After arriving to the temple, Ara, Laby and Gaia decide to try and find clues on where they are exactly. After sparring with Gaia, Ara learns why she was hesitant to say something to Eun; she considers him like family. She manages to convince Eun to first help them with resurrection of the lord, then ask questions afterwards, finding the circumstances suspicious.
Shrine in the Forest
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Quest Acceptance Prerequisites
Objectives
Complete the To Return to the Demon Realm story quest
Laby:Hmm... Sorry... Laby was only looking at the red needle... So Laby doesn't remember what was around at all...
Gaia:I overestimated my knowledge of the area as well. I didn't realize how much the lands have changed since I was asleep. Looks like the the old map I have is useless...
Laby:Oh! Laby knows a way if we don't know how to get there! If we jump into the sea, the waves will carry us to the Bamboo forest!
Gaia:... Maybe we should use that after our final resort.
File:Story Quest Icon - .pngAra:This flower may look like a common weed, but it actually requires great care to bloom. It's often planted near a shrine to encourage people to visit, and it's never seen in this quantity in the wild.
Gaia:So there's a path where people frequent nearby?
File:Story Quest Icon - .pngAra:From the condition of the flowers, I don't think people come this way anymore. But there are still traces left, so we should be able to find the shrine by following these flowers. Once we find the shrine, we would be able to figure out where we are.
Laby:Amazing! How do you know so much, Ara?
File:Story Quest Icon - .pngAra:Where I'm from... This kind of information is readily available for anyone who's interested... And I used to visit different shrines with my mother when I was young.
Gaia:There's not much we know about the Northern Empire. Although, I did hear the people of the Northern Empire believe in the holy beasts...
File:Story Quest Icon - .pngAra:It's because the spirits here hold more power, as people believe in spirits unlike Velder who only believed in the goddess... Although many only believed in the powerful spirits. There are many guardian spirits, and many believed in different spirits for reasons such as fertility, health, and wealth. I suspect the shrine here was built for one such spirit.
File:Story Quest Icon - .pngAra:Looks like the Shrine of the Two-Headed Serpent. It's a spirit that usually represents harmony between family members and love between siblings.
Laby:Are there other meanings?
File:Story Quest Icon - .pngAra:It also represents sacrifice and revival. The tale of the two-headed serpent starts with the death of the brother snake. It's a story of a snake who wished to save his younger brother. It is said that after days of prayer, the younger brother was restored, attached to his older brother.
Gaia:So that's why there are two heads. I'm not sure if it's a happy ending...
File:Story Quest Icon - .pngAra:I had many siblings. So the adults in the family often told this tale, telling us to get along.
Laby:You started your journey to save your family, right? Is it because he's family that you want to save him?
Laby:Winster is Haivan's family. And Nichel grew up like family. Why did Haivan do something that will hurt his family?
Gaia:.......
Laby:Laby was thinking... But Laby still don't get it. Laby gets sad just thinking about being mean to Nisha. Did Haivan actually really really hate Winster? Did Haivan hurt Winster because Winster is not important?
File:Story Quest Icon - .pngAra:Yes. Everyone has their own path to follow, and that path does not necessarily converge just because they are close to one another. I don't think it's right that he betrayed his family and friend. But... But there must be a reason behind his action. And... I get the feeling... That he didn't want Winster and Nichel to get hurt despite their differences.
Laby:... Laby don't get it. Winster and Nichel looked really shocked because of what Haivan did.
Laby:Why did Winster say Haivan didn't do it, even though he knew Haivan lied?
File:Story Quest Icon - .pngAra:Isn't it because he wished to believe in him? That Haivan never intended to hurt Winster, Nichel, and the villagers. That is was a misunderstanding devised by a nefarious villain... It may be foolish, but there are those who cling on to even a sliver of hope.
Laby:.......
File:Story Quest Icon - .pngAra:I will go inspect the shrine. There may be something inside that shows us where we are.