Inside the rear section of the limousine, Aaron exchanged a nod of greeting with two people. One of them in particular elicited raised brows from him before he sat on the cushioned seat that wrapped around the inner wall.

Directly across from Aaron was the man he expected to see. The man's hair, which was a similar shade of reddish-orange color to that of molten steel, was trimmed short and styled in a purposefully messy manner. Because of his tall and muscular build, his hair tickled the ceiling since he was sitting straight with his arms crossed. Thanks to his wide shoulders, he took up enough space for two people of Aaron’s size. His sharp jawline speckled with a 5 o’ clock shadow gave him a stately appearance that contrasted his bear-like muscles. Neatly pressed dress pants and an orange collared shirt that had the top two buttons undone only served to increase his intimidation factor.

Sitting next to the man in a tense posture was a young lady of similar age to Aaron’s current body. Her hands were clasped tightly together between her knees. Her long hair, which was a darker shade of red than her father’s, was tied back in a ponytail that cascaded over her left shoulder and chest before stopping at her waist. For the most part, her dark brown eyes avoided meeting Aaron’s and instead darted around the interior of the vehicle. The girl had a small, cute, and round face that still had traces of baby fat on it. Even though she was at least thirteen years old according to the timeline, she didn’t wear any make-up on her face. However, the frilly red dress she was wearing did more than enough work in accentuating the youthful grace of a young lady from a prominent family. The gallant swordswoman Aaron remembered writing about in his later chapters was nowhere to be seen.

I expected to see Garret, but not Adelith. That Constellation dude’s art was spot on, though, Aaron thought, only sparing the girl a brief glance. Their eyes met for less than a second before she turned her head away and fidgeted nervously.

Inwardly, Aaron felt warmth upon seeing two more characters he had created with painstaking care, but he did his best not to let it show on his face. He then focused on Garret Vorsworn, one of the strongest humans he had created for the Earth-based segment of his story.

To the Vorsworn Patriarch’s surprise, the natural pressure passively generated by his mana didn’t bother Aaron at all. Instead, a warm smile appeared on Aaron’s face for a few moments that stretched out the small scars left behind by his accident. Adelith flinched upon seeing the scars on his face and arms wrinkling. Meanwhile, Garret and Aaron observed each other while the limousine smoothly joined the flow of traffic.

"What can this humble one do for you, sir?" Aaron asked right away since he didn't want to end up on his back foot against such a strong character.

"You are Aaron Wright?" Garret asked, raising a brow. He subtly increased the mana pressure released from his body, causing Adelith to flinch, but the boy in front of him barely reacted. In fact, he would have thought the boy was completely unaffected if not for the slight twitch of his right eye.

This kid is strange, Garret thought while observing the boy more closely.

On the other hand, Aaron inwardly trembled at the unfamiliar feeling of another person’s mana pressing down on him. It felt like the humidity in the vehicle skyrocketed without adding extra dampness, and his body felt heavier as though sandbags had been plastered all over his body.

Well, with his curious nature, I thought something like this might happen. This is a bit harder to bear than I thought it would be, though, Aaron thought, inwardly thanking his past self of this world for training his body. Outwardly, however, he forcefully held back his physical reaction and answered, “Yes, I’m Aaron. May I ask your name, sir?”

The man grinned, pointed his thumb toward his chest, and replied, “Patriarch of the Vorsworn family and the General of Raging Flames, Garret Vorsworn!” Then, he pointed at the girl next to him and added, “And this is my daughter, Adelith Vorsworn.”

“Mhm. Nice to meet you. Thank you for the kind get-well letter before.”

Not expecting such a plain response to his introduction, Garret’s brow twitched a few times. Chalking it up to the kid losing his memories, Garret sighed and leaned forward. Adopting a stern expression, he asked, “Since you are bringing up the letter, do you agree to hold an oath of silence on the situation?”

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about?” Aaron replied with a raised eyebrow and a knowing smile. “I’ve lost my memory, after all. All I know is that I received a very generous gift while in the hospital.”

Momentarily raising his eyebrows, Garret paused for a moment. Then, he leaned back in his seat, smirked, and said, “Is that so?”

“Indeed. It was very charitable of the Vorsworn family to pay the medical bills of a poor slum rat like me.”

“Naturally, we love to aid our community,” Garret played along with a light chuckle. Then, he scratched his beard and wondered to himself, Why does this kid suddenly remind me of those Alliance officials?

Nearby, Adelith tilted her head and furrowed her brows. Aaron briefly glanced at her reaction and struggled to hold back a grin. A tear shimmered in his eye since all of his characters were his precious babies, yet showing affection to them for no reason would likely make him look insane. Treating her like his own daughter would have to remain in his head since he didn’t want to die again.

