Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 288 Heading North (Thanks to the patron "I Have Two Precious Cats" for being a patron!!)

Time-based abilities are perhaps the most malleable powers in the world, and are by no means limited to stopping time and piercing chests.

Ethan, standing at a distance, did not disturb Cynthia as she walked step by step toward the old fisherman. The old fisherman looked up and saw the young woman walking toward him. He was initially incredulous, but his cloudy eyes shone with a fiery light that was so intense that even Ethan and Vivian, the two onlookers, could feel it.

The naive Vivian covered her eyes, but left a gap between her fingers, somewhat like someone trying to hide their embarrassment.

The wind elemental girl followed suit, bending over to cover the yellow potato whose eyes were wide open like copper bells.

There was no gap left in this one.

Ethan felt that the little yellow potato's head suddenly swelled up, flashing red light and emitting blue smoke, looking like it was about to explode.

But this was not the first time he had personally witnessed a change in the timeline. Back in Riverwood, he had witnessed Mary's transformation from a twisted, bloodthirsty priest back to a human being. Looking back, the signs of Winter's power had already begun to emerge back then.

Cynthia decided to stay in the past, as the thousand years that followed seemed to hold little appeal for her.

"Let's go."

Passing through that portal of time, his vision returned, and he found himself in the square of the capital city of Sivarandin. There were no bizarre residents here, and the fleet of the Golden Kingdom was no longer hovering over people's heads.

An impromptu play is being performed in the square, and it is not hard to tell that it is a tragic love story. This is the most popular art style in Sivarantin, or rather, in the Kingdom of Galog. The poignant love story has had a profound cultural impact on the surrounding kingdoms and is also a topic of great interest to the noblewomen of the empire's upper class.

Vivian grew up in this environment and became a fan of tragic love stories. However, her life philosophy has now changed.

Witnessing Cynthia walk step by step toward the old man fishing by the pond brought her a shock more intense than watching any tragic love play.

As a princess of the Kingdom of Garlog, Vivian suddenly had a bold idea.

She wants to promote romantic comedies.

"Princess! We've finally found you!"

Vivian's thoughts were interrupted by the relieved shouts of the guards. Their weapons were no longer the longswords of 407, but were equipped with firearms and other weapons. It was not hard to see that the nobles of the Garlog Dynasty had spent a lot of money on military equipment. The captain of the guard was even equipped with the latest "Electromagnetic Crossbow β" produced by Old Forest Magic Technology Shop.

Now, all the heavy firepower is aimed at Ethan.

The romantic atmosphere is gone, replaced by an air of tension and suspense.

The reason for the suspense is obvious: not only Ethan and Vivian returned to the main street of the capital from 407, but also the current king of the great Kingdom of Galog.

The king was lying on the ground.

He had a fist-sized bump on the back of his head and was unconscious.

The two mischievous kids, Wind Element and Yellow Potato, who loved watching the drama unfold, had long since disappeared, eliminating two more incorrect answers for the guards.

Then the "crime scene" becomes immediately clear.

Between Princess Vivian and Ethan, whom they had never met before, the guards naturally identified Ethan as the suspect, and in doing so, they also found out the reason for Princess Vivian's sudden disappearance.

The guards were on high alert; they could hardly believe that there were madmen in the world who would dare to kidnap a princess and attack the king in the street.

The murderer is Cynthia; she caused a car accident!
Ethan wanted to say that, but Cynthia was busy dating Dean Mackay-Dellin and didn't come back with them, which created a serious problem—even the famous detective Sherlock Holmes couldn't travel over 1000 years to have the time police arrest Cynthia.

However, before Ethan could speak, the loyal Vivian stepped forward once again, "I advise you not to act rashly!"

The little girl shouted defiantly, "Don't provoke him! He's a serial killer who can single-handedly slaughter an entire city. Do you want to be strangled to death by tentacles that sprout from your bodies?"

Upon hearing this, the guard suddenly realized what was going on.

—Transnational terrorists!
Ethan's identity became clear immediately. He must be the kind of heinous criminal who travels between different countries, steals weapons of war from major powers, and then combines them together with the intention of launching a war that will sweep the world!
"Vivian, didn't I warn you?"

Ethan's eyelids twitched violently a few times. "If you can't speak, you don't have to."

