The story begins on a road, far from Daekrahm city, five days before the festival. Mother Elora hummed softly to herself as she immersed herself in a book, while Christana chatted with Eyva. Two days earlier, Falkor advised them to travel cautiously due to suspicious movements of the ghouls.

Having completed half the book, Mother Elora closed it and smiled warmly at Christana and Eyva. She exclaimed, "I hope we have a wonderful time at Daekrahm city's festival. I'm looking forward to seeing the joy on the children's faces; it always brings me such happiness."

Eyva nodded in agreement. "Remember, we're not working. We'll simply eat and enjoy ourselves at the Daekrahm temple's reception. Being a nun is truly a blessing."

Christana fell silent, her thoughts drifting back to memories of her past. These recollections always surfaced when she interacted with Falkor or spoke to Mother Elora, as they were pivotal figures in her life.

Christana remembered the day Falkor had saved her and her younger brother, Elrand — a vivid memory etched in her mind as if it were only yesterday.

Fifteen years prior, at the adventurers guild in Roxana city, amidst a lively gathering of elves, dwarfs, and devils, a female ghoul boasted, "I've slain a massive savage dragon! Who dares challenge my strength?"

A bearded dwarf shot back, "Shut your drunken mouth! My brothers and I took down a whole bandit gang in the Red Forest outside the capital!"

An elf stood atop a table and declared, "Four moons ago, I killed a massive sea monster no one's ever seen before. I'm the greatest warrior of all!"

As the adventurers erupted into cheers, some continued feasting and revelry. A human adventurer carried two laden plates and made his way to a table where a solitary figure sat. The young man was adorned in fine armour, a bow slung across his back. Setting the plates down, the adventurer addressed him, "Falkor, let's eat and make merry."

Falkor grinned and joked, "So, is this the retirement party you and the lads threw last week?"

The adventurer took a seat beside Falkor and explained, "You were out hunting a savage ghoul, and the lads were about to embark on a long journey. So, I threw the party without you. But don't fret, your celebration is here now. I'm here, the food's here, everything's on me today."

Falkor smiled and remarked, "So no last mission, Al?"

Al replied, "No, Falkor. I have a family now. I need to protect my newborn daughter and ensure she has everything she needs, with her father by her side."

Falkor responded warmly, "You'll be a great father, just as you were a great mentor to me, Al."

Al grinned and advised, "If you can, Falkor, consider leaving this life of adventure. You never know when your last meal could be."

Falkor retorted with a mockingly raised eyebrow, "Life itself is unpredictable. You never know when you'll leave this land."

Al patted Falkor on the back and said, "I wish you a long and peaceful life, Falkor."

A year later, Falkor entered the inn, covered in dirt and blood. The owner wrinkled his nose and exclaimed, "What in Fovar's hell is this smell?"

Falkor responded calmly, "You were an adventurer, Gop. You're familiar with this scent."

Gop, while pinching his nose, grumbled, "Thank you for the lovely memories. Now clean yourself and the floor my daughter just scrubbed."

After a long shower and a good scrub, Falkor stepped into his room. His eyes drifted over the worn-out bed, the broken window, and the dimly lit space. As he lit a candle, the wooden floor creaked faintly beneath his feet.

He pulled a letter from his bag. It was from Al, and it read, "Falkor, it's been a while, but life has been busy. I’ve opened a large restaurant that I run with my wife. If you ever need a free meal, you know where to find me. And if you're thinking of leaving the adventurer's life behind, I could always use honest workers. Your friend and mentor, Al the wise drunkard."

Falkor smiled and said, "I'll give your offer some thought, old friend."

A week later, Falkor returned from a mission with a female elf and a Ghoul. Looking up at the sky, he announced, "It's time for me to tend to my wounds. Go to the guild and claim your share of the rewards."

The elf grinned and teased, "We get it. Go before your girl finishes her shift."

Falkor responded with a mix of confusion and frustration, "Wha... what girl? I'm single."

The ghoul smirked and explained, "Falkor, we've known you for a long time. We're aware you can use healing magic. You just want to see that nun, what's her name?"

The elf chuckled and added, "Elora, the virtuous maiden every adventurer talks about."

Falkor fell silent and continued on his way. The elf and ghoul strolled on, laughing at Falkor.

After a few minutes, Falkor stood in front of the temple, walking without pause or hesitation, familiar with the path by heart.

