Chapter 35: Every Word Must Be Answered

Sequence 4, while possessing divinity and marking the starting point of the transformation into a complete mythical creature, is less than a stray dog on the roadside to a behemoth like the Giant race...

Pondering this abrupt change in the Giants, Hermione examined this so-called "visiting card." The phrasing was surprisingly methodical, clearly arranging the time and the specific Giant deities who would be visiting.

The visitors were the "Goddess of Harvest" and the "God of Dawn."

They were the Giant Queen and the eldest son of the Giant King, respectively.

That family of the Giant King...

Hermione couldn't help but arch an eyebrow. She was not familiar with their honorifics or their names, but she had a profound impression of the Giant King's wife and children.

After all, in the video stories, this family had a "highlight moment" painted with heavy ink—the God of War carelessly losing his own mother!

This conspiracy, which spanned from the Second Epoch to the Fifth Epoch, directly led to the fall of the "God of War" of the Fifth Epoch, who was none other than the Giant King's eldest son. The fruits of this victory were then claimed by those two sinister goddesses, Evernight and Lilith, who sat side by side, dividing the spoils.

One must not provoke a goddess when she turns ruthless... For some reason, Hermione shuddered as she thought of this.

...

As the New Year festival neared its end, in a simple stone house, the aged Severus sat down wearily, cushioning his wooden chair with scraps of fur.

Beside him, a handsome, sunny young man, full of youthful vigor, was holding the parchment Severus had brought back, studying it and occasionally letting out exclamations of wonder.

"Osekus, it is time for you to take a seat on the council," Severus said, looking at the golden-haired junior with a mix of gratification and melancholy.

The golden-haired man looked up, startled. "Grandfather? Why do you have such thoughts all of a sudden?"

Severus's deep eyes rested on Osekus. He wanted to offer a loving smile, but the expression that pulled at his face was too cold, so he abandoned the attempt and said calmly, "Had it not been for me, with your abilities, your contributions, and your reputation, you would have already been elected to the tribal council."

Since its inception, the Ilusha tribe had mandated that no direct blood relatives could serve in the council simultaneously, to prevent any single family from monopolizing the decision-making power of the entire tribe.

"Some have even advised me not to cling to power because of this..."

Council members did not receive any material rewards for their service, but the desire for power and a sense of value were among the innate traits of humanity.

Severus, who refused to step down, had been criticized by some for this reason.

But Osekus did not think so. He set down the parchment and smiled gently. "Grandfather has always been the backbone supporting the tribe."

Severus nodded in relief. He greatly admired this younger member of his family, whose temperament mirrored his own youth. He sighed, "But times have changed; this is the era of you young people. I argued with the teacher of Councilor Hermione for a lifetime, never expecting that I would eventually become a believer of her disciple..."

Severus spoke with a sense of nostalgia. The humans of the tribe were united for survival, but in the execution of many specific matters and the direction of the tribe's development, there were always disagreements.

The philosophy of Hermione's lineage always emphasized starting from oneself, but Severus believed that the path for humans to find strength was arduous and long. He focused more on strengthening ties with the Giants and reinforcing the tribe's value and presence in the eyes of the Giants.

During the year of Hermione's "seclusion," Severus had been working hard to promote this philosophy, but all his efforts turned to foam the moment Hermione ascended to become a demigod.

"'Human language,' 'potions,' 'sequences,' 'advancement'... Councilor Hermione's research always manages to stay ahead of us." Severus sighed with a complex expression. "She is a true human genius; I am no match for her. Perhaps she... perhaps He can truly lead the tribe on the path to human prosperity. But She is too self-centered. I worry that just as this dawn of hope begins to shine, Her radical nature might cause the entire tribe to be buried with Her."

"If only you could also become a 'Sequence 4'."

To this, the cheerful Osekus could only shake his head helplessly and smile. "According to Councilor Hermione's nomenclature, my abilities correspond to the 'Priest of Light' sequence, but there is no information on the scrolls about sequences beyond that..."

Severus nodded. "Councilor Hermione has said that She is merely organizing and integrating all the tribe's knowledge of 'potions,' not creating it. The path beyond Sequence 5 is something we must explore further ourselves."

"That is why I always emphasize that our human tribe needs more time to gradually grow strong."

Severus looked at Osekus with great anticipation. "But I hope, and I believe, that you will be able to catch up to Councilor Hermione's pace."

Osekus nearly failed to maintain his sunny smile. Under such high expectations, he rarely revealed his true feelings before his grandfather, advising, "Grandfather, we are all following the Lord's footsteps now."

Severus's expression stiffened. He looked at the junior who still maintained his sunny facade, and after a few seconds of silence, he handed him the so-called visiting card from the Giants.

"This contains the specific time and the corresponding honorifics for the true deities descending upon the tribe. Councilor Hermione has entrusted me with full responsibility for this matter... I am now handing it over to you to welcome them. Rest assured, these two deities will proactively restrain the aura of their 'mythical creature' forms. Do you have the confidence to complete this task?"

Looking at the massive visiting card handed over by Severus, Osekus felt a heavy weight of pressure.

This was not just a chore to welcome Giant deities; it also carried a seat on the council—given Severus's respectful attitude toward the Giants, it would be impossible for him to let someone who was not a councilor welcome the gods.

This also meant that Severus was truly stepping down from his position as the Second Councilor.

"Very well, Grandfather." Osekus solemnly accepted the visiting card, along with Severus's council seat.

Meanwhile, Hermione, holed up in her room, was also feeling troubled. "The Giant deities are coming... I hope Amonishes and the others don't return at a time like this."

Pulling the wooden carving of Amonishes from her pile of sculpture molds, Hermione wanted to try once more to see if she could establish a connection through the act of prayer.

Just as she clasped the six-armed goddess carving in her hands and whispered a prayer in her heart, the cold and elegant voice of Amonishes echoed in her ears: "Are you looking for me?"

It worked!

Hermione suddenly felt something was wrong. She turned around abruptly and saw Amonishes, who was standing behind her, though she hadn't noticed when she arrived.

The silent, stealthy Amonishes.

"You're back?!"

Amonishes smiled with amusement. "Why the look as if I'm unwelcome? My newly ascended demigod lady."

Ignoring the sarcasm from the goddess, Hermione sighed, "There are deities coming, you really should go out and hide..."

As she spoke, Hermione looked at Amonishes suspiciously, feeling that there was an imperceptible change in the familiar Amonishes.

Especially seeing that the goddess remained unhurried even after hearing the news.

An incredible thought surged into her mind.

She asked in surprise, "Did you ascend to become a 'Knight of Calamity'?"

Amonishes smiled. "Not quite, but my state has stabilized significantly, and my authority over Concealment has been enhanced as a result. And... this is all thanks to you."

"Me?" Hermione was stunned. It had to do with her?

"You have provided me with a solid anchor," Amonishes reminded her.

An anchor...

Chewing on the implications of this, a thought flickered in Hermione's mind...

She coughed twice. "My beloved Goddess, when did you ascend..."

Amonishes narrowed her eyes and smiled. Her tone was soft and gentle:

"The two times you prayed to me."