When I was younger I had no plans for what to do with my life. My father worked as a village guard, which people in town called ’militia’ as I later figured out. He was the strongest man I knew, and I’m sure many other villagers felt the same. He could lift up boulders, easily carry logs and stop wild boars with his bare hands.

Still, if you said he was strong, then he would just laugh it off and say that there are plenty of people stronger than him, even in the village. ‘Like your mother,’ he always said, with a bright smile on his face. I think that smile was part of his charm, which made people feel at ease, whenever he arrived to solve a problem.

I think it was one of those usual conversations when I asked him what did he mean by that. He kept smiling, but from his furrowed eyebrows and wandering gaze I could tell he was deep in thoughts.

“Being strong” he started, “means something different to everyone. You see, for me, your mother is one of the strongest people in the world. Always working around the house, doing chores, looking after you, these are things I would never be capable of doing for years. Compared to that, fighting boars and bears are child’s play to me, you know. I know not everyone can do that, and that’s why they think of me as a strong man. And I am strong, sure, but far from the strongest, even if we only talk about physical strength. Strength can take many shapes and forms, and as such you need to find your own answer to what you think strong means. And that might help you to find your reason to live for, too. It all depends on you.” That’s what my father said. For a long while I didn’t know what he meant by those words. It didn’t matter what way I looked at it, I could only think of my father as the strongest person I knew. He taught me how to fight with a sword, so I knew it very well. On the other hand, I couldn’t imagine being a guard like him. And I couldn’t imagine myself as a farmer either. I genuinely don’t know what path I would have chosen if she didn’t show up.

Our village was situated close to the Kingdom’s border, but while the border was a big mountain range, occasionally strong beasts got past it, so we always had knight patrols coming and going through the streets. Shining armors, robust horses, and cold eyes – these were my impressions whenever they passed through. They didn’t talk to us, and my parents said I should avoid eye contact, lest I anger them. After a while I had started to avoid them on purpose, going to the nearby forest whenever I started to hear the clanking of their armors.

During one such occasion I met a girl in the woods. No, maybe ‘girl’ isn’t what I would call her. She seemed more like a lady, with her shoulder-length scarlet red hair and azure blue eyes. She wore clothes suitable for rangers, yet they didn’t look crude on her. Rather, the green casual clothes emphasized her beauty even more.

“Well, what do we have here?” she asked nonchalantly, sizing me up with her eyes. She lied in the grass but stood up when she saw me.

“I- I’m from the nearby village. My name is Kanda.” I told her reluctantly. She wasn’t from the village. And it must have been her first time here because I would have surely remembered if I saw her before.

“Kanda, huh. The name is Leyna, nice to meet ya!” She said with a bright smile, thrusting her right hand at me. I sheepishly accepted and shook her hand.

“Say, Miss Leyna, what are you doing in this forest? Are you lost?” I asked. It wasn’t rare to see travelling merchants, doctors, or patrols in the village, but other than them, nobody visited us. Even if the village was close to the border, we weren’t on the main trading route with the neighboring country, nor we had a road leading there. Villages like ours are called dead-end villages, as I later learnt, so it was strange seeing a person like her here.

“Hm, I wouldn’t say I’m lost, no. Rather, you said you are from a nearby village, right? Is this village called Berkham, by any chance?”

“Y- Yes, that’s correct.”

“Great, then I finally arrived! You wouldn’t believe how far you guys are living from the capital. Not to mention the roads! Bah, I don’t envy those traders I saw during my trip.”

“Are you from the capital?” I was shocked, but it explained her appearance. Back then I thought everyone in the capital looked like her. I was a bona fide country bumpkin.

“I’m certainly coming from there, but I don’t intend on living there, even if some people have other ideas about that.” She sighed heavily. “But enough of that. What are you doing in the forest? I don’t see any axe or herb bag on you. Nor any friends. Didn’t your parents tell you not to wander off alone? The woods can be dangerous for kids, you know?” She started lecturing me, but she got a point. Sometimes you hear rumors of strange animals dwelling deep within the forest, and my parents told me tales of people going missing in the past.

But we weren’t deep into the forest and according to the villagers, ever since my father became a guard nobody went missing. We were also close to the parts where we usually trained.

“I know this part of the forest well enough to not be afraid.” I stated defensively. “And I won’t be here for long, just until the patrols leave the village.”

“Oh? Then, it looks like we share something similar. I also don’t want to enter the village while they are there.”

“Why is that? Are you a criminal, Miss Leyna?” I asked warily, taking a step back.

