"How could this be... No, nothing is impossible..."
Repeating himself in astonishment, the old man raised his head and met Ian's gaze. Elder Pude himself had no idea how strange, how delighted, how terrified and bewildered his expression was at that moment.
He did not even know what he was thinking. His thoughts surged like a tide, then swiftly cooled.
"No matter what I say, you'll leave, won't you?"
Knowing what it meant to lay everything bare, the old man stared fixedly at the boy before him. In a deep voice, he said, "I can't stop you. You only want me to carry out your will and bring about the future you wish to see, don't you?"
"Yes."
Ian answered without a moment's thought, without hesitation and without concern that his words might anger the old man before him. "But that is the future we both want to see."
"What I can see is by no means a future for me alone, Elder. This is your will too."
"It's only that you don't know it yet."
Silence.
"...Then go." Letting out a long breath, Elder Pude closed his eyes, then opened them again. "Prophets are all arrogant... I never thought even a child would be the same."
He reached out and took the bewildered Elan from Ian's arms.
"Take this." As he took Elan, he also handed Ian the object at his waist.
Looking down, the boy could not help but freeze slightly.
What had appeared in his hand was a heavy, old-fashioned silver hand cannon.
"It won't be much use against the Second Energy Level." The old man said something meaningless. "But be careful."
"I will, Elder." Ian gave an equally meaningless reply, then said quietly, "I'll come back."
"Brother..."
Elan spoke. Before Ian could turn to leave, the