Emergency Surgery

After leaving the Citadel's courtyard, Elizabeth was stunned by the scene of hundreds of priests of Gaia patrolling the grounds.

"Lady vont Ballard? I've found her, the lady has returned!" altered a priest.

Within half a minute, Elizabeth was swarmed by priests as she was led to Bishop Omar and Cardinal vont Gaius.

"Cardinal vont Gaius, what's going on?" Elizabeth asked still surprised by the throng of priests, and bishops.

Cardinal vont Gaius asked Bishop Omar to explain.

"The Goddess Gaia spoke to me! She told me you left to undergo an important spiritual journey. She told me, my job was to make sure your trip was undisturbed. To fulfill the mission the Goddess Gaia me, as called in support from other churches," Bishop Omar said retelling the events.

"Elizabeth can you tell us your experiences. You've been gone almost a month?" Cardinal vont Gaius inquired.

As Elizabeth relayed some of her past events, the mouths of the priest nearby opened wider and wider. The scribes were at times, too stunned to write.

"The Demeter statue in the courtyard came to life. Below the statue, a spiral staircase appeared that led to Goddess Persephone's garden and residence. You hid from Hades and escaped from Cerberus.

You also fought undead soldiers, beasts, and miasma. And advanced to master rank? You met Goddess Gaia's daughter and granddaughter…

If not for your slight radiance, I would not have believed it," Cardinal vont Gaius surmised.

Elizabeth chose to leave out that Persephone used her holy mana to help Elizabeth breakthrough to master rank.

"Excuse, I must go meet my husband," Elizabeth curtsied and walked out of the Citadel to gasps. The entire Citadel was surrounded by onlookers barricaded by city guards.

"Greeting my lady, we have arranged a carriage for you?" Bubba announced.

As soon as Bubba spoke a platoon of cavalry stepped out and surrounded the carriage.

"Bubba you're too kind. Will was fortunate to have you as a retainer," Elizabeth said warmly getting into the carriage.

Shortly afterward the carriage raced off to Elder Thaddeus' cottage.

…

Inside the Citadel of Gadreel, Cardinal vont Gaius the bishops met in private.

"Bishop we must declare this a sacred site, only the most pious of believers should enter," said a bishop.

"I agree, this citadel must be closed to the public. Both the Goddess Gaia and Demeter have graced these most hallowed of halls," said another bishop.

"To think I baptized such a remarkable young man. Cardinal vont Gaius I request to be transferred to this citadel. How can we leave this church without a bishop!" requested the elderly Bishop Lang. His request spurred others to request the same.

"In our church's history, the recordings of divine presence are few and far between. Within a month, the Goddesses Gaia, Demeter, and Persephone have all appeared.

I fear we are headed to a calamity. I must gather the other cardinals for a conference. I shall relay everything we learned today, only the pertinent information.

Furthermore, I am old and believe it is time for me to step down as a cardinal. Therefore, I declare the week after the Earl vont Ballard's World Economic Forum ends as the start date for conclave," Cardinal vont Gaius announced to a stunned Bishop's Council.

…

After the ceremony, Will and Nisha said their goodbyes.

"As soon, as I am able, I shall visit your domain," Dracul said resolutely.

"I would like that very much. I'm sure my master would like to meet you as well," Will said as he and Dracul clasped each other's forearms in goodbye.

"I hope to see you again," Will said to Priestess Xing.

"You may see me sooner than you expected. Should you build a Temple to Mother Tiamat in your territory, Mother has shall appoint me as Head Priestess," Priestess Xing informed Will.

"Then I forward to our reunion," Will said happily.

Mother Tiamat was the last person, Will said his goodbyes too.

"Mother Tiamat thank you for welcoming me into your realm. I have learned much in my time with you. I hope we meet again," Will said warmly.

"Yes, we'll meet again little one. Now, I've opened the barrier to allow you to teleport. Go now, because I shall not allow the barrier to remain open for long. Until we meet again," Mother Tiamat said kissing Will on the forehead, the same way an Aunt might kiss her nephew.

