Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

Time slipped by, turning into months in the blink of an eye.

The weather grew colder, and the situation in Eryxis's kingdom became increasingly difficult, but none of this affected Demeter in the palace, whose life remained as usual.

Although the stores of food were running low, King Cleius, even while reducing his own expenses, did not cut back on Moira's meals, so the goddess noticed no particular changes.

In such times, she didn't need to worry about any troubling matters. Demeter simply followed her own rhythm, applying the sacred food to the Little Prince during the day and burning him with ritual fire at night.

The flames consumed Demophon's original flesh and bones, and the vitality brought by the sacred food allowed new ones to grow continuously. The goddess's ritual was going very smoothly; apart from causing her some fatigue, there was nothing undesirable.

This day was the same. The prince slept soundly, bathed in flames, and felt no pain at all. Next to him, Demeter concentrated on baptizing his body.

The night was deep, and silence reigned in the palace, with only the crackling sound of the sacrificial fire burning continuously inside the room—everything was as usual.

Until a moment later, a knocking sound came from near the door.

"Dong dong—"

"Dong dong dong—"

"Moira, are you there?"

The soft sound of knocking rose, distinctly heard in the quiet room.

That was queen Metanira's voice. Her tone was a bit tense, somewhat urgent, but she still did not speak loudly.

She hoped to receive some response, yet after a good while, the room remained silent without any other sounds coming through.

Having focused her mind on the Little Prince, Demeter paid no attention to the visitor and continued her work. Most of the flesh and bones had already been replaced, and there was not much left.

Today's target of the ritual fire was Demophon's still tender cheeks. The goddess's fingers gently traced his face, and mysterious transformations ensued.

From then on, the forces of this world could no longer harm him, and even the influence of divine power would be greatly reduced, no longer able to kill him easily.

...

Outside the hut, Metanira hesitated, filled with concern.

The light shone from the wooden hut, indicating that its inhabitant was probably not asleep yet. But in response to her call, there was no feedback from inside.

The queen didn't know the identity of the person inside, or rather, even her husband, King Cleius's understanding of Moira's identity was merely a guess. However, as the most powerful warrior of Eryxis, the fact that he detected nothing unusual about her presence meant she must be far from ordinary, so he repeatedly warned everyone inside the palace not to disturb her lightly.

Metanira's husband's caution made her aware of Demeter's distinction, so in theory, she should not have disturbed this mysterious presence in the middle of the night, but today was an exception.

Not long before, having awakened from sleep, the queen suddenly missed her child. She went to Demophon's usual room to visit her son, whom she hadn't seen for a long time, but obviously, it was empty.

Just like every night in the past few months, the goddess had already taken him away, leaving behind only the small wooden bed.

Metanira was somewhat panicked, not knowing where Demophon was at the moment. But she quickly remembered that her son was left in the care of that mysterious guest by her husband.

So when the hurried queen saw the bright light of the fire inside the hut, her heart was somewhat relieved.

Perhaps he was just taken to her room by Moira, after all, it was impossible for outsiders to intrude into the palace, and they had no enemies outside... But even so, Metanira still knocked on the door.

Just a quick check, and she could apologize sincerely afterward... Thinking this, the queen stood at the door and knocked on the wooden door again.

"Dong dong—"

"Dong dong dong—"

"Moira, are you there?"

"..."

"...Moira? Is Demophon with you?"

But there was no response; it was as if the room was empty.

"...Moira, if you're there, if it's not convenient for you to let me in, please just respond."

Metanira asked again, but still, there was no answer from the room. Beneath the night sky, aside from the rustling wind, there was only the faint sound of the fire burning.

After asking several times and receiving no response, the queen hesitated for a long while. Her longing for her son finally overcame her, and with the "squeak" of the wooden hinges, she pushed the door open.

She cautiously entered, surveying the scene, and almost immediately, Demeter, standing in front of the stove, was discovered by her.

"Ah—Moira, so you're here."

Relieved, it was fine as long as she hadn't gone to bed. Metanira took a few steps forward, smiling as she asked:

"Moira, why didn't you respond just now? I thought—"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Ah!!!"

In the starlight-shrouded city of Eryxis, a sharp scream tore through the quiet palace, and almost at the next moment, lights were lit one after another.

The guards were startled awake, and those who were still on patrol immediately set out. They didn't know what had happened, but the queen seemed to be in danger. In the depths of the palace, on hearing his wife's piercing and desperate voice, King Cleius also suddenly stood up from his desk. This mighty warrior instinctively drew his bronze sword, but in the next moment, he froze in place.