“I will fix up some food.” Leona pulled Nio into the house while his son chattered about a giant slug he had seen in the backyard. “You should have sent a message… I have nothing good. I should get some meat from…”

“It’s fine,” Nio allowed to be handled. He smiled while being sat down at the table. “I can wait.”

“No, no,” Leona shook her head. “That won’t do. You are so thin. Whatever you say, they don’t feed you enough in the army. Even a bookkeeper has to eat.” She complained. “So what, that you just keep records? You still have to eat!” She checked the pantry. “I should have bought more…”

“Is the money not enough?” Nio asked—a tinge of worry in his voice.

To which Leona snorted. “It’s enough. It’s just hard to find anything good. Everything is taken to feed the army. You know that.” She slammed the pantry shut, then walked to Nio and kissed him.

Mila wanted to recoil from the unexpected intimacy. The sensation of an unknown woman’s lips made her want to gag.

But she was stuck tasting the kiss as Nio didn’t allow Leona an easy escape. Mila didn’t want this. She really hoped Nio wouldn’t take a week to move on. What if they decided to do more than just kiss? The Old Ghost better ensured she wouldn’t have to endure that. He had done it before, so she hoped nothing had changed.

When the kiss was over, Leona left, leaving Nio with his son. He pulled the boy into his lap and listened to the exciting tale about the fish Beino had caught.

Once the tale was over, Nio finally found a moment to ask a question. “How has your training been?” He pinched his son’s cheek.

“Daaaddd!” Beino squirmed, trying to get away. “Stooop!”

Not that Nio did. He held his son firmly. “How is it going?” He repeated.

Beino finally calmed. “Uh,” he hesitated. “Good…”

It sounded more like a question than an answer. Mila could tell the boy was lying, and so could his father.

“Beino…” Nio sighed. “You know it is important. And remember, don’t tell your Mom.”

“I know…”

“If something happens to me, you will have to protect your mother.” Nio chastised.

“I know…But,” The boy glanced up at his father’s face. “But how does being stealthy help?” He questioned. “That’s for running away. Harri said so.”

“Who is Harri?” Nio wondered. “Your friend?” Beino nodded. “Well, then. Your friend is wrong. Being stealthy is for getting close to deal a fatal blow.”

“But it’s cowardly…” Beino whined. “I heard the General rides on a large horse right into the enemy’s army and faces them all by himself.”

Nio sighed. “If only it was that simple. He is a single man who has something to protect. He can’t be in all places at once.”

“But he is invincible. I want to be invincible, too!” Beino’s eyes shone.

“There can only be one invincible person.” Nio smiled while poking his son. “And you still have to grow before you can become one. But before that, I can teach you how to survive and help Mom.”

“Fine…” Beino sulked, unconvinced.

Nio noticed it, too. “Have I told you the tale about the great monster slayer?” He waited for Beino to shake his head.

“Long ago, there was an evil monster living in the Shront mountains.” He paused to see if the boy was listening. “The evil monster lived fearlessly, coming down from the mountains once a day and bringing away a child.” He spoke with great seriousness, earning a gasp from Beino.

“Nobody could stop the monster.” Nio sadly explained. “Many great heroes faced the monster, determined to end its existence. They went into the mountains and waited at the villages the monster visited. They faced the beast, and all of them were killed.”

Nio sighed. “Because you see, the monster had a terrible power. It could kill just by looking at its opponent. No matter who came, it just glanced at them, and they were done.” He waited for Beino to absorb the information.

“Then… He was invincible?” Beino blinked, trying to figure out how to end such an opponent.

“Indeed,” Nio nodded. “For many years, the monster came and went as it wished. But then…” He took a dramatic pause. “One day, a young boy’s sister was taken away, and he swore to end the beast’s existence.”

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“A boy?”

“Indeed! A boy, much like you!” Nio nodded. “You see, he had another sister. He wanted to protect her no matter what. But the monster was too strong! No hero had ever managed to do as much as to touch it! And the boy was so very weak. Nobody would see him as a threat. He was sickly and barely left an impression.”

Beino gasped. “Weak and sickly? What did the boy do?”

“You see,” Nio continued. “The monster was indeed too strong for the boy. He knew he was too weak. But the boy was smart. He knew the monster took the same path every time it came.”

“And what then?”

“The boy went to the blacksmith and asked for the best spear he could make.” Nio let his son ponder the idea.

“But the monster would not lose, right?”

“Indeed. The monster would not lose.” Nio nodded.

Mila listened to Nio’s story while wondering why she was stuck there. She had heard stories like this before and could guess where it was going. But the boy’s rapt attention was infectious. She didn’t mind listening.

