After the Celestial Emissary was killed by the two women, it was time to head to the last place Alex wanted to visit in the Upper Cathedral Ward. Alex didn't know how Ebrietas would react when they came to her. Just because she didn't attack in the game didn't mean the same would happen in reality.
The only thing that irritated Alex in this situation wasn't the possibility that Ebrietas might be aggressive, but the smell coming from her. He had already encountered a similar scent in the past and definitely didn't want to deal with anything that smelled like that.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Alex suggested to Alucard and Maria that they move on to finish with this place. As they climbed the stairs, Alex let out a heavy sigh, which drew the attention of both Alucard and Maria.
"Why are you sighing again? Every time you sigh, something unpleasant follows," Alucard asked, climbing the stairs beside him.
"I don't like the smell coming from beneath this cathedral," Alex said, shaking his head.
"What's wrong with the smell? I assume you're sensing Ebrietas," Maria said, climbing the stairs after him.
"I've smelled this before. And the fact that Ebrietas smells the same gives me a headache," Alex replied, turning his head toward Maria with a tired smile.
Maria frowned slightly, realizing that the situation with Ebrietas was more complicated than it seemed. Especially since Alex had already encountered a being with the exact same smell in the past. She remembered what had happened in the Hunter's Nightmare, and how Alex had referred to Kos by a different name — the name of the one whose daughter Kos was.
Thinking about it, Maria realized she couldn't remember any other name for Kos, nor the other name that had been mentioned at that moment. Not understanding what was happening, she looked at Alex. She thought she should ask him why she couldn't remember those names when she had clearly heard them.
Meanwhile, Alex approached a large stained-glass window that led to the upper floors of the cathedral. He extended his hand and touched the window with his finger. In that instant, the large stained-glass pane exploded, and shards of glass flew into the cathedral. After breaking the window, Alex jumped down first, crushing an offspring of Ebrietas beneath his feet.
After waiting for Alucard and Maria to jump down, Alex moved forward. They found themselves on the upper balcony of the cathedral. Leaning over the railing and looking down, Alex even thought for a moment that they were above the Grand Cathedral. But he quickly shook his head, realizing that wasn't the case. Many details below didn't match those in the Grand Cathedral, except for the large altar in the hall.
"The way down is at the end of this hall," Maria said, pointing toward an archway.
"I hope this goes smoothly," Alex said, bringing a cigarette to his lips.
"What could possibly go wrong? Especially if you don't want it to," Alucard asked, giving her husband an interested look.
"I'm not worried about Ebrietas herself, but about the one who is her mother," Alex said in a tired tone, exhaling cigarette smoke.
"Who is Ebrietas's mother?" Maria asked, walking beside him.
"One very unpleasant goddess… Extremely unpleasant," Alex replied, shuddering slightly.
"What kind of goddess could make even you react like this?" Alucard asked, seeing such a reaction from her husband for the first time.
In response to Alucard's question, Alex pursed his lips, his entire expression showing that he didn't want to discuss this goddess. Alucard only narrowed her eyes, feeling even greater interest in the being her husband didn't want to deal with. Maria was also quite surprised by Alex's behavior.
After all, in the time she had known him, Maria thought Alex would react with such strong aversion toward anyone. Because of this, she too became very interested in this goddess whom Alex preferred to remain silent about.
Not wanting to continue the topic, Alex moved forward to reach the platform and finally descend. He wanted to finish with this place as quickly as possible and move on.
Reaching the end of the hall along the upper balconies, Alex, Alucard, and Maria entered a small room in the center of which was an elevator platform that could take them down. Stepping onto the pressure plate, the platform began to descend. Ebrietas's sanctuary was located deep underground, and the platform slowly lowered, giving Alex time to think through his plans in case he had to use force.
Alex didn't consider it a coincidence that the second Great One turned out to be the offspring of those Gods with whom living beings were better off having no connection. As for the other three Great Ones, Alex also believed they would be connected to certain beings. Thinking about why the offspring of such entities had ended up in this place, Alex couldn't help but find it absurd.
But Alex had no intention of changing his plans — to remove all influence of the Great Ones on this world. First, however, he needed to decide which path to take: visit the places he originally wanted, or head straight to the end. After thinking for a moment, Alex turned to Maria to ask for her opinion. After all, one of the places he wanted to visit concerned Maria herself.
"Maria, do you want to go to Cainhurst?" Alex asked after finishing his thoughts, while the platform continued to descend.
"Why are you asking something like that at a moment like this, my Hunter?" Maria asked, turning her gaze to him.
