Elara drew her gaze and lowered her eyes as she gently rubbed the rim of the teacup on the table with her fingertip. "So, there's a high chance that the people from Darknight Hall and Nether Hall are actually related to the appearance of the Puppet Soldiers? They really have the ability to control and spread the anomalies of the Puppet Soldiers?"
Arieck interjected, "We can only say there's a high probability. But so far, there's no direct and definitive evidence to prove it. After all, the people of Nether Hall and Darknight Hall appear randomly all over the Central Continent, with no pattern to where they go. Not every place they've visited has seen an outbreak of Puppet Soldiers. We can only say that the likelihood is higher in places they've been."
Elara lowered her eyes in thought for a while, then looked at the three of them. "What about the Divine Attendants Palace? What kind of force are they exactly? Do you know anything about their origins?"
The three exchanged glances again. Izekiel looked down, seemingly reminiscing or contemplating for a while before speaking. "The Divine Attendants Palace has always been the most mysterious force on the Central Continent. Outsiders like us know very little about them. We only know a few things."
"First, the Divine Attendants Palace considers themselves the servants of the divine. According to the core doctrine and historical records within their palace, their earliest palace masters from who knows how many years ago were all said to have once served directly beside the god as divine envoys."
Elara interrupted, "The god the Divine Attendants Palace serves, is that the same god revered across the various nations who grants divine gifts through the divine bloodline? According to their history, this 'god' actually once appeared in this world? Then does the so-called 'god' refer to something unspeakable, or a specific person, or perhaps some other sacred being?"
The surroundings fell silent for a moment after Elara asked this.
Arieck raised his hand to rub his chin. After a few seconds he replied, "I've pondered those questions too. Unfortunately, the Divine Attendants Palace guards everything about the 'god' with extreme secrecy. Outsiders like us can hardly find much information. However, there are a few legends about the origin of the Divine Attendants Palace that are quite similar and significantly more credible than others."
"What are they?" Elara looked over.
"It's said that around twenty thousand years ago, a sun once fell from the sky. Just before it hit the ground, it transformed into the original form of the 'god.'"
"Back then, there were no nations like we have today. Our ancestors, who had not yet gained wisdom, recorded the moment the 'god' appeared in the world on stone."
"Later, during the ancient era when survival was extremely difficult and demons and monsters ran rampant, it was this 'god' who led her divine attendants. They battled fiercely with divine power against those creatures, eventually sealing them away after a long struggle. The god split them and sealed them in three places: the Forbidden Forest of the Far West, the Frozen Wastes of the North, and the Sea of No Return in the hardest-to-reach region."
"That's why those three places remain forbidden zones for all nations on the Central Continent to this day. They are known as the 'Sealing Grounds of the Demons.'"
"Until today, no one has ever returned alive after entering any of those sealed regions."
Elara's brow twitched slightly as she listened. This legend actually connects with the three great taboo lands that still exist on the continent... that does make it more believable than completely fantastical myths.
"You just used 'she,' the feminine pronoun? Is the 'god' envisioned as a human woman?"
Arieck paused, seemingly caught off guard by the question. "I think so? Anyway, in all the records I've found about the 'god,' she's either referred to as 'She' or 'Her.'"
Prince Zhongli nodded and added, "I've wondered about that too. The 'god' should indeed be imagined as a human woman. In all the information I've gathered, the pronoun used was almost always 'she.'"
Listening to the two of them, Elara recalled many myths she had heard during her past life on Earth and found this actually quite normal.
In the 21st century on Earth, whether East or West, many creation deities were women who symbolized gentleness, mercy, and nurturing powers.
However, unlike those ancient myths, the female god in this world very likely really did exist.
While listening to them, Elara unconsciously rubbed the teacup again and asked, "So... has there ever been any record of what's on the other side of those forbidden lands—the Forbidden Forest, Frozen Wastes, and Sea of No Return? Has anyone ever taken another route and reached the far side of those zones?"
She had originally wanted to ask about the other side of this ancient planet they lived on. But considering the people of this world, even the brightest minds of the Skycraft Pavilion might not yet realize they live on a spherical world rather than a mythical flat realm. So she changed the phrasing of her question.
This time, the three answered quickly and in unison. "No. In the past few thousand years of recorded history, people have tried to venture into the three forbidden zones. But unfortunately, according to the records from various nations and powers, not one of them ever made it back alive."
"However, there's a legend from a few hundred years ago. It says that when the Divine Attendants Palace nearly destroyed Darknight Hall, the surviving remnants of the latter scattered and fled into those three forbidden zones, which is how a few of them escaped."
"As for whether those people eventually survived and returned... judging by the usual outcome of those who enter the forbidden lands, those remnants of Darknight Hall probably didn't survive."
"That said, there are still traces of them in the world today, and Nether Hall follows in Darknight Hall's footsteps so closely that it could be called its second generation. When you think of it like that, the ultimate fate of the Darknight Hall survivors is no longer so certain."
After Prince Zhongli spoke, Arieck let out a sigh, took a sip of tea, and added, "Regarding the other side of those three forbidden regions, I did come across another legend while researching supernatural and strange phenomena."
