33 episodes
“What?!”
Cynthia and the escort knight were astonished.
“The only thing that is known externally is the attack by the guard post. Only high priests know that you are in the basement of the Great Crusade. Still, using Solo Dance means that information about you has been leaked. Not only did you survive, but also that the poison subsided. So I didn’t tell the church. Do you understand now?”
“Yeah, it was. When I think about it, it makes sense.”
Cynthia blushed.
It was embarrassing to doubt this faithful priest.
But one question still remained.
Cynthia’s steps stopped.
“majesty?”
The escort knight who followed called out to Cynthia.
Ethan, who was walking ahead, looked back.
“Why?”
Cynthia stared at Ethan.
This was the most fundamental question.
“Why are you… … .”
are you helping me
Cynthia was about to ask.
It was because common sense could not interpret Ethan’s actions.
But then, Ethan intercepted the words first.
“Aren’t you going to go to the new empire with me?”
It was just an oral promise.
But Ethan said it as if it was too obvious.
“If it’s not urgent, we’ll talk later, then come along.”
At Ethan’s urging, Cynthia struggled to swallow the question.
I felt embarrassed, as if I had read my own inner thoughts.
“Aren’t you going to walk from here to the capital of the empire?”
“Absolutely. I need help to sneak out here.”
At that, Cynthia was surprised.
‘help? Maybe there is a helper?’
Cynthia looked around in doubt.
But he couldn’t figure out where Ethan was going.
“We are almost there.”
At Ethan’s words, the escort knight noticed where this place was.
‘Knights training camp?’
It was a wide open space with an armory and stables.
The training was canceled due to the sudden rain, and the knights were busy moving the horses to the stables.
The man who was giving instructions to his subordinates looked at me.
It was Jacob.
Jacob had a sullen but puzzled face.
“Ethan, what are you doing here?”
“I have come to ask you something.”
Jacob laughed as if it was ridiculous.
“Hey, you don’t even say hello anymore.”
“Because it’s an urgent matter.”
Jacob glanced at the two men standing awkwardly behind Ethan.
The hood was pressed so deeply that the face could not be seen.
But it was a small woman and a large man.
Jacob was gripped by an ominous foreboding.
“Is it something to do with those two?”
“yes.”
“Hmm, Ethan? I hope my predictions are wrong. The two people you brought, are they from the new empire?”
Ethan laughed, and Jacob laughed too.
“okay. isn’t it? But still, you… … .”
“That’s right, the New Empire.”
In response, Jacob opened his mouth.
“What, what?!”
“The manager is very smart.”
Jacob looked at Cynthia and Ethan alternately.
Then he quietly shouted at Ethan.
“This boy! Didn’t I tell you who? You can’t get along with the princess, right?”
“no. Exactly what I said Do not sympathize with the princess.”
“That’s it!”
“It’s completely different.”
“Hey, this is a goal-sitter.”
“Now, are you saying that again?”
“I don’t support a single word.”
“Anyway, the manager owes me a debt. Do you know? He healed the assailant’s injuries.”
“I’m really amazed. How much interest are you earning? Isn’t this pure evil?”
Ethan didn’t mind, and urged Jacob.
“Now we have to get them out of Nouvel with them quickly. Will you listen to me or not?”
“Ugh.”
Taking a deep breath, Jacob looked at Cynthia and the escort knight.
“Are they both?”
“We have no choice but to leave the party here. First of all, I’m just going to take the two of us.”
“If the princess disappears, there will be a great commotion. It will be difficult for you and me to avoid reprimand. Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”
“I don’t have time to explain here. But it is important and urgent enough to bear the blame.”
When Ethan answered firmly, Jacob was troubled.
‘It doesn’t seem like a normal thing to see him say this.’
Knowing that Jacob was shaken, Ethan nailed it.
“I am not going to leave without a word. We should leave here first, but wouldn’t it be enough to have the headmaster’s servants inform the central church?”
“You commit it at work and report it later? The Holy Spirit will step back.”
“At least I won’t hit it as an unauthorized breakout. Who knows if an extenuation will be made?”
Jacob finally raised his hands.
“Okay, okay. That’s why I was telling you not to use rings.”
It was a boney joke, but Ethan didn’t mind.
“Where is your destination by the way?”
“Velium. It is the capital of a new empire.”
“I’m going crazy.”
Jacob put his hand on his forehead.
After a while, he turned around and gave orders to his men.
“Get your horse ready now.”
“Yes. All right!”
Jacob’s men moved without saying a word.
All of them were paladins belonging to the Church of Pars.
But thanks to Ethan, most of them survived.
And they saw the miracle of Seongbaeksu with their own eyes.
‘There’s no way the boy who made a miracle can do anything nonsense.’
The trust in the hearts of the Paladins was moving them.
* * *
“Hey!”
A group of shadows that had escaped from Nouvelle’s inner city ran down the street.
It was raining and foggy, and my eyes were cloudy.
Still, they urged them to speak more.
Every time the horse’s hoof hit the muddy mud, mud splashed everywhere.
Ethan looked back.
Cynthia wearing a robe was following him.
‘It’s not like I just grew up nicely.’
