Chapter 101 Fate Unknown He was simply him, the one I love. ...

Groups of players poured into the restaurant, but all politely kept their distance from Easter.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" The players on the outer circle couldn't squeeze in, so they had to ask the people who had arrived earlier.

"It seems there's something wrong with the king's partner." Among the group of players, there was an explanation from someone who knew the truth, which was why they kept their distance. They might be gossiping, but they still understood normal human relationships and principles.

"I was wondering why there was suddenly a new romance storyline; it turns out it's to introduce a new plot." Many players shared the same thought.

The players who had obtained the answer all craned their necks to look at Ister, hoping to learn the truth and receive the quest as soon as possible.

Half an hour earlier, East openly admitted that he had a girlfriend. While the players were all in a panic, he was still able to calmly eat his meal. The delicious food did indeed soothe his unsettled emotions.

Just as he finished eating and put down his chopsticks, a streak of light flew over at lightning speed. East raised his hand and caught it; it was a jade bead as smooth and lustrous as jade.

Before Easter could examine it closely, a cold voice came from the jade bead, "Aripole has fallen into the deep sea, his fate unknown." After saying that, the jade bead shattered into dust.

East's eyes widened in disbelief and confusion. When he finally processed the meaning of the words, his face turned deathly pale, and the ashes in his hand trembled as they spilled from between his fingers.

He couldn't help but recall a scene he had once witnessed: dark, viscous seawater swallowing the sun. At the time, it was too abstract, too blurry, too chaotic; he couldn't be sure if it was a person or the real sun. But this news made him feel as if he could confirm the answer.

[Host, stay calm. Arepo's vital signs are still normal.] The system immediately reassured him.

Easter shuddered, pulling himself out of his dark and brooding thoughts, and asked, "Can you pinpoint his location?"

The system had anticipated that East would ask this question and had taken action from the beginning. After all, East was someone with a close relationship with its host, so determining his location should not have been difficult. But the unexpected happened. Nothing happened, as if Arebo had simply vanished from this continent.

The system's silence gave Easter an answer. Easter clenched his fists tightly. He should have gotten used to the system failing at crucial moments. But he had never cared about the things that were life-threatening before. But now, when it was related to Arebo, he just couldn't stay calm.

"Your Majesty, calm down," said the voice coming from the jade bead, not as good as roasted sweet potato. For the players, Arepo's life or death was nothing, but for the person who loved him, it was like the sky falling and the earth cracking. Based on their understanding of this world, it made them feel insecure. "If there is no real news of his death, then there is still hope. Think about how many summons you have. Finding a needle in a haystack is not difficult, let alone finding just one person."

Easter's bad premonition came true. He should have realized from the beginning that the only person who could make him feel uneasy was Arip, and he should have taken action much earlier.

Upon hearing that roasted sweet potatoes were a better option, Easter managed to suppress his panic. He needed to calm down; only by calming down could he come up with a solution.

[Host, I've already issued a mission. Have the players search the sea first.] The system finally dared to speak. He thought that once his abilities were unlocked, he wouldn't be so useless anymore. Why did he always fail him when he needed to be used? [As long as the players approach places with the scent of Areplat, I can sense it. They'll find it quickly.]

East can't really search like looking for a needle in a haystack; he needs a general direction to make the search easier.

The voice in the jade bead sounded familiar; it was Randall's. According to what Arip had told him, he usually did missions with Randall. If nothing unexpected happened, he would have to find Randall to get more information.

"System, can you find Randall?" After calming down, Easter's mind worked quickly.

[Host, please wait.] The system began its investigation. Fortunately, Randall wasn't like Areber; it could still detect his location. [Host, he's in Manhattan Harbor.] The system was somewhat incredulous at this answer; the location was far too peculiar.

"Find a capable player to send him a message. I need to know the exact location, and if possible, have him include the background information as well." East didn't believe it was just a coincidence. Randall was fine, but his companion, Areber, had fallen into the deep sea and his fate was unknown. Only a fool wouldn't realize the problem.

After saying this, Easter pressed his temples hard, feeling as if he had overlooked something.

After the mission was released, the number of players remaining in the restaurant did not decrease much. It was a mission that could be accepted without any restrictions, and the rewards were extremely generous. However, for some players who did not care about their level, watching the drama unfold was more important. They did not believe that the king would do nothing, and the light in their eyes was frighteningly bright.

When East turned his head, he was taken aback by the players' murderous stares, but he couldn't care less. His gaze swept over the little firemen, finally settling on the transparent one, and he asked, "You said you heard about my relationship in a tavern. Where is that tavern? Was the person who told you the news a young boy who looked quite young?"

