Water splashed everywhere, and the entire bathhouse descended into chaos.
The camera no longer focused on Caenis, nor on Aglaea. The panicked crowd blocked the entire view.
And the audience's hearts completely sank into despair.
At first, everyone thought there might still be a turning point, only to witness with their own eyes an outrageously unjust murder!
No matter how much people played trolls or haters online. Deep down, that most lovable and simple sense of justice still existed.
People hated seeing the strong bully the weak, hated seeing the innocent suffer injustice, hated seeing good people go unrewarded, and likewise hated seeing heroes meet tragic ends.
What Caenis had done completely ignited the audience's fury.
Damn it. Why should a good person end up staring down the barrel of a gun?!
They refused to believe that a hero like Aglaea would meet her end in such a way.
The one who cared about everything was the one who lost. The one who disregarded everything was the one who laughed last.
Damn it. Why?
...
: AAAAAAH! HOLY SHIT! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, CAINES!
: Why would MiHoYo give Aglaea an ending like this?!
: A hero like her, a person like her, actually dying to a clown like Caenis!
: I seriously can't accept an ending like this!
: I'M ABOUT TO USE FLAME FIST ON CAINES!!!
: Please, someone tell me this is a fake death!
: This is ridiculous! So damn ridiculous!
: It's infuriating!
...
The audience was furious and aggrieved. Yet there was absolutely nothing they could do.
Of course, they wanted to see Aglaea rise up and slicing Caenis and her gang of clowns into pieces with her golden threads.
But, if she had really done that, would she still be Aglaea?
She could have torn those enemies apart in an instant with her golden threads. She could have hung Caenis from Dawncloud Cliff like a tyrant and put her on display.
But the moment she did that, the contingency Caenis had left behind would begin slaughtering civilians, and that little girl certainly wouldn't have survived.
The reason Aglaea was Aglaea, was because, in a moment like this, she chose to let go.
She was a leader, a protector.
She would never preserve her own life at the cost of innocent people, nor would she hide behind civilians to save herself.
That was the Goldweaver. A woman radiant as gold itself, proud and romantic.
It was precisely because the light shining from Aglaea was so dazzling that this sudden death left the audience feeling so wronged.
Many people didn't even pay attention to Aglaea's final words.
At the very end of her life, she was still murmuring Cipher's name.
The scene changed.
A millennium ago at Marmoreal Market...
Okhema was still bathed in brilliant sunlight. The bustling crowds and vibrant atmosphere stood in stark contrast to the scene from only a few seconds earlier.
Just a few seconds had passed, yet the audience felt as though an entire lifetime had gone by.
"Seamstress, I've come as promised! Look at this box full of gold and silver treasures. I bet there's stuff here you've never seen!"
"Come on, as we agreed, I want to buy the most valuable clothes you have!"
A petite girl in a cloak arrived before a shop, loudly announcing herself.
Inside the lavish tailor shop, filled with beautiful clothes, Aglaea stood behind the counter, sorting fabrics.
"Little thief, you've got some nerve, barging into my shop dressed in those tattered rags!"
"Let's see what you've brought."
The Aglaea of a thousand years ago was clearly far more human. She could even crack a dry joke.
The young Cipher proudly spread her goods across the counter.
"Here, take a look! Only the finest goods, see this sapphire? It's even more blue than Phagousa's eyes!"
Aglaea glanced at the sapphire and curled her lips slightly.
"Ah... Such exquisite luster... I've only seen an Ocean's Tear of this quality in my mother's treasury..."
Her tone was noticeably lighter, carrying a teasing hint directed at Cipher.
As expected, Cipher's smug expression immediately wilted.
"...Wait, you've seen one before? And here I thought I'd leave you speechless. Ugh, what a letdown."
Aglaea smiled.
"It's just an old memory. My family estate all burned to ashes long ago. This workshop is what I built from scratch."
Cipher snorted. "Wow, a daughter rebuilding her family business, how admirable... Heh, enough with the jokes. At least you did get to enjoy those luxuries."
Aglaea paid no mind to the sarcastic jab.
"Heh... Mind your manners, kitty."
"Tell me, Cifera, where did you come from, and how did you acquire these treasures?"
Unlike the Aglaea of a thousand years later, whose voice always carried the detached calm of someone who had seen all of life's hardships, every word she spoke now carried a youthful liveliness.
This was the Aglaea of a thousand years ago.
As the audience stared blankly at the screen, their anger had yet to subside, and a fresh wave of sorrow welled up inside them.
The difference was too great. They couldn't imagine how the Aglaea before them had become the nearly perfect leader she would later be.
"Ha, I won them fair and square in a bet. What, do you doubt me?" Cipher replied calmly.
"Speak up, seamstress! Give me a straight answer. Do you want these or not?"
Aglaea fell silent for a moment.
Then she said with confusion, "Strange, you're clearly lying to my face..."
"But my golden thread... doesn't tremble at all."
Cipher immediately became smug again.
"That's because I'm not lying. I've been telling the truth from the start."
Aglaea's lips curved upward.
"Is that so? But the scars and mud stains on your face tell another story."
"...!"
Cipher was startled.
Only then did she realize that despite all her precautions, she had failed to completely conceal her face.
Left with no choice, she removed her hood, revealing a small dust-covered face marked with several scratches.
The pitiful-looking girl was already puffing up in indignation.
" ...Oh come on, can't we just do business without all this chatter? Don't worry, I didn't leave any evidence, so no one will bother you."
Aglaea continued smiling as she looked at Cipher.
Those eyes, devoid of any highlights, were nevertheless far brighter than they would be in the future.
Under such a suspicious gaze, Cipher let out a huff.
"...Dealing with you rich people is such a pain, always wasting my time! Fine, if you don't want it, there are plenty of others who do..."
