He looked me in the eye and added,

"We're a team now, partner."

Those words of Hiroshi made me actually very happy. It seems like we have a lot of adventures to go on.

"At least I now have something that I can call an experience or something that will move me forward in life."

He chuckled, he seemed very impressed by my words,

"Where did you learn that? You talk much more mature for your age, Kid?"

It was the usual expression that people gave me when they talked. But I didn't think it was anything special,

"It is just something that my Uncle and Ronk taught me. They always said "being able to help a person is what moves us in this world. Because as a big machine that life is, we can't just stop working out of nowhere or stuck each other in a bad way. We have to work together, just to get through and make the machine go." I didn't think much about their words, but as time moved on, I felt the emptiness of helping a person and the need for somebody to help me back, in order to achieve what I wanted. That is actually why I'm on this journey. To find people that need that, and get the same from the people that think the same."

Hiroshi leaned quite forward to the fireplace we set and talked still smiling,

"Well then, I must admit, they have raised you well. This mindset can get you far in anything, but you must also give your own effort too."

"Yeah, I should..."

He then once again stood firmly and changed the subject,

"Now tell me what's on your mind. How are you planning to defeat the "Epics"? Since you said you have a plan in mind."

And after that, came for the moment we finally set off for the first part of the journey,

"Do you know how to go to the village of witches?" I asked him wondering if he knew anything about it.

"Village of witches, what are you planning to do there? Isn't that place full of magical people going around?"

"My uncle told me that, they aren't always friendly, but in order for us to gather people, I need to open the seal of the magic map that I have. And I learned that "they", can only do this."

"So now with a magic map? It's getting crazier, Kid."

"But do you know where it is?"

"I know their village. It's four days from here. But we have to figure out how to get there."

"All right then. That's the first place we're going as soon as possible. We have to start moving as fast as possible so we can talk with them sooner."

Hiroshi lit his cigar again, but this, stopped me and asked me another question,

"Wait, Kid."

He then looked at me and added,

"The elite soldier you fought. He was the fifth elite soldier of The First Epic. I ain't sure how you did this in the first place, and maybe it was an easy fight for you, but you also have to remember, that they're getting stronger. Every and each one you defeat, the other one will be stronger and none of them will wait for you to get up and fight back. You'll see powers you've never seen before. So are you still ready to do it?

"Whatever comes, I'm ready. After all, I've spent so much time training for it. If I aimed for this in the first place, then I have been ready for what will happen in the process. After all, this is what it takes, am I wrong?"

"Good, I'm glad to hear that. And one last thing. The epics have eyes and ears everywhere. So we have to stand out as little as possible. Got it?"

"I understand."

"Then let's go."