Original God's Dark Priest

Ying and Paimon walked up to another set of jars. True to his nature, Paimon started asking a million questions: "There are so many jars and potions here. Do they have anything to do with alchemy?"

“No, those are ritual props of the Lord of Smoke Mystery, usually used to enhance communication with the Kingdom of Night God and the Great Spirits.” Mavica patiently explained, “Yemaya is an expert in this field and has taught me a lot.”

Although she looks serious, she's actually a humorous person. She gave me these things because her apprentice thought the set of bottles and jars was too traditional and wouldn't be passed down.

As for what's inside…” Mavica chuckled softly, “it's not that special. Well… except for that big jar in the middle, that's what she most wanted to give me.”

The two focused their attention on the large jar. Paimon, showing no respect whatsoever, immediately snuggled up to Mavica and asked in a coquettish tone, "It sounds amazing, what is it?"

Mavica didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "Grape juice."

"Hey!" Hearing such a simple and unpretentious answer, Paimon felt that he must have been fooled, and he was a little furious.

Mavica covered her mouth and chuckled, "Haha, it tastes pretty good, although it seems to be expiring soon."

Paimon didn't think it was much of a gift, but she hadn't really considered that the best gifts are never expensive items, but things that are full of heartfelt sentiment.

As long as the sentiment is there, a flower, a painting, or a homemade drink can all be a keepsake filled with heartfelt sentiment.

However, this souvenir has an expiration date.

Saffir sat back in her chair, leaning back so the chair was slightly tilted up, with her hind legs on the ground. She sat there without any proper posture, swaying slightly, with a faint smile on her face.

Mavica must really cherish this jar of grape juice; it's just a shame it'll go to waste if she doesn't finish it soon.

After going around in circles, Ying and Paimon finally arrived at Agaia's amulet.

Looking at this unassuming little object, Paimon sighed, "This is Agaya's amulet."

“Yes, you should know its origins very well. This thing has been with Agaya her whole life, bringing her a lot of good luck in battle.” Mavica nodded. Agaya and the others were very familiar with it, so there was no need for further introduction.

Ying frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "Speaking of which, shouldn't I contact Saphir? I said I would help Agaya back then."

"Huh?" Marani, standing to the side, froze, then her tone turned horrified. "You mean, Archangel Saphir, is Aurora?"

Ying nodded naturally: "Yes, she's the only one who can save Agaia, but I don't know if she's willing."

“If you’re talking about Agaya, then there’s no need to worry,” Mavica suddenly interjected. “She went to the Streamers yesterday, so she must have seen Agaya.”

Based on Mavica's observations of Saffir, she was fairly certain that Saffir had already done what Ying wanted her to do, but just hadn't said it yet.

Saving someone was nothing more than a small favor for Saffir; it wasn't worth making a special trip about such a trivial matter, and he would find out later anyway.

Hearing Mavica's words, Ying looked at her suspiciously: "Have you had some private conversations with her?"

"How could that be? I am a god. Whatever happens in Nata is entirely under my control." Mavica said without batting an eye.

Ying was still somewhat skeptical, but she didn't press the matter.

Before coming to Nata, she asked Saffir if she wanted to come along, but Saffir refused because she wasn't the one in charge this time, and she didn't know what she needed to do, so she didn't go with Ying.

But Ying had a vague feeling that her reunion with Saphir was not far off. Based on her understanding of the Fools, the Abyss was also an enemy of the Fools, so there was a possibility of cooperation on Nata's side.

Ying is quite confident about this.

Paimon put down Agaia's amulet and glanced at a weapon that resembled the one that persuaded others with reason: "There's a really big weapon here. Which tribe does it belong to?"

“That’s the weapon of a hero from five hundred years ago, Tenoch. Strictly speaking, he didn’t belong to any tribe.” Mavica glanced at the talking stick on the cabinet. “Because he was banished for some reason before the catastrophe of the abyss broke out.”

Paimon frowned: "Exile?"

This is a very rare word for her.

Mavica sighed and nodded slowly: "It was a last resort, but he accepted the punishment; in his view, it was the end he deserved."

