Scarlett and Arnaud dealt with the remaining Cabal groups without major incident. Though she'd needed a few mana potions—especially after the clash with Leon and the others—she hadn't come close to mana exhaustion. After eliminating the final Cabal group she could detect in the middle levels and absorbing the power from their altars, she regrouped with Arnaud, and together, they descended to the lower floors.

The man said little as they emerged into a broad stone chamber lit by clusters of glowing green crystals. The space was still, devoid of immediate threats.

"Dad! Scarlett!" Allyssa's voice rang out from the far end.

She sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by scattered vials, tools, and alchemical ingredients, seemingly in the midst of concocting something. Shin sat beside her, sword balanced across his lap as he methodically wiped the blade clean. He looked up and nodded at their arrival.

Fynn was meditating in a corner. His eyes opened sharply when he noticed Scarlett. Though no longer smeared with blood, he looked far from recovered.

Nearby, Kat dozed on the stone floor, using a rolled cloak as a pillow and another tossed over her. Her claymore leaned at her side. Against the wall, Rosa slept soundly, tangled curls spilling across her shoulders, her lute resting loosely against her chest.

As Scarlett and Arnaud approached, Allyssa began packing up her tools with Shin's help. She glanced at them, taking in their appearances. "How'd it go? You're not hurt, are you?"

"We're fine, sweetheart," Arnaud said with a reassuring smile. Neither he nor Scarlett had suffered any serious injuries.

It hadn't necessarily been easy, but with her pyrokinesis now at Argent-tier, Scarlett could manage most Cabal members alone, save the strongest, like Vail.

Still, she'd left the more troublesome groups to Arnaud, knowing full well that he, like Vail, was nearly untouchable by most below his level. Even within the Cabal, few could stand against him for long.

That said, she had noticed a few new scratches on him earlier, but nothing that couldn't be easily healed.

"That's… good," Allyssa said, corking a violet-hued vial and slipping it into her bandolier. Her focus shifted to Scarlett. "So… what now? What happened?"

Scarlett met her eyes briefly, then swept her gaze across the room. "Before we begin, we should wake the rest of our group."

"Not sure how easy that'll be. I gave Rosa and Kat stamina potions, but I'm pretty sure they've both burned through all their mana."

"Still," Shin added, "they'll want to be awake now that you're back."

Scarlett looked down at the two sleeping women. "…Then let us see what we can do."

She raised a hand, conjuring small spheres of shimmering water that hovered above each of their faces before bursting gently.

Kat sputtered awake, jerking as she sat upright with a cough. Her eyes darted around before settling on Scarlett. "…You could've just tapped my shoulder."

"I could have," Scarlett said.

She turned to Rosa, who hadn't stirred at all. With a flick of her wrist, the remaining water evaporated before it could soak the bard's face further.

Kat followed her gaze. "Yeah, she's not getting up anytime soon. Whatever freaky power she's been using really drained her."

"I see," Scarlett murmured. The same thing had happened in the Hall of Echoes when Rosa overextended her Heartstone. Hopefully, this wasn't as serious — but it was probably best not to expect much more from the bard for now.

Kat groaned as she got to her feet, running a hand through her damp, sun-bleached hair and wringing water from her tied tail. Eventually, she turned to Scarlett. "Mind drying me off too?"

Scarlett gave a small nod and did so with a thought.

"Thanks." Kat turned to Arnaud, eyeing him. "So, how'd it go on your end?"

"Quite well, I believe," Arnaud replied. "If the Baroness is correct, we've eliminated most of the immediate threats down here."

"Huh. That's…impressive." Kat gave Scarlett a once-over. "You sure you're all right? You looked…kind of off before."

Scarlett's expression darkened slightly. "…I am fine."

Kat raised a brow at her tone, but let it drop.

Allyssa and Shin finished packing up and stood, Fynn joining them.

"So, what's the plan now?" Kat asked.

"We are heading to the Chamber of Sovereignty," Scarlett said.

Allyssa tilted her head to the side. "That's where the Tribute of Dominion was, right?"

"Correct."

"Uh…" Allyssa hesitated, biting her lip. "What about Father Ray?"

"I wanted to ask about that too," Arnaud said, turning to Scarlett. "I wasn't expecting him to show up — nor your...particular method of handling the situation."

Kat looked between them. "Allyssa told me who that guy was, but am I the only one here who doesn't know him personally?"

Fynn nodded. "You are."

"We will meet Deacon Abram now," Scarlett said. "I sent him to the gate of the Chamber of Sovereignty with the Cabal girl."

"…Why?" Allyssa asked.

"So they could deal with the guardian stationed there and wear themselves out doing so."

"Oh." Allyssa blinked. "Are we…going to fight him?"

"That depends entirely on his response," Scarlett replied. "But I do not expect we will."

Arnaud gave her a long, measuring look. "The Cabal girl. What's her role in all of this? I know you and Ward needed her, but I've yet to understand why."

