Chapter 17: Child of Fate
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 17: Child of Fate
"He really is immune to Holy Magic."
After ceasing the condensation of his mana, the Cult Leader sat back down in his wooden chair.
"Speak, Griffin. What assistance do you require?"
Seeing the Cult Leader’s confirmation, a smile finally broke across Griffin’s face.
"It’s nothing too troublesome. As you know, Cult Leader, Lost Souls are incredibly hard to find, and creating them artificially is extremely difficult."
"However, I once traveled to a ruined village where I found an almost inexhaustible supply of Lost Souls. They would be perfect for converting into a large batch of Holy Undead Soldiers."
"It’s just that the village is far too mysterious. Even I haven't been able to uncover its history, leaving many enigmas unsolved."
"There are only two ways to liberate the Lost Souls there."
"The first is to solve the mysteries and bring a forgotten history back to light to earn the recognition of the Lost Souls."
"The second way is much simpler: defeat the Soul Guardian there and take the Lost Souls by force."
After hearing Griffin’s description, the Cult Leader immediately understood the request.
"A guardian capable of suppressing such a vast number of souls... its strength likely approaches that of a Demigod."
The Cult Leader looked toward the fourth person in the meeting, who had remained silent until now.
"Julius, go and assist Griffin in resolving this matter."
Upon hearing the command, Julius stood up immediately.
"Yes, Cult Leader."
Julius then turned to Griffin.
"How far is this village, and in what direction?"
Griffin looked up at Julius’s towering physique, feeling a sense of oppression.
"Uh... it might be a bit far. It’s over two thousand kilometers from here, roughly to the south."
"That’s fine. We leave now."
"Eh? What?"
Before Griffin could react, Julius grabbed him and hoisted him over his shoulder.
"I can reach the destination quickly by traversing the Dark Plane, but ordinary people might not be able to withstand the impact of the Dark Plane's environment."
"I’ll set you down once we’ve covered the two thousand kilometers. Please ensure you remain conscious until then."
Wait, what the hell is this guy talking about?
Before Griffin could voice an objection, Julius was already sprinting out with him slung over his shoulder.
"Ah! Holy—! Stop! Stop right now!"
After Julius charged into the Dark Plane with Griffin, silence returned to the wooden hut.
After a moment, the Cult Leader spoke.
"There has been no movement from the Void Insect Hive lately. Hermann, take some men from the branch temple and investigate the situation."
"Yes, Cult Leader."
With a cupped-fist salute, Hermann also left the hut.
As the last subordinate departed, the Cult Leader vanished from the room as well.
The wooden hut fell into a deep silence.
Meanwhile, Xie Bai had already slipped into Julius’s shadow, hitching a ride.
*
Astrology Tower.
Roland led Edward into the study.
"Edward."
"I'm here, Master."
Edward carefully navigated around the precision instruments and stepped into the open space of the study.
Seeing Roland’s solemn expression, Edward asked cautiously, "Um, Master... those stories about me thwarting enemy plots... did you make those up?"
Roland looked at Edward, his heart a swirl of complex emotions.
"You are my apprentice, after all. If word got out that you were lured into a secret chamber, nearly killed, and only escaped because an alchemy failure caused an explosion... my reputation would be in serious jeopardy."
In truth, Roland’s reputation had already taken a bit of a hit because of Edward.
Edward laughed awkwardly. "I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble, Master..."
Seeing Edward’s pathetic display, Roland felt another wave of frustration.
"Forget it, forget it. I didn't call you here just for small talk."
Hearing this, Edward immediately felt a sense of impending doom.
Ignoring Edward’s nervousness, Roland began to speak slowly.
"While observing the Fate Stars earlier, I discovered two critical nodes that could lead to the downfall of the Aodu Empire."
"One node is the Void Insect Hive near Carlos Lilanka. There’s been no movement there recently, which gives me a very bad feeling."
"However, with the Emperor and me watching over it, we likely don't need to worry about the Void Insect Hive."
