The great forest of the village of Ista — the place where Demad and Kira were wounded due to Al's attack. Now, Demad stood before a tree, sword in hand, striking the trunk. The sound of the blade colliding with wood disturbed the forest's calm, causing birds to take flight and animals to stare in surprise.
A voice inside — Al: "Demad, when you strike, you need to channel the aura of Light into it so the blade becomes stronger and unbreakable. It will also increase the power and sharpness of the strike."
Demad: "I can't concentrate well. It's hard."
Al: "It's fine. As long as I'm here, nothing will happen to you."
Demad: "Hmm."
Demad gripped the sword tightly with both hands and entered a state of focus. From the intensity of his concentration, veins bulged on his forehead, and his eyes trembled beneath his eyelids. Small sparks of light gradually appeared along the surface of the sword until a thin layer formed around it. With anger, Demad raised the sword, lifted his right foot, and slammed it onto the ground. With that motion and the strike against the wood, the trunk split into two halves.
Al: "Good. That's it. See? No problem."
Demad: "Ooohhhmm."
Suddenly, Al leapt out from within Demad's eye. Demad was shocked by Al's sudden emergence and stumbled back slightly. Al placed her hand on Demad's head, stroked it, and with a smile that didn't quite suit her appearance, said: "Good job, my dear boy."
Demad: "How many times do I have to say I already have a mom?"
Al: "We agreed that I'm your mom too. Got it?"
Demad: "Hmm."
Al: "Come on. Train with me a little. I want to see how strong my son is."
Demad was surprised by Al's words but listened anyway. He focused on the blade again. Particles of light formed once more, and this time the blade shone brighter than before. Demad raised the sword above his head, shouted, and charged at Al.
With superhuman speed, Al appeared behind Demad. Shocked by Al vanishing from his sight, Demad froze for a moment. Al taunted him from behind, causing him to stumble. Al chuckled softly. Demad prepared to attack again.
Demad: "Hmmmm. Don't make fun of me."
He aimed the blade like a spear at Al and rushed forward at dizzying speed. Once again, Al vanished like a shadow in sunlight. Struck by Al's counter, Demad lost his balance and was about to hit the ground when Al caught him in her arms, pulling him closer.
Al: "Would I let my golden boy get hurt?"
Demad: "Thanks… thanks for training with me."
Al: "Hmm. What kind of talk is that? It's my duty. Oh, by the way, I think there's news in the village. You'd better go see."
At Al's words, a slight pain formed in Demad's stomach from thoughts about the village. He nodded, picked up his sword from the ground, and immediately headed toward the village.
The village gradually appeared between the trees in Demad's view. His eyes fell on a flag — a golden lion's head immersed in a red background. It moved in the cool spring air like waves of water. Demad entered the village. The villagers' eyes examined him, making him uncomfortable. Suddenly Fira's voice broke the silence.
Fira: "Heeey! Do you even know where you are? Everyone's been looking for you!"
Demad: "I was training in the forest."
As they approached their house, fully armored knights holding spears escorting Emiliana's home caught Demad's attention. Demad and Fira passed the cold iron knights and entered. Emiliana stood with a strange man — wearing golden armor, reddish hair, yellow eyes, and a large lion's head emblem on his chest plate. The sight captivated Demad completely.
Emiliana: "Demad, where were you? Do you know how long he's been waiting for you?"
Demad: "Um… who is he?"
Emiliana: "The Lion knight — the greatest knight in all the Kingdom of Molonia!"
At the name Lion knight, goosebumps rose on Demad's skin. His eyes widened. At Emiliana's gesture, Demad bowed toward the Lion knight — but—
Lion knight: "Heeey, Emiliana, leave the kid alone. I've only been in this village for half an hour. Lift your head, boy."
Demad obeyed and raised his head, staring into the Lion knight's eyes.
Lion knight: "I came today to take you and Fira to Molonia so you can start a new life. Interesting, isn't it?"
Demad: "Whaaat?! Live in the city? But what about my mom? Do I have to leave her?"
