Chapter 16 A New Beginning
3 Years Later
Now it had been three years since Seris started living with Lucien, Aren, and Lira.
Lucien was now 11 years old.
"So, the main story has begun," Lucien thought while watching the sun rising.
Lucien had changed a lot in the past three years.
His moonlight-colored hair flowed softly to the back of his neck, silver strands framing his face perfectly. It gave him a sharp yet gentle look, and his face was undeniably handsome.
Then he heard a voice.
"Hey, what are you doing?" asked Aren.
Lucien replied, "Nothing, just watching the sunrise."
"Oh." Aren continued, "How about a spar between us?"
He said it excitedly.
Aren's face looked gentle and calm, but his eyes were deep dark brown, carrying a quiet depth that drew attention.
"Hmmm," Lucien thought and answered, "No."
Aren replied, "WHY? No?"
"Just look at our wooden swords," Lucien continued. "If we do one more spar, they are going to break."
After all, Lucien and Aren had been using these swords since the age of six.
"Then how about one last spar with these swords?" Aren raised his sword and pointed it at Lucien. "What do you think, Lucien?"
Lucien looked at his sword. He smiled because he had a strange feeling that his sword wanted one last spar before it broke.
"Fine," said Lucien.
Aren replied, "Then let's begin."
Aren stepped first.
"As expected, Aren always steps first," Lucien thought.
Then Aren swung his sword toward Lucien.
Lucien raised his sword to defend, but Aren rotated his body to the left side and swung again.
Lucien also changed his position to the left side—
Aren quickly stopped his sword, then swung from bottom to top.
"What?" Lucien thought.
But he dodged it by creating some distance.
"That was a close one," said Lucien.
Aren looked at Lucien confidently. "Today, I'm going to defeat you."
Lucien smiled calmly and replied, "In your dreams."
This time Lucien stepped in.
He swung with full strength.
Aren blocked it—but barely.
"As always, your swings are heavy," said Aren.
Then Lucien launched many strikes.
Aren blocked them, but his hands started trembling.
After Aren swung from down to up, he maintained his distance.
He quickly stepped in.
Up-to-down swing.
Lucien blocked it, but he could feel the pressure.
In the last three years, they had improved, but in strength, Lucien was still one step ahead.
After Aren took a long breath, his body and sword were covered by a dark blue flame-like aura.
Aren struck.
Lucien blocked it, but the strike was very strong, and he struggled to defend against Aren's attack.
Lucien's hands started trembling.
Lucien stopped, took a long breath, then activated his aura.
A black flame-like aura covered his body and sword.
Then they both stepped in at the same time—
Swing.
After many strikes.
"Aren has improved so much," Lucien thought while sparring.
When he was about to use magic—
Their swords gave up at the last strike.
They broke.
Aren fell to the ground first because he was exhausted.
"You win," said Aren while sitting on the ground, but he had a happy expression because he had been able to fight that long.
"You have become strong," said Lucien.
Then they saw Lira preparing water for them.
Lira's face looked soft and gentle, with delicate features and a calm, slightly shy expression that made her appear quietly beautiful.
She had also changed a lot in the past years.
"Thank you," they both said to Lira and Seris, who was standing beside her.
"If any of you are hurt, I can heal it," said Seris.
Her face was soft and gentle, not sharp. A light blush on her cheeks made her look warm and innocent. She looked calm, and she had become beautiful.
"I'm not hurt," said Aren.
"Me neither," said Lucien.
After Lucien looked at the sunrise, he and Aren went to work.
They waved their hands to Seris and Lira.
"Okay, we are going," said Aren.
"Take care," Lira and Seris replied.
"Should we start our training too?" said Seris.
Lira replied excitedly, "OKAY!"
They were training every day.
In the past three years, Lira had started to enjoy magic, and she learned things too fast.
Seris had also learned many magic spells with Lucien's help.
After they started their training, on the way, Lucien thought:
"The main story has begun, and I don't think Aren will go to the Adventure Guild like in the novel 'The Creation,' where the world began."
Because this Aren and the novel's Aren were different.
In the novel, when Aren was going to work, some thugs surrounded him for money.
They didn't find any money, so they started beating him. Then some guild members saved him.
That was how Aren learned about the Adventure Guild, and the reason he registered was to earn more money.
In the novel, Aren was weak.
But now everything had changed.
"Then…" Lucien thought.
"Aren," Lucien continued, "how about we register in the Adventure Guild?"
Aren looked at Lucien because he had said this out of the blue.
"Guild?" Aren asked.
Lucien replied, "Yes, the Adventure Guild."
Aren didn't say anything.
"After all, we can't work as salvagers all the time, and I think we should register in the guild," Lucien continued. "What do you think, Aren?"
Aren replied, "I have to think about this."
"Sure, take your time," said Lucien.
After that, Aren and Lucien went to work as salvagers in the empire.
At night, on the way back home—
"Lucien, about… what you said in the morning," Aren continued. "How about we go tomorrow?"
Lucien smiled and replied, "Fine, let's go."
When they were about to go home—
Aren stopped.
Lucien looked back. "What happened?"
Aren replied, "Well, one last question about the guild." He continued, "Is Lira also going to register in the guild?"
Lucien thought, " In novel Aren register in the guild with his sister, then—"
"Yes, she is also going to register in the guild, if she wants," said Lucien.
Aren paused for a moment because he was worried about his sister.
Lucien sighed and placed his hand on Aren's shoulder.
"She isn't a kid anymore," he continued. "You know better than me that she has become strong."
Lucien smiled lightly. "If she registers in the guild, I will protect her. No matter what."
Aren looked at Lucien, and all his worries disappeared.
He passed Lucien.
"I can protect my sister," he said while smiling.
Next Day
"Adventure Guild?" said Seris and Lira at the same time.
Lucien replied, "Yes, the Adventure Guild. Do you both want to register?"
"If Lucien is going to register, then I will too," said Seris with bright shining eyes.
"Eh?" Lucien thought.
Then Aren placed his hand on Lucien's shoulder and made a thumbs-up sign. He gave a sharp smile.
Lucien didn't say anything. He turned and punched Aren in the stomach.
Lucien smiled calmly. "I think you are enjoying this too much."
Aren replied while holding his stomach, "I'm just joking… Ha? Hey, LUCIEN!"
...
"What about you, Lira?" said Lucien.
She thought for a moment, then looked at Seris, and she seemed slightly angry.
Lucien didn't know why.
She took a long breath. "I also want to join you… y-you guys."
Lucien smiled. "That's good. If everyone wants to register in the guild, then… let's go to the guild."
_________________________________________
END OF CHAPTER 16
_________________________________________