Will opened a cast [Gate] and the spatial door opened to Cherry's estate in Annapolis.

When he arrived back in the Great Eastern Empire it was night. The entire household was asleep, except for Samuel.

"Welcome Back Will," Samuel smiled.

"It's good to see you again! How have you been? Cherry didn't harm Kalista did she?" Will asked.

"I'm fine, Kalista's fine. She was worried about you," Samuel said assuring Will of his disciple's safety.

"Samuel woke up everyone it's time to leave," Will ordered.

"Just a moment," he said stealthily gliding upstairs to wake everyone.

In a few minutes an adolescent Orca woman was barreling downstairs, "Master you're back!" Kalista yelled happily hugging Will.

"Did you miss me that much?" Will asked hugging her back.

"Brother!" boomed a baritone voice.

"Marcus it's good to see!" Will said shaking his brother's hand.

"Couldn't you have returned in the morning?" Cherry complained from atop the staircase.

"I did my best to spite you," Will joked.

"It worked," Cherry smiled and laughed.

"Marcus do you plan to return or stay here?" Will asked.

"I'll stay here. We planned to sell this house and purchase a house together in Gadreel's noble district, as proper nobles," Marcus informed Will.

"Then I look forward to seeing you soon brother. Samuel, Kalista pack quickly it's time to return to Gadreel! Haste is of the essence, Will said hurrying them.

After an hour Kalista and Samuel were packed and walked through a spatial gate to Gadreel.

"Michael, we're back!" Will called out as Micheal quickly ran down the steps and helped Will with his luggage.

"Welcome home my lord!" said Michael

"Where is Elizabeth?" Will asked curiously.

"From the little I've gathered, she's still at the Citadel of Gadreel undergoing a spiritual journey," Micheal informed him.

Just as he finished, the front door burst opened

"Micheal has William returned?" Elizabeth asked only to see Will a second later.

The couple's eyes locked in happiness that the other wasn't physically harmed.

"Let's go," Will said.

"Hmph," Elizabeth agreed as the couple raced to the cottage.

***

Will flung open the cottage door, to find Elder Thaddeus fallen on the floor.

"His breathing is shallow, but he's still alive. Will quickly carry him to the bathtub!" Elizabeth ordered.

Will carried him to the bathtub and placed him inside.

"Stop! Before the procedure I need to purify him," explained Elizabeth. At once she cast [Purification], [Heal], and [Sanctuary].

"You advanced to master rank?" Will looked at his wife in astonishment.

"Yes, and gained two new spells," Elizabeth informed him. "Okay, he's fine."

When the tub was full, Will placed Elder Thaddeus in the bathtub and filled it with cold water.

He watched as the half-dead made shivered. When he began shaking a translucent Archimedes appeared. And looked hopeful at Will, Elizabeth, and Nisha.

Then he added the [Fire Dragon Spirit Grass] and [Elder Sage].

Will cast [Arrowhead] and [Modeling] to make a rock scalpel.

Then he made a surgical incision above Elder Thaddeus' navel, as Mother Tiamat instructed.

Thanks to Elizabeth's [Sanctuary] spell, Will was able to operate in a sterile environment.

For Earthlings, just behind the navel were the stomach, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, and spleen.

For Terans, behind the navel was the stomach, pancreas, mana pool, liver, and spleen.

Immediately Will saw the problem, Elder Thaddeus's mana pool was missing. It looked like his mana pool had been surgically removed.

Will inserted Sir. Perceval's mana core, where the removed mana pool was located.

Then Elizabeth healed the wound, just before Will submerged this Elder Thaddeus under the water.

Will held Elder Thaddeus' head, even while his master thrashed in the water, his survival instinct activating.

But Elder Thaddeus was too weak to fight against Will, but Will could still tell his master did not want to drown to death. Elder Thaddeus by attitude by nature was to fight.

