78 – 33. Reunion (2)
Ian and Gleandia had an unusual relationship.
In the prologue of the Heroic Academy, when Ari was active in the hero party, just looking at the illustration, Gleandia was always with Ian.
Even when Ari brought up stories from the past in her soliloquy, there was a mention that Ian and Gleandia shared many stories.
‘Except for situations like sleeping or bathing, do they always stick together? That’s why in the community, there were rumors that Gleandia and Ian were lovers.’
It was almost misleading to anyone who saw them, and there was a reasonable possibility.
Of course, things are different now.
“Is that child still behaving like that these days? I wonder when she’ll grow out of it.”
“She’s not a bad kid. Given time, she’ll be fine.”
“I sometimes think… you’re really amazing. If my sister had done such things, I would have cut ties with her long ago. Yet, you kept taking care of Ariel.”
Ian and Gleandia weren’t together as lovers.
Frustrated with Ariel’s unpredictable behavior, Gleandia began complaining, and Ian, in order to prevent the party from collapsing, became an emotional trash can for her.
It was so challenging that Gleandia could only calm down after talking about the past for two hours.
“Anyway, I’m relieved to see you doing well like this. Honestly, I was very worried.”
“Are you talking about me?”
“Then, can you not worry? The word has spread that you were branded as a traitor who blocked the path of the hero.”
“If it was the Empire, I wouldn’t be surprised, but I didn’t expect it to spread to Edenria.”
“Just because you told me not to say anything. The rest of us, including me, were itching to explain ourselves.”
It was an unintentional situation that caused worry. When Ian gave a faint smile, Glendia subtly raised the corners of her mouth.
“It’s been a while since we last met. We talked about something heavy. Should we change the mood? How about the gift I received? I put quite a bit of effort into it.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“The person Raymond mentioned was you, wasn’t it?”
“There’s no one else who can openly refute the Pope’s opinion except for me.”
Although the Pope held a power that would not be strange to be called an emperor in Edenria, he did not swallow up all the power.
Because it was a city of those who followed Eris’s teachings, it was inevitable that they could not ignore those who directly received the will of the gods.
Glendia was like that.
Wasn’t she chosen by Eris herself and a saint with the power to directly communicate with her? No matter how much of a Pope he was, it was impossible to ignore the words of a saint.
“I think the Guardian’s Eunhwan is something you need, so I personally prepared it as a gift. I hope you like it if it suits your taste.”
“There’s no way I wouldn’t like it. You must have put in a lot of effort.”
Glendia smiled widely at Ian’s sincere gratitude.
There was nothing more satisfying than being appreciated for the effort put into obtaining the gift.
“It was quite difficult… You may not know, but our Pope is quite stubborn. But still, he said it was the will of the gods, so even he had to yield.”
“Eris told me to give it to you?”
If that’s the case, even the Pope would have to agree.
No matter how much power they had, as long as they believed they were Eris’s creations, her words were absolute.
But there were also parts that I didn’t understand.
“Was Eris in a state where she could speak?”
According to the information I learned from my conversation with Velfegor, Eris and Masin used a considerable amount of divine power.
It was so difficult to appoint a new hero that Ian had to resurrect and use the existence named Ian.
“He said that even after creating me, he twisted the timeline because he failed countless times just by hearing my voice.”
Already lacking, the situation continued to erode the divine power due to consecutive failures. But could he really tell Eris to give him the Guardian’s Token?
It was a moment of doubt.
“Of course, it’s a lie. Lady Eris is merciful. She wouldn’t bother with such trivial matters.”
“What?”
“The decision to hand over the Guardian’s Token was purely my judgment. If we have good equipment for the upcoming big fight, wouldn’t it be beneficial?”
“To lie to the Pope… Quite bold.”
“But you won’t get caught. Don’t worry. And the fact that even after the item was passed to you, Eris didn’t react at all. You can take it as her agreement.”
Even with the provocative statement, Ian responded by nodding his head.
Although it was difficult to understand the author who acted independently as the Holy Maiden according to the will of the gods.
Honestly, it’s not necessarily a bad thing.
“Because it was actually necessary equipment.”
If he knew what kind of fight lay ahead.
If he knew how much Ian had suffered by possessing his body.
Even if Eris personally descended and offered it as a gift, it wouldn’t have been enough.
That was the reason.
“Use the gifts wisely. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Please consider it as a repayment for your hard work.”
What Glenidia had prepared to receive.
She could finally relax after Ian stopped paying attention to the ring.
“It’s nice to meet someone of the same age after a long time. Working with higher-ups is not easy.”
“Well then, how about meeting other colleagues? Hexas is busy, but Iliane should have some free time.”
