Chapter 58 Falling Meteor
The booming sound was so loud that it caused a violent tremor. A meteor had crashed into the Apagorevmenos Forest, a forbidden forest area said to be the exit for monsters from hell into the human world. The forest was considered a portal, closely guarded by the Yeager Military Division and scientists.
News of the giant meteor's impact shook the world. The resulting forest fires and destruction led people to believe that the protective dome that had been protecting the forest had been damaged, signifying the imminent arrival of much larger and more powerful monsters.
"Have you heard about the news about the meteor that crashed into the forbidden forest the other day? They say the protective dome created by Professor Levi Sanders was damaged by the impact of a meteor weighing thousands of tons."
"Yes, I heard that the meteor impact burned almost half the forest. It was terrifying!"
"Professor Levi Sanders had previously warned of an imminent meteor impact. But the ERI said that the meteor would not hit Earth, it would disintegrate in space before hitting Earth."
"I think it's time for the King and Prime Minister to make Professor Sanders the leader of the scientists, considering that his theories have always been proven."
Almost everyone was talking about the giant meteor that had crashed into the forbidden forest the other day. Nami, Sydney, Lea, Ethan, Jensen, and Robin were quietly eating their meals at the dining table, while almost everyone else was more focused on discussing the news of the meteor impact than on their food.
"Hey, Ethan.. !" Suddenly, Lea called out to Ethan with an annoyed expression on her face, as if he had done something wrong to anger her.
Nami, Sydney, Jensen, and Robin turned to look at her, while Ethan remained unmoved and continued to enjoy his meal quietly.
"Lea, what's wrong?" Sydney asked. Since the news of the meteor crash reached them, Lea's facial expression became very tense, as if she was worried about something.
"Tch, hey Ethan! Why are you ignoring me?" Lea asked, growing increasingly annoyed. Ethan glanced at her with a blank expression. He stopped what he was doing because it looked like Lea was about to go berserk.
"I don't know," he said.
"Liar...!" Lea immediately denied it with a hard smack on the table, startling everyone who turned to look at her.
Nami and Sydney were confused by Lea's change in attitude. Just three days ago, Lea had seemed fine. Lea had even scolded them for constantly singing Kael Okeanos songs in their room. But since the news of the giant meteor crash in the forbidden forest, Lea's demeanor had changed. She became gloomy and anxious, but when asked, she always said she was fine.
"Lea?" Seeing Lea so emotional toward Ethan made Sydney panic. She knew that Lea didn't really like Ethan because she always considered him her rival, considering that they both competed in the physics olympiad, where Ethan won first place and Sydney had to settle for third place. Lea always felt that Ethan looked down on her, which made her angry with him.
"You must have known, because you have that ability! You truly are the most cunning and disgusting human being. Even at times like this, you can still be so selfish! You disgust me!"
"L-Lea, calm down! I think you—"
"Shut up, Syd...! You better stay out of it this time!"
"Lea, I just—"
"Hey, Lea, what's wrong? Why are you suddenly so angry? You're ruining the atmosphere!"
"Yes, that's right. We've heard enough terrible news these past three days; it's best not to cause any more trouble!"
Some people began to protest, accusing Lea of trying to further escalate the situation. Since the news of the meteor crash, the forest fires, and the destruction of the protective dome that prevented the monsters from entering human-inhabited areas.
Most of them had never encountered monsters directly, considering that Yeager soldiers suffered the highest death toll in battle compared to soldiers in other divisions. It could be said that out of 50 soldiers who fought, no more than 20 survived, especially for soldiers without supernatural powers like espers, whose death rate was the highest. Therefore, no one could truly escape the fear of monsters, even if they felt confident in their decisions as Yeagers.
Lea's hands were still pressed against the table and trembling. Nami and Sydney didn't know why she was acting like this or why she hadn't said anything.
"You bastard!" Lea cursed under her breath before finally leaving, her face flushed with anger.
"Lea...?" Seeing Lea leave made Nami consider following her. But before she could, Ethan grabbed her hand and stopped her from pursuing her.
"Hey, let go of me! Can't you see, Lea is—"
"Just leave her alone!" Erthan said. He remained calm and cool, as if Lea's attitude and annoyance didn't bother him at all.
"What?"
"Ethan, what are you saying?"
"I said just leave her alone! Someone as stubborn as her won't listen to anyone else's explanations. So just let her be!"
Nami, Sydney, Jensen, and Robin fell silent, staring at Ethan with all sorts of guesses and questions about him running through their heads. Ethan was a very unpredictable person, and it made them wonder, what was he really thinking?