Just as we were about to leave, a creature suddenly appeared out of nowhere and blocked our way. It had a humanoid shape, but I couldn't sense a soul from it.
A puppet…?
It instantly charged at us.
I immediately stepped back to avoid its pounce, but the moment I did, it appeared in front of me again and lunged. With no other option, I used [Diamond Body] to block the attack.
The impact didn't wound me, but it still left my wings numb. I took that chance to land a punch that sent it flying backward.
Its speed was incredible, and the strength behind each strike was not to be underestimated.
I couldn't afford to be tied up with it.
I unleashed a flurry of [Spider Silk] to entangle it, but it swiftly pulled out a sword and cut through all of them, charging at me once more. Midway, however, Meradis fired off a spell that sent it flying.
I seized the opportunity to use Amaterasu from [Holy Magic] and tried to burn it to ash.
Just as I thought it was over, the puppet stood back up—even as the flames continued devouring its body.
So stubborn!
I rushed forward and threw a full-force punch that shattered its body into fragments, mechanical parts scattering everywhere. But we didn't have time to inspect them, because I saw a swarm of guards heading our way.
"Let's go."
I led the way, but nearly every path was blocked by guards. It wasn't that I couldn't escape—I was waiting for that person to show up. We had to make it clear we needed help to draw him out.
As expected, just before the guards caught up to us, that same gaze appeared again, guiding us to a hidden passage.
Following it, we arrived at another room—still within the royal pyramid.
"Welcome, honored guests."
In the dim room sat a man pouring three cups of tea.
I approached and sat across from him, eyes closed.
Whatever this was, I'd leave the conversation to Meradis.
"Who are you?" Meradis asked.
"It's rude not to introduce oneself first, but I'll let it slide. I am Memez'Isvael, the younger brother of Emperor Solari."
Younger brother??
So he's one of the final bosses?
"Don't get the wrong idea. I am completely unlike my foolish brother."
Oh? Sounds like some internal strife.
"Then why did you call us here?" Meradis asked.
"You should introduce yourselves before we continue."
"I'm Meradis, and this is…" She hesitated to name me, then changed it to, "This is my friend. We're trapped here and simply wish to return."
A reasonable explanation—clear that we're not trying to seize anything. But why didn't she say my name?
"Where exactly are you trying to return to?" Memez asked, his tone firm. "Are you trapped in this country, or… in this era?"
Whoa…
I didn't expect him to know. And to say it so directly too. At least that saves us from making up excuses.
"You don't seem surprised." Meradis probed.
"I've already been shocked enough by my brother's stupidity. This is nothing."
To be foolish enough that your sibling says that out loud… must be something.
"So, can you help us?" Meradis asked.
"Before we go further, I need assurance." Memez replied, then pulled something out of thin air… a scale?
"This is the Scales of Justice. Both parties place a wager on the scale and take turns asking questions. If anyone lies, the scale will tip toward them and their wager will be lost."
What kind of toy is that?
Can it really be trusted?
Well, no harm in playing along.
"What do you want us to wager?" Meradis asked.
"For the first round, you can choose freely." Memez replied, sipping his tea.
Meradis gave it some thought and looked to me for input. I thought carefully too—this man could help us, so earning his trust was vital.
"My life."
Meradis stared at me in shock, but it was the fastest way. We didn't have time to waste. She sighed and accepted it. When she told Memez, he looked surprised too.
"You must be in quite a hurry. Very well. Just place your hand on the scale."
I did as instructed, as did Memez. In that moment, I felt something bind me—my soul, to be precise. But that meant Memez miscalculated.
The invisible chains could only reach the shield around my soul. If it came to the worst, I could still break free.
"Then let's begin."
He let me ask first. I decided to learn about the Heaven's Wheel Engine, which we still knew nothing about. "Its function," I asked via [Telepathy], directly into his mind.
"You can use this?" Memez looked surprised, then focused. "It gathers massive amounts of [Mana] to foresee the future and lead Arkanis to glory."
So it's for seeing the future... I see.
The scale didn't move.
"Next question: What does Arkanis look like in the future?" Memez asked.
"I don't know."
It was true. All we saw was a decayed pyramid in the Great Dungeon—nothing about the city itself.
The scale didn't react.
Memez looked displeased but said nothing.
"Who is the bearer of the chosen bloodline?"
"A kid named Rian."
No reaction.
So it's Rian, not Erin... which means there's still hope.
"How far is your era from this one?"
"I don't know."
No reaction.
I figured Meradis would know, but since I answered, oh well. Memez didn't look happy though.
"Who is Vao's Doros?"
"Solari's second brother."
Still no reaction.
Memez narrowed his eyes, pondering everything we'd shared. After a pause, he spoke: "All right, final question."
He stared at me, eyes sharp. "What is your true purpose in coming here?"
I frowned.
Our goal?
