Seeing her father in a marveling mood while staring at the ceiling, she coughed loudly a few times to assert her presence.

Noticing Sarey so suddenly left not much change of expression on Zigmund's face.

“You are back? How has been your day?” He asked with not a single thought or bother on his face.

“Pretty good. Unlike yours, I assume.” Sarey answered, walking straight to his table.

“I had some visitors. Sure. What can I say about it? I am a busy man with a lot of responsibilities and stuff. It is usually like this.” Zigmund said in a sarcastic tone.

“Surely you mean it like this, father. What was this sort of "visit" about? People of the Tricloud Alliance are not something who can be met any day in this city and you know it quite well.” Sarey looked at him, placing both hands on the table as if she was interrogating him.

“I consider myself to be someone who does Tricloud alliance also not see every day in this region, so that is about it. Heheheh. Have you seen them, met them?”

“We've met them twice, actually,” Sarey said, frowning.

“Twice? That is a pretty good coincidence if you ask me.”

By this point, around the corner came another visitor. “Is everything good, mister Zigmund?” Allan appeared around the corner.

“Pretty much. No need to worry about it.” Zigmund casually answered.

“Are you sure about it? This sounds like something I should worry about if you say it at this age.” Sarey said with an understanding of her father. “Is this about the war? It surely isn't the summoning for your comeback to the army, am I wrong?” Sarey said as she got to the same position as Dias, in the front of the table.

Zigmund's back straightened as he watched his daughter, who seemed so grown up.

“I will not say anything, since you think you are so clever. Perhaps you will understand more about this after you will be the same age as me. Someday, in the future, or when you will experience more of this life.” Zigmund said in a seriousness that appeared only for a moment.

“This answer doesn't satisfy me at all. You have always been like this and considering the circumstances, I am tired of this.” Sarey said again but was somewhat furious by his words. It was almost a confirmation that he won't tell her anything, but she had no idea about his far past, which seemed more substantial than she even thought. Hell, she didn't even know what was his age. She only knew his birthday, which was on the 48th day of the autumn.

“And I am unbothered by your anger once again. Some things don't change. I am sure you are plenty satisfied with the visits you made today with Allan. My business is similarly intriguing as our eye-less boy. I am sure he will agree to my request that you won't stick your heads where they are better left alone.” Zigmund stated as he looked at Allan in expectation of the agreement.

“I think this is a family issue, father. Don't force Allan to do something he has no idea about. This is far older than his influence in this.”

“I suppose you are right, but I also think this would be much better if we were all three together. Sure. You are right in this manner.”

“Are you thinking about mother again? Don't run her name to your mouth in every little problem when we have some issue.” Sarey angrily added. Agitation was apparent on her face as her father was stalling around the topics. He wasn't willing to say anything, and that annoyed her to the bitter end.

Allan was hearing and standing at the entrance. Being a bystander in the corner was all he could do since he wasn't willing to stick his hands into this mess. It was not his first, nor the last time meeting this sort of a fierce clash between them, or around people in general. He had seen plenty of these sorts of situations in the Lonely Tiger pub of mister Thomas. As for the worst of what happened, there was escalated stuff around some weapons, but the usual practice of vulgar ways of language was the usual stuff.

It was not that terrible for him in this case, and running between them was not ideal as well. What could he do in this case? He already spent a lot of time with Sarey and her strange relationship with Zigmund had deep roots that he didn't want to force from her. She made some comments here and there, but that was it. After all, Allan's presence made her think less of these family problems since she was working for his sake.

“I am thinking of her, and you shouldn't be surprised about that. It is normal, so if I think about this, and you don't want to be here, then I don't have to say any excuses. Leave or you better be prepared, or accept the punishment of spars.” Zigmund said with a small smile on his face. He certainly knew how to deal with her in his own ways, and talking was one of them.

“That is funny when you say it like this. I am thinking there is some mood for a spar, so how about it, Allan?” Sarey countered in her own way, looking at Allan, who couldn't help but sight by her way of handling the situation.