Lion knight: "It's fine. Sometimes you'll come visit her. You're not losing your dear mom forever. Besides, I came by order of the King. That means 'I can't' or 'I won't' aren't options."
Hearing this, Demad fell into deep sorrow. The thought of not seeing his mother and saying goodbye to the village struck his mind like a woodpecker. Seeing his sadness, Emiliana felt hurt but spoke: "Look, Demad, children aren't meant to stay with their parents forever. They grow up, get married, and visit their parents from time to time. So don't be so upset."
Demad and Fira's anxiety only increased. Emiliana continued: "Heeey, since when do men choke up? Am I dead? You can come see me every month."
Reluctantly, Demad and Fira nodded and accepted the truth. Suddenly, the Lion knight clapped his hands, breaking the emotional atmosphere.
"I'll be waiting at the gate. Do whatever you need — goodbyes, packing, promises — then come."
The Lion knight rose with a divine aura, gave Emiliana a charming wink, and left. The rest of the soldiers followed. Emiliana hugged Demad and Fira. After a while, they went upstairs to where Nila was resting with Hina due to her wound.
Nila: "I heard you're going to start some fancy life?"
Fira: "It won't be fun without Mom."
Demad: "Uh-huh."
Hina: "It's okay. This could be the start of a new life for you."
They said their final goodbye to Nila, gathered their belongings, and went outside. The villagers' gazes made them uneasy. Near the gate, Aunt Lucy and Kira's mother stood waiting. Kira, still weak, walked toward Demad. To the right of the gate stood the Lion knight beside a beautiful young female officer mounted on a horse.
Kira: "Good luck, man. I wish you the best."
Demad: "Whenever you come to determine your class, make sure to come find me."
Kira: "Okay!"
Emiliana said her final farewell and sent them off with a heartfelt kiss. Aunt Lucy and Kira's mother waved from a distance.
Female Officer: "They sure took their time. Like we have all day."
Lion knight: "Don't be so harsh. They're only five years old."
Demad and Fira approached. Demad handed his backpack to a designated soldier. Fira did the same. Demad mounted a horse beside the Lion knight. Fira mounted the female officer's horse. With the Lion knight's shout, the cavalry and soldiers moved forward, leaving the village behind. The village grew smaller and smaller in Demad and Fira's eyes — until nothing remained.
After hours of dizzying travel, Molonia appeared once more in Demad's sight — the same design, the same great tree.
Lion knight: "Heard about that tree?"
Demad: "Yeah! Aunt Nila told me!"
Lion knight: "Hmm. Lucky you. No one was there to tell me those things."
Demad: "What do you mean?"
Lion knight: "Nothing. Forget it."
They passed through the gate without question and entered the city. Seeing the radiant face of the Lion knight, people stopped their work and lined up so he and his men could pass through the crowd. The stares of townspeople and merchants made Demad and Fira feel heavy and embarrassed.
The Lion knight smiled and raised his hand, pleased with the attention. The marketplace gradually faded from view as they headed straight toward the great palace in the center of Molonia. Demad had never seen this part of the city before and looked around in astonishment.
Lion knight: "We're going to see King Newk and the new Queen."
Hearing the King and Queen mentioned doubled Demad's anxiety.
Demad: "I've only heard their names in stories."
The Lion knight smiled and ruffled his hair. "Then now we're going to see the real ones."
They reached the massive palace gate — as large as the solid wall of a fortress, engraved with images of heaven and angels. Soldiers with rifles stood atop the palace walls, watching everything with cold eyes. The gate opened with the groaning sound of wood and iron hinges.
A beautiful sight unfolded — a grand fountain in the middle of the palace garden, several gazebos near bushes and fruit trees. At each column stood a knight guarding the palace. More soldiers approached and took the horses' reins. The Lion knight and the others dismounted, handing the horses over. The Lion knight, Demad, Fira, and the female officer now entered the palace. Its beauty left them stunned — as if they had stepped into paradise.