Legacy of the Dark Sage

The outsider who found Cyneah was none other than Flos.

How Flos came to be in Armakea was related to Aran's sudden escape.

Before Aran decided to use a puppet to replace him as he escaped into the underground section of the castle, he reached out to Layla once more. Though he knew it was futile because she had been missing after Filren's failed attempt at apprehending Achim and Kesiah, he still tried. Unfortunately, the communication device Layla gave Aran seemed to have been broken.

Aran, being an overly suspicious person, knew something was amiss. He even had an inkling that Layla's disappearance had something to do with Filren's failure and Achim and Kesiah's sneak attack. However, Aran also considered the possibility that the latter two might have gotten bold with their rebellion because an outsider had reached out to them.

The moment Aran felt that everyone around him seemed to be plotting against him, he heard a riveting and seductive voice speak in his mind, offering to help overcome his predicament.

Aran did not agree, of course, since he hated owing anyone a debt. Not to mention, accepting help from someone with a questionable background was equivalent to signing a contract with a devil. In any case, Aran hated the idea of owing a debt to another person, even more so giving that person leverage over his life.

But the voice insisted that she would not ask anything unreasonable from Aran and even offered to help him activate the Automaton with serial number xxxx.

When Aran heard this, he was first shocked that the person speaking to him telepathically knew about that particular Automaton. But then, his feeling of shock was soon replaced by temptation. He even started to delude himself that the person's timely appearance was a divine intervention.

Unfortunately for Aran, the moment he became delusional was the moment he had fallen under Deception's influence.

That was right. The voice that had spoken to him was none other than Deception.

Just as Kyran initially suspected when he and Dusk met Deception more than a month ago inside the Armakea territory. She lied about not realizing she had already entered the Armakea border because she was busy chasing after a fugitive.

Deception was not lying about the fugitive. She was indeed chasing after one, but she was aware of her surroundings and did not care even if she entered Armakea because she planned to approach King Aran as well.

In any case, after Deception noticed that the outsider who first approached King Aran— for the record, she did not realize that the outsider was actually Layla— had been away and seemed to have gone missing, she waited for the right moment to step in.

When Kyran and his side commenced their operation to take down Aran, Deception saw that as her opportunity and grabbed it.

Fortunately for Kyran, Deception was hiding in a space created by Obstruction close to the castle's underground section and did not see him at work. If she did, she might not recognize his face, but she would definitely recognize his moves, which then would inadvertently reveal his true identity.

This was only made possible because Deception had once witnessed Kyran's domineeringness, even while unconscious, back in the Human plane.

Aran agreed to Deception's offer and was asked to venture deep into the castle's underground section and wait inside the hall where the Automaton with serial xxxx was hidden. After that, Deception contacted Flos and Obstruction, informing them that her task had been accomplished.

When Deception contacted them, Flos was in the middle of infiltrating the Magical Beast Community's territory, while Obstruction remained in the Kingdom of Cretea.

With Flos being close to Armakea, he abandoned his plan to infiltrate the Magical Beast Community and went directly to Larkring. His decision was not due to him being rash. Instead, he believed that infiltrating the Magical Beast Community was no longer necessary if he could make Aran submit to them. Armake and the Magical Beast Community were allies, after all.

Coming from the direction of the Magical Beast Community, Flos would pass through the Royal Family members' area. That was how he sensed Cyneah— or, to be precise— the Macabre Glacier at work.

Flos was ecstatic after realizing that the elusive Macabre Glacier was indeed in Somuli.

For the record, Flos, along with several others, had heard of the Eidum's Saint and had believed she was Cyneah. But, after much investigation, they discovered that the Eidum's Saint was different. Though there was a possibility of her changing her appearance, it was not only her appearance that did not coincide with Cyneah. Even her temperament, body build, and voice were different.

While there was a possibility that the Saint they saw was a fake, in order to protect the real one, this possibility was debunked after the Somuli Sovereign confirmed her identity.

Flos and the others did not doubt the Somuli Sovereign's words. After all, he wanted the Saint for himself and needed their help. Why would he lie to them?

Alas, that was precisely the question. Because if the Abbot and Nahir found out that the Saint whom the Somuli Sovereign showed Flos and the others was Cyneah's double, they would really ask that very question.

Why did the Somuli Sovereign lie to Flos and the others? Was it because he was afraid of getting exposed as a fake Sovereign? Maybe? But was it really the case?

The answer to those things was only known to the Somuli Sovereign.

Flos and his people, oblivious to the Somuli Sovereign's lie, had long abandoned the idea of approaching the Eidums. To them, the latter were too weak to be of use to them. They were only interested in recruiting the Abbot and maybe the Saint, as well, but compared to them, Flos and his people were far more interested in recruiting Aran, the Armakea Knights, and finally, the Armakea's hidden trump card, the Automatons.

With Flos coming across Cyneah, he decided to postpone their meeting with Aran. To him, the Macabre Glacier was obviously the most important.

Everyone in the underground shelter gaped at Flos's silhouette as he descended from above.

Tentacle-like roots appeared, scuttling all over the now-ruined walls of the underground shelter.

Nahir and the rest of the complete beings had a slight frown on their faces while they glared at the descending figure. They had been listening to the latter prattle on for some time, yet they could not understand a thing he was saying.

None of them knew the language the descending figure had used— no, that was not entirely right because there was one who was aware of the descending figure's language.

It was the same language Kyran and Cyneah had spoken when they thought no one was listening, and only Nahir was aware that they were speaking in the human's native tongue

Nahir furtively looked toward Malek and the rest of the humans at the corner of his eyes. He noticed their complexion had paled. But compared to them, Cyneah's was the palest.

Whether her pale complexion was because she had just cast an active spell, Nahir could not tell. But he, at least, knew that the descending figure was an outsider the humans were not fond of.

Malek scowled at the Flos. He, along with the rest of the humans there, had long gone missing from the Human plane before Flos made an appearance at the latter part of the war a few years back. Nevertheless, they had already heard from Gael about what happened. Although they did not know what Flos and his people looked like, the fact that he knew Cyneah and what she did back then gave them an idea of who he was.

"I am not the new Soul Emperor," Cyneah replied. The determined look in her mirror-like eyes and unwavering tone did not betray anything of her real emotions.

Flos chuckled, "You can deny that, but the fact that the Macabre Glacier resonated with your magic already confirmed your identity, Soul Emperor."

This time, Flos intentionally spoke using the Somulian language, causing those who knew about the Macabre Glacier and what the name Soul Emperor entails to gasp in shock.

This was especially true with the seven Elders from the Royal Family. They all looked toward Cyneah, whom they more or less guessed was the recipient of the descending figure's words.

"Stop talking nonsense."

Malek was the first one to disregard Flos's words. Simultaneously, his eyes flashed as he cast a large-scale lightning storm. His target was not Flos but the scuttling tentacle-like roots that were inconspicuously approaching their side.

KKKRSSHHH!

An ear-piercing shriek resounded as Malek's lightning storm struck the roots, turning them into ash.

Flos's eyes narrowed, not because he was offended by Malek's sudden attack but because he was amused by the latter's powerful attack.

"It seemed the Somuli had accepted you as one of its own. If not, your mage level should have been restrained since you are not a native inhabitant—."

CRACKLE! BOOM!

Before Flos could even finish what he was saying, Malek struck again. This time, he did not even bat an eye when he aimed at Flos.

"You talk too much."