“Hahaha, what’s with the ‘miss’? Just call me Leyna. And nah, I’m not a criminal, nor I have a bounty on my head – yet. I don’t think the king and the second prince are that desperate. It’s all good if I won’t go missing for more than two months… I think. A little freedom won’t hurt anyone, will it?” She said while shrugging, then laid down on the ground.

To tell the truth, I couldn’t understand half of what she was saying, but I could feel that it was something serious, and her casualness didn’t put me at ease. Still, I felt like I can’t leave her alone in the wilderness, so I followed suit and laid down next to her in the shades of the trees.

“Why did you decide to come to our village, Leyna? We rarely get any visitors here. Are you the relative of a villager or something?” I asked, trying to know more about her.

“A relative, huh… It’s a nice way of putting it. I came to visit a dear friend I haven’t seen in years. He was always the busy bee type, so no wonder he didn’t come to the capital in a long while. And sending letters is just too expensive and troublesome, you know? It’s way easier to meet in every few years. Tracking them down is way more troublesome, but fortunately this guy was always naïve a bit on that front, hehe.” Seeing her saying such words, I felt like I heard something I shouldn’t have. The village will certainly be a bit nosier with her around, I thought.

A little bit later we could hear horses and clanking armors in the distance as the patrol team left the village.

“I guess this is our sign to enter the village,” said Leyna. “I would ask you to show me around, but I think I will know my way. I will stay here for a while, so we will surely meet each other again. You seem like an interesting fellow, so it would be a shame if I couldn’t teach you anything, while I’m here.”

“Teaching?” I asked confusedly while we were walking back to the village. “So, you are a teacher then? You don’t look like one.”

“Honesty is your forte, I see.” She laughed. “And I’m an instructor, to be more precise. But I can also teach various subjects and things. Do you know how to read and write, Konda?”

“It’s Kanda,” I corrected her. “The old Mrs. Holomitz taught us. Mathematics too. She said we can never know when we would need them.”

“She sounds like a wise woman. And she is right. Reading and writing might not be necessary in the everyday village life, but if any of you want to find a job in the cities, then it’s essential.” As she finished her sentence, she stopped in her tracks. We arrived at the village gates.

“Well, I still need to go and buy something. I can’t arrive empty-handed to a friend I haven’t seen in years, can I? See ya later Konda. You will find me around the square or the woods, most likely. Can’t wait!” She said as she was already running towards Old Gustav’s shop.

“It’s Kanda!” I shouted after her, but I was sure she didn’t hear it. And even if she did, she would still get my name wrong.

—¦—

It was late afternoon when I arrived home. As I entered the house, I could see my father’s worrisome face. He seemed to be deep in thoughts.

“Is everything okay, Father?” I asked. It was rare to see him having such a face.

“Hm? Ah, yeah. Welcome home, Kanda. Did you have fun today?”

“…You could say that.” I must have made some strange face because I could see the question in my father’s eyes.

“Don’t worry about your father, Kanda” said my mother who just came out from the kitchen, holding a pot in her hands. It smelled great. “The knights just brought him some bad news. He will get over it in no time, right, my dear?”

“A- As you say, Lutezia” he said as he cleared his throat, preparing for dinner. “It’s not something I should be worrying about in the first place. Bennett is a more likely target.”

“Good thing you mention him, we should visit them sometime. It has been ages since I spoke with Rebeca, and I’m sure Kanda would also like to meet his uncle. He was a newborn baby when they last met,” said my mother while she put out the plates and spoons. The people they talked about were Uncle Bennett and Aunt Rebeca. While they weren’t my blood relatives, my father and Uncle Bennett were like siblings, according to my mother.

“You know it’s not that simple. All of us are busy with our duties, it was already a miracle that they could visit us when Kanda was born.”

“We also visited them when Erica was born. She must have turned into a fine young lady by now. Kanda would get along well with her, I’m sure of it.”

Suddenly, somebody knocked on the door. It was already sunset, nearly time for dinner in the village. It was odd for someone to visit at such a time.

“I will go and check it. Maybe Mr. Jonah needs something” I said, then opened the door.

The person standing before our house was her. The woman from the woods. Leyna.

“Oh? Konda, what are you doing here?” She asked surprised. She held two bags in her hands.

“It’s Kanda. And I’m living here.” I started to get used to the fact that she would never learn it. Not like she would stay in the village for long, or so I thought.

“Eh, you must be kidding! Then where does Boro live?” It seemed as if her surprise grew greater and greater with each sentence.

