Chapter 743: The Ring Of Promise [Part 1]
Chapter 743: The Ring Of Promise [Part 1]
It didn't take long for Ethan to figure out the restrictions in the world inside the painting. Although he could use magic, there were a couple of spells and abilities that didn't work.
For example, ones that could manipulate the water. Flight magic as well.
Ethan had also pieced together the details of the setting. Although the people in the town weren't ignorant of Magic, there were only two Magic Wielders that lived in Fortis Town.
The first one was none other than their Mayor, Fortis Dud.
And the second one was a Witch who lived in a cottage by the woods located on the East side of the town.
Ethan had come to know this when he talked to the Guards stationed at the Northern Gate of the town.
For the time being, he decided that he would not introduce himself as a Wizard.
He stuck to his background story of being one of the many treasure hunters who came to Fortis Town after hearing the rumors about the treasure that could be found near its location. After getting a general direction of where the lake was, Ethan walked through the heavy rain, wearing a raincoat that he thought he would never need to use ever again in his life.
When Professor Ophelia helped him get supplies from Limeburgh Town, she also got him a raincoat.
She did this so that he would have something to use just in case he would need to travel outside of the academy through heavy rains while on a mission.
After forty minutes of walking, Ethan believed that he should reach the lake very soon.
However, something unexpected happened.
A white fog suddenly descended upon him, reducing visibility to zero.
Ethan stopped walking and tried to dispel the fog with Wind Magic because he might go the wrong way if he walked carelessly in his current condition.
But just like the rain, he was unable to repel the fog, even with powerful gusts of wind.
After casting all the spells he knew that might help in his current situation, he finally gave up. "Think, Ethan. Think,' Ethan thought. 'How do I get to the lake from here?'
It had been a while since the young man felt alone.
Sebastian and his Other Half weren't replying to his questions, which usually happened whenever he entered a special domain.
It only happened to him very rarely, but he had been so used to their company that whenever he didn't hear their voices, he felt truly alone.
Ethan closed his eyes and tried to use his senses to hear any traces of the singing he heard earlier.
As long as he could get a general understanding of where the singing was coming from, he believed that he would be able to reach the lake without problems.
Just as his senses were being pushed to the limits, Lady Luck finally smiled at him.
Ethan heard the song, albeit very weakly.
'It's coming in that direction.' Ethan narrowed his eyes as he took a step forward.
Following the direction where the sound was coming from, Ethan walked slowly just in case he would fall off over a ledge, or hit a tree on his way to his location.
Step by careful step, he walked and walked, not mindful of how much time had passed.
He had lost track of time within the fog, so he didn't know how long he had been walking.
The only thing he did know was that the sound was getting stronger and clearer the longer he walked.
He didn't notice it earlier, but after hearing the voice of the singer clearly, he realized that he knew the owner of the voice.
However, since he still hadn't seen the singer for himself, he didn't want to assume anything. He just continued to walk and wished that he would be able to confirm his suspicions sooner rather than later.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he finally saw her.
Standing dozens of meters away from the lake shore, a beautiful young lady with long blonde hair was singing a sad song with her hands clasped over her chest.
She was wearing a white, one-piece dress that almost looked like a wedding dress without the veil.
Her eyes were closed. Looking at her, the young man couldn't tell if it was rain or tears streaming down the sides of her face.
But just as he expected, the young lady in front of him was someone he knew.
As if sensing his presence, the Lady of the Lake slowly opened her eyes.
"Lilian..." Ethan muttered.
As he looked at those mesmerizing blue eyes that belonged to his lover, he felt the strong urge to wipe the tears that were falling from them.
The young lady continued to sing, not caring about the intruder who had come to her Domain.
Her sad, angelic voice made Ethan feel an ache in his chest.
He didn't know if Lilian could sing and if her voice would be the same as the lady in front of him.
But he made a mental note to ask her if she could sing a song for him after leaving the world inside the painting to confirm his suspicion.
When the Lady of the Lake finally stopped singing, she walked over to the water's surface and approached Ethan.
Only when she was seven meters away from him did she stop.
"Who are you?" the Lady of the Lake asked. "How did you know my name?"
Ethan was very tempted to say something like "you look exactly just like my fiance" but
decided that it might backfire on him.
In the end, he chose the safest options and answered the young lady's question.
"You look like someone I know," Ethan replied. "Her name is also Lilian."
"... I see," Lilian said softly. "What brings you to my abode?"
"I came to Fortis Town because I was looking for treasure," Ethan replied. "Then I heard the story from the townsfolk about you. Some of them believed that this heavy rain came from
you and your singing."
Lilian didn't reply right away and simply looked at the young man in front of her.
Although this was the first time she had seen him, she felt like they shared some kind of
connection.
A connection that tugged on the missing piece of her heart.