"The key is the second node."
Roland paused intentionally, making Edward’s heart skip a beat.
"Then... Master, you aren't going to say that you want me to go handle this node... right?"
"As expected of my apprentice. You're sharp."
At Roland’s confirmation, Edward felt the world go dark.
People always said Edward was ill-fated but lucky, surviving every disaster he stumbled into.
But no matter how "lucky" he was, they couldn't just shove him into a world-ending crisis like this!
A disaster node on par with the Void Insect Hive? There was no way a loser like him could handle that.
Seeing Edward turn pale, Roland decided to stop beating around the bush.
He asked Edward, "Do you know why I took you as my apprentice?"
Edward blinked. "Eh... now that you mention it..."
"I mean, every time I try to craft something, an accident happens. Logically, I shouldn't have any talent for alchemy at all. Why did you take me in, Master?"
Faced with Edward’s question, Roland explained calmly.
"Everyone in this world has a corresponding Fate Star. Different stars often symbolize different destinies."
"And within the endless starry sky, there exist nine special stars known as Stars of Destiny. They correspond to the nine mainstream classes of this continent."
"Warrior, Mage, Archer, Assassin, Guard, Priest, Traveler, Druid, and Alchemist."
"Those who possess a Star of Destiny are generally called Children of Fate. They are beings protected by the world, destined to become the strongest in their respective classes."
"Furthermore, Children of Fate are drawn to one another, forming a great force that can change the world."
Halfway through, Edward realized what Roland was getting at.
"So, according to you, Master... I am the Child of Fate corresponding to the Alchemist?"
Roland nodded. "Yes."
"I possess the ability to observe Fate Stars. The moment I met you, I discovered that your star is the Star of Destiny for Alchemists."
"And you, Edward, are the Child of Fate who will eventually succeed me and become the greatest Alchemist."
Edward suddenly interrupted him. "That can't be right! I clearly have zero talent. Every time I try to craft something, there's a fifty-percent chance it just blows up for no reason!"
Roland simply chuckled. "Do not worry. The destiny brought by a Star of Destiny does not make mistakes."
"Besides, don't the protagonists in novels always suffer setbacks before overcoming difficulties and growing with the help of others?"
"Your current failures are merely a foil for your future greatness. Edward, you must believe in yourself. In the future, you will surely become the greatest Alchemist, surpassing the era itself."
Roland usually wore a stern, "bitter melon" face, looking like he was annoyed with everyone.
Now, he had suddenly done a complete 180, heaping praise upon Edward.
It made Edward feel a bit bashful.
"Yes... you're right, Master! I shouldn't look down on myself. From now on, I will definitely work hard to become the greatest Alchemist!"
Seeing Edward regain his confidence, Roland finally revealed his true goal.
"Generally speaking, when a Child of Fate undergoes trials through special events, they tend to survive against all odds and gain immense growth."
"So, for the sake of your future, I am sending you to resolve the second node. Come to my Directional Teleportation Array; we leave immediately."
Edward: "?"
So all that praise was just to trick me into saving the Empire?
"Um, maybe that's not a good idea, Master. I suddenly feel like becoming the greatest Alchemist isn't that urgent. If I just work hard slowly over time..."
"If you don't go, I'm giving you a failing grade for the semester."
Edward: "??"
Before Edward could argue, Roland spoke first.
"By the way, considering your strength is indeed... lacking, I’ve found another Child of Fate to accompany you. Think of them as your bodyguard."
Another Child of Fate?
Edward suddenly had a very bad feeling.
Just as he was wondering how Master Roland had found another one, a terrifying voice he would never forget in his life rang out.
"Hello there~ I'll be your companion from now on. I hope the great Mr. Edward can let bygones be bygones and forgive a weak little girl like me."
Edward stared blankly at the newcomer.
It was a cute girl with short purple hair. She had a sweet, harmless smile—the kind that easily triggered a man's protective instincts.
Unfortunately, her name was Cecilia.
Edward: "???"