Remnants (4)
“This incident has only deepened the Zodiacs’ suspicions.”
“The gods they believed in stole their very bodies. The shock must be immense.”
Almost all of the Zodiacs possessed divine power. The only exception was Osprey.
This fact clearly showed how much influence divine power had on human strength.
The Zodiacs now knew. Receiving divine power meant offering their bodies to the gods at any moment.
It meant accepting the possibility of losing their minds to the gods' possession, of waking up one day to find something missing.
Could they accept that?
If not, could they abandon their divine power?
“……Aster Evans. You know that name, don't you, Bartello?”
“Of course.”
“It’s said that he abandoned his divine power when he faced the Minotaur.”
Bartello’s eyes flickered with interest.
“He abandoned his divine power at such a dangerous moment? That’s a bold decision. Did he have some kind of realization?”
“He was ultimately able to defeat the Minotaur because of it, so I suppose it was the right decision.”
Philly also had many questions about that situation.
How was Aster able to kill the Minotaur?
No, why did Aster choose to abandon his divine power at that time?
She’d never heard of divine power being harmful.
But Aster knew. No, he felt it.
To defeat the Minotaur, he had to leave Baldur’s embrace.
“However, even after Aster defeated the Minotaur, the other Zodiacs didn’t abandon their divine power. We couldn’t find a correlation.”
“They all believe that Aster would be even stronger now if he still had Baldur’s divine power.”
They didn’t know. They didn’t know what would have become of Aster if he had relied on Baldur’s divine power. Only Frondier knew.
Even Frondier hadn’t considered abandoning divine power. If he had, he would have already overcome that point in the game.
And it wasn’t just a matter of abandoning divine power.
“But doubt has arisen. And that doubt is now approaching certainty.”
“The gods do not bestow unconditional grace upon us. That thought is becoming firmly rooted.”
It wasn’t just Philly and Bartello.
The imperial palace and many people in the Empire felt the change in the air.
“The Empire is changing, Bartello.”
“It’s frightening.”
Bartello’s voice was filled with worry. Philly looked at him, and he continued.
“I know this is the right direction. But I’m worried about how much blood the Empire will shed while walking this path.”
“……If we had simply relied on the gods, the Empire would have already burned to the ground during the Manggot War.”
“The gods wouldn’t stand for it.”
The Empire was certainly shaking. Perhaps it was a kind of growing pain, like removing a hand that covered the sky, breaking out of a shell.
But if the pain was too intense, wouldn’t it shatter before it could break free?
Could the Empire overcome this pain and rise again? That was Bartello’s worry.
‘Frondier…’
At times like these, he thought of that child.
The young man, barely 20 years old, who stopped the war.
Frondier, who was hailed as a hero and then fell as a devil, only to withdraw himself to prevent conflict within the Empire.
“We’ve driven away too much.”
Philly’s voice pulled him back. Bartello looked at her.
“I was thinking the same thing.”
“It’s no coincidence.”
Philly lowered her head.
“I always think of that child.”
Philly thought of Frondier constantly. Regret and affection for him, the news that constantly reached her, her own precognitive abilities – it was like watching over her own son.
So, if Bartello was thinking of Frondier, it was only natural for Philly’s thoughts to align with his.
“More than I thought has become empty in the Empire.”
Expelling Frondier from the Empire wasn’t just about expelling him.
It was clear that much more had escaped from the Empire along with him.
Things they could no longer even identify, things they could never recover or regain.
“I believe Frondier will return someday. Malia said so too.”
Malia made two promises with Frondier.
That he wouldn’t be hurt, and that the people of the Empire would offer him a sincere apology.
Both promises were predicated on one condition.
The day Frondier returned to the Empire.
“I wish the Empire would calm down a bit before that day comes.”
Philly sighed.
The Empire had won the war against the Manggot, defeating a massive force that threatened them.
While the monster offensive was still a threat, the Empire had succeeded in reclaiming many territories, including the path connecting to the Manggot’s domain.
But why did the Empire seem even more chaotic now than before the war?
“I hope the Zodiacs come to their senses soon.”
To make matters worse, Ludovic’s seat remained empty, with no news since he crossed the continent.
Of course, even before that, Ludovic had been consumed by guilt and had practically abandoned his duties, but the difference between his presence and absence was still significant.
Bartello asked,
“You said most of the Zodiacs haven’t recovered from the shock. Who’s the most affected?”
At that question, Philly’s eyes drooped sadly.
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