In Albriar, inside the house of Lobelia and Florian, the group exchanged some words with Lobelia, a former Apostle.


    After properly thanking them for their help, they all sat around a table in the living room of the house.


    Lobelia went straight for a topic she had to speak about.


    "Florian, what are you going to do about the consequences? Laylah will not be pleased knowing two Apostles close to Albriar died by your hands."


    "I am sure she will send someone to inspect the place, and make you pay if they find that you stepped past your bounds."


    The situation was a mess right now. Slowly, the unshakable will of the Apostle began to crumble, and many of their ranks suddenly died after two thousand years of only internal conflicts.


    "For Leonis''s case, I have already wrote the full explanation of the situation. I couldn''t let him continue killing in a city that was not his own."


    "As for Julian, I will write it later. Attacking a city, waging war for no seemingly good reason, and dying as a result, that''s what ultimately happened. His misplaced pride was his downfall."


    In all of this, Florian already prepared ways to deal with accusations of going against the will of Elliot.


    "And in the end, if none of this works, I can make it pass as the usual bad blood us Apostles have between each other."


    His mother nodded. This was the simplest way to avoid having a target on their back.


    "What about Orion right here? Is there a way to avoid him being discovered?"


    With a smile, he answered.


    "Luckily enough, Kamala dealt with Ivan ''alone'', and I dealt with Leonis and Julian ''alone''. It would be problematic if she had spies, but she is not one to play this game."


    "We have never displayed much of our power compared to the other members, so she should believe that we simply hid our strength."


    "I am also certain she is way too preoccupied about Elliot to bother with Orion. Her fanaticism over that man knows no bound."


    Shrugging, he looked at Orion.


    "You should not worry over our well-being. Kamala and I will deal with this situation with ease."


    Worrying was not one of his hobbies, so he agreed.


    "I wasn''t going to. We also have to continue our journey around Triazils, there''s only so little time before Elliot returns."


    *sigh*


    "The fact that that man''s seal is breaking only fills me with despair."


    Lobelia audibly sighed and looked out of the window of the room.


    "The corruption is spreading faster each year, with the number of their ranks increasing for no apparent reason. Humans are turning against each other, while even Apostles themselves turn corrupted, but that is no surprise as to why. And to add to all of this, Elliot is returning."


    Two people suddenly voiced their thoughts.


    "The worse is yet to come."


    Drania was the first to talk.


    "Yes, the reasons the corruption is spreading this fast are pretty simple."


    The next one to talk was Dramia, in the coldest tone she could.


    "The first one is as you said. Elliot returning might be one of the underlying reason for why humans are turning corrupted."


    "But the second one is most important."


    Finishing her sister''s thoughts, Drania spoke right after.


    "The Remnant of Corruption, Miasma, has somehow resurrected."


    For Orion, Amelia, and Karteira, this wasn''t a surprise. Dramia and Drania also knew about the fact that Miasma had recovered his ''self'', but were still pondering as to why it hadn''t showed its presence before.


    And why only to Orion. Or that was what they thought.


    "The corrupted sludge as you call it, is a condensed absorption of his essence. Do you know what happens to anyone who ingests a Remnant''s essence?"


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Everyone one in the room shook their head, but they quickly understood the meaning of those words.


    "They mutate."


    Orion spoke out loud for everyone to hear, so that it would be engraved in their mind.


    ''I see. This is what happened with them. Tiohr-nam forced her essence into the two of them to keep them alive, and mutating them to a mixed blood of human, and fairy.''


    The sisters both nodded to confirm his words.


    "What I find absurd, is the pace at which Miasma turns humans into his puppets. There''s the constant creation of corrupted beasts coming from the south, too."


    Dramia placed a hand on her brows and rubbed her forehead, tired.


    "Absorbing the essence of a Remnant sure takes only a few minutes at best, but the changes are supposed to take hundred of years, even thousands sometimes."


    ''Drania and I only awakened five hundred years after the ''Purging Ward''. It took us that much time to assimilate the fairy essence. That''s why I don''t understand why it works differently for the Miasma.''


    Silence fell around the table. Ideas began to fill their heads, until an answer close to the truth was found.


    Florian and Orion both had the most clear idea on why this was happening.


    So, one of them decided to speak.


    "What if... us Apostles changed over time?"


    With anxiety, Florian removed his glasses, placed them on the table, and stared at Orion.


    "Are we past the point of no return?"


    Both men stared at each other, before Orion spoke.


    "This might be the reality of the situation. This is why so many corrupted humans have been appearing since I bothered your Ceremony."


    "Orion, what does he mean by ''point of no return''?"


    Amelia and Karteira asked for details on the subject.


    "It means that the humans have completely assimilated the corruption."


    Another silence fell in the room, but this time, they all fell on the same wavelength.


    "..."


