Three Weeks Later
Three weeks had passed since the end of the Norvoss war.
The atmosphere in the Lumeris palace grounds was almost unrecognizable compared to the battlefield that had occupied the same area weeks ago. What had once been filled with wounded soldiers, emergency tents, and the constant preparation for another attack was now crowded with departing troops.
Aegis soldiers were loading their equipment onto wagons while their commanders checked the final preparations. Horses were being saddled, supplies were being secured, and soldiers exchanged farewells with the people they had fought alongside.
King Cedric moved through the crowd, personally thanking commanders and soldiers from both Lumeris and Aegis who had remained behind to help defend the kingdom.
"Your service will not be forgotten," he told one group of soldiers, clasping a commander's hand firmly.
Nearby, another group bowed respectfully before continuing with their preparations.
It was a strange feeling for many of them.
The war had consumed so much of their lives that returning home almost felt unreal.
Among the departing Aegis forces, Tai stood beside Ebruhan.
The wolf beastfolk had recovered considerably from his injuries. His shoulder was mostly healed, though he occasionally rotated it as if making sure it was still functioning properly while his tai swaying lazily behind him.
He looked across the busy courtyard before letting out a quiet chuckle.
"Welp... guess this is it, mate."
He scratched the back of his head, his usual grin still present.
"Kinda weird for me, though. I'm not really used to saying dramatic goodbyes."
Tai glanced toward Ebruhan.
"Heh. Guess I'll have to make an exception this time."
Ebruhan gave him an amused look.
"After everything that happened, I would have expected you to have prepared some grand speech."
Tai immediately shook his head.
"Absolutely not. I'm a soldier, not a poet."
Ebruhan chuckled.
Tai looked around the courtyard again.
Despite his joking expression, there was a certain reluctance in his eyes.
He had arrived in Lumeris as an outsider.
Now, after fighting beside its soldiers and nearly losing his life alongside them, leaving felt strangely difficult.
He sighed before giving Ebruhan a light punch against the arm.
"Take care of yourself, big guy. I be seeing ya"
Ebruhan raised an eyebrow.
"I could say the same to you."
Tai grinned as they both stood together for another moment as the preparations continued around them.
Neither seemed particularly eager to be the first to leave.
Tai eventually looked toward the waiting Aegis soldiers.
"Well..."
He took a breath.
"I guess that's my cue."
He turned back toward Ebruhan and extended his hand.
Ebruhan looked at it for a moment before taking it.
Their hands clasped firmly.
No grand speech followed.
No dramatic promises.
Just two warriors who had survived the same battlefield acknowledging what they had become to one another.
Tai released his hand and gave Ebruhan one last grin.
"See you around, mate."
Ebruhan nodded.
"Until next time, Phantom."
Tai groaned.
"Oh, come on. I thought we agreed you weren't going to call me that."
Ebruhan smiled.
"I don't remember agreeing to anything."
Tai stared at him for a second before laughing.
"Yeah... figures."
With that, he turned and began walking toward the Aegis troops .
Then he suddenly stopped.
He glanced back over his shoulder, then clicked his tongue as if he had just remembered something important.
"Speaking of farewells…" he muttered. "I'm forgetting something."
Ebruhan raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Tai gave him a crooked grin.
"Yeah... Something important "
---
Vinson Estate
Back at the Vinson estate, Leo was seated in one of the guest rooms, carefully resting his weight against the back of a wooden chair. His recovery had progressed enough for him to walk short distances on his own, though every few steps still left him breathing a little harder than usual.
Mia, in her smaller dragon form, was curled up beside him. Her head rested against his leg while Leo gently patted the top of her skull.
Vinson sat nearby, watching his son with quiet concern. He had seen Leo make the slow walk across the room earlier, and although the progress was encouraging, the count could not help but notice how much effort it still took.
Leo exhaled and leaned back.
"Phew… that was progress." He glanced at his father with a proud smile. "See? I'm recovering fast."
"Yeah, yeah. I know," Mia replied with flat tone, though the way her tail swayed betrayed how relieved she actually was.
Leo looked down at her. "Heyyy… aren't you happy about it? Your big brother is recovering."
"Mhm. I am happy."
"Then you owe me a flight once I've recovered completely."
Mia lifted her head and narrowed her eyes.
"And you owe me snacks. You promised."
Leo blinked.
"Wait, that was your condition?"
"You promised."
Vinson sighed from his seat. "Recover first, son."
Leo opened his mouth to argue, but before he could say anything, a large shadow passed over the estate grounds.
The room darkened for a moment.
Mia's ears twitched. Leo turned toward the window, and Vinson immediately rose from his chair.
Outside, a familiar figure descended into the yard.
