Born From a Forbidden Union, Humanity hates me.

On the way to the portal leading to Horizon.

"Henrietta, are we really gathering all the Remnants in one place?"

Walking up the slope, Henrietta turned to Kamala.

"We are. The situation is out of control, and the risk of losing this battle is greater than ever. Even with Orion, it would have been a difficult struggle at most."

"Why?/Why?"

The Remnants of Commerce, Chelsea, and Kelsea asked at the same time. Then, Chelsea asked alone.

"From what you've told me, he had the title of Hero, right?"

Kelsea continued her sister's thoughts.

"Wouldn't he be strong enough to deal with those monsters easily?"

But Henrietta shook her head.

"You have to remember, even a Hero is a living being. There is a limit to what they are capable of, or else they would become the next threat to this world."

"Orion was blessed with incredible wits and a desire to learn constantly. This led to an explosive improvement in only four years."

She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes meeting the twins'.

"Not even a Hero is exempt from death. Their energy is expendable, like every one of us. Even we, Remnants, aren't freed from those shackles."

What she alluded to was that Remnants were superior beings. In a way, she wasn't wrongfully saying those words.

"There is a limit to what they were able to achieve. It was always so."

Her tone became rather deep, almost sorrowful.

But, recalling Orion's survival, her eyes closed for a second before opening again a few seconds later.

"That's why it is our duty to act. We've stayed far too long on the sidelines, watching the world burn without interfering personally."

The twins pondered her words.

"But..."

Kelsea opened her mouth.

"The fact that we aren't strong enough to deal with this incoming threat is the reason for our apathy. Are you certain that our knowledge will be enough to turn the tide?"

Henrietta stopped walking, letting the three walking behind her overtake her. When they spun around to look at her, the answer she gave surprised the Remnants.

"That ought to depend on how seriously you will undertake this teaching act. I promise those children are blessed; they simply lacked the opportunity to improve."

Chelsea and Kelsea swallowed roughly. After so many years of living under the cover of their shop, a chance to be useful came to them.

They were confused. Even through the toughest parts of history, they kept to themselves and hid their presence.

The biggest question on their minds at this instant was:

'Are we worthy of doing something like this after all this time?'

But Henrietta saw right through their worries.

"Worthy or not, this is a chance. You have nothing to be guilty of, as every one of us has stayed hidden since that day."

That day, their civilization, family, and heritage went up in flames.

"The only one who dared to defy her fears was... Tetra."

She risked her life countless times by coming into contact with the Heroes.

".../..."

The twins looked at each other, seemingly exchanging thoughts together, similar to how Dramia and Drania could.

Noticing their silence, Henrietta took a step forward and continued.

Not long after, the four people entered the portal before making their way to Albriar's.

...

Kamala looked at the brightly lit city. She could see the walls surrounding it perfectly, exactly as they were the last time she came here.

In front of them, two guards jumped at the sudden appearance of four people.

"O-Oh!"

Then, they both relaxed, recalling the man who came and went during the war of Albriar.

"This is Albriar?"

Kelsea asked.

"I will look for Keleanos. The three of you can do whatever you want. I will give a signal when it is time to move on."

"Then we will take a look at the shops around the city."

"Yes, we are rather intrigued by the other cities economic systems."

Henrietta turned to Kamala.

"Could I bother you with bringing Florian with you?"

Slightly surprised, Kamala reflexively nodded.

"I can do that."

"I am counting on you."

Now that everyone had their sights set, they approached the guards guarding the southern entrance.

"Are we allowed to enter?"

With a gentle smile on her face, Kamala asked the two men.

"L-Lord Kamala. It is a pleasure having you in Albriar."

Nervous, one of the soldiers clenched his weapon while bowing slightly.

The cap on his head almost fell off as he bent forward before Henrietta grabbed it.

"Please, you don't have to be this stressed."

Having his hat placed in his hand, the man smiled in relief.

"Thank you."

He placed it on his head and looked at his companion before the two nodded.

"Yes, obviously, you are all welcomed in Albriar. Lord Florian will be delighted to know you are coming."

The two greeted them as they walked past them and through the large door.

Since the southern gate was barely used, it was smaller than the ones in the east and west, as those were the gates with the most traffic.

