As they sat there against the wall, the sound of horse hooves trotting against the soil met their ears. Through the woods, the Milligarde soldiers returned, and it was clear they didn’t take any prisoners as their swords were slick with blood and their armor lightly scratched.


    He looked up, his eyes widening as he searched with his eyes for the girl, scrambling up to his feet.


    “Did you find her…?” He asked.


    The silver-armored guard with the bushy, pale-blue mustache looked down at him for a moment before nodding, looking back.


    He looked past the guard as well, seeing the quiet girl held in front of one of the guards atop horseback.


    Julius and Velda got up as well as the leader of the small group of guards looked at the man, holding onto the reins.


    “…I questioned the girl already. It seems she doesn’t have a ce to stay,” the man spoke quieter so his words weren’t privy to the girl, “…It looks like her family was killed by these traffickers.”


    “–” He fell silent.


    “That’s terrible…” Julius said.


    “Indeed,” the man replied, “She’ll have to be sent to the orphanage. Though I don’t see a girl with her trauma doing too well there…”


    As they stood there quietly for a moment, he could see his father was likely questioning the same thought he had in his mind, so he stepped forward and said it:


    “What if shees to stay with us?”


    Julius’ eyes widened as he looked down at him, “Emilio…”_.


    “Hm,” the guard grumbled, “That’s an option. What do you say, Silver Wind?”


    All eyes were on his scruffy father, who scratched the stubble on his chin for a moment, ncing down at him. The look in his eyes was a quiet plea that the man who raised him recognized without a word.


    “…Alright, then,” Julius said.


    “Really?!” He smiled.


    “But–” Julius interrupted him, “You’re going to have to take her under your wing as well, Emilio.”


    He paused for a moment before smiling, “Of course!”


    –


    It was a long trail home, taking until dawn on horseback for him to reach Yullim again. Waving the guards off, it felt almost nostalgic to see his house again despite only being away for two days.


    As he stood there beside his father, Velda, and the quiet girl, his stomach growled in sync with Irene’s.


    “Sounds like you both are hungry,” Juliusughed.


    “Yeah…” He bashfully nodded.


    “–” Irene was quiet.


    Julius patted him on the head, “Why don’t you show her around the house and I’ll have your mom whip you both up a warm meal?”


    “Alright,” he nodded, looking back as he grabbed Irene’s hand, “Let’s go!”


    The girl seemed taken aback by his forwardness as she silently nodded, following with him as they went into the house.


    “Are you sure about this, Julius? How will Treyna react to this?” Velda asked with a small smile.


    Julius scratched his stubble, “Well, you don’t have to worry about that. You know what she told me before we got married?”


    “Hm?” Velda looked at him.


    “She told me ‘I want ten kids: five boys, five girls, and that’s that–no discussion’…So, I don’t think she’ll have a problem with this!” Juliusughed out.


    –


    Showing Irene around the house while his father and Velda exined the circumstances to his mother, he was excited to finally have somebody his age around.


    “…I see,” Treyna had her hand to her chin.


    “So…it’s okay?” Julius asked with a smile, rubbing the back of his head.


    “I don’t have a problem with it. I think this will be good for Emilio,” Treyna said with a smile.


    “I was thinking the same thing, ya’ know,” Julius said, “It’ll be nice for him to finally have somebody else to socialize with.”


    –Of course, this conversation only took ce after his mother had smothered him with hugs, tears, and kisses on the cheek from his sudden disappearance.


    At first, she hardly spoke, usually justmunicating through nods or shakes of her head, but over time, she talked.


    Once washing the dirt from her skin and tending to her wounds with healing magic, and getting some new clothes for her in town, he was taken aback–Irene was quite cute, actually.


    –


    Over the passing months, he continued his training in the way of the sword with more passion than ever. Velda seemed delighted by this change of pace.


    CLING. CLANG.


    “What’s brought on this shift in energy, eh?” Velda asked.


    “–A few things,” he answered.


    They spoke while shing des. Now, after going through harsher physical training and adjusting to Velda’s “sparring” strength, he was able to sh with her without his arms going numb and his body being flung back.


    The real reason he had a change of heart was due to two factors:


    I was helpless back then. Against that bald freak, I couldn’t even swing my sword–all I could do was cower behind it. If I wasn’t saved by a stroke of luck, I would’ve died. I have to improve.


    But, what inspired me to change was…the Mountain God Style; it’s seriously amazing. Father decimated the smiling man without a scratch on him, he thought.


    [Six Months Since The Beginning of Swordsmanship Training]


    It was thest day of his tutge under Velda. Though there weren’t any set guidelines on how he would be passed, the final session was no different than a final exam.


    “Ready?” Velda asked.


    He paused for a moment, holding his dull sword up before nodding, “Yeah.”


    As the session began, he immediately knew what wasing–


    A frontal dash from the get-go, he thought.


    Predicting the swift opening from his instructor, he nted his feet down firmly for bnce as he held his sword high.


    “Raagh!”


    With a fearsome smile, Velda swung her weapon forward, though just as she did, the soil beneath the young boy’s shoes rose. The dirt raised into a pir, lifting him up as the crimson-haired woman’s de struck right through the column of soil.


    “–?!” Velda’s eyes widened in surprise.


    Up? Velda realized.


    He was already leaping down with his sword held overhead, roaring out as he swung it downward.


    “That won’t be enough, kid!” Velda yelled with a smile.


    Going for a counter to the wide-open, inelegant strike from the young Dragonheart, Velda reared her de back again, but as she tried to swing her sword forward–her hand was stopped.


    What–?! She thought.


    As the red-haired woman nced back, there were veins protruding from the grassden ground below, wrapped around her forearm tightly.


    “Gh!”


    It was child’s y for the powerful swordswoman to rip out of the viny bindings with a strengthened tug, but it gave the young boy just the opportunity he was looking for.


    “…Gotcha…!”


    Just as Velda looked up again, the de was stopped just in front of her forehead, held by the boy with the triumphant smile.


    Velda sighed with a smile, “…I yield.”


    “He-he,” he smirked, drawing his sword back, “…Finally!”


    After a short, but intense skirmish, he fell onto his rear, resting on the grass as the refreshing winds brushed by.