The rest of the journey was quite unspectacular.
The Ancient Sovereign promised Damien he wouldn't move, and after checking a second, third, fourth, and fifth time, Damien became sure that he wasn't lying.
And so, considering that their distance from the original location was only a few tens of millions of kilometers from the place they stopped for Damien to finish his comprehension, they arrived in just another day.
The only unfortunate part was the lack of enemies.
Since it was the Ancient Sovereign's vicinity, it made sense that nobody dared to invade it, but…
Damien was thirsting to try out his new power!
Nevertheless, he put aside his desires as he felt Orion from the distance, and with Iris by his side, he touched down to meet the man he'd been looking for.
The Ancient Sovereign.
He was standing right there next to Orion, looking off into the distance as if he could see something nobody else could.
For several moments after landing, Damien was speechless.
The appearance of this man was confusing.
He existed, he clearly existed right there in front of him, but it felt like he didn't.
His visage wasn't covered in a mosaic anymore, but Damien felt like he still couldn't see the man's true face.
It just didn't make sense.
He was a man, that much could be felt, but other than that, his features, his physique, all of it was strangely blurred between several different possibilities…
'...as if he's existing in several realities at once.'
Damien's mind experienced a rush of emotions.
He felt like his understanding of universal truth was expanding and crumbling at the same time purely due to this man's existence.
But he didn't allow this state to consume him.
It took a minute, but he managed to stabilize himself.
Well, that wasn't quite right.
He managed to push down his confusion and regain his focus by ignoring the problem, because it was impossible for him to understand and overcome it at his current level.
"This is also not wrong. It is admirable to possess an understanding of one's limits."
The Ancient Sovereign spoke, clearly understanding Damien's actions.
Damien cupped his fists and gave a respectful salute.
"My name is Damien Void. It is a pleasure to meet you, Ancient Sovereign," he said as he bowed.
"Hmm. This One is aware of thy existence. Mother has never paid such attention to a human."
Damien's eyes widened just slightly. This "mother" the Ancient Sovereign referred to could be none other than the Void.
It was clear his view on the esoteric concept and all things in general was far above what even someone like Orion, his closest relative in age, could see.
"Then, I'm sure you are also aware of my purpose in visiting you now," Damien said, putting away his thoughts.
At the same time, he quietly placed his hand on Iris' back and channeled Void Mana into her body, allowing it to circulate.
"Ah…"
She gave a slight exclamation as she snapped out of her confusion.
Unlike Damien, who had the Void to give him slight understanding of the Ancient Sovereign's existence, which allowed him to rid himself of the state, Iris was still trapped in the confusion his presence placed on anyone who saw him for the first time.
Though, if she wasn't Orion's descendant, someone unique even if one looked at all of existence, she likely wouldn't have been able to extricate herself regardless of Damien's help.
She quickly gathered herself and gave Damien a grateful look before repeating his previous actions and greeting the Ancient Sovereign.
It was an awkward meeting.
But, it didn't have a chance to be anything else.
The Ancient Sovereign was too enigmatic for anyone to have a normal conversation with him. Perhaps only Orion could see his true self enough to have a close relationship with him.
The Ancient Sovereign looked between his two juniors. They couldn't see his eyes moving, but they felt his gaze travel between them.
"You, child, come with This One. Orion, This One shall meet your descendant in the future."
Orion made a strange expression.
"Yes, I understand. Go easy on him. He has only recently gained the qualifications."
"This One is very clear on his situation. Your worry is unfounded."
"Haha, but when you say that, I truly cannot trust it."
The Ancient Sovereign glanced at Orion before turning around and walking away.
Damien tilted his head in confusion.
"Am I supposed to follow him?"
Orion nodded wryly.
"He is always like this. Do not mind it and attempt to understand the nuances within his words. He…well, you could say he is far separated from the reality we all experience."
Damien hummed strangely and glanced at Iris, who smiled and nodded at him.
He gave her a warm look before taking his first steps to follow the Ancient Sovereign on his trek.
As the two disappeared into the distance, Orion and Iris were left alone.
"When he said future…does the Ancient Sovereign not wish to meet me now?"
Orion shook his head.
"It is not like that, child. As I said, his perception is strange. The past, present, and future hold no meaning to him. When he says future, it is only to tell us he will return to speak with you. Perhaps, to him, that conversation is already long underway."
Iris furrowed her brows, trying to understand it.
"Then…"
"There is no need to say it."
Orion cut her off.
"He can be considered my elder brother if one looks at it objectively, but the distance between our births is extreme. He was born when time did not exist, but if one had to date his birth in relation to mine, he is perhaps trillions of years older."
Iris' eyes widened.
The Ancient Sovereign was an entity with much fame in the universe, not because he had accomplished wondrous deeds, but because of the length of his existence.
But nobody could have assumed this.
Trillions of years. Even the strongest of Demigods could never imagine such a time span. Even the Saint Emperor, who'd been living for at least hundreds of millions of years, could never understand what life meant to a man like the Ancient Sovereign.
Iris' eyes held a slight hint of worry.
Such an existence was currently guiding Damien to places unknown, to speak about topics she still did not have the qualifications to learn.
Damien's secret, the one he hid from her since their first meeting, she had seen hints of it several times since they met in the Ancient Battlefield. She'd even felt that energy in her body and soul.
The fact that she still didn't have an inkling of understanding of its nature was concerning.
For some reason, she couldn't get rid of her worry.
Her expression didn't visibly change, but Orion could perceive the turmoil in her heart clearly.
"Oho…" he muttered
Iris looked over curiously when she heard it, and Orion had to try his best to contain his smile so she didn't realize anything.
He didn't expect it.
This descendant of his, the woman he viewed as a granddaughter; he'd been with her long enough to understand her thoughts.
Had she ever had a moment like this?
It was interesting. Very interesting.
And frankly, as someone who didn't want to see his future generations cut off by the loneliness of this descendant…
He truly couldn't hold back his smile.
'...I am quite excited to see this develop.'
