Following the entire harrowing experience, Tyrus was perched in the room's corner, observing the two people before him. The boy introduced himself as Igneal, the son of the jerk who was extremely hostile to Tyrus out of nowhere.

To his surprise, he happened to be Fiona's brother, an odd realization. They didn't particularly look like siblings, and they certainly didn't act like it either. Then again, Tyrus didn't have experience with those types of things, so he brushed it aside. At the moment, Fiona and her brother were in an argument.

"Igneal, Tyrus needs his rest. Don't you see his appearance? You should leave, like right now."

He rolled his eyes. "Rest? He seems fairly alert to me. Plus, who allowed you to dictate my actions? Let me give you some advice; treat the future family head with respect. In the future, I might even let you return to Lockhart territory."

Fiona scowled and said, "Yeah, well, you aren't the family head, so it doesn't matter. I'm older than you, and what I say goes. Just because you're favored doesn't mean you're exempt from the consequences. If you don't leave immediately, I'll have to throw you out by force."

"Oh yeah? I would like to see you try." A bright flame suddenly appeared in Igneal's palms. He grinned as he waited for Fiona to make a move.

She sighed as she strode forward. "Unruly kids like you need a beating once in a while. If your parents won't give you one, then I'll happily oblige."

Just before the two could begin their little squabble, Tyrus infused some mana into his fingers and snapped them. A crack that resembled a whip reverberated, halting the two in their steps. They both whirled their heads and stared at him.

"Fiona, how long until the monthly exam?" he asked as he fiddled with the robe. Right now, knowing how much time had passed was his first concern.

"Sign-ups begin tomorrow at noon. It's a good thing you arrived early. With you here, we can begin preparing you for the exam once you're ready."

Tyrus nodded. If his math was correct, he was underground for at least a day. He really was lucky it wasn't longer than that or else he'd have missed the sign-ups. Would thanking the cave worms for creating a path for him be a good thing? Then again, they were the reason he fell into the hole in the first place. Or was it because of the rock spider?

During his contemplation, he hadn't realized that Igneal had moved away from the middle of the room. He had made himself comfortable on the bed, sitting at the edge as he stared down at Tyrus with the same smirk. Tyrus scooted a bit further away, unsure what to do with him.

"You guys are discussing some pretty intriguing things," Igneal said. "Don't tell me you're thinking about entering the Explorer Guild already? They have an age restriction of eleven and above, and you seem younger than me. Moreover, why did Father react that way to you? He only acts that way when his curiosity is provoked."

"Your questioning is making him uncomfortable," Fiona growled. "Tyrus doesn't react greatly to strangers, and you're making it worse."

Igneal ignored her and continued. "Father is a great man, and one of the most powerful sorcerers in Dharmere. He reacts only to those who are near his level or show immense potential. Father's unusual behavior means he sees something in you, a commoner. It's strange that he allowed you to leave despite being aware of your connection to Lethos' present foe."

"Aunt Selena and him are paying attention to you. But what's most surprising is that I can feel your mana; you're most definitely a sorcerer."

After Igneal paused for a few seconds, seemingly waiting for a response, Tyrus narrowed his eyes at him. "Why are you asking so many questions about me? You don't know me and I don't know you. What are you trying to gain here?"

"Heh, you catch on quick." Igneal's face turned serious. I'm giving you the chance to befriend a member of the prestigious Great Lineages - a son of Family Head Lockhart. Honestly, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance you can't refuse."

"I refuse," Tyrus said in a heartbeat. "I don't like the idea of becoming close with someone who has a father like that. Besides, you're way too suspicious. There must be some hidden intentions behind wanting me to be your friend."

Tyrus was skeptical about why Igneal wanted to be friends with a commoner, as he had mentioned. His knowledge about nobility was limited but knew very well how divided commoners and nobles were, with the latter being at the top of the world. Those who were higher up looked down upon the ones beneath them; a view common in these parts.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

He had experienced it many times before. The world was a cruel place that was infested with such things, and he didn't like it one bit. He was in this predicament in the first place because he was abandoned for being inferior. Because of that, it was understandable for him to be wary of everyone around him, and Igneal was no different. Behind those cocky eyes of his were a slew of hidden intentions. The question was what he had in mind exactly.

"I told you he's not fond of strangers," Fiona said scornfully. "You'll have to do better than that to convince Tyrus. Oh, and by the way, Tyrus and I are friends, so pardon me if I'm worried about him."

Igneal glanced sideways, brows pinched as he stood. "So, this is a matter of trust, I presume? Certainly, it is an effortless matter to correct, and I have a flawless plan in mind."

