Strongest Warlock - Wizard World Irregular

Chapter 679: Joanne’s Wish

The sound of sobbing could be heard in the clearing as Joanne clung to her brother.

Ethan held his sister and lightly patted her head. He knew that Princess Ramona was someone whom Joanne would forever treasure even though they were now far apart.

It took half an hour before Joanne finally regained her composure. However, her eyes were red, and her face was flushed.

The young man used his handkerchief to wipe her tears away until she finally calmed down.

"Should we return to Caer Wydion?" Ethan asked.

"Un." Joanne nodded sadly.

Ethan summoned his Wind Dancer and had his sister ride behind him.

When they finally rose in the air, Ethan and Joanne saw something in the distance, which made both of their eyes widen in shock.

"Brother, let's get closer," Joanne said.

"Okay," Ethan replied as he flew in the direction of two statues, which he believed to be over a hundred meters tall.

When they got near, Joanne couldn't help but cover her lips in surprise. The two statues were of her and Princess Ramona.

They were like guardians standing on a pathway that led to a temple behind them.

Suddenly, Ethan felt a power surge into him out of nowhere, washing over his body and filling him with strength.

He could tell that this power was different from magic because he didn't feel his magic reserves increase.

Instead, he felt his body grow stronger, making him believe that he could shatter a boulder with a single punch.

'What's happening?' Ethan thought as he stared at his hand in disbelief.

'That's the power of Faith, Ethan,' Ethan's Other Half commented. 'Congratulations on having your own religion with countless believers.'

'I had a feeling that this would happen,' Sebastian thought. 'I just didn't expect that it would become a reality.'

While Ethan was still trying to understand what was happening to him, his sister tapped his shoulder and pointed at the temple in the distance.

"Let's go there, brother!" Joanne stated.

'The two of you can go, but you should change your appearance,' Ethan's Other Half advised. 'You don't want to suddenly get mobbed, do you? Your sister can use illusion magic to a certain extent, so ask her to hide your face.'

Ethan deemed that his Other Half's advice was worth listening to, so he told his sister about it.

Joanne realized that the Temple was filled with people who worshipped her brother and that they might get in trouble if they suddenly appeared with their real appearance. So, she used her illusion magic to change their looks.

She made both of them look average so that they wouldn't get too much attention from the people in the temple.

After making sure that their disguise was perfect, Ethan flew toward the temple.

Just as they were about to fly past the two statues, four ladies with Flight Magic blocked their path and prevented them from proceeding.

"Flying is not allowed over the temple," a lady, who seemed to be in her early twenties, declared. "If you wish to visit the Temple of the Tidebringer, please go down and walk through the path like everyone else."

Ethan awkwardly scratched his head before apologizing to the Shrine Maidens guarding the two statues that founded the Tidebringer's Religion.

The young man descended to the ground and held Joanne's hand.

The brother and sister walked past the two statues and looked at the temple.

Joanne seemed to be feeling anxious and excited at the same time. Her steps were fast, almost dragging Ethan with her.

The young man adjusted his pace to match his sister's until they finally arrived at the gate of the Temple.

"Are you perhaps first-timers?" an old lady, who sat beside the entrance, asked with a smile.

"Yes, Grandma," Ethan replied. "This is our first time visiting this temple."

"I see." The Old Lady nodded in understanding. "Just make sure to not disrespect the other believers and to not talk loudly. Also, please don't vandalize or destroy any of the mementos inside the temple."

Ethan smiled. "Understood."

After receiving the old lady's permission, the two entered the Temple.

The first thing that they saw was the picture frame in the center of the Temple.

It was none other than Ethan's five-meter-tall picture frame, where he had a gentle smile on his face as he looked forward, holding his Sea God's Trident.

Of course, this was the version where he wasn't wearing any upper clothes. If Lyall were here, she would definitely not hesitate to grab the picture frame and take it back home with her.

Even Ethan had to admit that it was a good shot. But seeing his picture like this and thinking about how it was being worshipped by countless believers, he felt conflicted.

The temple had a serene and peaceful vibe, so Ethan and Joanne simply approached the artifacts displayed at the sides of the temple and checked them one by one.

