Chapter 3: Chapter 3: "Friends"
In the Fourth Epoch, often referred to as the "Era of the Gods," what kind of individual would be powerful enough to leave behind a tomb worth exploring?
Astella, who had learned much about the hidden history of the Fourth Epoch through the materials her mother left behind, was quite certain of one thing: the tomb must belong to a high-ranking beyonder, at least of Sequence 4, a figure who could be called demigod!
Not to mention that the three major churches' own teams of beyonders had probably already explored the site. Even if the five of them worked together, they wouldn't be much more than fodder for the remnants of a high-ranking beyonder's tomb.
Aside from the traps the Saint likely set before their death, designed to deal with tomb robbers, there were also the lingering Extraordinary creatures and restless souls drawn there by the "Law of Extraordinary Characteristic Aggregation." Those alone would kill them countless times over!
If this were the original owner of her body, she'd likely be protesting vehemently by now with cryptic words, risking offending a group of overconfident high schoolers while likely achieving nothing but backlash. In contrast, Astella had no real bond with them, perhaps even a slight dislike. She was already contemplating how to bow out gracefully, since they hadn't even planned to bring her along in the first place.
—Respect, blessings, and please don't die at my doorstep.
"Will there be any danger?" Luckily, at least one of them still had some sense left. Andrew hesitated as he asked.
Cohen laughed. "I know what you're going to say—'The mystical world is full of hidden dangers, and one wrong move could cost you your life.' But the tomb I'm talking about was already cleared by the Church not long ago. Their team of Extraordinaries swept out all the threats and anything of value. We'd just be going in to build our courage and gain experience in exploring the supernatural world!"
Cohen was a follower of the "God of Steam and Machinery," and by "the Church," he meant the Church of Steam. Meanwhile, both Astella and her housekeeper, Martha, were casual believers of the "Goddess of the Night." As for her mother, Astella couldn't recall ever seeing her attend church. Astella suspected that, as a descendant of a great Fourth Epoch noble family, her mother might have had her own beliefs, or perhaps she simply didn't trust in divine protection.
"This makes it sound more reasonable..." Andrew nodded thoughtfully after hearing Cohen's explanation, and even Astella's expression softened a little.
At moments like this, she always regretted not being able to drink a potion and become an "Astrologer." If she were, she could just perform a quick divination to assess the risks.
"Maybe this is an opportunity…" she thought. "If it turns out to be the tomb of one of the Abraham family ancestors, that would be perfect."
The Abraham family was her mother's lineage, one of the five great noble families of the Tudor Empire in the Fourth Epoch, once known as an "angelic family."
"Do you know which noble from the Fourth Epoch this tomb belongs to?" Astella asked cautiously, just to be sure.
"…" Cohen opened his mouth but looked embarrassed.
"…" Astella pressed her hand to her forehead, shaking her head internally.
Oh dear. She had forgotten—these four were all semi-literate when it came to the mystical world. History lessons about the Fourth Epoch were brief, and most historians didn't even know about the beyonder elements, so textbooks were filled with distortions. For the average person, the Fourth Epoch was shrouded in mystery. Asking them to name a few of the nobles from that time was like asking them to fly to the Red Moon! Naturally, they hadn't even thought to ask, "Which noble?"
Astella's gaze flickered with a mix of pain, disappointment, and a tinge of disdain for their ignorance. Cohen, who had hoped to impress and shake off his "follower" status, blushed deeply, especially under Gerald's mocking gaze.
"The person who told me didn't say—how was I supposed to know?" Cohen snapped in frustration, clearly aggrieved. "If you're scared, just don't go!"
He didn't see why Astella had to bring up something he didn't know, making him look bad in front of everyone.
—Not knowing Fourth Epoch history is normal, right? He was consumed by a mix of anger and humiliation. I'm not even an beyonder yet. Only someone obsessed like you would know these obscure details!
He resented that they were both treated as emotional substitutes by others, used when needed. Shouldn't they support each other?
Cohen had long admired Lena, who had never noticed him and often laughed with Gerald at his expense. He assumed that Astella must have a similar crush on Andrew, the popular and handsome boy who was the envy of many girls.
Astella had no idea how fragile Cohen's ego was, but she picked up on his annoyance and chose to ignore it. She lowered her gaze and traced the symbol of the Crimson Moon over her chest.
—Forgive him, Goddess, for this is your domain. I'll just knock some sense into him.
But fragile egos often can't handle being ignored. Cohen's face turned pale, then red, and it looked like he might leap at Astella any moment, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Just as he was about to lash out, Lena frowned and spoke sharply. "If you want to argue, do it outside. Cohen, taking out your anger on a lady is hardly gentlemanly."
"I…" Cohen deflated instantly, like a balloon losing air.
"Cohen, it's not your fault if that person didn't tell you the details. I probably wouldn't have thought to ask either," Andrew said kindly, smoothing things over. "Astella was just asking a simple question—no need to get worked up."
Gerald clicked his tongue impatiently. "So, we're all agreed we're going, right? It's fine for girls to be cautious, but men don't need all this chatter!"
Astella remained silent, taking out a deck of tarot cards from her pocket. She performed a graceful card flourish. Her "Magician" hands were deft, making the cards dance between her fingers like a serpent.
But suddenly, with a soft *plop*, a card slipped from her grasp and scattered across her dress and the floor in a chaotic mess.
"Hahaha, Astella, your magic trick isn't very polished!" Gerald laughed.
"Ah." Astella knelt to gather the scattered cards. Her face was expressionless, her light-gray eyes drooping, with dark circles beneath them.
"Failed," she announced calmly.
As she finished picking up the cards and was about to return them to her pocket, one tarot card slipped from her fingers and fell again.
Since the divination had already failed, Astella didn't pay it much mind and stuffed the card into her other pocket.
...
As evening fell, the group disbanded. Astella eventually agreed to join the exploration. Andrew seemed pleased by this, which made Lena uncomfortable, but she voiced no objections in the end.
"Even though I didn't really want to go…" Astella sighed, scribbling homework on the subway ride home.
After some reflection, she realized that the original Astella had been a girl who, despite her cold exterior, deeply yearned for friendship. She was kind-hearted and would feel worried for her "friends" if they were in danger. She also felt grateful for Andrew's warmth and wanted to repay his kindness. Merging with the original Astella's memories and emotions, she knew that prioritizing only her own safety could lead to disaster, pushing her toward the brink of madness and losing control.
"Sigh… In simple terms, if I didn't go and they ended up dying, I'd feel terrible… I'd rather die with them than live with that guilt."
"But why isn't 'living together' an option? I guess the idea of sacrificing myself to save these 'friends' never crossed my mind. That's more like it. — Oh, Goddess, besides Andrew, what kind of friends are these! One's more abstract than the next…"
Astella mumbled to herself as she sketched answers in her notebook. A silver-edged tarot card, with a starry night sky on its back, lay quietly between the pages. On its face, a pair of naked figures, a man and a woman, stood side by side. A serpent coiled around the apple tree, and beneath the mountains, a river meandered. Overhead, a sun-crowned angel looked downward with open arms.
—"The Lovers," reversed.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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