Originally, Xianzhou possessed nine Flagships at its peak. This number represented good fortune and longevity only below to that of a god. The problem came after the destruction of three flagships over time.
The current Xianzhou replaced the two of them, but the third Flagship could not be built for the time being. It resulted in them having eight Flagships currently.
The Flagship spearheaded by the Marshal herself was the infamous Xianyuan. Not only did it bear the same character for Xianzhou's "Xian" (Immortal), the character "Yuan" (Court) completed the name: Immortal Court.
Aside from its distance, it acts as a literal spearhead against the Abundance. It was always positioned on the front end of all the Xianzhou Flagships.
The distance they maintained required an entire day of travel from Fanghu to it. Aleph's words made the people sitting opposite him realize something.
An even incredulous thought appeared on Xuanquan's mind:
'Is He…'
Aleph saw through her dilemma and greeted her with a smile.
"Come to think of it. I also received something similar to this…"
A slightly thick metallic slate fell on his palm. It bore semblance to a ticket of sorts, with the golden sheen reflecting on its body.
It was none other than the [Special Star Rail Pass] he received as a reward. It was also one of Aleph's main goals when meeting with Xianzhou's Marshal.
"Astral Express..?" The ticket in his hand made her pause. "Are you a part…"
"No. Someone gave it to me. It's also one of the reasons why I sought an audience with your Marshal."
Aleph presented his goals in a clear manner. The tension created by a strong person with an unclear goal persisted for five days.
"I see… If it's that, it might be quite difficult. We don't have much information after the Chromatic Echelon disappeared."
"There is a record about its last appearance." Jingtian stated as he placed his teacup down. "It was sighted last on a planet named Okron. The Chromatic Echelon then fell in disrepair and disappeared into the starry sky."
"Okron…"
The god-like processing ability allowed no errors. Aleph immediately recalled the knowledge he had.
'There should be a Nameless who ventured with… Mei.'
The confirmation of his knowledge sent him to a deep thought. He readjusted some of his plans to see how much changes the vast universe had since his appearance.
'It won't matter if it's revealed. I'll go aboveboard.'
The three of them talked about some more things before the two visitors left. It was agreed upon that half a day later, Xuanquan would come along to board the Xianyuan along with him.
Aleph was left alone within the courtyard.
"Hua…"
Only now did he notice how unnerving this kind of solitude was.
*****
Ten years was a span of time most would find short. The long-lived citizens of Xianzhou would not care about it. The mechanical beings who survived the Second Emperor's War did not have a concept of time.
Under the influence of Aeons, the norm created by these civilizations had long surpassed what Earth could fathom.
Still, the events of ten years ago shook the universe down to its core.
It began with the failure of Matrixes used for Divination. The scholars of Erudition who were doing experiments had no choice but to stop. The machineries and abilities they possessed stopped working for that brief moment.
It wasn't just them.
The guidance of Lan's arrows, the influence of IX's Nihilism over its Pathstriders, Elation's chaotic plans, Long's Permanence, HooH's Equilibrium…
Everything simply stopped.
Ten years ago, the world welcomed the end.
The Aeon which should not have existed now… came into existence.
Akin to a planet-sized meteorite crashing onto Earth, their entry to this vast universe was noticed by all. It manifested as a looming feeling to some.
To those who held higher positions to their Path, however, was able to see it more clearly.
The Aeon of Finality, Terminus, left a noticeable trace.
It moved like a star as it headed to 'somewhere'. The black streaks it left reminded everyone of Their influence over the physical world.
After this event, numerous visions came from Aeons.
The Aeon of Erudition, Nous, left behind words that describe a "Blank State".
Their counterpart, the Aeon of Enigmata—Mythus—left behind yet another chilling answer to a riddle: "Light" and "Futility".
The last time they left a riddle was during the First Mechanical War that affected the entire universe.
Things did not end there. Terminus' influence lingered even now. It was for such a reason that Xianzhou's highest leader started paying attention to the current events.
"Are you certain, Marshal?"
Unlike most would expect, the office of Xianzhou's Marshal was not as big as the typical offices on other Flagships. It retained a hint of Xianzhou's ancient architecture blended with newer technologies.
"You said so yourself. He might be related to Terminus. Xianzhou could not handle any mistakes caused by this, let alone you."
The person who spoke was a girl with a short stature. She wore a hanfu whose cuffs were embroidered with a cloud-like pattern. She would only be barely visible had it not been for the Marshal who was standing across the desk.
"There's no point in worrying. Since he appeared here, it is fate."
The one who spoke was a girl with long gray hair. She was wearing a pair of glasses with a red frame. The book on her hand detailed the Divinations recorded by Xianzhou's Diviners of Terminus' advent ten years ago.
Perhaps it was the event's special nature that elicited Nous' strong influence. This caused them to discover small hints behind the events. They calculated these small hints for years before finding a discovery:
Terminus was not alone.
Bam.
The girl with the short stature, Fuxi, waited until the Marshal finished reading. The latter then faced her.
"Turn off that protocol during our meeting."
Marshal Hua's blue eyes seemed decisive to Fuxi. Nevertheless, the latter was startled by her order. The protocol she mentioned was the one that could isolate the 'space' where they were meeting. It could then be destroyed with Xianzhou's studies related to space. It was one of the few dangerous protocols left in case of worst-case scenarios.
"...I will do as you say."
Before Fuxi left, she halted when Hua's reminder came.
"He might not be an Emanator."
"..!"
She froze upon hearing that speculation. The implications of those words were huge.
'An Aeon..?'