"I'm back home," Aris informed upon entering her house.

Hearing Aris' voice, a woman in her thirties greeted her with joy, and she was Aris' mother.

"How was your training with Diana today, Aris?" Aris' mother inquired with a curious expression.

Aris simply conveyed that their training went as usual and handed over two letters received from Mr. Eli, the merchant from the capital city.

Aris' mother asked about the letters, and upon hearing Aris' response, she became incredibly happy and excited to know that her son had sent letters after a long time.

Seeing her mother so full of joy made Aris happy, as her mother seemed to be in her own world.

"It's great to see you so happy, Mom... but what's in the letter from my brother?" Aris pointed to the letter her mother was holding.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Aris' mother quickly broke the seal of the letter.

".....Oh... I see... hmm" Aris' mother read the contents of the letter, sitting in one of the chairs in their living room.

Aris raised an eyebrow, observing her mother's reaction shifting from joy to seriousness and intense focus.

Aris wondered why her mother appeared that way and approached her to see what she was reading.

Before Aris could reach her mother, the letter was extended to her first, and her mother's expression changed again, this time with intense happiness and a broad smile on her forever young face.

"Perhaps you should read the letter from your brother yourself." Aris then took the letter and began reading its contents.

______________________________________

Dear Mother and Aris,

"It's been over three years since we last met."

"How are you both? Are you well?"

"Perhaps you both have forgotten about a son like me and a brother to Aris, who has a selfish nature within."

"I loudly declare that I am tired of this village life as its guardian leader, and I am passing on this duty to my younger sister, who is still raw in experience just so I could become a knight in the capital city. After realizing that I have not only placed our village residents who cannot fight against the threat of monsters or bandits in a vulnerable position but also burdened my sister to prevent these unfortunate events. Mother, you have to witness Aris fiercely defending our village along with those who can fight."

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"I have wanted to return and help solve our village's issues many times, but until I graduate from the knight academy, I'm prohibited not only from communicating with loved ones but also from visiting them, as it's considered an unreasonable request from the mouth of a mere merchant. This infuriated me and hurt me deeply, although later I felt relieved that you were safe after receiving information from Mr. Eli."

"Mother and Aris, I am sending this letter not just to inquire about your well-being and apologize, but to propose an idea to Aris to attend the knight academy."

"If I'm not mistaken, the yellow-tinted letter should be enclosed with this one."

"My proposal letter is not merely for the sake of it, as Aris herself has told me that she wishes to follow me to the capital city to become a knight. She has been training herself in various ways to ensure she enters the academy one day. I've heard about how you successfully fended off various dangers from our village, and your talents and abilities in handling them, along with the village residents, were relayed to me by Mr. Eli."

"The entrance exam will take place next month, around... three weeks from now, according to when this letter is received. Your decision to follow this path is up to you."

"If you wish, come to the capital city and present this letter to the gatekeeper at the examination site. I hope you pass the test."

"Mother, I hope you approve if Aris decides to go."

From Adrian.

_____________________________________

After reading the letter, Aris let out a sigh of disappointment.

"I'm sorry, brother, but I don't think I can go." Aris then folded the letter back to its original shape.

Aris handed the letter back to her mother, who still appeared as she did before. Her mother opened the letter again and closed it.

"Are you sure, dear?" Aris' mother asked her gently.

Aris nodded.

Aris' decision wasn't because she had abandoned her aspiration to become a knight; deep down, she wanted to go to the capital city to achieve her dream. However, her responsibilities as the village's guardian, with its small number of protectors, would become challenging without her presence. If she were to leave, who would take her place? That was the question and reason that lingered in Aris' mind, causing her to reject her brother's proposal.

Seeing her daughter so resolute, Aris' mother sighed, asking her to think things through thoroughly before making a final decision.

Aris, just as before, said that her decision was made and she would stay.

"Mom, I think this matter has a definitive answer for me... huh?" Aris noticed the front door of their house being opened.

As the door fully opened, Aris saw Diana entering with a white towel, similar to the one she had brought earlier in the day.

"Aris! Hey, here's the towel you left behind." Diana handed over the white towel.

"Oh, I didn't realize this was left behind..." Aris stated, glancing at the letter in her hand and getting an idea upon seeing it.

"I'll head out now, Aris!" Diana started stepping out of Aris' house, but stopped when Aris called out to her.

Diana asked how she could help Aris and received a request that wasn't unfamiliar, although it wasn't typical for the current circumstances.

"Alright, I'll gather everyone." Diana quickly left to assist Aris' request.

"So... are you going to handle it this way... Aris?" Aris' mother seemed to understand Aris' intentions.

"Yes... I need to hear what others say about this letter and see their reactions before making a decision..." Aris looked at the letter in her hand again.

Aris stepped out of her house after donning her protective gear, heading to where the village's guardians were gathering, and sought their opinions.

"See you later, Mom." Aris closed the door and proceeded to the gathering spot for the village's protectors.

To be continued.