The figure of a red-haired woman who had been observing Clyde's movements from the beginning now saw that he was leaving with Maethion. She watched them from a high window in the building so she could get a good view of the surroundings.
"Where are they going now?" The woman frowned deeply. She knew that a Celestial had just died after hearing the news from her master, and she was almost certain that Clyde was the one who killed the Celestial.
After observing them for a while, she could gauge Clyde's strength herself. The woman noticed that Clyde was growing stronger in an unusual way. Even after she knew that Clyde had received power from her master, Demon Duchess Gremory, she considered his strength to be too great for him now.
The red-haired woman once again reported to Demon Duchess Gremory about Clyde's departure, as she had done many times before. Unfortunately, she couldn't follow them, or she would appear suspicious. She still had to continue her task of spying on Clyde and couldn't afford to raise anyone's suspicions about her.
Fortunately, entering this place wasn't difficult. She just had to blend in with all the beings here and behave like someone who had just passed the Selection Stage. If she could continue to maintain her facade, no one should suspect her.
She saw Clyde and Maethion heading towards the smithy. The woman knew that there must be another portal inside the smithy, aside from the one in the middle of the crossroads. She had observed Clyde coming out of there several times, looking like he had just been through some kind of fight. Now both of them must be going to another place.
So she immediately contacted Gremory, just as she had been doing all this time. The woman took a black-bladed dagger and cut her finger. Her blood flowed onto the blade of the dagger, and not long after that, she was connected with Demon Duchess.
"What will you report to me now, Mari?" Demon Duchess Gremory asked telepathically in Mari's red-haired head.
Although she should have been isolated from anything outside in this place, with her dagger and blood, Mari could easily contact her master without any interference.
"Clyde Cross seems to be going on another expedition, Your Highness," Mari said.
"Is that so? Then, I should start moving now."
Mari explained a few more things she had discovered at the Fortress for a few minutes before the call ended. Afterward, Mari fell onto her bed, all the energy in her body seemed to evaporate in less than five minutes. This happened every time she finished communicating with her master.
Mari now had no energy at all to even move her body to a more comfortable position. So she could only wait in that position for the next three hours.
But it's alright for Mari. It was a small sacrifice compared to what her master had done for her. Mari accepted this condition with happiness and considered it a blessing from her master.
~~~
Clyde and Maethion arrived at Hammer's location while he was working on a sword. As soon as they saw Clyde coming with Maethion, Hammer and his men couldn't help but widen their eyes.
"We need to talk," Clyde said.
"Y-Yes, sure!" Hammer immediately went to his private room, inviting them in and locking the door.
Once they were inside the room, Hammer tried to avoid Maethion's gaze. He also suppressed the questions that were pushing to come out from the depths of his throat.
"We are going on an expedition," Clyde said. "Yes, the two of us. We will explain the details later, so hold off on your questions for now."
Hammer let out a disappointed sigh because it turned out he had to restrain his curiosity for even longer.
"Well, alright," Hammer said.
Clyde nodded to Hammer and then turned to Maethion. "Let's go."
Clyde attached his amulet to the green portal. Then the view of the domain of Goddess Pele appeared behind the portal. Clyde entered the portal, and Maethion followed him without asking many questions.
Hammer saw both of them disappear into the portal and immediately scratched his head. "What the hell?"
What Hammer saw was too confusing for him. He felt like he was seeing Maethion, a Senior Council, following Clyde like a subordinate.
"Is it just my feeling?" Hammer muttered to himself. "Ah, whatever. Clyde always does that."
Hammer decided to go back to his work.
~~~
The view of the clear sky and gentle breeze welcomed Clyde and Maethion to this domain. For Clyde, this was a familiar sight. However, there was a sight that seemed to mar the beauty of nature. And that was the destruction that had occurred several kilometers away from where they stood.
Trees that once filled the forest had fallen and turned to ashes. Hills in the distance were split apart due to an extraordinary force.