In the treatment room where the nuns cared for the wounded, a recovering adventurer examined his bandaged hand before leaving. It was now Falkor's turn.

Entering, Falkor greeted the nun with a warm smile. "Good day to you, Elora."

Elora, young and radiant, returned the smile and spoke in a gentle tone. "Good day, Falkor."

Taking a seat, Falkor tried hard to prolong the conversation. "Another adventure, another good day with good payment."

While Elora continued her healing magic, she nodded in response to Falkor's words. Unaware, Elora’s nod made Falkor feel a pang of sadness, believing she was ignoring him.

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As Falkor rose and thanked her, Elora caught his hand. He stopped, turning to look at her. With her lovely smile and calm voice, Elora spoke. "Falkor, try to be more cautious when going on adventures. You're a dear friend, and I wish you a safe and happy life."

At that moment, Falkor's face lit up with a smile. "Thank you, Elora. I'll see you around."

Elora nodded, and Falkor exited the room calmly. But as soon as he stepped outside, he burst into a joyful sprint, shouting, "To hell with caution! I love this woman!"

Two months later, a conflict arose between the ghouls and Daekrahm city for unknown reasons. Falkor joined the adventurers who enlisted in Daekrahm city's army for monetary gain. The battlefield was a terrible sight, strewn with bodies of various races, from elves and human adventurers to ghouls. The majority of casualties were from the Daekrahm army and the ghoul forces.

Al sat in his house, reading a journal with his wife. He fretted over Falkor, who had gone to battle, and said with a sombre expression, "I hope you're alive, Falkor."

The war persisted for another two months. Then, as abruptly as it began, it ended under mysterious circumstances. The ghouls withdrew their forces, leaving Daekrahm city and its people to recover from the devastating event.

A month later, Elora was at the temple in Roxana with a friend, who asked, "Elora, do you still fear the adventurer won't return?"

Elora corrected her, saying, "His name is Falkor."

The nun consoled her, "My sister, a month has passed, and most of the survivors have returned. Except him. Perhaps it's time to let him go from your thoughts."

Elora nodded and thanked her friend, saying, "Thank you, Mys, for always looking out for me."

Mys smiled and went about her duties, leaving Elora to tend to the sick patients who had come in that day.

Two days later, Elora was asleep in her room, sharing it with three other nuns in their separate beds. Suddenly, Mys burst in, calling urgently, "Elora! Hurry!"

Startled awake, Elora was swiftly taken by Mys' hand. They hurried towards the temple's doors. At that moment, Elora reflected, "You always visit me with blood and wounds. Have I ever seen you in good health?"

Upon reaching the entrance, Elora and Mys were met by Falkor, clad in clean clothes and wearing a wide smile. Elora exclaimed, "I never lost hope."

Falkor, his usual shyness present, managed to say with restrained joy, "Neither did I."

Then, Elora noticed a small hand clutching Falkor's leg. She asked, grinning, "Falkor, who's this little lady you have with you?"

Falkor knelt down, placing his hands on both the girl's and the young boy's heads. He explained, "Christana and Elrand. They're siblings I found in the fields near the battlefield. They have no family, and I couldn't leave them at the Temple of Light."

Mys inquired, "Then why bring them here?"

Falkor replied, "Because I know you all and trust you."

The nuns beamed, some blushing at Falkor's kind words. Elora pressed on, "And you, Falkor? Do you intend to keep putting yourself in harm's way?"

After a brief silence, Falkor declared, "No. I need to care for these children, providing them with love and support so they can grow into good people. I'll cease being an adventurer and work here in the temple. The war with the ghouls has given me a purpose."

Elora questioned, "What purpose is that?"

Falkor gazed at her, a smile on his face. "The very thing I wanted to do from the beginning, make a difference. That war taught me that our people need a generation of both science and heart, not just cold souls and colder steel."

At that moment, Elora opened her arms and said warmly, "Welcome, Falkor. Welcome to the Temple of Light."

Falkor bowed and stated, "I will be in your care, Elora."

Returning to the present day, Christana wore a smile and reflected to herself, "Then, my brother went with the knights to grow stronger and aid his kingdom and its people, while I became a nun to offer as much help as I can."

Looking at Mother Elora, Christana expressed, "I love you."