    Dramia and Drania gasped when they understood, and then, they also pieced it together.


    "It is not so strange anymore. It did take a thousand year to merge, but through the heirs of the previous Apostles."


    "But then, what comes of Elliot? He isn''t corrupted like the Apostles?"


    Both Orion and Florian looked at each other, trying to find the best answer.


    "Elliot is the source of the spreading corruption. Do you know what that means?"


    Orion said to the sisters.


    "Hmm?"


    Drania looked a little lost, because she wasn''t as smart as her sister.


    "Sis? Did you get it?"


    But the moment she looked at Dramia, she saw how wide her eyes were opened, seemingly shocked.


    "Orion, if what you said is true, then we''ve been played like fool for a thousand years!"


    "Not that I could do anything about that, though."


    He shrugged with a smile.


    "Sis?"


    "It''s our fault. Because the Miasma saw us both get assimilated, it got the idea of doing the same with the humans. He most likely corrupted the very first powerful human to avoid ending killed by another ''hero'', and that is Elliot. He took over the persona of Elliot, and began to corrupt humans."


    Orion and Florian nodded. This was identical to their thoughts.


    "Dramia, what we said is purely hypothetical. We have no way to confirm it, even if it could be the truth. I suggest you return to Tiohr-nam shortly after returning to Horizon. She needs to learn about that."


    "Right. I''ll be careful not to let it get to me. We''ll go back after a shower."


    "Mother, the book said that it was after being sealed that Apostles began to drink the cores of corrupted beasts. This should have been a easily noticed. When the Remnant of Miasma was killed, no signs of corrupted beast appeared on the continent, but somehow, the moment Elliot appeared as the ''human hero'', the beast returned."


    Lobelia placed a hand on her chin, and remembered what was in the Apostle''s book.


    "With what you explained previously, this is indeed a strange occurrence. Why did no one ever noticed this?"


    But the answer was quickly given by none other than Amelia.


    "Because people follow the strong. They never questioned his motives, or his past, because humans were proud to have their ''savior''. That''s most likely what it was at the time."


    "A hero needs enemies to defeat, or else, he can never become one."


    These words were exactly what led Elliot to turn against the other factions.


    "But he ultimately failed, sealed by the factions he tried to destroyed."


    There was so much they didn''t knew about the past, that no amount of brain wracking would help them get answers on this topic.


    Only Elliot himself knew, and he was almost out of his crystal prison after two thousand years.


    "In the end, we managed to erase multiple Apostles of the face of Triazils. Ivan destroyed his own city in his rage, and perished with it. I killed Leonis, who had no relative capable of taking his place."


    "You''ve killed Julian, and Kiel. Sadly, Julian had a young daughter, so she will have to take his mantle in the years to come. Kiel had absolutely no one."


    Hearing that, Lobelia had to intervene.


    "Young? How young?"


    "Below ten years old I heard."


    With anger, she slammed her fist on the table.


    "Do whatever it takes to take over the Juvern. Take Nobeli too. Your prize as the winner is to save that girl from turning like them. I even authorize you to kidnap her if need be."


    "Huh?! That''s going way too far! What are we even going to do with her? The moment she''s noticed, horrible consequences will fall on us!"


    Florian took his glasses back from the table and put them on in a hurry, surprised by his mother''s sudden nonsense.


    "We don''t even know who she is."


    "I don''t care. Go capture Juvern. I''ll deal with Laylah''s envoy while you do that. If she''s not happy, she will have to come herself."


    She never liked Laylah, and that was noticeable.


    "We''ll return to Horizon then."


    Orion stood up from his chair after noticing that the main conversation was over, and only a mother-son conversation was happening.


    It pained him something, thinking of his own mother, so he decided to quickly leave.


    "If you need something, you can see me anytime, just take a portal. I''ll leave one..."


    But Florian quickly showed him a room.


    "In here. My father''s study room. Only me enter this room, so it''s perfect."


    "It''s decided then. Amelia, Karteira, Dramia, and Drania. Are you ready to return home?"


    "Yes!"


    "I need a shower..."


    "Sis, can you stop saying that?"


    "Faster! I''m hungry!"


    Florian chuckled seeing them so eager to return.


    "Good luck Florian."


    Orion extended his hand to him.


    "You too. Were do you plan on going next?"


    He took his hand and shook it strongly.


    "We''re moving east. Toward Bandir."


    Florian looked a little surprised, but that was all.


    "Have a safe travel."


    "Thank you. I''ve given you a little gift behind this portal, take it when you need it. I hope it goes well for you."


    Orion turned around and entered the portal leading to Horizon.


    "Behind?"


    Florian walked without noticing anything strange, but all of a sudden, he found himself being warped somewhere else.


    "Heh?"


    "Ah..."


    Florian found himself in front of Kamala, in her living room.


    ''Orion... thank you.''