“That’s not right,” She suddenly spoke up with a soft and quiet voice, “It’s my fault you got hurt, so I have to apologize.”

“Pft,” Aaron couldn’t hold back a bit of laughter, though it was more out of surprise than actually finding the girl’s words funny. However, he quickly recovered with a small cough.

On the other hand, Garret frowned and turned toward his daughter. He placed a large hand on top of her head and smiled wryly. Her head drooped under the weight of his arm, and her lips curved downward in response. Garret then glanced over at Aaron again and said, “You seem like a somewhat intelligent kid, so I think you understand the situation for the most part. Before we continue our discussion, allow my daughter to apologize.”

Pressing his lips together, Aaron looked at Adelith who was still avoiding his gaze. Once or twice, she forced herself to look at his face, only to move her gaze to the scar on his forehead and avert her eyes while biting her lip.

Lips curving downward a little, Aaron rested his elbows on his knees and folded his hands together. His bright mood from meeting two of his beloved characters finally cooled down Then, he met Garret’s eyes and said, “Is it alright if I’m a little blunt for a minute?”

Garret nodded and looked at his daughter who was now grasping her skirt above her knees. Seeing Garret’s expression toward his daughter containing a contradictory mixture of pity and care, Aaron took another look at Adelith. Although he had created her character, the girl sitting in front of him was just a normal girl. The way her expression changed when meeting his eyes, the way her youthful hands trembled with anxiety at seeing his wounds, and the way her shoulders drooped with visible guilt all transpired in front of him. Although the warmth he felt toward his characters was still there, a sudden solemnity crashed over him. The powerful swordswoman who could singlehandedly wipe the floor with a Tarrian garrison faded away from his mind. The two people in front of him were no longer simple words in his notebook, nor were they the fallen general and beloved heroine he remembered them as, but rather living and breathing humans with thoughts and emotions of their own. He felt his heart thump heavily and winced.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Running a hand through his hair, Aaron looked at Adelith and steeled his heart. He couldn’t allow one of his precious children, especially one of the heroines, to falter in their path so early on. As such, he sternly asked, “You want to apologize?”

Biting her lip again, Adelith nodded.

“Why?”

Clenching her fists tighter, she mumbled, “...Because it’s my fault you got hurt.”

“And why is it your fault?” Aaron asked while doing his best to ignore the frown on Garret’s face.

“B- because I made my driver go through the red light.”

Narrowing his eyes, Aaron calmly asked, “And was that for some sort of emergency? Was there a monster attacking the city? Or, were the invaders breaching our walls?”

“...No.”

Garret watched the exchange in silence, a frown glued to his face. His previous friendly demeanor vanished, and he glared at Aaron with a hardened expression. He tapped his finger on his knee as though debating whether or not to intervene, but he continued observing for now. This didn’t escape Aaron’s notice.

Why does it feel like my vision is better than it used to be? Aaron wondered. Then, refocusing on the girl in front of him, he asked, “So, it wasn’t something important? And your driver hit me because of that? Am I understanding correctly?”

“Y-yes. I was being selfish and got you hurt. I’m sorry,” Adelith stuttered out while bowing her head low in apology.

Aaron closed his eyes and hoped that this conversation could push the girl onto the same path she took in the story. Thinking along those lines, he asked, “Was it worth it?”

The girl shook her head silently. When she sat up again, her eyes were red with tears she was trying to hold back.

“That’s enough,” Garret sternly interjected as he pulled his daughter into his embrace. “You don’t need to say anything else.”

The lack of mana pressure wasn't very convincing, however.

“I wouldn’t have said anything at all if you were from one of the other prominent families in this city,” Aaron calmly replied.

Garret’s eyes narrowed at Aaron, and, as he stroked his daughter’s head in a loving manner, he asked, “I’m curious. What exactly made you think you could say such things?”

“I read through a lot of history books the last two weeks while trying to remember things, and your Vorsworn family is called one of the most upright of the great families in this city. That whole ‘standard of righteousness’ thing sounds great and all, but I’d imagine that compared with all the privileges you receive, there are far more responsibilities your family has to bear. Hence, you won't off me just for being a bit harsh.”

Staring at the boy who was only a little older than his daughter, Garret rubbed his chin with his free hand. The words coming out of the kid’s mouth weren’t something a teenager would consider, even if they were raised in an influential family. As he thought more deeply about it, he suddenly asked, “Do you want more in exchange for taking an oath of silence?”

“You’re misunderstanding me,” Aaron said, frowning slightly at the mention of the oath. He then looked Adelith in the eye since she was peeking at him from behind her father’s arm that was wider than her head and continued, “Adelith, right?”

The girl nodded.

