Lily's POV:
"Youth? Power? Immortality? Sounds tempting, but unfortunately, in this world, only gold never grows old, only gold possesses an indomitable power, only gold remains eternally."
He said these words with such a cynical expression as if a beggar were watching nobles pick algae from a filthy gutter to eat.
"You confuse me." I felt like he was surrendering, but I cautiously asked, "At this point, I understand that you have ulterior motives for coming here. Please, be straightforward."
The merchant chuckled a few times and said, "Alright, I'll be frank then-do you know that the goddess is dying?"
What?
Who was dying?
In that moment, I couldn't control my expression.
"Now is not the time for jokes," I said dryly.
"I know you can't be certain, but when I first heard this news, I was just as skeptical. That's a god, after all. How could they die? But the fact is as I've said, in this world, only gold is eternal, and anything else, even a god, will eventually return to dust.
"Let me reiterate, I'm not questioning your faith, but the Moon Goddess, when was the last time she appeared?"
His words struck me like a bolt of lightning.
In hindsight, Eve told me, "You were completely led by the nose by him. He made you ask what he wanted you to ask and know what he wanted you to know. We only vaguely know that he's not loyal to the demon, but we don't even know which officer he meant by his 'partner.""
I knew I had done poorly this time and apologized weakly, "I'm sorry, I messed things up." Eve sighed lightly and said, "He obviously came prepared, and he's quite skilled. It's not surprising that you fell for his trap. But it's not a total loss."
"Are you talking about the news that Azazel is near death?"
Eve looked at me for a long time before seeming to make a decision.
"No, it's not that."
What else could it be?
But her next words sent a shiver down my spine, "Azazel is dying, and the queen has known about it for a while."
Who had heard the words of the goddess?
It was Yarin.
From this, even I, despite my stupidity, could see that the series of events before were all connected, and they were undoubtedly related to Yarin.
The flood of information temporarily stalled my thoughts.
Bloodlines, vessels, seals, gods.
What did all of this mean?
A new age of mythological stories?
But I didn't have any more time to digest all of this. Eve believed that what the merchant said had some credibility. It was undoubtedly calculated, but it at least confirmed one fact: the Lily of the Valley was not united. With Azazel's decline, people's loyalties were wavering.
I suddenly remembered the campaign truck I saw on the street before, where 'Secretary' Marysa stood for a council seat. I had previously thought that it indicated the Lily of the Valley's ambition for political power, but what if Azazel didn't actually orchestrate all of this? When the cultists realized that the power and youth they received from the god were disappearing with the god's decline, how would they react? Resentment? Despair? Suffering? Blame others?
Or... seize the remaining opportunity to gain power and benefits for themselves?
I explained all of this to Eve, and she agreed that it was one of the pieces of evidence suggesting the Lily of the Valley was falling apart.
"But there's no definitive evidence that the Lily of the Valley no longer follows the demon. Everything is still speculation," Eve said. She believed we needed to take some measures to verify the truth, and the best option was right in front of us.
That merchant wasn't just surrendering himself; undoubtedly, the officer cooperating with him considered this an act of surrender.
After reporting to the queen, we received orders to deepen our contact. That was why I was in the park, not sleeping, and waiting for the appointed time.
Ten minutes had passed beyond the agreed-upon time, and the man was late. Even the merchant's shadow was nowhere to be seen.
I waited a little longer, and finally, two hurried figures appeared in the darkness.
The merchant rushed over and said, "There's a problem, we can't stay here any longer, we need to go somewhere safe."
"Wait, what happened exactly? Is he your cooperating partner?"
I looked at the person behind him, moving slowly. He was wearing a long windbreaker, the hood obscuring his face completely, and he seemed to be limping, like he was injured.
Before the merchant could say anything, the man spoke, "Indeed, it's me, Miss Lily. Speaking of which, I've been to your hometown."
He pushed back his hood, and under the moonlight, that aged face felt both unfamiliar and familiar.
I had seen him on a wanted poster before, but many years had passed, and my memory was a
bit hazy.
He was indeed an officer from the Lily of the Valley, just as he said, and he had been to my hometown.
Looking at his ashen eyes, I said coldly, "I know you - 'Cigarette' Marty."