The boy sauntered by Fiona and wedged the door open. Before departing, he cast a glance over his shoulder, still wearing a smile. "It was nice to meet you, Tyrus. I hope our future meetings will be a little more… productive. For now, I will concede, but just know I will not give up. You will come around eventually."

Leaving his words hanging in the air, the door closed with a soft thud. Immediately after his departure, Tyrus exhaled heavily and loosened his shoulders. "That was nerve-wracking. I expected him to get all angry and start yelling, but he was surprisingly calm."

Fiona clicked her tongue. "He's merely imitating father's demeanor. He might seem calm on the outside, but that kid is probably fuming on the inside. Then again, I don't know him all that well."

"You don't know your brother all that well? How come?"

"Our interactions have been limited given that we barely meet each other," she said matter-of-factly. "I lived in Valis my whole life while Igneal was raised in Lockhart territory, which is south of the Wasteful Wetlands, by the way. As I spent my life here, Igneal has spent his elsewhere. The only person in the Lockhart family I'm close with is Selena, while the others are dead to me."

"Not even your mother, too?"

The look on Fiona's face darkened briefly before turning back to indifference. "Enough about my family. Tell me everything that has happened to you, and I mean everything. Don't leave out a single detail."

Putting aside Fiona's abrupt change of demeanor, Tyrus began recounting his experiences. He first began with his little trip to the cave where he encountered Ivy. In there, he learned and practiced a few spells. Afterward, he explained how he remembered Fiona's warning about claw-marked trees and didn't venture too deep inside Wildwood.

Regarding the treants and other creatures, he abstained from mentioning them. They seemed dead set on keeping their existence a secret, and he would not betray their trust. As a result, Tyrus had to complete the extensive gap of absent information since the majority of his exploits unfolded in Wildwood.

So, all he mentioned was that he mostly hunted, trained his body and mana, and slept around as he counted the days left. The whole time, Fiona was nodding, but still looked skeptical.

Lastly, in terms of his appearance, he informed her he had discovered another cavern and resolved to investigate it in the expectation of discovering riches and the like. However, as he delved further into the cave, he soon discovered that it was no ordinary cave and was teeming with beasts.

From that point onward, he fought relentlessly, viewing the experience as a means of self-improvement. Following that, he shared how he located the creature responsible for the trees bearing claw marks and conquered it independently. That was when Fiona's expression changed.

"You found the beast that was living in Wildwood and defeated it single-handedly? No offense, but if you were able to vanquish it, then it must've been weak if it lost to a Fledgling Sorcerer such as yourself."

Tyrus pouted and said, "The beast I fought wasn't weak at all. In fact, I don't think even you would've defeated it on your own."

Fiona laughed. "Are you sulking right now? This might be the first time I've ever seen you so visibly annoyed about a person's words. You should see your face right now. It reminds me of a baby being deprived of sweets."

If you've seen everything I've been through, you'd understand why I'm like this, Tyrus thought. The act of hearing someone describe his daunting experience in such an unsatisfactory manner did not sit well with him. It struck a nerve he never realized existed. Even now, Fiona was still smiling.

Silently, Tyrus reached into his storage ring and began pulling out the faded scales one by one, dropping them onto the floor. The smile on her face faded while each scale clattered onto the floor. Soon, a pile of dull-colored scales was made. Fiona's arm trembled as she picked one up.

"No way… Is this what I think it is?"

"These are drake scales," Tyrus remarked with a smug air. "The beast of Wildwood was a drake, which I defeated. Still think the beast I fought was weak?"

Fiona rubbed her hands along the scale. "Not in the slightest. I commend you for fighting such a thing on your own, and I apologize for my words. I can see why you reacted negatively to my words."

"Fighting a drake was really difficult. It required a lot of quick thinking and movement on my part. I even sustained some injuries, but healed them quickly. Either way, the good thing is that Wildwood is no longer in danger."

Chuckling, she set the item aside and ruffled his hair. “Well, well, well, aren't you a big shot now? Went from slaying goblins and rock spiders to drakes. You're just full of surprises. With what you've done so far, tomorrow should be a breeze for you. Ah, speaking of tomorrow, now that you're here safe and sound, it’s about time you prepare for what's to come."

"Prepare?" Tyrus repeated.

"Yep! With the drake scales you have in possession, we might as well put them to use. Luckily for you, these things can fetch a good price depending on the buyer. Or if you want to use them for potions or armor, then that can happen too. Your call, since it's all yours."

Oh right, I forgot about that. While making armor out of scales sounds neat, I would rather sell them. Right now, I need money, and with money, I can buy what I need as an explorer.

Fiona rose from the bed and pivoted. "But before we begin the shopping spree, we need to do one very important task. You, my friend, desperately need a bath."