But the same could be said for me.

“That’s my father’s name… You came to visit my father? He is your ‘dear friend’?” My father never mentioned anything about her. As I was thinking that, I realized that my father rarely talked about his past.

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“What does Mr. Jonah want Kan-” My mother came to the door, but she fell silent the moment she saw Leyna.

“Oh, if it isn’t Lute! It has been ages! And it means I’m at the right place, then. Is Boro at home? I brought some presents!” She said happily, holding up the bags.

“You bought them from Old Gustav didn’t you, Lady Aleyna?” said my mother. Her voice was ice cold. I couldn’t remember the last time I heard her talking like that. It looked like there was a reason why they didn’t mention anything about her.

“As keen as ever, aren’t we,” laughed Leyna embarrassedly. “And I told you to stop with that ‘lady’ nonsense. Just call me Leyna.”

“I beg your pardon Lady Aleyna, but I have no intention of fulfilling your wish. Nor I need to. It seems the knights were right about your arrival.”

“Hoho~ So they really knew I will be coming. The second prince becomes sharper by the day. I assume they sent messengers to the others too, so Dorian should get me a little time with his silver tongue. He didn’t become an abbot for nothing.”

“You are as shrewd as ever.”

“Oh, don’t say that~ You won’t get anywhere by complimenting me.”

I interrupted their conversation. “Mom, how do you know Leyna?” I didn’t get what was going on. Who was this girl? She didn’t look that much older than me, yet my parents knew her from somewhere. When did they meet her? Question after question popped up in my head.

“Given you are calling her that, I assume you have already met. Let’s talk this over during dinner.” Then she turned to Leyna. “Although I didn’t prepare for guests, you are free to join us, Lady Aleyna.”

“Oh, gladly. I can also make something from the things I brought.” She said, following us in.

“That won’t be necessary,” replied my mother instantly, then shouted to my father, not so happily. “Dear, we have a guest!”

My father came out to the hall and froze as he saw Leyna.

“Master?” His voice contained disbelief and worry at the same time. I was also surprised to learn that the woman I met today was none other than my father’s teacher.

“Boro! Haven’t seen you since you left the capital! I see you took Lute with yourself. You were lovey-dovey even back then, but who would’ve thought that you will get married? And you also have a child! I never would’ve guessed that Konda is your kid. You should look after him more, you know? We met at the forest, who knows what kind of danger he would’ve faced if I wasn’t there.”

“I am convinced that you are the greatest danger he could face in the forest, Lady Aleyna.”

“Please, don’t start it Lutezia,” pleaded my father. I could see the struggle in his eyes as he tried to calm down my mother. “I apologize Master, you know what she thinks of you.”

“Oh, absolutely, no offense taken. It’s not like she is wrong,” said Leyna with her usual, nonchalant tone. I could see that my father would’ve preferred to ignore that last sentence.

“Still, I need to ask: why did you visit us, Master? It has been twenty years since I left the capital and haven’t seen you since.” I was surprised by what my father said. His master looked like a woman in her twenties. There is no way a little girl could teach my father twenty years ago… Right?

“So you weren’t the one who invited her? I thought you called her here. Then maybe it was Bennett?” I couldn’t remember Uncle Bennett’s face, but I was sure my mother would slap him the next time they met if it was the case. The last time she was this angry was when I was seven and went to the forest alone.

“No, I didn’t call for her, and even if Bennett told her to come here, I’m sure there is a reason behind it. Right, Master?” said my father and looked at her.

Leyna fell silent for a while, then with her usual smile said “Let’s talk this over dinner, shall we? Who wants some rolls? Fresh from Gustav’s oven.”

My parents didn’t say anything. They silently walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table instead. The stew which my mother made was already there. She also got a plate for Leyna.

“I believe I should introduce her to you,” turned my father towards me. My parents seemed to calm down a bit. “Her name is Aleyna Flora Fierrine. She was my instructor back in the capital, and the leader of an… adventurer group, or something like that. I was part of it with Uncle Bennett. She has also been serving the Kingdom as an advisor for more than a century, and she is one of the Four Sages who try to keep the balance between the neighboring countries.”

“It’s Five Sages now. The southern Balduan Republic also gained the aid of an Elven mage a few years ago, named Bonnia,” added Leyna.

“Are you also an elf?” I asked in surprise. It was the first time I have seen one in person. I heard from Mr. Jonah that they are a race which lives through thousands of years, and only a few of them are living together with humans. To think that a member of this mythical race is my father’s teacher…

“Are you surprised?” smiled Leyna and showed me her pointy ears. “I thought you already knew I’m an elf when we met in the forest. But hey, now you know.”

