Maybe because he had already experienced enough shocks, Steve's worldview had long since been shattered. So now, all these strange things didn't seem that significant to him. He quickly accepted this new "setting," realizing that there were many mysterious things in the world he simply didn't understand.
The upside was that Steve no longer saw Diana and Logan as "primitives" who didn't know anything. He would often seek their opinions and maintained proper respect and enough distance toward the mysterious mage, Mr. Ethan.
Especially after discovering that this mysterious mage actually knew how to sail. During the long journey from the Mediterranean Sea to London, everyone followed Ethan's instructions. No matter which world he was in, he could never escape his role as captain.
The Mediterranean climate was pleasant, and this part of the journey went smoothly. They simply followed the coastline, resupplying food and water in nearby towns and villages, and successfully crossed the Strait of Gibraltar.
Once they entered the Atlantic, luck played a bigger role. Unlike the "friendly" Mediterranean, the Atlantic often had extreme sea conditions that tested even the toughest navigators.
Fortunately, Ethan and the others had luck on their side. They arrived in London without issue. When they reached the English Channel, they even encountered a British fishing boat. After some negotiation by Steve, the fishermen agreed to tow their boat to London.
"Thank you so much for your generosity!"
The main reason they agreed was the generous payment Steve promised but they were grateful regardless. It saved them a lot of time.
"This is London?"
"This is London." Steve glanced at the group who were looking around. Leaving Diana aside, even Ethan didn't seem familiar with the place. "You've never been to London?"
"No." Despite having traveled through several worlds, none of them included London—at least, not in any era he'd visited. "It doesn't look like much."
London at this time, although not yet devastated by the upcoming war, wasn't particularly impressive in the early 20th century. Especially during wartime "chaotic" was the most accurate word to describe it.
"Follow me. London's a mess right now."
Steve did what a good guide should, and soon found someone to receive them—his secretary, Etta Candy.
Not long after leaving Paradise Island, Steve had sent a telegram from a nearby town. That was the first time he was able to contact Etta, meaning he'd been out of touch for weeks before then. Ethan hadn't recalled this detail from the film until now.
"Some things are stored in memory, but still easily overlooked."
He'd previously wondered how Steve managed to sail from the Mediterranean to London in just a few weeks on a small sailboat. Now he understood, it simply wasn't possible. The film had just skipped over those days at sea. It didn't mean the voyage didn't exist.
After introductions, Etta warmly welcomed everyone and then took them to buy appropriate clothes. Naturally, Ethan didn't object. While their current outfits were relatively inconspicuous, they still stood out in this era. It was better to change into suits.
After shopping and arranging accommodations, Steve went to report the intel he had gathered. Ethan and Logan didn't go with him. Only Diana stayed close to Steve. She wanted to get to the battlefield as soon as possible, and she needed Steve's help to get there, so she stayed by his side.
While resting at the hotel, Ethan chatted casually with Logan. Logan was quite puzzled by Ethan quietly following Diana all this way.
"What's the point of us coming to this world just to follow Diana to London?"
He had previously thought Ethan and Diana had some kind of mission together otherwise, why would Ethan care so much about her? But after observing them along the way, it didn't seem that way. He was genuinely curious about Ethan's motives.
"Is it like when you found me—just for fun?"
"That's part of it." Ethan was sitting in a chair, fiddling with the collar of his suit. The clothes of this era weren't very comfortable, and after a few adjustments, he gave up trying. "Diana was taught by me. I want to see how she defeats Ares."
Logan thought his captain was great in most things, except for this weird habit of enjoying the show.
"Besides that, I want to see what the gods are really like."
It wasn't enough to learn about them through Diana alone. He wanted to witness firsthand how Ares's power differed from Diana's.
"You planning to draw some blood from Ares too?"
It wasn't hard to guess. Ethan had drawn Logan's blood before. Why wouldn't he be interested in Ares, an enemy? In all kinds of stories—movies, novels, or games—mages often studied powerful beings. They'd even risk their lives just to obtain blood samples or artifacts from such entities.
Ethan wouldn't risk his life, but he was still a mage. Logan didn't believe for a second that Ethan wasn't thinking about getting a sample of the God of War's blood.
"Just a little… if the chance comes."
Logan didn't respond. He could read Ethan's intentions clearly from his face. Laura and Auriel, who had been quietly lying nearby, gave him looks that said, "Yeah, right." It made Ethan feel like he had no authority as captain at all...
Ethan didn't stay in London for long. He didn't even have the chance to meet Sir Patrick—Ares's disguised identity in this world.
Which, honestly, was for the best. Ethan didn't think his current strength was enough to take on the God of War head-on. Provoking such a being without the power to back it up would be downright foolish.
Ares was destined to be Diana's enemy and would be eliminated by her. Ethan was just playing the side character.
It was just that this side role dragged on a bit. He followed them all the way from London to the European continent. During this time, he barely spoke. Only when Steve assembled the team and they introduced themselves did Ethan say his name.
After that, he followed along quietly. He even knew that Steve's team referred to him and Logan as Diana's sidekicks. But he didn't care. He remained focused on playing his supporting role. At most, he would watch with amusement when Logan beat someone up.
Even when Diana unleashed her full power on the battlefield, charging through the German defenses under heavy machine-gun fire, Ethan merely stayed in the trench, cheering her on. He had no intention of charging out himself.
The surrounding British soldiers kept casting strange looks his way. One nearby soldier even pointed at Steve and the others flanking the enemy and asked, "Aren't you with them?" Of course, the unspoken message was: "They're all charging forward. Why are you still here?"
"Because there's no room left for me to act."
Ethan answered calmly, stating a simple fact but none of the soldiers believed him. They all assumed he was just a coward. No one spoke to him again. Once the opposing defense line fell, they rushed out of the trenches with their comrades and stormed the enemy's position.
Beyond the defensive line was a small town completely occupied by German forces. Even though the British had broken through, they didn't dare rush into street combat with the Germans.
Aside from Diana and Steve, no one continued to advance.
Ethan walked leisurely across the battlefield, watching the soldiers regroup to "clear" the defense line. He was debating whether or not to step in.
If he didn't act, Diana would still easily defeat the Germans in the town and liberate it but the outcome wouldn't be perfect. Not long after, the town's residents would all die in a poison gas attack.
If he did intervene, he'd not only have to deal with the German troops in the town but also find a way to evacuate the civilians. That was a huge hassle. Attachment to one's homeland wasn't unique to any one country's people—it was universal.
Would these civilians—who had endured abuse under German occupation—really leave their homes just because they'd been "rescued"?
"What are you thinking?"
Logan, who had been beside him the whole time, noticed Ethan standing motionless, a frown on his face—very different from his earlier vacation-like attitude.
"I'm thinking whether I should step in to help these people."
Logan was silent for a moment. At first, he thought Ethan meant Diana and Steve but then he noticed Ethan looking toward the ordinary civilians hiding inside their homes.
"If it were me in the past, I might've told you it's not our business." He took a drag from his cigar and exhaled. "But as for you… seems like you already know your answer, don't you?"
Ethan nodded. The moment Logan spoke, he already had his answer. He really couldn't just sit back and watch these people be slaughtered.
"Looks like justice has descended."
As Ethan spoke, his magic gear activated. His equipment instantly materialized, and huge, fiery wings ignited, unfolding and changing form.
"This time, I am justice!"
(To be continued.)
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