"I don't know… I just thought you might want to return to Cainhurst," Alex said, shaking his head.
"I left Cainhurst long ago. And I see no reason to return there. There's no one left there for whom it would be worth going back… Cainhurst stopped being my home a long time ago," Maria said, looking at Alex with a calm smile.
"I see… Then I think we'll head straight to Byrgenwerth. You don't mind, do you, Carmilla?" Alex asked, stroking his chin and turning his gaze to Alucard.
"Depends on what interesting things are in that castle," Alucard replied in a lazy tone, turning her head toward him.
Alex thoughtfully stroked his chin, recalling what was in Cainhurst that would make it worth visiting. While the platform continued to descend, he began listing everything he remembered about Cainhurst, including their vast library, the Hunter Logarius who had cursed himself to prevent the ruler of the Vilebloods from leaving Cainhurst Castle.
When the name Annalise was mentioned, Maria showed a slight reaction. Noticing this, Alex remembered that Maria was related to Annalise. But he didn't know the exact nature of their family relationship. After finishing his list of everything he remembered about Cainhurst, Alex looked at his wife, waiting for her reaction.
Hearing that there was essentially no one left in Cainhurst Castle except monsters, a cursed Hunter, and an abandoned Queen without subjects, Alucard quickly lost interest in the place.
"If no one wants to go there, then I'll send Greed to Cainhurst," Alex said, casually shrugging his shoulders.
"I wanted to ask back then… But who was that man who looked like you? And why did he have such a strange name?" Maria asked, looking at Alex with an interested gaze.
"They are my clones. They are quite… specific creations…" Alex said, looking away and pursing his lips slightly.
"Indeed, quite specific," Alucard said, chuckling at Alex.
Maria tilted her head to the side, not understanding why Alex and Alucard were speaking this way. Noticing her look, Alex simply shook his head, indicating that she would see for herself soon enough. The platform continued descending underground, and after a couple of minutes, it reached the bottom.
Alex hadn't expected the platform in reality to take longer to descend than in the game. Once at the very bottom, Alex, Alucard, and Maria saw a short corridor leading forward. This short corridor led into a very spacious cave deep underground. And this cave served as Ebrietas's dwelling. Even while still standing in the corridor leading into the cave, Alex, Alucard, and Maria could see Ebrietas.
Walking through the corridor, they entered the cave, which looked like a long-destroyed temple with old statues that had survived the passage of time. Pieces of old stone walls, fragments of ancient statues, and pillars lay on the ground, partially submerged in water. And at the very end of this spacious cave was Ebrietas herself.
Ebrietas was a colossal chthonic being. Her face was almost absent in the usual sense. It seemed split in half and covered with strange growths resembling tentacles that surrounded her vulnerable head. The most obvious distinguishing feature from her kin was that instead of yellow eyes, she had green ones.
Numerous long, flexible tentacles extended from her head and upper body, twisting and intertwining with each other. From her back protruded enormous wings with a thin, branching structure resembling dried or charred tree branches.
Her wings looked fragile, yet a strange star-like light shimmered between the membranes. Her massive body resembled a giant slug with a bifurcated tail, as if it wasn't a tail at all, but an attempt to grow legs.
Seeing Ebrietas again, Maria didn't know how she should feel about this being now. Should she consider her an enemy and be wary after everything she had heard and seen? Or should she regard Ebrietas as the one whose blood had helped heal many people?
But Ebrietas's blood had also been used to cause countless people to suffer through experiments and the madness it induced. Clenching her fist, Maria didn't know how to react in this situation. Alucard, seeing Ebrietas with her own eyes, felt something very ancient and extremely powerful from this being. It was the same feeling she had with Cthilla.
Alex gestured for Maria and Alucard to stay back just in case. He knew Alucard was protected by the ring he had given her, but Maria was not. And so, to avoid unnecessary risk, Alex decided to approach himself and see whether Ebrietas would speak or decide to attack.
Walking across the water, Alex lit a cigarette, trying to ignore the strong smell that hung in the air. Each step he took across the water created ripples as he drew closer to Ebrietas. When Alex got close enough, Ebrietas's massive body twitched slightly, and she began to turn.
Noticing the movement, Alex stopped in place, exhaling cigarette smoke forward. Ebrietas slowly turned her colossal body, and her bright green eyes fixed on Alex, carefully examining him. Feeling such an intense gaze, Alex brought the cigarette to his lips and took a light drag.
"Who are you, visitor from another world…" Ebrietas said in a quiet voice, staring intently at Alex.