“As I said,” my father continued, “we had an adventurer group, and she saved my life several times during the missions we took. I will owe her until I die.” I had never seen my father so serious beforehand. “After I left the capital I lost contact with her, because my master is… an eccentric person who doesn’t like letters.”

“They are unnecessary! There is no need to cut down trees when you can talk face-to-face” interrupted Leyna again.

“And that’s the reason you came here, right? To talk with us about something,” joined in my mother after she gave stew to everyone.

Leyna, just like before, fell silent again. “Let’s talk about that later. First let me taste Lute’s cooking again. I’m telling you Konda, your mother’s cooking is unparalleled in the whole court. I’m missing it ever since she left,” said Leyna, then started to eat, smiling even more.

“Mom worked in the capital?” I always thought that my parents lived their whole life in this village. The other villagers didn’t tell me anything about it.

“They didn’t tell you? She was the best cook in the palace. You should have seen the lethargy on the king’s face when she said she quits.”

“I used to work in the kitchen,” explained my mother. “Then I met your father and we decided to leave the capital to raise you in a peaceful environment. The capital isn’t suited to raise children in. Nor for us to live there. It’s only fit for hopeful young people and shrewd, old men.”

“Please don’t misunderstand,” added my father. “Lutezia might be exaggerating but we wouldn’t have had a peaceful life there. We thought the countryside would be better for you. We would have told you everything when we felt you were ready to embark on your own journey. We already talked it over with your mother several times in the last two years. Next year you will turn sixteen, and we would have told you these things then. We thought it would be the best for you this way.”

I didn’t know what to say. My parents lived in the capital, my mother cooked for the royal family while my father was an adventurer. I should have felt betrayed. I should have felt great confusion, unable to understand why they would have kept it a secret from me. Yet somehow I knew that my parents just wanted the best for me. My father had been sparring with me ever since I was little, and he also taught me how to survive in the wild. Meeting his master and learning this much about their past was just too sudden. Too abrupt.

It didn’t feel real.

We spent the rest of the dinner in silence which was only broken by Leyna’s occasional humming as she ate my mother’s stew.

“So, why did you visit us, Leyna?” I asked her in the end. If this concerned my father and mother, then it concerned me as well. “And what did you mean when you said my father is naïve when it comes to tracking him down?”

“I told you that you shouldn’t keep that bracelet,” sighed my mother when she heard my words.

“It was a present from my captain, how could I not keep it? You also kept that hair-comb Ferdinand gave you.”

“Ferdinand won’t come barging in our door, nor did he give me that to track me down!”

“Now, now, the tracking came in handy, didn’t it? Thanks to that I can tell you the news.”

“What news?” asked my father anxiously.

“Someone has been scheming in the background. I had asked Lei to help me investigate it, but… I didn’t hear from her since.”

“Since when?”

“Three months.”

“Lorelei… has died? Unbelievable. There is no way,” said my father.

“I also don’t think so. I cannot track her location, but to be safe I asked for a little of her hair beforehand. She is still alive, but I can’t contact her. Nor can I track her down. For now. But she is a clever girl. I already told the others over the last week and asked them to be cautious.”

The air suddenly grew heavy. This topic was beyond me. I don’t know who this Lorelei person was. But the fact that Leyna told my parents to be cautious made me anxious as well.

“And what is this ‘scheming’ that’s going on in the background?” asked my mother.

“We don’t know exactly. Things started to change in the kingdom and the Noznian Empire in the last few years. There are more and more corrupt people in the ministries and the generals also get more and more temperamental with each year. King Rufus also seems to be more frustrated, and Prince Ashton don’t want me to leave the court. As you could see, they already dispatched soldiers to look for me.”

“Isn’t this just the usual political intrigue which has been going on in the court for dynasties, Master? There also wasn’t any major war in the last thirty years, so the generals turning fidgety isn’t that surprising. The sages won’t allow a war to happen between the allied countries. Why should we be concerned about this?”

“Through scrying I could identify that the source of these changes is magical in nature. And the magic they use is… something you are familiar with.” Leyna cast down her eyes as she said that.

“No, that can’t be,” my father shook his head. “You yourself checked it. He is dead. He can’t be the cause of this.” I didn’t know what they talked about, but I had never seen my father visibly shaking before. “What should I do if he came back? I can’t protect my family, not against a madman like him.”

