"Uh... you might have a bit of a misunderstanding about our line of work? That person and I are indeed in the same trade, but that doesn't mean we're on the same side!" Bartholos thought hard for a few seconds before coming up with a more fitting analogy. "The relationship between us should be considered 'competitors'—enemies don't exactly want to cross paths, heh heh heh!"

Aglaea let out a soft sigh. "...Fine. If you see Cypher again, tell her this for me: as demigods, we can never escape our duties."

—

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?

"Cypher? She's a demigod too? Didn't Aglaea say there were only two demigods in Okhema?"

"Bell, that's easy to explain. Even if there are only two demigods in Okhema, it doesn't mean there aren't any outside of it."

"Oh, right..."

Welf sat opposite Bell, enjoying a glass of chilled ale. Seeing Bartholos's slick demeanor, he rubbed his chin curiously. "Still, for a monster-like fellow like that to know a demigod? It seems he's not just a petty thief; his connections are quite broad."

"Cypher... she must be the Trickster Demigod who returned the Kindling within the Genesis Vortex." Hestia recalled the totems she had seen inside the Vortex Heart. "Is her divine office theft and fraud? Even if she's already a demigod, surely she can't be that short on money?"

"Uh, Goddess... *ahem*." Bell let out a light cough as a reminder, hoping that while his Goddess was criticizing the demigods of Amphoreus, she wouldn't forget that as a deity herself, she was still squeezed into that tiny, dilapidated church basement with him.

From that perspective, being a god and having money shouldn't be directly related, right?

"Lady Hestia, perhaps that demigod didn't choose theft and fraud because she lacked money." Liliruca set down her teacup, her small figure almost hidden by the back of the chair. She cleared her throat and said, "Before I met Master Bell, I also used to steal. However, my thinking back then was very simple: while making a living, I wanted to get revenge on those Adventurers."

"So, you think that demigod steals for revenge as well?"

"No." Liliruca shook her head gently. "Some people grow up in poverty, suffering from hunger and cold since childhood. Once they become wealthy, they will extort and plunder ruthlessly. Even if they know they can't spend all the money in their hands in this lifetime, they still won't give up their obsession with wealth. Ultimately, the desire for 'money' has been etched into their very marrow since childhood."

"I suspect that Trickster Demigod might be the same—she is no longer short on money, but'stealing' is simply an instinct in her life."

—

The other two locations where filth was buried were also quickly cleared by Aglaea. However, just as she was preparing to return to see Tribbie, she suddenly felt an unusual movement from behind.

"Who's there? Show yourself before the golden threads are stained with your blood."

Caenis walked out with a cold sneer. "Tsk tsk, as expected of a demigod. Even an assassin like me, who has spent half a lifetime doing 'Cleansing,' can't escape your senses."

Aglaea asked coldly, "Lady Caenis, what is the meaning of this?"

"Heh... no need to pretend. You discovered my informants long ago, didn't you?" Caenis said bluntly. "You deliberately didn't expose them so that we would let our guard down, believing your every move was within the rules of the The Senate—am I right?"

"...When it comes to a conspiratorial heart, even Zagreus falls short compared to the The Senate."

"Heh heh... I'm flattered, Chrysos Heir. We mean nothing else, just to remind you once—the Chrysos Heirs' management of the Holy City is temporary; this is merely a custodial transfer of power during an extraordinary period." Caenis snorted coldly. "Gods have their ears and eyes, and humans have their ways of coping. When the time comes that the so-called oracle crumbles... the fate of Okhema will once again be held in the hands of its citizens."

Aglaea countered expressionlessly, "Back in the hands of the citizens... or back into your hands, Lady Caenis?"

"There's no need to be so aggressive. In the resolution vote back then, half of the senators refused to hand the Holy City over to you. I am but an insignificant member of the opposition. Continue on your own path, demigod, and give it your all to prove us wrong... but don't forget for a moment that in Amphoreus, even a 'god' cannot do as they please."

"I'd also like to see how long you can keep up this style of doing everything personally... heh heh."

With that, Caenis walked away with a mocking laugh, not looking back.

Feeling the vibration of the golden threads as the other party departed, Aglaea's brow furrowed. "I will do everything in my power to save Amphoreus, Lady Caenis. Whether it be from the hands of the gods... or from your hands."

—

The Legend of Hei.

"Senior Sister, I still don't understand." Xiaohei sat on a park bench, his legs swinging beneath him. "The Flame-Chase Journey is clearly beneficial to all the people of Amphoreus, so why do these people from the The Senate seem to relish the idea of Aglaea failing? If the Flame-Chase Journey fails, they will die too."

"Xiaohei, do you remember what General Huaiyan said before?" Luye looked down at him.

"Old General Huaiyan?"

"Mm-hmm." Luye closed her eyes and recited the memorable warning Huaiyan had given to Jing Yuan for Xiaohei. "'Some Vermin doubt your loyalty and judge you to be senile and witless. They delight in seeing the Divine Foresight General fail because it is their nature; having no achievements of their own, they only crave to witness the failure of others as nourishment for their survival.'"

"Weren't you curious before about what those 'Vermin' looked like? Look... haven't they appeared now?"

"In other words, the The Senate has no achievements of its own and just craves Aglaea's failure?" Xiaohei's expression grew more dejected; for the first time, he felt the world of adults was so complicated. "But facing an imminent threat, shouldn't the entire strength of Okhema be gathered to deal with the crisis? Why must they still attack each other?"

"A united front and sharing a common enemy are often just the ideal states people envision when facing external crises, but real people are much more complex. Some see a crisis as a disaster, others see it as an opportunity to consolidate power, and still others profiteer from national crisis and amass wealth before an external invasion... such people are too numerous to count, and Caenis is just one of them."

Luye sighed deeply. "Furthermore, from her tone, it seems a large force is gathering within Okhema that opposes the Chrysos Heirs and the Flame-Chase Journey. It seems the threat they face is far more than just the Nautilus."