Chapter 248: Fortress of Evil (1)
“So, you’ve heard of me, then,” Ketal said, his expression softening into a faint smile.
“Of course...” the Archbishop managed, voice trembling with awe. There was simply no way not to know that name.
Ketal grinned and extended a hand. “It’s good to meet you.”
His gaze swept over the assembled crowd at the outpost. There were so many gathered here, more than he had expected. More impressively, nearly every individual radiated a powerful presence—most were at least Advanced individuals, with a surprising number of Transcendents among them. Each person here was a figure of note, representing different guilds, faiths, and kingdoms, all drawn together by the looming crisis.
As Ketal scanned the group, his eyes brightened with recognition. There, in the crowd, stood a familiar face. With unrestrained joy, he called out, “Kain!”
“Oh?” The Swordmaster turned, his eyes widening in shock before lighting up with surprise. For a split second, Kain looked almost like a startled animal.
“It’s been too long, Kain!” Ketal said, approaching with a genuine smile.
“Y-yeah. It really has,” Kain replied, still processing the coincidence. Of all the places to meet, he’d never expected to run into Ketal here, at the edge of a battlefield.
The Mercenary King watched this reunion with a curious expression. “So, you really do know each other...”
“There’s no reason for me to lie about that,” Ketal answered, a wry grin on his lips.
“I never doubted you, but it’s still hard to believe. Seeing a being of your caliber casually call out to an old friend... it’s a bit surreal,” the Mercenary King admitted, shaking his head as if to clear away the strangeness of it all. But he didn’t dwell on it. Instead, he stepped back and took command of the situation. “Looks like you two have plenty to catch up on. Let’s take a few hours to rest, then reconvene later. I, for one, could use some sleep.”
The Mercenary King’s exhaustion was plain. In his determination to keep up with Ketal, he had pushed himself well past his limits. Now, the fatigue was catching up, and he needed time to recover.