Wuying looked surprised and asked, "King, do you know him?"

Upon receiving this answer, East didn't know whether to be sad or happy, but he was probably more happy. At least it was someone who could give him an answer. He sighed slowly and said, "I know you. Could you please show me the way?"

"Your Majesty, how can you be sure he's in the capital?" Wuying asked, as he hadn't yet told the king about the tavern.

“If he wants to watch the show, he won’t be somewhere I can’t find him,” East explained gently. Actually, he had considered contacting the demon, but he had a vague feeling that he couldn’t interrupt what the demon was doing, so he had to suppress it for now. He would deal with it if he really had no other choice.

East can ride a horse, so a carriage wouldn't be suitable if we were in a hurry.

Players have an even more convenient way: they can teleport directly with a location, and the system will guide them after they teleport.

The bard is a special being. As the system previously stated, it cannot spy on the bard, nor can it spy on any aspect of him. Therefore, it can only use this indirect and roundabout method.

The first snow is usually light, with fine, scattered snowflakes covering the whole world in a thin layer of white.

With winter approaching, most residents stay indoors, and the streets are sparsely populated, so East can ride his horse freely on the road.

Twenty minutes later, East arrived at his destination, a two-story tavern where the lively noise could be heard from outside.

East lifted the curtain and walked into the tavern. The tavern was noisy because there were not only people drinking, but also people gambling.

The wind and snow poured into the lively atmosphere, naturally attracting attention. After seeing the newcomer's appearance and demeanor, the tavern fell silent for a moment. But once the little fireman following behind him was seen, the silence spread completely.

Ignoring everything else, East's gaze remained fixed on the person on the stage.

A short man, shrouded in black robes, leaned against a platinum harp. His fingertips brushed across the shimmering strings, and the music broke the silence.

He was a favorite of the gods.

He is the sun that everyone is watching.

He is also a natural vessel.

...

He is a heretic who has abandoned his faith.

He is a setting sun on the verge of collapse.

He was also the only messenger.

...

Follow the guidance of fate

He walked into the abyss.

He brought miracles

He brought destruction.

"Is it a miracle or destruction?" the bard asked, pressing down on the trembling strings.

East walked step by step to the front of the stage, looked up at the bard who seemed to be sitting on a divine throne, and said, "He is simply himself, and he is the one I love."

The bard laughed heartily, "Little king, you're getting more and more amusing!" His voice still held a hint of amusement.

"You, who see through everything, what do you really want? I don't believe you're truly unaware of the secrets I hold," Easter chuckled. "I think we probably know less than you do. With no bargaining chips, what right do I have to make a deal with you?"

The bard bent down, his face covered with a dark blue ribbon embroidered with stars, and glittery silver stars hanging at the corners of his eyes, mysterious and unfathomable. He said in a low voice, "The unparalleled savior of the world, you actually say you have no bargaining chips? Do you know how laughable your words are?"

“And what about you?” East retorted without backing down. “A bystander in the world.”

The bard raised his eyebrows noticeably and said, "Aren't you afraid I won't help you?"

“You never thought of interfering,” Easter said, taking a step back, “but your attitude has told me that my guess was right.”

The harp in the bard's hand melted, and after a burst of light, it became an exceptionally magnificent magic wand. He pressed the magic wand against Ister's shoulder, "I'll give you a dream," he said in a light and ethereal voice, seemingly there but not there, blurring the immaturity in his voice and giving it a touch of holiness, "Consider it a rare act of kindness from me~" he said in a lazy tone.

When Ister came to his senses, the platform in front of him was empty, and the bard was nowhere to be seen.

“Your Majesty, I haven’t found the person who shared the gossip with me before,” Shadowless pushed through the crowd to stand next to East. “Should we continue the search?”

“No need, I’ve already got what I wanted,” Easter said, looking at the empty platform.

"Huh?" Wuying was completely baffled. Could it be some kind of scene that only their king could see?

Wuying had no idea of ​​the truth. He followed Ister out of the tavern, the cold wind hitting his face. He looked at Ister's thin figure. The players' bodies were immune to both cold and heat, but the king was still a mortal. Was the power of love really that great?

"I'm going to sea." Easter exhaled a puff of white breath. He wasn't saying this to anyone else, but only to himself. This was a decision he had made, and it wouldn't change because of anything else.

"King, don't you care about your country anymore?" Wuying asked, thinking he must be crazy, obsessed with the game, to ask such a question.

"He is my only anchor," Easter said softly.