𝒐𝓥𝗅xt.𝒞𝒐𝕞
After the duel ended, Ethan and Lily were ushered into the Main Tent for an important meeting.
Aside from the Shamans and the Eight Great Chieftains of the Allied Tribe, no one else was allowed to participate in their discussion.
Ethan did his best to remain calm as the people around him, with the exception of Lily, looked at him with reverence in their eyes.
“Ethan, allow me to apologize on behalf of the Allied Tribes for our folly,” Great Chieftain Adrian said before bowing his head in apology. “If only we knew that Lily was the Tide Bringer’s wife, we would have put a stop to this senseless duel before it even began.
“Now that I think about it, it is only natural for a beautiful and powerful Shaman like Lily to become the Tide Bringer’s wife. We have eyes but failed to see this simple truth.
“I hope that you find it in your heart to forgive us. We are willing to compensate you for whatever discomfort and pain that you have suffered during this time. If you wish, we can even gather the most beautiful young ladies of our tribes to become your concubines. Just say the word, and we will make it happen.”
Ethan was at a loss for what to say because he didn’t expect that he would receive this kind of treatment after using his magic.
He also noticed that the Great Chieftains and the Shamans referred to him as the Tide Bringer. The young man was certain that whoever this Tide Bringer was, he held enough power and influence to make these leaders bow their heads in worship.
“I think you are mistaking me for somebody else,” Ethan replied. “I might not know who this Tide Bringer is, but I’m certain that it isn’t me. Please, raise your head, Great Chieftain Adrian. There has to be some mistake somewhere.”
Great Chieftain Adrian raised his head and looked at Ethan with a solemn gaze. He then glanced at the Head Shaman, who nodded her head in understanding.
“Your name is Ethan, right? Since you are uncomfortable in being called Tide Bringer, we will call you Ethan for now,” the middle-aged Shaman said. “My name is Safiya, and I am the Shaman who used to serve the Great Overlord, the one who has recently passed away. Are you interested in knowing the story of the Tide Bringer?”
Ethan nodded. “Yes.”
The Great Shaman smiled and began her tale.
“The story that I will tell you dates back nearly 300 years ago,” Safiya said softly. “During that time, our Great Tribe lived on the other side of the sea. We were living peaceful lives, but that peace didn’t last long.
“The Barbarians of the North raided our lands and tried to conquer our people. They were powerful warriors, and even though we did our best to resist their invasion, we were slowly being pushed back to the brink of destruction.
Back then, the Great Elders only had two choices to choose from. The first was to become the slaves of the Barbarians and become their cannon fodder in the wars that they would wage after we were conquered.
“The second was to flee and look for a place where we could live in peace. Although this choice was filled with uncertainty and the chance of survival was slim, our Ancestors still decided to take this path.”
Safiya paused for a bit before continuing her story.
“From the north, we crossed the land bridges and headed South. Although we did our best to do it in secret, the Barbarians still managed to discover our plan. The only saving grace was that they discovered it a day after we crossed the land bridges.
“However, they were a persistent bunch and chased us. With an army of Barbarians at our backs, we had no choice but to hasten our pace, but still, they caught up to us.
“Many of our warriors died in order to allow the rest of us to escape. It was a very brutal battle, and we were outmatched and outnumbered. Clearly, it was only a matter of time before our Tribe was going to be wiped from the face of the world.
“In our darkest hour, he appeared. Riding on top of a giant wave, a handsome young man with blue hair, holding a trident in his hand, came to our rescue. The creatures of the sea rose up in arms and attacked the Barbarians, dyeing the sea with the color of their blood.
“Seeing this one-sided slaughter and after more than half of their warriors had died, the Barbarians fled. The young man didn’t pursue them because he didn’t have to. With a wave of his trident. A gigantic wave drowned the fleeing barbarians, not leaving anyone behind.
“After the battle, he escorted our people until we reached the Lands of Alastor. Then, he took us to this mysterious city which he called Zentris. This city was located on top of a small mountain.
“During the day, our people could descend and hunt for food. However, at night, we were forced to return before the sunset or be drowned by the raging waters that spilled onto the land until it reached the peak of the small mountain where Zentris stood.
“This went on for a few decades, and our tribe and the Tide Bringer lived side by side in peace. Some of our women even became his wives, but none of them were able to give him a child, for he was a divine being, and only those with divine powers could conceive his child.
“Then the Tide Bringer needed to return to his homeland. He asked us to leave because, without him, the city would be completely submerged by the water when night came. Only his presence prevented this from happening. So we left and split into smaller tribes.
“The Tide Bringer and we parted on good terms, and even now, we still worship him as our savior. This is why, when we saw your performance today, we believed that you may be one of his descendants, for you also wield the trident and control the power of the sea.”
Ethan finally understood why they started to call him Tide Bringer.
He was indeed a handsome young man with blue hair, plus he was even holding a trident, and both were the trademarks of the Tide Bringer.
Not only that, he was able to control the power of the sea due to the Mermaid Princess, Illumina, making everyone believe that he was their savior’s descendant.
Ethan was an orphan, but even then, he believed that he couldn’t possibly be a descendant of this “divine being” who had appeared more than 1,500 years ago. He didn’t want the Allied Tribes to have false hope, so he gathered his courage and made his words known.
“I’m sorry, but I am not the Tide Bringer, and definitely not his descendant,” Ethan said. “I can only use my power once a week, and even then, I can’t summon a giant wave to drown anyone. You have the wrong person.”
“We understand, Tide Bringer,” Safiya replied. “Although we are at war with the Three Great Tribes, we will do our best to show you our hospitality.”
Great Chieftain Adrian also nodded his head. “That’s right, Tide Bringer, we will do our best to make your stay as comfortable as possible.”
“Hahaha! Feel free to stay with us, Tide Bringer. My daughter is quite the beauty, and she just turned sixteen this year. How about you make her your concubine? Don’t worry, she’s very capable of giving birth to your baby.”
“My granddaughter just turned eighteen a month ago. She is more beautiful than this old coot’s daughter. How about it, Ethan? Just say the word and I’ll send her to your tent tonight.”
“Hah… too bad my Jenna is only eight years old,” Great Chieftain Adrian said with regret. “If only she was several years older…”
Ethan blinked once then twice before tilting his head to the side.
He had already said that he wasn’t the Tide Bringer, and yet, instead of backing away, the Great Chieftains, as well as the Shamans, were still looking at him as if he was a stud horse that would allow their tribes to give birth to Deities.
‘Didn’t I just tell them that I’m not the Tide Bringer?’ Ethan thought. ‘Do these people speak the same language as I do?’
The handsome young man glanced in Lily’s direction, and the latter only covered her lips to hold back a chuckle.
Of course, she knew that Ethan really wasn’t the Tide Bringer, but she didn’t correct the others. Right now, what they needed was a position of power that could influence the decision-making of the tribe.
Since they were treating Ethan as a Deity then she would let it be.
That way, they would be able to clear whatever conditions were needed for them to go home, and return to the present where their loved ones were waiting for them.
—————
Author Note: Still got a toothache so only one chappy for today.