RISE OF EROS-Chapter 558 - 557

The mention of survivors from the war a thousand years ago made everyone gasp in surprise, but before they could fully process it, a powerful aura appeared in the room. The three elders, Daphne, Diana, Ariza, Kenia, and even Oliver were shocked to see an old, wrinkled woman, who, despite her age, still showed signs of having been very beautiful in her youth.

Andrew doesn’t react because he already knows about the old woman’s existence. Since the first time he came to this castle, he had sensed her—well, Fluffy did—but since she had never appeared or attempted to contact him, he paid her no mind.

Even now, she didn’t seem interested in showing herself directly to him, which is why he had ignored her. However, seeing her now, he understood that it wasn’t that she hadn’t paid attention to him, but rather that she had been doing so subtly.

Oliver immediately stood up with the intention of protecting Andrew, but Andrew raised his hand, signaling that there was no problem. Meanwhile, everyone else bowed and greeted her, "Greetings to the founder."

This genuinely surprised Andrew. He didn’t know the old woman was the founder of the Dunnas Kingdom. Upon learning this, he immediately recalled the history of this country and realized that it had been around for over a millennium.

It wasn’t unusual for kingdoms on this continent to be a thousand years old, but if they also had someone as powerful as this old woman, the possibility of her being a survivor of the war against the Fallen God was high.

As Andrew thought about this, the old woman looked at him and said, "Young Andrew, you must be quite special for Elder Zaros and Elder Elidyr to have shared that information with you. Who are you, really? Or better yet, what are you?"

The old woman’s questions made everyone tremble. While there was no hostility, her tone was demanding. Despite feeling as if she were forcing him to speak, Andrew, using his Eros Eyes to observe her, could tell she was genuinely just curious.

"Maybe that’s just her nature," Andrew thought to himself, and then, looking at the old woman, he replied, "Elder, since you’ve appeared, shouldn’t you introduce yourself before asking questions?"

Andrew’s response made everyone present break into a cold sweat, feeling that he was being far too bold and disrespectful. But to their surprise, the old woman started laughing.

Everyone was bewildered by her reaction, but she didn’t care about their stares and continued laughing for a few more seconds. Once she calmed down, the old woman said, "Forgive me, it’s just a habit. I am Emaliene Dunnas, the first queen and founder of this kingdom."

"I’m Andrew, though you’ve known that since the first time I came here," Andrew replied with a smile that showed how calm he was. The old woman narrowed her eyes at his words and spoke again, "As I thought, you noticed me."

With a curious, almost inquisitive look, Emaliene asked again, "You intrigue me. What are you? I know you’re no ordinary person, but I can’t figure you out. Would you satisfy my curiosity?"

Andrew was hesitant to reveal anything but knew that hiding his identity could be troublesome, especially with the presence of this old woman. However, he didn’t immediately reveal his secrets.

"Can I trust the people in this room?" Andrew asked, surprising everyone. Daphne and the others believed they had a good relationship with Andrew, but hearing him ask that made them realize he didn’t trust them enough to share his secrets, which was understandable but still hurtful.

The old woman smiled and, with a cold tone, said, "I swear under my name, Emaliene Dunnas, and my ancestors, that if anyone present reveals anything, I will personally kill them with my own hands."

Once again, everyone audibly gasped, and Andrew was surprised. Such an oath was not something one could make lightly. In a world filled with incredible skills and magic, it was the equivalent of making a soul oath, the highest form of vow in this world.

If broken, only death awaited, so Andrew relaxed and said, "Since the Elder is so decisive, I’ll tell you. I am Andrew, a candidate for godhood." Everyone stared at him, confused, but the old woman, on the other hand, was astonished.

Despite her surprise, she regained her composure in seconds and said, "I see. That’s why those elders told you. You have a difficult destiny, young one." Andrew smiled bitterly and replied, "It’s not like I asked for it."

"Hahaha," the old woman laughed again. She was quite eccentric, but she quickly calmed down and said, "That’s true. However, if you’re a candidate for godhood, you must not be one of combat."

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At this point, only the old woman and Andrew understood what they were talking about. Oliver also understood, as Andrew’s guardian, but everyone else was lost. Still, none dared to interrupt.