“Although I don’t remember much, I know your name carries a lot of weight to nobodies like me. I don’t need some apology that you’ll easily forget after a few years,” Aaron firmly stated. Then, pointing to his forehead, he added, “Instead, I hope you can remember my scars as you learn how to protect the people in this city who are unable to fight for themselves. Since you’re able to feel guilt and apologize to somebody like me, I believe you can become a great guardian.”

With that, he lowered his hands and stared directly into Adelith’s eyes. Finally, she didn’t avert her gaze. Her eyes, which had been dimmed by guilt, suddenly brightened, her pupils dilated back and forth a few times, and she nodded just enough for him to notice.

Satisfied, Aaron returned his attention to Garret who was staring back at him with wide eyes. For a few moments, the two stared at each other in silence. Then, Garet laughed heartily and exclaimed, “Well said, brat. I’ll remember that.”

I think that’s enough to steer her toward the path she needs to take as one of the heroines, He thought. However, he inwardly shook his head and corrected himself. Or, I suppose, it’s the path she needs to take as a person in this world.

Looking through the window, he saw that the buildings outside looked smaller and older than before. He still didn't know how real this world was, but he suddenly had the urge to see more of it and eventually witness a magnificent ending that he couldn't have written from behind a screen. The corners of his lips lifted when he thought that he had just taken a step in his own story.

Amidst the momentary silence, the limousine gradually approached the low-income neighborhood that contained his body’s home, though he only knew the address. Since he didn’t have much time left before they reached it, he looked at Garret and inquired, “Would you mind if I ask for a favor?”

Raising a brow, Garret asked, “What kind of favor?”

“Since you’re somewhat influential, would you be able to write a recommendation to have me held back a year?”

“Why in the world would you ask for something like that?”

“Because I don’t remember much aside from how to read and write. I need some time to relearn the subjects I need to know to succeed in the Hive.”

“Hmm? You’re enrolled in the Guardian Academy? Not bad. Writing a letter to them about such a thing is a simple affair, but a note from a healer would help you more.”

Aaron smiled and said, “The doctor who looked after me is taking care of that. I just thought an extra word from a big name would help.”

“I see,” Garret said, nodding in understanding. “That’s doable. Now then, before we drop you off, we need to know if you agree to the terms in the letter.”

Aaron opened his mouth, but then thought of something and stopped himself from speaking. Crossing his arms over his chest, he closed his eyes and asked, “Can I make a suggestion?”

“I was under the impression you didn’t want to negotiate?” Garret retorted, the corner of his lips curling into a sly grin.

Ignoring the provocation, Aaron explained, “The oath of silence isn’t necessary. In fact, it might even hurt your family more than if I said anything about the situation where no oath was made.”

Garret’s grin vanished. For a few seconds, he closed his eyes in thought. Then, he said, “I see what you mean. Since you seem smart enough to not slander us for small benefits, we’ll just stick to exchanging contact information. We’ll need to keep an eye on your location for a while as well. That’s partly to protect our reputation, and partly to protect your well-being.”

Aaron nodded in understanding and replied, “That’s fine.”

After exchanging contact information with Garret, the car stopped in front of his home. He said goodbye to the father and daughter with a warm smile since he probably wouldn’t see them again for a while. As the limousine sped away, Aaron looked around at the few people wandering about who had seen him exiting a high-end vehicle. The seedy looks on the faces of a few of them didn't escape his eyes even though they tried to hide it.

I guess things aren’t too different from back home.

Back in the limousine, Sven lowered his glasses and looked in the rearview mirror. Full of curiosity, he asked, “Sir, why didn’t you make him take the oath.”

“Oaths are powerful things. It might harm his growth in the future, and I’m pretty sure he knew that based on how his expression changed when I mentioned it.”

“You think he has potential?”

“Somewhat. His physique isn’t anything special, but he has some wits about him.”

“Planning to recruit him?”

“I’ll observe him for a while before I decide.”

The head butler nodded and returned his focus to the road. A few minutes later, Garret felt a tug on his sleeve and looked down at his daughter.

“Daddy?”

“What?”

“...You said before that you started using the greatsword in order to protect people, right?”

Feeling a knot forming in his stomach, Garret looked at his daughter with wide eyes and answered, “Yes… It is something my grandfather chose to do after surviving the Worldquake when he was younger, and I followed in his footsteps… Why do you ask?”

Confirming the suspicions that he worried would come to fruition, Adelith clenched her fists and declared, “I want to learn it, too!”

All the blood rushed to Garret’s head, and he nearly fainted from shock and anger.

"How about I teach you our longsword arts instead? Those are great for protecting people, too. Just leave the greatsword inheritance to your brother, okay?"

Adelith frowned and grumbled, "That's not the same. The greatsword can protect more people."

Gah! My daughter! My beautiful daughter! She is going to turn into a macho woman because of that brat’s words!