— Yes — Tate replied, closing his eyes and sighing. — He’s okay.

— What happened down there? — a villager asked.

— It was a green spider nest. These two weren’t attacked — they fainted from fear near the surface, out of the monsters’ line of sight. We found that out shortly before we left — Dereck explained, drawing everyone’s attention.

— And what about that explosion just now!? Can you explain that!? — asked another, clearly shaken.

— Like I said, there were monsters inside. We couldn’t let them multiply. We took them out until we found the summoning object and destroyed it. After that, we blew up the underground area as a precaution — he said, lighting a cigarette and walking off, ignoring the crowd.

— Everyone, they’re exhausted. Let’s save the questions for later — Jonathan tried to calm them down.

— And your armor, knight? What happened to it? — asked a woman.

— Please, save the questions for later. I need volunteers to help take these two to the infirmary — he insisted.

Some men stepped forward to help carry the unconscious ones, while the rest of the villagers returned, still confused and full of questions.

— Ugh, I need a bath — groaned Ferry, looking down at her clothes stained with green blood.

— There’s a river nearby. Grab clean clothes and meet me at the church. I’ll take you there. I just need to do something first — said Jonathan, walking toward the field.

— Where are you going? — asked Dereck, exhaling smoke.

— To get someone — he replied, calmly walking away.

≠

Under the scorching midday sun, Beta sat on the grass with his sword resting on his legs. Eyes closed and deeply focused, he was trying to awaken his core.

— You're really not going to give up, huh? — asked Jonathan, interrupting his concentration.

— What took you so long? — Beta asked excitedly as he stood up. — Round two, let's go! — he shouted, assuming a combat stance, panting and sweaty.

— Three adventurers arrived in the village — Jonathan said, motioning with his head.

— Really!? — Beta's eyes lit up with excitement. — Why are you covered in that green stuff? — he added, confused.

— I'll explain on the way. They'll be here for a couple of days, so maybe tomorrow you'll get to talk to them — he replied, crouching so the boy could climb onto his back. — Come on now, little adventurer, you need a bath.

— Look who's talking! — Beta said, jumping onto Jonathan’s back.

As they returned to the village, Jonathan told him everything that had happened in the cave, making the boy even more fascinated by the idea of becoming an adventurer. Beta brimmed with determination. He couldn’t contain his joy or his questions when he met the adventurers, who treated him kindly — after all, he was just a ten-year-old kid.

To help burn off some of his energy, Jonathan took him to the nearby river to wash up with the adventurers. The men bathed on one side, and the women on the other, to avoid any trouble.

— So, you want to become an adventurer? — asked Dereck with a grin, ruffling Beta’s wet hair.

— I will be! — he answered firmly. — But... my core won’t awaken, and I’ve been training for two weeks — he added, discouraged.

— Come on, kid, it’s only been two weeks! Of course it’s not working yet — said Tate, approaching. — Besides, you’re only ten. No one’s ever awakened at that age. But if you keep at it, maybe by twelve you’ll be able to move through the stages more easily.

— But it’s going to take so long... — he mumbled, looking down.

— I don’t know what’s going on in your head, but you do know that you can’t officially become an adventurer until you’re fourteen, right? It’s not going to happen overnight.

— What!? — he shouted in shock. — You didn’t tell me that, Jonathan! — he yelled, stumbling in the water and falling under, making the three of them laugh.

— I’ve been telling him stories of my adventures since he was seven, and that sparked his interest. I just never talked about the bad parts — Jonathan explained, helping Beta out of the water.

— I see... Look, Beta, once I’ve rested, I’ll teach you a technique to help refine your core more quickly, okay? — said Dereck, swimming nearby.

— Really!?

— Yup — he answered, laughing.

— In that case, I’ll teach you a sword technique you can practice while you train — said Tate, stepping out of the river.

— O-of course! I won’t let you down, senseis! — Beta exclaimed, completely fired up, drawing more laughter from the group.

After cleaning up, they returned to the village and were welcomed into one of the houses for a meal. They chatted with a few locals and began forming friendly bonds as they settled in.

— What mission were you coming from? — asked the homeowner, cutting meat on his plate.

— We were exploring a new dungeon territory — Tate answered, chewing right after.

— And what kind of monsters were you hunting? — asked the woman sweeping the house, curious.

