Chapter 36.1

The officers were perplexed. "Who is Melo?" they asked. "What do the thorns and flower vines represent?"

One of the officers suddenly frowned. "Melo...Melo...why does that name sound familiar?"

He was referring to the old god era, about which most people only knew what was written in the "Sacred Calendar." The rest of the knowledge was scattered in other texts, making it difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

Most people were content to read a few books on the subject, but the officer who had spoken was a collector of all things related to the old god era. He knew the true and false rumors better than anyone else.

When he muttered to himself, everyone in the Wujin Iron Cavalry looked at him. Even Oswald, the leader of the group, glanced over.

The officer frowned and pondered for a long time, but he could not come up with anything. Oswald reminded him, "There is a big difference between something being familiar and something being known. You may have an impression of something when you read it, but you may not be able to react to it just by listening."

The officer nodded. "You are right. I have read about Melo, but I cannot remember where. I will have to look it up later."

The other officers nodded in understanding. They knew that the officer was a font of knowledge, and they were confident that he would eventually remember what he was looking for.

In the meantime, they would continue to ponder the meaning of the thorns and flower vines. What did they represent? And why were they so important to Melo?

Oswald stretched out his fingers and re-wrote the name on the ground in today's characters: "It's this Melo."

The officer's eyes widened. "I knew I've seen that name before, but I don't remember where."

He slapped his thigh in frustration. "Ah, I remember now! It's on a very old and unreliable book, and I didn't read it carefully. I just remember that it said that the goddess Themis created a child named Melo and gave him the right to live with the holy lake of Ana."

"That's all?" Oswald asked.

"Yes, that's all. There's not much else about him," the officer said. "He must not have been an important person. After all, when the gods fell, all the old gods died, including those they raised and those who lived in the palace. This Melo must have died as well."

The clues related to this name came to an abrupt end. It was impossible for everyone to stay in this place all the time, so they had to put this matter on hold for the time being.

Oswald ordered someone to bring the two stones with footprints and names on them, and took the team back home.

As they rode away, Oswald pondered the name Melo. He wondered who this child was, and why he was so important to the goddess Themis. He vowed to find out more about him, even if it meant searching through every dusty old book in the kingdom.

The officers rode in silence for a time, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, the officer who had recognized the name Melo spoke up.

"I wonder what happened to Melo," he said. "Did he die with the other gods? Or did he somehow survive?"

"I don't know," Oswald said. "But I intend to find out."

And with that, they rode on, determined to unravel the mystery of Melo.

The group emerged from the tomb of the gods without incident, blinking in the sudden brightness. They had been in the darkness for so long that it took their eyes a moment to adjust.

Having traversed the Yongsheng Waterfall and ascended to the summit of the mountain.

"The Tomb of the God of Light," Oswald said, looking back at the hill. "It is a great irony that the god of light should be trapped in such a dark place."

He thought of Phae, the god of light and hope, who had once brought so much joy to the world. Now, he was trapped in this tomb, alone and in darkness. Oswald could only imagine how Phae must feel.

"Any ordinary person would probably be driven mad by this isolation," he said. "But Phae is a god. He is stronger than that."

Oswald knew that Phae would not give up hope. He would find a way to escape from this tomb and return to the world.

"He belongs in the sun," Oswald said. "He belongs with the living."

The group turned and walked away from the tomb, leaving Phae's tomb behind.

They swooped down and landed at the foot of the mountain, where they were greeted by the members of the elite team who had been waiting for them.

"Your Majesty, Commander Fassbender, how is he?" one of the members asked.

Oswald looked down at Kevin, who was lying unconscious in his arms. "He is simply exhausted," he said. "The holy water has been obtained. Let us return to the city."

The giant eagle let out a long cry and led the group away, soaring through the clouds.

The Sousse River is a long river that runs through the Golden Lion Kingdom. It originates in the Great Rift Valley at the highest point of the city of St. Antis, and its tributaries pass through various towns before ending at a shallow moor on the Waikeluo Plain.

It was once rumored that this shallow lake was the former holy lake of Ana described in the "Divine History."

In any case, the Sousse River is the veritable source of life of the Golden Lion Country. The altar pool on the altar in the central square of St. Antis leads directly to the river.

Oswald and his companions had obtained three water bags of holy water. According to the priest, throwing the holy water into the altar pool and letting it flow into the Sousse River would save the lives of the country.

As they flew back to the city, Oswald reflected on the irony of the Tomb of the God of Light. Phae, who had once represented supreme light and hope, was now trapped in this dark and stagnant place. Oswald could only imagine how tormented Phae would feel if he knew his fate.

Still, Oswald was determined to return the holy water to the Sousse River. He knew that it was the only way to save the country.

The group arrived at the city and made their way to the altar in the central square. Oswald carefully poured the holy water into the pool, and the water began to flow into the river.

As the holy water flowed, the people of the city began to cheer. They knew that their country was saved.

Oswald smiled. He had done his part.