After conversing for a while, Cassia let them return to their designated building. To say that everything that happened wasn't surreal would be a lie. A person they had assumed they would not meet in a while finally showed up again before their very eyes unexpectedly… And what spooked him most was just how coincidentally it all happened.

By coincidence, he just so happened to land close to Mount Tolarion.

By coincidence, she just so happened to return to her tribe at the same time.

And most absurd of all, this was all occurring while the Vynasians were targeting them both. It was as if fate was lazily setting up a confrontation, without even putting any effort in hiding its agenda.

The Orbits were much more subtle about their influence back then… Do 'they' not care about masking it anymore?

It made him wonder what it was that they demanded from him. Scaling that gargantuan mountain… Was it truly necessary?

What if he turned back now?

He shook the idea out of his head. Running won't solve anything.

The orbits would simply pull him back to where he needs to be. That was how they operated… Nothing he could do will ever stop the flowing tides of destiny. However, he can learn to adapt through it… By confronting it head on.

Whatever awaits me up there… I must be ready for it.

He walked silently with his thoughts spinning endlessly in his mind… The shadow cast from a nearby building masking his emotions. Myrin was also behind him, faced with similar feelings. Neither of them spoke on their journey back.

Still, Cassia is a Holy Shrine Maiden, huh? Even now, a portion of him didn't believe it. How can a bratty little girl like her be some important figure to an entire tribe? It wasn't that long since the last time he teased her about her height…

Will they execute me if they find out? Counter strategies began popping in his head left and right. From blackmail to secretly placing traps in the room they will be sleeping in. Though, in the end, he found it all to be unnecessary. Aside from his magecraft being sealed which Cassia promised to remove, there was still the adorable little crimson amulet hungering for blood… He still needed to deal with that first.

Tazzith still hasn't returned any of my calls… Should I wait for him to return before attempting a contract?

Though that might seem like the safer option, Soren was worried about the return of the Blossom Sword Flower. She was still targeting them, after all. Even with all the daemons stalling, Soren was sure that they wouldn't be able to keep Her contained for long…

Sooner or later, She will return.

I still need to speak to Cassia about that. After all, it might bring danger to the tribe—something he wasn't willing to do for her sake.

According to her own words, Cassia's goal had now shifted from what he had initially assumed. Rather than revenge, she hopes to strengthen her tribe into a powerful force in these grand Hedra Plains… With the help of the Silver Valkyrie providing them with aid, it won't be long before they stabilize into a proper tribe once again. Perhaps in the future, they might even be able to learn more about their past… There were still many mysteries regarding the disappearances of the Old Gods.

Could it be that Guntharion also hoped for such a result? In the past, he had assumed that He was the one who helped her obtain Figments of the Serpent. But most signs pointed to her being a Holy Phantasm. And with the obvious parallels in her abilities to that of the Serpent of Untruths, they were close to certain that that was the case…

Now that she had the opinions of the tribe elders, Cassia became certain of that theory. Though, many questions still remain—like why she was selected for this role to begin with or what was being demanded of her… In a way, this too was connected to the Orbits.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Lost in his thoughts, Soren accidentally bumped into a large figure in front of him. He frantically glanced up past his shadow to see a man he had seen earlier. The man looked down at him too—his flowing white hair shifting with the wind, held together by a single bandana with strange patterns sewn to its azure surface.

Elder Kaalan. He held his scepter tightly as he blocked the path ahead. His face sculpted like the colossal statues around them remained as stoic as ever.

Soren bowed slightly. "I apologize. I didn't see you at all." Soren and Myrin walked to the side to make way for him to pass. Since they were now living in the tribe temporarily, abiding by their rules and traditions became paramount… It was already hard enough with how distrustful everyone was of them.

Elder Kaalan, however, stood still for a few moments, staring directly into Soren's eyes. It made him slightly uncomfortable.

After a while, he decided to ask, "Respectfully, is there something I should know?"

Kaalan, however, didn't answer. Not immediately at least. He walked past them without another glance then said:

"Madness is a mirror—stare into it, and you lose what's real. Always remember who you are."

Soren's lips twitched slightly. He wanted to address him directly, but there was nothing he could really say at that moment… And the elder believed so as well—he immediately left without turning back in the slightest.

Kaalan's words rang in his mind for a while as the pair of magi stood there in silence. Myrin was thinking of his own meaning for the words… Though, he seemed to anticipate an answer from Soren.

Seeing this, the fated scribe, Soren Andersen, glanced at his companion and chuckled with a slight smile. "Mirrors reflect reality though?" He said with a shrug.

Myrin shook his head. "He's definitely right, Soren. You've been far too reckless lately."

Soren couldn't refute him. The Elven Songster had a right to be worried… and angry. After all, everything he had survived through in just the past month was nothing short of a miracle… Even Cassia thought the same. After disclosing the events of what had happened between him and Rodrick, the terrified look on her face said it all. Not to mention the fact that he was now contracted to Daemon.

For the longest time, Cassia had her suspicions. After all, no one, even with heavenly talent, could have achieved what he had achieved in that short amount of time. Reaching the 1st Circle was one thing, but unlocking four magecraft spellforms at once? Beyond the purview of what was thought of as possible. She was sure that Soren had to have sacrificed a ton to make it happen.

Her worries were finally confirmed during that meeting earlier. There was not only sadness in her eyes, but disappointment and anger as well. Nothing he said in that moment would have changed that.

I can't say I dislike the feeling though… As selfish as it was to say, it felt good knowing there were people out there worrying about him. Even if his humanity was questioned, his identity as Soren still exists…

Soren glanced at the fleeting figure of Elder Kaalan walking ahead. His broad back covered in an azure fur-coat layered in countless Spirit Beast feathers flickered with the wind. And yet, his stature remained steady—like tree roots keeping the trunk in place during a storm. As the only higher level Shaman left in the tribe, many responsibilities rested on his shoulders.

"I wonder how he knew about my… condition."

Myrin walked past him while answering, "From what I've been able to observe during the sealing magecraft he casted on us, his Soul Realm's Inherent Ability seems similar to mine in nature. Though, slightly different as well."

"He was able to read my soul? Interesting…"

"Indeed," Myrin nodded.

It felt as if he wasn't even looking at me, but past me… Soren wondered to himself then followed after Myrin.

"The fact that he returned means that the stampede was taken care of, right?"

Myrin nodded. "Most likely… With the help of the Snow Wyverns, it shouldn't have been that hard. I wonder where Uruk and Isha are…"

Soren shrugged, "Most likely going back for their trusted family member… Zaya or whatever her name was?"

They continued to converse until they reached the designated building. After greeting the guard standing by their door, the pair entered inside casually. Soren, however, locked it behind him.

Myrin noticed this and frowned. "What are you up to this time…"

With a slight smile, he sheepishly looked at him and answered:

"Nothing much… Just signing a contract with another spiritual entity…

"No, a better phrasing would be… coercing it to like me."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.