Subscriber of the Gods Chapter 394 - The Puzzle Pieces Fall into Place

After the first day ended, Ivecar Academy was in a festive mood.

Of course, by festive mood, it didn’t mean they were laughing and making a lot of noise. They were just contentedly looking at the scoreboard with satisfaction.

They quickly went to bed for the second day of the exchange tomorrow.

“Isn’t it too early, even so?”

The teachers had planned to let the students freely enjoy the event during the annual exchange festival.

However, despite the teachers’ consideration, the students voluntarily went to rest in preparation for tomorrow.

“Everyone has their goals. Plus, since they’ve seen the results of their hard work, they probably want to do even better. Since it’s come to this, shall we have fun among ourselves?”

Iris said with a grin.

“I brought some tasty things instead of alcohol!”

After the exchange that lasted from morning to evening, the Total Academy Management Bureau usually held a separate party.

It was an occasion where students and teachers from various academies enjoyed food and drinks provided by the management bureau while chatting.

Originally, that party should have taken place, but Ivecar Academy didn’t participate, and other academies were so shocked by the exchange during the day that they didn’t attend the party either.

As a result, the first day’s exchange festival party passed very quietly.

“The plaza is too quiet now, so I brought some food separately.”

Nadia, who had briefly gone to the plaza, used magic to place the food and drinks she brought on the desk.

“Since Ivecar Academy, which is in first place on the first day, isn’t partying, other places can’t party either. They must have been quite shocked.”

Ciron smiled.

Today, Ivecar had proven their efforts so far with perfect performances.

Whenever they participated in exchanges, they always won or came in second. Even if they fell behind, they always secured points by finishing within the top 3 or 4.

“Our students often competed against each other, and I heard that those competitions were talked about a lot. I have an acquaintance in Freya, and I heard a lot of stories.”

“Usually, when students from the same academy face each other, they show some consideration.”

Ciron nodded as if he had heard the same story.

“It’s thanks to Teacher Ethan’s words. He told them not to regret and not to fear defeat.”

“Rather, it seems that really eased the students’ burden!”

Ethan smiled at the words of his fellow teachers.

“I’m glad it eased their burden. And now that the results are coming in, it feels good that everyone is being rewarded for their efforts so far.”

Not just his fellow teachers, but other teachers from Ivecar also came to Ethan to say a word or two.

And then Claudie arrived late.

“Teacher Claudie! Good work!”

“It was really a remarkable performance. I was impressed several times while watching!”

Claudie’s performance today was also amazing.

He participated in all the exchanges that Ethan couldn’t and won them all.

Unlike last year when he had to score points for Ivecar Academy alone, this year Ethan Whiskers was sharing that role.

Moreover, with other teachers also scoring points together, he couldn’t be more at ease.

“This year, my mind is very much at ease because other teachers are sharing the burden. Winning is thanks to that.”

Claudie smiled, which was rare for him. Then he naturally passed by Ethan’s side.

As he passed, Claudie nodded.

Ethan also nodded in response.

No words were necessary. Just one nod was enough.

***

“I’m sorry to say this, but I have no intention of becoming a disciple. I’m not in a state to do so right now, and I have my own goals.”

“Hahaha- I know well that you don’t need a master right now. I don’t intend to force you to be my disciple either. Rather, I’m curious about something else.”

In the evening.

Ethan was having a private conversation with the Demon God Spear in a tent provided by the Academy Management Bureau.

The Demon God Spear laughed heartily at Ethan’s refusal.

“I’d love to make you my disciple, but!”

“Thank you for understanding. But what is it that you’re curious about?”

“You seem to be suffering from an illness. Could it be Extinction?”

The Demon God Spear also recognized Ethan’s Extinction.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Huh, huh huh.”

When Ethan nodded, the Demon God Spear chuckled as if surprised.

“I never thought you’d reach that level while suffering from Extinction. Or is it the opposite? Did you reach that level to withstand Extinction?”

Either way, it was really amazing that Ethan had reached such a high level despite suffering from a serious illness.

“You’ve endured well. Impressive.”

“Thank you for the praise, Lord Demon God Spear.”

“I wanted to see you to get recommendations for some promising kids. I closely observed many children today. They seemed to have grown under good masters. Both the children you’ve raised and the good children under Teacher Draxler of Freya.”

‘It seems the Demon God Spear is looking for a disciple. Hasn’t he found one yet at this point?’

The Demon God Spear was looking for a disciple to whom he could pass on all of his knowledge.

However, because his standards were so high and the training was so grueling, many potential disciples couldn’t endure and ran away.

‘It’s almost at the level of torture, after all.’

He knew this very well, having been a disciple of the Demon God Spear before.

‘But the Demon God Spear will die soon. He’s lived for an incredibly long time. Knowing that, he’s urgently looking for a disciple.’

He was also known as the Sword Tower master.

Therefore, becoming his disciple meant inheriting the Sword Tower in the future, and the swordsmen belonging to this Sword Tower were quite strong.

‘They can be of great help.’

“But it seems you have another reason for asking me to recommend children.”

“That’s right, I originally intended to just get recommendations. But since you mentioned you’re suffering from Extinction, I can’t help but talk about this. Actually, I recently visited the Demon Empire. At someone’s request. At that time, I happened to hear a very important story about Extinction.”

Ethan’s expression became serious at the Demon God Spear’s words.

“… About Extinction? May I know who you heard it from, if possible?”

