Chapter 437: Euphoria
Roland followed them until they reached a small settlement. There, a group of more than fifty people had gathered. Some looked glad, others confused—but the one most unsettled by it all was Roland himself.
He had been brought to this place without knowing a thing, and yet everyone looked at him as if he were something more.
Still, he didn't shrink back. He followed the two who had guided him until they brought him to a tent and stepped inside.
Three others stood within. One of them took the girl—Stella—away, while the remaining two turned their full attention to the boy, examining him closely at times even touching his face.
"You are the hero. Yes, I can see it clearly," came the voice of an older woman. Like many here, she was cloaked, but she removed her hood to inspect him more closely. Her features, once beautiful, now bore the signs of age and hardship.
"The spirits have blessed you. Now, you must train. Do that, and you will become as powerful as I have prophesied."
She released his face and turned to the man beside her.
"I hope so. My only son is probably dead, all so we could bring him here... Young man, what is your name?"
The man's voice was that of someone over forty or fifty. He, too, removed his cloak, revealing a presence that hinted at former authority. It wasn't just the thin crown he wore—it was the way he carried himself.
"I am Roland," the boy answered. "Now, care to explain why I'm here, why you're all in hiding… and what exactly these 'demons' are that you speak of?"
The king raised his hands, as if to calm him.
"I know, I know—sorry. Let's start slow. There's much to discuss: the world, your summoning, our position… but first, the basics. I am Halter Elstin, king of Elris, one of the last rulers who once held power in the old world. For nearly a decade now, we humans have been hunted by demons. They are our enemies. The very ones my forefathers summoned… eventually turned against us..."