Chapter 458 459-Savior


    ??"Well, it really depends on what your quest entails.


    If you''re asking me to go y a dragon with a sword, I''m nowhere near ready for that," Howard said, spreading his hands and shrugging as he got up from his chair and walked into the tavern.


    "Come in. There aren''t many patrons right now, plenty of seats are free. You wouldn''t want to just stand outside, would you?"


    N followed Howard''s steps, exchanging nces with Antalya.


    She had been keeping an eye on Howard''s movements, and although initially curious why she appeared in such a modest ce, after seeing her performance with Lorinda, Antalya understood.


    Here was another person ruined by hatred.


    Their gazes diverged, and N saw Vivia standing by a wooden table, offering a slight smile.


    "You must be N," Vivia''s voice carried a hint of chill.


    "He told you?" N''s face briefly registered surprise as she looked toward Howard, who was leading the way.


    "Part of it," Howard turned his head to reply.


    "And what about yourself? Did you share as well?" N''s gaze was teasing.


    Howard''s identity as an extraterrestrial seemed astonishing to her; she wondered how the others would react to this revtion.


    "Not yet, but there''s no time like the present. Today''s as good as any," Howard smiled, ncing towards Vivia.


    "Could you please call Jelia, Ali, and Greg? Tell them I have something very important to discuss."


    His gaze then shifted to Antalya.


    "Shopkeeper, could youe over, please?"


    Vivia paused, her gaze lingering on Howard''s face for a moment before she turned to fetch the others.


    Antalya set aside her ledger and came out from behind the counter, pulling up a chair to sit down.


    She harbored her own spections about Howard''s origins and identity, as people naturally harbor curiosity towards secrets.


    A refugee from another nation? Howard didn''t seem to fit that mold,cking the aura and the preupation with vengeance that might typify such a person.


    An heir to some family or minor legacy? But Howard''s fundamentals were evident; even the smallest legacy wouldn''t neglect the basics, as those directly impact how far a magus can progress.


    A rogue, independent magus? Howard seemed to fit this profile at a nce, yet his capabilities diverged sharply from those of typical independent magi.


    Without a systematic method of training, it''s generally understood that a magus''s strength can''t match that of one born from a legacy.


    Unable to align her theories with reality, Howard''s identity only seemed more mysterious to Antalya.


    Soon, Greg and Ali entered the hall, their gazes naturally falling on N.


    Greg showed little reaction, but Ali became subtly alert.


    "Howard, what''s this all about, calling me over so suddenly? I was in the middle of sorting some impurities," Greg''s gravelly voice filled the room as he entered.


    "There''s something I need to say. This is N, my client, or perhaps ''boss'' is a better term. The quests I''ll be undertaking next are the ones she''ll be issuing," Howard briefly introduced.


    "These are mypanions, members of our adventure group."


    "Greg." Greg nodded at N.


    "Ali," Ali said, her gaze fixed. "What exactly are your quests?"


    "You''ll find out soon enough," N replied with a smile, keeping her cards close to her chest.


    Soon, Vivia arrived with Jelia in tow.


    Seeing everyone gathered together, the little orc, though expressionless, quietly stood beside Howard.


    Scanning the attendees, Howard paused momentarily before dropping a bombshell.


    "I am an extraterrestrial."


    Without any preamble, Howard revealed his most guarded secret directly.


    "That means exactly what it sounds like. Ie from another world, and this body isn''t originally mine."


    "I apologize for keeping this from all of you until now. The truth is, I had no idea what being an ''extraterrestrial'' would entail in this world. If my identity were exposed, for all I knew, I could have been strapped to a dissection table the very next day."


    The tavern''s hall fell silent at his deration.


    Everyone had used their imaginations to guess at Howard''s identity, but even at their most creative, they hadn''t conceived that Howard was an "otherworlder"—the official term for transworld travelers in this universe.


    Indeed, visitors from other worlds to this one weren''t unprecedented, with numbers so great that their tales could constitute a separate field of study.


