Chapter 230

No matter which world it is, the level of technology in 1743 has not yet developed to the point of using electric lights - so when Lansemelo followed Dieter back to the location of the temple complex in the dark and was about to continue climbing the stairs, he finally couldn't bear it anymore and used magic to light up the stairs in front of him.

"Stars."

The stairs in front of them turned into a star map, and the vast sea of ​​stars illuminated each step - even the world consciousness that had been hiding in the temple complex to save energy and squatting at the gate of Aries Palace waiting for Lansermello to return was frightened by her sudden use of magic - but the face blocked by the bird-beak mask did not change at all. Lansermello walked straight up, leaving the two people and the world consciousness that were frozen behind.

So Lancermello took advantage of the time when Dietel hadn't reacted to talk to the servants who were in a deep state of consciousness: "I would like to ask for your opinions - do you want to talk about Ishtar's "Mistress of the Sky"? "

"Just answer them with the most basic information." Ereshkigal said, "Although you did bring her here, since the two children are not here at this time, there is no need for us to disclose more information to them. However, if they guessed it themselves, that would be another matter."

"Is there any difference between what you are doing and letting her say it directly?" Asclepius calmly pointed out the fact, "Although it seems much better than the situation where Ritsuka poured out everything at the beginning, but in the end, doesn't she still have to pour out everything?"

"I have already told you so much about the Age of Gods. Is it a bit wrong for you to worry that I will tell you everything now?" Lansemero paused for a moment and replied to Asclepius with a subtle expression, "But don't worry. At least until the end of this holy war - I will control the amount of information I reveal."

The steps beneath Lancesmero's feet glowed like waves with her footsteps, and the vast sea of ​​stars covering the steps disappeared when her feet stepped on higher steps - and at the same time, the attunement with Asklepios was dissolved, and Ereshkigal's appearance and abilities replaced the part of Asklepios that was originally attuned to Lancesmero.

When they arrived at the gate of Aquarius Palace, the magic of lighting the way with stars was finally over - the stairs under their feet returned to their original appearance, and they walked into the dark Aquarius Palace one after the other.

"Are there no lighting supplies such as candles or oil lamps in the sanctuary?" asked Lansemelo, who was walking behind Dietel.

"After all, the Sanctuary is not a secular religious institution, and its finances have always been quite tight. Moreover, the microcosm can enhance our perception, so lighting becomes less necessary." Dieter sighed and explained the details to Lansemello. "By the way, what about the stairs before?"

"It's just a trick with the stars." Lansemero stopped, his golden eyes gleaming in the darkness. "By the way, since there is no light, do you mind if I use my own means to illuminate it?"

"Didn't you do this before outside?" Dieter walked towards the living area of ​​Aquarius Palace in the dark with proficiency, allowing this unknown person who currently had no ill intentions to transform his Aquarius Palace, "Please do as you please."

"Then let's use the simplest method." Lansemero snapped his fingers, and the flames that lit up one by one illuminated the entire Aquarius Palace, and the cold breath of the underworld also penetrated into Aquarius Palace at the same time, "Okay, let's talk about the problem of the second constellation. But before that, the question is - humans will look up at the sky, and in the ancient years, the sky has been unattainable and sacred. So -"

“Should humans say goodbye to the gods?”

The Aquarius Gold Saint was startled by the question raised by the Mistress of the Underworld in front of him, and subconsciously wanted to answer the question negatively using the common sense in the Sanctuary, but after Lancermello gave a supplement, he swallowed the answer he was about to say.

"Don't worry, it's not an important question. It's just a choice between two options. What's important is not the choice, but you who made the choice." Lansemello tilted his head, recalling the record of Fujimaru Ritsuka entering the underworld in the seventh anomaly. "Anyway, no matter what you choose, you will have to accept the test in the end."

"Trial?" Diedermin caught the unusual word sharply.

"The Seven Gates of the Underworld - I have reached a consensus with Athena to rebuild the underworld belonging to Ereshkigal under the Sanctuary." Lansemero kindly explained to Dietel the test that the entire Sanctuary would face in the future. "Although the Seven Gates were originally a test that people would have to face after death, it has now been changed to a test to obtain the protection of the mistress."

"Ereshkigal is the oldest god of the underworld. If you get her blessing, Hades' army will be helpless against you. After all, because it is the oldest, Hades' underworld is also Ereshkigal's territory. You are the first to experience the Seven Gates. You are really lucky."

"I may not really want this luck." Dieter answered Lansemero calmly, giving the answer to the first door, "I think people should say goodbye to the gods - even if the lady Athena I serve is to protect this world from Hades, I still think so."

