Traveling to Auro from Albriar was a fairly peaceful journey. A few beasts forced Dylan to stop, but as one of the strongest of his kind, they were easily dispatched.

Though, he was currently asking for information about the surrounding soldiers' location from another traveler on the road.

"As you can guess, everyone is on edge. I heard from a guard that the beastmen are on the hunt around here. If I were you, I'll be careful."

A traveler with a large backpack explained to Dylan, who put his hood back on his head to avoid unnecessary attention.

"I see, I'll keep that in mind in case I see any beastman."

'Even if this information is true, I'm a beastman too, nothing to worry about, since we don't attack each other for no reason. Moreover, this is definitely my recent payback that led to this.'

Dylan laughed in his mind. Words traveled at a very fast speed among humans.

"I have shared what I know, but I am curious, sir. Why would you need this information for?"

Since Dylan was hiding his face, it made the traveler particularly suspicious of him.

"As you can see, I'm traveling with a baby. I had to flee from Albriar, as some guards over there tried to steal him away from me. It led to so much trouble, I've started avoiding them."

Dylan brought the best excuse he prepared in advance, just in case.

"I see. I have heard that the number of orphans increased due to the recent attack of the Azure Dragon. The guards might think that taking children away might help them strengthen their army eventually, which is a sad reality nowadays."

The traveler relaxed to Dylan's words, but tensed at his own.

"The dragons? Are they nearby?"

Dylan was surprised after hearing this news.

*

The dragons were the strongest faction of this world behind Elliott, who was a powerhouse by himself.

Dragons were written in books as prideful beings. They were the last faction to be oppressed, or so it said.

The books said that at last, the dragons awakened and returned to hunt humans after freeing themselves from their oppressors.

With the fact that a few cities were recently attacked by a dragon only made things difficult to ignore the truth. They truly returned. But what made it even more shocking, was that only one dragon was the cause of this carnage.

The Azure Dragon, a massive dragon with blue scales.

*

Another thought immediately popped inside Dylan's head.

'I don't believe the Apostles will remain still. This is their chance to hunt a dragon. If they are strong enough, that is.'

*

The Apostles, direct descendants of Elliott's greatest allies, worked hard to preserve the current 'balance' between factions, or to keep the oppressed faction under their ruling thumb until now.

They retained most of the powers of their ancestors, even improving it with time.

There was a flagrant difference between the Apostles, and their soldiers: magic.

If you could use magic, then you could potentially be promoted to higher ranks, the highest one being able to support the Apostle as an advisor. If not, then a soldier you would become.

*

"Currently, no. There were no sightings of dragon nearby. The fight happened a few kilometers away to the East, I heard."

The traveler thought, remembering the details.

"A small village got caught in the rampage, many lost their homes, the unlucky ones, their lives. There were also countless orphans as a consequence."

"The truth is, there are probably no survivors. Everything was reduced to ashes."

You could hear some sadness in his voice.

"This is tragic indeed. The civilians should not suffer needlessly."

Dylan began to think.

'A small village... I hope it isn't Auro. I would be back to square one if this was the case. Orion won't be able to survive otherwise.'

"Thank you very much for your time and the information you gave me. I should leave now."

Dylan extended his hand to the traveler.

"No, I should thank you, it's been a while since I had a friendly discussion like this. I hope you travel safely wherever you go."

The traveler grabbed Dylan's hand and shook it strongly.

"Alright Orion, we should move now, I need to be certain Auro is still standing."

Dylan hopped it wasn't Auro that fell victim to the dragon's attack.

The sleeping Orion did not answer. Instead, only his slow breathing could be heard.

"You're pretty easygoing, huh?"

Even Dylan speaking to someone else could not bother the baby's sleep. Same as before, Orion kept dreaming peacefully.

"All ready, let's move."

Dylan hopped on the horse, and it kicked lightly before moving East again.

~

The surrounding area comprised mostly distanced thickets separated by fields growing crops. Most of it wheat and corn, but sometimes carrots and potatoes too.

On the west side, you could see a forest, the forest of Albriar, where Dylan found Orion.

In the far distance, past the forest, appeared a thin blue line, barely visible. The Carmel Sea was only visible because of Dylan's incredible ability to see long distances.

