Chapter Fifty-Seven: Ethan’s Life (Please Vote)

Ethan was born into a wealthy family in a small town called Mikula. Indeed, they were wealthy, but only in comparison to those around them. The country and region where he lived had seen all their resources plundered by another nation through various means, leaving them stripped bare.

Mikula maintained its own modest defensive militia; in this place, a town without armed forces could hardly hope for stability. Because its firepower was relatively strong, and since the town wasn’t located on any major trade routes nor surrounded by valuable resources, it managed to remain relatively peaceful compared to other settlements.

Ironically, it was precisely these adverse circumstances that allowed Ethan to enjoy a peaceful childhood. The town’s predominant faith was an ancient sect, now almost forgotten and rarely practiced elsewhere. Its name was the Order of the Sacred Flame. The tenets passed down through generations were simple: goodness and justice are the eternal opposites of evil in this world, but in the end, it is always goodness and justice that will triumph.

Under external threats, the sect in Mikula had not become twisted as some faiths had; on the contrary, its influence made community relations exceptionally warm and close-knit, a rarity for the region.

From an early age, Ethan displayed remarkable intelligence. Whatever his teachers imparted, he could master in days, often posing questions even his instructors could not answer. As he grew older, the town’s limited resources could no longer satisfy his thirst for knowledge; as a minor, he had already become the most scientifically learned person in Mikula.

Faced with this, Ethan’s parents and the town chief made a momentous decision: to find a way to send Ethan to America for further studies, so he could learn at the cutting edge of science.

Ethan did not disappoint. Though his academic achievements could never rival those of someone like Tony Stark, among his peers, he was already among the elite. Having seen what most Americans were like, Ethan, as he matured, developed a conviction: his hometown should not remain as it was—it deserved to be better.

Lacking worldly experience but rich in knowledge, Ethan devised what seemed the best plan at the time: gather more children, teach them what he knew, and send them back to build up their homeland. He saw himself as the pioneer of higher education for his people.

Time passed, and by adulthood, Ethan had earned multiple doctorates and become an associate professor at an Ivy League university.

With resources, money, and a certain status, Ethan set his plan into motion. After discussing matters with his family, he decided against bringing them to America, instead dedicating all his resources to help the children of his hometown find opportunities elsewhere.

The children who left Mikula were, in both health and intellect, somewhat behind their American counterparts, but they made up for it with relentless determination. In the end, a few of them managed to achieve modest success.

At this point, Ethan decided to purchase equipment needed for Mikula’s development and return home with some of his students. But to his surprise, while the students still respected him, only a handful were willing to accompany him back.

Worse, on the eve of his departure, one student betrayed him, resulting in most of the equipment he’d acquired being confiscated, along with a hefty fine.

None of these setbacks dampened Ethan’s determination to give back to his homeland. With the remaining students and equipment, he returned and established a general hospital.

In this modern world, it is hard for those in advanced cities to imagine that elsewhere on the same planet, surgical mortality rates still rivaled those of medicine’s infancy. Infection, blood loss, and unskilled practitioners all conspired to limit life expectancy.

Ethan’s return made a dramatic difference; soon, his became the best hospital in the region, and he even managed to devise some simple medical devices and medications.

But tragedy struck again. Several armed factions attacked Mikula. Against their combined force, the town stood no chance. Had Ethan not insisted on staying, and had the invaders not wished to prolong their profits, Mikula might have been wiped from the map.

After this, Ethan understood: his hometown was not simply unable to prosper—it was forbidden from prospering; its people were not just unable to live long—they were not allowed to. He decisively abandoned his original plan. Retaining only a single educational pipeline to the outside world, he returned to America and, after several years, made a name for himself in the field of medicine.

Yet, aside from this, Ethan achieved little else. The resources he fought to win for his country never reached its people; instead, they only fueled fiercer conflict among the various factions.

Ethan realized what his country most desperately needed was a unified, effective government. He resigned from his hospital position and returned home alone.

Leveraging the reputation he’d built over years of advocating for his country, Ethan moved among the various factions, persuading them to cease fire and to negotiate for peace. Yet no matter how sincere their promises during negotiations, as soon as he left, the leaders broke their word, and sometimes were even replaced.

But Ethan did not give up. He firmly believed that justice would ultimately triumph over evil—a conviction etched into his soul by decades of faith in the Order of the Sacred Flame.

Thanks to his efforts, the country finally glimpsed a sliver of hope for a ceasefire. But just then, several missiles—origin unknown—obliterated his hometown of Mikula, destroying his family, friends, and every vestige of his childhood.

Ethan knew this was a warning. There was no time to mourn or weep; he pressed on, seeing every hardship as a trial on the road to success.

Ethan’s unyielding resolve eventually infuriated certain parties, but no one in the country dared kill him openly. Ethan, who had devoted his life to his homeland, was so renowned that wherever he went, people would spontaneously protect him.

Finally, with covert encouragement from some, Ethan was ambushed one day after leaving the territory of a faction he was close to. A group calling themselves "Peacekeepers," whose main operations were outside the country, abducted him and took him away.

Not long after, the faction that had befriended Ethan was annihilated in a series of violent clashes.

Ethan was not killed immediately, for these “Peacekeepers” needed him to save a man—none other than the famous Tony Stark.

After spending some time with Tony Stark, Ethan sensed that perhaps this man could make a difference—or at least be more useful than a fifty-year-old like himself.

Knowing he would never leave this place alive, Ethan began to try and influence Tony’s thinking. Evidently, he succeeded.

As death drew near, Ethan felt only a sense of calm—except for the regret that Tony might die with him. He was ready to join his family at last.

He also wanted to apologize to them: sorry, after all these years, I still failed to fulfill my promise. Sorry, I dragged you all into this.