The night was breezy, and the moon was obscured by black clouds. The howls of wolves can be heard. Sir Ludwig suddenly appeared right in front of Alejandro's eyes. Alejandro began to tremble in fear, confused as to why this monster was still alive?!
“Boy! I finally found you, hahaha! How about a second round, huh?” the hunter was looking at the boy with lust and an evil expression.
“How…? How are you still alive?! You were already dead back at the tent! Bavael killed you!” the poor boy was trembling as if he had seen a ghost.
"Yes, I am indeed dead. Look at my neck, you have done this," the hunter said, pointing to his sliced throat.
The poor child couldn't believe what he was seeing, he was sweating and pale as ever. He began to run, and his surroundings were completely dark. He yelled continuously for help, but no one could hear him. His scream bounced and resonated across the darkness. He suddenly tripped and fell. He looked behind him and saw the hunter with a cut throat and blood gushing from it. The hunter then begins to remove his pants, beginning with his belt.
“Can you see how pathetic and weak you are, boy? This is why you were unable to escape me the last time. I believed things would be different right now, but it appears I was mistaken. Now, shall we have a second round?" The hunter smirked, and his lust grew even stronger.
“No! No! No!” the boy screamed repeatedly as the hunter began to remove his pants.
"Noooooo!!!” Alejandro woke in his bed, sweating profusely and struggling to breathe. He then looks out the window and notices the dark clouds passing over the moon as it unveiled itself.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"Ale, are you alright?! May I come inside?" A girl's voice can be heard, and it shows signs of distress.
“Yes, you may.”
The girl then opened the door and came in and instantly ran to Alejandro.
“Are you okay? What happened? I heard you screaming repeatedly! Did a wolf enter here?!” Desiree was asking a lot of questions as she was worried about Alejandro.
"I am fine. It was only a dream. A nightmare, specifically." Alejandro gazed down at his quivering hands.
Desiree continued to ask if the boy was really okay, but her voice faded. The only thing Alejandro could hear right now is his own mind.
Am I truly that weak? Was this the actual reason I couldn't get away from him before? I thought I'd gotten stronger. Maybe he's right. After all, brother Raphael defeated me and caused this burn, whereas that hunter was able to molest me. How could I be so weak?! I don't want to be this weak anymore, I want to be stronger!
“Hey, are you listening?!”
Alejandro then looked at Desiree again. “I am fine, really. There is no need for you to heal me or anything. I’ll just go back to sleep and so will you.” Alejandro then went back to sleep, covering himself with a blanket. As for the girl, she then exits the room with a sad expression.
CLANG CLANG CLANG
The bird suddenly flies away as it hears the noise. The sun rose with a shining light. Alejandro then wakes up as he smells a delicious smell.
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“Breakfast is ready!” the girl shouted.
Alejandro begins to stand up from his bed. He grabbed his daggers, placed them in his pocket bag, and wore them. Alejandro then leaves the room, closing the door. He went to the dining room since he noticed a delicious fish on the table. Desiree and old man Austin are already sitting, waiting for Alejandro before they start to eat.
“What are you waiting for, Ale? Come sit beside me so that we can start eating already!” Desiree cheerfully smiles and offers the seat beside her to Alejandro.
Alejandro then smiles and hurriedly sits on the chair besides Desiree. The girl then folds her hand together as she starts to pray.
“Dear God, thank you for this wonderful meal that you have given us. Thank you for the blessings that you have given to us. We promise to never waste this fish that you blessed us with.”
The girl then opened her eyes and started to grab a piece of the fish. She also offered a piece to her grandfather and to Alejandro. The three of them are like family, peacefully eating their breakfast. As they were eating, old man Austin began to start a conversation.
“Boy, the sword is ready. I will give it to you after breakfast.”
Alejandro stared at old Austin with dazzling eyes and a big smile on his face. "Really?!" Alejandro sprang out and started eating the fish quicker. He finished his first meal while Desiree and old man Austin were still eating their fish. Desiree giggled, as she was also excited to see the sword that her grandfather made. The boy then ran to the room where old man Austin would work and forge weapons. He patiently waited for old man Austin to finish his breakfast.
Not long after, old man Austin and Desiree came to the room where Alejandro is waiting. As they entered the room, they saw Alejandro standing and looking at the shining sword laying in the metal.
“Alright, boy. I have spent days forging this sword just for you. I think you can wield this sword just fine. You see, this sword is special to me. This is what I used back in my days where I was serving as a knight in Parandor Fortress. I retired from being a knight and started the art of forging swords. Today, this sword belongs to you. May this sword guide you in your journey.”
Old man Austin clearly loves the sword that he was holding right now. This sword was like his very own son. However, it is much better to give his son to Alejandro than being abandoned and getting rust in a basement. Although it was a hard choice for him, he already knew that this sword was looking for a new father. This sword was hungry for battle and blood. It has not been fed for many years.
He then offers the sword to the boy. "This is Khalib, which indicates that he is strong and powerful. A friend of mine helped me forge this sword years ago. He was a foreigner and a fellow knight. He died during the war, risking himself to defend me. As a result, I named the sword after his name."
Alejandro takes the sword cautiously. His eyes were filled with gratitude for old man Austin. The sword was light, and he could lift it with one hand. This was not the result of a magic spell, because a magic spell that imbues the sword with light weight is only temporary, and an aura will be visible surrounding it. However, the sword possesses no aura. It was simply an ordinary sword with no magic.
I had long desired to acquire a sword. Today, I realized that dream. With my physical strength and willpower, I shall make this blade proud of me. This is a step closer to achieving my dream of defeating brother Raphael. I will be stronger with this sword by my side throughout my journey!
"I'm grateful, old man! I swear to you that I will look after this weapon. With this sword by my side, I shall learn how to fight!” Alejandro expressed his gratitude to Old Man Austin while maintaining a solemn demeanor. Meanwhile, Desiree is very happy for Alejandro. She was smiling the entire time that Alejandro and her grandfather were exchanging words.
The scene was like a family of three. It was as if the son received a toy from his father.
“There is no need to pay with coins, boy. Just remember what we agreed on.”
“Of course, old man! Thank you!”
The boy then runs smiling towards Desiree while handling his sword with caution. Then, as they were leaving the room, he took the girl's hand. But the girl didn't know where Alejandro was going to take her.
“Where are we going, Ale?!”
"Where? Naturally, to the tree we used to sit next to! I'm going to start training, and will help you in refining your magic storage as well!"
After initially looking stunned, Desiree smiled widely. She was not prepared for Alejandro to help her in improving her magic storage. "All right, let's go!” Desiree then answered, her face beaming with happiness.