Still, it was five meters tall nonetheless. Chelsea and Kelsea were reveling in the sight of this structure, which was different from Hocride's.

And, when they walked past it, the lights of the city instantly blinded them.

"W-What?"

"Chelsea, I can't see a thing!"

Even Henrietta looked slightly bothered by the brightness but got accustomed to it in a matter of seconds.

"Albriar, the trading city. The central city with the richest cultural development and the largest number of citizens."

Kamala said instinctively the instant she looked at the streets laying in front of them.

Albriar was a beautiful city at night. With the introduction of magical items in recent decades, elementally infused gems were used to create the scene laying in front of them.

Florian was a smart man. Placing his trust in the knowledge he accumulated, he modified the city.

After taking a look at Horizon in the past, the idea to create constant lighting in the streets of his city became an idea, and with that came the very first illuminations.

Streetlamps, infused with electrical gems, were laid everywhere in the city, letting its citizens walk outside even during the night.

This brought a new kind of commerce into the city, where businesses like restaurants, shops, and libraries could continue to run even past sunset.

Of course, it required constant maintenance. Humans and beastmen worked alongside each other, making this city a haven almost no other city, even Hocride, could compete with.

When their eyes finally adjusted to the light, the twins' eyes shone brightly.

"Incredible..."

"This is... breathtaking."

For some reason, Kamala smiled at their comment. Those words were compliments to Florian's hard work, which she genuinely felt happy about.

"Alright, let's split up."

Henrietta, having enjoyed the lights for a few minutes, finally returned to her senses.

"Yes./Yes."

"I'll return with Florian. Good luck in your search."

Carefully, Chelsea and Kelsea walked deeper into the city to enjoy what it had to offer and to once again feel the thrill of their arts and crafts.

Kamala walked toward the house of the Lord of this city with relaxed steps, and Henrietta wandered around the city, trying to pick up the faint signature of the Remnant of Agriculture, who appeared masterfully concealed.

'Keleanos, where are you?'

With that question in mind, time flew by at an incredible pace.

...

A young man looked at the dark plains around the city atop the tallest building.

It was a habit.

In his eyes, the memories of a burning city played alongside the death of a woman.

Those were the usual moments the young man passed each night.

Then, as the memory faded, the dark plains turned into vast fields of wheat.

Gold grains, swaying to the gentle caress of the wind. Then, it turned to brown fields, rapidly showing the budging lives emerging from deep within.

The brown dirt eventually turned green as various vegetables grew, perfectly healthy. The various wildlife living among the crops nurtured his creations, surviving thanks to his power.

"Keleanos..."

The young man's face turned slowly toward the voice.

"..."

His eyes met the blue eyes of a blond woman.

"I had an inkling about the aura I had felt. It was you, Henrietta."

"Indeed."

The woman carefully walked on the roof of the tallest building. She then sat next to him, a fair distance away.

"How have you been?"

His gentle voice, carried by the wind, entered her ears.

"It's been a difficult life."

There were signs of companionship in his smile.

"I see. If you're here before me, I can only imagine what happened. Would you mind telling me?"

Henrietta nodded faintly.

...

"Tetra... I understand now. She came to me multiple times to craft artifacts recently."

"So, it was for the Hero of this time. I had no idea."

His eyes went to the vast, starry sky above his head.

Many thoughts seemed to traverse his mind before he opened his mouth.

"Until the threat of corruption is entirely gone, it is impossible to create the visions I have."

"Fields full of lives, full of hopes for the future. It has been like this since the beginning."

"And those giants earlier today weren't helping either."

Henrietta quietly listened.

Keleanos was a gloomy individual, but incredibly kind-hearted. Yet, his dreams were constantly denied to him.

Corruption destroyed his fields, corrupt beasts trampled his creations, and Miasma himself tried to kill him multiple times.

The power to sustain all living beings was a power with heavy responsibility. Without his constant care, famine and death would inevitably follow.

"The Hero of this time managed to defeat Miasma, but after stealing Tetra's power, went missing in the past. If we weren't already strange entities, I wouldn't have believed you."

A comfortable silence fell between them. Until Keleanos asked a single question.

"So, why have you come seeking me?"