They had been traveling for hours.

  ?The wheels of the enchanted carriage rolled smoothly along the mana-bolstered road. Outside, the landscape passed by in a gentle blur of rolling green hills and wide, endless skies.

  ?Inside, the silence was heavy.

  ?Zaek glanced sideways.

  ?Aelira sat quietly, staring out the window. Her silver eyes were clouded with a sadness far too deep for a six-year-old.

  ?“...”

  ?Zaek opened his mouth to say something—then closed it again. He wasn’t sure what to say.

  ?I can’t believe cheering up kids is harder than killing demons...

  ?He cleared his throat.

  ?“It looks nice outside, doesn’t it?”

  ?“...”

  ?No answer. She didn’t even blink.

  ?Sighing, Zaek slouched back, gazing out his own window.

  ?Then—an idea hit him.

  ?“Did I ever tell you why I don’t wield the Evarard’s ancestral sword, Ireviel?”

  ?Aelira stirred slightly. Her ear twitched.

  ?“...Why is that?”

  ?Her voice was small, but curious.

  ?Zaek grinned faintly. Gotcha.

  ?“It’s because I was adopted.”

  ?Her head snapped toward him. Her eyes widened with shock—and something else. Sadness? Hope?

  ?“It’s okay, little one,” Zaek said quickly, waving a hand. “It’s ancient history. Water under the bridge.”

  ?“Did you ever find your real family?”

  ?“Nope,” Zaek said easily. “And honestly, I couldn’t care less.”

  ?“...How were you adopted?” Aelira asked, hesitant.

  ?“Pure luck. The Evarard family needed an heir to carry the title—and I just happened to be there, looking pathetic and hungry.”

  ?She opened her mouth to ask something else—then hesitated, biting her lip.

  ?“I-I’m sorry... I shouldn’t ask too much.”

  ?Zaek chuckled. “If I didn’t want you to ask, I wouldn’t have brought it up.”

  ?From the front of the carriage, Clara finally spoke up, her voice cautious.

  ?“Master Zaek... is it really okay for me to overhear this? It sounds like a family secret.”

  ?“Ahh, it’s totally fine,” Zaek waved her off. “It’s not like it’s a big secret. Everyone who matters knows.”

  ?The carriage rolled on in comfortable silence for a while.

  ?Then, Aelira whispered suddenly.

  ?“Sensei... do you think... Do you think maybe I was adopted too?”

  ?Zaek blinked, caught completely off guard.

  ?“Huh? What makes you say that?”

  ?“I... I feel like Mother and Father...” She struggled to find the words, her small fists clenching in her lap. “They don’t really like me. I know they want me to become a hero and all that, but—but—”

  ?Her voice cracked. She couldn’t finish.

  ?“Lady Aelira—!” Clara began to scold her, scandalized.

  ?But she stopped immediately under Zaek’s sharp glare.

  ?Zaek stared at the girl. He watched her try to swallow a loneliness that was far too big for her small body.

  ?Slowly, he reached out.

  ?He patted her head. His touch was rough, unpracticed, but gentle.

  ?Aelira sniffled quietly, fighting back tears.

  ?Zaek leaned forward, speaking softer than she had ever heard him.

  ?“Listen, kid. Families can be weird. My stepmother wasn’t exactly warm, but in her own way, she cared. And look at you; you have those silver eyes, that ice magic. You are undoubtedly a Viremont.” He smiled faintly. “—They’re probably just inexperienced at raising a child. Or maybe they’re just bad at it.”

  ?“Inexperienced?” Aelira repeated, blinking.

  ?“Yeah. You’re their first one, right? Remember your first time awakening your mana? You didn’t know what to do. Maybe they don’t know how to show love.”

  ?“...So they don’t know how to show it?”

  ?“Exactly.”

  ?When he saw a flicker of light return to her eyes, he continued.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  ?“They probably think raising you strictly will make you stronger. They’re thinking about your future—even if they’re terrible at saying it.”