One of the Artifacts was a framed picture of Princess Ramona and Joanne holding each other's hands with smiles on their faces.

At the bottom of the picture frame was some kind of plaque with words written on it.

"My beloved friend, Joanne Valentin. The person who taught me how to be strong. If our paths cross again, I wish to see a smile instead of tears in your eyes.

— Ramona Von Magdar, Saintess of the Order of the Tidebringer."

Joanne raised her hand to lightly touch the words that were written on the plaque. She was feeling sad, and yet, there was a soothing warmth that was spreading inside her chest.

It was as if Princess Ramona had foreseen that Joanne would come and visit the temple in the future, so she made sure to leave a message behind for her best friend.

The other artifacts in the temple were things that the believers had made over the years.

Some of them were accessories, sculptures, and paintings.

At the back of the temple, there was a giant tree with countless paper scrolls hanging from its branches.

A lady sat on one of its roots and was reading the book in her hands.

"This is the Wishing Tree," the Lady said as she raised her head to look at the two people who had arrived. "If you have wishes, feel free to write it down. After that, I will tie it up on the tree.

"A wish is worth a copper coin. Every donation will be used for the maintenance of the Temple, as well as for the funding of the Tidebringer's Orphanage."

Joanne didn't hesitate and wrote her wish on a paper scroll.

Ethan, who didn't want to wish for anything, glanced at his sister's wish and smiled faintly.

"I hope that our paths will cross once again."

That was the wish that Joanne wrote.

She then waved her wand and sent her wish to the topmost branch of the tree, personally tying it with her magic.

The Lady, who was responsible for supervising the Wishing Tree, only smiled because this was a very common sight among those who visited the temple for the first time.

Only those who couldn't use magic would ask for her help to have their wish tied to one of the branches of the tree.

But, to her surprise, instead of a copper coin, the young lady gave her a pouch filled with gold coins.

"Take it, and make sure to use it well." Joanne crossed her arms over her chest. "If I find out that you didn't use it for the temple and the orphanage, I will make you sorry. Do I make myself clear?"

"Thank you, kind benefactor," the Lady said in a respectful tone. "I swear upon my Oath that this donation will go to where it is intended. You have my word."

"Good." Joanne nodded before grabbing her brother's hand and walking towards the exit.

There was nothing more to see, and she had no intention of worshipping her brother like a believer, so she deemed that it was time for them to go.

The brother and sister pair exited the temple. As they were approaching Princess Ramona's and Joanne's statues, the two of them saw three people waiting for them.

Ethan and Joanne didn't expect that they would see familiar faces in this place, which made them happy and confused at the same time.

"Welcome back to the present, Ethan. I didn't know what you did in the past, but having your own Temple and Religion? I'm sure your Grandmother will brag to all of her friends when she gets wind of this."

The young man's adoptive father, Wallace Gremory, winked at the young man, making Ethan look at him in disbelief.

Accompanying him were none other than Fortuna and Enzo, who looked relieved after seeing that their Young Master and Young Miss were both safe.

Behind Enzo and Fortuna were two beautiful ladies, looking at Ethan with tears and smiles on their faces.

They were none other than Emma and Lilith, who hadn't seen Ethan for more than a month.

Ethan and Joanne glanced at each other before walking toward the people who had come to pick them up after their long journey.

"How did you all know that we would be here?" Ethan asked.

"Our Lord told us that you would be here," Enzo replied before bowing respectfully. "Welcome back, Young Master, Young Miss."

Fortuna, Emma, and Lilith also bowed their heads, feeling happy that their journey to the Land of Alastor bore fruit.

"I know that you have a lot of questions, but it will be best if we talk on the Flying Ship," Wallace said. "We have a long journey ahead of us, so we should depart as soon as we can."

It would take them a week to return to Caer Wydion.

During that time, Wallace, Enzo, Fortuna, Emma, and Lilith, would hear Ethan's and Joanne's stories about the things they did.

They would also come to know why the young lady had her own statue and why her brother had his own religion, which had caught them by surprise the moment they arrived in the Magdar Kingdom.