Perhaps only a few members of the royal family know the true fate of this powerful ancestor of the royal family.

 

Even Lilya only told Violet that there is a powerful guardian deep in the dungeon but did not explicitly reveal their identity.

 

So, the priestess was very curious.

 

“Oh, about that…”

 

Edith, the central figure in numerous stories, laughed helplessly.

 

There wasn’t much profound reason behind it. I became an adventurer back then simply because several close friends became adventurers, and I had the strength, so I wanted to help out. Establishing the kingdom with them was for the same reason.”

 

The girl in the golden robe picked up the wooden cup, leisurely took a sip.

 

“I am someone without much ambition or aspirations. My biggest dream is to eat, sleep, take care of flowers, play with grass, live a burden-free life, and just lie in a coffin in the end.”

 

“So, after everything was over back then, I retired after achieving my goals and lived incognito in the capital.”

 

“After living like that for a very long time, three hundred years ago, the king of that generation suddenly found me. He said something happened in the kingdom, and they needed a powerful guardian in the depths of the dungeon to maintain order. He asked if I could be a leader or something. I thought about it, well, since I’m just passing time, isn’t it the same wherever I go? So, I agreed.”

 

The guardian girl, who led a relaxed life, pointed outside.

 

“As you can see, the environment here is pretty good, right? I specifically had that boy, Alfieri, build it. Every plant and tree here, I planted them with my own hands. They’re like my children. Time flies, huh? Three hundred years, just a snap of the fingers. Thinking about it makes me a bit sentimental.”

 

This answer was a bit unexpected for Violet.

 

The truth is always simpler than people imagine. The so-called conspiracies, intrigues, love, hatred, and feuds don’t really exist.

 

The sudden disappearance and running away were purely because Edith is someone who doesn’t want to take on a pile of responsibilities – a true “lying flat” person!

 

Thinking back to when Violet asked about this guardian lady in the core hub room, she mentioned not wanting to interfere in the kingdom’s internal affairs and not leading the Sin Wardens out to quell disturbances. At that time, she went on about it quite seriously, but now it seems it was just because she’s lazy!

 

Feeling embarrassed under the peculiar gaze of the black-haired girl, Lady Ancestor couldn’t hold her composure, cleared her throat, patted her heaving chest, and spoke convincingly.

 

“Don’t… don’t look at me like that. I’ve been fulfilling my duties as a leader properly! Over the three hundred years, I’ve quelled and suppressed many riots in the dungeon. Let me think… two hundred years ago during that demon summoning incident, I also lent a hand, and sixty years ago…”

 

Watching the girl in the golden robe count her achievements in a flustered manner, Violet had black lines all over her head.

 

The reliable image of that big sister completely collapsed!

 

With a sigh of helplessness, Violet had to interrupt the guardian lady’s busy tallying of her outings over the past three hundred years, much like how she would comfort a certain golden-haired dragon girl.

 

“Alright, alright. We know Edith is formidable. So, onto the next topic.”

 

“Cough, what topic? Please go on.”

 

Relieved to finally skip the topic of her lounging around for eight centuries, the girl in the golden robe immediately perked up. The reliable aura, akin to a dependable older sister, quickly returned.

 

“Uh… How much does Miss Edith know about this world?”

 

“Huh?”

 

Seeing the Guardian Lady tilting her head, looking confused, Violet immediately realized her own foolishness and cursed herself inwardly.

 

She, coming from another world, was keenly aware of the various connections and anomalies between the two worlds, as well as the relationship between this world and the game “Illusory World.”

 

However, for someone like Edith, a native resident of this place, these contradictions and oddities were simply natural facts, much like how she would naturally believe that there should be three moons in the sky, and their changing cycle is a year.

 

So, Violet narrowed down and simplified the topic.

 

“For example, what are your thoughts on things like the ‘World Boundary,’ or do you have any conclusions about it?”

 

“World Boundary… Miss Violet means the forbidden zones at the four extremes of the world, right?”

 

“Exactly.”

 

Originally, Violet wanted to talk about the fact that the world is a planet, with land surrounded by oceans, making it impossible to achieve a truly boundless expanse. However, considering that Edith might scoff at it, she didn’t speak up immediately.

 

The Guardian Lady pondered for a moment.

 

“Well, that’s indeed a topic that many people have discussed for a long time. Frankly, I don’t know what the world is like outside the forbidden zones, and I haven’t ventured out. Still, I do have some understanding of the origins of the forbidden zones.”

 

“Oh?”

 

Violet was pleasantly surprised. It seems fitting for a living fossil who has lived for over eight hundred years to have some knowledge of such secrets.

 

As soon as she spoke, the Guardian Lady dropped a bombshell.

 

“The forbidden zones are protections left by the gods, established to prevent curious creatures from crossing the boundaries and going to places they shouldn’t.”

 

Edith paused for a few seconds, looking somewhat surprised at the contemplative priestess. She thought that upon hearing such news, the other party should be astonished and puzzled, but the black-haired girl appeared unexpectedly calm.

 

“Miss Violet already knew about these things before? Why do you seem not surprised at all?”

 

“Huh? No… it’s indeed valuable information. It’s just that…”

 

This kind of answer could only be described as unexpected yet reasonable. Even considering magic, there is no world that is truly and absolutely infinite, and various theories do not support it.

 

No one can go beyond those four extremes. Either the people who went out were blocked and couldn’t come back, or they all fell into a large-range enchantment, similar to a wall of ghosts, and were forcibly trapped inside.

 

Edith’s explanation just confirmed Violet’s two speculations. If it’s the work of gods, it’s indeed possible to achieve the effect of almost covering the entire world’s boundaries.

 

So, naturally, Violet extended the topic downward.

 

“Miss Edith, have you ever had direct contact with gods before?”

 

The girl in the golden robe decisively shook her head.

 

“If it’s about divine miracles, prophecies, or relics left by gods, I have indeed encountered them a few times. However, I have never personally witnessed the gods themselves. There is a belief that the true form of gods is at the world’s edge, beyond the forbidden zones. They indirectly intervene in the world through proxies or commands.”

 

“Oh, I see…”

 

It’s a bit unfortunate. If that’s the case, it seems that she won’t be able to contact those gods in the short term. However, since the guardian lady has provided such useful information, Violet decided to reveal some things she knows as a form of reciprocation.

 

“Do you know the term 【Continent】?”