Olivia nodded once more, her curiosity getting the best of her. She examined Orion from head to toe, her keen eyesight picking up on an interesting detail. No matter how many times she looked at him, she couldn't detect his presence through her magical energy.
If it weren't for her sharp senses, which she had honed over the years, or her eyes, she could easily believe that someone relying solely on their magical energy would have a hard time detecting Orion.
"It seems that we have a lot waiting for us outside of this mountain, which makes me wonder if our Clan Heirs are indeed weaker than those of similar age outside the mountain, or if you are just the odd one?" Olivia asked, delicately broaching an issue that had been nagging at her.
Orion, perceptive as ever, had grasped her intention from the start. Instead of offering a response, he chose to remain silent.
Observing Orion's quiet demeanour, Olivia furrowed her brows and cleared her throat once more. She ventured to ask another question. "I've also been wondering if those outside the mountain rely solely on their physical strength, as you haven't displayed even a trace of magical energy around you," she added, her question indirect but loaded with curiosity.
Orion, however, continued to feign ignorance to her questions. He regarded her with a thoughtful expression, maintaining the air of someone who had no clue about what she was referring to. He had been withholding information even from the royal family, so it made no sense to freely divulge it to a stranger he had met just moments ago.
"..."
Observing Orion's continued unwillingness to respond, Olivia refused to give up easily. She recognized the opportunity to glean insights into the outside world and was determined not to let it slip through her fingers without some effort.
Meanwhile, as Olivia prepared to pose another question, Orion abruptly shook his head, a weary sigh escaping his lips. He found this conversation increasingly futile, as he had firmly resolved to divulge information only when absolutely necessary.
"No matter how you phrase your questions, my answer remains the same," Orion said firmly.
Olivia's eyes widened, realizing he was sticking to his unwilling stance. "If it's the royal family or the Crystalforge Clan who has instructed you to maintain this silence, they should remind you that the Crystalforge Clan alone won't secure your exit from this mountain. It will also require the combined efforts of the Quartzwraith Clan and the other three Major Clans to achieve that. Or are you suggesting that neither the Royal Family nor the Crystalforge Clan has shared this with you?" She asked, a faint smile playing on her otherwise solemn countenance.
Instead of offering a direct response, Orion countered with a question of his own. "Aren't the actions of the bloodthirsty god, the White Flame, responsible for your inability to leave this mountain?"
To his surprise, Olivia responded without showing any irritation, seemingly willing to engage in dialogue despite his prior reluctance.
"The reason behind our imprisonment extends beyond the influence of the White Flame," Olivia explained calmly. "We have extensive knowledge of the upper and lower sections of the mountain, but any attempts to map out an area or passage are thwarted. The terrain shifts and relocates itself, often leading to dead ends that didn't exist previously," she clarified to Orion.
Although she already knew how to perfectly conceal her emotions, a hint of anger crept into Olivia's words as she recounted, "Due to these circumstances, we lost several skilled Prismerions. They fell victim to the merciless assaults of the White Flame, wandering hopelessly through the ever-changing mountain passages. Centuries ago, this led to the great slaughter, a time when we decided to stop relying on prayers for forgiveness from Naka. Instead, we took up arms and fought with the hope that our sheer numbers or combined strength would overpower the White Flame once and for all."
"But, regrettably..." She sighed deeply, her head shaking with solemnity, "After the first failed attempt, we made two more, each resulting in a catastrophic massacre which we now call the Three Great Slaughters. Eventually, we abandoned the idea, recognizing that further attempts would drive our race to the brink of extinction."
She shook her head wearily, then fixed her solemn gaze on Orion. "And as you can see, you find yourself in the same predicament. Although it's unlikely the walls would shift due to your presence since you're not a Prismerion, what if they did? What's your plan then?"
With this thorough explanation of the Prismerions' imprisonment, Orion found many questions in his mind being answered.
He had indeed pondered whether some kind of barriers prevented them from leaving the mountain, especially after witnessing Princess Crystalia and Flintor opting to flee from the White Flame rather than confront it directly during their rescue mission for him and Saria.
After all, why engage in a battle when the odds of victory are stacked against you?
But then, Orion's eyes widened as a thought crossed his mind.
He immediately refocused on Clan Mistress Olivia. "How strong is the White Flame?" he asked.
Olivia furrowed her brows, deep in thought. "The last time we checked, his overall attacking power was equivalent to a ten-tier Crystal Overlord. Although we're not sure if his strength has declined or remained the same, I doubt anyone would be willing to risk their lives to find out," she replied with certainty.
Orion's face displayed confusion at her words. He began to ask Olivia if she could explain what a ten-tier Crystal Overlord was, but she interrupted him, seemingly aware of the cause of his bewilderment, and proceeded to explain.
Upon hearing her explanation, Orion's eyes widened in realization of the vast differences in measuring strength compared to the methods used in the village he came from.
"What about the young clan heirs I just fought? What are their current ranks and tiers?" Orion inquired immediately. He sought to understand the strength of the Major Clan Heirs to gauge it against his own, now that he had a grasp of his own capabilities.
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