The sky slowly shifted toward noon.
The sun climbed higher.
Its golden light spread across the wooden rooftops of Nareth Village.
The little village was already far busier than when Aether had first entered through its gates.
Thin smoke rose from several houses.
The sound of hammers striking metal echoed from the blacksmith’s workshop.
Several fishermen had just returned from the sea in their small wooden boats.
Children ran after one another, laughing.
There was no luxury.
No grand architecture.
And yet…
the village was full of life.
Kael turned toward Aether.
Kael: “Since you’ll be staying here for a while, I figured we should show you around Nareth.”
Aether nodded slowly.
Aether: “Thank you.”
Finn immediately grinned.
Finn: “Great! Now we have an excuse to skip work.”
Lyra lightly smacked Finn on the head.
Lyra: “You were planning to skip work the moment you woke up.”
Finn: “Don’t expose my secrets.”
Doran laughed loudly.
Doran: “Hahaha! That’s Finn for you.”
Finn: “Hey! Don’t encourage her!”
Mira simply smiled and shook her head.
The five of them walked down the village’s main road.
…
“Mr. Bram!”
Doran shouted, waving.
A middle-aged man carrying two sacks of grain turned around.
Before he could even say anything,
Doran was already walking toward him.
Doran: “Here, let me help.”
Without waiting for a response, he lifted both sacks with ease.
Each one was almost as large as a grown man’s body.
Mr.
Bram chuckled.
Mr.
Bram: “Thanks, Doran.”
Doran: “No problem.”
Mr.
Bram looked toward the group.
Mr.
Bram: “New face?”
Kael nodded.
Kael: “We found him on the beach.”
Mr.
Bram looked at Aether for a few moments.
There was no judgment in his eyes.
Only curiosity.
Mr.
Bram: “Welcome to Nareth.”
Aether gave a slight bow.
Aether: “Thank you.”
Mr.
Bram smiled.
Mr.
Bram: “Hope you settle in.”
Then he returned to his work.
…
Aether watched Doran.
The large man didn’t look like he thought he’d done anything special.
He simply returned to the group and kept walking.
Aether: “Do you help people often?”
Doran scratched his cheek.
Doran: “Hm?”
Aether: “Like what you just did.”
Doran smiled innocently.
Doran: “Yeah.”
Doran: “Whenever I’m not busy.”
Finn immediately jumped in.
Finn: “That’s just how he is.”
Lyra nodded.
Lyra: “When an old lady has trouble carrying firewood—”
Finn: “He helps.”
Mira: “When a kid loses a kite—”
Finn: “He helps.”
Kael: “When someone’s roof starts leaking—”
Finn: “He helps with that too.”
Finn then pointed at Doran.
Finn: “That’s why everyone in the village loves him.”
Doran laughed awkwardly.
Doran: “It’s not that serious.”
As they passed a small field, a dozen children were playing with wooden swords.
The moment they saw Doran, they shouted.
“Brother Doran!”
“You’re back!”
Doran rubbed the back of his neck.
Doran: “Oh boy…”
Finn laughed.
Finn: “Look. Your fans are here.”
In an instant, the children surrounded Doran.
“Big brother! Look!”
One of the boys proudly raised his wooden sword.
“I learned the move you showed me yesterday!”
Doran gave him a wide smile.
Doran: “Oh yeah?”
Doran picked up a wooden branch lying on the ground.
Doran: “Then come at me.”
The children exchanged glances.
Then—
“Attack!”
Five kids rushed him at once.
Doran didn’t use his Vestige.
He simply moved at a relaxed pace.
Block.
Dodge.
Turn.
And every now and then, he lightly tapped one of the kids on the head with the branch.
Tok.
“Ow!”
Tok.
“Got me again!”
Tok.
“Brother, that’s cheating!”
Doran laughed openly.
Doran: “If you’re fighting a monster, it won’t say ‘sorry’ before it attacks.”
The children charged him again.
This time, their formation was cleaner.
Aether watched without blinking.
Doran’s movements were simple.
Yet efficient.
There was no wasted motion.
No wasted strength.
Without realizing it,
Aether quietly spoke.
Aether: “Your left step is too wide.”
Everyone turned toward him.
Doran stopped as well.
Only then did Aether realize every eye was now on him.
Aether: “…Sorry.”
Doran simply smiled.
Doran: “No.”
Doran: “Keep going.”
Aether fell silent for a few seconds.
Aether: “If you shorten your step…”
Aether: “Your center of gravity will be more stable.”
Aether: “If they attack you from both sides…”
Aether: “You won’t need to turn your body as far as you did before.”
Silence.
Doran tried it.
He returned to his previous stance.
Then moved again.
Tok.
Tok.
Tok.
This time…
his movements were noticeably faster.
Finn blinked.
Finn: “…Huh?”
Lyra watched closely.
Kael stared at Aether without saying a word.
Doran himself looked surprised.
Doran: “You’re right…”
He scratched his head.
Doran: “I’ve never thought about it that way.”
Aether stared at his own palm.
Why…
did he know something like that?
He didn’t even know who he was.
Yet his body seemed to understand combat far better than his mind did.
The feeling made him slightly uneasy.
But he kept it to himself.
…
Their journey continued.
They passed the blacksmith’s workshop.
