Published at 22nd of October 2026 7:05 am

Chapter 2130: The Custos

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

The sky was crisp and clear. Sunlight filtered across the layer of clouds, making it look like a dreamy sea of grey and gold. Somewhere in the sea, the space tore open, and a giant red-crowned crane shot out of it.

On the leather saddle atop the crane, Genevieve’s face had gone white as a sheet of paper. Though this wasn’t the first time she traveled through the spirit world, it always left her with a feeling of dread.

The giant crane tilted its head ever so slightly and glanced at her. "You okay?"

Genevieve gulped. "Yes. I’m alright."

Adam had once told her that while traveling through the spirit world, he felt like a fish in water.

She also felt like a fish.

A fish in the desert.

The giant crane descended from the sea of clouds. Its enormous wings slowly folded as it glided downward, passing through layers of mist.

Far below stretched an ocean of green. Primordial rainforests covered the land as far as the eye could see, their ancient trees rising like colossal pillars toward the heavens.

The endless jungle was ringed by a colossal mountain range. Its summit disappeared into the clouds while its immense slopes dominated the landscape like the walls of an ancient fortress.

The mountain seemed impossibly old. Silent and unmoving. As though it had stood there since the beginning of the world and would remain long after everything else had vanished.

The crane continued its descent before finally landing at the foot of the mountain. Genevieve dismounted from its back and gently patted its neck.

"Thank you, Aldora."

The crane gave a soft cry of acknowledgment before spreading its enormous wings. With a powerful flap, it ascended into the sky and disappeared into the sea of clouds.

Genevieve watched it for a moment. Then she turned toward the mountain. She walked toward its base, trekking to a higher point.

She had to make the remainder of this journey on foot, for this mountain was sacred to her people. And only those of House Fortuna could set foot in this place.

It took her half a day to reach somewhere in the middle of the mountain. There, hidden among the ancient rocks, was a cave. Genevieve stood before its dark entrance. This was the entrance to the trial she had to undergo.

She stepped into the cave. The temperature dropped almost immediately.

Deeper into the cave, the walls were covered in faded carvings and ancient memorials. Time had worn away much of their detail, leaving behind only fragments of what they had once depicted.

Genevieve was mesmerized. She slowly walked deeper into the cave, her eyes wandering across the countless images engraved into the stone. They told a story. A story of the distant past.

She suddenly stopped. Her eyes slowly widened as she studied the mural before her.

It was an army. Countless humans stood together, wielding weapons and wearing armor. They were locked in battle with elves, their weapons raised as they charged into the enemy.

At the very forefront of the human army stood a giant of a man. He wore magnificent golden armor.

Genevieve’s breath caught. She nearly fell to her knees.

"The God Emperor," she whispered in awe. "This must be the beginning of the Holy Crusade..."

The face of the man in golden armor, however, had faded away. Whether it had been eroded by time or deliberately obscured, she could not tell. There were no features left for her to discern. She could not see His eyes. His nose. His mouth.

Yet she knew for certain. Her heart trembled with reverence.

Behind the God Emperor stood twelve men.

"The First Sons..."

Their faces, too, had been faded, either by passage of time or by design. Yet even without their features, their presence alone was enough to inspire awe.

Genevieve slowly moved her gaze across them, seemingly forgetting all about her coming-of-age ceremony.

Then she stopped. Her eyes landed on a valiant man with auburn hair—the rest of the facial features missing. He looked dazzling and heroic in His armor. Behind His head was a strange circular object. It shone behind Him like a halo, casting an ethereal light around His figure.

Genevieve stared at the mural in silence.

The ancestor of House Fortuna.

The Angel of Miracle.

"That is the Wheel of Fortune," a deep, ancient voice sounded inside the cave.

Genevieve flinched and immediately drew back, the rapier already in her hand.

She turned to see a very old man standing behind her. He was barefoot. He wore no ornaments. Just a simple hemp robe. Long white hair tied into a single ponytail behind his back. And his eyes were the most brilliant cerulean she had ever seen.

Genevieve’s fright only lasted a moment before she knelt on the ground.

"It is my honor to meet you, Custos. My name is Genevieve."

In the old tongue of man, custos meant guardian. No one knew this old man’s name. Not even Valentina or the crone who placed the game of dice with Genevieve.

Everyone simply called him the Custos. He guarded this sacred ground that tests the children of Fotuna in every generation.

The old man’s eyebrow quirked slowly. "That’s an odd name," he said.

Genevieve smiled awkwardly. "I was born and raised in another world. In Myrrandor."

The Custos stroked his clean-shaven chin, sizing her up

Under his gaze, Genevieve felt extreme trepidation. It was like she was being eyed by a behemoth. That all of her deepest and darkest secrets were laid bare before him.

The Custos hummed and turned back to the mural, his judgment of Genevieve unknown.

Genevieve inhaled slowly, calming her wildly beating heart as she recited her mother’s invocation. She took a step closer and followed his gaze.

"The Wheel of Fortune?" she asked respectfully, glancing at the strange halo behind Miracle’s head.

"It is the symbol of life’s fickle nature and of fortune’s ever-turning wheel," he said. "Ever doth it spin, raising one man unto the heavens whilst casting another into the abyss.

"Today, a beggar may find himself clothed in gold. Tomorrow, a king may kneel in rags. Victory may become defeat. Glory may wither into disgrace.

"Such is the law of fortune. It favors none forever, forsakes none forever, and never sees turning."

The Custos turned to Genevieve and said with a faint smile.

"The wheel remindeth us of a simple truth: fortune is never ours to command. It turns as it wills. Yet when it turns, it always favors the bold."

Share