"You will see soon enough." Scarlett swept the [Eternal Flameweaver's Athame] through the air, cleaving a glowing rift open. "Fynn, can you carry Rosa?"

Fynn nodded silently, stepped over, and carefully lifted Rosa into something resembling a princess carry. Scarlett watched the scene for a second before turning towards the portal.

Shin stepped through first. Allyssa followed with a hint of hesitation, then Arnaud. Kat picked up her claymore with a grunt—it looked just a tad too heavy for her current state—and followed. Fynn, with Rosa in his arms, was next. Scarlett cast one final look around the chamber before stepping through last.

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They emerged into a wide stone hallway, much like the others scattered throughout Beld Thylelion. It stretched forward in a straight line, broadening into a larger chamber ahead.

Scarlett immediately started down the hall, the others falling in behind her.

"So," Kat said after a few steps, "are we going to get a few more explanations about what's been going on? Things kinda turned into a mess after you disappeared during the fight earlier, and it didn't exactly get clearer once you came back."

"I am aware," Scarlett replied. "Matters became…complicated."

"Yeah, I gathered."

"I will explain what I can, but be patient. There are still important steps we must complete."

Kat exhaled. "Right. The mysterious steps with the mysterious Ward. At this point, I'm just along for the ride. Can't do much else with my mana run dry."

"I still have a few potions and alchemic reagents left," Allyssa said, glancing at her bandolier. "But how much good they'll do depends on what we're up against."

"I think I'll explode if I force down another mana potion," Kat added.

Scarlett shook her head. "If all goes as expected, there will be no further fighting."

They reached the corridor's end and entered the chamber beyond. The stone walls were covered in layers of engraved inscriptions, along with countless lines of glyphs and geometric sigils that Scarlett had little interest in right now. Tall columns lined the space, and at the far end stood a massive gate of runic metal.

Lying broken before the gate was the shattered body of a massive marble construct. It was vaguely humanoid, though its limbs had a jointless grace, and strange conduits ran across its surface like veins of gold. Embedded in its chest was a large hourglass-shaped core, cracked and leaking fine sand onto the stone floor.

The final boss of Beld Thylelion — the [Sentinel of Sovereignty].

As final bosses went, Scarlett had never found it particularly impressive. But perhaps that was by design. Beld Thylelion had more than enough other dangers. Not that the Sentinel was weak, but it was probably very diminished now. With the removal of the Fate fracture, the ambient Fate that the boss might have drawn upon to predict its enemies' movements was gone.

At the very least, Scarlett had been confident Raimond and Nol'viz could handle it. That confidence had come from both what she'd seen and her assumption that this had been part of Yamina's intended design.

Now, the aftermath lay before them.

Raimond stood a few paces from the Sentinel's fallen form, visibly drained. Nol'viz, by contrast, was suspended in the air, caught in a brilliant web of golden chains formed from light. The mask she wore remained still, and her three lavender eyes blinked slowly in perfect sync as she observed the group's arrival. Despite her apparent confinement, she didn't look that distressed.

"Baroness Hartford," Raimond greeted, his tone stiff and deliberate as they approached.

"Deacon Abram," Scarlett returned evenly.

Her gaze focused on Nol'viz. The Cabal girl met her stare without a word.

"It might surprise you," Raimond said, "to learn that I have some questions."

"It does not."

He regarded her for a long moment, expression uncharacteristically subdued. "…How much of this was part of your plan?" he finally asked.

"That is difficult to say. Perhaps half? I had not intended for you to learn of my presence here at all."

Raimond stayed silent for a moment, then looked at the others. His eyes lingered on Arnaud, then on Rosa in Fynn's arms, before returning to Scarlett. "It seems I was rather naive to think there existed some foundation of trust between us. Given how things ended in Crowcairn, I suppose I should have expected otherwise. That misjudgement lies with me."

His voice was level, but a bitter edge slipped through.

"…Still," he continued, "in light of Shielder Astrey's cooperation with you, I hope it is not entirely foolish to believe your true intentions here are not…malevolent."

"As always," Scarlett said, "that depends on perspective."

He gave a weary, crooked smile. "As always, it does." His eyes met hers. "…Tell me, Baroness. Have you communed with Ittar?"

Scarlett raised an eyebrow.

"Gods," Kat muttered from the side. "What, is she collecting them now?"

Raimond cast her a brief glance.

"You ask," Scarlett said, "because Ittar reached out to you during your time in Beld Thylelion?"

He nodded quietly.

Scarlett studied him. "…The answer is no. I have not been contacted by any of the gods other than Itris."

A trace of surprise crossed Raimond's face. "Itris…?"

"However," Scarlett added, "I suspect I know why you think I might have spoken with Ittar."

She gestured towards Nol'viz, still bound in the radiant chains. "You were guided to bring her with you, were you not? And now you wonder if I had a hand in that guidance."