Eyva was puzzled, but Elora beamed and replied, "Daughter Chrisa, I love you too."

Christana responded with a smile, "You're the only mother I have and love, and Falkor is the only father I could ever wish for. I wish happiness for you both."

Mother Elora was overjoyed by Christana's words, finding them to be a blessing and a testament to the years of hard work she had dedicated to helping everyone.

Meanwhile, on the road to Daekrahm city, taking a different path, Yory conversed with Joe. Yory remarked, "It's been a long three weeks; my back is killing me."

Joe grinned and pointed out, "Don't forget all the vegetables, fur, and even frozen meat and spices you bought for the Daekrahm city's festival. Are you planning to supply an army or something?"

Yory held a proud expression and responded, "My dear, less-informed friend, I won't repeat the mistake I made during Brilfax's festival by leaving the city every time I ran out of goods. Now, I am prepared to be the wise, humble merchant that everyone will come to know."

Joe laughed at Yory's remark about his knowledge and added, "Remember, you needed this friend to show you where to step just a few months ago. So, show some respect for those who are more experienced, young one."

They both shared a laugh and continued their journey toward Daekrahm City.

In the kingdom of ghouls, King Thulgrim, known by his famous nickname "The Undying" due to the countless battles he survived against all odds, conversed with Rolf, the mysterious man. Something seemed off about him; he maintained a serious demeanour, unlike his usual smiles.

Thulgrim declared, "Today, we begin. Let's reclaim our honour, our pride, and what is dear to us."

Meanwhile, at the border between the ghouls' kingdom and Renolva's kingdom, the ghouls had slain all the human guards. General Duskfang, a tall and robust brown ghoul, asked, "No survivors?"

His subordinate nodded and replied, "Calm and clean, sir."

Duskfang nodded, then turned to his soldiers, instructing, "We must take the roads leading to Daekrahm city and try to capture those who are familiar with the city. We need information before we launch an attack."

The ghoul soldiers nodded and dispersed into the woods in small groups. Duskfang then directed the others, "Establish three camps, each one a day's walk apart from the others, to cover more ground and gain better knowledge of the forests and terrain in this area."

The soldiers nodded, and Duskfang led one of the groups towards the mountains.

In the ghouls' castle, Thulgrim turned to Rolf, remarking, "So a human will aid a ghoul in attacking the humans' city. You truly desire the demons' demise, am I mistaken?"

Rolf remained uncharacteristically quiet. After a moment, he responded in a calm tone, "It's just one city. If I had the authority, I would have offered it to you to gain your assistance against the demons. So yes, I'm willing to sacrifice a city for our future of peace and happiness without the demons."

Thulgrim nodded and turned to his son, Grimscar, who stood guard beside the throne. "Grimscar, we've found a valuable ally to join forces with. Here's to our future victory."

The soldiers cheered, but Grimscar, eyeing Rolf with suspicion, stayed silent. Simply put, he didn't trust Rolf or his proclaimed motives.

In the Renolva kingdom, Yory traveled while Joe dozed. Yory pondered his next steps in the city when suddenly Boris, the horse, came to a halt, neighing loudly enough to jolt Joe awake.

Joe grumbled at the disruptive neigh, asking, "What's wrong with Boris, Yory?"

Yory descended from the cart and made his way towards the woods, while Joe retrieved a bow, stood on the cart, and kept a vigilant watch for any potential threats.

As Yory approached the woods, a man covered in blood and dirt emerged from the forest. Yory observed the man and inquired, "Is this your blood?"

The man shook his head, gasping out, "N-not... mine."

Joe approached the man with a container of water and clean clothes in hand. The man drank the water and used it to clean some of the blood from his chest. At that moment, Yory glimpsed the symbol of the Temple of Light on the man's torn shirt.

Joe inquired, "Do you have a name?"

The man replied, "I am a priest of the Temple of Light. Falkor is my name."

Meanwhile, Christana was engaged in conversation with Eyva and Mother Elora, sharing laughter.

Suddenly, BOOOM! A large cart driven by a ghoul collided with theirs, flipping it over. Other carriages belonging to the nuns were under attack by the ghouls.

In the midst of the chaos, Joe's face turned serious. He questioned Falkor, "What exactly happened to you to end up covered in all this blood that isn't yours?"

Falkor responded with a grave expression, "Ghouls. They're attacking!"