MTLNOVEL Chapter 75: Stuck
"Has she not responded to any of the calls?" asked one of the elves, his gaze sweeping across the others seated around the long table.
The council was gathered in the meeting hall of the ruler's main estate—a place rarely used except during times of crisis or the annual assembly.
Today was neither a sudden emergency nor a routine meeting. They had seen this problem approaching for weeks, yet it had now grown urgent enough to demand immediate action. The livelihood of their people was at stake, and a decision had to be made.
"Her Majesty is being childish," an elderly elf said gruffly, his fingers tightening around the cup in his hand. Frustration darkened his features. "She isn't acting like a ruler at all!" His voice rose, echoing in the chamber. "A ruler must put the safety and prosperity of her people above all else. And she… she has locked herself away, turning her back on those who need her most."
Another elf spoke up cautiously. "You should give her some time. She just lost her daughter."
The old man shot him a glare sharp enough to cut. "Stop making excuses, Ralph. You know there was nothing anyone could have done. The Divine One chose that girl's fate. Mourning what cannot be changed is one thing, but I expected our Queen to show greater strength."
Murmurs of agreement rippled around the table. Many shared the elder's resentment toward the Queen's sudden withdrawal from public life.
Since the day her daughter had been taken into the temple, she had shut herself off from the world—ignoring calls, avoiding council meetings, and barely communicating with anyone. The weight of ruling now rested almost entirely on the shoulders of the Prime Minister, Ralph—her second cousin.
The old man's shoulders sagged as he spoke, his voice heavy. "Yesterday… a young child came to me, clutching her father's shoe… saying she couldn't find him. Later, we learned the truth—he had run away. His business had collapsed, and he could no longer afford to live." His jaw tightened. "That coward abandoned his own child."
He turned his glare on Ralph. "But tell me—should he be the only one we blame?"
Ralph's eyes dropped to the table. Words refused to come.
He knew the truth too well. The people's suffering was no secret to him. Families had already begun leaving Samaran City—fleeing for their survival.
The air had grown foul. Poison had seeped into the streams. And worse, wild beasts were appearing more often than travelers.
In such conditions, tourism had died out completely. Even the residents now felt like strangers, suffocated in their own homes.
Samaran City, once the pride and wealth of Torseque… was becoming its burden.
"Has there been no attempt to open the temple's gate?" asked an elf seated at the far end of the table.
A wave of baffled glances passed around the room. The question was almost laughable.
"Boy…" Ralph's tone was icy, his eyes narrowing. "You might be new to the council, but you've lived here long enough to know better. Nothing can move those doors. We've tried—many times—and failed."
The temple's gate would only open at the will of the being inside.
Years ago, someone had tried to slip in alongside a sacrifice. They were hurled out by a force no mortal could resist. The lesson was clear—unless chosen as the offering, entry was impossible. And those who had stepped through… were never seen again.
Silence gripped the chamber, each mind wandering into grim thoughts.
Then—
"Forgive the intrusion, but this is an emergency!" A soldier burst in, breathless and pale.
"What is it?" Ralph demanded, rising from his chair.
The soldier blurted out, "The temple's gate… it moved."
Gasps rippled through the council.
"That's impossible!" one member stammered, eyes wide. "It's not the day for the sacrifice! Why would the door open now?!"
The common fear struck them all—the deity might be demanding another unexpected offering.
But the soldier's next words froze them in place.
"The door didn't open from within… Someone moved it from the outside."
"...!!" Eyes widened in disbelief.
The old man reacted first, bursting forward like a sudden gust. His hands clamped down on the soldier's shoulders. "You're not lying, are you—"
*Creak*
He didn't finish. The conference room door swung open from the far side.
Every head turned toward the figure stepping through… and their shock doubled.
"Your Majesty…"
A blonde beauty appeared from the other side. Despite the fatigue and malnutrition, one couldn't deny that she was a breathtaking beauty. High cheekbones, a perfect womanly figure, and piercing emerald eyes that bore on the soldier currently.
"Soldier, what you just said…is it true?"
The soldier hurriedly nodded, "Yes, My Queen. A young human, who was visiting the temple, suddenly moved the door of the temple with minimal effort."
Gasps filled the room as they heard those words.
They knew that the soldier wouldn't be foolish enough to lie before the council and the Queen herself.
The Queen stepped forward and asked, "Bring me to him. Now."
The soldier saluted before stepping out of the room
Not so long after everyone followed.
Everyone was curious to know how this impossible feat was achieved. And not by an elf…but a human?
…
"H-Hades…what do we do?" Luna was nervous, not because they were surrounded by more than twenty soldiers, but by the fact that her lover suddenly moved the massive gate of the temple.
Hades was baffled himself. He never thought that just tracing the pattern on the gate would make it move.
"Don't move. Stay at your spot and we guarantee your safety." The soldier barked, their spears ready.
Hades spotted several soldiers in the distance, their arrows ready to shoot them down.
"What do we do?" Luna asked in a serious voice.
She was ready to chant a barrier any moment he tells them.
However, before he could have relayed any command,
"It…can't be…" a woman appeared before them.
A beauty that left both of them stunned.
Her gaze was fixed on the opened door of the temple.
Her eyes moist as she stared at the darkness in disbelief
'...is there really a way to save my Peri?'
°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading.