Surprisingly, the newly discovered corridor was longer and darker than they thought it would be. But at its end, they could see a spark of light, the end of the road, and the soon-to-come beginning of a new era, together with each other.

“Say… Trellia…”

“What is it, Friture?”

“…Nothing…”

They were alone in the darkness of the night, nearing the end of their struggle. That was sufficient to make Friture feel a bit emotional, because he also learnt something recently. A lesson taught by a goddess he admired.

“Will you… Probably be too busy with all the stuff that will be coming soon?”

“You mean spreading the protection over the whole world? Of course I’ll be, you already saw how I struggled to cover the forest.

Why you ask?”

“Because… I…”

Friture looked at his shoes, too embarrassed to face Trellia when he was thinking about those sort of things. No no, he needed to get a hold of himself. Didn’t she previously told him to have more confidence in himself? He reminisced himself that he should, because he had no reason not to.

Meanwhile, Trellia was amused at his internal issue, imagining what kind of words he was preparing for her. Anything would be a welcomed gift. Anything.

“Because I…”

There were so many things he wanted to ask her, so many things he wanted to tell her. And now that they would soon have all the time in the world to talk together… He couldn’t find the good wording to address her. She was beautiful, and he wanted to tell her just that. He wanted to stay with her, but that was so hard to voice out. Was this… How you love someone? Wasn’t he only allured by her appearance?

“I…”

… Was it ok to love someone for this poor amount of reason? Because he liked her company. Because he appreciated spending time with her. Because he found her attractive. Because… Because he didn’t know of any other person that could replace her, she simply was unique to his eyes. Friture knew he may have ignored a few steps in building a relationship with each other… However, she did too, didn’t she?

In that case, wasn’t it okay to just be honest with her?

…

“I want to stay with you!

…

… If… You are okay, with someone like me…”

Trellia didn’t answer on the spot. As usual, she was deciphering his thoughts and manner, trying to understand what he meant and thinking how to answer appropriately. Friture didn’t see her smile because he lost the courage to look at her face. He awaited her laugh, maybe a sigh as it wasn’t really the time and place to confess. But in the end, all he got was…

“Thanks.”

… Did that count as a positive answer, he questioned himself. When Friture stared at her, she seemed awkwardly gleeful. Then… All was good. He smiled back, happy to hear that the thought was shared.

“Now let’s get this Treasure Sword, and save the world together.”

“When did it became ‘save the world’ instead of ‘change the world’?” she wanted to retort. But Couldn’t. Instead, she simply responded with a ‘Yes’, following after an impatient Friture who couldn’t control himself anymore.

“Thank you… For proving me I wasn’t wrong, for once…”

After quite some walking, they arrived at a spherical room with a large pillar in the center. There were no windows nor glasses, yet the place was still dimly illuminated by the moonlight, setting up an eerie atmosphere. Not ominous, but a gentle one. It was hard to notice due to the darkness, but it appeared that multiple sketches were drawn on the walls, scenes from an anterior time period. Probably a memo of the glorious battles won by holders of the Treasure Sword.

And there it stood, a bijou with no less gloss than the sun. Friture picked it up with the tip of his fingers, as if he was terrified at the idea of putting too much strength on something so small, and damaging it without him noticing. When he exposed the ring to the blue light of the moon, it shone in a more radiant light, disregarding the colour spectrum to impose its own.

Just by holding this petite accessory, Friture already felt a great surge of force empowering him. He could… Yes, with this artefact, he knew he could accomplish great feats by himself.

“So this is a Treasure Sword… No wonder it can make mortals capable of fighting on par with demons.”

This immense source of strength… Friture lent it to Trellia. After all, she needed it more than he did. It was all to complete the project. The goddess accepted the gift, she too was mesmerized by its shine and couldn’t get her eyes off it. It sure was amusing to see Trellia in this state, but Friture still had to remind her that time was short, as they now needed to flee before the guards get over here.

“Friture. I… Can do it alone. It’s fine.”

What? What was she talking about, all of a sudden?

“Trellia? What do you mean? We need to get out of here.”

She slowly shook her head, stating a will that was not part of the plan.

“I’ll stay here, and do what I must do. This is also of my responsibility as a goddess.”

“What are you talking about? I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Something was wrong, Friture could tell it. The tone in her voice, the expression she had… It was one who was resolute. But not with a merry resolution.

“It’s okay, Friture. It’s just… It’s just embarrassing to do it in front of you.”

“What are you talking about, Trellia? Let’s go back to the cabin and discuss it calmly, please?”

Friture felt his words were ignored. She was hearing them, but… She didn’t want to listen to them. He grabbed her shoulders, hoping to clear this strange situation she was setting.

“Trellia! This is not you. Do you feel weird because of the Treasure Sword?”

She looked at the ring in her hand. It did not motion, yet she could feel something coming from it. The divine energy of her ancestors was overflowing from the weapon. It was a nostalgic feeling. But unlike her, Friture was completely panicked. Of course he would be, because he didn’t know what would happen next.

“Ahhh… I made a mistake again, didn’t I?”

For that, she could only laugh at herself. And now that they were here… She couldn’t hide it anymore.

“Friture… The Treasure Sword… It’s not working…”

The whole plan was to use the Treasure Sword to boost Trellia’s strength, so that she could spread her protection on a greater distance. That was the plan, it should have been working because there was no reason it shouldn’t. And yet it didn’t.

“I can’t seem to use it to strengthen myself…”

It couldn’t be…

“M… Maybe it’s a mimic then? We should go and find the-“

“No, it’s a genuine Treasure Sword. But I can’t use it…”

Friture refused to believe it.

“Then maybe it has an owner? We should go and ask-“

“It has none.”

A voice emerged from the corridor. Friture recognized that voice, even if he hadn’t met that person often. It was the same man who blamed everything on him, and exiled him from his home by calling him a heretic. Paladron d’Arquien, the First General of the kingdom of Biscotti.

He was followed by a regiment of knights, all heavily armoured with plates covering their body. Their swords were already drawn, meaning they were allowed to use them if the situation asked for it. Pointing a sword at a heretic was the right thing to do… But said heretic was accompanied by a divine child, a god that protected this land from the rampage of the demons.

It was in mortal’s nature to never threaten the gods, for they knew that without their support, they would one day fall under the claws of those bloody creatures. Many soldiers present were uneasy with this situation. Acknowledging the order of their First General, or facing a goddess even if she was about to steal one of their Treasure Sword under their nose?

“You have returned, Friture Elmar.”

“Y… Yes…”

His ears dropped on his head, ashamed by what he had willingly done to selfishly satisfy his own curiosity. Even as an exiled, he didn’t understand why he thought it was fine to rob his nation’s treasure. Because… Because it was all for the sake of the world. He thought that everyone would be overjoyed, when they would hear that his project was possible, and could protect them forever. But the plan was a failure, there was nothing else to do.

“And you, Goddess Trellia…”

“You haven’t changed at all, Paladron. Still the same as before.”

Paladron responded with a sigh, while Trellia gave him a faint smile in return. However, Friture couldn’t let it pass so easily.

“Wait a moment! You know each other?”

As the First General wasn’t in the mood to answer this question, the goddess took the initiative to explain a simple fact about immortals.

“When you live for this long, you end up knowing a lot of people.”

Then, she pointed a finger at a random soldier behind Paladron.

“This man over there is named Calric Salles, he was only recently allowed to join your knight’s squadron and is still a rookie, but one you expect to display a lot of charisma.”

She pointed at the man next to him.

“This one is named Melron Alcide, and is quite the eccentric young man. You should keep a leash on him before he go full throttle on the wrong path.”

She pointed at another man again.

“The woman there is Pastelle Conchiglie. While it is quite rare to see women accepted in your army, she did put a lot of effort in her training and studying. She deserves her place.”

Then another, and another, until the last of them was identified. And the most surprising part… Was that she wasn’t wrong about all of them. The soldiers gulped, expressing their surprise in worried echoes. They were nervous at the idea that someone could have leaked the info, yet at the same time there was a kind of joy to learn that a goddess knew of your existence so intimately.

“You’ve done your fair share of reconnaissance, Goddess.”

“This is also part of my duty as a goddess, First General.

But it’s also to make up for my mistakes.”

Duty of a goddess… Mistakes… This made less and less sense for Friture! He called for Trellia, holding her hand firmly, fearing she would suddenly disappear from his life if he stopped caring for her for a second. She was touched by his feeling, thinking it was a shame she couldn’t answer back for now.

It was then, the First General Paladron shattered this sentiment of safety.

“The kingdom of Galette has declared war upon us. They will soon start a siege on our bordering fortresses.

If we do nothing, thousands of lives will be lost for nothing.

And it is because they heard of your project, Friture Elmar, and now they view us all as heretics that must be purged.”

“WHAT?!”

Friture saw none of it coming. He knew that the neighbouring kingdoms were waiting for nothing but an excuse to come and capture more territory for their own people. And… He nonchalantly gave them one. Now, a lot of people were about to die for a baseless reason. Because they started labelling him as a heretic. Because they judged his project to be unethical. This is…

“This is too much…”

So what was he supposed to do, now? Go and excuse himself to everyone, because he discovered a way to prevent death with the help of divine energy? His fist was shaking with frustration. They were so close to begin the project, they just needed a little push and everyone would be protected by Trellia’s influence. But no, they had to mess with his work, and throw everything in the trash bin for their own convenience.

He wanted to shout. He wanted to shout at them so badly, but he suppressed his anger, because he didn’t want to look pitiful in Trellia’s eyes. But then, what was he supposed to do about it? How was he supposed to feel about it? He heard numerous metallic sound coming from the knight, startling him as he feared they would start attacking him. However, he didn’t expect to find them kneeling in front of them.

“That’s why we beg you, Goddess Trellia.

You must have heard of the project: New World from Mr. Elmar.

Then please, give your protection to our men! Spare them a futile death!”

“… That’s right. I wanted to publish this project to protect everyone, so that they would not die because of someone else’s hatred.

I wanted to change the world, and make it a better place for everyone.

I’m such an idiot…”

Unfortunately, Friture was also aware that it was not possible. In her current state, Trellia could only cover half of the kingdom. The fortresses at the border of Biscotti were far beyond her range of influence. It was impossible to protect those soldiers, no matter what. They would die, and both sides would suffer meaningless losses.

“I’ll do it.”

It was Trellia who interjected. What she said was utterly pointless, as she was the most closely aware of her own limit. Then what she said was a lie, and Friture couldn’t stand it.

“Wait Trellia! The fortresses are twice as far as what you can currently cover! You can’t… You can’t do it… It’s impossible, even for you…”

It was a cruel truth, but the truth nonetheless. The soldiers who heard him lowered their head, depressed at the idea that their only hope was now just a big dream. Even Paladron felt bad, knowing that he was about to lose a lot of loyal people for nothing. But that was not the point of view of Trellia.

“I’ll do it! Friture! Paladron! Everyone! I’ll do it!”

Her cry was heard by everyone present. What she claimed was contradictory with what Friture knew about her limit. He knew she was lying, she only said those words to light a spark of hope in those people here. But then, she sounded so confident he started to have doubts about it.

“But I’ll do it only if you accept my conditions.

First, I’ll also bring my protection to your invaders. In fact, I plan to extend my protection on all kingdoms.”

This news brought a smile on the soldiers’ face. “If the goddess said it!” “As expected of a goddess!” All kind of praises could be heard from the crowd. Even Paladron was impressed, supposing she could accomplish what she said.

“And second…”

There, placed her arm over Friture’s shoulder, bringing him close to her side.

“… Please, don’t harm Friture anymore.”

This request was addressed to Paladron, who she kind of knew he would not stop there with the harassment. Sparing one life to save thousands more. His judgment couldn’t refuse, and thus he accepted with a tone full of respect for the goddess. Trellia was happy with this development, it made it easier for her for what will happen next. Satisfied, she looked at the ring in her hand, whispering words that only Friture who was close enough could have heard.

“Now, Palladion… I have a new job to attend.

….”

“… Eh?”

Friture saw a petite sparkle, a faint firefly appearing out of nowhere. Then another… And another… Until the body of Trellia began to shine. When he was facing this strange scene, Friture did not know what was happening… While at the same time, he feared he already understood what was going on.

Trellia hugged Friture, bringing him closer to her warm embrace. It was soft, comforting, just like a mother trying to cheer up her sobbing child.

“Listen, Friture.

I… May have to leave your side, for a while.

It can’t be helped… I never was the diligent nor the courageous type of goddess.

But know this: as a goddess watching over the mortals, know that I am proud of who you are.

You made many mistakes in your life, so many you decided to isolate yourself from others.

I know how you feel about others… How you were bullied in your youth… How you decided to become a researcher to prove yourself you were someone of value…

In this desperate attempt, you engineered many ways to utilize divine energy as a weapon, but this achievement only eroded you even more because you felt you became the one who killed those people with those same weapons.

That is how you decided to look for another method to utilize the divine energy… How you succeeded in finding a way even I thought was impossible to even conceive.

And then, I could meet you.

You taught me a wonderful method to help everyone, so I wanted to reward you… I gave you this little push, which I hope will help you reflect on yourself.

I hope I helped you grow as a wonderful person… I hope I broke this sturdy wall you kept hiding behind.

I did what I thought was the right decision… As I am doing right now.

It is as you said… We will not ‘change’ the world. We will ‘save’ it.”

Those were the words you would say before an adieu. Friture did not believe it, he did not want to believe it. His eyes started to water, his voice blocked somewhere in his throat under the emerging crisis.

“You don’t have to worry… I’ll always be somewhere.

That way you can hear me and I can hear you, even when you think you are alone.”

“TRELLIA!!”

Friture shouted suddenly, holding her tighter in his arms.

“Why… Why did you say nothing to me?

I thought we were supposed to stay together!

If I knew it would end this way, I… I would have spent more time with you…

We could have postponed the project, and-“

“It’s okay, Friture.”

She kissed him on the forehead before diving her eyes in Friture’s gaze. She smiled again. She never stopped smiling, even in the end. He only noticed now that she never ceased to smile since that day.

“That’s no good, you must stay strong until the end.

I’m sorry I keep forgetting to tell the most important details…

I care for you… So much that I forget to care about me…

I guess it’s another mistake to pile up, isn’t it?”

Friture enlaced her strongly. She felt so light now, like she could vanish with one breath.

“Don’t say that… I am the one who made all the mistakes…”

He knew it would end in a tragedy… But not so quickly. Everything… Went so fast, it felt like a joke he would laugh at. But he couldn’t, because he was losing a precious friend in his own embrace. Someone he fondly appreciated, someone he dearly loved.

“Stay strong until the end… And cherish this dream of yours that came true, alright?”

“Yes… And also, I know I should've said it sooner, but...

Thanks, for saving me."

A river or tears flowed on Friture’s cheeks, falling on the stone pavements of the room which only echoed his hardly suppressed sobs. He still had so many things he wanted to tell her, so many things he wanted to ask her. He was still young, they still could have spent so much time together before making a choice. He wanted to bring her closer to him, to smell her perfume a bit longer, to feel her warmth a bit more. But all he felt was a cold void, and a sense of emptiness.

She was gone, for a while as she mentioned.

Realizing this fact, Friture plunged the place in a gloomy silence. Nobody dared to intrude, maybe because they were still awed by the sacrifice of a goddess for their selfish self, or maybe because they did not want to interrupt this tragic affair. This continued for a while, until Paladron stood up and began giving orders to his troops.

“Send reinforcements to the fortresses as quickly as possible! And prepare several medical teams for the upcoming wounded!”

“Yes, sir!”

Several knights obeyed the First General, disappearing where they came from to make the arrangements with their subordinates. Before they all departed, one of them presented himself to Paladron.

“Sir. What do we do about him?”

He was referring to Friture who still did not move from his spot.

“Bring him with your team. He also needs to witness the results of his effort.”

“A… Alright, sir.”

The knight sent two soldiers to escort Friture outside. They weren’t sure if he should still be treated as a criminal or as a guest, that was why none of them were too rough with him.

At last, only Paladron was left in the chamber. His sight rested on a peculiar item lying on the floor. He picked it up, scanning the fascinating object as if it was looking back at him with a serene face. He was no god, so he couldn’t even start to comprehend if the ring was actually trying to talk to him or not. All he could do now was putting it at its respective emplacement, right where it belonged, before leaving the place.