I woke up before the sun rose.
For a few seconds, I didn't know where I was. The ceiling above me wasn't polished stone, nor did it reflect light like in the dwarven kingdom. It was the simple ceiling of my room in the mansion in Vaillor.
The silence was different too.
No distant sound of furnaces. No metallic echo filling the dwarven mornings.
Just the soft chirping of birds outside.
I took a deep breath.
We were back.
I turned my face and saw Elara sleeping peacefully beside me. Vespera was curled up on the other side of the bed. Liriel was taking up too much space as always. Rai'kanna was close to the wall. Lyannis had wrapped herself in the blanket as if she were hiding from the world.
I watched that scene for a few moments.
It was familiar. Safe. Ours.
I got up slowly so I wouldn't wake anyone and walked to the window.
The mansion's garden looked the same. The trees. The gate. The stone path.
Nothing had changed.
But I had.
I went downstairs alone. The staff were already waking up and looked surprised to see me so early.
"Good morning, Lord Takumi."
"Good morning."
I went to the main hall and sat silently for a moment. The new sword was leaning against the wall. Even standing still, it seemed too heavy for the room.
After a few minutes, I heard footsteps on the stairs.
Elara appeared first.
"You always wake up before everyone when you're thinking too much."
"Is it that obvious?"
"It is."
Soon after, Vespera, Liriel, Rai'kanna, and Lyannis came down as well.
We all sat together for breakfast.
The mansion's food was good, but after the dwarven kingdom, it felt too simple. Vespera commented on that out loud.
"The food there was absurd."
"You only think about food," Elara said.
"I think about priorities."
Liriel looked at the table thoughtfully.
"It's strange how we return to routine so quickly."
Rai'kanna agreed with a slight nod.
Lyannis seemed quieter than usual.
After breakfast, we went to the mansion's courtyard.
I wanted to test the sword again. Not in combat, but to feel its weight in a familiar environment.
I gripped the hilt and made a few simple movements.
The cut through the air was clean. Light. Precise.
Elara watched carefully.
"You seem more comfortable with it today."
"I was just thinking that."
Vespera crossed her arms.
"You don't realize it, but the way you move has changed since you took that sword."
"How so?"
"More confident."
Liriel added,
"Less hesitant."
Rai'kanna simply said,
"You're more dangerous."
Lyannis smiled.
"In a good way."
I stayed silent.
Maybe they were right.
After training for a while, I decided it was time to go out.
"Let's go to the guild."
They all agreed.
Walking through Vaillor again felt strange. The streets were the same, but people looked at us differently.
More recognition. More respect.
Some whispered as we passed.
We entered the guild.
The usual noise was there, but it lessened when we were seen. Some adventurers came to greet us.
"You're the group that defeated the generals, right?"
I nodded.
We talked for a bit. Nothing too long. But it was clear our fame had grown even more.
We went to the mission board, but I didn't want to take anything yet.
Just observe.
Just feel that we were back.
We left the guild and wandered aimlessly for a while.
We passed shops, familiar streets, squares where we had stopped before.
Elara took a deep breath.
"I missed this."
"What?" I asked.
"The simplicity."
Vespera laughed.
"You call this simplicity?"
"Compared to the dwarven kingdom, this is simple."
Liriel seemed thoughtful.
"Each kingdom has its own energy."
Rai'kanna looked around.
"This is where things truly begin."
Lyannis agreed.
"And where we always return."
We went back to the mansion at the end of the afternoon.
The day had been peaceful, but in a way that felt good.
No missions. No pressure. No surprises.
Just being back.
When night came, we had dinner together in the main hall. Light conversation. Small laughs. Casual comments about the days in the dwarven kingdom.
Vespera complained about missing the drinks there. Elara said she missed the furnaces. Liriel commented on the architecture. Rai'kanna spoke little but listened to everything. Lyannis asked questions about when we would return.
After dinner, I went up to the room.
I sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the sword leaning against the wall.
The tranquility of that day made me realize something important.
I was beginning to understand what it meant to have something to protect.
It wasn't just about defeating demons.
It was about keeping this possible.
I lay down.
The girls settled around me as always.
I closed my eyes with a strange sense of calm.
But deep down, I knew.
This was only the calm before something greater.
And I fell asleep with that silent certainty inside me.