Vale let Adephagia digest what he’d revealed, then asked a few more questions about his Champions back when they were on Kaldora.
Unfortunately, she didn’t know them all intimately enough to give Vale insight into anything he didn’t already know.
Next, Vale asked about Lust and what Adephagia knew of her. Apparently...
"Lust? That fiend... she showed up one day and began hypnotizing my citizens into loving and worshiping her. Then, they all began to roam around naked and fornicating in the streets, despite the Scourge actively hounding our gates. She even ford a cult, and it was impossible to deal with her when we were already dealing with the Scourge. Thankfully, one day she vanished... but I have no idea what beca of her."
From that, Vale had gathered a few things...
Lust was a ’she’. Unimportant, but it was sothing.
And it also confird Mias’ original theory...
’She’d used Adephagia’s citizens to build her Origin, then let herself die to beco a god.’
Plus, Vale also learned it was unlikely Adephagia knew of Origin, or that she was playing dumb.
As much as he believed in the forr, this woman had expressed her intelligence to the point that Vale couldn’t tell if this entire act of cooperation was a front.
When that was done, Vale asked a few more questions about Ixion, Despair, Hope, and the Naless King. But those people were legend by the ti she rose into prominence, so all she had were lesser versions of what Mias had already revealed to him.
Finally, Adephagia got to ask a few questions of Vale: where he was from, any advice he may have, what his run-in with a Virtue was like, and his view on Greed, the absentee.
Wrath had apparently given his own versions of answers, but she’d wanted a differing perspective.
In the end, Vale held only a little back.
Because she’d been forthright with him, he’d been forthcoming with her.
The ideal partnership Wrath had been seeking between all seven of them.
Eventually, Vale decided he’d been there long enough and slowly rose from his chair.
"Well, it was nice eting you, Adephagia."
The woman in orange nodded.
"You as well, Vale."
The crystal lay dormant.
Vale stretched a bit, then began to walk off into the distance. As he did, he looked back and said:
"Rember Wrath’s warning. Tell nobody of what you hear, not , not Wrath, not your Champions."
’From what I’ve heard, your death wouldn’t be swift if you did.’
Not that it would be Vale’s doing.
Finally, Vale stepped past the threshold, exiting back into the white expanse.
Standing, surrounded by imps, Vale said to himself:
"As above, so below."
Envy wanted war.
So that’s what she would get.
While this war between them seed like it would be drowned out by the war above, once that settled or the fighting drew away from Vale’s dungeon, then their feud would begin in earnest.
Well, and once Envy knew the deal with Kindness.
That was probably the main thing keeping her ta at the mont.
As far as she knew, Vale’s Champion traveled with Kindness. Yes, that Champion was rumored to be unruly and not obedient, but it would be nonsensical to assu the Champion would idly sit by while its Master, to whom its life was tied, was attacked.
Vale sighed as he watched a small pile of blue crystal start to form off to his side — shards of the obelisks.
’And she’s gone and made Wrath dislike more...’
At least Wrath was busy with Pride. Even if he did feel so inclined to act upon his wrath, he couldn’t.
’And he’ll probably forget all about his qualm with due to his fight.’
Vale began to saunter toward the exit.
’But at least soone normal at the Council exists...’
Adephagia — Gluttony — was not rash nor provocative.
She did engage in a bit of nonsense, but overall, she was soone who was well aware that there are issues bigger than "he said, she said" and who had the shiniest tal.
Of course, that may have just been the persona she wished to display — who knew her true motives and feelings.
But a man could hope...
Vale exited back into the adow, finding that two of the beds from the First Floor had been dragged down here — Awilix’s and Toy’s bed.
He was also graced with the assault of a hundred imps clawing at the tough crystals. While they were making pretty good progress, they hadn’t even felled one yet.
Not wanting to listen to the clamor much longer, Vale touched the orb and teleported to the old core room.
There, he told Salo he wouldn’t be back for a few hours, but was quite cryptic about what he said.
Then, he made his way through the cave, the two soldiers standing guard at the barracks entrance staring him down as he passed by.
Eventually, he made it to the entrance...
A slight chill brushed against his bare chest.
"Where are you going, Master Vale?"
Xina, who’d been sitting on a crystal pillar, gave Vale a questioning look.
"Just a little stroll, sothing wrong with that?"
"Uh..." Xina slowly lifted herself from her crystal seat. "Yes?"
’Why’d she say it like it was a question?’
"I didn’t intend to go too far... perhaps to the waterfall. I’ve been in this cave for too long, and I figured the dead of night would be the only chance I got."
Xina began to pout.
"Buh—ah... The waterfall?! You can’t. It’s too dangerous."
Vale took a deep breath and began thinking...
’Wait...’
[World without Witness]...
He’d already been intent on using it anyway. Not to ntion he’d be able to fool Mias into thinking he hadn’t t the oracle by using Xina as a witness. Well, assuming he’d be able to use it in a way where the oracle didn’t reveal themselves. But, being an oracle, Vale left that part up to them.
There was also the chance he’d find nothing at the waterfall, and in that case, he’d rather have extra protection for that fruitless journey.
Therefore...
"Would you like to co with ? I can’t see in the dark like you."
"I— of course I would. But it’s still too dangerous."
Vale laughed.
"What? So, you don’t want to have all to yourself for a couple of hours?"
Xina’s eyes went wide.
"A couple... hours?"
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