Instead, Aerialia fixed her attention on Orion and asked, "If he be not the god whom thou servest, then reveal unto me the name of the god whom thou dost serve."
"His name is Naka," Orion replied without hesitation. He wasn't telling Aerialia this only because it was the truth, but also because this might as well be his best chance to learn about Naka.
To know if Aerialia recognized Naka, or not…
To know if Naka was a god who had come from the other world, or …
"Naka? I haven't heard of that name before. Who is Naka? Is he also a god of this world?" Aerialia responded, breaking Orion out of his thoughts.
A deep, tired exhale escaped Orion's lips.
'I shouldn't have expected much,' he thought.
"He's the god that everyone in and outside of this village serves," Orion said.
However, seeing Aerialia's confused expression, he proceeded to explain everything to her, including the village and the Vylkr vines, before she could ask another question. He also used the opportunity to explain the current situation of White Flame and the Prismerion race.
The more Orion spoke, the more Aerialia's expression changed, becoming difficult for Orion to keep track of.
In fact, the colour on Aerialia's face had almost disappeared, making her look almost as white as a sheet.
For a long time, Aerialia couldn't say anything at all. Understandably, even a goddess of her calibre who had fought and killed other gods like herself needed a significant amount of time to accept and digest everything up to this point.
Her body and mind were currently in a state of shock.
Meanwhile, Orion shook his head at her sudden composure, unable to help but wonder how strong Naka was for him to create such a trial and imprison a god in a mountain while also having another guard it.
Whoever he was, one thing was certain—Naka was a formidable being, even among gods.
Gradually, after several minutes had passed, Aerialia finally regained her composure and locked her gaze with Orion once more.
"Though there be a chance that all thou hast spoken is falsehood, for such a thing doth sound improbable, yet..." Aerialia began her sentence with doubt and uncertainty in her eyes.
However, as she continued to speak, a sudden determination burned within her gaze, and she weighed it against Orion's, "I am willing to grant thee the benefit of the doubt. Until I witness it for myself, I shall naturally believe thou art telling the truth," she added.
Orion nodded in understanding. It was reasonable that Aerialia remained cautious and found it hard to believe his words fully; he would have done the same in her place.
Regardless, eyeing the four-meter-long greatsword beside him, he asked, "Can you make this greatsword less heavy now that you understand everything?" Orion refocused his gaze back at Aerialia.
Aerialia shook her head in response. "That won't be possible until I have seen and confirmed that everything thou hast told me is the truth," she then narrowed her gaze at the crimson greatsword mark on Orion's arms.
"Besides, I still understand not how thou wert able to perfectly bond with the divine artefact that I forged from mine essence, blood, and soul. Until I learn the truth myself, the restriction on the blade stays."
Seeing that Aerialia was firm about maintaining the weight, Orion made another attempt to lift it.
It took him several trials and exerting his full strength before he could successfully pick it up.
"I can increase the weight of the sword several times beyond what it should be. This means that, no matter how strong thou becomest, thou wilt need to exert thy full strength to wield it," Aerialia explained.
Orion understood. At least now he knew why the mark had itched intensely and shone brightly in the first place. As he was about to find a place to put the greatsword, the four-meter-long crimson greatsword in his hand suddenly flashed, dispersing into the air.
As for where it had gone, Orion didn't need to ask, as he instantly noticed that the crimson greatsword tattoo had regained its bright lustre.
Furrowing his brows a bit, Orion tried to summon it once more, and it worked. Seeing the crimson greatsword between his hands, Orion quickly put it away.
He focused his attention on Aerialia, who frowned at him.
"I need to go sleep and rest for tomorrow so that you can see everything with your own eyes and understand that I am not lying," Orion said.
Perhaps they might have a proper conversation where he could learn more about Aerialia and the Great War and see if she possessed any knowledge as a god that would be useful in their current world.
Silently, Aerialia nodded and slowly became transparent until she disappeared, transforming into thick whitish dust that slowly vanished into the air.
"I will be awaiting until then," a feminine voice suddenly sounded within his ears, as the crimson tattoo on his arm itched for a moment before it abruptly disappeared.
Although he figured that she might have done it on purpose, Orion didn't bother about what the goddess was thinking and merely went to sleep.
As he walked back into the hut, not forgetting to close the wooden door behind him, Orion immediately returned to his wooden mat to lie down and rest.
Suddenly, a quiet voice sounded beside him, saying, "Is everything alright, Orion?"
Orion felt a hand on his shoulders and immediately turned his head to the side to see Sura's deep brown eyes staring at him with a concerned expression.
"Didn't I tell you to go to sleep?" Orion said as he furrowed his brows.
From what Fifi and Lyra had told him, Orion knew that apart from pushing herself during her training as a warrior, Sura had also joined Fifi and the others in taking care of the women.
So, he also wanted her to get some rest naturally.
Sura shook her head in response, "You didn't look well when you woke up, so how can I go to sleep like that?" she replied.
Orion let out a tired sigh from his lips.
He wrapped his arms around Sura before dragging her closer to him.
After ensuring she was properly lying on his chest, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
"Well, I'm okay now, so you can go to sleep," he said, staring at her as he brushed her hair with a warm smile on his lips.
Sura nodded in understanding, casting one last glance at Orion before closing her eyes and drifting into sleep.