The salt fields.
The fish warehouse.
The village hall.
Kael occasionally explained what each place was used for.
Finn occasionally added completely unnecessary comments.
Lyra corrected Finn several times.
Mira usually acted as the mediator.
And Doran kept stopping to help villagers.
Without being asked.
Without complaining.
Without expecting anything in return.
Aether was beginning to understand.
Maybe…
it wasn’t because the village was big.
It wasn’t because it was prosperous.
Maybe it was because its people looked after one another.
That was why this place felt alive.
Eventually, they stopped in front of a sturdy two-story building that stood taller and stronger than anything else in Nareth.
Its walls were made of stone.
Its pillars were built from old oak.
A flag bearing a sun encircled by waves fluttered above the entrance.
Kael looked up.
Kael: “Well.”
Kael: “We’re here.”
Aether looked at the building.
Aether: “What is this place?”
Finn grinned.
Finn: “The place where all our problems begin.”
Lyra: “And where all your reports magically disappear.”
Finn: “That’s slander.”
Mira covered her laugh.
Doran simply shook his head.
Kael finally explained.
Kael: “The Village Hall.”
Kael: “It’s also where the Village Head works.”
Aether nodded slowly.
Kael took a breath.
Kael: “And get ready.”
Finn immediately straightened.
Finn: “…I’m getting nervous.”
Lyra folded her arms.
Lyra: “Only now?”
Finn: “Because we came back empty-handed.”
Doran smiled awkwardly.
Doran: “Rowan’s definitely going to be angry.”
Mira nodded slightly.
Mira: “Hopefully not for too long…”
Aether noticed the change in their expressions.
They had been joking around nonstop until now.
But suddenly…
even Finn went quiet.
Aether: “Rowan…”
Kael smiled faintly.
Kael: “Don’t misunderstand.”
Kael: “He’s not scary.”
Finn immediately answered on instinct.
Finn: “That’s a lie.”
Lyra elbowed Finn in the arm.
Finn: “Ow!”
Kael let out a small sigh.
Kael: “He’s just…”
He paused, searching for the right words.
Kael: “…very disciplined.”
Doran nodded firmly.
Doran: “And extremely hard on himself.”
Mira quietly added,
Mira: “He always says that a leader should demand twice as much from themselves as they do from others.”
Lyra smiled faintly.
Lyra: “That’s why we respect him so much.”
Finn sighed.
Finn: “Still… when he gets angry, his aura makes my knees shake.”
Kael chuckled.
Kael: “Then don’t make him angry.”
Finn froze.
Finn: “…Too late.”
Kael raised his hand.
Then knocked on the large wooden door three times.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Suddenly— a loud, commanding voice rang out from inside.
?: “Come in!”
Finn let out a long sigh.
Finn: “Knew it…”
Lyra smiled faintly.
Lyra: “Ready to get yelled at?”
Finn: “Always.”
Mira tilted her head.
Mira: “Didn’t you hide behind Doran every time you got scolded?”
Finn answered without a hint of shame.
Finn: “Because Doran is big.”
Doran nodded innocently.
Doran: “True.”
Lyra: “You two really are hopeless.”
Kael opened the door.
The room inside was fairly spacious.
Wooden shelves were packed with maps, reports, and various documents.
On the left wall hung a map of the Solmare Region, faded with age.
Several red markings covered the coastal areas.
Behind a large desk near the window…
a man was reading a stack of reports.
His hair was black.
Short.
His face looked no older than twenty-five.
But his eyes…
were different.
Calm.
Sharp.
The eyes of someone who had seen far too many battles.
He closed the book in his hands.
Slowly raised his head.
His gaze immediately fell upon Kael.
Then Lyra.
Finn.
Doran.
Mira.
And finally…
it stopped on Aether.
The room suddenly went silent.
Several seconds passed without anyone speaking.
The man stood.
He wasn’t particularly tall.
Yet his presence seemed to weigh down the air around them.
Not because of overwhelming power.
But because of sheer authority.
Finn gave an awkward smile.
Finn: “Mr. Rowan…”
The man didn’t answer.
His gaze remained fixed on Aether.
For a long moment.
As if he were trying to read something that couldn’t be seen.
Aether met his stare.
For some reason…
his instincts immediately gave him one conclusion.
This man is strong.
Far stronger than Kael or the others.
Perhaps…
the strongest person he had seen since opening his eyes.
After a few moments, the man finally spoke.
Rowan: “So…”
Rowan folded his arms.
Rowan: “Is this the reason you came back without any prey?”
Finn immediately pointed at Aether.
Finn: “He’s the reason.”
Rowan let out a quiet sigh.
Then shook his head.
Rowan: “I was talking to Kael.”
Finn: “…”
Lyra tried to suppress her laughter.
Kael stepped forward.
Kael: “We found him washed ashore on the eastern beach.”
Kael: “He’s lost all of his memories.”
Rowan’s gaze shifted back to Aether.
Their eyes met once again.
Rowan: “Your name?”
Aether hesitated for a moment.
His hand unconsciously touched the name tag hanging around his neck.
Aether: “Aether.”
Rowan slowly nodded.
It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
But one thing was certain.
He didn’t trust believe him easily.
Especially not someone who had simply washed ashore from the sea.