"Sir... What are you doing here?" Alfius asked, curious.


    "How are you? Are you cold?"


    Alfius shook his head.


    "I''m not cold. Why am I..."


    Then, Alfius recalled what had happened at the swordsman association, and he could not stop the tears from flowing down his face.


    "Sir, I..."


    "That''s enough, young one. Come have something to eat since you''re awake now. I''ve made stewed meat with wild vegetables. Care to have a try?"


    Alfius did not say anything. He was still in an extremely low mood.


    Just then, the Great Swordsman brought in arge, steaming pot.


    "Come, try some!"


    He did not allow Alfius a chance to turn down the offer.


    The Great Swordsman handed Alfius a bowl before taking the lid off the pot. Immediately, the fragrant smell of meat and vegetables wafted through the room. It was snowing lightly outside, and the smell made the room feel even cozier. The Great Swordsman brought over a small table and ced a thick nket over hisp before cing the stew on the table. He then began wolfing down.


    When Alfius saw him tucking in, he also began eating the stew.


    Once they finished eating, the burly many beside the firece and hummed an ancient-sounding melody.


    Alfius thanked him after finishing the meal and then fell silent. He had no idea how to speak to this free-spirited man.


    Then, the Great Swordsman began talking.


    "Gosh, it''s already the new year, and it should be spring now. Why does it keep snowing? What do you think, Alfius?" "It''s probably because the snow waste this year."


    "Oh? Why do you say so?" the Great Swordsman asked, his interest piqued.


    "Have you never heard of the legend of General Frost? It''s probably because he''s still not ready to leave yet."


    "Is that so? But no matter what...


    spring should be here soon, right?"


    the burly man said as he gazed at thend covered in a thick nket of snow New buds were already beginning to push their way out of the soil.


    "Perhaps. Oh, that''s right, sir. I still don''t know your name," Alfius said.


    "Me? Let me think. You could call me Tilly," he said, suddenly bing bashful.


    The corners of Alfius'' lips curled upward slightly after hearing that.


    Tilly blushed as he got to his feet. "Gosh,e on. I know it''s a pretty silly name, but you don''t have tough at me in the face!" "No, I think it suits you," Alfius said as he smiled.


    "Gosh, alright, young one. Since you''ve gotten to know me, I think it''s my turn now. Go ahead," Tilly abruptly said.


    Alfius had figured out that it was probably Tilly who had saved him.


    "Mr. Tilly, do you think the world is a fair ce?"


    "Amon question, but my


    answer is always no, it''s unfair," Tilly answered. We''re all born into a world where differences exist. These differences could be in terms of our life experiences, the environment we grew up in, the opportunities we had ess to, and the sort of knowledge we''re exposed to.


    "If you''re using these as determinants in whether the world is fair or not, then the answer will definitely be in the negatives."


    "You truly are an odd man," Alfius said as he chuckled. "Everybody around me has always said the world is fair..."


    The Stonemaul name had once been an extremely honorable one, and the family used to be one of the imperial families.


    Of course, the Stonemaul family had


    no way of verifying the truth of these ims. Either way, his generation of the Stonemauls was dirt poor


    Alfius was handed the responsibility of returning honor to the family name before he was even born.