Ebrietas's voice resonated as if it vibrated with the space inside the cave itself, bouncing off the thin lines of the dimension. Alex calmly blinked, realizing that Ebrietas understood he was not from this world. Exhaling cigarette smoke, he narrowed his eyes slightly.
Alex couldn't help but notice that there was no hostility in Ebrietas's eyes — rather, a slight interest in him. Ebrietas continued to stare intently at Alex, trying to understand who he was. She sensed a very familiar scent from him — one she hadn't smelled in a very long time.
"I'm just a passing visitor, Ebrietas," Alex said in a carefree tone, flicking the extinguished cigarette aside.
"A visitor… Yes, a visitor… It's been a long time since I've had visitors. What cycle is this now… Yes, the cycle… It has changed… You changed it. Why?" Ebrietas said, twisting slightly and tilting her massive head forward.
"Does that matter? You'd better answer why you gave your blood to humans. What were you trying to achieve?" Alex asked, narrowing his eyes and looking directly into Ebrietas's eyes.
"Family… I wanted to help… I wanted to protect them from him… My blood was supposed to save them," Ebrietas said in a sad tone, gently moving her body and swaying from side to side.
Alex was stunned by Ebrietas's words. He clearly didn't believe that a being like Ebrietas simply wanted to protect humans. Especially considering whose offspring she was.
But Alex didn't hear a single lie in Ebrietas's words. Even her sadness wasn't fake. And what interested Alex was whether Ebrietas was so naive that she didn't understand how dangerous her blood was for humans. Looking at Ebrietas with doubt, Alex tilted his head to the side, and Ebrietas mirrored the gesture.
"I might have believed you if I hadn't seen what humans did with your blood, Ebrietas. And don't say you didn't know what your blood was being used for," Alex said calmly, raising his gaze to her.
"I knew… I thought that if I gave them enough blood… they would finally become better. But they only got worse. I wanted to protect them. I wanted my blood to become a shield for them. But they… they drank it like greedy beasts, thinking only of themselves," Ebrietas said in an even sadder tone.
"Alright… I'm completely confused now. It's hard for me to believe that a child of the Black Goat could love humans," Alex said, stroking his chin.
"I was born from her womb… But I was rejected," Ebrietas said, leaning her head even closer to Alex.
Hearing Ebrietas's words, Alex thought he must have misheard. He was clearly surprised that the Black Goat had rejected her own offspring. Even for someone like him, this information seemed very strange and wrong. Alex considered it a very strange joke that Ebrietas was a rejected child.
But on the other hand, he understood the reason. This was the first time he had encountered such a being that showed care for creatures like humans. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Alex began to wonder what he should do with Ebrietas. But first, he needed to hear the full story from Ebrietas herself. And if everything was as he thought, Alex wouldn't mind helping her.
"I might guess why you were rejected. But perhaps you could tell me yourself?" Alex asked, lowering his hand from his face and looking at Ebrietas again.
"My mother… rejected me. She said I was corrupted… that I had become too interested in these fragile creatures. So she cast me here… like an unwanted offspring," Ebrietas said, slightly moving the tentacles on her face as she spoke.
"Your mother rejected you because you showed interest in humans. How ironic. In the end, humans also betrayed you," Alex said, shaking his head and feeling the full irony of the situation.
"Not betrayed… They could have changed. They could have become better. They were on the right path, but they were interfered with. They were twisted, cursed. They were made to crave blood. I couldn't stop them," Ebrietas said, once again expressing her anger.
Ebrietas flapped her wings so strongly that the space around her cracked and a powerful wind arose. The enormous cave began to crack at the seams, and stones fell from the ceiling. Her previously calm voice now dripped with anger toward those she spoke of.
Seeing what was happening, Alex took out a small black cube from his pocket and dropped it at his feet. The black cube glowed, and the next moment a barrier appeared around Alex and Ebrietas, creating a separate space. Alex knew which beings Ebrietas was talking about, but he was genuinely surprised by the anger with which she spoke of them.
"You gave humans your blood and knowledge. And you saw what they did with your blood. You saw how humans killed each other to become like you. Why didn't you come out and influence your beloved humans?" Alex asked, lighting a new cigarette.
"I couldn't… They locked me here. I saw what they did to my children. All my children disappeared, leaving only empty shells… I couldn't protect them," Ebrietas said in an even sadder tone, raising her gaze to the ceiling through which moonlight filtered.
"What about those small slimy things that look like you and are crawling toward you? Aren't they your offspring?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.
"They are not mine… I didn't want this. I didn't want them to be like me. It was they who did this to my children," Ebrietas said, once again expressing her anger.
