Following the campaign in Kabura, Nephis officially announced herself Queen and received the support of the city's population thanks to Alex's intervention.

Alex also gained a very high number of followers from this endeavor, and his Faith Energy reserves were higher than ever.

Currently, they were planning their raid on the rebel stronghold in Balkh, where the mastermind of the whole rebellion exerted his influence.

Alex knew who the true mastermind behind this was, but he didn't tell Nephis, as it didn't seem right to involve a mortal in a conflict between deities.

"Lord Alex, you needn't concern yourself with the other cities of our land, if you can successfully overthrow the rebels in Balkh, then I will take upon myself the role of taking back the rest of our land," Queen Nephis advised him.

Alex nodded and turned to Hermes, who was sipping on chamomile tea on the terrace of the palace.

"Hermes, are you coming?"

"I'll pass, you can take care of it by yourself easily," Hermes shook his head.

However, he whispered, "Alexei-boy, I don't think she will be there personally, but if you do find her, immediately escape."

Alex gulped and started growing worried.

'At least, I'm probably faster than her...'

He also remembered the one-sided beating he received when he confronted the demon goddess in Ctesiphon, and he clenched the Spear of Victory in his hand.

There weren't any preparations he needed to do, although Alex took out a yellowed-out piece of paper from his bags.

'She should be asleep right now, but I hope she replies soon...'

Alex was going to send a letter to Crista through the blessed paper.

'Good morning, dear.

I hope you are doing very well, how are the two monarchs of the Underworld doing?

You told me you had a surprise announcement to make when I come back, I still can't quite imagine what it could be, but I'm looking forward to it very much.

Hermes and I are currently in Kabura, a city in Bactria, a lot of events have happened along the way, and I want to tell you everything, but I prefer doing so face-to-face, while we appreciate the scenery of Hellenia.

I really miss you, and I am extremely excited about our future trip together, I'll even steal Hermes' magical chariot.

Awaiting your response, have a great Underworld...day?'

Alex thought a while about what he should write, but he swiftly came up with a paragraph that summarizes all of his feelings and whereabouts.

The ink dried up quickly, and Alex folded the letter and inserted it into a small pocket.

Then, he put that aside and got ready to leave for Balkh.

"Are you taking the chariot?" Hermes asked of him.

Alex shook his head and replied, "It will be faster with Incarnation."

"Alright, just don't steal my identity, Alexei-boy~~" Hermes went back to sipping his tea and observing Kabura from the terrace of this palace.

Alex chuckled and unfolded his wings, which grew as a result of Incarnation.

*Whoosh*

Alex speedily propelled himself from the ground and a jet of sharp wind made a whistling sound.

He was going at an unprecedented speed in a northern direction, where Queen Nephis informed him that Balkh was located.

In just a few seconds, he found himself outside of Kabura, but he couldn't even observe the scenery below because it was moving extremely fast.

The particles in the air felt like mini-bullets at his speed, but Alex ignored the itching sensation and continued at the same pace.

'Flying at such speeds sure does consume a lot of Faith Energy...' Alex lamented to himself.

If he didn't recently acquire new followers from the Kabura campaign, he wasn't sure he would be able to maintain such velocity for a prolonged period of time.

After a dozen or so minutes of flying, Alex sensed that the air had a slight autumnal chill to it.

He also found himself at a higher altitude, and the terrain was much rougher and more uneven.

'A change in altitude and climate, that means Balkh is close.' Alex recalled the itinerary Nephis granted him.

He slowed down and paid more attention to the surroundings.

There was a forest that stretched out in all directions. The trees here were tall and dark, and vegetation was sustained by various mountain streams.

There wasn't any obvious sign of civilization.

However, Alex focused his eyesight to the far reaches of the horizon in all directions.

'Is that a road?' Alex slanted his eyes towards a particular clearing in the northwest.

Following that, he flew close by and discovered that it was indeed, a road, a marker of civilization nearby.

Logically, since Balkh was probably north of Kabura, he followed the northern path.

Afterward, he moved along this path until he found buildings and people moving around. Alex sneakily withdrew Incarnation, and inconspicuously walked around the village.

Of course, his skin color and features were different from most of the local population, and he stood out as a result.

Alex ultimately decided to play the 'lost merchant' card.

He stopped a passerby and purposely spoke in broken Farsi(1) "Brother, I am lost in the wilderness and need to find back my way to Balkh, would you mind giving me the exact directions?"

The man frowned, though he nodded and replied, "Take the third road by the west entrance to the village, and you will find yourself in Balkh."

He inquired, "However, are you sure you should be in Balkh with your appearance? The rebels will associate you with Princess Nephis?"

Alex waved and shamelessly replied, "Oh, haven't you heard? Queen Nephis took back Kabura and will very soon take back Balkh with the divine guidance of the God of Humanity, Alex. By the time I reach the city, the rebels will probably all have been eliminated."

"Lord, divine aid has finally reached us. I shall open my ears for more news. Thank you, Brother."

Alex nodded, though he was giggling maniacally in his mind.

'I placed that advertisement so smoothly...I'm getting better at this!'

After that, Alex resumed his trip to Balkh.

Very soon, the cityscape was visible. Balkh was built upon a hill in a lush valley, and the architecture here incorporated many domes and colorful marble.

The city deserved a visit, but Alex wasn't here to sightsee.

He located the domed Imperial Palace in the center of the city and instantly bolted in its direction.

The palace was surrounded by an exotic garden, and a white path with clear rectangular fountains and well-trimmed grass led to the entrance of the structure.

There were many guards around, but Alex incapacitated all of them very easily and noted that they were also under the control of Aphrodite.

He was now, in front of the entrance gate, a white chiseled marble gate.

Just as he was about to fly and enter through one of the windows, the gates opened.

Alex's eyes widened when he saw the person who opened the door.

Black hair, brown eyes, and tan skin.

She was dressed in a black lacy robe and smiled when she looked at him.

'Crista....!?'

"I've been expecting you, Alex, come in~~" The voice was undoubtedly Crista's voice...