Quickly the water in the tub began to boil. Will hand felt like it was on a hot stove.

The searing pain only made Elder Thaddeus fight harder to free himself from Will's death grip.

Will knew if this failed, he'd be responsible for killing his master. Yet, he swore to his master, that he'd help him cheat death.

Will felt his skin peeling away under the scalding water, but he refused to budge. He only let go when he felt Elder Thaddeus stopped moving.

Elizabeth healed Will's hand. As they watched Elder Thaddeus's unmoving body. It sat there on the bottom of the tub.

Will began crying, he failed his master. He killed his beloved master in an attempt to save him. What made him think he could save his master.

Yet, Elizabeth wasn't done, she cast [Holy Aura] as a last-ditch effort.

As he cried, he heard Elizabeth scream in glee.

Elder Thaddeus's corpse opened his eyes. He arched his back as he began to scream in pain.

Suddenly the cottage windows broke as massive amounts of mana flooded into the tub and into Elder Thaddeus' body.

Elder Thaddeus's veins bulged, his muscles constricted, and his stomach inflated. Elder Thaddeus resembled a balloon about to burst.

This continued for 30 minutes until the torrential mana was replaced with a blinding light and burst of aura.

"He broke through," Will whispered to himself in amazement.

"Will is he okay?" Elizabeth asked worriedly.

"I think so," Will said unsurely.

Slowly Elder Thaddeus' hand grabbed the side of the tub, and he slowly rose out of the water like a wraith.

"Thank you, disciple," Elder Thaddeus said emotionally.

Then a second blinding light happened, as a rejuvenated Archimedes bounced into the bathtub to lick his companion. Now, that the mana connection was restored, Archimedes looked much younger and twice as deadly.

"Congratulations Sage Thaddeus and Archimedes," Will, Nisha, and Elizabeth bowed.

"Ho-ho. There is no need to bow. If not for you both, I'd be in Tartarus. You have my eternal thanks," Sage Thaddeus bowed to them.

"Master it is good to see you again," said Will crying tears of joy.

"I can sense your heartfelt sincerity. Archimedes what did we ever deserve to have such a wonderful disciple?" Sage Thaddeus said.

Archimedes nodded. Then he and Nisha hugged and rubbed their noses together. Nisha kept rubbing herself against the larger, stronger, Archimedes.

"Will you're a grandmaster rank? And Elizabeth you're a master rank? I can tell neither of you has skipped on your training. Well done!" Sage Thaddeus said warmly.

"Master, what are your plans now?" Will asked.

"I want to see King Remus and let him know I'm well," Sage Thaddeus said excitedly to see his first disciple.

"Master, I'm sorry to report he's passed away, two years ago," Will said delivering the bad news.

"He's dead. How did he die?" Sage Thaddeus asked.

Will, Nisha, and Will began to explain what happened after he became bedridden.

"There was a plague, famine, peasant revolt, and a war! You have a disciple now? Fermion's been reunited and the new capital is Tirana?" Sage Thaddeus said trying to take in all the events that happened in his absence.

"Yes, master!" Will confirmed.

"I want to visit Yorkshire first. I want to pay my respect to my disciple's tomb," the Sage Thaddeus said.

"The tomb is empty. King Roland burned King Remus's body in solidarity with the plague victims," Elizabeth said between sobs.

"His body was burned on a pyre? Quick let's go Yorkshire!" Sage Thaddeus said teleporting the five of them to Yorkshire.

Sage Thaddeus, Will, Elizabeth, and the Shadow Panthers walked inside the remodeled palace, scaring the maids.

They made their way to King Remus Albus Fermion IX's tomb.

"My old disciple. I'm sorry I was not here for you when you needed me most. I was very proud to have a man of your honor as my first disciple," Sage Thaddeus clasps his hands to gather in prayer.

"Will, take us to see Roland," Sage Thaddeus said.