Chapter 207: Ch 207: Meeting Ethan Again - Part 1

Seeing Ethan’s pitiful condition, Noah could not help but feel a little sorry for him.

He had clearly been dragged through the forest without being given a chance to properly explain himself, and even though Ethan had come here to drag Alan and Daniel back, Noah did not think he deserved to be treated like this.

So he made a decision.

"Alan, let him go."

Alan looked at Noah with an expression that clearly said he disagreed, but he eventually released Ethan and stepped back.

Ethan immediately pushed himself off the ground and dusted himself off, trying to regain whatever dignity he had left.

"Are you alright?"

"I am fine. I have definitely had better days, though."

Ethan gave Noah a tired smile before glancing towards Alan, who was still watching him suspiciously.

Noah ignored the tension between them and looked at Ethan again.

"You should come back with us. You look like you could use a chance to freshen up and have a proper meal."

Ethan blinked in surprise.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. It has been more than a year since we last saw each other, right? We should at least catch up properly. You can rest for a while before deciding what you want to do next."

Ethan hesitated, and his eyes instinctively moved towards Alan.

Alan was staring at him.

It was not an angry stare, at least not openly, but the message behind it was very clear.

’Don’t come.’

Ethan swallowed nervously before looking back at Noah. He wanted to decline for the sake of his mental health, but his mouth seemed to have a mind of its own.

"That sounds... nice."

Alan’s expression darkened, but Noah smiled happily.

"Then it is settled. Come with us."

Ethan nodded and followed them through the forest, doing his best to ignore the murderous gaze Alan kept sending his way.

He was beginning to understand why Alan had been so difficult to deal with during their academy days.

The man was completely unreasonable whenever Noah was involved.

They reached Noah’s home, where Daniel opened the door. He looked relieved to see that Noah was back, but that smile went away as soon as his eyes landed on Ethan.

"Oh, Ethan is here. He’ll be staying over for dinner, alright?"

Noah told Daniel with a polite smile, causing Daniel to force a polite smile onto his face. But Ethan noticed the hesitation in his voice.

’Oh, shit! I am so dead, aren’t I?’

Daniel nodded but did not say anything further. He seemed to have no desire to communicate with Ethan beyond what was needed.

After all, they were not on the best of terms.

Noah looked between them and frowned slightly.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. There is nothing wrong. It is good to see Ethan again after so long."

Daniel answered almost immediately. His words were polite, but Noah could tell that Daniel was not exactly thrilled.

Ethan also noticed it, but he decided not to point it out.

After everything that had happened, he did not want to make things more awkward than they already were.

The four of them eventually reached the cottage, and Noah opened the door before stepping aside.

"Come in. You can use the bathroom first if you want. I will prepare something for everyone to eat."

Ethan nodded gratefully.

"Thanks, Noah."

Alan immediately followed Noah into the kitchen while Daniel stayed behind for a moment and looked at Ethan.

Ethan gave him an awkward smile.

"Are you going to say something?"

Daniel shook his head.

"No. I am too polite for that."

Ethan almost laughed, but it was a strained one. He felt Daniel’s gaze on him becoming heavier, and he subtly looked away.

Then Daniel walked away, leaving Ethan standing there with a strange expression on his face.

For some reason, that answer was more threatening than if Daniel had simply told him to leave.

’Ugh, what am I doing with my life? I feel like I am putting myself in danger here.’

He regretted taking this mission.

Rather, he regretted joining the Esper-Guide Division so early. He should have chosen to return to the academy after what happened and not the forces.

But it was too late to quit now.

...

"So, what have you been doing after leaving the academy? How did you all come to work at the same place? Is it that fun?"

Noah asked as he served the food across the table. Daniel tried to help him, but a single look from Noah made him settle down.

As for his question...

"I joined because I needed a change of pace. Although, I am not sure if this is the change of pace I needed."

Ethan confessed with a haggard look on his face.

The more Noah saw of him, the more sorry he felt. But this was ultimately a decision that had nothing to do with him.

"I see. It sounds tough. I hope you achieve what you wanted to soon. Now, would you like to try this?"

He plated something else onto Ethan’s plate, and the dinner began. But it was so hard for Ethan to swallow, especially when he felt both Daniel and Alan looking at him like he was the biggest scum on this earth.

He had a feeling he would have been disposed of if it had not been for Noah’s presence.

’Hey, stop looking at me like that. I have no idea what Noah wants from me either. And I don’t want to die either. Stop it!’

Of course, his pleading went unnoticed, and he barely ate anything before it was time for sleeping.

He was given the couch, which he took eagerly.

But Ethan had a feeling that something bad was going to happen.

And in the dead of the night, his tracker started to beep, but he remained unaware of what was happening.

By the time he realised he was being tracked, it was too late to stop his pursuers. Noah’s place had been found.