"...Hold on, who said I don't want them?"
Seeing Cipher about to leave, Aglaea said, "Your treasure, I'll accept it. But these alone aren't enough to purchase the Goldweaver's finest clothes."
Cipher's ears visibly drooped.
"That said, I do have something that would suit you perfectly."
Seeing her like this, Aglaea finally gave up on teasing her further and took out a pair of dazzling golden boots from beneath the counter.
Their lines, patterns, craftsmanship, materials, everything about them was absolutely perfect.
The moment Cipher saw the boots, her eyes lit up, and she couldn't look away.
"These golden boots are one of the Goldweaver's greatest treasures. Though not as valuable as the most precious gowns, they hold a magical power."
"Legend has it that Zagreus blessed these boots, allowing anyone who wears them to move swiftly and silently..."
"Put them on, Cifera, and don't get caught again. A face as lovely as yours deserves better protection."
Aglaea's tone became gentle, even somewhat doting. She pushed the golden boots toward Cipher.
The little thief somehow resisted the urge to snatch them immediately. Instead, she turned her head away and said tsunderely,
"Hmph, you rich folks just love sticking your noses in everything, don't you? Well, I'm taking these now, so don't get any second thoughts!"
Aglaea said nothing, simply looking at her with indulgent eyes.
Pressing her lips together, Cipher accepted the boots.
The screen suddenly went dark.
Only the conversation between the two remained.
"Uhh... hmm..."
"What's wrong?"
"Uh... do you have a smaller size? These are way too big for me..."
"...Well, I suppose you'll have to grow into them."
This little story from a thousand years ago left the audience feeling miserable.
The Aglaea of the past was so full of humanity, and her interactions with Cipher...
She was practically like Cipher's real mother, showering her with care and affection.
So the two of them had this kind of relationship?
....
: ...The Aglaea from a thousand years ago was way too gentle...
: I'm already numb.
: Their interactions are so heartwarming, but why reveal this now?! Damn it!
: They're twisting the knife again!!
: What's Cipher going to do? She still doesn't know about Aglaea's...
: If you're going to kill me, don't use family feels!
: I'm seriously about to explode from anger. Why do they have to do Aglaea like this?!
: And such a sudden blow too.
...
"...Fake! It's all fake!"
A shrill voice pierced through the darkness.
When the darkness faded, a comical dark-purple creature appeared on the screen.
The Spirithief, Bartholos.
At that moment, he was waving his claws and shouting in front of Cipher.
This was Styxia.
The warm little story the audience had just witnessed was something Cipher had been telling Bartholos.
After being interrupted, Cipher said helplessly,
"...Do you have to interrupt me in the middle of my story? Fake? What's fake?"
But Bartholos didn't answer. Instead, he stared at the golden boots on Cipher's feet and declared confidently,
"Those boots definitely don't hold Zagreus's divine power!"
"You're Amphoreus's most cunning liar, and even you were fooled by Aglaea, hehehe!"
Cipher rolled her eyes.
"Watch your mouth, or I'll feed you to the fish in the River of Souls!"
"Weren't you curious how I got tangled up with that seamstress? Well, now you know. Satisfied?"
....
"Satisfied!"
Bartholos nodded, then quickly shook his head.
"No, no, no. I didn't expect such a simple story. How disappointing."
The two began bickering.
Because of Aglaea's death, the audience failed to notice the many hints hidden in their words.
There was only one thing on their minds.
The short story just now, and the fact that Aglaea had still been thinking about Cipher at the very end, were enough to prove that the bond between them ran deep.
And perhaps the story behind it all, would soon be revealed through Cipher herself.
At this moment, Aglaea was already dead. Cipher knew nothing...
No one knew how she would learn the news, nor how she would react.
The audience didn't even dare think about it. Because it hurt too much. It made them too angry. Too unwilling to accept it.
Not long after, the two finally finished their argument.
Bartholos scratched his head and stammered,
"But, uh... Boss Lady, there's a chance Aglaea wasn't trying to trick you..."
The smile at the corner of Cipher's lips grew even more cunning.
"Huh? ...You're defending her?"
Bartholos immediately stood at attention.
"Uh... no, no! I just think the story's so moving... it'd be a shame to ruin it with a lie. If I could cry, I'd be in tears right now!"
"Ha! Good thing you've still got a sharp tongue, or you'd have been stuck guarding someone's front door ages ago."
"Enough chit-chat. Let's take a look at this place. The city of Styxia, look how beautiful she is!"
Cipher turned around and looked at the treasure-filled packages.
The conversation naturally shifted to the loot.
"Thanks to Castorice and Gray Mystery, the ancient city's barrier was finally dispelled. Now that I think about it, helping them was well worth it."
"Since Gray Mystery isn't around, I might as well pocket everything for myself!"
Cipher grinned smugly.
But when her gaze swept across the seawater, her expression immediately soured.
"Anyway... What's with all this water? It's damp, cold, and miserable here. I hate it..."
"Come to think of it, things were best when Gray Mystery was around."
Hearing this, Bartholos burst out laughing and mocked her,
"Hehe, the mighty demigod of Trickery... uneasy around water?"
Cipher suddenly laughed as well and waved her hand.
"You wouldn't understand! The people of Dolos are talented in many ways, just... not in swimming."
"Let's go find treasure. Hurry up and lead the way, or I'll have to reconsider how we split the profits."
Bartholos instantly changed his attitude and respectfully led the way, eagerly trying to flatter her as he walked.
"Boss, calm down, calm down. I was just joking. Surely you're not really changing the split, right?"
Cipher didn't answer. But the camera lingered on the curve of her lips.
And her inner thoughts echoed across the screen.
(Hmph... Not a good imitation.)
(I'll play along... Let's see where this goes, "Bartholos.")