The atmosphere during breakfast got a lot livelier after that. Banter flew about the table, several times returning to matters of the Appraisal Ceremony, just like it had been for the past few weeks leading up until this day.

Breakfast came to an inevitable end ushered in by a time-sensitive caretaker.

Marla shooed everyone away from the breakfast table, rushing them off to start on their morning chores before then messing up the orphanage with whatever fun they had planned for the day.

Of course, that would all happen after Alaric and his friends left for the Tower. Alaric stuck around clearing the table, insisting on doing a few more things before going to change.

In truth, he wanted some time to talk to someone he’d noticed was getting wistful.

He folded the old table mats, careful not to add any more creases or tears to the old fossils, and then placed them neatly in a pile on the table. Cody, the wistful child in question, hovered around him as he carried out these minor tasks, asking random questions:

“What is the best way to fight a specialist in reinforcement magic? Why don’t you use magic when training? What about Guardians that can see the future, how would you fight those?

“Do demons have magical powers, too? What do you think the Guardian Academy will be like? I hope I also get to the academy. Big Brother Adam made it to the Elite Guard and was able to pay to fix the roof. What will you do when you join the Elite Guard?” the questions came flowing like a never-ending stream.

And for each question, Alaric answered… without missing a beat:

“You beat reinforcers by running their mana reserves low or by hitting them with an attack enough to break through their defences.

“Guardians that can see the future don’t usually fight. Besides, I doubt you’d see them coming if their power was good enough. So you wouldn’t need to fight them.

What you should have to watch out for are the guardians they send after you to fight for them instead.

“Yes, demons have magical powers. The more powerful the demon, the more terrifying the ability. Be careful if you ever encounter one.

“I think the Academy will be fun. There will be many kids like us and many more with powerful guardians. We’ll make friends and go on missions.

“When I make it to the Elite Guard, I’ll send lots of money back here. Then Big Sister Marla can buy you a better sword and who knows what else.”

The humble caretaker remained silent by the sink, washing the dishes while listening to the two boys talking.

Oddly enough, the other orphans were nowhere to be seen with the doors of both the girls' and boys’ dormitories closed.

“Aren’t you afraid of fighting demons?” the flame-haired boy continued.

“Not when each demon I defeat means the world is a safer place for my little brother,” Alaric replied with a genuine smile.

Coming from anyone other than Alaric, this statement wouldn’t have meant much. However, all the orphans knew of the convictions Alaric had developed after Jared’s death.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Will we see you again?”

“Of course you will. I’ll make sure to visit whenever I get a chance. Soldiers of the Elite Guard get holidays too, you know,” Alaric replied.

A small whimper got Alaric’s attention away from the table he was wiping. He knelt on one knee and looked the teary boy in the eye, “What are those tears for? You know this place will always be our home.”

Cody hid the flowing tears behind his sleeves and fought to wipe them away, “I’m not… *sob*” With each messy swipe at the streaming rivulets, more salty streams replaced them, determined to soak his arms till he had nothing left to wipe them away with, “There is just something in my eye.”

A smile graced Alaric’s face as he watched the boy struggle to wipe the tears.

He pulled the boy into a hug and gently patted his back, “Just be sure to remember everything I’ve taught you. Train hard. You wouldn’t want me coming back to find you weaker, do you?”

The boy shook his head gently, remaining quiet.

“Get that fire magic under control, too. Learn how to use it so that when your Appraisal Ceremony comes around, you’ll be unstoppable,” Alaric elaborated.

“Hmm…”

“Watch over everyone. Read Nora stories when you get time. Help Lia with her drawings every now and then. She might not look it but between you and me, I think she loves the compliments… and I think she’s getting better,” Alaric continued whispering the last parts to keep an eavesdropping Nora from listening in.

“Hmm…” Cody nodded.

“You could try to teach Max how to use a sword though I think you’ll find that a lot harder than the Dance of the Serpent. It would give him enough exercise to put some muscle on those bones.

Help Jasper stay out of trouble. You’ll find that he’s more of a handful than the birds that make nests in old Thomper’s branches. Oh, you’ll have to get those out regularly, by the way. The dried grass makes the old guardian quite cranky,” Alaric added.

Tears rolled down the fiery-haired eleven-year-old’s face but he continued to nod.

“Make sure Ben and Nina don’t get carried away with their alchemy experiments. Adam just got the roof fixed for us. Take care of the twins, Tommy and Mira. They’ll need a big brother to look up to… and I’m not sure they’ll remember much about me from our time here,” Alaric checked his mind to make sure he’d covered everyone.

Putting this much on the shoulders of an eleven-year-old would normally be unfair… but Cody was different. Aside from the fiery nature of his abilities—which had also manifested at a very young age—, he was a kind soul that cared deeply for his family.

He also wanted to be so much like Alaric that he stuck to the boy like glue. Now that Alaric was leaving, he would be the oldest along with Max and Nora… and that meant he would have to look after everyone.

Alaric’s responsibilities would soon be his to bear.

The dark-haired boy pulled Cody into a much-needed hug, “And most important of all, protect your family. They are going to need you now more than ever.”

There was silence for a while before the sound of creaking wood split the silence. Murmurs came from the other side of the door leading to the boys’ dormitory.

Marla, who’d stopped doing the dishes to listen, placed the dried plate she’d been holding down, walked to the door to the boy’s dormitories and opened it. Like dominoes, a rather unique collection of male orphans fell out in a heap.

The caretaker sighed and turned to Alaric, “Get ready. Garin will be here soon. His guardian has a thing for tardiness so you better be ready before he gets here.”

As she said that, she approached Cody and gently nudged him, “Cody, he’ll still be here for ten days before he can leave for the Guardian Academy. For now, let him get ready.”

Cody slowly allowed the caretaker to peel him away from his idol before mouthing a ‘thank you’ to the dark-haired boy.

Alaric replied with a silent ‘thank you’ before standing up and leaving for the boy’s dormitories. The boys who’d been found hiding were just dusting themselves off when he passed them at the door.

Alaric needed a bath… Perhaps the cold water would wash away the heavy emotions weighing over him.

[I’m going to miss that kid] a feminine voice resounded in his head.

[I could have used your help, you know] Alaric thought back.

[I think you handled yourself well, Young Prince]

Alaric scoffed, rolling his eyes at the proud remark. Handling a crying child was a difficult task. One had to know exactly what to say and how to say it. It was only after Alaric had doused his head with cold water that he relaxed enough for his mind to slow down and allow a thought to cross his mind, ‘I’ll miss Cody too.’