— The explosive kind — he replied again, taking a sip of juice.

— Those terrifying ones that destroy everything in their path!? — she gasped, impressed.

— Yep — he said with an innocent smile.

— Once again, thank you for saving my son’s life. He’s young and does reckless things now and then, but this time... this time was too much... — she said, stopping the sweeping and leaning on the broom handle. — I don’t know what I would’ve done if... — she covered her mouth with her hands as tears streamed down her face.

— Don’t worry. The potions I carry are top-notch. If your son was poisoned or something like that, he’ll be cured — he said, trying to reassure her as the old man embraced his wife.

— Do you guys take orders from some boss or anything like that? — Beta asked, excited, not even touching his food.

— No, we’re independent adventurers, you little rascal — Dereck replied, ruffling his hair.

— I’m full. Thank you so much for the meal. I’m heading back to the church to rest a bit — said Ferry, getting up from the table. — Thank you again — she said, bowing before leaving the house.

— Beta, you’d better finish your meal while I talk with the adventurers — Jonathan suggested, motioning for the others to follow him.

— What? I want to hear too! They haven’t even answered all my questions! — he protested indignantly.

— That’s because you ask too many. Eat and rest. They’re not going anywhere — they’ll be here for two days. If you want to join their training, you’ll need to be fed and rested.

— Fine... — he grumbled, crossing his arms.

— And stop pouting. You’re ten, not a toddler — Jonathan said as he got up with the adventurers. — Thank you for the meal, Mrs. Sceeller — he added, bowing along with the others.

Leaving Beta to finish his lunch, Jonathan led the adventurers to the church so they could speak in private. The atmosphere there was entirely different from the light-heartedness of the elderly couple’s home. The adventurers knew they wouldn’t be able to keep secrets from the knight for much longer.

— Independent adventurers... Sure — said Jonathan, standing with his back to them, watching their reflection in the glass.

— We didn’t lie about Alexa, but that’s confidential information. The mission and what we were doing. I hope you understand — said Tate, trying to keep Dereck calm, whose demeanor had completely changed.

— You’re very strong. The connection between you is intimidating, and your potions and combat techniques are high-level — Jonathan said, turning to face them. — I know it’s classified, but... is it something I, as the knight of this humble village, should be concerned about? — he asked, looking them in the eye, showing no fear or hesitation.

— No. This mission has nothing to do with this village. We’re just resting — Tate replied before Dereck could speak.

— I hope so. Have a good afternoon, gentlemen — Jonathan said, walking past them and leaving the church.

— Are you sure you shouldn’t tell him the truth? — asked Ferry, appearing at the top of the stairs, just her head showing.

— If you want the world queen to order your execution, be my guest. Besides, those things are still in the forest. They won’t attack any time soon. That’s why we’re leaving in two days — Tate explained.

— Fine by me. I’m going to sleep — Dereck replied, heading up the stairs toward Ferry.

Tate also lay down on a bed near the window to rest — unaware that Jonathan had left the door slightly ajar... and was listening from outside.

×

A few hours passed. Beta, overwhelmed by anxiety, couldn’t rest or focus on his tasks. The girls noticed his restlessness and debated whether they should go after him once they finished their chores, since the boy had gone toward the river to fish.

— So? Should we go after him? — Payton asked, watching him vanish between the trees.

— He’ll probably just ignore us. Let him go — Sarah replied, watching a butterfly flutter past her.

— You know what we haven’t done in ages? Hide-and-seek! — Carla said cheerfully.

— Oh, come on. It's already getting late. We can't play now — Liz scolded.

— But that’s the fun part! It’s way too easy in daylight. And we’ll only hide within the village—it’s not like we’re going into the forest! — Carla insisted.

— I’m not really in the mood for that — Catarina said. — Anyway, I’ll see if the older ladies need help with anything — she added, pushing off the wall and walking away.

— In that case, I think I’ll go talk to Philipe. You two coming? — Payton asked.

— Better than nothing — Sarah replied, exchanging glances with Catarina.

— Then it's settled. What about you, Liz? — Payton asked as she started walking.

— I’ve got something in mind. See you later — Liz replied, waving them off.

