Chapter 745: Are You Also Here To Pass The Night?
Chapter 745: Are You Also Here To Pass The Night?
When Ethan woke up, the sun had just set, and he was feeling very hungry.
The rain outside was pouring as hard as ever, making him wonder if he should spend the night inside the inn or explore a bit more after he finished eating dinner.
'I'll think about it once I've eaten,' Ethan thought.
He then left his room to go down and eat in the tavern. Just as he expected, the tavern was almost full and very lively during the night.
Since people really couldn't do anything outside due to the rain, they just drank, ate, and chatted with their friends, making the atmosphere quite lively.
"What's for dinner, Grandma?" Ethan asked as soon as he saw Agnes approaching his direction.
"Leek and potato soup," Agnes replied. "Or you can settle for bread and cheese."
"Sounds good. I'll get both. Thank you." Ethan nodded.
Agnes chuckled. "Looks like someone is hungry. Very well, just wait for a few minutes."
The old lady left Ethan alone as she went to the kitchen. Chloe was serving mugs of mead to some old customers who were bragging about their adventures when they were still young.
Ethan casually listened to their stories and found some of them quite interesting. Of course, he believed that some of them exaggerated their tales. But that didn't change the fact that they were all very interesting.
After serving her customers, Chloe approached Ethan and asked if he wished to try some of their mead, which was very popular in Fortis Town.
"Will I get drunk if I drink one mug?" Ethan asked with genuine curiosity.
He used to avoid drinking because he was still underage.
However, there was one time when he and Lily decided to drink in the Lands of Alastor—it was during a feast held in their honor.
Ethan didn't remember much of what happened that night.
But when he woke up the next day, the bed was a mess, with their clothes scattered around the room as if a tornado just went past it.
Lily's body was littered with kiss marks, and his seed had stained the sheets right below her thighs.
The amount of it was enough to make Ethan feel very embarrassed, so ever since then, he decided to not drink again, or at least for a long while.
"That depends on how well you can hold your liquor." Chloe smirked with her arms crossed over her chest. "Be warned though. Our mead isn't for the faint of heart."
Ethan arched an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"
"I'm just stating facts," Chloe replied. "Drink one mug, and if you feel like you're getting tipsy, you should stop."
"Then, how many can you drink, Chloe?"
"I'm still sober with three, but if I drink four to five, I'll definitely get pretty drunk."
Ethan thought for a while and decided to just drink after he had finished eating his dinner.
The food in the world tasted very real, so he thought that it might not be a bad idea if he drank a mug or two just to test how much alcohol he could handle in his system.
While looking for the lake earlier, he also tested more of his magic, and it seemed that he could also not use the power of his Legacies.
The Tidebringer's Legacy and Mimir's Wisdom weren't working. Because of this, he decided that it would not be a good idea to face the witch until he had properly tested all of his spells and abilities.
'I guess I need to go out tonight,' Ethan thought. 'Chloe said that there's an abandoned church at the northern end of the town. That will be a good place to practice my spells.'
After finalizing his plan, Ethan ate his fill and drank two mugs of beer.
The mead was surprisingly good, and he liked its honey-like flavor.
"I can now understand why it's popular," Ethan said to Chloe after he finished his second mug. "It's indeed a good mead."
"I know, right?" Chloe replied with a smug smile on her face. "Want one more mug?"
"Maybe after I return," Ethan answered. "I need to go somewhere tonight."
"In this rain?" Chloe frowned. "Are you sure? It's very dark outside. I doubt you'll be able to see your way."
"Don't worry. I'm a treasure hunter, remember?" Ethan smiled. "I have my way to see during the night."
Although the power of his Legacies wasn't working, the blessing he got from Ashmedai, Dark Vision, still worked perfectly.
After assuring Chloe that he would be back before midnight, Ethan put on his raincoat and walked into the darkness of the night, headed for the church located at the North.
The church wasn't located inside the town, but half a mile away from it. According to Chloe, only the devout would leave the town to listen to the priests' sermons.
Because of this, he had created a tight-knit community of followers.
However, when the priest died due to old age, the church had long been abandoned.
There were even rumors that the spirit of the priest still haunts the church and that sinners would be attacked whenever they entered its doors.
Ethan, who had met a few ghosts in Brynhildr Academy, wasn't that afraid of them.
Also, if things really got dicey, he believed that an ordinary ghost would not be a match for him.
As he walked on the muddy ground, Ethan kept his wits and senses around him.
His wand was already in his hand, and he was ready to blast any wild animal if they were to suddenly attack him out of nowhere.
He also made sure to listen for any signs of Lilian's singing. However, since he didn't hear the sad song, he assumed that she was still under the lake.
Among Ethan's lovers, Lilian held a special place in Ethan's heart.
At the start, they were not necessarily enemies but they still stood on opposing sides.
After that, the young lady made her intentions to pursue Ethan public, to the point that she even transferred to Brynhildr Academy to be with him.
He would be lying if he said that he wasn't moved by her determination. In fact, it was why he had given her and himself a chance to nurture their relationship.
Perhaps, another deciding factor was the compatibility of their Legacy.
Whenever he was near Lilian, Ethan could feel his Tidebringer powers resonating with her Legacy of Rivers and Lakes.
He also gradually grew fond of her personality.
Lilian had a fierce side like Chloe and a bold personality like Nicole. And yet, she would be shy like Luna when it was only the two of them together, making her look very endearing in his eyes.
When it came to doing intimate things, he found her the most delicate among his lovers.
So, whenever he made love to her, he made sure to be very gentle, because he was afraid of breaking her or making her pass out. If it weren't for his strong self-control, he might've been unable to prevent himself from becoming a bit rough due to the sound of her pleasure-filled sighs.
However, it was also during those moments that he could feel how intense and determined she was when it came to certain things.
Behind her blue eyes that matched his own hid a fiery beast that would go all out if Ethan and her loved ones were to be harmed by others.
While thinking of his lover, Ethan found himself standing at the doors of the church, which was surprisingly in good condition.
He thought that it would truly be in ruins, but aside from the obvious wear and tear due to the elements, it still looked strong.
After he unlocked the doors with a spell, he also used a cleaning spell to clean his shoes, which had become muddy.
Just like he expected, the inside of the church was still in good condition. However, once his gaze landed on the altar, his body subconsciously stiffened because he realized that he wasn't alone.
"Well, hello to you, stranger," a young lady, whom Ethan was very familiar with, greeted him with caution. "Are you also here to pass the night?"
Ethan stared at the young lady who sat beside the altar, where a lamplight was shining.
Her long pink hair glistened faintly in the light, and from what he could tell, it was still wet with water.
However, her unwavering gaze and the fact that her right hand was holding the handle of a sheathed dagger proved that if Ethan were to do anything funny, she would not hesitate to use it against him.
"Nicole?" Ethan muttered the young lady's name before he could even stop himself from doing so.
Just like he expected, the young lady fully raised her guard, ready to draw her dagger.
"And how did you know my name?" Nicole asked. "Don't tell me you know someone who looks just like me, and coincidentally has the same name as me, right?"
Ethan couldn't help but smile bitterly because, unlike the Lady of the Lake, the young man believed that the lady in front of him would need a bit more effort to convince him that he meant her no harm.