?????°???°?????

  He wasn't just a skilled knight; he was cunning. With a deep sigh, I began walking through the city.

  "[That went better than I expected. Do you really think we're fine?]" Merlin asked in my mind.

  "I think so. Well, if we manage to build a good image with the prince of the kingdom, that's already a big thing."

  "[You're expecting him to pay you, aren't you?]"

  "Of course. Merlin, I've had a question for a while. I understand what you want to tell me, so I'm going to ask you… You can't read minds, can you?" I was genuinely curious. To others it looked like I was talking to myself, and that bothered me.

  "[Oh no, I can only command someone to do something. So instead, I just command your soul to know what I’m saying.]"

  'That's how it works?!'

  "You have some pretty broken abilities, huh…"

  She cheerfully laughed with her little emoji bubble.

  It was already early afternoon, so I decided to walk a bit more. Then I found something… or rather, someone.

  It was an open area, like an improvised playground where children played with snow. Among them, Lilia was there.

  But something was wrong.

  Some older boys were holding her hat above her head, laughing as she jumped trying to get it back. From Lilia’s expression, she clearly wasn't enjoying it.

  'Here we go…'

  Before the scene dragged on, I simply walked over and, in an instant, snatched the hat back and returned it to her.

  "Here."

  Her eyes widened as she carefully held the hat.

  "Thank you…"

  "Huh?!" one of the boys exclaimed, confused.

  "Hey! Who do you think you are?!" The biggest one grabbed my shoulder, turning me to face him.

  'He's bigger than me… but whatever.'

  "No, no. Who do you think you are, taking other people's things? She's much younger than you. Do you have no pride as a man?"

  The other boys choked on their own breath.

  "Oooh! He's roasting you!"

  "He said you're not a man!"

  "Wooow, couldn't be me!"

  'These idiots…'

  The boy gritted his teeth and, without warning, threw a punch right at my face.

  The impact hit, yet I didn't move.

  He, however…

  The kid fell to his knees, grabbing his hand, twisting in pain.

  "Aaaahhh! My hand!!"

  His eyes filled with tears and within a second he was already running away.

  "Just wait! I'm telling my dad!!"

  "Yeah! He's telling his dad!!"

  "YEAH!!!"

  The others sprinted after him, tripping over the snow while screaming down the street.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  I stayed still, scratching my neck and sighing.

  "What a weird group…"

  Suddenly, I felt a tug on my clothes.

  Lilia stood beside me, holding onto my shirt with one hand, her hat in the other.

  I crouched and gently placed the hat on her head, making sure it covered her ears. She stayed quiet, watching my movements.

  "There. Now you won't get cold. At least a little less."

  She blinked a few times, then smiled softly.

  "Shall we go home?"

  Lilia nodded, holding onto my sleeve as we started walking.

  When we arrived, the house felt strangely quiet. I walked inside, calling for Eliza and Thom, but no one answered.

  "Lilia, where did they go?" I asked, entering the living room.

  "Mom and Dad went out to handle some things. I don't like being alone, so I went outside… A-ah! How was work?" she asked as she sat on the sofa.

  I sat beside her, thinking how best to explain it. In the end, I summed it up:

  "It was… busy."

  Lilia frowned, pointing at the blood on my clothes.

  "What’s that? Did you get hurt?"

  "Oh! Uh… I cut myself," I replied quickly, trying to hide the stain and change the subject. "I'm joining the guild now. For now, at least."

  Lilia’s expression changed slightly when I said that. Wanting to understand, I asked:

  "The guild master measured my Mna. I don’t like him much."

  'Orion. I knew something was off about him. So that's why her parents reacted weird when I said I was an adventurer.'

  "You know, I didn't like him either. Let me tell you a secret, don’t tell anyone, okay?"

  "What is it?!"

  "When I get the chance and a good reason, I'm going to punch him. Deal?"

  She laughed at that. Then, we heard the door.

  Eliza and Thom came in. Eliza smiled warmly at us.

  "Having fun?" she asked while removing her coat.