Listening to Ebrietas, Alex realized that part of his theory had been broken by her. Originally, he had assumed that this world had become a playground for the Great Ones. But in reality, Ebrietas turned out to be someone who wanted to protect the humans of this world, and this caused mixed feelings in Alex.
He would have liked to say that Ebrietas was lying, but he simply didn't see it. Using his magical vision, Alex saw invisible chains binding Ebrietas's body, literally tying her to this cave and preventing her from leaving, allowing her only to watch what happened to those she wanted to protect.
Narrowing his eyes, Alex clicked his tongue, noticing that those who had bound Ebrietas to this place had done a thorough job, even locking her consciousness here so she couldn't communicate with humans, only allowing her to see what was happening to those she tried to protect. Continuing to listen to Ebrietas, Alex rubbed his forehead, feeling an oncoming headache. At that moment, he no longer knew what to do with her.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Alex tried to process everything he had heard. Ebrietas was the daughter of the Black Goat, who had exiled her own offspring to this world because she was different from her other children. Ebrietas herself had shown sympathy and love for humans and wanted to protect them.
Ebrietas had voluntarily shared her knowledge and blood with humans for their protection. And by doing so, she had not only failed to protect them but had partially contributed to their downfall. By making contact with humans, Ebrietas had given them a reason to seek answers about truth and the possibility of ascension.
And all of this had led to other Great Ones beginning to corrupt humans through blood and knowledge. And to prevent Ebrietas from interfering by trying to protect humans, they had locked her in this place, forcing her to watch as those she tried to protect turned into mad monsters.
"Fuck, what am I supposed to do with you, Ebrietas?" Alex said, rubbing his forehead because he was tired of thinking.
"Free my children from their nightmare… Help them," Ebrietas said, leaning her head even closer to Alex.
"First, don't bring your face so close… And second, I was already planning to destroy everything here. But what should I do with you? I can't send you back to the Chaos," Alex said, holding out his hand in front of him to prevent Ebrietas from getting closer.
"I don't want to leave. This is my home. When my children are free, I will be able to protect them," Ebrietas said, moving the tentacles on her head.
"Even from your mother?" Alex asked, smirking slightly.
"Leave her here, Destruction. The Black Goat will not come to this world," Yog's calm voice sounded behind Alex.
Hearing Yog's voice, Alex's eyelid twitched slightly, and he turned his head. He saw Yog lazily sitting on a broken stone pillar, slowly eating candies. At that moment, Alex wanted to say everything he thought about the current situation. Now he understood who had interfered with his portal, and it was Yog.
Gritting his teeth, Alex realized that even if he expressed everything to Yog now, she would simply say that he owed her. Seeing Alex's look, Yog looked at him with her calm gaze, confirming his thoughts. Looking into Yog's eyes, Alex understood that all his complaints about this not being his job to deal with the offspring of Outer Gods were pointless.
Ebrietas froze in place the moment Yog appeared. She knew who or what this was. And even her mother was not as terrifying as Yog. Yog popped another candy into her mouth and shifted her gaze to the daughter of the Black Goat. After a brief look, Yog lowered her gaze back to Alex.
"Fine, if that's what you say… I hope the Black Goat doesn't show up on my doorstep," Alex said, exhaling heavily through his nose.
"She won't. I don't want that any more than you do, Destruction. The Chaos is already noisy enough. I don't want it to get even noisier," Yog said, appearing beside Alex.
"I'm counting on that. What about the other three? Will you take them too, like Cthilla?" Alex asked in a dry tone, not believing Yog's words.
"Kill them. Their little territorial battle has begun to disrupt the balance," Yog said, raising her head to look at Alex.
"Fine… I owe you anyway. Next time, don't interfere with my portal. And come yourself," Alex said, rolling his eyes.
"I will… Now you can go, Destruction," Yog said, nodding slightly and looking at Alex.
Alex shook his head and began to leave. The meeting with Yog had only helped him learn that she had interfered with his portal, and that his father had nothing to do with it. He had also learned that the offspring of the Outer Gods were fighting for territory in this world. Everything else no longer mattered.
Passing through the barrier, Alex touched it with his finger and looked at Ebrietas. He thought he should destroy the chains that bound her. But he immediately decided it wasn't necessary. Once those who had bound her were dead, the chains would disappear on their own.
Walking across the water to return to Alucard and Maria, Alex felt exhaustion from how the conversation had gone — a conversation that had essentially been completely useless to him. Approaching Alucard and Maria, Alex stopped in front of them and looked at them with a tired gaze.