To return to the modern era, yes. But also to protect Rian and Erin. I couldn't say it all, and I couldn't lie either. After thinking carefully, I replied, "We are trapped here and want to return."
No reaction.
So it wasn't a lie.
But Memez chuckled softly, eyes like they could see through me. "Is that all?"
I didn't answer. He couldn't ask outside the allowed turn, but it was clear he didn't believe that was the whole truth.
Still, rules were rules. I still had one question left. I looked at him and asked directly. "What do you want from us?"
Memez smirked. He didn't seem surprised and calmly replied, "I want to overthrow Solari."
No reaction from the scale.
Meradis and I exchanged a glance.
So that's why he reached out to us?
Fine. Since my part was done, I let Meradis handle the rest.
"Then why don't you do it yourself? Why involve us?" She asked.
"You have strength. I have power." He rested his chin on his hand, eyes on me. "And I believe we can help each other." He smiled. "Shall we cooperate?"
He was right. With his identity, this partnership would benefit us.
I turned to Meradis—her decision now.
"All right." She answered almost without hesitation.
"Then let's start over. That little game didn't get us far. Especially since I got barely any useful information."
Meradis nodded and explained the answers to him. Memez looked surprised that Meradis knew while I supposedly didn't. It wasn't that I was lazy to learn. I just let her take the lead in conversations.
"What's the deal with the Heaven's Wheel Engine?" Meradis asked.
"At first, I thought it was a scam. But thanks to you, I'm reconsidering. Still, I won't retract my opinion that Solari is a fool."
Memez sighed heavily.
"This all started over a thousand years ago. The first king of Arkanis met a mage who warned of a disaster threatening the nation. But the mage didn't specify what kind, so no one believed him. Over generations, however, as the country declined, the kings began taking the prophecy seriously and tried to prevent it."
"They did everything to see the future and escape their fate. That's when research began—and the [Awakening Resonator] was their first attempt, but it didn't work well enough."
"Things got worse, and the research was abandoned. But now, my brother has revived it with the idea of the Heaven's Wheel Engine."
"He came up with that on his own?" Meradis asked.
"Yes, and he's obsessively stubborn about it. It's nearly complete now—only lacking a massive energy source to activate it."
"What are the requirements for the chosen one?" Meradis asked.
I was curious too. Why was Rian targeted?
"They must carry royal blood."
So Rian is linked to the royal family? Surprising, but given his talent, maybe not.
"Rian's royalty?" Meradis was just as shocked.
"He's the son of a maid who had relations with the previous king. Only recently discovered, which made him Solari's target."
Meradis was about to ask more, but I stopped her. I wanted to confirm something else. Using [Telepathy], I whispered my thoughts. She nodded, then asked Memez:
"Does Rian have any siblings?"
"According to our investigation, no."
So Erin isn't blood-related. That's good—she won't get dragged into this.
"How far along is the plan?" Meradis asked.
"During the upcoming Sun Festival, the boy will be offered to the dragon god Lorastic. Through him, the Heaven's Wheel Engine will activate and reveal the future."
Hmm… something feels off.
If it were just a plan, that'd be fine—but involving that serpent? I don't like it.
"Why royal blood?" Meradis asked.
"Direct royal descendants have high magical talent and far greater mana reserves than normal. Right now, only four of us hold that blood. I control almost all of Arkanis's economy and military, so Solari can't sacrifice me. Vao's Doros is useless, but he was protected by the previous king's blessing, so Solari can't touch him either. That leaves Rian—a child without background—as the chosen one."
Blessing…?
I want to eliminate that guy to protect Erin, but that won't be easy.
"Do you think this plan will succeed? What's your end goal?" Meradis asked.
"As I said—I want to overthrow Solari. I run almost everything in Arkanis, and I won't let his obsession drag us all into ruin."
"Why go that far?"
"He trusts the Dragon God too much. Even his own brother's words mean nothing. A king who only listens to one side will cause disaster. Worse, the so-called god has never truly done anything for Arkanis. Solari is just too blind to see it."
The more Memez spoke, the more convinced I was that this was all a scheme by that serpent. It was using Solari to find food and recover.
It might even be mind-controlling him.
I looked at Meradis—she seemed to think the same.
"You want to stop the ritual, then?" Meradis asked.
"If possible, I'd rather not sacrifice royal blood for an uncertain cause. But the Dragon God's power is overwhelming. All I can do is wait."
"What about now?"
Memez looked at us, smiling faintly. "Now… I think I have enough strength." He took a sip of tea. "I want you to stop the sacrifice and protect the royal bloodline."
"What do you think, Shiraori?" Meradis asked privately.
"It's exactly what we want, so no problem." I replied. With Memez backing Rian, we just had to deal with anyone targeting Erin.
"Agreed." Meradis said.
And with that, one problem was solved.
Efficient and smooth—just the way I like it.