By the riverbank, Beta sat holding a fishing rod, lost in thought, completely unaware of his surroundings. He felt frustrated—it was already getting dark, and the adventurers hadn’t shown up as they had promised.

He had decided to fish alone as a way of learning survival skills in the wild—a crucial step for someone who dreamed of becoming an adventurer. His still-uncleansed core troubled him, despite Tate’s insistence that the awakening only occurred during adolescence. Still, something felt off.

— Boo — an emotionless voice whispered in his ear.

SPLASH!

— Damn, kid, you really were off in another world, huh? — Tate laughed, sitting where the boy had been moments ago.

— I have my reasons — Beta replied, swimming back to the edge and sitting beside him.

— Want to share them with someone? — Tate asked, throwing an arm around the boy’s neck and pulling him closer.

— It’s about my core — he admitted, embarrassed.

— Still with that? — Tate sighed, letting him go. — You know the life of an adventurer is far from perfect, right? There are dangers everywhere and hard decisions that can haunt you for the rest of your life — he said, gazing at the flowing river as the night breeze rustled his pitch-black hair.

— Have you ever had to make a tough decision? — Beta asked, noticing his somber tone. — S-sorry if I brought up something bad! — he added quickly, panicked.

— No, it’s okay. Sometimes remembering is important so we don’t make the same mistakes again — Tate said with a faint smile. — You know, Beta… When I had just turned seventeen, I decided to enter a dungeon for the first time.

— Really? And what did you do before that? — he asked, curious.

— Nothing special. My father was a merchant, and I worked with him until I was fifteen, when he passed away — he said, taking a deep breath. — He… died of a heart attack. It hurt a lot at first. My mother fell ill, and since we depended solely on him—and I was never good at dealing with that—I ended up losing her too — he said, his expression growing serious.

— That’s so sad… I’m sorry — Beta said, trying to comfort him.

— I remember something my father told me once, when I was about your age. He said: “Son, I’ve had many regrets and made many wrong choices. Not for the things I did, but for what I didn’t do. I want you, when you turn eighteen or if your mother and I are no longer here, to truly live your life without regrets, so you don’t end up unhappy like me.” — Tate smiled faintly. — Those words have stayed with me to this day, even now that I’m twenty-eight.

— And how did you know you wanted to be an adventurer?

— Oh, that’s easy. I didn’t — he said with a grin.

— What?

— I still don’t know what I want from life. That’s why I chose to become an adventurer. I want to explore, fight monsters, make friends, make mistakes and get things right. But the best part is the places we see and the people we meet. Each one with their own story, no matter how small. It might seem insignificant to the world, but to me, it’s fascinating.

— So you’re on a journey of self-discovery? — he asked, puzzled.

— Something like that. And you get it pretty well for someone who’s only ten — he said, ruffling his hair.

— That’s because I always hear those kinds of things when Knight Jonathan talks to his friend, Philipe.

— I see — Tate said, and silence settled again. — And you? What do your parents think about you becoming an adventurer?

— I… I don’t know my parents. Never met them. No one in the village talks about them. They always change the subject. Maybe so I won’t get hurt. Sometimes I think I was just abandoned — he said, lowering his head. — The people in this village are all I have. I’d do anything for them.

— Hold onto that thought, kid. We should be loyal to those who’ve been loyal to us. Protect the ones you love with all you've got, no matter what you have to face. Got it?

— Y-yeah…? — he replied, a little unsure. — But what about the dungeon you mentioned?

— Huh? Oh, another time. Maybe I’ll tell you when I’m about to leave — he said, standing up. — One more thing, Beta. I’ve heard from the girls and the elders that you’ve been really focused on training, but please, relax a little. You’re only ten. You should be playing with the other kids, enjoying your childhood. You’ll have plenty of time to train later. Do it for me — he said, walking away.

— All right… — Beta murmured, thoughtful, by the riverbank.

While reflecting on his actions, the boy thought about the life Tate had lived. He understood that, although he wanted to become strong quickly, he also needed to enjoy his childhood with his friends.

— Later, I’ll teach you that move. Dereck should show up to help you with your core — Tate shouted, waving with his back turned.

— Adventurers really are amazing people... — Beta thought, showing a modest smile.

Back in the village some time later, Beta searched for the missing adventurers. He noticed Jonathan seemed more pensive than usual and decided to ignore him.