“There’s no reason I can’t tell you. After all, you’re suffering from that Extinction. You must have made many efforts to cure it until now. But it probably hasn’t been successful. I know the reason why.”

The Demon God Spear said that and then opened his mouth.

“I heard this story from the Saintess. About what Extinction really is.”

“… The Saintess? Do you mean the Saintess of the Holylight Order?”

“Yes, when we say Saintess, there’s only the Saintess of Holylight. I recently went to the Demon Empire at the Saintess’s request, and that’s when I heard the story.”

This wasn’t a story to just pass over.

‘The Saintess asked a strong person like the Demon God Spear for a favor… and talked about Extinction?’

Right now, the 1st and 2nd Apostles of the Dawn Council were in the Demon Empire.

“Please tell me the detailed story.”

“Hmm, it’s not really a story to tell comfortably, but. You’re trying to cure that Extinction, right? Then this story might be helpful.”

The Demon God Spear nodded and began the story.

It started when the Saintess visited the Sword Tower not long ago.

“It wasn’t an official visit. None of the kids in the Sword Tower reported that the Saintess had come. She came alone, secretly.”

The Saintess was a mysterious figure in many ways.

It seemed she was doing something according to the will of the Holylight goddess, but it was impossible to know exactly what she was doing.

‘I’ve tried the Saintess route before, but it’s difficult to meet the Saintess and impossible to know her true intentions. I’ve rarely succeeded.’

He had properly tried the Saintess route just once, but he couldn’t figure out exactly what the Saintess was trying to do.

There was only one thing he found out.

‘That the Saintess is extremely strong.’

That’s why she could travel alone as much as she wanted.

“Coming abruptly without any escort. What if she gets kidnapped?”

And even the Demon God Spear seemed to be unaware of this fact.

‘Because the holy power conceals it, even a strong person like the Demon God Spear can’t sense that the Saintess is physically strong.’

Even a strong person like the Demon God Spear couldn’t know. That’s how extraordinary the Saintess’s holy power was.

“The Saintess, who came alone, asked me to go to the Demon Empire with her. I asked for the reason, but she didn’t answer. Of course, I refused. Although the Saintess must have come to me with a grand purpose, I couldn’t help without even knowing the reason. The Saintess thought for a moment and then told me the reason. First, she asked if I knew about Extinction.”

Of course, the Demon God Spear knew very well what kind of disease Extinction was.

After all, the child of Regia, who could be considered his close friend, had suffered from Extinction.

“The Saintess said that Extinction is not just a simple disease. She said there are people trying to bring evil into the world using Extinction. The followers of the Moon. You know them too, right? The ones who attacked Ivecar.”

Ethan had learned about the origin of Extinction and the circumstances between the Rosicrucian Order and the Dawn Council through books.

It seemed the Saintess had also learned about it.

‘The Saintess also learned the truth through some means. That Extinction is not just a simple disease, but a ritual to create a body for the Moon Mother’s resurrection.’

Extinction is not a disease. It’s a ritual.

That’s what she had learned.

“She said the followers of the Moon are trying to resurrect a transcendent being using Extinction. She said she needed to go to the Demon Empire to stop it, but there was something she couldn’t solve alone, so she asked for my strength. She said she needed to destroy a sacrifice, but she couldn’t destroy it alone.”

The Demon God Spear said he accepted the Saintess’s request and went to the Demon Empire together, and destroyed the sacrifice with the Saintess.

“But the Saintess didn’t look satisfied. Rather, she became more serious. It seemed that destroying that sacrifice wasn’t the fundamental solution. The Saintess said she had to go somewhere else. That was as far as we went together. She said she had to do the rest alone, so I returned to the Holy Empire.”

The Saintess, who seemed to have learned something more, remained in the Demon Empire.

‘What is it? What more did she learn?’

The Saintess is embracing many things.

If she learns about something so big that it could lead to the destruction of the continent, she’s the type of person who would try to solve it alone, taking the lead.

‘She might have stayed behind to solve a problem that could determine the continent’s survival on her own.’

Ethan recalled the main quests of the continent.

‘There’s also the monster in the subterranean world, but that’s probably not it.’

Suddenly, something clicked in Ethan’s mind. It was directly related to the quest Ethan had received.

‘Fundamental solution. That means she tried to overturn the Apostles’ plan to resurrect Moon Mother.’

The fact that she hasn’t returned from the Demon Empire yet means she went somewhere else.

Where could that be?

‘Probably where the 1st and 2nd Apostles are.’

Then where are those two apostles?

As Ethan thought for a moment, a hypothesis formed in his mind.

‘The sky city.’

There’s a city of gods there.

Of course, it’s only passed down as a legend, but if it’s related to a main quest that could lead to the continent’s destruction, it has to be there.

The Dawn Council, at the end, figures out how to resurrect the Moon Mother and attempts it.

Stopping that is the main quest, and if it fails, the Moon Mother will be resurrected on the continent and the world will be destroyed.

‘The Dawn Council learns this method in the middle of the quest.’

But that process is quite vague in the description.

Since all that matters is stopping the plan to resurrect the Moon Mother, Ethan didn’t try to know the process in detail either.

‘The 1st and 2nd Apostles are in the sky city. The Saintess went there to stop them.’

At the same time, there was one thing that bothered him.

The Saintess doesn’t appear in the latter part of MePan.

‘Don’t tell me, does the Saintess die there?’

The puzzle pieces started to fall into place in Ethan’s mind.