Every time Vivian introduced him, Ethan couldn't help but ponder—what kind of image did he have in the eyes of the children?
Why is someone as understanding, communicative, and law-abiding as him always associated with identities like "psychopathic killer" and "transnational terrorist"?
"You should all be grateful to him!"

Upon hearing this, Vivian tried in vain to defend Ethan.

In her view, Ethan was indeed a murderous maniac who could massacre an entire city at any time, but even a murderous maniac has a tender side, especially when he turned the tide when the Galog Dynasty was on the verge of collapse. In her opinion, including all the kings of the Galog Dynasty, probably no one's achievements could compare to Ethan's.

If we have to be precise, only Merlin the Great Guardian can be compared to Ethan in history.

"The fact that you can still stay here today, calling yourselves residents of the Kingdom of Garlog, is all thanks to Ethan's abilities!"

……

This resounding statement successfully stunned everyone present.

The guards finally realized that the worst had happened—Ethan was not only a transnational terrorist, but also most likely a follower of an evil god, at least at the level of a high priest. Even Princess Vivian had been brainwashed. But wait!
Ethan...

"Old Sen?"

The head of the Imperial Guard asked a question tentatively.

"It's me. Do you recognize me?"

The captain of the guards' eyes lit up immediately. "Your name is known to everyone in Hearth Bay! You lot, put down your weapons! Old Sen is my brother. He sold the 'Electromagnetic Crossbow β' and we fought side by side, defeating many opponents!"

........................

On this day, the Kingdom of Garlog dispatched their most famous detectives, primarily to serve as translators and interpreters.

The royal family of Galog held an emergency meeting, where Vivian explained what she had been going through these past few days. The little girl waved her hands incessantly, her eyebrows dancing with excitement, while her mother seemed to be in a state of shock, occasionally giving her a look that said, "This child is broken."

"Your Highness, if I understand correctly, you mean His Majesty the King was in a car accident, fell off a cart, and the one who caused the accident was the goddess of the hunt, Cynthia?"

The great detective of the Kingdom of Garlog was already drenched in sweat.

Ethan could understand how this unlucky fellow, summoned by the Queen, felt. Vivian's earlier remarks were as absurd as "your dad ran into the Monkey King on his way home from get off work and got knocked unconscious by him." Putting himself in her shoes, if you heard someone suspected of being a criminal explain things like that in a hospital, you might also transform into the Monkey King and give him a good whack.

But that's what it is.

It was Cynthia who did it.

"Where is Cynthia... the goddess, now?"

"She's probably whispering sweet nothings to an old fisherman with white hair by the pond."

Vivian answered immediately.

"enough!"

The good-tempered queen finally lost her temper and glared fiercely at Vivian. This glare reminded Vivian of the fear of being spanked by her mother when she was a child. She shrank back and immediately quieted down.

It turns out that even the most mischievous kids from another world have their fear of their angry mothers written into their genes.

Ivy was no exception. Even after becoming the de facto head of the new cabinet and holding a high position in the empire, she would still tremble whenever Queen Margaret picked up her shoe.

The Queen had no idea what was wrong with Vivian. Not only was she spouting nonsense, but she even dared to make up stories about the goddess of the hunt, saying that she was having an affair with an old fisherman. Wasn't she afraid of divine punishment from the goddess? She made her final decision, "Let's end this conversation here."

Regarding the suspected car accident involving the king, the Galog royal family decided not to pursue the matter, simply assuming that he accidentally rolled down the stone steps while leaving the capital, or was hit by a follower of a hunting goddess. This way, it would be better for everyone.

Anyway, the doctor's diagnosis showed that there was nothing seriously wrong, and that he would recover after resting for a day or two.

If the investigation continues, it will implicate Ethan.

She had heard about the turmoil in the empire. This Ethan was the man who killed Pope Julius in a debate, ending the Church of Life's ideological dominance over the empire for hundreds of years. No matter what methods he used, it did not prevent him from being a truly ruthless character.

The Queen looked at Ethan and said, "Mr. Ethan, may I ask what brings you here today? To my recollection, the Empire's diplomatic corps has never submitted any diplomatic proposals to us."

"I just happened to be passing by; I'm leaving today."

