"Impressive. To think I was worrying that I needed to teach you the basics of ruling when you already have such a fine city of your own. Why did you not tell me about this, King Evans?"

"...Because I didn't know about it."

​​

Van and the others did not spend too much time loitering in the port. As soon as they established that the people they met truly were part of the Resistance and not the Circle, Van decided to just leave them and go straight to the New Wall. It has only been a month or so since they left it, but it already felt like a long time ago.

The fact that the place in front of them did not even look remotely close to how they left it did not help one bit. The tents that the Resistance, as well as the Locals from the Pit, have popped up could no longer be seen, instead, houses made of brick and marble replaced them, similar to the design of the houses inside the Pit…

...there was even a castle in the middle, without a doubt guarding the Portal to the pit.

In a way, one could say that they left a refugee camp, only to return to it already a city of its own. But although it did change drastically, it was still a far cry from the more technologically advanced countries like Africa, and even more, if you compare it to Egypt.

Now that Van had returned to his birth country, he realized how the Circle truly has shaped its current state.

Athena told Artemis not to land the Stymphalian inside the city, as there could still be a chance that the New Wall city had actually already been overrun by the people of the Circle, or at the very least already infiltrated.

And so, the group just passed through the city's newly built gate.

"We're sorry that there really isn't a group to welcome you, President Evans. Everyone is either busy or resting, as the Circle had been attacking our base nonstop," the leader of the 36th platoon, Patricia, let out a long and deep sigh as she escorted Van and the others into the city.

"...It's fine," Van quickly shook his head, "And I already told you to stop calling me President, Nisha should be doing that role well."

"Well… Now that you're back, you'll be our President again, right?"

"Dear, dear, dear. You don't understand," Dionysus then gently placed his hands on Patricia's shoulders as he whispered into her ear, "Vanny here isn't a President…

...he is a King. Address him as King Evans."

"...A Ki--"

"Now, let us go!" Before Patricia could even say a word, Dionysus pushed her away, "Let the important people do whatever it is they do."

"But--"

"You will be coming with me. You shall lead me to where all the nourishment and refreshments are so that I may plan the grandest party the mortals of this side of the multiverse have ever experienced!"

Patricia could no longer do anything but be dragged by Dionysus as they left Van.

Van and the others decided to head to the castle as there wasn't anyone there to tell them the current situation, but before they could even take a step, a… tall woman that seemed oddly familiar to Van approached them.

He knew he had never met the woman before, but she truly seemed oddly familiar no matter how Van looked at her. It almost seemed like she was a tall and more beautiful version of…

"Angelica… what are you doing here?" Charlotte quickly approached the woman, "Aren't you… part of the Circle?"

As soon as Artemis and Athena heard Charlotte's words, they quickly surrounded the woman. Van, on the other hand, quickly realized who the woman was from hearing her name being called by Charlotte.

Angela, Angelo, and now Angelica. This woman was the last of the triplets… but why was she taller than the other two? And what was her secret?

"I'm not part of the Circle," Angelica raised both her hands as she let out a smile, "I was under Master Evangeline's orders to spy on them, that's why I joined. You can tell when I am lying, right?"

Athena looked at Charlotte, and seeing her nod, she quickly relaxed herself and returned to Van's side. Artemis was still a little aloof, but she followed Athena and stood beside Van's side.

"Yes, but why are you here? Isn't the war still ongoing? Did you get discovered?"

"There has been… interesting developments while you and Angela's boy were away," Angelica let out a long and deep sigh, "I am actually here pretending to be one of the Circle prisoners."

"Interesting developments?" This time, it was Van that approached the woman and asked her a question, "Did something happen to Latanya?"

"Latanya? You meant that lady with the ginormous melons?" Angelica slightly tilted her head, "Although she is quite interesting, it's not her. What I meant by interesting is that there is literally an interesting person currently locked up here. And I am Angelica, by the way."

Angelica then stretched her hand towards Van, "We've never met before personally, but I know all about you since Angela can't shut up about you… it doesn't help that we share our minds a little."

"...Right," Van slightly hesitated to shake Angelica's hand, "But wait, this interesting prisoner you mentioned… is he called Hermes by any chance?"

As soon as Van asked that, both Artemis and Athena perked up their ears. Athena had already surmised that Hermes was most probably dead, but still, in this world, nothing truly was certain.

"Hermes? Sounds like a luxury brand or something," Angelica let out a slight chuckle, "No, no. The woman's name is Skylar."

"...Skylar?" Van could not help but slightly step back from hearing the name. If he remembers it right, he had already seen someone with that name. It was from when he absorbed one of the enhanced humans from the small group that attacked them weeks before he and Charlotte left the New Wall. If it truly was her, then this truly was an interesting development.

"She's somewhat like a sister to your mother, if I heard correctly."

"I see… wait what?" Van could not help but be perplexed by Angelica's words, but after a few seconds, he waved his hand, "No, it doesn't matter. I don't care about Evangeline's affairs. Can you point me to where Latanya is? I heard there was… something wrong with her."

"Oh, she's in the castle. I can't really lead you there since I actually have something to do," Angelica let out a sigh as she started walking away, "It was nice meeting all of you, though. I would have loved to stay and chat with the Olympians, but duty calls."

"You know who we--"

Angelica did not let Athena finish her words as she just ran away, not even looking back.

"They're all pretty weird in the head, don't mind her," Charlotte patted Athena on the shoulder before turning her attention to Van, "You and the ex-gods go ahead. I'll go and find Paris, tell her what my stupid son has been up to."

"...Alright, we'll meet at the castle later?"

"Cool, cool," Charlotte waved her hand as she leaped to the air.

"Will Dionysus be alright?"

"He'll be fine, just let him let loose since it has been a while since he last tasted freedom."

"...But aren't you the same?" Van looked Athena and Artemis in the eyes, "The two of you have also been trapped inside… the fractured world for more than a thousand years."

"I never considered myself trapped, Van," Artemis quickly shook her head, "I found solace in it."

"I hold the same sentiment," Athena said, "But not as a solace, but as punishment. Dionysus is different, he is the God of Festivities, after all, he flourishes in… being in joy."

"I see."

Hearing their words, the only thing that Van could do was nod his head. He can't even begin to assume what these millennium-old people were thinking, but based on his experience with being with them for a few days now, they just seemed like normal people.

"This Latanya person, what is she to you, King Evans?"

As the three were heading to the castle, Athena once again asked Van a question, as she had been doing endlessly since they met.

"...You can call her a friend," Van casually said, "But… Evangeline said something about her that the two of you might know about?"

"What is it?"

"Let's just see how she is first, Miss Athena. If what Evangeline said is true, then you and Artemis should be able to recognize her… I think?"

Seeing Van waved his hand, Athena took it as a sign to stop her questions as the three continued to head to the castle. Their journey there wasn't really eventful. As Patricia said, everyone was busy and not even a single person blocked their path. The only ones that greeted them were the soldiers that were guarding the castle.

"President Evans has returned!"

As soon as they arrived there, the guards quickly scrambled their way inside the castle, shouting that Van had returned. Van and the others could only look at each other as they stepped inside. There were a lot of different noises entering their ears as the previously quiet castle instantly became lively.

However, the most notable noise was the loud and unusually weird mumblings that were hastily approaching Van. He quickly looked in the direction of the voice, only to see two gigantic… only to see Latanya running towards them.

"Master Van!"

Van could only blink a couple of times as Latanya suddenly hugged him, her two bountiful melons almost drowning him completely. "What do you mean…

...Master?"