But as the abyss descended, the tribes desperately needed a source of inspiration, and he was the one who never feared and never retreated.

He united six tribes and achieved extraordinary feats in the great war…

However, because he had lost his ancient name, he was unable to return even in the post-war resurrection poems.

And so, along with countless other fallen soldiers and ordinary people, he was buried in the land of Nata.

As Mavica spoke in detail, her eyes filled with reminiscence, the people and events of five hundred years ago seemed to have happened right before her eyes, as if it were just yesterday.

After all, she came from that era.

Paimon couldn't help but clutch his chest: "Wow, that's really amazing."

“Isn’t that right? Even now, Tenoch’s story is known to everyone.” Mavica forced a smile, concealing the faint sorrow in her eyes.

Tenoch was her comrade-in-arms. Five hundred years ago, it was she who gave him this weapon, enabling him to unite with tribal heroes to resist the dark calamity. But he never returned.

When Mavica arrived five hundred years in the future, the first bad news she received was that the Abyss of Nata was still not cleared, which was expected. However, there was also good news: after the efforts of several generations of fire gods, the invincible monster Bakhunawa, along with the Sea of ​​Ashes, had been completely sealed away.

In the outer room, Saffir murmured the name Tenoch.

She felt the name was somewhat familiar, but couldn't quite place it. She decided to wait until Mavica came out and then ask her properly.

Inside the room, since the dust used for the ceremony needed to settle for a while, Mavica simply started chatting with Ying and Paimon.

She asked, "How are your impressions after the visit? Do you have a more genuine understanding of Natta culture now?"

“Yes, every souvenir symbolizes a story. Looking at it this way, Nata has really been through a lot,” Paimon said with deep feeling. “Seeing the amulet reminds you of what Agaya said. For you, every item can evoke special memories.”

Mavica nodded slightly: "Yes, that's right. The purpose of souvenirs is actually very similar to the ancient names passed down by various tribes, which is to show us the true form of time."

"The...form of time?" Paimon was bewildered.

Saffir, standing outside the door, had a slight glint in her eyes. Her understanding of time was no less than that of Mavica, the fire goddess who had traveled across five hundred years to the modern era.

Or rather, the time she traversed was even longer, long enough for her original body to quietly shatter, and now she is merely a fragment that is closer to the original body.

She can use her real name to swear an oath in extreme situations, but in ordinary times she can only identify herself as Safir, which is why.

She is incomplete, just as Istaru once said, she is an incomplete Aurora, merely one of the fragments of the goddess Philigs.

Mavica looked at Ying, then at Paimon: "From our intuitive perspective, time is like a line. We can only move forward; we cannot change the past, nor can we predict the future."

But there is another explanation, which I believe is closer to the truth: the past, present, and future exist simultaneously.

"Huh? At...at the same time? I don't quite understand." This touched on Paimon's blind spot; her little brain couldn't comprehend these things.

Mavica thought for a moment, then changed her approach to something more colloquial: "Let me put it this way, if you were to reach the end of your journey someday, which country's experience would you consider the most important?"

Ying frowned in thought, then shook her head: "They are all important."

She simply cannot make comparisons; every journey in every country is unique, and all her experiences combined make her who she is.

Mavica smiled and nodded: "That's right. You've already reached the end, but the experiences you had on the journey haven't disappeared; they've simply been transformed into your experience and knowledge."

Missing one part might lead you to make different judgments, or even to reach a completely different destination.

Conversely, the future that has not yet happened is the same; it exists even before it occurs, but we lack the means to experience it.

Of course, some exceptional individuals can foresee the future; they call it destiny—a concept that isn't unfamiliar to you, is it?

Paimon was convinced: "That makes a lot of sense! It hasn't happened yet, but it already exists..."

“Humans are only good at experiencing the present, and easily forget the past and ignore the future,” Mavica commented. “But the ancient name records the past, while the Holy Night Pilgrimage and the Night Watchers War point to the future.”

Hearing these words, Ying suddenly put one hand on her hip and mimicked Saphir's tone, saying, "Fate is bullshit, the future is in our own hands!"

