“You need to protect…”
Fortis Dud said the thing that Ethan needed to protect.
Ethan heard it, but not even a second after Fortis Dud finished the last word, the former felt an intense headache, making him wince in pain.
The pain lasted for only a brief second, and yet, he had completely forgotten the thing that he needed to protect after joining the Order of Ouroboros.
Seeing his reaction, Fortis Dud chuckled. It was as if he was finding Ethan’s dumbfounded expression very amusing.
“Well, as you can see, even if I tell you what you need to protect, you will not be able to remember it,” Fortis Dud stated. “Only the members of the Order know of its mission, and any outsiders are restricted from this information.”
Ethan rubbed his forehead to ease the pain he was feeling. Fortunately, the pain didn’t last for a long time and disappeared after a minute.
The handsome young man then consulted Sebastian and his Other Half, asking if they knew about the Order of Ouroboros. He wanted to know if his two allies were able to remember what Fortis Dud had said to him.
“The Order of Ouroboros? This is the first time I’m hearing it,” Sebastian replied. “Also, although I remember what that remnant spirit said, I can’t tell you what it is. The ring on your hand restricts any information about it.”
“Fate is such a fickle lady,” Ethan’s Other Half sighed. “I know about the Order of Ouroboros, but I can’t tell you what it is either. However, there is one thing that I can tell you, and that is—there are no disadvantages in joining it.”
After hearing his Other Half’s assurance, Ethan decided to trust it.
“If I join, do you promise to answer all of my questions?” Ethan asked.
“Well, as long as it’s not a Math question then yes,” Fortis Dud replied. “Whoever created Calculus should have a mandrake shoved up their butt. Why do they have to make things complicated?”
Ethan smiled after hearing Fortis Dud’s reply. Just like the Founder of Brynhildr Academy, he was also terribly weak when it came to Calculus.
“Very well, I will join the Order of Ouroboros,” Ethan replied.
“Great!” Fortis Dud clapped his hands. “Now, please drop your blood in this contact. Don’t worry, this contract only has two conditions. The first one is that you are not allowed to tell or share with anyone anything related to the Order.
“The second condition is that you are duty-bound to protect what you must protect. As soon as this contract activates, you will officially be a part of the Order and gain your emblem.”
Ethan nodded his head and intently read the contents of the contact. Just as Fortis Dud had stated, there were only two conditions written in it.
After making sure that there weren’t any hidden rules or fine prints, he pricked the tip of his finger to produce a drop of blood before pressing it on the contract.
A second later, the contract glowed brightly. Ethan then heard a soothing voice inside his head, telling him of a prophecy that might come to pass.
——————————
I shall not see a world which shall be dear to me.
Summer without Blossoms,
Cattle will be without Milk.
Women without Modesty,
Men without Valor.
Conquest without a King,
Woods without Mast.
Sea without Produce,
False judgements of Old Men.
False precedents of Lawyers,
Every man a Betrayer,
Every son a Reaver.
The son will go to the bed of his father,
The father will go to the bed of his son.
Each his brother’s brother in-law.
He will not seek any woman outside his house
An evil time, Son will deceive his Father,
Daughter will deceive…
——————————
These prophetic words reverberated inside Ethan’s head, making him shudder.
He didn’t fully understand what they meant, but he had a feeling that there would come a time when the things that he had heard would come to pass.
The young man then found himself swimming in a body of crystal clear water. However, his body didn’t seem any similar to the body he possessed right now.
He felt like he had no arms or legs, but he was able to swim on the water with ease as if he had been born to swim in this magical well that held all the wisdom and knowledge of the world.
This scenery then vanished, and he once again found himself in that pitch-black darkness, facing a man who was looking at him with a smile of satisfaction.
It took the young man a few minutes to regain his composure as he took deep breaths.
lightsΝοvεl ƈοm He felt as if he had heard something that he shouldn’t hear and seen things that he shouldn’t have seen.
“I welcome you, the Salmon of Mimir, to the Order of Ouroboros.” Fortis Dud bowed respectfully. “May your wisdom help the Order overcome the obstacles that threaten the thing that everyone holds sacred.”
After bowing to Ethan, Fortis Dud then snapped his fingers, returning Ethan to the Deathseeker Forest.
Time came to a complete stop, or so he thought.
Actually, time didn’t actually stop. However, everything moved extremely slowly, making it seem that time had come to a standstill.
“First thing’s first,” Fortis Dud stated as he pointed at the Morrigan’s Ring in Ethan’s hand. “I will let you know the condition you met that summoned me here.”
The man smiled in a mischievous manner before pointing at the Ancient Wendigo, who was standing in front of Ethan.
“Morrigan’s Ring has Seven Abilities,” Fortis Dud explained. “The first one is Storage. This will allow you to store things within a very spacious domain that is as big as a coliseum.
“The reason I appeared is because you have unlocked the Second Condition, which is to nearly kill a very powerful monster that has the potential for infinite growth.
“This Ancient Wendigo fits that description perfectly, unlocking the second ability of Morrigan’s Ring, which is Capture Creature.
“Take note that Morrigan’s Ring can only hold one creature inside of it. If you wish to capture another creature, you must first release the monster that you have originally captured.
“There are five more abilities, but I will tell you about them some other time. First, let me ask you a question. Do you wish to capture this creature?”
Before Ethan could even answer, his Other Half spoke inside his head.
‘Capture it,’ Ethan’s Other Half stated. ‘I will put it to good use.’
Ethan knew that his Other Half only wanted what was best for him, so he nodded his head in affirmation.
“Yes, I want to capture it,” Ethan replied.
Fortis Dud nodded. “Good. Now, all you need to do is say the word, Auctoritas.”
Ethan raised his hand and pointed his ring finger at the Ancient Wendigo in front of him.
“Auctoritas!”
Immediately, Morrigan’s Ring glowed in a purple light, and the Ancient Wendigo transformed into a black mist.
This mist then flew towards the ring as if it was being sucked by a power that it couldn’t resist.
After the black mist had been fully absorbed, Fortis Dud winked at Ethan and smiled mischievously.
“I don’t know if you’re a good actor, but since you are my Protege, you need to polish your acting skills.” Fortis Dud smirked. “Nightfall Academy wanted to capture this Ancient Wendigo because they wanted to make it their Guardian Spirit.
“However, with the blizzard obscuring their vision, no one would know that you have captured it. So it will be best if you pretend that the Ancient Wendigo managed to escape and let them go off on a wild goose chase on their own.
“Also, since you are now part of the order, allow me to give you some advice. I can sense that there is a powerful monster in this domain. It is not a member of the Three Boss Monsters. But it is a perfect fit for Luna, so if you have time, don’t leave this place right away and go look for it.
“Make her tame it or form a contract with it. Of course, whether you find it or not will depend on your luck. However, to increase your chances, you need to find it on the night of the full moon.
“That is all that I will tell you for the time being. Let’s talk again once you are back in the academy.”
After saying those words, Fortis Dud disappeared and time returned to normal.
The blizzard around them didn’t stop even though the one that conjured it was already gone.
For the time being, Ethan returned to where he was a while ago and stood beside Luna.
Although he felt sorry for Nightfall Academy since he stole their target, he didn’t regret doing it.
After all, he and the most prestigious academy in Grandshire weren’t exactly on friendly terms.
Especially after what they had put him through before entering the Legacy Domain.