She then shifted her gaze towards Orion. "Orion, you don't need to bother yourself with making such a decision. I suggest we look for alternative means to gather the information we need. If we encounter another god by chance, there might be other ways to learn who Naka is. There's no need for you to dwell on such options," Aerialia said, her voice trembling as she tried to pull Orion out of his thoughts and stop him from pondering the matter further.
Orion broke out of his thoughts and shifted his attention towards Aerialia. "But—" Orion wanted to say; however, Aerialia immediately shouted, "There's no 'but'! I don't want you to think about making such a decision! And even if you choose to unseal Aegis of the Arctic Deity's memories, what do you think would happen when he dies, his barrier collapses, or the Divine mysteries is triggered, informing the remaining gods of our location?"
"Can you stop them from destroying the Orion's Cities? Can you fight the gods and deter them away when they discover who or what Aegis of the Arctic Deity is? Or wait… don't tell me that you'll be expecting a miracle?" Aerialia's firm eyes blazed as she locked her gaze with Orion's.
"No, I'm not expecting any miracle. I just believe there must be something else we can do to unseal Aegis of the Arctic Deity's memories and prevent all of this," Orion responded, shaking his head.
"But, there isn't. I am aware that I am the reason you're dealing with the burden of making such a decision, and that is why I am apologizing for putting you through it and thinking that it would be something we could easily solve. Orion, I want you never to forget that if you ever find yourselves in a situation where you risk facing a god's wrath, run."
"Only Aegis of the Arctic Deity can help you and the Orion's Cities if any of you ever encounter any danger. He is the only god you have watching over you in this desolate, ruined world, and if he is gone. I hate to say this, but as it stands, I can do nothing," Aerialia responded, a wry smile appearing as she finally accepted her current status.
Orion took in Aerialia's trembling form as she finished speaking. He swallowed down everything else he wanted to say and remained silent.
"Orion, what is your decision?" Aegis of the Arctic Deity asked.
Orion turned his head towards Aegis of the Arctic Deity before redirecting his gaze back towards Aerialia. He exhaled deeply and said, "You do not need to unseal your memories so we can uncover more about Naka's identity."
"Are you sure about this? You know I'll still die soon regardless, so the faster you find what you are looking for, the quicker you can put everything into place. This is one offer I won't be making again, so think about this carefully," Aegis of the Arctic Deity responded, his eyes fixed on Orion and Aerialia.
"Yes, I'm sure. Besides, by the time you die, I would have already grown stronger and discovered other ways to uncover more about Naka's identity. As for the gods.." Orion responded, briefly looking at Aeriala, "I might not have the capability to deal with them now, neither do I know if I can do so in the future; I believe that when such a time comes, not only I but the entire Orion's Cities will be ready to handle such an issue."
He had already glimpsed a battle between gods, albeit a man-made god still learning to control his abilities, and an injured goddess standing on her last bad leg, so he couldn't help but ponder how powerful the gods are, especially the ones that have survived until now.
Nevertheless, he believed that even if he could not stand against them by himself, with the combined might of Stronghold Leader Zogar and Seth and every other powerful figure within the Orion's Cities, they would surely be able to put up a challenging battle.
Nonetheless, Orion was reminded of how weak he was. But he could only continue to consume more Vylkr vines until his body could handle another Vylkr container.
Hearing Orion's words, Aerialia inwardly sighed in relief. She was glad Orion didn't make any stupid decisions and believed he could take on a god by himself. Though she didn't think such a thing would ever be possible, even with the outrageous discoveries she had made since she arrived in this world, she still believed she would be wrong.
After all, all her previous knowledge had been turned upside down, so what made this one any different?
Aegis of the Arctic Deity nodded. "Very well, I'll acknowledge your decision. You can leave. I'll do my best to keep protecting this territory from the strange Vylkr phenomenon," he responded.
He opened a passageway for them to return to the surface.
Orion nodded and resummoned before crossing through the passageway. As he emerged back on the surface, he immediately noticed the Princess of the Garden with twenty pixies, each carrying an enchanted burning fire, following her every movement.
The Gardener's Guild had provided them to help her see through the darkness, even if she didn't need such assistance.
Orion had no issue with this arrangement and agreed that someone needed to be around her at a time like this so he would be quickly informed if anything terrible happened to her.
"How did it go?" The Princess of the Garden asked, her tone serious as she arrived before Orion.
Orion gestured for the Pixies around them to leave before he sat on the grassy plain and motioned for the Princess of the Garden to sit on his legs as he prepared to explain.
The Princess of the Garden made herself comfortable, leaning in. "Go on, tell me why Aegis of the Arctic Deity personally called for your presence?" she asked, her voice tinged with anticipation.
Orion proceeded to recount everything that had transpired beneath the Divine Lake Essence, leaving the Princess of the Garden stunned.