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The Carmel Sea was a dangerous, but rewarding place where all kinds of goods and food could be found. It was also the home of another faction, the Kelpies.

This faction was composed of a representative being that could shape-shift into a human, with the rest being the equivalent of underwater horses with fins and tails.

In the east, where the village of Auro was supposed to be, only the paved road appeared as far as the eyes could see. The road to Auro was still a few hours away.

The north, where the city of Lahro and the white forest supposed to be home to the fairies, showed only a tiny outline of the two locations. It was difficult to notice them in between the fields and the thickets, but it was an easy task for Dylan's eyesight.

What caught the eyes was the massive mountains range in the

"What a beautiful view..."

Dylan looked at the Carmel Sea and stretched, alternating arms to hold Orion. Observing the scenery was the only pleasure he found while traveling around the continent.

~

"My Lord, we found the four bodies of the missing soldiers sent to the Forest of Albriar."

A subordinate walked towards a well-dressed man reading a book.

"I see, I suppose they found themselves against the infamous 'Dylan' and suffered from it?"

The man turned the page to the next one, not looking at his subordinate.

"As you said, they showed traces of lacerations. To be frank, it was gruesome to see."

The subordinate turned his gaze away and put a hand to his mouth.

"Tom, your weak heart will kill you one day."

The well-dressed man closed his book after putting a book marker between the pages he stopped at.

His subordinate, Tom, turned to look at his Lord, the Apostle of Albriar, Florian Delur.

"What do I have to fear with you around, my Lord?"

Tom couldn't contain his fervor for his 'Lord'.

Florian stood up from his seat, a simple wooden chair, built with comfortable cushions on the seat and back.

He was a man who refused the fancy lifestyle. He enjoyed a peaceful life reading, yet still had to show his authority as an Apostle. Not only that, but he was in some ways wise, thought was sometimes wronged by all the knowledge he obtained from his constant reading.

"What do we do about 'him', My Lord?"

"Nothing."

Florian was straight to the point.

"What do you mean by nothing? Shouldn't we track him at least?"

Tom was dumbfounded.

"I'm going to ask, but do you wish to die? Because I'm not ready yet, you see?"

Florian smiled nervously and turned around.

"This 'Dylan' is the beastmen's 'Savior'. For some reason that isn't explained anywhere, each of the factions possess a 'Savior', made to keep their members away from the conflicts we try to create with them. They are not only strong, they are incredibly intelligent."

Florian explained to the unknowing Tom the threat that those 'Saviors' represented.

"They never try to kill us Apostles, but if we were to attack, they'd definitely retaliate with no hesitation. Stay away from them. Try not to antagonize them, or you'll most likely end up like those four. Magic or not, you'll be dead before the sun sets."

Florian was strong, he could manage to fight Dylan for a few hours. The problems would appear at the first sign of exhaustion. He wasn't sure his stamina could support him until he won. He already fought the dragons' 'Savior' with another Apostle, so he knew how terrifying it was. They barely managed to make it 'flee' at that time.

Just remembering his fight against the infamous Azure Dragon made his hand slightly tremble. To forget that, he adjusted the glasses he was wearing with his pinky and turned to Tom.

"We won't do anything. And for the love of all beings, stop pillaging the beastmen villages. My patience cannot endure more reports of your stupidity."

"Why do you think that man was here for? The destruction of the windmill, the soldiers' quarters, and a part of the fields took serious damage. Do you think I'm made of money? What you took from them is ten times lower than the cost of repairing all of that mess!"

Florian lost his patience and lashed out at Tom, who had no choice but to lower his head at his Lord's outburst of rage.

"You know what, you pay for it. If you can't, I'll take the salary of you and all your subordinates until it's paid."

Florian had to punish them in somehow.

"My Lord?! This is-"

Tom was cut before finishing.

"Unfair? The death of our people is unfair too, though you don't hear them complain, do you?"

With this last sentence, Tom fell silent.

"Yes, my Lord, I will notify all the soldiers to stop any conflicts with the factions surrounding Albriar."

His aid said in utter defeat.

"Good, you can leave now."

Florian picked his book and returned to his reading.

"Yes."

Tom left, his head still low.

'Let's hope a few years can pass without any more incidents.'

