..... Later that evening .....

Calvin was sitting at the table, drinking red wine and sharpening his iron dagger.

He usually uses it to skin ma.beasts and various similar things.

Next to him, Miranda was playing her harp and remembering her sol's as an adventurer.

They usually sit like this in silence every evening if they have free time. It's the time when they can relax.

[Hey, isn't that the melody you composed just for me back then ?]

Calvin asked when he heard the melody that Miranda started to play.

[Yes, it is. I'm surprised you still remember it. That was so long ago, wasn't it ?]

Miranda answered as she continued to play. It was a melody that she composed for Calvin after they formed a party for a while.

She composed the melody right after they finished their first task as an party, and then played it to him next morning.

He was surprised that there was an adventurer that know how to play an instrument.

[Of course I remember, how could I forget. I hummed it to myself every night during the war... Thinking about you and Bernard...]

Calvin said, as he remembered his nights at the fort where he was stationed.

He also remembered one annoying bald man that was always making fun of him for doing that.

[Oh, while we are on the subject... There's been news that the tension between our and Minerva kingdom is dying out.]

Miranda said, as she remembered the news she heard from the old lady Alvarez.

[I also heard something like that from Kai and Cripin. It sound like a really good news...]

Calvin answered. It was a most talked news all around Veles village, but if someone took a little bit closer look at the villagers,

he would see that they didn't believe even a bit about it.

[I'm just worried, what if the war really broke out. Will our kids experience the horrors of war just like you did ?

Will you leave me again ? As if the increase of ma.beast in this era wasn't enough...]

Miranda said with a sorrowful voice. She stopped playing her harp to take a deep breath and then started to play it again.

The appearances of ma.beasts is recorded to have at least doubled at the start of this era, which was around 400 cycles ago.

If this wasn't bad enough, conflict between humans and demi-humans was becoming even worse,

and even conflict between humans themselves was increasing.

Most citizens of Uruviel kingdom blame the Holy Gaia Empire and their human supremacy mentality for this problem.

[I just hope that the news is correct.

But then again, something similar was announced right before the war between Uruviel kingdom and Nox kingdom broke out.

There's the possibility that it will happen anyway...]

Calvin answered as he finished sharpening his dagger and pours another glass of wine.

[And all this just because our kingdom started fighting the discrimination against demi-humans.

Like they are any different from the rest of us...]

Miranda said with an annoyed voice.

When she was an adventurer, most of her party members were either dwarves or elves or even a devil's.

She learned a lot about them and realized that there wasn't much of a difference between them other than their looks.

[Yeah, it's stupid. Instead of trying to get along with us and pursue a common goal,

they want to wage wars with us just because our kingdom is trying to stop the wars with the demi-humans...

And then they are going to wonder what did they do wrong, when another Dark era starts...]

Calvin said as he finished another glass. He was annoyed at their neighborhoods kingdom's stupidity.

[The last thing our kingdom needs right now is another war...] Miranda added.

[I don't think we could manage...

The last thing I need is to go to war again, leaving all of you behind... Like I did with Bernard...]

Calvin said. He could still remember Bernards angry face when he finally came back from the war.

He was really furious at him for being absent for so long. He still thinks that it's a miracle that they managed to reconcile.

And now, they get along with each other perfectly.

[If I remember correctly, Bernard was barely 4 cycle old when you left.

And look at him now, just 4 more cycles and he will be able to join the royal guards at the capital.]

Miranda said when she remembered that Bernards dream is to join the royal guards.

[Heh, I remember you telling me how at first, he wanted to be "that" heroes apprentice but it didn't work out.

So now he wants to try becoming a elite, huh? He sure dream's it big, doesn't he ?] Calvis said.

[Yes, he does. If I remember correctly, he started training with Kai when he was only 6 cycle old.

He really wanted to become Hero Azuneel's apprentice.]

Miranda answered, trying to remember Bernard's first attempt to wield a sword.

[Heh, makes Myla and Arian look like monsters by comparison...] Calvin said with a mirthless smile...

Stolen novel; please report.

[Calvin, don't say it like that.] Miranda replied, but it could be seen on her face that she also thinks that.

[I mean, I give them an impossible task for their age, yet they still managed to somehow complete it.

I take them on a first hunt, yet they play around with those slimes, when any normal child would get scared.

I heard that even Bernard hesitated against his first small slime. What do you think those two did ?

And how did Arian manage to learn [Mana Control] so soon ? Normally you need at least 4 cycle of training to learn it,

only Hero Azuneel managed to learn it when he was around 8 cycles old....]

Calvin said as he chugged down another glass of wine.

There is a limit of how much you can impress someone before you start creeping them out.

[You got the point, but didn't Howard and Lia warned us about Arian's abnormality ?

I mean, even his mental maturity is clearly higher than normal.]

Miranda said. Both Lia and Abbey already told her how Arian was absorbing every information he could come across.

Truly a curious child.

[Yeah, yeah... Don't think too much about it, it will only make your head hurts, right ?

But what about Myla, isn't she supposed to be a normal girl with a excellent sword talent ?]