“That gentleman is busy traveling around the continent. There won’t be anyone who enjoys entertainment coming here. So, I gave up.”
It was a moment of unexpected revelation.
“Oh, by the way. I forgot to mention this. Do you know about Arielle going to meet Hexas Maducelan?”
“Arielle… with Hexas?”
The moment Ian learned about his unsuspected sister’s whereabouts.
His eyebrows furrowed strongly at Glenidia’s words.
***
“Sigh. It’s endless. Is this truly reality?”
Hexas Maducelan looked at the pile of documents covering his desk with a weary expression.
“There’s a saying that those who want to wear the crown must bear its weight. But this seems to have gone too far.”
Although he achieved the great feat of unifying all the guilds within the empire, Hexas had to pay a price for his joy.
The documents to be approved during his absence from the hero party had rapidly accumulated.
A tower of documents that seemed to reach the ceiling. What’s more astonishing was that this was the minimized version.
“Darn it… If I knew it would be like this, I shouldn’t have followed my father’s will. I thought it would be great to become a guild master, but what on earth is this?”
In the stifling frustration, he let out a deep sigh. But even so, the paperwork did not diminish.
In the end, Hexasar had no choice but to grit his teeth and hold onto the documents, tears streaming down his face.
It was a moment of relentless paperwork shuffling, the pen never resting.
“Guild Master, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“Oh! Has Lucil finally decided to understand my feelings?”
Entering was a woman with a neatly dressed short haircut of magenta color.
Hexasar’s secretary, Lucil, pushed him away with an expression of annoyance as he approached.
“What on earth are you talking about since earlier? I’ve already told you that I won’t take the position of Vice Guild Master that you suggested before, haven’t I?”
“Why not reconsider? To solve this puzzle, we need someone as talented as yourself!”
“I’ve said it several times already. If I, who can’t even handle mana properly, were appointed as Vice Guild Master, there would be resistance among the guild members. Let me say it again. I have no interest in the position of Vice Guild Master.”
After hearing the decisive statement, Hexasar leaned back, abandoning his expectations.
“I knew this would happen. I should have brought Illian with me. He was a talent we could have used for a long time.”
“Stop talking nonsense. More importantly, a guest has arrived.”
“A guest? We’re already swamped, and now a guest? Send them away. If they’re from the royal palace, tell them to wait until the kids return to handle the dungeon issue as promised.”
After saying so, Hexasar shifted his gaze back to the documents. However, Lucil remained in place.
There was only one reason for her to show such a reaction.
“Ha… How high-ranking must this person be for our secretary to go this far?”
“The hero wishes to meet the Guild Master.”
A hero? At that moment, a flush of color spread across Hexasar’s face.
“Is it Ian he’s talking about? That guy, really. After saying to come whenever there’s time, he chooses now to come.”
How painful it was to break up over such an unfortunate incident, unable to even have a meal together.
Hexar felt a sense of guilt, unable to help him knowing how much he had suffered. Even though he wanted to help, he couldn’t because of Ian’s request.
“Lucil! Do I have any saved liquor? Bring it out. My precious younger brother has come after a long time, and as an older brother, I should treat him properly.”
In his heart, he wanted to invite Ian to where he was, but he knew that he was not someone who wasted time, so he couldn’t do that either.
In such a situation, there was no better news than Ian coming on his own.
If it was Ian, he could bring out the liquor that he cherished like his own life. That was what he thought, and he smiled brightly at that moment.
“I’m sorry, but…I didn’t say Ian, but the hero has come.”
“What? No way… right?”
“Ariel Volkano said she wants to meet the guild master. She’s standing in front of the door right now. Should I let her in?”
As he nodded his head in surprise, a white-haired woman revealed herself.
“…It’s been a long time, Hexar.”
“Ah. Ariel?”
Hexar’s mouth fell open at that sight.
‘Why is she here?’
The reunion with the hero, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, was the worst.
I now see why the hero’s party failed so badly. All the other party members hated Ariel so much that they were on the verge of quitting. Glendia despised Ariel for being so childish so much Ian had to accompany her nearly everywhere otherwise she would have quit and gone back to the Holy City. Also, while the other members were skilled enough Ariel on the other hand was a child using a glowing sword that could kill demons. No real skills, swordsmanship, tactics, or willingness to work with others. She wanted to be the Boss cause she was a Hero but had no real skills to claim the position for herself. Ian sacrificed even his reputation in the Kingdom just so Ariel could maintain her positive reputation as a Hero. Despite if any spirit mage looked at her hidden personality they would revolt and say she was as manipulative as a demon. Ian had to give up and let someone else lead preferably Ariel herself when she grew up a little.