Wizard World Irregular

“You said that you are not a Beastkin, right?” Ethan inquired.

Chloe nodded, “I’m not a Beastkin.”

“Then how come you can transform into a Fox Lady?”

“I was about to tell you that, so please, stop stroking my head.”

Ethan couldn’t help but smile because he had missed being this close with Chloe.

Wanting to know what had happened to her, he decided to be obedient and behaved, simply wrapping his arms around her body and pulling her closer to him.

Chloe, who didn’t have the strength to fight back, rested her head on Ethan’s shoulder and sighed.

“Do you remember that event during our Study of Magical Creatures class when we needed to hunt the Unicorn?” Chloe inquired.

“Yes, I remember it,” Ethan replied.

“It all started that day,” Chloe stated. “The Unicorn talked to me after the event was over and told me about my true origin. According to it, I have the bloodline of a race who had fled to the Shire Continent in order to escape the pursuit of the Fomorians.

“They go by the name of Firbolg. However, they’re mostly referred to as Druids by Wizards and Witches.”

Ethan remained silent and allowed Chloe to tell him everything she had been keeping to herself for a long time.

“At first, I didn’t believe it. But, Koko appeared as well back then and asked me to follow him somewhere in the Great Eagle Forest near Broodmother’s Nest. I declined their invitation because I thought that they made a mistake.

“But, the Unicorn told me that if I was still in doubt, I should ask my father’s side of my family if they knew anything about the Firbolgs.”

The young lady continued her explanation and told Ethan that she had written a letter to her father, asking what a Firbolg was.

“Father replied and asked me how I knew that I had the bloodline of Firbolgs. To be honest, I was shocked because I thought that the Unicorn and Koko were just playing a prank on me,” Chloe said. “But, after exchanging a few more letters with my father, I decided to take a leap of faith and find out more about my origin.”

The young lady then took out a long oblong-shaped stone that was as big as her hand and showed it to Ethan.

“Can I touch it?” Ethan inquired.

“Yes,” Chloe replied.

The young man then took the stone in his hand and used his thumb to feel its surface.

The stone was rough, just like a sandstone. From what Ethan could tell, it looked and felt like an ordinary rock.

But, since Chloe placed some kind of importance on it, he decided that he shouldn’t judge it by the way it looked.

After a minute, he returned the stone to Chloe and asked her what it was.

“What you see right now is not this stone’s true form,” Chloe explained. “But, for safety reasons, it’s currently sealed to prevent its power from leaking.”

“Does this stone have a name?” Ethan looked at the stone in the young lady’s hands with genuine curiosity.

“Yes,” Chloe answered. “It’s called Lia Fail, which translates to the Stone of Destiny.”

“…”

‘…’

‘… Isn’t that what those Fomorians were looking for when they decided to come here to the Shire Continent?’

Sebastian, who voiced out his thoughts, looked at this partner in crime, who was looking at the stone in Chloe’s hands as if it were a priceless artifact.

‘I can’t believe it,’ Ethan’s Other Half commented. ‘To think that the artifact that the Fomorians sought is in Chloe’s hands. I didn’t see this coming.’

Ethan was just as surprised as his Other Half when his cousin casually said the name of the stone that she had just shown him.

A few months ago, a grand conference was held in order to tackle the threat of a possible Fomorian invasion.

One of the agenda items that everyone had agreed upon during that time was to find ways to find the Stone of Destiny before the Fomorians did.

Once they secured the stone, they would hide it in a safe place, only known to a select few who would and could protect it.

“Chloe, you are in grave danger,” Ethan said in a serious tone. “Do you know why the conference was held in Brynhildr Academy a few months ago?”

“Yes.” Chloe nodded. “It’s because of the threat of the Fomorians, right? Professor Rinehart and Professor Barret informed me about it. They also told me to keep the stone safe and not tell anyone about it. But, they added that I could make an exception and tell you because you and the Fomorians have already faced off once.”

The young man blinked once, then twice before pinching the bridge of his nose.

During the conference, Professor Rinehart and Professor Barret both said that they were not aware of the stone’s existence or its whereabouts.

But now, after hearing Chloe’s confession, he realized that the Headmaster of the Academy, as well as the former Magistratus, lied and kept everyone in the dark.

“The less people who know, the better,” Chloe said as if reading Ethan’s thoughts. “Not everyone can be trusted, including the rulers of the Shire Territories. There is a possibility that they will surrender the Stone of Destiny to the Fomorians if they feel like protecting it wasn't worth it.

“They probably don't know that once this stone falls into the hands of the Fomorians, their one true king will emerge. If that were to happen, a war, whose scale would rival the great war between the Fomorians and the Tuatha De Danann hundreds of years ago, will once again come to pass.

“So, keep this as a secret Ethan. As long as no one knows that I am in possession of this stone, this will just remain an ordinary stone no different from the other stones on the ground.”

Chloe then placed the Lia Fail on her chest, making it merge with her body.

“This stone will announce the arrival of the one true king, and as a Firbolg, I have the power to keep it safe inside of my body,” Chloe explained. “Since the stone has already recognized me as its guardian, I must remain pure until the day that this stone will sing and proclaim the arrival of that chosen king.”

Ethan, who had just been given this information, didn’t know what to think or do.

Chloe assured him that there was no need for him to worry because no one would know that she was in possession of the stone.

She had kept this a secret even from her best friend, Luna, whom she trusted very much.

The fewer people who knew about it, the more safe the stone, as well as Chloe, would be.

“Are you really sure that you’ll be safe?” Ethan inquired.

“Yes,” Chloe replied. “As a safety precaution, Professor Rinehart gave me an artifact that would allow me to instantly teleport to Brynhildr Academy, so I can be protected by the Headmaster.”

A sigh escaped from Ethan’s lips before he pressed his forehead against Chloe’s forehead.

“Understood,” Ethan said softly. “I will keep this a secret. But promise me one thing. You will be careful, and you will make sure to not share this information with anyone.”

“I won’t,” Chloe replied. “I only told you because I know that you’ll protect me no matter what.”

“Of course, I will,” Ethan held the young lady in his arms firmly. “I’ll protect you.”

“I know,” Chloe replied before closing her eyes. “I know you will.”