Chapter 126: Chapter 118 The Prophet (1/4)
"The battle is over,"
Atop Harrison Port, Ian, who had been gazing into the distance, withdrew his gaze and muttered to himself, "The teacher said that if the Inspector Knight had not discovered the clue, he wouldnāt have made a move."
"It seems that the other side has indeed discovered the teacherās true identity, which is what made the teacher decide."
The young man took a deep breath; now was not the time for regrets.
He analyzed calmly, "Now I must go home and wait. If thereās no signal from the teacher within five minutes, it means the situation is critical."
With heavy thoughts, Ian returned home where Elan was waiting for him; the young boyās fair face also showed some unease.
Although Ian and Hiliard hadnāt said anything, the boy was exceptionally sensitive in this regard and sensed that something was amiss, "Brother?"
"Donāt worry, Elan... soon Iāll take you to Elder Prudeās place to play for a while. Remember to be good, okay?"
"Mhm."
Holding his obedient younger brother in his arms and sitting in a chair, Ian waited silently for the signal.
He did not receive it.
"...Itās time to go, Elan."
With a solemn expression, Ian didnāt do anything unnecessary.
He stood up, taking Elanās hand, and the young boy bit his lip tightly, a premonition of unease sweeping over him, but he didnāt say much.
"Ian?"
Elder Prude was in the office at the Elderās Hall, having just received a message from the Aam Knight and was preparing to set off to get the cannons ready.
He looked at the boys with some confusion, unclear about the current situation, "Whatās the matter? Why have you brought Elan to see me today?"
"Elder, my Spirit Energy can see the future."
As soon as Ian spoke, Elder Prudeās eyes widened, and he instinctively clenched his fists.
Without any doubt, knowing that there was no one eavesdropping in the office upstairs and that only he was present, Ian calmly relayed information that would make anyone gasp, "You must have felt these recent years that my āuncleā has been acting strange, as if he became a different person."
He stated, "Indeed, he has changed."
Elan, who was dazed, didnāt understand these words, but Elder Prude, who did understand, looked astonished. He turned his head to look out the window towards the eastern part of the city that had been shaken by thunder, already making connections, "Wait, are you saying..."
"Elder, you donāt need to know who āheā truly is, but it is indeed that knight who came for my uncle and me."
Ian closed his eyes. After a moment of silence, he opened them and looked at Elder Prude, who was frowning deeply, with eyes glowing with a watery light, "I need to go help my family, but I hope you can take care of Elan for me."
Then, as if he had foreseen what would happen, he added, "You donāt need to help meāElder, youāre not skilled in combat, and you would die without being of any assistance."
"Nor should you think about moving me and Elan. It appears that the other party has a Spirit Energy that can track us, able to find my uncle and me after two years, proving that hiding and fleeing are useless."
"Yes, this is not mind reading, Elder. I can see the trends of your futureāin my eyes, all the choices you were about to make just now are certain death, which is why I can guess exactly what you are intending to do."
With that, Ian bowed his head slightly, expressing his apology, "Iām sorry, Elder Prude, for being frank only now, but this is because it is the best outcome among all the futures I can see."
"...Is it really precognition?"
Catching Elder Prude off-guard several times with his thoughts, the elderās chest heaved with rapid breaths. Staring at Ian, who appeared more mature than any other time theyād met, the elder felt a dawning realization.
This was his true persona.
This boy, who always seemed more mature than any other child, was more grown-up than they had imagined.
He hadnāt lied.
Yet even so, it was precisely for this reason that the Elder couldnāt help but slam the table and roar furiously, "Since you are so clever, you must know that all my preferential treatment for you is because of your Spirit EnergyāI believed that you could revitalize the family, that you could reclaim our glory!"
"But what about now? You intend to risk your life in a perilous adventure, and you expect me to take care of your brother?!"
Ian simply gazed at Elder Prude, serenely staring back.
In his aqua-blue eyes, the reflection of the crimson mist gradually faded, then transformed into a deep azure.
"You can foresee the future..."
Under the gaze that seemed to pierce through all possibilities, Elder Prude muttered to himself, stumbling backwards before collapsing into the chair.
He looked down blankly, staring at his own rough hands: "You can foresee the future... my God, the family has actually produced a true Prophet... a true foreteller of the future..."
"Yes, your true ability, the very essence of those unique observational powers... indeed, they can all be explained by the foresight of the future!"
The old man raised his head, nearly pleading, "Is there really no other, better option?"
Ian simply shook his head slowly, cruelly revealing the reality.
"Please take care of Elan."
He said in a low voice, calmly insisting, "And then wait for my return."
Elder Prude remained silent.
He could completely disbelieve, could simply lock Ian away to protect him; what reason did he have to trust the absurd ramblings of a ten-year-old child? What could a child understand!
If all else failed, he could swallow his pride and ask Viscount Grant for helpāno matter how strong Weyges was, after such a fierce battle, it was absolutely impossible for him to defeat a viscount equipped with Aether Armament.
But... the changes were too great.
Why would Viscount Grant intervene? Even if Ian were a Prophet, would the other party truly offer protection? Not to mention, if the viscount took action, what followed would no longer just be a matter of a single knight; it would become a political incident of frontier nobles assaulting an Imperial Capital emissary, and Ianās secret would have no chance of staying confidential under such pressure.
And if he protected Ian, could he really protect him? Could he, a decrepit old man, truly defeat even an injured warrior at the Second Energy Level Peak in combat?
For the first time, Elder Prude felt an indescribable sense of powerlessness, a feeling he hadnāt experienced even decades ago when the entire family was exiled from the Imperial Capital and banished to the Southern Border.
Because facing the current issue, he simply had no clue what to do, where to begin.
"Elder."
Just then, Ian spoke up, causing the greatly troubled Elder Prude to lift his head.
And then, he saw a ball of pale golden Origin Quality light.
Dust, rock fragments, and glass cups were all disturbed by this Origin Substance, heavily rolling and tumbling, and the fine particles gathered in the palm.
The young boy adeptly controlled the disembodied Origin Substance, as if controlling a part of his own body.
The old man could sense that, although Ianās Origin Substance reaction was much weaker than his own, in terms of purity, refinement, and sheer reaction to the attribute, it surpassed his own.
But the boy was only ten years old!
And this Origin Substance, this overly familiar yet long unseen Origin Substance...
"Sand Armor Apprentice..."
With eyes widened in disbelief, Elder Prude lost his composure for the first time: "Could it be him?!"
Seeing the brightness of the Origin Substance in Ianās hands, Elder Prude rose to his feet so abruptly the chair toppled over: "You have inherited, his mantle?!"