A few people gathered beside the Airship that would be traveling to Midgard in an hour.
These people were none other than Ethan's lovers, as well as Professor Rinehart and Professor Barret.
Ethan's mission in Midgard was a tightly-guarded secret, and only those who were close to him were made aware of what he was about to do.
"Make sure to be good while I'm away, okay?" Ethan said as he hugged his sister, Joanne. "Don't go running off into little adventures. Make sure that you are always accompanied by your friends."
"Okay. Joanne nodded. "Don't forget to get me some souvenirs."
"…Girl, I'm not going there for a vacation."
"Sou-ve-nirs."
"Fine."
Ethan sighed helplessly before lightly patting his mischievous sister's head. He then went to hug Lily and whispered a few things in her ears.
"Understood." Lily nodded. "I'll keep an eye on them while I'm here in the academy."
"Thank you," Ethan replied.
He also gave Chloe, Luna, Lilian, and Emma a hug.
Lyall had positioned herself right next to Emma, so she got herself ready to get hugged by Ethan.
He ignored her.
The young man shifted his attention to Hecate, who was talking to Joanne at the side.
The two mischievous girls were whispering to each other as if they were talking about a secret they didn't want anyone to hear. seaʀᴄh thё nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Suddenly, Professor Rinehart handed Ethan a black pouch, making the latter look at the Headmaster in askance.
"Inside that pouch is a crystal ball that will allow you to communicate with me no matter how far you are," Professor Rinehart said. "If there's anything you would like to report, feel free to contact me through that artifact."
"Thank you, Professor," Ethan replied.
"You take this too." Professor Barret then handed Ethan a silver chain that was only a meter long.
The young man was quite familiar with this chain because Professor Barret had used it to attack him several times during their training.
"It's just an imitation of my Dimensional Chain," Professor Barret stated. "Its maximum range is 200 meters. Treat it as an emergency weapon. This can be considered a consumable item because you can only use it three times. So, make sure to use it wisely."
"Thank you, Professor," Ethan gratefully accepted the silver chain, knowing how useful it would be to him. "I'll put it to good use."
"As you should." Professor Barret smiled faintly. "Remember—all of you should prioritize your safety. If you're unable to beat Godfrey, retreat as fast as you can."
Ethan nodded in understanding. "We'll do our best to return safely here in the academy, Professor."
While Ethan and the Professors were talking, Lyall was comforting Lily that she would bring her sister's husband back without fail.
"Don't worry about his safety." Lyall patted her chest. "I'm confident that I can run fast, so if things go south, I will drag him with me by hook or by crook."
"Thank you, Lyall," Lily replied. "I feel a lot better knowing that you'll be there."
Lyall then moved closer to whisper something in her sister's ears.
"Also, no hard feelings if I get pregnant before you, okay?" Lyall whispered. "Don't worry, I won't make him take responsibility."
"…" Lily couldn't tell if Lyall was being serious or not.
Of course, she trusted that Ethan wouldn't do something like that.
What she couldn't trust was her sister's tendency of wishing to give birth to a strong child.
'Lyall plans to pin you down and get herself pregnant. Make sure that it won't happen, okay?' Lily said to Ethan through telepathy.
With the power imbued in their wedding rings, she could talk to Ethan telepathically within a certain distance.
'Understood,' Ethan replied. 'I'll lock the door of my cabin every night. Also, Lilith is with me. She'll keep your sister at bay.'
After getting Ethan's assurance, Lily felt a bit better because her sister wouldn't be getting her way.
"I'll keep an eye on Lyall and your husband for you," Conall said with a smile.
"Thank you, brother," Lily returned his smile. "Knowing that you'll be there puts my heart at ease."
"Hey, does that mean you don't feel at ease knowing that I'm there?" Lyall complained.
"Yes," Lily answered in a heartbeat, which earned her an aggressively tight hug from her sister, who was venting her frustration on her.
Ethan watched this friendly banter between siblings before finally boarding the flying ship.
Nicole and Hecate followed behind him.
Conall and Lyall followed half a minute later.
"We'll be back as soon as we can," Ethan said while waving at the people below them. "Take care, everyone."
Lily, Luna, Chloe, Lilian, Emma, and Joanne waved back at him and bid him safe travels.
Ethan glanced at Enzo, who gave him a brief nod as if assuring him that he would watch over everyone in the academy while Ethan was away.
"Let's go," Ethan said to one of the Catkins responsible for manning the flying ship.
"Yes, Young Master," the Catkin replied.
Soon, the flying ship slowly rose to the sky. A few minutes later, it then flew southward, heading to Midgard.
Ethan watched as Brynhildr Academy slowly disappeared in the distance as if covered by a white mist.
It was one of the illusion barriers that protected the academy from scrying magic, keeping its secret protected within its walls.
"Young Master, it will take us ten days to reach our destination," the Catkin, who went by the name Merric, reported. "If you need something during the journey, don't hesitate to tell me."
"Thank you, Merric," Ethan replied. "Having you manage this ship is a godsend."
Merric smiled faintly because he could tell that his Young Master meant what he said.
Since he had been traveling a lot as of late, Ethan decided to stay in his cabin for the time being, leaving everyone else behind.
As soon as he locked the door, making sure that Lyall wouldn't be barging into his privacy, Lilith jumped out of his shadow and transformed into her Catkin form.
She then took off the young man's robe and hung it beside the door.
Ethan thanked her before summoning a book from his storage ring and sitting on the couch to read.
It was one of the books about the Milesians, which Professor Barret had given him a day ago.
Since the journey was long, Ethan decided that he would read more about their destination so that he would know more about the people that he was going to meet in their journey.