"Let's go. I need some fresh air, or my head is going to explode," Alex said, entering the corridor to ascend to the surface.
"What happened there? And what about Ebrietas?" Maria asked, following him.
"She's kind of good. That's honestly surprising," Alex said, stepping onto the platform to go up.
"But your facial expression says something completely different, my love," Alucard said, standing beside Alex and leaning on his shoulder.
"Oh, it's complicated. It's actually about something else," Alex said, pressing the plate once Maria had stepped onto the platform.
"What is it? It seems like it's not that simple," Maria said, folding her arms across her chest.
"It's actually very simple," Alex said, shaking his head.
While the platform rose upward, Alex saw no reason to hide from Maria what was happening with this world. Upon learning the truth, Maria felt only anger and helplessness. From the very beginning, only Ebrietas had been on their side, while all the other Great Ones had used them as material for their territorial battle.
Taking several deep breaths, Maria quickly composed herself. Even knowing such information in the past wouldn't have helped her. And the current situation could only be resolved by Alex, and no one else. Alucard refrained from her sarcastic remarks. After all, the same situation was happening in her own world.
When the platform reached the top, Alex, Alucard, and Maria returned the same way they had come. All Alex was thinking about at that moment was that there wasn't much left. He just needed to complete the final steps, and it would all be over. He only needed to reach the necessary places.
Leaving the garden and climbing onto the bridge, Alex looked at Maria, who was walking silently beside him. Leaning his head slightly forward, he looked into her eyes, drawing her attention. Maria turned her head toward Alex and gave him a calm smile, showing that she wasn't worried.
Noticing that Maria had calmly accepted this truth, Alex smiled slightly and winked at her. Maria chuckled softly at his action and continued walking. Passing by the orphanage doors, they descended the stairs and began walking across the bridge to leave the Upper Cathedral Ward.
"When all this is over, I'm taking a week-long break," Alex said, sighing heavily and raising his head upward.
"Do you really think so? Do you actually have time for rest?" Alucard asked with an amused smile.
"Yes. I've earned a little rest," Alex said with a serious expression.
"Have you forgotten something? Or have you forgotten what's waiting for you when we return?" Alucard asked, looking at her husband with a mocking gaze.
Alex turned his gaze to his wife, not understanding what she was getting at. A moment later, he remembered that during the month he had spent in London, he had completely forgotten about what he would have to do upon returning. Covering his face with his hands, Alex groaned in irritation.
Alucard laughed when she saw his reaction. Maria, however, didn't understand what the conversation was about, but she understood that Alex had something ahead that he didn't like. Alex had forgotten that he would have to stop by the Federal Bureau of Control to fulfill The Board's request.
"How could I forget about them… I should have refused back then," Alex said, lowering his hands from his face.
"Should I remind you what you'll get as payment?" Alucard asked, continuing to look at her husband mockingly.
"No need. It's all my greed… But the payment for my help is worth it," Alex said, trying to think positively.
"What do you have to do?" Maria couldn't help but ask, leaning her head forward to look at Alex.
"I can show you everything. Including where I'm from and where we came from. In short, I can show you everything. Do you want to?" Alex asked, stopping and looking at Maria.
Maria looked thoughtfully at Alex, considering his question. After a brief hesitation, she nodded, showing that she wanted to know. She had no one left, and there was no place she could call home. And the only person she was close to was Alex, who had pulled her out of the nightmare and shown her the truth.
Maria had already wanted to leave with Alex after everything was over, so she wanted to learn everything about him. Seeing Maria's nod, Alex extended his hand and touched her forehead with his finger. When his finger touched her forehead, her mind was immediately filled with new memories. Maria swayed slightly from the flood of information and nearly fell to the ground. Alex caught her and lifted her into his arms like a princess, giving her time to process all the memories he had shared with her.
Alex had wanted to do this back in the Hunter's Dream, but he had completely forgotten and had only shared his memories with Doll. Carrying Maria in his arms, Alex and Alucard left the Upper Cathedral Ward. Their next destination was the Forbidden Woods, which they needed to pass through to reach Byrgenwerth.
To be continued...
(Now that's what I call a wonderful day. I was called into the office for work. And when I arrived for a perfectly ordinary meeting, the power went out. It turned out the electrical panel had burned out. I had to sit in the office for three hours because I had to. In short, I wasted almost four hours of my time. And I returned home late in the afternoon, hungry, angry, and with a headache. All in all, the day was a success. It can't get any worse. At least I wasn't hit by a car or stuck in the elevator. That's a plus. I'm going to go get something to eat. Peace, love, and when you look up, keep your mouth shut.)
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