"I see... That's correct." Lansermello made a sound effect of the correct answer, while searching for a hostile entity suitable for the trial based on his memory. "Well, the first level of the trial will be a little easier - Naga. As long as you can deal with this group of Nagas, your first level of trial will be over."

"Ah, these aren't real Nagas, huh? They're just recreated from my memory. They're safe, and even if there are a lot of them, they won't really kill you."

The moment the group of Nagas appeared, strange singing surrounded Dietel in layers - Lansemelo glanced at the situation outside, added a few magic barriers to isolate the possible impact of the Nagas on others, and then took advantage of Dietel's time to deal with the Nagas to think about what to confirm next.

Nagas are not actually that powerful - just look at how Fujimaru Ritsuka was able to quickly take out a group of them when he went to farm materials, and you'll know that these creatures don't have overwhelming power; but for Dieter, who met them for the first time, although the Nagas are not strong, their singing is enough to cause him trouble.

——The Naga’s singing voice has a charming effect.

In other words, after being hit by a group of Nagas by Lancermello, Dietel was controlled by the Nagas.

"Oh, I remember they said Aquarius controls freezing air, right?" Lansemero leaned against the pillar inside the palace and began to cast warming magic on himself, "I hope he can finish this battle quickly - although there are no Nagas in Greek mythology, there are classic cases of dealing with sirens of the same type. I hope he won't be dragged down by the charm of the Nagas -"

Ice crystals and cold air erupted from the center of the Naga group, instantly turning the surging Nagas into ice sculptures; the disturbing weird singing also came to an abrupt end at the same time - Dietel, still emitting a chilly aura, left the center of the Naga group and stood back in front of Lansemelo.

"Is this the first level of the test?"

The Nagas were not a problem, it was just their weird singing that was a bit annoying. Most of Athena's warriors were strong-willed, and Dieter was only distracted for a moment because he was hit by a group of Nagas, allowing the Nagas to successfully charm him. So he quickly got rid of the Nagas' charm by willpower and got rid of these snake-tailed human beings in one go.

"…This is the first time I've given this trial to living people on the ground. You don't have enough experience. I'll make the second door more difficult for you." Lansemelo subtly looked away, but soon turned his gaze back and made the group of naga that had turned into ice sculptures disappear. "Okay, now—we can continue our previous conversation."

"Are there any Athena warriors who are good at archery?"

"The only Saints who are related to bows and arrows are Sagittarius and Sagittarius. If we talk about archery, there should be only one Sagittarius who has a golden bow in his armor." Dieter answered Lansemello's question carefully, while observing her reaction. "The Saints are good at hand-to-hand combat, and only a few Saints use weapons."

"In other words, we can only guarantee that he will be able to use it, but not that he is good at it?" Lansemello frowned slightly and sighed helplessly, "Forget it, just in case I need to use it, I will just strengthen it to death - it's not a big problem, I will discuss it with Athena later. Well, let's stop our conversation today."

"Goodnight, Aquarius."

Dieter watched Lancesmero turn around and walk down. Only after Lancesmero's figure completely disappeared from his sight did he take a deep breath, climb the stairs leading to a higher place, and go to the Papal Palace to report the situation to the current Pope who was still working - the Greek god of medicine could be trusted, but the Sumerian goddess of the underworld was not within this range.

However, as soon as Dieter walked into the Papal Chamber, the ground beneath everyone's feet began to tremble.

"What's going on!?!"

They had fought more than a thousand holy wars with Hades, and even though almost all the people in the Sanctuary died in each battle, there were always survivors who would record the circumstances of each holy war - so the few people gathered in the Papal Hall now knew that although the power unleashed by the Saints and Hades could change the terrain, it was definitely not the kind of vibration coming from deep in the earth at this moment.

"Don't worry, Ereshkigal is just speeding up the reconstruction of her underworld." Athena, who was supposed to be maintaining the microcosm barrier in the Goddess Temple, walked into the Pope's Hall to comfort everyone. The breath of a human girl that was closer to that of the past disappeared quietly, leaving only a purer divinity. "Her underworld is connected to the earth itself - the way to enter is very simple, just dig through the ground."

"That is to say..."

"It's because of the commotion caused by her rebuilding the underworld." Athena smiled peacefully. No one noticed that her eyes were the same bright golden color as Ereshkigal's. "She will be responsible for helping us to detain the souls of the Hades warriors and prevent them from resurrecting."

"Because the goddess's creed is: the living cannot enter without permission, and the dead cannot leave without permission."*