Chapter 257: An Invitation to Join?

After the commander was decapitated, a brief chaos broke out among the Wolfgar army.

Those wolf-born warriors, who seemed incredibly powerful in the eyes of the villagers, fell one after another; this originally hopeless war actually seemed to have reached a turning point.

And just then, the "Hero Party" shouted at the perfect moment:

"The demihuman allied forces have arrived!"

"Our reinforcements are here!!"

Panic spread through the Wolfgar warriors like a plague.

Finally, a horn signal for retreat echoed from within the Wolfgar ranks.

The wolf cavalry were the first to turn back, and the infantry scattered in flight; an aggressive offensive turned into a massive rout in the blink of an eye.

"We won..."

"We won!"

Earth-shaking cheers drowned out the village, and the people who had survived the disaster embraced each other and wept.

Everyone's gaze converged on the five figures who had turned the tide, and the "Hero Party" was surrounded by layers of the excited crowd.

That short-haired swordsman, the "Chosen One," stood in the center, calmly accepting all the gazes and praise.

He raised his sword at the right time, his voice loud and full of infectious energy: "Everyone, do not worry! Evil will surely retreat! As long as we are here, we will never let Wolfgar's atrocities succeed!"

"Chosen One! Chosen One!"

"Hero! Our hero!"

The crowd's cheers rose wave after wave, as if faith and hope had been rekindled.

Ansu stood quietly on the outskirts of the boiling crowd, tidying his remaining alchemical bullets while his calm gaze swept over the five-person squad being thronged, patiently observing every detail.

Beside him, Freya pursed her lips tightly, feeling a faint sense of discomfort in her heart.

"Those wolf cavalry who charged the hardest... they were clearly all taken care of by Lord Ansu with his alchemical firearms."

She muttered in a low voice.

"You were also the one who dealt with that most troublesome giant wolf..."

Why was everyone only surrounding those five people? In truth, Lord Ansu was the hero who... most turned the tide in this battle, right?

Seeing that Ansu remained calm, Freya couldn't help but ask softly:

"Lord Ansu, what... what do you think is going on with them? That man, why is he impersonating the Chosen One?"

Ansu's gaze remained on those five people.

"At least on the surface, what they are doing is righteous."

He paused.

"As for their purpose... that's hard to say."

In this region where all means of communication were blocked by mysterious methods, such a savior squad suddenly appearing...

Furthermore, when they interacted with the villagers, there was a faint, almost imperceptible "sense of performance" in their practiced movements.

It was indeed a bit too deliberate.

Ansu was very good at deceiving people, so he had a natural sensitivity to such things.

He could understand Freya's current frustration and felt his heart soften at her desire to seek justice for him.

However, besides Freya, the reaction of another person beside him was also quite interesting.

When the "Chosen One" was mentioned, Archbishop Paul had also subconsciously looked at him, indicating that he knew his identity.

Ansu turned his gaze toward Archbishop Paul, who had quietly approached with a similarly puzzled expression.

Archbishop Paul looked at Freya and asked in a low voice, "Could it be that the divine revelation you heard... was mistaken? How did another Chosen One pop up?"

"No, absolutely impossible!" Freya shook her head decisively.

"The divine revelation was as clear as day; it is Lord Ansu! And... during the days you were away, Archbishop Paul, a divine decree truly descended upon Maplewood Town on the outskirts of Benalu City! The Goddess of Holy Light appeared in person and communicated directly with Lord Ansu! Many people saw it!"

"That matter... I heard about it later." Archbishop Paul nodded slowly, his expression becoming increasingly solemn.

Ansu looked at the deep-thinking Archbishop Paul and asked curiously, "Archbishop Paul, setting everything else aside, since when did you... know I was the Chosen One?"

Archbishop Paul revealed a slight smile. "I saw through it back in Benalu City."

"After all, Freya went there specifically to find the Chosen One, and then you appeared; although she said you were just her friend..."

His gaze swept mischievously between the two. "But she has such unreserved closeness and trust toward you, so was there even a need to guess?"

Ansu also smiled, glancing at the pink-haired girl beside him. "That's true; our Holy Maiden's acting skills are truly quite poor."

