Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 303: Then sit beside me

"...I’m back!"

The sudden voice rang out across the council chamber.

And just like that, silence fell—heavy and absolute.

Every head turned. Seraphina, Elynn, and the other Hero Units... Balthazar, Auremax, and the Royal Units—they all froze. Eyes wide. Breaths caught in their throats.

Then, one by one, their expressions shifted—shock giving way to something deeper. Relief. Awe. And above all, overwhelming joy.

Whoosh!

"Master!" Elynn, the Elven Pegasus Knight, shot to her feet. Her head snapped toward the grand doors of the chamber, eyes locked on the entrance like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

And then—

He stepped into view.

That face—handsome, familiar, and impossibly dear—wore a soft, knowing smile. It had only been a few months, but something had changed. The boyishness had faded, replaced by a quiet strength. A maturity that hadn’t been there before.

And just like that, Elynn felt her heart settle.

The storm inside her—the pressure, the fear, the weight of command—eased. For the first time in what felt like forever, she could breathe.

Because he was back.

Truth be told, no one had carried more of the burden in his absence than she had.

Ethan had entrusted her with everything—left her in charge of Emerald Castle, the entire military command. Every decision, every threat, every sleepless night... it had all fallen on her shoulders.

And it had been hard. So damn hard.

She wasn’t Seraphina, born a Crimson Ultimate Hero with power in her blood.

She was just an S-rank Epic Hero. Purple-tier. Solid, dependable—but not extraordinary.

And she sure as hell wasn’t Cicero, with his genius-level intellect and effortless strategy.

Compared to him, she often felt... well, a little slow.

So yeah, holding the line, keeping the castle safe, keeping everyone together—it had nearly broken her.

But she’d done it.

She’d held on.

And now—he was here.

Ethan had come back.

A smile broke across Elynn’s face, even as her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. She bit her lip, trying to keep her composure, but her emotions were written all over her.

Shing!

Her sword slid free of its sheath with a clear, ringing note. She raised it upright before her, the blade gleaming in the light.

Her expression turned solemn, voice ringing out strong and proud:

"Elven Pegasus Knight Elynn, welcoming our honored master home! As promised, Emerald Castle stands unharmed!"

Boom!

The chamber erupted.

Every Hero Unit, every Ace Unit, rose to their feet in unison. A wave of movement, a surge of loyalty and pride.

They turned toward the doorway, toward Ethan, and saluted.

"Green Dragon Seraphina, welcoming our honored master home!"

"Unicorn Elyra, welcoming our honored master home!"

"Ancient Behemoth Balthazar, welcoming our lord back with honor!"

One after another, voices echoed through the hall, a chorus of devotion and triumph.

Their master had returned.

Seeing the scene before him, Ethan couldn’t help the wave of emotion that rose in his chest. A wide, genuine smile spread across his face.

"You can all sit down now," he said, waving a hand casually as he stepped further into the council chamber.

Behind him, the Mana Crystal Dragon Zyraxis and the Gem Dragon Seran followed in silence, their eyes scanning the room with barely concealed astonishment. As they took in the sight of the assembled members of Emerald Castle, their expressions shifted—subtle, but unmistakably shaken.

In just a few moments, the awe in their eyes had deepened.

"So this is the true strength of Emerald Castle..." Zyraxis murmured under his breath, his mind reeling.

Up until now, he’d always assumed that even with Ethan commanding three Crimson Ultimate Heroes, he himself—Zyraxis—would still rank among the top. Maybe even top three. After all, Crimson Ultimate Heroes were terrifying, sure, but only after their second awakening. And as far as he knew, none of Ethan’s three had reached that stage yet.

But now?

Now he wasn’t so sure.

Kyros, Cicero, Seraphina—those three Crimson Ultimates? Yeah, no way he could compete with them. Even if they hadn’t hit their second awakening yet, the potential alone was enough to leave him in the dust once they did.

And then there was the fact that the entire Gemspire Kingdom had secretly pledged allegiance to Ethan.

Which meant their strongest warrior, The Tidebreaker Paxton, was now one of Ethan’s people too. And Zyraxis knew damn well that he and Paxton were about evenly matched—neither had a clear edge.

But what really hit him was this room.

This massive hall, filled with powerhouses.

Forget the rest—just Balthazar and Auremax alone, both Tier 14 Mythic Ace Units, were enough to make his scales itch. The pressure they gave off was suffocating.

With this many monsters in one place, Zyraxis was starting to realize he might not even crack the top five.

And the others? Unicorn Elyra, Bronze Golem Karnak—neither of them seemed much weaker than him. Give them a little more time to grow, and they’d be right on his level.

Which meant they were threats too.

When he really thought about it, the only ones he could confidently say he could beat were the two Treant Heroes... and maybe the Elven Pegasus Knight who seemed to be acting as the commander here. But even then, if she was holding that position among all these titans, she had to be more than she appeared.

So yeah—realistically, the only ones he could "definitely" beat were the Treants.

That realization hit hard. It was a far cry from what he’d expected—and it stung.

But it also humbled him.

He wasn’t stupid. He knew when to check his pride.

Power respects power.

And what Ethan had built here? It was undeniable. It had earned Zyraxis’s respect—completely.

...

"My Lord, these two...?" Auremax suddenly spoke up, his gaze flicking to Zyraxis and Seran with a note of surprise.

He’d been there when Ethan visited the Gem Dragon Isles, so he recognized them. What he hadn’t expected was for Ethan to bring them back with him.

Given Emerald Castle’s current situation, having these two on their side—especially Zyraxis—was a massive boost.

Ethan nodded with a smile, gesturing toward the two dragons.

"Let me introduce them. This is Mana Crystal Dragon Zyraxis, and this is Gem Dragon Seran. They’ve officially joined Emerald Castle. From now on, we’re all on the same side—so let’s get along."

Zyraxis and Seran both gave polite nods and offered respectful greetings to everyone in the room.

Even they knew—this wasn’t the time or place for arrogance.

"Master, now that you’re back, you should take your seat," Elynn said quickly, rising from her chair and stepping aside to make room for him.

Ethan walked up to her, stopping just in front of her. He let out a quiet sigh, his voice soft.

"Elynn... you’ve really carried a heavy load while I was gone."

He meant it.

During his time away from Sylvanwood, he’d been fully aware of the pressure Elynn had been under. And now, seeing her here, still standing strong, still holding everything together—it filled him with both pride and guilt.

Yes, his journey had been necessary for Emerald Castle’s future. But dumping all the responsibility on her shoulders... that hadn’t been fair.

Elynn blinked, surprised by the sudden tenderness in his voice. Then she smiled—bright and warm.

"Being able to share your burden is an honor, my Lord."

"Then sit beside me."

...