    However, even the most recent otherworlder''s visit dated back at least a millennium, a span well beyond even the Nid race''s longest lifespans.


    "An otherworlder, Howard? You''re actually an otherworlder?"


    The typically thick-skinned dwarf was the first to react, his eyes fixated on Howard as if he were beholding a rare treasure.


    "So, this identity is quite special here? Makes sense, crossing worlds isn''t exactlymonce."


    Howard responded with a smile.


    "Special? You could say that, but... you didn''t tell him?"


    Ali directed herst question towards N, her words hanging in the air, drawing not just Ali''s but also Antalya''s scrutinizing gaze towards N, bothden with an undertone of hostility.


    While Vivia and Greg might not yet grasp the full implications behind the term "otherworlder"—having only encountered it within the lexicon of magus traditions or in the verses of wandering bards—Antalya and Ali were acutely aware.


    Their heritage afforded them a moreprehensive understanding of the vast lore behind those four sybles.


    "No, Howard is intelligent. He didn''t rashly reveal his identity, so I didn''t feel the need to borate on it," N responded, shaking her head.


    As Ali and N''s conversation unfolded, the others began to sense theplexity of the situation was far beyond what it seemed on the surface.


    "Who''s backing you?" Antalya finally spoke, "Merely being a Diocesan Bishop or a member of the Mystic Star Society wouldn''t grant you such capabilities. Even members of the Church State''s Council of Elders couldn''t achieve this in such a short span of time."


    Finding someone in the vast expanse of thend was no small feat.


    Even as an "otherworlder," Howard''s differences from the indigenous poption would likely be dismissed as those of a foreigner.


    Without deploying significant resources, N wouldn''t be standing before Howard right now! The resources she utilized might even be on a national scale!


    Such an investment, merely for a few quests, begged the question: what exactly are these quests about?


    "What''s wrong? Is the identity of an ''extraterrestrial'' sensitive here?"


    Howard interjected, breaking through the silent standoff between Antalya and N with a furrowed brow.


    "Sensitivity? Yes, you could say that. Ali, you exin."


    Antalya massaged her temples; Howard''s revtion had thrown all her ns into disarray.


    "I was wondering why I couldn''t find any information about you. Turns out, with such an identity, it''s no wonder." Ali smiled at Howard.


    "You don''t suspect I''m joking?"


    "Would you make a joke that could potentially cost you your head?"


    "Given your brief time here and limited exposure to our culture and magus traditions, it''s understandable you haven''t grasped the significance of your identity.


    After all, it''s not something the average person would know."


    "Here, the term ''otherworlder'' is directly linked to ''Savior''!"


    "''Savior'' is a legend among magi of Av Continent."


    "I think I''ve mentioned before that the civilizations of Av Continent have undergone numerous cycles of rise and decline, possibly due to natural disasters or human actions. Kingdoms have risen and fallen, many races have vanished over time, while new ones have emerged from the mana seas. Each cycle from one civilization''s resurgence to its next decline is called an ''era''."


    "For instance, to theyperson, it is currently the 220th year of the Silverwind Era. Ask in another kingdom, and you''ll get a different answer."


    "However, to magi, it is actually the 2701st year of the Post-


    Pastoral Era, over two thousand years since thest civilization''s copse!"


    "And the ''Savior'' is the being that always appears at the end of an era, guiding and protecting living beings into the next era!"


    "Their appearances and even their races might vary, but there''s one thing they all have inmon—they are all otherworlders!"


    "It might not be that every otherworlder bes a ''Savior'', but every ''Savior'' is, without a doubt, an otherworlder! This is a rule set by the gods."


    Gods, again with the gods!


    Listening to Ali''s exnation, Howard''s brow remained furrowed.


    "So, you''re saying that I... might be a ''Savior''? My appearance now signifies the end of this era?"


    "Perhaps, or perhaps not. Until events unfold, we cannot make such determinations."


    Ali shook her head.