Although the escort driver was concerned, Cynthia took the reins herself.
Despite her speed, she easily followed the group.
That was when the party was leaving Nouvel.
Ethan looked ahead and frowned.
‘It is a precursor to the solo dance.’
The fog was getting thicker and darker, and it turned black.
Fight! Tuk!
Something fell from a tree on the side of the road.
Birds were sitting on branches to avoid the rain.
“Everyone, stop.”
Ethan stood up and raised his right hand.
“woah! woah!”
The group following them also hurriedly slowed down.
“Why did you suddenly tell me to stop?”
Jacob answered Cynthia’s question.
“Look at the roadside. Birds are dying.”
“… ah!”
Cynthia’s face turned pale when she saw the carcass of the bird.
Jacob asked Ethan.
“Is this the reason you left Nouvel?”
“yes. Toxic is now mixing in the mist. We must get out of here before the soloists block the way.”
“Who the hell did this… … !”
While muttering like that, Jacob shut his mouth as if he realized something.
How many people on the continent would dare to spread a single dance to the Pars Church?
As if reading his thoughts, Cynthia answered instead.
“Dark follower. It must be their work.”
Ethan shrugged once.
“More than that, getting out of here is the priority. Just follow me, I’ll find a place where the mist hasn’t turned into a single dance.”
Ethan started looking for a way out based on his memories of his previous life.
‘First of all, the wind is important. Even when the Demon King wrote a solo dance for the Seven Heroes, he paid special attention to the direction of the wind. No matter how dark magic is, the effect of the wind cannot be ignored.’
Ethan glanced at the raindrops that were deflected by the strong winds.
‘Northeast wind.’
So we had to go where the wind blows as much as possible.
Ethan calculated the direction the solo dance would spread and led the party.
“Come this way.”
As they followed Ethan, the place where the party had stayed was immediately covered with a black mist.
Every time the mist chased them, various living things withered or died.
The paladins who saw the scene swallowed dry saliva.
‘If it wasn’t for Ethan, we’d be like that.’
In fact, the escort knight, Ben, snorted secretly at first.
‘What do you know when you’re young?
However, Ben’s thoughts changed as he escaped through the fog under Ethan’s direction.
Ethan’s ability to judge the situation was excellent.
And the instructions were clear and concise.
It was not the skill of dealing with people once or twice.
‘Is that possible without experience?’
Ben stuck out his tongue.
The doubts I had at first vanished.
The party continued to avoid the solo dance with an intermittent difference.
Death was creeping up to his chin.
If the wind calmed down, Ethan looked for a way out with the corpse of a wild beast.
The carcass of a wild beast that was trying to escape from the poisonous dance was lying on the floor.
‘If you see that the head is facing that way, the solo dance must be spreading from the opposite direction.’
Ethan carefully observed the direction of the wild beast’s head.
“This time this way.”
It was as if the walls were going through a maze of fog.
Jacob’s subordinate admired it.
“Are you even looking down on this road from the sky? How do you find your way so well? Wow, that’s great.”
“It’s simple once you know it.”
Ethan gave him the trick as if it wasn’t a big deal.
After learning the trick, Jacob nodded.
“It makes sense. It’s an urgent situation, so it’s something I hadn’t thought of before.”
“Did you say it was simple from the beginning? Remember it.”
“Is this going to happen again?”
Jacob made a disgusted face.
Ethan just smiled inexplicably.
That was then.
Shh!
A dagger flew through the mist.
Jacob opened his eyes wide.
“Ethan!”
Jacob screamed in embarrassment.
Ethan quickly shook his head.
However, the dagger brushed past the cheek, leaving a wound as thin as a thread.
Cynthia panicked and tried to approach Ethan.
“Your Majesty, no!”
But Ben reached out and stopped Cynthia.
“Who are you!?”
Jacob turned the horse’s head in the direction the dagger was flying.
Sreung!
Jacob’s men also took out their swords.
However, the situation was surrounded by fog.
He did not dare to estimate the number of enemies beyond the fog.
“damn.”
Ethan said to the frustrated Jacob.
“It’s a trap. They intend to lure us in.”
“That’s right.”
Jacob put the sword back in.
But Ethan suddenly spoke out of nowhere.
“Do you remember what I said earlier? It’s a way to find your way.”
“Why?”
“I would like to ask you for a moment.”
After finishing speaking, Ethan ran towards the direction the dagger was flying.
“Hey! What are you going to do alone?!”
Jacob jumped, but Ethan disappeared into the mist.
Cynthia was startled and asked Jacob.
“Where did Priest Ethan go now?”
Then Ethan’s voice came from beyond the fog.
“Have you forgotten who I am? Don’t waste your time on crap and go!”
With those words, the party remembered Ethan’s nickname.
miracle boy.
He was a priest who had no one to match with his divine power.
Jacob shook his head.
“When I asked why you were giving me tips on how to avoid solo dancing, was this your intention?”
But Ethan was right.
This was not the time to waste time here.
He took care of those who did not know what to do.
“This is not the time. He must have a different idea. Let’s hurry.”
They soon rode their horses down the path led by Jacob.