Freya's cheeks turned slightly red, and she lowered her head in embarrassment.

Archbishop Paul paused, looking at the two of them, suddenly feeling a sense of witnessing history.

As a devout believer, the reason he didn't oppose the Holy Maiden and Ansu being together was the same; it was because the Chosen One and Holy Maiden of the previous generation were partners who walked side by side, the male and female protagonists of epic stories.

Therefore, he was happy to see the two young people's increasingly intimate interactions.

At this moment, Freya quietly tugged on Ansu's sleeve and suddenly leaned closer. "Lord Ansu, do you think there's a possibility..."

"That the Goddess discovered you've already fallen into darkness and are getting too close to certain bad people! So She... chose a new Chosen One?"

The more she spoke, the more worried she became, saying softly for Ansu's sake, "Lord Ansu, why don't you stay away from Celia! I'm afraid she'll really lead you astray..."

"Because of that vile witch's existence, the Goddess might trust you less and less."

"It seems that only by having me always standing by your side will it be best for you..."

Ansu looked at her silently, thinking that her little scheme was practically hitting him in the face.

And the little Holy Maiden was truly improving rapidly; she had even learned to act all innocent and manipulative now...

"Freya, where is this conversation even going... don't sneak in your own personal agenda here."

Having her little thoughts exposed, Freya slowly lowered her head, her cheeks turning even redder.

"Alright, I was just joking... Lord Ansu."

While the three were talking in low voices.

That short-haired swordsman walked through the gradually calming crowd and headed straight toward Ansu's group.

With a sincere smile on his face, he introduced himself: "Hello, fellow mage friend! I am Leo."

"I saw you using magic just now; it was truly impressive! If not for your help, this battle would never have reached a turning point so quickly!"

"May I ask what your name is?" Leo extended his hand and invited with a bright smile, "Our team has always hoped to have a powerful mage join us; I wonder if you would be willing to join us? To become our companion?"

Hearing this, Ansu and Freya extremely quickly exchanged a glance.

Talk about the world turning upside down.

Thinking for only an instant, a gentle and friendly smile appeared on Ansu's face.

"I am Morris. I only provided a bit of insignificant help just now; it was all thanks to you for shaking the morale of those Wolfgar people at the final moment."

He didn't immediately respond to the invitation but instead spoke with an appropriate amount of curiosity.

"I hear everyone praising your deeds, calling you the Hero Party, and you... are that legendary Chosen One?"

Leo nodded, his expression becoming incredibly solemn. "At first, I couldn't believe it myself... It was a year ago, on a night that changed my life, I faintly heard the voice of the Goddess, and She entrusted a heavy mission to me."

"The Goddess told me that this world is being eroded by darkness and needs someone to stand up, to fight! To save all the people struggling in suffering!"

"Since then, we have stumbled our way onto this savior road." His gaze swept over his companions, his tone becoming emotional.

"I don't know if I truly deserve such a noble title as the Chosen One, but I am certain that what we have done along the way is right!"

Several of his companions also gathered around, nodding one after another, their faces full of pride.

"Captain Leo is truly the heaven-chosen person selected by the Goddess!"

"That's right! We have personally witnessed many miraculous things happen, all because of him!"

Ansu thought for two seconds, and the Goddess of Holy Light's grand yet cruel call for a "holy war" flashed through his mind.

The Goddess choosing a "Chosen One" was never purely for the sake of saving the world.

At least, based on the truth revealed in 《Hoffman's Alchemy Notes》, the purpose of an "anthropomorphic" deity would never be so pure and selfless.

Ansu slowly wore a smile, looking both flattered and longing.

"I am willing to join!"

He extended his hand and shook Leo's. "To be able to fight alongside the legendary Chosen One and contribute to saving the world... it is my honor! It is also the direction I have always pursued!"

"That's great!" Leo's eyes lit up, looking very happy. "Welcome to the team, Morris! We have always believed that a powerful mage companion would make us even stronger! Now, our Hero Party is finally complete!"

"Hahaha! Well said!" The tall warrior walked over, heavily patting Ansu's shoulder with a hearty laugh. "From now on, we are companions who will face life and death together! Our new mage sir!"

Ansu nodded with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the enthusiastic faces of these "new companions."