CHAPTER 261: ESCAPE THROUGH THE BLIZZARD

"I see you remembered too," Shiao Yi replied. "That person who is guarding the entrance and exit underground, must have been a magician who sank along with the royal capital. They were protecting it so the Aeon couldn’t escape to the surface. For thousands, maybe tens of thousands of years."

Dominic nodded. By the way, Shiao Yi wasn’t being carried, but they had held hands the entire way. Dominic seemed unwilling to let go for even a moment.

That was fine, but the glances from passersby made Shiao Yi uneasy. Considering their sizes, people were probably thinking they were siblings or maybe even parent and child. Definitely not a couple or lovers. He was twenty years old, but somehow that didn’t matter.

It was too late now. Yeah, don’t think about it! Don’t think about it, Shiao Yi!

"The location of the fortress probably became a relay point connecting the barriers. And perhaps, at the same time, it remained as the ’entrance and exit,’" Shiao Yi said. He stopped and looked up at Dominic.

"That guardian had already reached its limit. Its body collapsed and the magic circle it had maintained appeared. That means the spell that closed the ’entrance and exit’ has been released, right? Which means...!"

Dominic met his gaze with a serious expression.

"No spell, no barrier, can last forever. Eventually, it will break. And that time has already begun."

If the barrier collapsed, the Aeon would emerge to the surface. Moreover, the Aeon had continued growing underground. An Aeon far beyond the scale of the previous one would strike the world.

Shiao Yi turned pale and began to tremble.

There has to be... something. Some way to fight it?

If nothing was done, Dominic, the world, and everything else would be destroyed.

Dominic’s large and strong hand gripped Shiao Yi’s trembling hand firmly. And then a question suddenly surfaced in his mind.

"Minoan people has been protected since the Prehistoric Era, back when the Aeon were rampaging, right? That’s because it was sandwiched between the river of fire, a reservoir of magical energy, and the layers of black agate stone, which are also magical energy, right? That’s... positive energy, isn’t it?"

"Yes," Dominic answered. "Everything on the surface, living or non-living, contains positive magic. Without magic, nothing can exist in form. Grass, soil, even a single pebble everything is the same."

"Right. But the Aeon don’t attack non-living things. They don’t eat soil or rock, right?"

"Perhaps that kind of magical energy is difficult for them to use. The ones releasing and using magical energy are living beings, like us. That might be why."

"Maybe inactive magical energy is hard to absorb? The magic from living beings must be attractive to the Aeon. Is it about the quality of magic? Living beings’ magical energy is the right size to consume... tasty, maybe? Are Aeon gourmet? Meanwhile, they avoid magma. Even though tasty meals the people of Minoan are gathered there. Why? Could the difference be the scale of surrounding magical energy?"

Shiao Yi felt a haze in his mind. Something about this seemed like a big hint, but the thought hadn’t taken shape yet, leaving him restless and uneasy.

"When there’s a big difference in energy, the small is absorbed into the large and becomes part of it. If balanced, they react violently and cancel each other out. So, the Aeon avoided magma... which means...?"

His mind was spinning in circles when Dominic spoke up.

"Shiao Yi, from here we’re entering the Pallas household area."

They climbed the stairs and emerged into a spacious comfortable living room. A big and strong man greeted them with a warm and cheerful smile. It must have been quite late already, yet he had waited for them. What a kind person.

"This is Krios Pallas. And this is my partner, Shiao Yi."

"Nice to meet you. I’m Krios. What a cute partner. Are you underage?"

"No, I’m twenty," Shiao Yi replied feeling a little offended.

Krios laughed heartily with a booming carefree sound. He seemed easygoing and friendly.

"I hear you calmed the eruption of the river of fire. Thank you. It’s been troubling us for a long time. But in this bitterly cold land, we can’t live without the heat from the river of fire. We just have to learn to live with it."

Krios gestured toward cushions on the floor, indicating they should sit. Here, people sat directly on the floor on top of furs. The cushions were soft and fluffy and warmth radiated up from the floor, making it surprisingly comfortable.

"The snow has already started falling. Tomorrow will bring the coldest weather of the year. Traveling over the mountains now would be dangerous. You should stay here until spring. There’s plenty of room and we don’t mind at all."

Krios’s offer was generous. Staying this long must have strained their food supplies, yet he made them feel welcome. A truly kind man—Shiao Yi decided he was officially a good person.

But Dominic held Shiao Yi close and spoke to Krios.

"Thank you. I appreciate your kindness, but we have a special way to return safely, so there’s no need to worry."

"Is that so? Well, then at least have a meal before you go."

"No. You’ll be trapped in the long, harsh winter soon, right? Food is precious. We really don’t need it now. Next time we come, we’ll enjoy your cooking properly."

Dominic stood up while still holding Shiao Yi close. Naturally, Shiao Yi remained in his arms.

Because Dominic knew that Shiao Yi suffered from chronic headaches caused by the black agate stone vein, he was eager to leave quickly. Suppressing the activity of Shiao Yi’s special brain constantly was exhausting, so Dominic’ thoughtfulness was very comforting.

"The guests are leaving!"

Krios called out toward the back of the room. From the inner door, two children and a young couple came rushing in.

"Eh now? At a time like this?"

"It’s dangerous outside with the blizzard!"