Beino tilted his head. “Then the boy would lose?”

“The boy could not fight the monster,” Nio affirmed. “But remember, the boy was smart. He had no strength nor pride. All he wanted was to save his remaining sister.” He explained. “So, while the blacksmith was making the spear, the boy explored the path. He found a spot where the beast crossed every day and began digging.”

“Digging?”

“Yes,” Nio nodded. “He could not face the beast. But he could ambush it.”

“But wouldn’t others do that too?”

“Indeed. Many tried. But the beast found them each and every time.”

“Then the boy would fail?”

“There was no hope for the boy,” Nio sadly noted. “But he had to try. Family is the most important thing. Even if you don’t like it, you have to fight. You have to protect them. Do you understand?” He imparted this fact.

“Yes! I will protect Mom and you!” Beino enthusiastically nodded.

“I am sure you will.” Nio ruffled his son’s hair again. “And just like you would fight, so did the boy. Even if there was no chance, he would try.”

Mila suffered through the moment. She was an intruder here—even if this moment was long in the past.

“So he tried. The boy found the trodden spot and began to dig. He dug all through the night—a hole as deep as he was. Knowing the monster would come soon, he ran to the village and got the freshly made spear from the blacksmith. Then the boy rushed to his home and said farewell to his sister.”

“And then?”

“The boy held his spear close to his chest. He ran back to the hole he had just dug and crawled into it, masking the spot as best he could.”

“Ah!” Beino clapped. “He hid so well the beast couldn’t find him?”

Nio shook his head. “How could that be? The ancient monster had lived for how many years? It had eaten so many heroes and warriors. How could a simple boy hide from it?”

“But then how?”

After a sigh, Nio resumed. “The monster had fought many great people. It had triumphed over them all. It carried great pride—just as those who had come after it. It knew where the boy was hiding. He could have changed the path and avoided it. But do you know why it didn’t?”

“Pride?” Beino had the answer Nio had given.

“Yes,” Nio nodded, and his son beamed a smile. “But that is not all. The boy was weak. His presence was too thin, his body too young. Frankly, the monster felt no threat at all because the boy was just a forest critter to his senses.”

Without stopping, Nio went into the last part of the story. “The monster continued to walk as he had because the boy’s presence was too thin. It thought it was just a mouse or a rabbit hiding in a cave. Why would a great monster avoid stepping over a feeble creature like that?”

“And so,” Nio enjoyed his son’s attention. “The monster stomped on. The boy heard him come and knew when it was above him. He held his spear close to his chest and thrust it up with all his might.”

“And then?”

“The spear pierced the monster’s belly, digging deep into its guts. The monster roared and thrashed, surprised by the sudden pain. And the more it moved, the more it hurt itself. It had never felt pain like that!” Nio gesticulated. “It finally realised what had happened, but it was too late.”

“The monster died?” Beino gasped. “But what about the boy?”

“Yes, it was too late for the monster,” Nio affirmed. “It tore up its belly and slowly bled to death, collapsing right above the hole. Its body covered the spot, and its blood filled the dugout.”

“But then the boy…”

“The boy succeeded. He slayed the monster and saved countless people.” Nio solemnly spoke. “But in the end, he was just a boy. He still needed strength to escape after dealing the blow. But he didn’t have it. As the monster drew its last breath, so did the boy, unable to push away the body…”

“...but… that’s…” Beino didn’t know what to say. “That’s sad.”

“It is. But sometimes, doing what you must can cost you your life. It is why both strength and cunning are necessary. And that is why being unnoticeable is important. Do you understand?” Nio asked.

“I… think so?” Beino’s face was thoughtful.

“Good. Then come.” Nio stood up, lifting his boy with him. “We have a bit of time before your mom gets back and cooks us a meal. I will show how to be unnoticeable. But being strong… That will be up to you to train daily.”

“I will be strong!” Beino rushed to boast. And after a bit of thinking, he added another thing. “And sly and unseen.”

“Good. I have just a week, so make sure you remember everything I will say.” Nio strode out into the backyard, where the giant slug had been. “And remember, your mother can’t know about this.”

“But why?”

“Because she…” Nio hesitated. “She does not like violence. She knows every life has value and… I will tell you more when I get back, okay?” He let go of his son. “Now. Show me what you remember from the last time I taught you.”

Mila finally knew why she had been given this life. She watched the boy move his mana, trying to erase his presence. It was a sloppy and slow process. But in some ways, it was more perfect than what she had.

For the next week, Mila would learn. In a way, this was perfect.