Chapter 43: Fate Bracelet
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 43: Fate Bracelet
Cecilia: "..."
Cecilia couldn't help but cover her face with her hands.
Facing Roland, she was completely out of options.
"Sigh... tsk..."
After a moment of silent contemplation, Cecilia lowered her hands in resignation.
"Fine, Master Roland. Let's just stop discussing this for now, alright?"
She pointed toward the chaotic battlefield outside the city.
"The danger is mostly resolved. Shouldn't you take charge of the situation and start cleaning up the battlefield?"
Faced with Cecilia’s inquiry, Roland reined in some of his grief.
"True. Now that the situation has finally eased, I must move quickly to maintain order. However, before that, I need to organize a memorial service for the Emperor and, while I'm at it, preside over the coronation ceremony for the new sovereign."
Having planned his next steps, Roland looked back at Cecilia.
"Cecilia, you did well. As per our agreement, take this."
With that, Roland tossed an object to her.
Cecilia caught it and saw a pitch-black bracelet engraved with golden patterns.
[Fate Bracelet]
[Refined by a certain alchemist, this is the symbol of the 'Wheel of Fate.' Once equipped, the wearer can communicate with others wearing the same bracelet.]
"This is?"
Cecilia looked at the bracelet in her hand, a hint of confusion surfacing.
"What does this thing actually do?"
In response to her question, Roland gave a brief explanation.
"It's a symbol of status. Once worn, it binds to its owner. From then on, you are considered a member of the Wheel of Fate."
"Later, you can use this bracelet to contact someone calling himself Thanatos. He will brief you on certain matters."
Having said his piece, Roland immediately raised his hand to activate a small teleportation array and vanished from the spot.
He left Cecilia standing there, completely bewildered.
"Wait, that's it? That's the whole explanation? I still don't understand what's going on..."
Looking at the empty alley, Cecilia felt a bit at a loss.
"Whatever. I might as well put it on and see."
After a moment's thought, she skeptically slipped the bracelet onto her wrist.
The next second, a mental pulse reached her.
"Turn around."
Cecilia: "?"
She turned toward the voice, only to find that a cloak and a dagger—both radiating an extraordinary aura—had appeared atop her previously empty shadow at some unknown point.
"This... do you just get free gear for joining?"
*
After delivering the equipment via Shadow Return, Thanatos returned to a corner outside the city.
By now, he had reverted to his two-meter-tall human form.
Before him stood Julius, who was holding a Fate Bracelet identical to Cecilia's, observing it motionlessly.
"..."
Seeing that the other man was still hesitating, Thanatos thought for a moment before speaking.
"Julius, this is just so you have a nominal membership here. It doesn't mean you have to betray the Chaos Church, so you needn't worry. Besides, we are quite lenient; it wouldn't even matter if you decided to betray us later."
Hearing Thanatos's rather absurd promise, Julius looked up, wanting to say something.
"You... ugh... never mind."
Giving up on criticizing Thanatos, Julius asked a question instead.
"So, this Wheel of Fate you mentioned—are you certain it was founded by that girl named Bai?"
Faced with Julius's query, Thanatos nodded.
"Indeed. Our Wheel of Fate was truly created by the Master. Julius, why do you ask? Are you interested in the Master?"
Julius shook his head.
"Not exactly. I just wanted to confirm if the Wheel of Fate you're talking about is the same one I know."
Hearing this, Thanatos realized something was off.
"The Wheel of Fate you know?"
Julius nodded.
"Yes. If I remember correctly, there is an entity that is different from your Wheel of Fate."
As he spoke, Julius tucked the bracelet away.
"I heard the Cult Leader mention that on the Western Continent, there exists an organization called the Wheel of Fate. Its purpose is to gather all the Children of Fate."
Thanatos was puzzled.
"Gathering all the Children of Fate? To what end?"
Julius expressed his own lack of understanding regarding Thanatos's confusion.
"I don't know. The Cult Leader only warned me not to make contact with them."
Julius then looked at Thanatos.
"However, the Cult Leader once said that your young lady is someone who can be trusted. Therefore, I believe your Wheel of Fate is different from the one on the Western Continent and should be safe to interact with."
Thanatos raised an eyebrow at this.
"Oh? Does that mean you're agreeing to join us?"
Julius waved his hand dismissively.
"Forget it. We'll talk about that later. Right now, I need to return and report to the Cult Leader."
With that, Julius opened a Dark Space tunnel.
Just as he was about to leave, Julius looked back at Thanatos once more.
"By the way, since we fought side-by-side, I'll give you a word of warning. Don't think you're safe just yet. Our Cult Leader wouldn't have left behind only these few moves."
Having finished, Julius turned and entered the Dark Space tunnel, departing the area.
Watching his retreating back, Thanatos clicked his tongue inwardly.
"What a strange fellow..."
With Julius gone, Thanatos had no reason to linger.
He activated Shadow Return and returned to the Void Insect Hive.
Hum—
The moment he entered the Void Insect Hive, Thanatos sensed something was wrong.
"This place... is the Void?"
Thanatos re-examined his own power and found that it now contained a trace of the Void's aura.
"It really is the Void. It seems the Master has already begun taking the first steps toward ascending to godhood once more."
As he spoke, Thanatos suddenly spotted a massive vessel.
"That is... the Golden Dragon. The Master obtained it by tearing through space back then. Did the Master leave this here for a specific purpose?"
Thanatos pondered for a moment.
"Could it be to modify this ship and launch another Void Expedition?"
At the thought, Thanatos couldn't help but sigh.
"Alas, I'm not familiar with such large-scale alchemical constructs. I can't be of much help to the Master. If War were here, he might be able to improve this ship through his war instincts."
"Or perhaps bringing Roland over would work. But the Empire has only just caught its breath; he's likely busy maintaining order and won't have the time to repair a ship."
After weighing his options, Thanatos decided to set the matter of the ship aside for now.
More than that, he was concerned about one thing: Julius's parting words.
"The Cult Leader of Chaos has other hidden moves... In the current situation, what danger could possibly remain for the Aodu Empire? Did I miss something..."
While Thanatos was lost in thought, a voice interrupted him.
"Um, Mr. Thanatos? Sorry to disturb you, but may I ask what brings you back here?"
Hearing the noise, Thanatos looked down and noticed someone was there.
"Melos?"
Thanatos suddenly remembered that when he used Shadow Return to come back, he had selected Melos as his target.
He had appeared so suddenly that Melos had waited quite a while before feeling awkward enough to interrupt his daze.
"It's nothing. I was just lost in thought."
Just as Thanatos was about to leave, Melos suddenly called out to him.
"By the way, Mr. Thanatos, I've finished the final draft of the design plans. Please, have a look."
Melos handed over a stack of manuscript papers.
Thanatos took them and looked them over.
After only a few moments, his brow furrowed deeply.
"Why are your designs filled with nothing but flashy, useless decorations?"
Melos's heart tightened instantly at those words.
"Is... is there a problem?"
Thanatos replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"The Master is usually either out on business or resting in the palace. When would she ever have the time to appreciate these decorations of yours?"