Just as the audience stared intently at the great sword... A golden nymph flew in from the horizon and landed on a nearby table.
The nymph fluttered its wings, and Aglaea's voice rang out: "You're forging a sword for Phainon, aren't you?"
Chartonus paused, his hammer stopping mid-swing. He studied the nymph carefully for a moment before speaking in his uniquely slow manner:
"You... Aglaea."
"In this form, you come to me. It means..."
"That's right. At this moment, my physical form is already shattered. My journey as a human in this world has come to an end."
"It's time to fulfill our pact."
Aglaea calmly spoke of her fate.
Chartonus showed no shock, merely nodding.
"Of course... The pact, I haven't forgotten."
With that said, he carefully rummaged through his pouch for a while before taking out a small object and placing it on the table.
"Far too plain, this vessel is... Not worthy of you. Do you still insist?"
The camera shifted to the table, revealing the item.
A red cord, strung with black-and-white beads that seemed to be made of either bone or wood.
It was nothing more than an ordinary bracelet. The nymph flew over to it, golden light rippling across its surface.
It was the gift that little girl Aglaea had once protected had given her.
Yet for some reason, it had ended up here. Perched atop the bracelet, Aglaea spoke with a hint of nostalgia:
"Over the past thousand years, every piece of fabric I've worked with has been tainted by my cold divinity. It's made me hate their colors, texture, and scent."
"This ornament stands apart... It was a gift from a child. She was pure and kind. I often wished my childhood could have been like hers."
Perhaps because death was already upon her, Aglaea's tone carried far more humanity than before.
After listening, Chartonus offered no comment. Instead, he slowly asked:
"How to say goodbye to everyone... have you already planned?"
Aglaea's voice carried a trace of regret.
"I'm afraid there's no such detailed plan this time. I deeply regret not being able to say farewell to them one by one."
"The moment has come... My departure will give them one less thing to worry about. This parting gift should help ease the regret of such a sudden goodbye."
Her own weakness had allowed the conspiracy to take shape.
That much was true. But the assassination wasn't solely because of the Council of Elders and Caenis, part of the responsibility lay with herself as well.
The audience watched this scene in silence.
When they first saw Aglaea transform into a nymph and still speak with Chartonus, many had been overjoyed, believing there might be a turning point.
Perhaps, just as Phainon had said, this was all part of Aglaea's plan.
But as they continued watching, especially after hearing Aglaea's words, their hearts sank once more into despair, and the sorrow returned in full force.
Many viewers had always felt that Aglaea was far too merciful toward the Council of Elders.
If she had adjusted her mindset as swiftly as Phainon and acted with decisive ruthlessness, none of the later tragedies would have happened.
The audience had once believed this to be Aglaea's only flaw as a leader.
Yet the remark about clearing away future worries after her departure revealed something important:
Aglaea knew. She knew everything. She knew that weakness would breed conspiracies.
She knew the Flame-Chase Journey should be pushed forward with all possible strength.
She knew the delicate balance that had to be maintained with the Council of Elders.
She knew... So why did she still choose this path?
As that question surfaced in everyone's minds, they instinctively recalled all the fragments from the very first episode onward.
The stories pieced together from Aglaea and the other Chrysos Heirs about their childhoods, and about what Okhema had been like over the past thousand years.
That's right. What difference would knowing make?
The children were still too young. They could not yet shoulder the responsibilities of the Chrysos Heirs.
She had to wait patiently, nurture them carefully, and protect them as they grew.
The Flame-Chase Journey was never only about pursuing the Coreflames.
It was about people. Or rather, it had always been about people.
People were the foundation of everything. Without these children, what meaning would any of it have?
She had no choice but to personally maintain appearances with the Council of Elders, preserving that delicate balance, fighting, but never letting things completely break apart.
Once that balance shattered, no one knew what the situation might become.
These children did not possess the abilities of the Goldweaver.
And the Council of Elders certainly would not show mercy just because they were children.
Even if Aglaea could protect them with all her strength, what would happen to the Flame-Chase Journey?
Would the search for the Coreflame continue? Would there still be Chrysos Heirs in the future?
Who would gather intelligence for Okhema, support the other city-states, maintain production and social order, build armies, and unite the scattered survivors of different city-states?
Once internal conflict descended into a struggle without limits... Even a demigod would no longer have the energy to do anything else.
The progress of the Flame-Chase Journey would be greatly delayed.
But the apocalypse would not wait. If Aglaea had been alone, then with her capabilities and resolve, she likely would have risked everything.
Whether uniting the city-states or eliminating obstacles. Whether through iron-fisted suppression or gentle persuasion.
The choice would have been hers alone. No one could stop a solitary demigod.
But sadly, during that hardest millennium, she was never truly alone.
Behind her stood children like Phainon and Castorice.
Beside her were Tribbie, Trianne and Trinnon, as well as Cipher.
They should not, and absolutely must not, be dragged into such filthy political struggles.
And so... While reorganizing Okhema, uniting its strength, and allowing it to stand firm amid the fires of the apocalypse for over a thousand years...
She also cared for those children. She gave them the best education.
She gave them a relatively safe environment in which to grow.
She allowed them to absorb every bit of nourishment possible and flourish, until they finally became heroes capable of standing on their own.
And after her death, what she left behind for them was not an Okhema ravaged by war.
She left behind a thriving Amphoreus. Okhema remained prosperous.
Its military remained strong. Most people still believed in the Flame-Chase Journey and were willing to contribute to that ideal.
The surviving strength of Amphoreus had also been preserved to the greatest extent possible.
The situation. The people's hearts. The foundations of the future.
These were the weighty inheritances Aglaea spent a thousand years preparing for Phainon and the others.