~

"We're finally here, Orion."

Dylan was delighted to see the village of Auro still standing.

It was a nice village of 143 inhabitants. 16 of them were orphans, and one of them was human.

The houses showed that beastmen liked to live in logged houses. They were skillful enough to build them themselves, showing individuality in each of them too. There were 32 houses in Auro, separated by the plaza that had a beautiful fountain in the center.

From the plaza, the left wing was the commerce alley, the right wing was the living alley, the top wing was the town hall, and at the bottom, the orphanage.

Everything was cleanly separated by 4 roads. Since the village was built inside a thick forest, sunlight had a hard time piercing the thick vegetation, making the place look slightly dark.

"Welcome to our village. Can we ask who you might be?"

The villager seemed on edge, expecting a human in front of him.

"My apologies. Do not look so tense, please. My name is Dylan."

Dylan brought his hood back to his shoulders, revealing his beastman features, which instantly calmed the villager.

"Dylan? Our protector?! I have to inform the mayor! Please, could you wait at the fountain, we will receive you properly in a brief moment!"

"Sure thing."

The villager escorted Dylan to the fountain, excused himself, and ran like never before in his life to the town hall.

In less than three minutes, an old man with a gray beard was seen rushing out the town hall, almost tripping on the way.

"Sir Dylan! It is a pleasure having you in Auro. I am the mayor, my name is Milo. What is the subject of your visit?"

The old mayor was having trouble catching his breath.

"Please, take it easy, I'm not as great as you make me look."

Dylan smiled gently.

"If you say so, sir Dylan. Is it your child in your arms? If so, congratulations!"

The mayor didn't overlook the baby in Dylan's arms.

"Oh, no! This child is an orphan I found during my payb-... my small trip to Albriar."

Dylan almost threw himself under the cart.

"I am here to see if you could take care of him in your orphanage."

Dylan looked at Orion with a hint of sadness.

"I see, another one of those unlucky children who lost everything. What a world we live in."

The mayor was exhausted by the current situation in the world. Though, he switched gear and smiled at Dylan.

"Yes, we still have room for a new member. We will gladly deliver you from this task. We won't disappoint you, since you have chosen our village to make it his home."

A glint of pride appeared in the mayor's eyes.

"Thank you very much, mayor."

"This way, please follow me."

Dylan walked in the direction of the orphanage with the mayor.

...

After walking a few minutes, they arrived in front of the orphanage.

They both entered the main hall of the building, catching the attention of a man with a monocle and a goatee, who ended up approaching quickly.

"Mayor, what can I do for you today? Is it about another orphan?"

The man was quick on the uptake. He analyzed them as soon as they stepped foot inside.

"Yes Director Keith. Sadly, another human who lost their family in these terrible times."

The mayor explained briefly the circumstances around Dylan and Orion.

"I understand. We will take the necessary procedures to include this child into the family."

The man known as Keith smiled brightly.

*

Director Keith was a man who loved children. He loved seeing them the happiest they could be, to be precise.

When he was young, he witnessed a close friend of him lose his family at a young age. This friend lost his will to live, and perished not long after from despair.

Since then, he worked hard to become the director of an orphanage and thrived to accept all sorts of children, to create a place for them, they could call 'Home'.

*

"Thank you very much, I will leave this child in your care then. His name his Orion. His full name is displayed on this bracelet."

"Please ensure he keeps it with him."

Dylan handed over Orion with difficulty into Keith's arms.

"We will. Please don't hesitate to stop by anytime to look at his growth. You have the right as his savior."

Director Keith bowed lightly after commenting.

"I will do that. I would like to teach him a few things too over the years."

Dylan was delighted to get more chances to see Orion. He considered Orion like his child by this point.

'I'll return home faster than usual after this.'

"This is my cue then. Please, take good care of him."

Dylan turned back, and with heavy steps, crossed the orphanage's doors. He turned back to look at Orion one last time, who at one point awakened from his sleep.

Orion was staring at him, shaking his little arms, making it look like a goodbye.

Dylan waved his hand at Orion, turned back, and left him in Auro's orphanage, in the care of Director Keith.

On the way back, Dylan couldn't stop his tears from falling.

He arrived in his hometown, Logran, in less than six days instead of fifteen.