123 episodes
As the years passed, the work of Stella was buried.
That is why, even when Count Cozy investigated Ethan’s past, Stella’s identity did not stand out.
Because now she was just the abbot in the corner of the village.
“Sir, it makes me feel burdened for you to keep mentioning my past. I’m just here, Ethan, because I’m worried about the kid.”
“Is that the reason why Priest Ethan didn’t mention Stella-sama as a teacher because of such a command?”
“You are talking nonsense. Ethan is just one of the children I looked after in the monastery.”
Stella told the truth, but the Count did not believe it.
“But not being a disciple makes more sense.”
“yes?”
“As soon as Priest Ethan arrived in Nouvel City, he performed a miracle of saving Seongbaeksu. Thanks to that, he rose to his status as a saint candidate. Not only that, but in Velium, he has done a great job in the case against the Dark Followers.”
“As the Count said, it’s hard to see Ethan’s skills as an ordinary priest. But I have not contributed to that.”
“yes. But what about this one? If Stella-sama and Priest Ethan-sama had not met by chance.”
“yes?!”
Stella was startled and deviated up to the note.
“Isn’t it? The disciple of Saint Laureai is now taking care of the miracle child in the monastery. It’s weirder to think it’s just a coincidence.”
“ha. Count, Ethan was a child abandoned in front of the monastery in the middle of winter. There were no stigmas or anything at that time. But what do you think I knew that I brought Ethan on purpose?”
In response to Stella’s protest, the Count decided to step down from this point.
“sorry. It was just an idea, leaving all possibilities open.”
“The story goes like this. I’m here to convince Ethan.”
At those words, the Count brushed his beard.
“Hmm. To give attention to Priest Ethan’s actions? But it won’t be easy to convince him.”
“Still, please help me convince Ethan.”
“The dark follower’s behavior has been unusual lately. So the expedition was organized. There is a need for even one more talented person. I hope you understand my situation.”
In fact, it was like rejecting Stella’s words.
Stella couldn’t respond and bit her lip.
* * *
The day has come.
The expedition headed for the southern swamps returned.
“Wow!”
“Awesome, white wolf!”
The returning expedition received enthusiastic cheers from the people of Central.
Among them, people were very curious about Ethan.
“You said you got rid of the swamp of despair, but you said that you were trying to save a mercenary?”
“Other noble baboons would have just let them die.”
“I heard that what you did as soon as you came to Central was to heal the sick, so isn’t it really Pars-sama’s sender?”
“Where is Priest Ethan? I want to see your face.”
“I should have been wearing a priest’s uniform, but I can’t see it from here.”
“Priest Ethan! Take a look here!”
That was when people’s eyes were focused on the expedition.
A boy with a deep hood pushed through the crowd.
The boy came to the alley and took off his hood.
He was Ethan.
‘Can’t you say something strange like that?’
Ethan came out just before entering Central.
At first, the collective action did not suit his temper.
Even if they acted together in the swamp as a member of the expedition, they had done everything they could do.
That was then.
Besides Ethan, another person found the alleyway.
“Why did you call me apart?”
It was Matilda.
When the expedition returned, it had to be reported to Central immediately.
But Ethan ignored it and stayed here.
‘It’s even brought me to this place.’
Matilda looked at Ethan nervously.
Ethan opened his mouth.
“I have work for you to do.”
“yes?”
“From my point of view, the patience of those people who have only suffered from me seems to have reached a limit now.”
Matilda frowned.
I felt something ominous.
A few days later, her prediction came true.
roundtable conference.
It was because an unusual event occurred at the meeting of the kings, the supreme beings of the seven kingdoms.
It was a major event aimed at the solidity of the united kingdom that had lasted for more than a hundred years.
* * *
A week has passed since the expedition arrived in Central.
Meanwhile, the expedition urgently reported what had happened in the southern swamps.
Thanks to this, the schedule of the roundtable has been moved much earlier.
Finally, the kings of the seven kingdoms were gathered in Central.
The building where the roundtable was held was very busy.
“Schedule with the escort!”
“Bring all the documents you have prepared. what? Didn’t you even put the United Kingdom flag here?”
The boundaries were also very strict.
The round table was held only in places where only the kings of the seven kingdoms could enter.
Therefore, as the place where entry was prohibited was opened, the boundary became stricter.
It was about the time when all the preparations of the staff were finished.
An employee from outside rushed out.
“It is said that the kings are arriving soon.”
“What? already?”
“Everyone, hurry up!”
Those words were the signal.
The staff rushed the finishing work.
Moments later, a luxurious door adorned with gold opened.
And knights who escorted the kings of the seven kingdoms and wizards who gave wise advice entered in large numbers.
The kings were escorted between them.
“How many people can’t even see the king’s face?”
“You are very thorough in your escort.”
While the situation inside the building turned like that, Ethan was watching it from the window.
Jackson asked Ethan.
“Are you really okay? There are knights and wizards out there, so it will be safe here.”
Jackson looked around Ethan.
His surroundings were full of spoils from the swamps of the south.