Uncertainty flickered in Raimond's eyes as he tried to read her expression. "…Yes."

"I did not," Scarlett said. "But an associate of mine likely did."

She didn't know for certain what Ittar had intended here in Beld Thylelion. But given the god's capacity to perceive Fate, she wouldn't be surprised if he'd foreseen some fragment of Nol'viz's role in this place, much like Scarlett's own glimpses after her encounter with Fate's fracture. Though she wondered if he might've misunderstood what that role actually was.

Honestly, she was beginning to wonder if Yamina hadn't played even the gods with her involvement here in Beld Thylelion. Maybe the woman had even managed to subtly manipulate what Ittar saw through Fate. After all, the wizard had clearly been ahead of the curve, and Scarlett knew for a fact that it was part of Yamina's plan to use Nol'viz.

"And this mysterious associate of yours…?" Raimond asked.

"Senior Wizard Yamina Ward, of the Rising Isle."

His brows rose sharply before his expression settled into something more thoughtful, if troubled. "…I see that there's more at play here than I realised."

He sounded genuinely perturbed by that.

"Don't feel too bad," Allyssa offered. "It's easy to get lost with all of this."

"If it helps," Kat added dryly, "I gave up trying to make sense of half of it a while ago."

Raimond smiled faintly. "Comforting, in its own way. Thank you, ladies." His tone sobered again as he faced Scarlett. "That said, Baroness, I feel compelled to ask…was it truly necessary to send me against that thing?" He gestured towards the remains of the marble construct behind him. "Entrusting me with such a…task without explanation feels like something I'd expect from a less cooperative acquaintance."

"It was simply the better alternative," Scarlett said. "Someone had to deal with the guardian."

"And that 'someone' couldn't have been anyone happening to not be me?"

"No. You and Nol'viz were the most suitable pair for the task."

Raimond eyed her. "And what, pray tell, did you expect me to do once the battle ended — when Nol'viz turned to me for answers?"

"Subdue her." Scarlett nodded towards the girl. "Which you accomplished admirably. Excellent work."

"The compliment feels rather hollow, considering the circumstances." Raimond brushed a hand through his long hair, squinting at her. "You are aware she's exceedingly dangerous, are you not? As hard as I know it is to imagine, what if I had failed?"

"That is why I ensured she would be weakened by the guardian first. So that you could restrain her. Which, again, you did."

Scarlett wasn't entirely sure who would've won had Raimond and Nol'viz fought under normal circumstances. Probably Nol'viz. But this encounter had unfolded almost exactly as anticipated, and the truth was, Raimond was likely one of the few people capable of disabling someone like Nol'viz without having to defeat her outright. His magic was a good counter for her.

"I see now that your concern for my well-being sits somewhere below your concern for strategic convenience," Raimond said. "If my rapport with the young lady has been irreparably ruined, I will be placing the blame squarely at your feet."

"Your rapport with a Cabal member?" Kat asked, skeptical.

Raimond winked at her, seemingly unable to stop himself. "I am confident that I had begun to make her question her allegiances. A few more days in my company, and she might have renounced the Cabal entirely out of sheer admiration."

"I somehow doubt it," Kat said.

Raimond sighed. "As do I."

His gaze returned to Scarlett, the brief levity fading completely. "…Baroness, I hope you understand that only our prior dealings—and my understanding of your tendencies—are keeping me from voicing something considerably harsher about all of this."

Scarlett gave a single nod. "I understand that perfectly."

However calm he appeared, she had little doubt he was currently carefully considering the situation and his options. Contemplating whether opposing her here would be necessary, or even feasible.

"Then let me ask you this," he said. "And if our previous exchanges hold any real meaning to you, I hope that you are candid with me. What is your true purpose here?"

Scarlett didn't answer right away. For several long seconds, she simply met his gaze in silence. Then she spoke.

"To kill Fate."

Raimond's eyes widened ever so slightly.

Scarlett turned away from him, her focus falling towards the gate. She would finally show the others what lay at the end here, and what it was for.

"This world has languished under its yoke for long enough," she said.

She let the [Garments of Form] activate, vanished and reappeared just before the gate, past the fallen construct.

"Ah, that's locked and doesn't open," Raimond called after her. "I've already tried—"

Scarlett placed her palm against the cold metal.

She didn't need to recall the puzzle from the game, nor search for the key hidden within Beld Thylelion. All the knowledge required was already in her head.

A pulse of mana radiated from her hand into the gate. The intricate carvings and embedded glyphs shimmered to life with deep, shifting light. Mechanisms stirred behind the metal. Runes aligned, and segments shifted.

With a low rumble, the doors began to part.

Scarlett didn't wait for them to open completely. She stepped forward, crossing the threshold immediately.

[Main questline "Day of Reckoning" has been completed] [Objective completed: Reach the Chamber of Sovereignty] [Reward: Dominion's Claim] [Bonus Objective Result: 83 Skill Points]

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