Shadows flickered across Roels face under the fluctuating luminosity of the lamp. A petite girl with orange braided hair happily observed him with curled lips.

To Edavia, Roel was a conversation partner that had finally appeared after countless years. Every bit of his reactions was as exciting to her as stumbling upon new land was to an adventurer.

On the other hand, Roel could no longer remain calm after hearing the evil gods words.

The Inner Sanctum had a special meaning to Roel. It was the mysterious core of his bloodline and his soul, and he had always been trying to uncover the significance of its existence.

The first time he came to understand its importance was during his fight with the Collector. The latter had attempted to stifle the candlelight burning in him, nearly sealing away his powers. Fortunately, he managed to overcome the crisis with his timely breakthrough to Origin Level 3. 24062

Nevertheless, that incident shook Roel up. It prompted him to investigate his Inner Sanctum. It was just a pity that the Inner Sanctum was not a place he could enter whenever he liked, and he hadnt been able to return there since then.

That was why he was dumbstruck by his unintentional re-entry today.

Prison? Wait a moment; that also means that

Fufu. Thats right. I wont be going anywhere if you contract with me; Ill be residing in your Inner Sanctum. Edavia looked at the startled Roel as she chuckled joyfully.

Her body began to glow with a faint light. Her braids slowly unraveled as she took off her top hat. Her harmless, innocent image vanished with these changes, taking a sinister twist instead.

She stepped on the table with her little leather shoes and happily skipped her way up to Roel. She placed her hand on Roels chest before looking up at him with a curious smile.

Is it frightening to know that Ill be inside you? I reckon itll be hard not to feel that way. After all, its almost like an evil god is possessing your body! Were you wondering what trials youll have to overcome to contract with me? Thats how the others do it, right? Well, I dont need you to do anything at all. Its just a matter of moving homes for me, from this place into your body.

It was as if Edavia had undergone a complete personality change, transforming from a sweet angel into a scheming devil.

Roel was conflicted to hear those words.

It was never a wise decision to allow something foreign to reside in ones body, let alone an evil god. Only a deranged cultist would do something as insane as that!

Even so, he didnt reveal a sliver of fear, for he knew that was Edavias goal.

This was not the first time he was interacting with an ancient god, and he wasnt in the hobby of embarrassing himself before others. He knew that he would only be giving Edavia leverage over him if he revealed that he was wary of her.

Thus, he met her eyes with a composed smile instead.

Moving homes? What an interesting choice of words. But Edavia, I think the more apt phrase to use here is borrowing accommodations.

Oh? Youre thinking of putting a leash on me?

Not at all. Itll be an equal contract. That has been the case between me and the other ancient gods. Im also afraid to say that I dont feel frightened at all. Arent you telling me these to signal that you dont intend to harm me? Roel answered with firm eyes.

While Edavia might be an evil god, that didnt necessarily mean that she harbored malevolent intent. For instance, she shouldnt have mentioned her background if she was up to something. She could have simply contracted with him under the pretext of helping him deal with the Mother Goddess and quietly entered his Inner Sanctum. It would have been much easier for her to do what she wanted to then.

Admittedly, she did look much more unnerving after the unraveling of her braids, but Roel personally believed in judging a person by their actions rather than their appearance. While her words were intimidating, he thought that those sounded more like a greeting lest these factors hinder their relationship in the future.

These deductions emboldened Roel, allowing him to keep his back straight.

Edavia quietly stared at him for a few moments. Then, she took a step back and reverted to her original expression.

You are a bold one. You dont appear to be a devout believer despite having received Sias blessing. Fufufu. I am relieved to hear those words. It doesnt sound that bad to borrow your accommodations.

I am thankful for the Genesis Goddess blessing, but blind faith is not my thing. Still, Edavia, could I ask why Sia imprisoned you here?

Spiriteers are one of the rare races with the ability to directly attack the soul even when it is protected by the body. There are plenty of my kind who exploited that to do as they pleased. Furthermore, I am the only existence with the power to threaten Sia.

Threaten Sia? Roel was taken aback.

Edavia smiled once more at his response before further elaborating on the matter.

Its nothing more than a theoretical possibility. An existence like Sia cant be defeated through normal means. The only way to threaten Her is to thoroughly destroy Her soul. Thats also the reason Sia is fearful of me. However, we have already come to an agreement on that matter. My people and I will fall under the jurisdiction of Her most trusted Overseer and lend our strength to their cause. Thats also how the Inner Sanctum came about.

Youre saying that it is inevitable that the Kingmaker Clan will encounter the Spiriteers?

Not at all. To be precise, Im saying that the meeting between us is inevitable.

Edavia turned around and leaped back into her chair. She rested her head on her palm as she looked at Roel with interest.

I mentioned that the Overseer is the person whom Sia trusts the most. Only one person in every generation can bear that title. The fact that youre able to find mea feat no other Overseer has been able to achieveshows that youre special.

I dont think that Im special at all, though the Overseer you mentioned Does it refer to the Kingmaker?

Mm, that seems to be what others call the Overseer. You are the Overseer of your generationSias blessing is proof of that. I can tell Shes exceptionally fond of you, Edavia said with narrowed eyes.

Roel was startled to hear that. An inexplicable feeling arose from his heart. Even he couldnt refute that he had a special connection with Sia.

So, I am the Kingmaker of my generation! Could that be the reason I was able to substitute the Kingmaker of this era so seamlessly?

There was one more thing Roel was curious about.

Edavia, theres another question Id like to ask you.

What is it?

The Mother Goddesshow is she related to Sia? Whats her stance on the Kingmaker?

Fufu. I thought that youd ask that. Unfortunately, I cant answer your question right now. Its a complicated question. I need more information, and there isnt enough time for that. Edavia shook her head and sighed.

At the same time, Roels body began flickering like the image on an old television box. This told him that he was on the verge of waking up.

I see. Ill have to leave that question for the next meeting, then.

Mmhm. It was a pleasant chat to me. Ill look forward to our next meeting.

Im glad to hear that. I hope that our future conversations will continue to entertain you.

Fufu. You sure are good with words. All right, let me offer you a tip.

A tip? Roel was confused.

Edavia nodded affirmatively.

Our clan is highly sensitive toward fluctuations of the soul, and souls do not lie. This grants us the ability to keenly perceive our surroundings.

I see. So, what is the tip?

Tread carefully. I cant confirm the origin yet, but the killing intent looming around you is almost suffocating, Edavia reminded him with the expectant smile of an audience.

Roels expression turned solemn.

Moments later, there was a brilliant flash of light, and Roels body vanished from the room. Just like that, his first meeting with Edavia came to an abrupt end.