Originally, each of these spoils overflowed with evil magic.
Excellent priests and wizards had sealed it with excellent workmanship.
‘But why did you say you would keep this place? Aren’t you overly old-fashioned?’
But Ethan shook his head.
“no. I feel like I need to be myself to put my mind at ease.”
“I have seen many priests, but I have never seen a priest who takes the lead as much as Priest Ethan. And in this physical way.”
“Am I really the first?”
Ethan grinned.
‘If it’s related to Eileen, Stella also has enormous superpowers, so how many times would she have shown that power?’
It was obvious who Ethan was pointing to.
Then Jackson laughed out loud.
“Ha ha ha ha ha! Come to think of it, I forgot him. Indeed, his power is formidable.”
After finishing his chores, Jackson tried to leave the sealing room.
Then, I talked to him if he remembered something from the previous conversation.
“Oh. Come to think of it… … .”
Recently, an interesting sighting of Central came to mind.
Whoops!
It was then that there was a sudden explosion.
“… … ?!”
Shocked by the explosion, Jackson looked out the broken window.
The administrative building where the round table was held was engulfed in flames and smoke.
“What is this all of a sudden? Priest Ethan, I must go first!”
Jackson left the sealing room without looking back.
And Ethan, who remained in the sealing room, smiled softly.
* * *
The explosion didn’t stop all at once.
Ethan, who watched the explosions happen one after another, moved.
“Because they don’t have patience anyway.”
Ethan exhaled lightly and focused on his senses.
I could feel the ghosts coming to the sealing room here.
‘If you guess at the speed of their approach, they are quite talented.’
It was strange.
The explosion occurred near the building where the round table was being held.
But why do you have to come to the sealing room with Ethan?
If they were powerful, it was their top priority to save the kings, who could be said to be the foundations of the united kingdom.
Yet strangely, talented people were coming here.
“Come.”
Ethan felt it.
It’s not the knights that come here, it’s the dark followers.
‘but. I’ve only been hit so far, so I guess I’ll want to counterattack.’
And the good things to use for the counterattack were right here.
That’s why Ethan deliberately stayed in the sealing room.
‘There’s a lot you can do if you occupy this place. You can pollute the entire Central with magical powers, or summon ancient monsters.’
So what happens to Central?
It will be a real wasteland.
In fact, Ethan didn’t care what Central was going to be.
“It’s mine, and no one can take it away.”
Ethan looked at the appetizing spoils inside the sealing chamber.
Suddenly, the sound of battle was heard from outside.
It was the sound of the knights guarding the sealing room fighting the Dark Followers.
Whoops! Whoops!
Unexpectedly, the moans of death of the knights were heard too quickly.
“Fast. Are you pretty good at it?”
Ethan listened and guessed the dynamics outside.
Ethan judged the speed at which the knights fell, and concluded.
“Isn’t it 10 minutes? That is enough.”
Ethan began to draw a dark magic circle on the floor of the sealing room.
‘Still, I wish I could hold on a little longer.’
It was a magic I had used so long ago, so my memory is hazy.
So, I had to draw from memory.
But there was no worry on Ethan’s face.
It was his victory from the moment the attack started anyway.
* * *
The white wolf, Robert, was fighting fiercely.
At that moment, the crisis of his subordinates came into Robert’s sight.
Taken from n̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲t̲l̲.̲c̲o̲m̲
Visor!Robert slashed the monster’s claws and cut off the monster’s shoulder.
But the other subordinates seemed to be beaten at any moment.
“Captain!”
Just then, Jackson appeared and helped Robert.
With Jackson’s addition, the monsters easily collapsed.
“You are welcome.”
“How did this happen?”
“It is an attack. What appears to be a dark magic circle is constantly summoning monsters. That’s not enough, the flies of the Dark Followers are infesting.”
“It’s more serious than I thought. Are the kings safe?”
As they defeated the monsters, they continued their conversation.
“Fortunately, everyone seems to be alive. But it’s isolated in the administrative building, so you never know when you’re going to die. We must rescue all the kings before the internal escorts are exhausted.”
“Through that swarm of monsters?”
Jackson looked ahead as if tired.
Monsters were constantly pouring out of the administrative building.
Then other people flocked in.
“Captain, there are people over there!”
Count Cozy brought some nobles and twins from the Aurum Kingdom, and the High Priest of the Central Branch led Nyx and other priests.
asked the high priest with a pale face.
“How the hell did this happen?”
I didn’t really ask because I didn’t know.
The seven kings of the united kingdom could be killed at once, and it was a shocking thing to be faced with an unprecedented situation.
It was a crisis of the integrity of the Union.
They put their heads together and discussed countermeasures.
“There are a lot of casualties from the explosion. We have to evacuate people because there might be additional damage, but at the same time we have to rescue the kings, so we are outnumbered compared to the Dark Followers.”
“I can’t afford it. If all the troops escorting the kings are attacked by monsters, it will be over.”
“Then, I will have no choice but to form a group with the people gathered here.”
In the end, that was the conclusion that came out.
A heavy silence enveloped them.