This is something Saffir once said; she seemed to have absolutely no agreement with the topic of fate.

Mavica couldn't help but chuckle at her words: "I never imagined that executive officer had such a cute side. She's right, the future is in our own hands. What we're doing now is to take control of the future that should belong to us."

Some say that Nata's future is destruction, but I don't think so, because I have countless comrades and friends who fight alongside me.

The past cannot be changed, but the future can be chosen.

Only by uniting could the Nata people from different timelines contend with such a formidable enemy as the Abyss. One can't help but marvel at the foresight of the First Vulcan in creating such a set of rules, allowing the Nata people to seize control of their own future.

Ying's eyes widened: "This rule was created by the first Vulcan?"

"Yes, the first Vulcan was also human and did not originally possess this ability, but he borrowed power from Sky Island using his divine throne and created the rules of Nata."

Because of him, all people in Nata can become gods. The strongest person chosen through the Holy Night of Return to Fire will awaken the flames within them when they ascend to the throne of godhood.

In addition, you will gain a lot of knowledge and memories about Nata. What I'm telling you is what I learned from the sacred fire." Mavica revealed a secret that no one else knew.

As soon as she finished speaking, a "crack" sound came from outside the door, as if something had broken.

The others immediately focused their attention on the door. Chaska, who was closest to the door, was the first to open it and run out to check, but he found nothing after looking around.

Mavica's eyes darted around, and Ying noticed her expression. There was someone outside the door.

Who would need to keep this from me, or even from Chaska and Marani? It couldn't be the Natas.

The identity of this person, whom even the God of Fire is unwilling to reveal, seems quite obvious.

Ying and Paimon exchanged a glance, and Paimon, understanding immediately, quickly tried to find another topic. At that moment, she noticed the family photo on the table and exclaimed, "Hey! Is this... a family photo?"

Chasca and Marani's attention was indeed drawn back to the room.

Mavica hadn't expected the two little ones to be so clever, finding a topic for her so quickly. So she took the opportunity and said in a relaxed tone, "Ah, that's right, my mom and dad, my sister, and the little dragon we raised."

At that time, I specially took a piece from my father's leather armor to use as a canvas, and invited a very talented painter to paint it.

"Ha! Your sister is quite cute. You two seem to have a really good relationship." Paimon's eyes lit up. "Before becoming a god, a god was just an ordinary human being. It was hard to imagine before, until I saw this painting."

Before you became a god, you didn't seem like much of a deal...

"Paimon!" Ying quickly covered Paimon's mouth. This guy still speaks without thinking.

After covering Paimon's mouth, Ying quickly apologized to Mavica: "I'm sorry, Paimon has always been like this. She treats other gods the same way. It's just a habit."

"Haha, it's alright, why would I get angry over something like this?" Mavica didn't care at all. Adults wouldn't get angry at children over anything, let alone a god. "No matter what others say, this is my past, my precious treasure, and I am proud of it every moment."

Paimon, already released by Ying, looked at Mavica with a strange expression upon hearing her words: "I feel like I've heard that somewhere before..."

“Saffir said something similar,” Ying reminded her.

Paimon suddenly realized what was going on and immediately nodded. However, she dared not say anything more at this moment. The Vulcan in front of her might not care, but the petty one outside might.

If you hear crickets chirping behind you, your little bottom will be spanked into four pieces.

“Your relationship seems to be much better than I thought,” Mavica suddenly said, bringing up the matter of Ying and Saphir.

Ying thought for a moment before saying, "Well... I really want to say that we're friends, but I heard that she raised me like a daughter."

This was recorded when Ying first met Scaramucci.

Mavica was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then burst out laughing.

The topic was quickly moved on, and Mavica began to introduce her family. Ying and Paimon listened with great interest, while Saffir outside the door slowly dispelled his invisibility.

She opened her hand, holding a pen broken in two. She had accidentally broken it when she heard about Sky Island. Ying and Paimon must have known she was there, as did Mavica. Marani might not have thought much of it, but Chaska had clearly sensed something.

Saffir sighed and sat back down in his original spot. He realized that his mindset was still not stable enough, and he had actually made such a basic mistake.