"That legend claims that after the god and her divine attendants defeated and sealed the demons and monsters of the world, they not only sealed part of their power deep within the three forbidden regions but sealed even more of it beyond those zones—farther away from the world we now live in."
"The reason for doing so was because the god was too merciful. She feared that if those monsters ever broke their seals and revived, they would endanger the people living on the continent."
"Monsters and demons?" Elara repeated the words. According to historical data, many inexplicable and sinister events in the past were categorized by the ancients as the work of such beings.
Then, the strange soldier insect eggs they were experiencing now were most likely one of those recorded "monsters and demons" from history?
She thought of the records in the many "divine books" she had read before, as well as the scan results of the strange soldier insect eggs from the System. All of these insect eggs had already been "suppressed."
Elara had long suspected that these "strange soldier insect eggs" might have been sealed and suppressed by what this world referred to as the "gods."
The more information she now had, the more convinced she was that her original guess might be true.
This continent had probably suffered an extremely catastrophic disaster in the past, where the unsuppressed full-grown forms of these "monster insects" had nearly brought about the end of the world.
And that disaster was likely ended by that goddess.
Thinking this far, Elara reviewed the events and found the logic and details mostly consistent.
As for the speculation about the continent on the other side of this world, the legend Arieck just mentioned also seemed to fit logically into her hypothesis, as if adding more fragments of information to complete the picture.
Thinking this, Elara silently prompted the System to bring up the world map again.
The map provided by the System was in 3D. Though it would only expand and refine when she obtained more detailed information about specific locations, as the territory of Plumera Kingdom broadened and the more places she visited, including two sea vessels constantly exploring the southern waters, the System's world map had become more and more expansive and detailed.
Based on the refined 3D world map so far, Elara could now be certain that the continent they were on was part of a spherical planet, and located only in the northern hemisphere.
What did the southern hemisphere look like? Due to the various nations' fear and reverence for the "Sea of No Return," they dared not explore it. Since Elara could not access any information, she naturally could not "unlock" that part of the map.
As for the other side of the continent, beyond the three major forbidden zones, it was completely dark on the System's map.
Still, from the parts that had already been refined, Elara could tell that if the full map were ever completed, this world would definitely be a round planet like modern Earth. The opposite side of the continent they stood on must also hold another world, completely unknown and undocumented by those living on this side.
And since it was "unknown," it meant that Arieck's legend might very well be true.
Considering all the information and reasoning, Elara felt that Arieck's tale might still be very close to the truth.
But if that were the case, it would mean this world was far more dangerous than she had originally imagined.
On the other side of the world, it was likely not a Western civilization as she had once speculated, but a hellish land filled with various sealed strange insect eggs and infected beings.
Elara furrowed her brow at the thought.
Izekiel, on her left, seemed to think she was displeased with the lack of information. After a moment of thought, he added:
"At the far northern frontier of Petunia Kingdom, several tribes live year-round on the snowy plains. Their appearance is different from ours. Many have blonde hair and blue eyes or red hair and blue eyes, possessing traits often associated with legendary monsters. Their racial customs also differ greatly from ours."
"Because of their unique traditions, they never venture south into the central continent. In their own tribal records, there seems to be a legend concerning the land beyond the frozen forbidden zone. Their ancestors claimed to have come from the other side of the forbidden zone."
Elara instantly raised her eyes to Izekiel. She suddenly recalled that when she first arrived at the Hundred Nations Banquet, she had seen many slaves with strange hair and eye colors locked in cages. Prince Yu had told her these slaves were mostly captured by merchants from the far northern and western borders of the continent.
Elara straightened slightly and fixed her gaze on Izekiel. "Can you investigate the origins of these tribes more deeply?"
Izekiel nodded. "Of course, but it will take some time."
Elara nodded, then added after a pause, "Also, I have some information that needs to be verified regarding places in your two kingdoms where incidents involving strange soldiers have occurred. I need details on the locations, outbreak times, and characteristics of the infected. Please verify and provide me with a full report as soon as possible."
Both Izekiel and Prince Zhongli had no objections to this. Strange soldiers were already a major threat to them. If it could be investigated thoroughly, all the better.
After they both nodded, Elara looked at the three of them again and said, "Do you have any more information about the Temple of the Divine Attendants? I'd like to know everything, its origins, legends, and purpose."
The three each thought silently for a moment. Arieck was the first to speak:
"I know one thing. Even after the 'gods' disappeared for so long, the Temple of the Divine Attendants still stands because they firmly believe the gods will one day return to this world. Everything they do is in preparation for the return of the gods."
The "gods," long gone for who knew how many years, could return? Elara's eyes twitched slightly. Still, in those divine books she had read, there were many records about the gods, their origins, their deeds, and the relics and blessings they left behind.
But how exactly the gods disappeared was never clearly recorded. Though at the end of one divine book, there was a sudden meteor shower, information abruptly stopped after that event. Elara once guessed that the gods might have gone extinct like the dinosaurs due to a meteor impact.
But even back then, she had felt there were too many logical gaps in that theory. So, the mystery of the gods' disappearance remained buried in her mind ever since.