“So back and forth. What a family...” he wondered since he was never like this with his father. Not like he did not want to, it was his personality that led to the bitter acceptance of his father's method and enduring his leadership since he was little.

Although, he was feeling his time with his father was, at this point in time, a precious moment from the past. He would trade it for anything, and maybe even for the meeting with Sarey and Zigmund. He wasn't sure about it, but he would rather be home than anywhere else.

It was true that it was quite some time since his last meeting with Clayton. He never knew how long ago that was, or how old he was. Did it feel like years? Maybe? He couldn't guess so since he found his own body so strange, but still rather familiar. He shouldn't aged, right?

It was hard to tell or guess by his own accord. His body changed a lot since the last time he saw himself in the mirror. But that, he couldn't do any longer. He was muscular in such a way that he could long tell. He also grew in height for sure, and that was one of the few differences he noticed. 170, or even 180 centimeters could be his possible guess, but he was never one to care about these things. Allan always cared about his surroundings and passion more than himself, and forging was a key to his satisfied life since he was little.

Now, he had a brand new world around him that he would never know if it wouldn't be for the strange situation or something that was outside of his knowledge. The involvement of the Red Orb that caused this all wasn't something he had some idea about.

As Allan was left on the sidelines of the mess, Zigmund was lamenting over his own choices. He didn't expect Sarey to straight-up accept the spar as if she was eager for it. He had no choice but to accept her words and this situation that was more of his fault this time than ever before. The involvement of this Tricloud group was his problem, and getting Sarey towards that truth wasn't something he wanted for her. It would be against his little promise to let her remain the life out of his own shitty problems.

“Fine. Fine. Let us spar then. You don't have to stare at me like this.” Zigmund confirmed and got up from his chair, dismissing Sarey's glare that was long before him. With the attire he already had, he was more than ready for it, so he left the room.

It was already getting late since Dias came here, and by this coincidence, he was in his sparing attire. Waiting for the usual time for spars, Zigmund held these spars on a day-to-day basis if possible. Maybe this whole situation and his willingness to do this was the case of the sudden appearance of the Dias and his message, which left him with a considerable headache. It was precise to say, that he would rather not choose to even think about the possible situation of him, being once again, in the ranks of Tricloud Alliance.

Sarey watched him reach the backyard as he stomped on the ground into a simple standing position, pointing the sword to the ground.

“I will be waiting here. Go and get ready if you want to spar in seriousness. I am in no mood for some weak efforts. Be it the case of today, or not. Understood?” Zigmund said with his front facing the open door to the home.

“Are you sure you want to go along with it?” Allan asked Sarey behind her back.

“Hmph! That is my problem, not yours.” She said in utter confidence. “Today, he really reached my limits, so I won't be polite either.” Sarey left to get changed, leaving Allan alone at the entrance.

“Then, don't get hurt too badly if you can't do it any different,” Allan shouted as she stomped to her room. He knew this spar would get intense and he couldn't change it in any way.

Sarey got to her room to change into her combat robe and get her twin swords, as usual.

During the time she prepared herself, Allan went to the backyard, sitting on the grass right beside the entrance.

“Nothing to add or ask, Allan?” Zigmund asked about the small variable in today's day.

“I agree with the saying what you told me. I bet it is something that is said even where I am from, so I am silently accepting this day as it is.” Allan answered.

“Really? I guess we humans are no different from each other at all. The ego and the mind could be the difference between the heavens and human shits that could result in differences in the world.”

“I wouldn't say it like that... mister Zigmund, but sure, if you say so,” Allan answered, resting his chin on his hand.

“What would you say it like?”

“I think I am too young to consider any philosophies that you speak of.”

“That is wrong, boy. Any kind of opinion is a road to a better view of the world. We are all living in it, so I am sure that you can have a much better view of this than some adults out there who already lived the way they wanted, or live at the moment. As for the future and how you will live? That is entirely up to the present, so think about it. I am doing this for Sarey's sake and I hate talking about my past so tell me, Allan. Is it a wrong thing to do?” Zigmund said with a tone of experience and calmness since Sarey wasn't here. If Sarey heard him like this, perhaps she wouldn't recognize this version of him or straight up counter him with her own philosophies of what she read or heard.