Ebruhan landed with a heavy gust of wind, his claws touching the ground as Tai climbed down from his back. A moment later, Ebruhan shifted into his human form and followed him toward the estate.
Leo's eyes widened.
"Sir Tai?" he exclaimed, though the sudden excitement made him cough lightly. "Huf… huf…"
The maid opened the door before they could knock.
Mia immediately perked up. "Ebruhan!"
Ebruhan glanced at her, then paused when he noticed her small dragon form.
"Hey. Hmm… I wasn't expecting you to stay like that."
Mia looked away, her expression suddenly suspiciously innocent.
"Yeah… I have good reasons."
Ebruhan studied her for a moment before giving a small shrug.
"Fair enough."
Vinson stepped forward and offered Tai a welcoming nod.
"Welcome, Tai."
"Thanks, Count," Tai replied, returning the gesture before turning his attention toward Leo.
He approached the young man and stopped a few steps away.
"Hey, kid. You doing all right?"
Leo straightened in his chair.
"Recovering, sir."
"Good, good."
Tai looked him over, then gave a satisfied nod. Leo was still pale, and his breathing was not quite normal yet, but he was awake, sitting upright, and clearly improving.
Leo hesitated before asking, "Wh-what brings you here?"
Tai scratched the back of his head.
"Well, it'd be rude if I left without saying goodbye, eh?"
Leo's expression shifted.
"You're… going back?"
"Of course." Tai gave a casual grin. "I've got other business to deal with. Can't spend all my time hanging around Lumeris."
He paused.
"But before I go…"
Tai reached down to his holster and drew one of his revolvers.
The weapon was battered from the battle. Its dark cylinder was chipped, and several parts of its frame bore the marks of the fight. Even so, it still carried an unmistakable presence.
Mia stared at it.
Tai reached toward his holster and carefully drew his damaged revolver. The weapon's cylinder was chipped, and the metal carried the unmistakable marks of the battle.
Mia's eyes were staring at the weapon design.
To her, the revolver looked almost exactly resemblance like something from the old cowboy stories she remembered from her previous life
Tai placed one hand over the weapon. A faint green glow passed across the revolver as he removed the blood lock binding it to him.
Then he held it out toward Leo.
Leo stared at the weapon.
"Wh… What? Sir, this is…"
"Don't worry about it." Tai shrugged. "I can always make another one."
Leo hesitated before accepting it with both hands. The revolver felt heavier than he expected, not only because of its weight, but because of the reputation attached to it.
The Phantom's weapon.
A weapon that had survived countless missions, battles, and impossible situations.
Tai nodded toward it.
"And who knows? If you master your swordsmanship, I might even consider teaching you how to use one properly. Maybe when that time came, we can fix this beauty together."
Leo's fingers tightened around the grip.
"Y-You mean… you'd teach me?"
"Maybe." Tai tapped the side of his head. "Depends on how much progress you make."
Leo looked down at the damaged revolver, then back up at him.
"Th… Thank you, sir."
Tai smiled and gave Leo's hair a gentle pat.
"Well, that settles that."
He straightened and took a step back.
"I'm not really a fan of dramatic goodbyes, so…"
Tai raised two fingers in a casual salute.
"Until next time, kid. And Mia…"
He looked toward the small dragon.
"Take care of your brother."
Mia nodded solemnly.
"I will, sir."
But inside her head, she was already drawing a very different conclusion.
This guy is definitely looking like Aa cowboy from the Wild West.
Tai turned toward the door, and Ebruhan followed him. Before leaving, both of them gave the room a final wave.
Mia lifted one claw in return.
"Bye, Ebruhan!"
"See you around," Ebruhan replied.
Outside, Ebruhan shifted back into his massive dragon form and Tai climbed onto his back, settling himself between the dragon's shoulders.
With one powerful beat of his wings, Ebruhan lifted from the ground.
The wind swept across the yard as the two figures rose higher and higher, eventually disappearing into the open sky.
Leo remained frozen in his chair, staring down at the revolver in his hands.
Then, slowly, his expression broke into pure disbelief.
"I… I can't believe it." He looked up, his voice trembling with excitement. "I'm holding the legendary Phantom's weapon!"
He sucked in a breath and immediately began coughing again.
"Huf… huf…"
Mia placed a claw against his leg.
"Calm down. You can be happy later."
Leo looked at her as though she had just said something completely unreasonable.
"Later?"
"Yes. Later."
"But this is the best day ever!"
Vinson folded his arms.
"Your best day ever will be the day you can walk across the room without exhausting yourself."
Leo lowered his gaze toward the revolver.
"…That's still going to be today's best day."
Mia sighed.
For once, she could not really argue with him.