AI Model: gemini-2.0-flash

"Liens, do you know about fate?"

Upon hearing this, Liens looked at him, and he, too, earnestly watched Liens, silently awaiting Liens's response.

"If you want to ensure the secrecy of our conversation, there's no need for such trouble. I can communicate with you through consciousness. Most people shouldn't be able to decipher it."

"Don't worry, it won't touch upon your privacy… You just need to think about what you want to say, then think of transmitting it to me."

Liens's voice suddenly resounded in Robert's mind, causing him to momentarily freeze. After a while, he realized what Liens had done.

This added a few more layers of seriousness to his gaze towards Liens.

Aside from those with relevant special talents, communicating at the consciousness level is no simple matter. This at least indicates that Liens already possesses the ability to directly influence others' consciousness.

"Are you trying to tell me about the influence of fate on this war under the Legend ritual?"

Ignoring the fluctuations in Robert's mind, Liens countered with a question, confirming the purpose of his visit.

"It seems you also have some understanding of the uniqueness of this war, which saves me a lot of explanation… What I want to say is not just that, but also the current situation."

"Fate once gave me an enlightenment—"

"The merchant stopped before the great river, seeking passage from the traveler. So the traveler took out a treasured sword and cast it into the river. The sword grew upon touching the water, causing the river to diverge."

"The Spirit of the Great River came forward to question, the traveler smiled silently, and the merchant pondered."

"The River Spirit was displeased, and the treasured sword swayed precariously in the surging river. The diverted river nourished the lands it flowed through, destroying the civilizations along its path."

"The merchant crossed the river, the great river flowed into the sea, the destruction and rebirth of civilization, yet to happen, and yet already happening."

"This is the entire content of the prophecy. Some of the events and objects within it I cannot discern, and some may represent multiple meanings."

"However, Darnell's reactions and my intuition tell me that you might be that 'treasured sword,' and your appearance also signifies that the river has reached a critical moment for divergence and redirection."

"A treasured sword?"

Liens pondered the words transmitted by Robert, silently murmuring in his heart.

From that prophecy, it was not difficult to see that Robert was expressing that he was being deeply influenced by fate. He was not particularly surprised by this.

If he ignored the Instances, his growth journey had actually been very smooth, encountering hardly any difficulties, and the emergence of belief even brought this destiny into the open.

Although Alfred's existence made the power of belief in the Hartwin Kingdom relatively active, when his humanity encountered problems, the power of belief sought him out on its own.

While this was partly due to his rescue of many people from Kara City, it still happened too coincidentally.

The so-called "river divergence" likely refers to him diverting the belief of the masses that originally belonged to Alfred.

Therefore, regardless of the process, he and Alfred were destined for a battle.

"As the 'treasured sword,' you must be careful, and remember not to trust too much…"

Robert wanted to continue speaking, but Liens interrupted him.

"The 'treasured sword' might refer to me, but it is not limited to me. It refers to all the warriors on the battlefield who bear belief."

"Rebellion is not a conspiracy, but the path chosen by people under oppression. This is the main reason for the war's continuous expansion. Even without the Legend ritual, all of this would still happen."

"It's not wrong for you to choose to leave the front line at this time to protect the people affected by the war. In fact, you are the most suitable person to go south and provide support."

"But your belief has shown avoidance, which will prevent you from bearing the fate of resistance… Perhaps your trip to the southern region this time will not be smooth."

"Fate is not a shackles. As an Adventurer priest, you should know this better than I do."

Upon hearing this, Robert froze again. After a while, he couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

"I never thought I'd be enlightened by a young man who could be my great-grandson."

"All my life, I've tried to understand fate, and this time, to avoid the fate of national destruction, I chose to join the Rebel Army."

"But I overlooked that I am not an outsider independent of fate, but a part of what constitutes fate."

Speaking of this, his expression dimmed, and his entire person seemed to suddenly age a few years.

At this moment, he looked more like an old man than a powerful bishop-level Extraordinary One.

"To recognize fate, to understand fate, and then to bear fate… I've lived a lifetime, and watched a lifetime, always feeling that I could discern all things, yet I forgot…"

"Ah, sometimes ignorance is bliss."

Liens quietly watched the dispirited, dejected Robert, not offering any words of comfort. There was no need.

Although Robert looked somewhat like his True Path Heart had shattered, there was no sign of his will collapsing. After all, he was in his seventies or eighties, and his cognitive notions were very stubborn, not something that could be broken by a word or two.

As expected, Robert only remained dejected for a moment before recovering, regaining his spirit and looking at Liens.

"I've said everything I needed to say. As for other reminders, I don't think you need them. What you know might be even deeper than what I understand."

"Take this, and I wish you good luck."

Robert took out an amulet and handed it to Liens, then sighed with another bitter smile.

"After this, I should also properly sort out my future path… I never thought I'd have to go through something like this at my age, almost in the grave. Truly… alas."

Liens took the amulet, understood its condition with a glance, and then placed it in his belt space.

"This is an oak amulet I made with divine magic. It can bring a certain amount of good luck. I don't know if it will be useful for your situation, but at least it can offer some psychological comfort."

Robert explained.

"Thank you."

Liens nodded in gratitude, and this "thank you" was spoken aloud, also signaling his readiness to end the conversation.

Robert naturally understood Liens's meaning, so he no longer wasted time, removed the barrier, and quickly left the meeting room.

And because the communication between the two was conducted through consciousness, although there were many words, only about a minute had passed.

To Uria, it seemed as if the two had only exchanged a few "hello, how are you" before ending their conversation.

The brevity of their discussion made it truly difficult for him to understand what they could have possibly talked about.

…

"That Liens, the priest of 'Fate,' isn't he? People like him are indeed more likely to learn hidden secrets than others."

Whether intentional or not, Elthorp referred to Robert as the priest of 'Fate,' and not 'Adventurer.' Perhaps in his view, the word 'Fate' was more fitting for that True God than 'Adventurer.'