Calvin asked. While he could understand about Arian who's a special case, Myla was another story.

[Well, whether we like it or not, Arian is having a positive effect on both Myla and Bernard.

Especially on Myla who is always trying to catch up to him.]

Miranda answered with a smile. While she was also worried about her children abnormality, she didn't consider it as something bad.

[Haa~ Is this what my grandpa was talking about in his stories of golden sols of Veles village ?

Children who could kill a horned bear with their bare hands or use magic that could turn the whole village into the sea of flames?]

Calvin said as he facepalmed. Are stories from a grumpy old man really going to become reality ?

[Those feats does sound like Arian, but neither Myla nor Bernard come even close to that... Right ?]

Miranda answered while wondering about what Calvin just said.

[You sure ? Mira, maybe Bernard isn't a child anymore, but he could definitely kill a horned bear with his bare hands.

Myra isn't far from being able to do the same and she is around 11 cycles younger than him... That doesn't sound normal to me.]

Calvin said to Miranda. While he over exaggerated it a little, he was sure it was only a matter of time.

[Eeeh, if you put it that way, Myla does sound as absurd as Arian.]

Miranda replied. She has already become used to Arian's feats that both Myla and Bernard looks normal to her.

(Howard my old friend, my wife is using your son as a measurement of absurdity. I hope you're proud of him...)

[Well, father Killian did say that Myla will become strong if she train enough and that she has a talent with weapons.

That's why he recommended that absurd training with Arian. And now we can see that his advice was on point, eerily so.

Don't you think, Mira ?]

Calvin asked. Father Killian was still young to be considered a proper priest, but ever since he came to the Veles village,

he got everyone's respect for his outstanding work and "easy to get along" personality.

Yet, there was still some kind of distrust towards father Killian and he couldn't understand why.

[That is true, he always give everyone the correct advice about this kind of thing...

But so what, it's not like it's hurting anybody. Everybody has some secrets that they don't want anybody to find out.]

Miranda answered. She did find father Killian odd at first, but then became friends with him eventually.

Calvin on the other hand has a problem trusting others, even if he doesn't show it on the outside.

Miranda only see him as being overly cautious, which is mostly correct.

[Yeah, yeah, I guess you're right. Anyway, before I forget to ask, did you teach Arian about the Rafle leaves ?]

Calvin asked, as he drank another glass of wine. The wine bottle is nearly empty.

[Hmm, no I didn't. I also don't think he has any books about healing plants, but I could be mistaken. Why do you ask ?]

Miranda answered confusingly. She know they had used rafle leaves a sol before, but didn't understand what Arian has to do with that.

[I didn't tell you, did I? It was Arian who found and picked them up, so I was wondering if he learned about them from you.]

Calvin said, as he was stroking his beard.

[That's weird, I don't think Abbey teached him either...]

Miranda was trying to remember, but nothing comes to mind.

[Weird, then how did he know how they looked like and what they are called ?]

Calvin was confused. At first he thought that Arian has a [Status Check] skill,

because on their first hunt he somehow know which slime was dangerous and which one was just a joke.

However, now it looks like he also has a [Analyse] skill, a skill that reveals information of plants, minerals and the like...

Both of those skills could be either inborn or acquired over a certain period of time after going thru a mind numbing training.

It's really rare that there is a child who is born with both of those skills, but they exist.

However, there is another skill that is more powerful than both of them combined. That skill is...

[Maybe... what if...] Calvin said to himself, as he was thinking about the possibilities.

[Don't tell me you think he has that skill ?!] Miranda asked when she realized where was Calvin going with this.

[The possibilities are there. And it wouldn't be weird to hide it from others.

It would be bad if the church or the "Eyes of God" found out about him. He would definitely be taken away...]

Calvin answered. He was certain that if Arian really have a [Appraisal] skill, he would definitely be instructed to hide it.

[Now that would explain a lot.... Does that boy even need to go to school ? He could probably enter the Academy at this point...]

Miranda asked. She was wondering if Arian could manage to be accepted into the Academy as a special case.

[He does. Not to study, but to interact with others his age.

It would be really dangerous for him to isolate himself from others, like "her" son did.

And we all know how that ended up, don't we ?]

Calvin answered as he drank the last glass of wine. He was clearly a little drunk.

[You got the point. That is the last thing I want to happen....]

Miranda said as she stopped playing the harp. She remembered some very bad memories for a second.

[Well, we both decided to raise him and do everything in our power to prevent him from becoming like "him".

We may be his foster parents now, but we are also his observers. That's why I plan to do everything I can to help him.]

Calvin said with resolve in his eyes. He may not trust father Killian completely, but at least he trust his judgement.

If Killian has high hopes for Arian, he will too.

[Yes. We have already decided that from the beginning. I pray that next lun will be peaceful, as this one was.]

Miranda also answered with resolve.

They may come to love Arian as their own son, but the fact still stands, he is a red soul type.

Devil's with this soul type are normal thing, totally harmless.

However, for someone from other race to have it...

If they survive the first 2 cycles, they will be feared as a time-ticking bomb that may or may not explode at any moment...