“I don't think there is much to it, I can say nothing. We could live and then die at any moment, so what else is there to the living?” Allan said. “It could be just emptiness. Can you imagine that? There is something, and then nothing at all. I am still thinking about it, and you can't imagine it, I guess. I don't want to think about this stuff, mister Zigmund. It hurts to think about it.”

“Well... I said what I wanted to say. Take it as you wish.” Zigmund said and prepared his sword from the sheet.

A few moments after doing so, the door to the backyard opened, revealing Sarey who walked in front of Zigmund with determination in her eyes.

“Don't look like that at me.” Zigmund rolled his eyes.

“If you would talk to me about it, I would be more hesitant.”

“Oh, so now you are blackmailing me? What a day to see you like that. I have no problems with a spar against you, so you should try to not get hurt.” Zigmund said to her face, not being kind this time at all. She should accept the reality that he had in his heart, and since she wouldn't, he may force this a little.

Some things are better to be kept confidential, although Zigmund was not exactly a person who should talk about that. He had his reasons for not talking about the past, especially to his only daughter.

Sarey drew her blades. The pairs of short swords with glittering edges faced the sun. They were the same sharpness as before, with the perfect shape and weight for the current Sarey.

“I won't stop until you will talk to me!” she said, not moving her stubborn heart even a tiny bit.

“I can't see a good reason to talk to you about what happened today, nor the past. You were not always like this? Are you that curious, or what else are you angry about? There is so much that I am forgetting, you know?” Zigmund asked in a mocking manner, taking a defensive stance.

“So what if I am? War is around the corner and you are all so mysterious...”

“Same could be said about yours and Allan's situation.”

“Hmph!” Sarey stomped to the ground and jumped at Clayton with a kick, straight to his face.

“Not even answering that? I wonder who you grew up with?” Zigmund said in a mocking tone and put his arm right around the incoming kick, pushing her aside while she couldn't do a thing.

This forced Sarey out into the distance before she even had a chance to strike with prepared blades.

“You want to take my life? Not so easy.” He mocked her, trying with a smile on his face.

“Then continue with a "spar" and not this talking. You always said it like that, and look at you, old man. You liar and pretender!” Sarey spit these sentences and put forth a massive barrage of slashing strikes. Zigmund already waited for them with his sword of normal value. Deflecting both blades, she turned and twisted as she swirled around as if she was dancing. Zigmund was waiting for the right counter or he was playing with her.

The number of strikes was apparent, but not much strength was behind them that could force Zigmund. Just the number of them was quite big, so there was very little time for any kind of counter.

Yet, this left Zigmund in a casual position that he was familiar with. What was a strike without power? A weakness, but considering Allan's swords, he knew how sharp these things were. Trying to see a better opportunity for a lightning-fast counter was one thing he excelled at.

The same could be said with Sarey, who already knew what he was scheming among all of her failing attempts to strike him. She was his daughter, after all, and the number of things she knew from him about fighting was more than everything else combined.

Swoosh!

She struck with both blades with a horizontal slash to his abdomen. A left one was stopped by the sword, but the other one was instead, coming to his head, followed by a change in her posture. Sarey twisted her body and instead of a slash, she stomped on Zigmund's face with her feet, withering her sword.

Zigmund did not even take a step away or flinched. He watched as Sarey's feet left his face as she retrieved herself a few steps away.

“Feeling better?”

“Not at all. Are you even trying?” She asked as she was quite annoyed with him.

“Not at all. Please, continue.” Zigmund pointed to his face, tossing his sword to the ground. “I will show you something nice. How about it?”

“I won't stop my blades, just because you will let go of yours,” Sarey argued, but Zigmund didn't stop and faced her with open arms.

“Come on. Is this enough to stop your strikes? I doubt it. You would fight for such changes, so how about this?” Zigmund said, preparing to convince that there were things that weren't meant to be simple.