“It is not him… I think. Someone might have obtained his spell book somehow and became his successor. Even if it’s really him, he didn’t do anything until now, which means he doesn’t have enough power. He can be stopped.” Leyna’s voice was as calm as it could be, I could see she didn’t want to scare my father.

“I am sorry Master, but I can’t help. I will turn forty-three this summer, I’m past my prime. If you asked me ten, no, even five years ago, I would’ve helped. But I can’t anymore.”

“I didn’t come here to ask for your help particularly. The others also said similar things, which I understand. Only Lei and Prim said they will help if they can… Also, Bennett’s daughter and an apprentice of Dorian.” As she said that, she glanced at me for a moment.

My father stood up, as if he suddenly realized something.

“No. No, no, no, not a chance. I won’t send my son into his death. He is fifteen years old. He is way too young. I’d rather go myself then.”

“You were thirteen when you joined the academy, and sixteen when you went on your first adventure with me.”

“Yes, to kill horned hares, not to face him, for the love of gods!”

“What are you two talking about? Who is ‘him’?” asked my mother seemingly fed up with the situation. It looked like she was as dumbfounded as me. My father sighed and sat back down, holding his head for a while before speaking.

“Terzo. A mage and master puppeteer. He caused that incident which cost Prince Leopold his life. You and most of the people in the capital don’t remember him because you were under his spell when the incident happened,” explained my father and I could see my mother turning pale. “We finished him off. It’s all in the past… At least I thought it was.”

“I am not asking you to send your son into his death,” Leyna returned to the topic. “I will stay in the village for a while and teach him. He can refuse to aid us, and if I deem him unprepared at the end, then I will just leave. I said the same to Bennett and Dorian. But I ask you to not stop Konda if he decides to leave.”

“My name is Kanda.” I said, to ease the atmosphere a bit. “I will be frank. I don’t know the details of the situation. This whole capital and adventuring thing is new to me. But you came all the way here to inform us and gain help if you can, right? You can count on me.”

“Kanda, don’t, it is… “ My father pleaded with a pained expression but I shook my head.

“You said you owe her your life, Father. Let me help you repay your debt.”

Leyna’s arrival made me realize certain things. I wanted to learn more about my parents’ past. I wanted to meet all those people they talked about. I wanted to see what lies outside of our village.

I wanted to get stronger.

My father nodded with a gloomy expression.

“I have another condition,” he added. “He can’t leave if he can’t defeat me.”

I was startled by what my father said. Me? Defeating him? It was something I couldn’t imagine. We sparred countless times until then, and my father never went easy on me. He said bandits and wild animals won’t go easy on me either, so I should give my best during practice too.

“Alright. I’m sure that in two weeks Konda will be capable of doing that much. You in your prime, though… That would require at least two, or rather three months.”

“I see you are as confident in your training skills as you were, Master. If you really can pull it off in two weeks, then I will have no objection.”

“Dear, you can’t say that seriously!” It was my mother’s turn to be upset.

“Lutezia. Our son will turn into a man soon. We can’t hold him back if he wants to leave the nest and fly away. He will be safe in the capital from him... I also have a hunch, that Master isn’t planning to throw him to the dragons.”

“Indeed. Even if a new adventure group can be formed, it will take time for the teamwork to take shape. The incident will also take at least four-five more years to form based on my estimation. We are lucky to find out about it so early, so we can prepare properly. I won’t let last time happen again. I promise.” I could see the determination in her eyes.

“There you go with that serious expression again,” scoffed my mother. “You always get what you want. That’s why I never really liked you. But you also rarely promised anything, even back then, Lady Aleyna. And when you did, you went as far as you needed to keep your promise.” My mother deeply sighed, then turned to my father. “Fine. If he has no objections, then train him to your heart’s content. And don’t you dare go easy on him my dear, you understand? We need to be sure he is ready to embark.”

“I know very well. I also hope Master will find his training until now satisfactory.”

“Knowing you, I only need to make small adjustments and teach him some new techniques. A few new styles have been born since you left the capital, you know? One of them is called the Boro style. You really impressed Michael during that tournament, didn’t you?”

“So that rascal named a style after me? I might need to visit him to make sure it’s fitting to my name.”

“I can reassure you that the style resembles your fighting very well,” smiled Leyna again, and so did my father.

The rest of the night was spent with my parents and Leyna telling each other what they have been up to since they last met, and questions about old friends and acquaintances. After a while I got sleepy enough to go to bed and drifted into sleep, listening to their voices.