Is she here?

Honestly, I wasn't too sure. My memories of the Second Game were all fuzzy now, like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands. I had a vague recollection of the First Game, but the Second was like a hazy dream, especially since Ephera moved forward in the game story without me back then.

As I strolled along, I caught glimpses of the visitors divided into three lines. Two were for the common folks, while the VIPs had a more crowded four-line arrangement. I'd seen elves, vampires, and werewolves during my time in the Game, and even in my childhood in Sancta Vedelia, but this was the first time I'd seen them all in one place.

Elves, Vampires, High Humans, and Werewolves—everyone here was strikingly beautiful, towering above the average people from other kingdoms. Elves stood out with their long ears and an air of nobility, while Vampires commanded attention with their pale features and an aura of cold elegance.

I wasn't in the mood for a never-ending queue, so I cut straight to the heart of the matter—the tent.

Even inside the tent, there was a line, and my patience was wearing thin. After the midnight journey from Celesta until this very morning, I wasn't in the mood for more waiting.

"Everybody out," my voice rang out, slicing through the hushed murmurs.

All eyes turned to me. I brushed off the gawking and whispers, focusing on a guard. "Escort them out. I need a word with the old Prophetess."

Silence engulfed the tent at my command. They looked flabbergasted by my audacity.

"And who might you be?" A knight in blue armor charged toward me. The emblem of 'waves' on his chest marked him as part of the Great Dolphis House.

"Ah, a knight from Dolphis, who happens to be visually impaired. Quite concerning," I pointed at my own chest, the pendant with the Olphean House emblem swinging gently.

His eyes widened in horror, and he dropped to his knees. "M-My sincerest apologies, Milord.."

"Apology accepted, but get done what I asked first," I commanded.

"Y-Yes!" He turned to the people in the tent, eyes still fixed on me as if I were some exotic creature mixed with terror. "A Lord of the Olphean House is here! Clear the path and leave the tent!"

The crowd hurriedly filed out of the tent, leaving me alone with the elderly woman seated on a throne at the far end. Her crimson gaze was locked onto my amber eyes.

"Milord, please don't—" The knight began, but I closed the door behind me and strode toward the woman.

"I had a feeling you'd show up, Amael Idea Olphean," she chuckled.historical

Claudia Tepes, a woman with pale skin and raven-black hair, mingled with strands of gray due to her age. She didn't look like a grandmother—more like a mother, akin to Melfina.

She was the current Prophetess, and also the wife of the head of the Tepes House.

"You knew I'd come, thanks to your prophetic powers, I assume?" I asked, scanning the tent's interior. There wasn't much here except for the radiant pillar or root behind Claudia.

"I sensed your presence from the moment I saw you in Lydia's arms seventeen years ago, but.." Claudia's voice turned icy, a slit forming in her crimson eyes, sending a shiver down my spine. "What I envisioned was you standing amidst corpses, blood, and fire above Sancta Vedelia, laughing."

"Your prophecy might be a tad rusty by now, given your age," I retorted.

"That insolent tone of yours is just as infuriating as Alea's, despite her not always being by your side," Claudia remarked, fingers tapping on the armrest of her throne.

"If you truly believed in that vision of yours, you'd have tried to kill me, wouldn't you?" I inquired.

What she had dreamt was precisely what transpired at the climax of the Second Game.

"I would have indeed," Claudia confirmed. "But I dreamed of you again recently."

[<She dreamed of you..>]

I could practically hear Cleenah stifling a laugh.

"I've dreamt of you multiple times lately—"

"Alright, I get it. Spare me the details about your dreams involving me. It's a bit strange to hear that from someone who could be my grandmother," I cut in.

"..."

[<Eh? What about me then?>]I think you should take a look at

'You're different, Cleenah. Age isn't a factor for goddesses like you. I don't mind,' I assured her.

[<Well.. thanks..>], Cleenah replied, sounding a bit embarrassed.

"You're quite disrespectful for someone seeking help," Claudia chided, her glare fixed on me.

"My apologies, Prophetess, for my earlier tone. Could you continue?" I quickly corrected myself.

Claudia looked taken aback by my abrupt change in demeanor, but she soon smiled. "I had a series of vague dreams, but they didn't indicate any malevolent intent. So, I opted for restraint."

"Or perhaps you were avoiding facing my mother and the Falkrona House after supposedly killing me?"

"Now, let's wrap this up. You're pushing my patience," Claudia snapped, her tolerance waning.

"I'm here for just one thing," I stated.

"And what might that be?" Claudia inquired, though I was sure she already knew.

"Who's the next Prophetess?"

The Prophetess of the Holy Tree of Eden—a pivotal figure alongside the Saintess, the Daughter of Raphiel, and the High Priestess. I considered these four women among the world's most crucial, largely due to their extraordinary abilities.

The Saintess held incredible healing powers, as evidenced by Maria's mother saving Layla from a dire illness. The Prophetess, on the other hand, had a unique power to foresee danger and death, though her visions were often unclear. Still, her insight could alter the course of history.

The Saintess's identity was easy to confirm since Maria was a central character in the Third Game. While Seraphina was no longer among the living and Helen had taken a darker path due to a corrupt Pope, identifying the Prophetess was trickier.

In my own game of the Second Game, it was Cylien. But the real-world Prophetess could be anyone among the four main heroines. I needed to know her identity and somehow establish a connection.

She held the potential to reshape Sancta Vedelia's destiny, even that of the entire world.

As I waited for Claudia's answer, she stared back at me. "You think I'd reveal that to you, Alea's son?"

"Why wouldn't you?" I prodded. "Given your penchant for favoritism, I assume you're maneuvering to have your granddaughters take up the mantle."

Claudia laughed softly in response. "You say 'knowing you' as if I have you all figured out. Unfortunately, even I am unaware of who will succeed me."

She appeared to be truthful.

Damn it.

I wasn't entirely certain whether she knew anything, but there was a chance she held some information.

"But of course, I do harbor a hope that my dear Elizabeth or Selene might assume the role," Claudia admitted unashamedly.

Elizabeth could indeed be a potential Prophetess, but I had my doubts about Selene. After all, she was the [Villainess] in the [Second Game] and had a few screws loose in her head. Beware, she was completely different from Layla and I doubted my capabilities to contain her emotions toward Victor. Only the latter could do something about that.

Whatever.

With a sigh, I moved to the center of the tent.

"What are you up to? Get out now; there are people waiting outside," Claudia scolded, noticing me raising my hand.

"Can you watch over my body for a bit?" I requested, angling my hand slightly. "Release of Anima's Core."

A tremendous surge of mana coalesced around me, forming a massive, shimmering dark green mana circle adorned with ancient inscriptions.

[<Be cautious with this, Amael.>]

"Yeah."

"W-What is that..." Claudia's face paled at the sight, but I couldn't perceive much more as my consciousness began slipping away.