"Was this arranged by Athena?" Maierin asked directly.
"Yes, Lord Maierin, all of this was arranged by Lady Athena," Morkaba replied. "My mother inherited my grandfather's Cloth and became the second-generation Aries Gold Saint. As for me, I inherited my mother's will and became the third-generation Aries Gold Saint."
"Not long after I took up the mantle, Ares, the God of War, who was supposed to have perished in that battle, suddenly awoke. He led his Berserker Legions to attack once more, and chaos and war engulfed the entire land."
"Though Ares was but a remnant spirit, Lady Athena had already expended most of her Cosmo to lift your seal, making their battle evenly matched."
"But as you know, Ares and his Berserkers are all madmen—ruthless, bloodthirsty, and devoid of honor. They would stop at nothing to achieve victory. Many Saints fell victim to their schemes, and soon, the balance of power tilted in favor of the Berserkers."
"If not for Lady Athena detonating her own Cosmo in the final battle to perish alongside Ares' spirit, the Sanctuary would have surely lost. However, our victory came at a great cost. Including myself, only three Gold Saints survived, and even then, fewer than ten Saints in total remained. All were wounded, and most passed away not long after. Even Lady Athena relinquished her divine form, choosing to reincarnate into the cycle of life."
"As for me, I only survived because, before the final battle, Lady Athena ordered me to lead the Jamir tribe away from the Sanctuary and into hiding, avoiding the devastation of the war."
"Lady Athena foresaw the tragic outcome of the Holy War from the very start. She also knew that every future Holy War would demand heavy sacrifices. That is why she entrusted me with hiding the Jamir tribe—to support the Sanctuary in secret and to preserve its final embers."
After hearing Morkaba's explanation, Maierin nodded. His heart burned with fury. Ares had forced his wife to self-destruct—this was unacceptable. That alone earned Ares a place second only to Hades on Maierin's list of enemies.
Yet Maierin also understood that Athena's decision to reincarnate was not solely for the sake of the Holy War. The greatest reason was himself.
Even though Maierin's power had surpassed that of all gods, he was still human. The divide between man and god had always troubled Athena. To truly be with him, she willingly abandoned her divine form to be reborn as a human.
And hiding the Jamir tribe was a decision Maierin fully agreed with.
During the Mythological Era, the Sanctuary was never truly alone, but it had far more enemies than allies. With Maierin sealed and Athena's Cosmo nearly depleted, their foes would surely take the chance for revenge.
The Jamir tribe was renowned in that era, ranking high on the threat lists of many factions. In times when he couldn't protect them, the best course of action was to conceal them.
Moreover, it was always wise not to put all eggs in one basket. If the Sanctuary had lost that Holy War, then the Jamir tribe would have been its last hope—humanity's final beacon of resistance against the gods.
"You've endured much all these years."
"It is our honor to serve Lord Maierin and Lady Athena, even at the cost of our lives."
"Good. This time, I've come to bring you all back to the Sanctuary. I have awakened, and Athena will soon be reborn. The Sanctuary is strong enough to protect you now."
"As you command."
"Now that business is settled, let's talk about something personal. This child—he must be a rising star of the new generation, right?" Maierin asked, glancing at the young boy beside Morkaba.
The boy flinched and quickly lowered his head, not daring to meet Maierin's gaze.
"Yes, Lord Maierin. This child is Mu, the most talented of his generation. I have personally guided him since childhood. I had planned to send him to the Sanctuary in two years."
"I am unworthy; it is all thanks to the Grand Elder's teachings."
"Haha, this child… Hmm? Interesting. His Cosmo is brimming with life energy, and his psychokinesis is already stronger than Kanon's," Maierin praised after examining Mu closely.
"Life energy… A fine seedling, but he's not suited for me," Ashura remarked. He had also been observing Mu and acknowledged his talent, but Mu's Cosmo, filled with the essence of life, was not compatible with his own. Besides, psychokinesis was not his forte.
"Just focus on passing down everything to Shaka. Stop worrying about other things," Maierin scolded. This guy was getting addicted to taking disciples—he wanted to recruit every promising youth he saw.
"Hey, hey, are you treating me like a worker now? Haven't you been asleep for hundreds of thousands of years? How are you so skilled at ordering people around?" Ashura protested.
"Of course you're a worker. If you slack off, I'll dock your pay."
"Like I even get paid! What kind of exploitative company is this?"
"Then I'll cut your food rations."
"You're a demon!"
"Are you just realizing that now?"
"%￥#@￥%￥#!" (Ashura has left the chat due to excessive cursing.)
Ignoring Ashura's ranting, Maierin turned back to Mu. He had already decided on Mu's future mentor—Shion, the previous Aries Gold Saint and a fellow Jamir tribesman.
Though Morkaba was also qualified, he was already quite old. Even if the Jamir tribe returned to the Sanctuary, Maierin didn't plan to give Morkaba any further responsibilities. He couldn't guarantee he would find a way to extend Morkaba's life. If he couldn't, then Morkaba deserved to spend his remaining years in peace.
"Do you remember a boy named Shion?" Maierin asked.
"I remember him—White Rite's disciple and the Aries Gold Saint of the previous Holy War. He was an outstanding child."
"Good. I intend for him to train Mu. What do you think?"
"Hahaha, Lord Maierin's orders are always correct. How could I possibly object?" Morkaba laughed.
In the Mythological Era, Saints often received bizarre orders they could not understand. But out of loyalty and reverence for Maierin, they would always obey. Only after completing the task would they realize its profound benefit to the Sanctuary and humanity. Over time, a saying emerged in the Sanctuary:
"Lord Maierin's orders are always correct. Even if you don't understand them, follow them anyway—you'll see their purpose once the task is done."
"You people…" Maierin smiled wryly.
The truth was, his decisions weren't "absolutely correct"—he just had the advantage of modern thinking, something the people of the Mythological Era lacked.
"This child… Is he the reincarnation of the Buddha!?" Morkaba, who had not closely examined Shaka before, finally did—and was left dumbfounded.
"Tsk tsk," Ashura clicked his tongue. As expected, no one from the Mythological Era could remain calm upon seeing Shaka.
A true Buddha reborn—a natural successor to the title of Enlightened One. A being genuinely favored by the heavens. The odds of his birth were no greater than the chance of another anomaly like Maierin appearing.
"Greetings, Elder," Shaka bowed.
"His Cosmo is purely Buddhist in nature, and he possesses both the Demon-Subduing Prayer Beads and the Virgo Gold Cloth. This child is truly blessed… The heavens favor the Sanctuary!" Morkaba exclaimed.
"Hahaha, Morkaba, you've really regressed. Since when has the Sanctuary needed the heavens' favor? This is simply fate," Maierin chuckled.
"Haha, Lord Maierin is right. The Sanctuary and the Saints have never needed divine blessings. We are humans who defy the gods!" Morkaba laughed.
And so, after finalizing their preparations, Maierin and his group set out for the next stage of their journey.