A week had passed since Ethan found himself traveling with the Kendall Tribe to the Lands of Alastor.
His injury had mostly healed thanks to the effective herbal medicine that they used on his wounds.
In order to know more about the world they were in, he asked Grandma Ria to tell him tales about the Kendall Tribe, allowing him and Lily to get a better grasp of their new environment.
“The 14th day of the month of the Hierophant…,” Ethan muttered. “And the year is 325 A.C.”
(Author’s Note: A.C. means Asgardian Calendar.)
Lily, who was seated beside him, sighed. “It seems that we traveled 1,500 years into the past. We’re a long way from home, Ethan.”
Hearing that, the young man smiled bitterly. Lily’s words hit him where it hurt.
They were currently in an era where the world was in constant turmoil, with wars being waged everywhere in the lands of Midgard.
Before Ethan could even say anything, Grandma Ria’s voice reached their ears from outside the door of their room.
“Lily, one of our warriors caught a big fish and asked me to give it to you as a gift,” Grandma Ria said. “Can you come out for a bit?”
This time, it was Lily’s turn to smile bitterly before reluctantly standing up to go to the door.
Ethan chuckled internally. Ever since they arrived in the Kendall Tribe, Lily’s popularity had shot through the roof. Most of the single men were giving her gifts every day to curry her favor, and he found this quite amusing.
He couldn’t blame them though, Lily was the cutest First Year in Brynhildr Academy, and she also came from the future.
She had this kind of untamed aura that the men of the Kendall Tribe had never seen before and couldn’t resist, making them all want to make her their mate.
Unfortunately for them, she was already married to Ethan.
If it were not for their Great Chieftain’s decree, they might have already thrown caution to the wind and challenged Ethan to a duel in order to take her away from him.
If Lily was the darling of the men, then Ethan was the eye candy of the women. There was a time when he had gone out to take a swim in the sea, only wearing shorts.
Although Ethan’s body wasn’t as robust as the physique of the Warriors in the Kendall Tribe who all had bulging muscles, he was still lean and toned.
Adding his handsome features to the mix, the unmarried women of the tribe couldn’t help but look at him dreamily.
Similar to Lily, he had this presence that made them feel as if they were looking at something unique and mysterious, which added to his charm.
Ever since that incident, Ethan no longer swam in the sea and simply bathed inside the room using a wooden tub.
“So do you want this fish?” Grandma Ria asked. “This belonged to a warrior named Donovan. He is twenty-five years old, and is known to be one of the best young hunters in our tribe.”
Lily smiled. “Grandma Ria, it seems that you find my suffering very amusing. You’re so mean.”
The old lady chuckled and didn’t even bother to deny the cute girl’s claim.
“It’s your fault for being born so beautiful,” Grandma Ria replied. “Heck, even I am jealous of you, and I am a woman. So what are we going to do with this gift?”
“Same as always,” Lily commented. “We share it with everyone in the family.”
“Sounds good.” Grandma Ria nodded. “I’ll go ask my daughter-in-law to cook it.”
The old lady happily walked towards the direction of the kitchen, leaving Lily behind.
“Must be nice being popular,” Ethan said after Lily closed the door of their room. “It seems that wherever you go, a fan club will always follow.”
“I don’t need a fan club in this era,” Lily stated. “Ethan, you better prepare yourself. I have a feeling that people will start challenging you soon.”
“Huh?” Ethan blinked. “Challenge me? Why? Didn’t Great Chief Adrian say that he announced a decree that they should leave us alone?”
Lily shook her head helplessly. “Even with a decree, there’s no guarantee that everyone will listen to it. It’s just a matter of time before someone challenges you.”
“How troublesome.” Ethan scratched his head.
“Fortunately, you can use magic,” Lily stated. “If push comes to shove, just blast them away with a spell or two.”
Beads of sweat started to form in Ethan’s head. Lily made it sound like casting spells was just as simple as breathing for him.
“Did you forget that I’m a Dud?” Ethan asked. “Magic isn’t my strongest trait.”
Lily frowned. Wanting to know more, she sat beside the handsome young man who had defeated her in the Clash of Manors.
“I’ve been meaning to ask this, but are you really a Dud?” Lily inquired. “You were able to use magic during the magical duel, and you weren’t wearing a magical battery at that time. I know that it is rude to intrude on your privacy, but we can only depend on each other if we want to return home. Can you please tell me how your magic works?”
Ethan hesitated for a bit, but after weighing his options, he knew that Lily was right.
Although he was reluctant to tell her how his magic worked, it was of the utmost importance that she understood what he was capable of doing in order to prepare for any kind of situation.
“Actually, my magic is quite unique,” Ethan said. “Most of the time, I don’t have any magic power. But when certain conditions are met, I am able to use magic for half a day. However, this magic power is limited. Once I run out of it, I will no longer be able to cast spells.”
Lily frowned. ‘That explains why I don’t sense even a strand of magical power in his body even though I am this close to him.’
She was very sensitive when it came to sensing magical powers. Lily had often wondered how Ethan was able to cast magic the way he did even though he was a Dud.
Now that they were trapped in the past and a complex situation, she decided to be a little bolder and ask him for more information.
“What are these conditions?” Lily inquired. “There might come a time when both of us need to fight. You being able to use magic is of great importance. If I can help you meet that condition, I will help you to the best of my ability.”
Ethan held Lily’s gaze, who was looking back at him with a solemn expression on her face.
“Promise me that you won’t tell anyone about it, especially after we manage to return to the academy,” Ethan stated.
Lily nodded and made a solemn promise to keep Ethan’s secret a secret.
After a minute passed, Ethan heaved a sigh before telling Lily the truth.
“Alone, I am unable to wield any magic power,” Ethan explained. “But I have a unique ability that allows me to absorb the magical powers from others.”
“I see…” Lily nodded. “It now makes sense. Every time you use Partial Resonance, all of your magical power disappears from your body. So that’s how you do it.”
Lily pondered for a bit before making up her mind.
“And what is the condition you need to fulfill for you to absorb magical energy?” Lily asked.
“A kiss,” Ethan replied.
“A kiss? Be more specific.”
“I need to kiss a Witch in order to absorb her magical powers. This Unique Ability only works on girls. It doesn’t have any effect on men.”
(E/N: Tried and tested?)
Lily froze after hearing what Ethan had to say. She then tilted her head in confusion before asking him a question.
“Sorry, I think I misheard you,” Lily said. “How do you absorb magical powers again?”
Ethan sighed before looking at Lily with a solemn expression. “I absorb magical powers by kissing Witches. That is the only way I am able to use magic.”
The young lady’s body stiffened after confirming that she didn’t mishear Ethan the first time.
However, after learning that he needed to kiss someone in order to use magic, Lily wished that she hadn’t pressed him for answers.
After all, if Ethan really needed to use magic, there was only one way to make that happen, and that was by letting him kiss her. The thought of it made her face become as red as a tomato.𝑜𝓥𝑙xt.𝒸𝑶𝓂