As Caen stood there, grappling with the weight of his past actions and their repercussions on the present, he felt a surge of determination.
He knew he couldn't change the past, but he could take responsibility for his choices and kill the bastards who attacked his home. Only his anger was his saving grace because it protected himself from completely breaking apart emotionally.
Only his anger kept his mind distracted from the reality of his loss.
With a deep breath, he turned to the Elder Gods and said, "I will lead you in this fight. We will face Ezekiel and Gabriel together, and I will do everything in my power to make things right."
The Elders revealed a gleeful look. With Caen's support, they believed that everything was going to be right.
"But first, we need a plan. Take me to where the other Gods are staying," he spoke.
His words stunned all the gods. Caen was known to be an impulsive person. Plan? Schemes? These words weren't even in his vocabulary since he solved everything with overwhelming strength.
They had thought that he was going to attack Ezekiel as soon as he heard what happened, but the reality was quite different. .
They didn't know that Caen had just suffered a loss at the hands of a person where he couldn't even fight back, all because he didn't know anything about that person and underestimated everyone else. He didn't want to make the same mistake.
It was a different thing to lose a battle, but to lose a battle against the killer of his mother? He didn't even want to imagine that. No matter how long it took, he decided to know everything about Ezekiel first, including studying his battle tactics.
The Elder Gods nodded in agreement, relieved to see that Caen was at least taking charge and accepting the burden.
They knew that their chances of success were much higher with him leading the way. Even if he didn't directly attack, it was still better than nothing. It was only a matter of time.
As they began to discuss their strategy, Elysia and Fortunay stood by Caen's side, offering their unwavering support.
Even though they were sad that their homes were taken away, they felt glad that this happened, since this distracted Caen from their betrayal.
Moreover, thanks to this, their families came here, before Caen could realize that they had lied about that as well.
"We have found a small village in the Upper Realm where we're temporarily staying. All the Younglings are there as well." The Elder Gods informed Caen about their destination to meet the others.
They also informed the other gods to return to the Village as the search was completed.
All the Gods came together and opened a portal that led straight to the Southern World of the Upper Realm.
Caen took one last glance at this strange and unfamiliar lower world where he had found the Fragments of Heart of Eternity.
He didn't know how strong Ezekiel was, but if he was strong to the point that even he couldn't stand against him, Caen had a hope. Thanks to the Heart of Eternity, he finally had a chance to become even stronger.
Previously, he thought himself to be the strongest, just like his father used to be. But now he realized that he still had a long way to go.
Determined to reach new heights, Caen entered the portal of the Southern World.
In the Southern World of the Upper Realm, Caen found himself surrounded by the lush beauty of an unfamiliar landscape. Last time he came to the Upper Realm, he had arrived in the Northern World to kill Gabriel. The Upper World was where it all started, and now he was back here again.
The village where the Elder Gods were temporarily staying came into view, a haven nestled amidst the vibrant foliage.
As they approached, Caen noticed the Younglings, the next generation of gods, training and honing their abilities under the guidance of the Elder Gods who had stayed behind.
Some of the Children were personally being taught by their mothers. Seeing the sight, he remembered his own mother.
His expressions didn't show it, but he felt grief like never before, thinking that he was never going to see his mother.
In the past, he hated being scolded by his mother, but now he felt like he could give everything in his life, just to get that scolding again.
Elysia and Fortunay stood close by, offering their unwavering support.
As the Elder Gods welcomed Caen into the village, Caen came out of his daze. Even now, the Villagers didn't know that all the new people living in the Village were gods.
The Elder Gods introduced him to the Village and the Villagers. But Caen appeared to be out of it, barely reacting to anything.
"He's tired after the long journey. Allow him to rest." The Gods who brought Caen with them chimed in, realizing that Caen wasn't in the mood since he had just heard about his mother's situation.
They led Caen to a house that was already arranged in advance. The house had all the furniture replaced by the Gods to be the best of class, by god's standards.
As Caen entered the house, he could feel the divine energy radiating from every corner, reminding him of the immense power of the Gods. It was as if he was back in the Realm of Gods.
"Rest well, Your Highness. The others should be back by morning. Then we can discuss what to do next." The Elder Gods closed the door after leaving the room, so as to not disturb Caen anymore.
The Other Young Gods also found places to live. Most of them went to their families. They couldn't tell their families about the Fragment of Eternity because of the Heavenly Oath, but even if they could, they didn't dare. They didn't want to offend Caen anymore, especially at a time like this.
For a period, the Village had gained silence. But everyone knew that it was just the beginning. If it was a game of fate, then all the pieces were in place and now the game of blood was to start.
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[Author Note: End of Volume. Next Volume should be the last in the story]
