tongue in irritation. He closed his eyes to gather his emotions before expanding his perception inward, toward the building beneath him.

His perception sank inside and began to spread like spiderwebs. With his Will, he easily passed through the barriers blocking him.

In no time, he found Meris's position.

Then his eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of her.

'What is happening?' he thought, before transforming into a pool of blood and disappearing, heading straight to her.

—End of Chapter 369—

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