"The Elder is perceptive. I am a candidate for a god of Eros," Andrew responded, without hiding anything. The old woman nodded and let out a weary sigh as she said, "That’s unfortunate."

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She paused and added, "Even so, those elders aren’t naive enough to put their hopes in you without having a plan. Can you tell me?" Andrew hesitated, but in the end, he decided to tell her.

"Elder Elidyr mentioned that upon breaking the fifth divine seal, I could go to him, and he would present me with some of the remains left to his people by the dead gods so I could absorb them."

"I see!" the old woman exclaimed, and her eyes lit up with enthusiasm. It was clear she understood the implications of Andrew’s words, and then she asked, "What do you need?"

"Well, for the moment, time. It’s not necessary for you to intervene, just to make your preparations," Andrew said, and the old woman nodded, "Don’t worry, I will personally oversee that."

The elders and the women were on the verge of collapse, as Emaliene hadn’t intervened in the kingdom’s affairs for centuries, and hearing her say she would take matters into her own hands demonstrated the gravity of the situation.

At that moment, Andrew seemed to remember something and said, "Oh, right, it’s possible that Elder Elidyr will send some war survivors to Galicia." These words made the old woman grow serious, and she asked, "What’s happening in Galicia?"

"Well, in the Duchy of Cannes, we encountered two dragonesses who were passing through on their way to the demon kingdom. Apparently, the energy from the remains of the Fallen God generates chaos and conflict, and since they are constantly at war there, they believe some remains might be sealed there."

"I see, like in the Chaos Zone," the old woman said, but then furrowed her brow and asked, "But why Galicia? I understand they’ve been at war with us for a long time, but that’s due to their lack of resources. Is there something I’m missing?"

"Well, after hearing them, I thought maybe their lack of resources was due to the energy of the Fallen God. It’s strange for an entire country to be in such poor condition. Elder Zaros and the dragonesses we met thought it was possible," Andrew replied.

He paused and added, "Since the dragonesses had their mission and couldn’t deviate, and Elder Zaros couldn’t leave his territory so easily, it was decided to ask Elder Elidyr to send some people to investigate."

"If your assumption is correct, that’s problematic," the old woman said. After a few seconds of silence, she looked at the three elders and said, "Strengthen the border with Galicia. Send some demigods."

Johan and the other elders didn’t dare disobey and quickly left to make the arrangements. Andrew, looking at the old woman, asked, "Lady Emaliene, are there any other survivors nearby?"

"Not in Dunnas, but in almost every country there is at least one," the old woman replied and added, "Many, like me, founded countries but no longer involve themselves in worldly affairs. Why do you ask?"

Andrew paused, gathering his thoughts. After a few seconds, he said, "Well, with this threat, it would be good to have more allies. According to what Elder Zaros said, no survivor of the war would want to see the Fallen God reborn."

"In that, I don’t think he’s wrong," the old woman said with a bitter expression as if recalling painful memories. But then she added, "However, it’s not good to reveal too much."

"It may be more convenient to have more allies, but the more people know, the more likely we are to be discovered. I suppose Zaros and Elidyr told you it’s better to remain hidden, didn’t they?" the old woman concluded.

"Yes, they expect me to be a hidden card or something like that," Andrew responded, and the old woman nodded, "That’s for the best. For someone at my level, understanding that you are a strange existence isn’t difficult, but recognizing that you are a candidate for godhood is impossible unless you show or tell them."

Andrew was confused by these words and asked, "But Elder Elidyr and Elder Zaros discovered me instantly," to which the old woman replied with a question, "The dragons you encountered, did they have the same level of strength as them?"

Instinctively, Andrew responded, "One of them did," to which the old woman asked again, "And did he notice?" Andrew shook his head again, and then the old woman said, "Elidyr has special eyes called Water Pearls, which allow him to see beyond what’s in front of him".

She paused and continued, "Zaros has blood eyes, a type of eyes that are very rare among vampires, and while not as powerful as water pearls, they are also exceptional."

"I see, that’s why despite being possessed by Fluffy when I killed the elder of the Vilotti family, she didn’t discover that I’m a god candidate," Andrew thought to which Fluffy corrected him, "That’s not entirely correct, master. It’s just that I didn’t release enough power for her to notice."