This Hero is Sleeping!

95 Chapter 95: Legendary Lord Strikes Again!

"Alright you guys, please follow the spirits closely and do not get lost."

Tiana's whispers rang loud in everyone's ears. They had to move carefully through the spirits. With Tiana in front and Claude next to her, those two were going to handle the guiding and any kind of problem that would arise.

On the other hand, Erika tightly grasped Elric's palm and guided him through the forest herself. Since he couldn't see the spirits, he had no choice but to rely on the one person with more spirit sense than even Claude right now.

The small party formation was set and off they went.

The loud spirits continued giggling and laughing as they guided the four lost lambs through the forest.

The mist continued to grow thicker. It was only thanks to the light of the spirits that they were able to move anywhere.

The trees had started to get hidden beneath the veneer of white mist and even their own hands were rough to see.

"Feels like home."

"So calming."

"You two are a little gone in the head."

"You would be like that too if you start living in the mist for two years Erika."

"You guys lived in the mist for two years? Ruler ruler, are you for real?"

"He is. I was with him too. They were two tough years."

"Wow, that must have been crazy."

"It was where Elric and I truly bonded."

"Oh! I want to bond in the mist too."

"That sounds very wrong actually, don't say it again."

"It does? Ruler ruler, does it sound wrong?"

"Ruler ruler….?"

"Hm? Elric?"

"Erika… where's Elric?"

"Ruler ruler? Erika?"

"Erika! Elric!"

"Where did you goooo!?"

***

The group of four with Hyden at the lead now made their way around the perimeter of the forest. Their goal was to find the child and the child alone.

And as luck would have it, they had founded traces of a camp and a fire in the middle of the forest.

"Puuun puuun."

"Just follow along for now, we'll split up the moment we find a trace." Said Hyden. He was planning to use them for all they were worth no matter what.

"I'll take the bagpipe guy and you two can be on your way."

"What?! Can't we do three and one?"

"I'll die. Is that what you want? You don't think someone should be watching my back for me?"

"T-thats not what I meant…"

Hyden knew well that these guys were now wimps and that they cared for this bagpipe weirdo. He had no idea what kept them together with a guy that belonged in the mental hospital, but at the same time, he didn't think it was his job to worry about it anyway.

"Sure then," Hyden said. "We'll split in two and two, but first, we need to find a trace."

The thicket right next to them, they went up and down the slopes of the mountain path.

After a long yet short walk, they finally found something.

"PUUUUN!"

"Fuck so loud."

"He's communicating his shock, blonde man! Look over there!!"

"Oh, my god!!! How can something like this happen? Holy shiitt!"

"Let's kill da hoe!"

Hyden had no idea what they were saying anymore. When he followed his gaze to where they pointed, he finally saw.

A young man sitting calm and serene, his face in complete peace with his position.

Which was very odd.

Because the fucker was tied to a fucking rock.

"Whaaaaaat….?"

Hyden didn't know how to react anymore Was it possible that he was making a mistake here? Was he actually with some kind of poltergeist? Maybe they were some special type of demonic god worshipper, that instead of bringing hate or pain or anything negative, brought a lot of weird emotions into a person?

Maybe…

Maybe that could be it.

Yes. Because he was filled with the weird weird emotion called extreme confusion. He was so confused that his preconceived notion of how the world function was coming apart.

It was unraveling open.

He had no idea how he was supposed to react to this anymore. He was completely stumped

Would a minute pass he would question if what was up was down and what was down was up. He could make a dorky face, look straight into the eyes of a butterfly, and ask if it is a pigeon. If someone asked him how confused he was he would ask back how many breads the person had eaten in their life.

Overall, it was completely absurd.

He was slowly short circuiting in his head. No was he ever set up right? Was a bunch of water poured on his switch board or was the switch board never functional?

"Lord Leres!!"

Finally, the name was revealed of the person and Hyden was confused yet more. He still held his confusion inside and walked over to the man tied to the rock. The other three already there.

They were trying to free him up, the serene and calm look on his face didn't break but tears started flowing down his face.

"Lord Leres! Your loyal apostles are here."

"We'll get you out right away."

"Puuun Puuun!"

Hyden took in a deep breath, he raised his foot and placed it on top of Leres' head.

"HAAH!"

"My goodness!"

"POUUUUN!"

The three apostles were shocked to no end.

Leres slightly tilted his head.

"You step on destiny's child."

Hyden's eyes widened.

Destiny? Destiny's child?

Was this man claiming to be the apostle of HIS goddess?

A blasphemer, a conman, whichever one he was, it wasn't a joke anymore. Beheading him now was the first thing he had to do.

Hyden, in a fit of light rage, stepped harder on the man's head and scowled.

"Explain yourself—"

"You may think fortune is in your hands, but just like slimy fish, it slips away. What you consider the truth is rarely so. Even if you're the child of your parents, they could still like silver backs and cods more."

Hyden was stunned.

What the fuck did that mean?

He had no idea but he could grasp a few things.

He was talking about destiny and then fortune, there was no doubt in Hyden's mind that this person was talking about his goddess.

Fate slips away like fish?

Maybe…

Maybe it meant that destiny is something only the goddess Fortuna knew and that his knowledge of it was just something volatile, feeble?

If you are loved by your parents but still cod and silver back.?

Actually, what in the world was up with all the fish references? Were they supposed to allude to something?

Hah!

He guessed it now.

Maybe this man meant that he was just a replaceable pawn in the goddess's hand?

Hyden had grown arrogant. In his faith and self serving narrative of being his goddess' child, he had come to believe that he was someone important for her just as she was for him.

But what god needed a mere human?

Apostle or not, what god needed someone else?

Not her. Not an omnipotent god like Forutna.

And faith. Faith was to accept this fate and still dedicate yourself. For solace, for redemption, for freedom.

To strive to an ideal while not losing sight of your own place. Such was faith.

Why did people believe? Was it because they could become something? Was that what they thought?

NO!

They could never do it, but when they accpeted that fact and strived anyway were they faithful.

An eternal tempering of the mind.

An eternal sharpening of the soul.

Faith was so.

And he had lost sight of it.

Jsut who was this man that had brought him back to the right path in moments? Who was this man that had not only told his weakness that he himself was unable to see but had also helped bhim fix it?

Who?

Who could it be?

Slowly, Hyden removed his leg from rthe top of the man's head and kneeled.

"I apologize, senior Lord Leres. In my haste, I failed to recognize your greatness."

"Now we're talking."

"As expected of Lord Leres. Way to striaghten a bad apple."

"Piuuun puuun puuuuuuuun."

"Lord Leres, I have been ignorant. Please share your guidance with this servant of the same god."

Leres laughed.

He laughed and laughed and then laughed some more.

No matter who or what. As long as those three idiots were around, everyone started sarcastically insulting him.

He wanted to cry and stab this person, but won't thjat jsut be fueling the fire? He was getting wasted! Wasted!