Twenty years ago, the world erupted into chaos due to the invasion of the Dragons, the mightiest creatures in terms of both intelligence and magic.
Mages were outclassed. Knights couldn't even scratch their scales. Humanity stood helpless… until he appeared.
The Legendary Knight.
A single swing of his sword was sharp enough to pierce through the impenetrable defenses of mighty dragons. His presence alone shifted the course of the battlefield. Within five years, the Legendary Knight brought an end to the War of Dragons.
And now, one of the five heroes, who had fought alongside the Legendary Knight, was sitting before Vlad, the boy who dreamt of becoming one such knight.
---
"Seraphina?" Vlad asked in confusion.
"My daughter. She is of your age. Did you not meet her?" Lucas revealed. "She has become a little spoiled, running off on her own every time."
Vlad took a long gulp and murmured the word that his father often used when he had screwed up big time,
"Fuck."
"Huh? You said something?" Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Is he asking for delinquent gi—"
Vlad's hand flew toward Chloe's mouth, stopping her from saying anything further.
"Y-yes, I saw a girl entering the barn. I will bring her," Vlad blurted, bolting outward and dragging Chloe with him.
---
"Hick... hick... Just you wait, filthy commoner. You will soon know whom you messed with," Seraphina muttered while crying, leaning against the pole.
A slow creaking sound echoed through the barn as the door opened. Faint light spilled inside, cutting through the dim interior.
Seraphina's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Father, you are finally he—"
Her words died in her throat. Instead of her father, a tall, dark shadow loomed at the entrance.
"W-who are you?" Seraphina asked, her voice trembling as sweat trickled down her temple.
The figure, draped in black cloth from head to toe, stepped forward with slow, clumsy movements. A crude face with large, staring eyes and sharp fangs was drawn near the top.
"I'm the delinquent catcher," the figure muttered in a low, raspy voice, trying to sound menacing. "I catch bad children... and eat them."
Seraphina's breath caught. "Kyaaa!!! A ghost! A ghost!" she screamed, her eyes widening in pure terror as she pressed herself harder against the pole.
The ghost let out a low, eerie chuckle. "Hehehehe... you are also a bad girl," it said, taking another deliberate step closer. "I will eat you now."
"N-no, I'm not a bad girl," Seraphina whimpered, her face turning deathly pale. "Pl-please... don't eat me."
"You tried to harm innocent children with a knife," the ghost continued, its voice growing deeper. "That makes you a bad girl."
"I-I was only trying to scare them... hick... hick... I wasn't really going to hurt them," Seraphina sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
The ghost leaned in slowly, its shadow swallowing her completely. "Now... I will eat y—"
"Stop, Mr. Delinquent Catcher!" Vlad interrupted, suddenly stepping between Seraphina and the ghost. A red cape was tied around his shoulders, and he held a stick like a sword in his hand.
"You are Vlad, the hero who protects good children," the ghost said, tilting its head. "Why are you protecting a bad girl?"
"She isn't a bad girl," Vlad declared firmly. "She has already been punished for her bad behaviour. She has become a good girl now."
"C-commoner... you came to protect me," Seraphina whimpered, gasping through her tears.
"Is that true?" the ghost asked, turning toward Seraphina.
"Yes, yes! I have become a good girl now," Seraphina blurted desperately.
"Hmm... I'm only letting you go because Hero Vlad said so," the ghost declared. "But if you ever tell anyone about what happened here, I will come for you again."
"I will never... hick... tell anyone. I promise," Seraphina sobbed.
"Fine then," the ghost muttered, turning around slowly. It began shuffling toward the door in wobbly, unsteady steps.
Halfway across the barn, the ghost tripped over the cloth and fell forward with a thud.
"Ack!" Chloe's familiar voice escaped from inside the black cloth.
"Th-that voice was famili—"
"Are you alright, Lady Seraphina?" Vlad asked quickly, moving closer to her and deliberately blocking her view of the fallen figure behind him.
"I'm fine because of you," Seraphina murmured, lowering her gaze.
Only after Chloe, still disguised as the ghost, had left the barn did Vlad step back and untie her.
"Th-thank you... hng... hng... for saving me, Hero Vlad," Seraphina whimpered. The moment she was freed, she immediately hugged him tightly.
'The plan worked, but now I feel bad for her,' Vlad sighed inwardly. 'Well, it was a necessary evil to protect my family. I'm sure the Legendary Knight would have made a similar decision.'
Once Seraphina had calmed down, Vlad handed her a bottle of water.
"Here, drink some water and wash your face."
"Why did you save me?" Seraphina asked after washing her tear-streaked face.
"Because I am a hero who protects good children," Vlad declared, pointing at himself proudly.
He almost cringed at his own words, but he had to endure this embarrassment to fully earn Seraphina's trust.
"I'm grateful for your protection, Hero Vlad," Seraphina said, slightly lifting the hem of her dress and bowing respectfully. "I will always remember this favour."
'Please don't!'
"Here, you must be hungry," Vlad said, taking out a berry from his pocket.
Just as Seraphina reached for the berry, it suddenly vanished from Vlad's hand.
"M-my berry," Seraphina whimpered, staring at Chloe, whose cheeks were puffed out with the stolen fruit.
"You greedy pig," Vlad muttered, pulling Chloe's ear. "It was for Lady Seraphina."
"Ang... it was mine," Chloe sulked, glaring sharply at Seraphina.
Turning back to Vlad, she continued, "I even acted as Delinq—"
Before she could finish, Vlad pushed another berry into her mouth, silencing her before she could say anything unnecessary.
When the trio stepped out of the barn, Lucas and his guards were already preparing to leave the house.
"Father!" Seraphina called, sprinting into Lucas's arms.
"Where have you been, naughty girl?" Lucas chuckled, lifting her high into the air.
"I was playing with Hero Vlad," she said, looking at Vlad with a playful smile.
"Oho, that's new. For the first time, you made friends instead of enemies," Lucas gasped, letting out a sigh of both relief and surprise.
"You are leaving already, Lord Cendral?" Vlad asked, stepping forward.
"Hmm, I was only here for a brief visit," Lucas replied. He turned around and added, "We will meet again at the academy."
Once they had left the farm, Vlad finally let out a long sigh of relief. A similar sigh echoed from the entrance of the house, where Edren stood watching.
"Father, what did Lord Cendral mean by that last sentence?" Vlad asked, turning to Edren.
"You are quite lucky, brat," Edren said, the corner of his lips rising into a smile. "Because of your father's heroic deeds, you are getting this golden opportunity. Lord Cendral brought a letter of recommendation for you to enroll in the Arcane Academy."