The Golden Apple (2)
The scene Philly witnessed was but a fleeting moment.
“……Ah!”
A gust of wind seemed to sigh as Philly collapsed, her strength momentarily deserting her.
“Your Highness!”
Malia, startled, immediately knelt beside her.
Philly raised a hand to reassure her. Physically, she was perfectly fine.
It was just...
“……Malia.”
Philly looked at her.
Right now, it was Philly who had fallen. But in the future Philly had glimpsed, it was Malia who was slumped on the ground.
Her tear-stained face, though visible for a mere second, was etched clearly in Philly's mind.
“……? What's wrong, Your Highness?”
Malia, puzzled by Philly's expression, was naturally oblivious to the situation.
Philly bit her lip.
‘……Who was it?’
It was definitely Malia who was crying. There was no mistaking it, as she had focused on Malia when the vision appeared.
But the man lying on the ground...
She couldn't quite place him.
‘It was too quick. I should have gotten a better look!’
Despite having experienced and utilized premonitions for so long, Philly had never encountered one like this before.
It was a true awakening of her power. The first of its kind.
And in her uncharacteristic fluster, she failed to identify the fallen man.
‘Considering the circumstances, it was probably Frondier…’
Malia, while generally gentle and kind, wasn't one to cry easily. In terms of mental fortitude, she was practically on par with her husband, Enfer.
For Malia to be weeping before someone like that, they must have shared a profoundly close bond.
A man with black hair, someone capable of reducing Malia to such despair...
The image that naturally came to mind was her son, Frondier de Roach.
‘……Frondier?’
However, a fundamental doubt gnawed at Philly.
Frondier dying?
‘It's unimaginable.’
Even with all his strength, Frondier couldn't cheat death. Philly knew that all too well.
And yet, she couldn't readily accept it.
‘……Then, could it be Azier? No, that makes even less sense.’
If Philly's belief was rooted in Frondier's indomitability, then her skepticism towards Azier's demise stemmed from logical reasoning.
Frondier was currently exposed to far greater dangers than Azier.
The threat of a God was the first, his absence from the continent the second, and his penchant for venturing into the most perilous situations the third.
Compared to that, Azier was relatively safe, especially considering his abilities.
“……My apologies, Malia. I must be tired.”
Philly shook her head, her thoughts still jumbled. For now, she decided to focus on Malia's report. It seemed quite urgent.
‘The future I saw can be changed. It always has been. As long as we're prepared, we can overcome this.’
As Philly reassured herself internally, Malia nodded and began her report.
“The devils are provoking the Gods in the western continent, Agoris.”
“……Provoking?”
Philly refrained from asking the source of this information. It was undoubtedly Frondier; she was aware of Malia's sensory link with him.
“Yes. Consequently, there's a risk of the Gods possessing humans imbued with their divine power and converging upon Palma, the capital of a nation in Agoris.”
“……Possessing humans……”
Philly frowned, recalling the recent incident where her daughter, Sale, had fallen victim to Odin's possession.
“So, those with divine power in our Empire are also at risk of being possessed.”
“Precisely. While the Olympians pose the most immediate threat, the actions of deities from other realms remain unknown.”
Philly tapped her finger against her lips.
The Zodiacs. Their movements needed to be ascertained first and foremost. Most of them possessed divine power. They might already be under the influence of these Gods.
“I'll dispatch individuals to monitor the Zodiacs. And if possible, we'll have those unaffected assist in containing the situation. Osprey doesn't possess divine power, so I'll reach out to him first.”
“Thank you.”
“……And.”
Philly paused, lost in thought.
The probability was low. But if that slim chance became reality, the chaos that would engulf the Empire was unimaginable.
Malia seemed to share her concern.
They both spoke simultaneously.
“……We need to check on Aster Evans.”
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