After the mess at the banquet, the kingdom of Silpatra got scared. The beast attack showed war was coming—big, ugly war with the Demon King's forces. The young prince was just a kid, too small to fight. Leaders said, "We must protect him. And all our trainees. Scatter them!"
They split the royal academy students into groups of three. Small teams, easy to hide. Sent them to camps in far-off nations across the continent. No one place too full. Hard for enemies to find.
Jade, Kael, and Dill got picked for one group. They packed quick—swords, bags, food. Guards rushed them out at night. Horses galloped through dark roads. No stops. The trip took days. Bumpy wagons, cold winds, no real meals.
When they finally stopped, Kael stepped down. He looked around. Trees thick like walls. Mountains rose high, covered in green. Air smelled fresh, like pine and dirt. A small village nearby—wooden huts, farms, people working fields. This was Maki, in the forest mountains of Biwa. Far from Silpatra. Safe spot.
Kael knew two things: he was in Maki, and his stomach had been grumbling from the journey.
The grumble was loud. Like a beast itself. He rubbed his belly. "Food."
Jade laughed. She jumped off the wagon, daggers jiggling on her belt. "Hungry again? We just ate those dry biscuits!"
Dill unpacked his books, shaking. "This place is remote. No academy. What do we do?"
"Live normal," Kael said. One word each time, unless big stuff.
They got a small cabin. Wood walls, one room for sleep, one for eat. Outside, a garden to grow veggies. No training halls. No fancy baths. Just normal life. Jade helped chop wood. Dill read maps and plants. Kael hunted small game—rabbits, birds. He used basic sword moves: quiet steps, quick slash. Brought back meat. Cooked over fire.
But Kael's hunger made jokes. One day, he stared at a skinny rabbit. "Small." Stomach growled so loud, birds flew away. Jade fell over laughing. "Your belly scares more than your sword!"
Dill chuckled. "It's like a warning bell."
Kael shrugged. Ate the rabbit whole. Bones crunched. "Better."
Weeks passed. They blended in. Jade made friends with villagers—taught kids dagger tricks. Dill learned herbs, helped sick folks. Kael fixed fences, carried heavy logs. His muscles grew bigger. Taller too. But he stayed quiet. "Yes." "No." "Hunt."
Back in Silpatra, war exploded. The Beastkind War, they called it. Demons and beasts attacked borders. The whole kingdom fought—every warrior over 18 grabbed weapons. Farmers became soldiers. Moms guarded homes. It was total war.