From the Queen and the famous detective's reactions, Ethan deduced that they had no memory of the Golden King. The "catastrophe" that almost swept across the entire continent had not left any trace on them. Ethan didn't know if this could be considered a gift from the "goddess." Only the future Winter, who had fully mastered the power of time and space and unlocked the authority of the administrator, could carry out such a large-scale modification of cognition.

"Then we won't try to keep you any longer."

The Queen said.

Ethan is a troublesome figure for the Galog royal family. Even if he really was the murderer who attacked the king, the royal family would have to do everything they could to exonerate him.

After all, no one would start a war against an empire just because they have a bump on the back of their head.

"Then let's say goodbye."

……

This was Vivian's second time escaping from the palace. With the experience from the last time, she became more and more adept at it, slipping away right under the noses of the maids when they weren't paying attention.

Compared to the minions and "hunters" of the King of Gold, the maids are much easier to deal with.

After making her escape, she jogged straight in the direction Ethan had gone.

This is not right.

Ethan felt very uncomfortable with the wary look in her mother's eyes. Although it sounded like a fantasy, everything her mother had just said was true, and the actual situation was even more exaggerated than she had described.

A meteorite fell from the sky, and the person destined by fate almost single-handedly changed the course of history.

More importantly, even the invincible King of Gold was defeated by Ethan.

He saved the Kingdom of Garog in two different timelines.

In 407 he saved the dynasty from division, and now he has saved them from being ruled by the Golden King. Such achievements deserve to be worthy of a statue erected by the people of Galogue, and to be written into books. Even a thousand years from now, future generations will remember Ethan's name as they would Merlin, and learn about his glorious experiences.

When Vivian saw that familiar figure again, she was already panting heavily.

"Lord Ethan!"

This is the end of this adventure.

She could still easily recall the escape not long ago, when Caesars risked his life to escort her away from Sivarantin. The entire refugee group was almost wiped out in that escape, and she was the only one who managed to escape.

Go find Ethan.

Everyone says so.

She had once harbored doubts about Ethan, but now...

The sunlight shone on her, not the radiant golden projection, and the wind carried the fragrance of flowers. All of this reminded him that the disaster was over, and even the name Sivarantin had become history.

"Go back quickly, or you'll get beaten up."

Ethan stopped and waited for the little girl to run up to him, breathless.

The Queen's patience with Vivian was nearing its limit. If she were to discover that her daughter had once again secretly slipped out of the palace, a severe beating would be inevitable.

"Why not tell them the truth? If it were Lord Ethan, it should be easy for him to do so, wouldn't it?"

In Vivian's eyes, Ethan possessed extraordinary abilities.

If he so chooses, he can hear the thoughts in anyone's heart and even foresee the future. So he can rewrite their perceptions and force them to believe a certain fact. Or, he can summon a falling meteorite, whose flames are like the sun but will not harm anyone he does not want to harm.

"Why should I do this?"

"Because...because if they believe you, they should reward you, erect a statue for you, and write you into the history of the Kingdom of Garlog, just like the Great Guardian Merlin."

"That's not what I'm after."

Vivian paused, taken aback.

This is the glory that countless Garogs dream of, and no one should refuse it.

"Okay, go back quickly."

"Then... what are you pursuing?"

Vivian gazed intently at Ethan, determined to memorize everything she was about to hear.

But all she got in response was a nonchalant smile.

Ethan turned and walked into the crowd on the streets of the capital, soon blending into the crowd and disappearing from sight.

"Your Highness! Why have you run out again!"

Behind her came the maid's resentful voice; Princess Vivian had never been so mischievous before!
Ethan strolled through the bustling streets of the Kingdom of Garlog, a city just as rumored, a leisurely place brimming with art and romance.

Vivian's question was still echoing in his ears.

What he pursues?

Once you take that first step, you become a part of this thriving city.

What I wanted has been achieved, and that's all...

He quickened his pace.

Let's leave it at that. After all, he had taken many extreme measures in the face of the unprecedented opponent, the Golden King. Fortunately, the people of the Garlog Dynasty had lost their memories of the Golden King and, as a matter of course, forgot what he had done.

So……

His frantic historical reposting in large online chat rooms will forever remain a secret to others.

(End of this chapter)