  "Mom! Victor’s an adventurer in the guild now!" Lilia exclaimed.

  Thom nodded. "So you've already been promoted? You must be very strong."

  "It's not that serious," I muttered, looking away.

  Lilia followed Eliza, and Thom sat beside me.

  "You know, we never got along with adventurers. Most of them are too arrogant, guess that’s what happens when humans get a drop of power," he paused, looking down. "I wanted to be one when I was younger, but I gave up. I never awakened my unique skill, and neither did Eliza. Sadly, life is much harder for those who aren’t Awakened. It hurts knowing that because of our genetics, Lilia has to live like this."

  Awakened. The first time I heard that term. So not everyone receives a unique skill, I thought it was universal.

  "I worry, you know? One day Eliza and I won’t be here anymore, and she'll be alone. We travel long distances to deliver goods and buy supplies. We manage because we’re together, but it hurts knowing this is all I can give her. One day she’ll have to handle everything alone."

  I listened quietly. That was how a real father thought. I wondered if my father ever thought that way. Even a little. Probably not.

  Looking long-term, living alone in this world must suck. And I didn’t have anything meaningful to say that wouldn’t sound empty, but I decided to try.

  "I don't know you deeply. But I know you're good people. The world can be cruel, and we can’t always have what we want. This might not comfort you, but—" I looked at him. "You're a good father, and Eliza is a good mother. I'm honestly pretty useless so far. Even with my strength and Mna, I haven’t even paid for my own expenses yet."

  "That's not—"

  "But, when the time comes and you're gone, I promise I'll help Lilia whenever she needs it."

  Thom's eyes widened. "Wouldn't that be a burden to you?"

  "A burden? Of course not. Like you said," I smiled, "I’m strong. If I can't even help the family that took me in, what kind of strength would that be?"

  He exhaled with a gentle smile. "You really are different. I see why Lilia likes you so much. Thank you."

  After that, Thom went to rest. I headed to my room.

  °??──────??°

  I lay down and sighed, looking at my now dirty clothes.

  'I should wash that…'

  Merlin dropped her camouflage, floating at my side with speech bubbles popping up.

  "[Looks like Sentil left. Interesting. He really was watching you.]"

  "Well, I guess he saw I’m not doing anything suspicious here… Looks like he trusts me a little." I replied, feeling a bit proud.

  "[Seems so! But hey, what happened at the guild? I know you were mad, but you looked like you were in control.]"

  I didn’t know how to say it. I even had trouble understanding it. My emotions were a mess—a storm of contradictions.

  "I got angry when he mentioned my mother…" I admitted, my throat tightening. "I don’t remember much more than what I told you. But I feel like there was something important about her… and I can't remember."

  "[I see… But I think she must have been a great mother. You're a very kind man, that means she raised you well, right?]" Merlin's body shrank a little; I think she was a bit worried about me.

  I smiled. Her words comforted me. Merlin was really good at this.

  "Yeah. I'm happier now, talking to you normally again. You were quiet all day." I admitted. It felt honest.

  "[Did you miss me?]"

  "I did. It's kinda embarrassing, but… I think you're the person I’ve connected with the most so far. Even if you don’t talk much about yourself."

  "[I wouldn’t know, actually… I don’t remember my past, hehe… But! I'm really happy to have you now. It's way better than being alone in that mansion.]"

  'Looks like you have your problems too… even acting so carefree…'

  I watched her float, realizing there was depth to her I still didn't understand.

  "Hey, Merlin. When we leave here and get our own place, how about we search for your past?" I asked, feeling excited at the thought. I wanted to repay her somehow.

  "[Really?! You’d do that for me?!]" she spun around, a bubble full of surprised emojis popping beside her.

  "Of course! But first, we finish things here. So let's do it fast, alright?"

  "[Deal! And in return, I’ll help you remember your past too! I don't know how yet, but I’ll find a way!]" she answered, full of energy.

  I smiled at her joy. I wanted to know her better too, but without rushing it. For now, I’d just let time guide us.

  ?????°???°?????