How attentive, how intelligent, how capable, and how patient must one be to accomplish such a thing?
How could the situation have been maintained for a thousand years?!
But even heroes grow old. A thousand years of persistence had ultimately exhausted every last drop of Aglaea's vitality.
Her humanity faded away, leaving only an empty divine shell.
She feared that she would gradually become an emotionless demigod, and she dared not imagine what choices she might make in such a state.
Thankfully... Phainon, had finally grown up.
Ever since the Citizens' Assembly established Phainon's authority, Aglaea had already wanted to step down.
The Council of Elders' assassination attempt merely happened at the right time and place.
That disgusting threat, combined with the weariness that had accumulated in her heart, led her to end her own life at that moment, half forced, half willingly.
After Aglaea's death... The golden thread was severed.
The Council of Elders believed the shackles binding them had finally disappeared.
But for the Chrysos Heirs, it was the same. This golden thread had bound them as well.
Go.
Chrysos Heirs.
After my death, you no longer need to remain beneath the Goldweaver's wings, nor continue the Flame-Chase Journey according to her wishes.
Go witness the end of this world.
Whether it ends in blazing glory or gentle spring winds...
It does not matter.
Because Aglaea believed in these Chrysos Heirs. She believed they were true Flame-Chasing heroes.
Thus... The demigod of romance Aglaea died in the most rational manner.
....
:AGLAEA!!!!
: Waaaahhhhhhh!
: Why did this woman only reveal all of this at a time like this?!
: She's carried this burden alone for a thousand years!
: Ahhhhh! This hurts so much! If only Phainon and the others had grown up sooner, if only they had met Aglaea earlier! Then she wouldn't have had to endure everything alone for so long!
: Seriously, seriously! Aglaea is the best leader I've ever seen in a story!
: Not just a leader. To the Chrysos Heirs, she was truly like a mother, giving them endless protection and care.
: Waaahhh... For the sake of her ideals, she sacrificed everything. Even her own death was made to serve that ideal. How can a demigod of romance be so rational?!
: I can't take this anymore! My tears won't stop!
: Holy hell, what a delayed knife twist! Damn it, damn it!
...
The audience finally understood Aglaea completely.
The comments became a sea of wailing. But this knife had only just begun to cut.
"Invented for the Titans, Kremnos's Soul-Forging technology was. Though divinity it retains, filtered out, the remnants of humanity will be."
"Is that what you want, Aglaea?"
Chartonus stepped closer to the table and asked for confirmation once more.
"You've confirmed this with me repeatedly. Yes, Chartonus, I need you to do this for me."
"Condense my divinity into this ornament... It might still be useful in the future to help them complete their mission."
There was not the slightest hesitation in Aglaea's voice.
In the end... Even the remnant soul left after her death would become nourishment for the Chrysos Heirs, sent into the Flame-Chase Journey as fuel for the fire.
"Selfless, until the end."
Chartonus spoke slowly. "Envy that child, there's no need to... Already lived a grand life, your humanity has."
This master craftsman of Castrum Kremnos, perhaps because of his own origins, was the person who understood Aglaea best.
And Aglaea gladly accepted his praise.
"Heh... your praise puts my heart at ease, Grand Craftsman. Now..."
"...please take me through the last tempering that fate has to offer."
.....
Castorice once said:
In Amphoreus, death comes twice in a person's life.
The first death is the death of the body. The second death is the death of the soul.
Yet because the Titan of Death exists, after physical death, souls return to the River of Souls and continue their cycle.
This was the audience's final hope. Now, they personally witnessed Aglaea's second death.
Her remaining soul burned away completely. Not a single trace remained.
In this life of Amphoreus, Aglaea would have no future.
If the recreation of the world failed once more, then everything that belonged to Aglaea would truly vanish forever.
At this moment, countless viewers finally broke down and began sobbing uncontrollably.
....
: No!!! Waaaahhh, Aglaeaaaaa!
: I refuse to accept an ending like this! Waaahhh!
: Not even her soul remains? Not even a tiny memento for us? They really had to make Aglaea die completely and utterly?!
: MiHoYo, do you people have no hearts?! Is there no human being left in your company?! Who writes a story like this?! Don't the writers cry? Don't they feel pain?!
: Human hearts are made of flesh! Does nobody at MiHoYo have one?!
: Damn it! This hurts so much!
: My heart's already shattered, and you're still twisting the knife! Beastly!
: So many character endings before this never made me cry. This time... I'm really crying like an idiot.
....
The comments exploded.
A sea of grief.
Respect, regret, shock... None of those words were enough to describe how the viewers felt toward Aglaea.
Damn MiHoYo. At a moment like this, they refused to give even a second of respite.
They forced the audience to watch as Aglaea flew into the bracelet, and as Chartonus picked it up and walked toward the furnace.
At that moment, everyone wished time would slow down. Wished for some impossible miracle reversal to occur.
But just like Aglaea herself... There was no reversal.
No surprise. Only cold reality.
The bracelet was thrown into the fire, and the blazing flames swiftly swallowed everything.
Golden liquid spread across its surface. But that was only the exterior.
Chartonus could see Aglaea's soul breaking apart.
Seizing the moment, the master craftsman quickly pulled the bracelet from the furnace. Purple light erupted around him as he raised his great hammer.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The heavy hammer fell again and again. Until the soul was sealed within the bracelet.
And at that moment, the final golden thread of Okhema quietly snapped.
Amid the audience's cries, a single thought became clearer and clearer, growing larger and larger like a wildfire sweeping across the land.
Flame Chase!
Chase the Flame!!
CHASE THE FLAME!!!!