“Well, I can safely say I’ve melded you into a proper man now,” Velda said with a smile, resting her sword on her shoulder.


    “I’m still twelve years old, but thanks…” He said, catching his breath.


    “It’s up to you now to improve from here. I’ve helped you build your fundamentals, but you’ve got a long road ahead of you,” Velda gently knocked her fist against his chest, “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders–use it, kid.”


    He nodded, wiping the sweat from his chin.


    With the end of his mentorship under Velda, the red-haired woman finally took her leave from the Dragonheart household, though it was a begrudged leave.


    They made sure to share a big dinner together, with Irene as well, to thank Velda for her help and to send her off with happy memories.


    She wasn’t wrong; he had made a lot of improvement over the past few months, but he still didn’t have much understanding of a style as of yet, only how to wield a de properly and a body capable of swinging one.


    –_.


    “Whacha doing?”


    Popping her head into the library with a bubbly smile, Irene posed her question, holding her hands behind her back. She was wearing a light-green jacket with a beige skirt with her curly, dark-blue locks bouncing with the slightest movements she made.


    –A total shift.


    It took a couple months, but eventually Irenepletely opened up. She’s a kind girl…An angel, actually. Just thinking about how they treated her back then…It makes my blood boil. But, it’s okay now, he thought.


    He smiled, closing the book he had on hisp as he sat against the wall, “Just studying.”


    Currently, he was studying books that pertained to the history and culture of Arcadius; it was a vast, diverse world, with almost too much to learn.


    There are seven countries on the “Continent of Man”:


    The one we live in–Milligarde; a lusciousnd of green mountains and springs. It’s vast in scope and ruled by a powerful hero-king who suppressed a war against the dark races known as “The ck Tide.”


    Vasmoria; it’s our neighboring kingdom and considered the “sisternd” to Milligarde. It’s said there that the magic is the richest on the Continent of Man, with impossible architecture and grand cities of magic. Apparently, it’s the only kingdom on the Continent of Man ruled by a matriarchy.


    Transluvia; the militaristic empire that is at odds with Milligarde, currently. It’s ruled by a tyrannical lineage, built upon very, and even weing dark races such as orcs into their army. From what I’ve read, theirnds are t, resulting in most of its cities being built into the ground, or even beneath it.


    Ygsdra; it’s said that it’s contested by the other kingdoms if it should even be considered a so due to the primitive nature of thend, which inhabits the world’srgest jungle known as “The Great Green”, housing trees that reach the clouds, fruits that either will grant power or death, and magical beasts rivaling natural disasters. Even if Ygsdra is contentious on its state as a kingdom, nobody denies the greatness of the Ygsdra warriors, notably the ruling n: the “Lycan Half-Bloods.”


    Jubra; the kingdom bordering the sea, yet filled with sands that stretch endlessly in all directions. It’s said to be the kingdom closest to the gods, housing spiteful deities and vengeful spirits which have cultivated its warriors into fearsome fighters.


    Bellmisa; the holy kingdom–


    Before he could finish his thoughts, daydreaming the wondrousnds of only a small portion of this world, he was snapped back into reality as he noticed Irene standing over his shoulder.


    As he opened the book again, she watched him.


    Irene sat beside him, looking at the pages as she squinted for a minute but gave up, letting out a dramatic sigh.


    “…I can’t read it…” Irene pouted.


    Heughed a bit, “You know, I can teach you, if you want.”


    “Really?” Irene said as her eyes lit up.


    “Yeah, of course,” he nodded.


    From then on, starting on that same day, he began tutoring the blue-haired girl, helping her to learn to read and write the “Horizon-King Language”: thenguage shared by the alliance of three kingdoms known as the “Azure Table”: Milligarde, Bellmisa, and Vasmoria.


    Since thenguage is used by three of the most powerful kingdoms in the world, it’s sort of like themon tongue of Arcadius. That exins why Irene can speak it, but doesn’t know it herself, he thought.


    On that thought, he remembered what she told him of the homnd she came from when he originally asked:


    What she told him was “It’s a prettynd. Orange fields and golden trees…Half the year it’s perfectly warm, and the other half it rains constantly.”


    He didn’t know which country she was talking about at first, but after reading more, he found her words to be perfectly describing and known as Hollowvale.


    [A Month Prior]


    When he opened arge, heavy book that wasden with dust, titled “The Continent of Man”, he found the passage of Hollowvale, entranced by the description of the enigmatd:


    Marlu, Vasmorian Explorer, Hollowvale IIV:


    “‘I remember the first day my eyesid on the ind hidden behind such mist. It felt as though thend was too pure to be touched; something so beautiful that the hands of corrupt men such as myself shouldn’t be allowed to graze it.


    The sea swirled around our ship, lightning struck our sail, monsters of the depths mmed into its side…but, somehow, by some miracle…I washed on those shores. The grains of sand were silken smooth and pale white like snow.


    It never stopped raining; the clouds cried upon the trees which bore golden leaves, flourishing the vibrant fields of orange grass. I felt as if I was in some sort of wondend.


    I soon learned it wasn’t simply an ind, but a grandnd expanding far, housing a civilization of its own with humans just like myself.


    At first, I believed such isted people would be primitive, but I was wrong…They were far more advanced than us; steel moved on its own, smoke billowed above their buildings of such stalwart architecture, and those buildings themselves reached towards the heavens.


    I couldn’t find the words in my throat to voice it; I was simply in awe. They had wagons that moved without horses or beasts to drag them; self-sustaining water systems that didn’t require wells. It was I that felt like a primitive creature in those wonderfulnds.''”


    A passage like that felt as if he was hearing of an entirely new world within the one he inhabited.


    Unfortunately, that was about all of the knowledge there was on Hollowvale. Though it didn’t sound like they were adverse to outsiders, it did seem like most that came in were unable to leave.