Chapter 548: Constantine
After the members of the Brotherhood emerged from the underground ruin, Kenley and Wagner went toward the place where all the townsfolk had huddled together.
They were looking at the large crater which once used to be their home with sorrowful eyes. Many of them had started weeping out loud seeing the scene before them.
Kenley comforted them, saying that a new town would be built upon these ruins and that the construction would be fully financed by the Magi present here.
Not just that, the townfolk would also be compensated for any loss that they had incurred from the destruction of the town.
This news certainly uplifted their mood, however, the destruction of their homes was still heavily weighing down on them.
After all, they were born and brought up in this town just like their parents and their grandparents before them. Seeing their place of birth in ruins was extremely despairing. Kenley's wife, Rayna, stepped forward and wisely shifted their attention toward another narrative.
That the destruction of the town was a result of a legendary battle between the wicked werewolf, Stratford, and the righteous Magus, Adam Constantine.
She told them how the werewolf had poisoned each and every one of them through the years, and how Adam had worked diligently in order to create an antidote for them.
Many of the townsfolk here remembered how Adam had selflessly stood up for them in the middle of the Weeping Woods when Stratford was slaughtering them.
In times of despair, people needed a hero. And that is exactly what they got.
Filled with newfound hope and optimism, the group of refugees walked toward a certain area of the crater where Adam was.
He was sitting on a boulder, being medically tended to by the wood spirit, Yavia. Around him, were his familiar, Valerian, and his three students.
Yavia, who was wrapping the Red Adenium plaster around Adam's hand, suddenly sensed a large number of people coming toward them.
She looked in their direction and grumbled, "What do they want? Can't they see I'm working?"
"Hold on a moment, Yavia," Adam said softly.
He looked at Kenley and Rayna, who were leading this large group of people, and asked curiously, "What is it? Is everything okay?"
The group didn't speak a single word. Instead, they got to their knees and humbly kowtowed before Adam.
"We thank you, Lord Constantine!!"
Adam, his three students, and Yavi had their eyes wide open. The scene of over two hundred people getting on their knees and worshipping someone truly shocked Adam's squad.
Especially when that 'someone' was standing right beside them!
No one was more dumbfounded than Adam himself. He couldn't help but feel greatly uncomfortable at this turn of events.
"You... you all don't need to do this," he said awkwardly. "Please get on your feet." "My Lord, please accept our token of gratitude. If it wasn't for you, all of us would have succumbed to the poison and died," said Rayna, her voice filled with emotions.
Kenley chimed in, "It was you who defeated the evil werewolf and delivered justice to us. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!"
Many of the townsfolk gazed at Adam with tearful eyes. He was but a mere young man in his early twenties, yet he had taken it upon himself to fight the werewolf and free all of them. Seeing Adam severely wounded, the townsfolk felt even more reverential toward him. To them, Adam was now no longer a hero, but someone sharing the same status as a deity!
While everyone was idolizing the youth, he had a deadpan expression on his face, thinking to himself with incredulity, What? Deliver justice?
What are you guys talking about?
I only did it to get my hands on rune magic!
He didn't plan to ruin their moment, however. He coughed awkwardly and stated, "I have heard you. Now, please get up."
One by one, the townsfolk got to their feet, but they still didn't leave. Rayna looked at Kenley and nodded.
She then approached Adam and first bowed, before speaking, "My Lord, those Magi there said that they would be providing us with the money to rebuild the town..."
Adam nodded. "That's right. Don't worry, there's enough money to go around. I believe even after the reconstruction, there will still be some money left to compensate every one of you here."
Rayna smiled. "Yes, I understand that, my lord. But that isn't what we are worried about." "Hmm?" Adam raised his eyebrow. "Then what is it?"
Rayna took a deep breath and then turned around. She looked at all the townsfolk who were looking back at her encouragingly, gesturing for her to go ahead.
She smiled brightly and turned back around to face Adam. "My Lord, the others and I wanted
to get your permission to rename our new town."
"Huh?" Adam made a weird face. "Why would you need my permission? Just name it
whatever you like."
Rayna nervously gulped and asked meekly, "My Lord, that's the thing... we do need your permission."
Adam was initially confused, but soon he understood what the woman meant, causing him to
be stunned.
"My Lord, we wish to name the town after you...
"We wish to name it Constantine!"
Adam's expression turned extremely grim. He looked at Rayna and stated, "I don't think you all have thought this through. In my journey as a Magus, I'm bound to make many enemies.
"If any of them, by chance, happen to learn of the connection between me and this place, they would go to great ends to cause harm to it.
"The world of Magi seems mystical from the outside, but it is truly an unscrupulous world. So I cannot allow you all to do that."
Rayna felt silent, unable to come up with a reply. Right at that moment, the townsfolk behind
her erupted in cheers.
"We are alive only because of you!"
"This is the least we can do!"
"My Lord, please give us permission!"
"We don't care how many of your enemies we have to face!"
"We will forever be loyal to you!"
"We will fight for you!"
One by one, the townsfolk seemed to have received great courage and they began chanting
simultaneously.
"Constantine! Constantine!"
"Constantine! Constantine!"
Adam was speechless. He didn't know how to even react.
He even felt that if he refused them again, then these people might even gang up on him!