In the flourishing streets of the Lore Kingdom’s capital Kilan, the breeze from the sea came quite salty today.

Leonardo, fit into a black suit and a grey jacket over his shoulders, came before a shouting paper boy.

‘’Oh, mister Leo! Fancy to see you around again, you are back from the frontier?’’

‘’Indeed,’’ Leonardo said. His hair had only grown a fair bit after shaving it in the frontier division, so anyone that saw him could guess when he came back. ‘’Armistice news should be in the latest issue as well, I assume?’’

‘’No, this is a special one!’’ Paper boy presented the paper in his hands, stopped, then took out a fresh one from his large brown satchel. The texture retained some of its heat.

‘’Oh? Why so?’’

‘’Look! Look! It is at the first page—Actually, the whole issue was reserved for this event!’’

‘’Then excuse me for a moment, I’ll find myself somewhere to rest.’’ Leonardo took out a silver denar from the front pocket of his suit and put in the hand of the paper boy.

‘’See you later Mister Leo!’’

Leonardo gave a backhanded wave and walked across the plaza, clutching the newspaper tight between his fingers. The title he saw from the corner already gave him an idea about what it was.

‘’Two years of mourning ends!’’

Shuffling between the crowd of well-looking nobles alike him and merchants from the guild bank up the Golden Hill, he reached to the Fountain Square where, as it was named, a huge fountain stood at the center. He gazed at the golden color of the water for a moment, then approached an old lady reading the paper sitting on a bench.

‘’May I sit, madam?’’

The lady slid a little to the corner and gestured. ‘’Of course, don’t mind me.’’

Giving an appreciative smile Leonardo settled down, crossed his legs, and leaned his back to the cold wood.

He took a deep breath, then rolled open the front page.

‘’Two years of mourning ends!’’

‘’After the death of his mentor, the Archmage J Goldsmith, Amare A. Goldsmith climbs up the highest peak of the world!’’

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‘’Accompanied by our group from the Association Of History, the disciple of the Martyr Archmage Saint J. Goldsmith started his pilgrimage to the King’s Jaw two years ago after the battle of Four Saints. He carried the ashes of his mentor from the eastern tip of the Elven Forest Of Serenity, through the Islands Of Exiles, and the barren wilderness of the Aeon Empire. The painstaking journey, filled with many hardships and setbacks, is now complete!’’

A realistic image of the Amare holding a golden urn was drawn onto the rest of the page. The lights of the sun licked his back and his gigantic shadow seemed to cover the members of the association gathered around him. There was the Vice-president Jonathan Chasterunner, who had been long friends with the Saint, the Main Consultant of the association Jeanne Drywood, an Elven historian who raised the Saint from his childhood like her own child, and there...

When he identified everyone in the group, Leonardo continued to read. List of the names, professions, and the personal history between each individual and Saint Archmage continued to fill the pages at the back. There were words from them, heartfelt and humorous memories, as well as lessons the Saint left them with.

But at the front of the last page, there was one single line.

‘’For another warm welcome—Amare A. Goldsmith.’’

Leonardo stared at the line for a long time; those who knew what he meant numbered only four, and now that the Saint was gone, it had been reduced to three.

He sighed and swiped a tear from the corner of his eye.

‘’Finally over, isn’t it?’’ The old lady sighed as well. ‘’May he rest with all gods above and below.’’

‘’...Yes, madam, may he rest with all gods above and below.’’

Leonardo gazed at the sky. He had a weird gleam in his eyes, but it showed no sign of awareness. After some time, when he heard the old lady yelp, his attention returned.

‘’What happened, madam?’’

‘’The back page says they are on the way. Where to though? I can’t help but be curious.’’

He also flipped the page and looked at the last part.

‘’The whole entourage is now back on track, and many await their return; especially our fuming president...’’

After skimming through the usual president demeaning jokes section Leonardo stood up. He gave a polite farewell with his hand on his chest to the old lady and left towards his house at the top of the three-layered city.

When he came near, he saw a man standing right in front of his gates. He looked all dusty and battered, clothes ripped and torn, and so was naturally being told off by his estate’s guards.

But when he turned back, in contrast to the sorry sight his appearance gave, he carried a huge, beaming smile. His eyes sparkled like stars. Their gazes met at that moment.

They looked at each other for a second, then ran towards each other in a mad sprint.

‘’Ame!’’

‘’Leo!’’

‘’You two big idiots!’’

A woman descended between them from the balcony of the estate right before their collision.

‘’My lady!’’

Their sudden fight truly was an act unbecoming of nobles like themselves.

But it was only appropriate for friends from the same earth.