"That's where I fought with Goddess Pele," Clyde said in a flat tone.
"Right," Maethion replied. Up to this moment, there was nothing left to surprise the bespectacled Elf, as he had already suspected it. "So where is she now?"
"She'll be here shortly." Clyde had contacted Goddess Pele to come to this location.
After a few minutes of anxious waiting, Maethion could finally see a reddish point resembling fire moving on the horizon. He suspected that Clyde somehow managed to collaborate with Goddess Pele, aside from successfully killing another Celestial. He didn't know how Clyde did it, but it was another remarkable feat.
As Goddess Pele drew closer, Maethion felt the pressure of her power. The bespectacled Elf grimaced, but being sufficiently powerful, he managed to withstand the pressure.
Finally, the Goddess landed very close in front of them, and Maethion couldn't help but let out a struggling groan.
"Urgh..."
Clyde turned his head upon hearing this. He then addressed Goddess Pele, "Can you ease your pressure? He seems to be in pain."
Goddess Pele didn't say anything, but she complied with Clyde's command. Shortly after, the flames that had been engulfing her body subsided, and the pressure that Maethion had felt disappeared as well.
"Did he just command this Celestial?" Maethion clearly heard the tone of command in Clyde's voice, but he still wasn't entirely sure.
"Take us to that path," Clyde said. This time, Maethion could discern the commanding tone in his voice.
Goddess Pele eyed Maethion suspiciously with her reddened gaze. "Who is this?"
"He's with me. Don't worry about him," Clyde answered.
Goddess Pele gritted her teeth. She could see the confusion on Maethion's face and understood the cause.
Now there was another being who knew that she had become Clyde's pawn. As a Celestial, her pride was severely wounded. Not only had Clyde enslaved her, but he also brought another person to know about it.
"What are you waiting for? Hurry!" Clyde said sharply.
Upon hearing that, Goddess Pele averted her gaze from Maethion and opened another portal beside them.
Clyde instructed Goddess Pele to enter first. After she went in, he and Maethion followed through the portal.
"Be careful," Clyde said to Maethion. "These Celestials can be quite dirty. Last time, she set me up. But I killed her friend and showed that whatever they do will end up in vain."
Clyde intentionally spoke loudly so that even Goddess Pele, who was walking ahead of them, could hear him. He intended to warn and threaten her to refrain from any more funny business she had in mind.
In front of them, Goddess Pele didn't change her walking pace or show any reaction. However, her face which looked upfront clearly displayed her anger towards Clyde.
But she couldn't act recklessly because Clyde now held power over her.
Maethion looked back and forth between Clyde and Goddess Pele. What he had just heard confirmed his suspicions; Clyde indeed possessed some kind of authority over the Goddess.
'Unbelievable,' Maethion thought.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the stone block. Goddess Pele opened the path, revealing the mysterious void that Clyde had seen before.
"Let's go inside. Pele, you're coming with us," Clyde said in a commanding tone.
Goddess Pele, who had anticipated this, didn't say anything and simply obeyed Clyde's order. She stepped into the void.
Clyde rested his hand on the hilt of the Elderglass Sword, ready to draw it when the situation required.
"Get ready. We're about to enter uncharted territory," Clyde said to Maethion.
Maethion gripped his bow and nodded. "I'm ready."
Afterward, they entered the path.
As they entered, Maethion and the others felt a strange pressure slamming into their bodies. It was as if it conveyed a clear message that they were unwelcome here.
Maethion experienced the pressure more intensely than Clyde. He even struggled to breathe and clutched his chest.
Clyde noticed Maethion's distress and gritted his teeth. 'Could this be too challenging for him?'
"Pele! Remove this strange pressure!" Clyde shouted.
At this moment, Goddess Pele was nowhere to be seen, and Clyde started to feel a bit anxious. But he knew he could command her even without seeing her.
A moment later, the strange pressure vanished as they suddenly stepped onto a black floor.
~~~
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