  ?Aelira sniffled, wiping her sleeve across her face.

  ?Zaek sat back, stretching his arms lazily.

  ?“Now, stop sulking about it. Look around! This is your first trip outside, right?”

  ?She nodded, tears still welling up in her eyes.

  ?“If you don’t look properly,” Zaek added with a sly grin, “you won’t have anything to tell Lassandra later.”

  ?That hit the mark.

  ?Aelira’s silver eyes lit up—brighter than he had seen all day.

  ?Sniffing hard, she pressed her face eagerly against the carriage window, trying to take in everything at once: the endless green fields, the slow winding rivers, the distant towns they passed.

  ?“Lady Aelira!” Clara said, flustered by her lack of decorum.

  ?But Aelira ignored her completely, glued to the glass.

  ?Zaek chuckled under his breath.

  ?Damn... She was crying a minute ago. Was I like this once too, I wonder...

  ?Time passed.

  ?The scenery rolled by in a dream. Gradually, Aelira’s excitement faded into heavy blinking—then soft, slow breathing.

  ?She had fallen asleep, still leaning awkwardly against the window.

  ?Zaek reached out quietly, adjusting her into a more comfortable position. He pulled off his travel cloak and draped it gently over her small form.

  ?Then he sat back, watching the endless road ahead.

  ?A small smile touched his lips.

  ?While Aelira slept, the carriage slowly came to a stop.

  ?The sudden stillness pulled her from her dreams.

  ?Blinking, she rubbed her eyes groggily.

  ?“Mmh... What’s happening?” she mumbled.

  ?“Oh!” Zaek leaned in from his seat, grinning. “You’re awake. Welcome to Kirsk—a small town halfway between Isenvale and the capital, Aeliron.”

  ?“...Kirsk?” Aelira echoed, still half-asleep as she stepped down from the carriage.

  ?The first thing she noticed was the air. It felt calm and warm, unlike the sharp, biting chill of Isenvale.

  ?The carriage had been parked a short distance from the town’s entrance. Beyond the cluster of buildings, a vast green steppe stretched out, looking almost endless.

  ?“You’ve probably never heard of it,” Zaek chuckled. “Even if it’s small, it’s an important stop for travelers.”

  ?“Why did we stop here? It feels like the middle of nowhere,” Aelira asked, looking around.

  ?“Weren’t you listening?” Zaek countered lightly. “We need to eat and rest the horses. At least, that’s what your new maid insisted on.”

  ?Aelira looked around drowsily again. Then she frowned.

  ?“...Where’s Clara?”

  ?“Who is Clara?” Zaek stared at her with blank eyes.

  ?“The maid who came with us,” Aelira clarified, exasperated.

  ?“Oh. Her.” Zaek shrugged. “She went off somewhere. Said something about supplies.”

  ?“She’ll probably be back before we leave. Don’t worry. Come on, let's go look around!”

  ?“I—”

  ?Aelira started to say something, but then stopped. Her cheeks flushed red, growing darker by the second.

  ?Zaek raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong, kid?”

  ?“I... I need to pee,” she finally blurted, burying her face in her hands.

  ?“Ah.”

  ?Zaek sat back, awkward.

  ?“Okay then. Just... go ahead. I’ll wait.”

  ?“I—I can’t do it alone!” she cried, mortified.

  ?“...”

  ?“...”

  ?Zaek stared at her, at a complete loss.

  ?“What do you mean you can’t do it alone? Aren’t you six years old?”

  ?“I—I just can’t! I don’t know where to go!”

  ?Aelira turned even redder, practically steaming.

  ?Zaek groaned, running a hand through his hair.

  ?“Okay, okay... I’ll find Clara. You stay put, alright?”

  ?“Tch,” he muttered under his breath as he jumped down from the carriage. “This is why having kids is such a pain...”

  ?Still, he couldn’t hide the faint, amused smile tugging at his lips.

  ?Zaek set off from the carriage, determination in his steps—and was immediately struck by a terrifying realization.

  ?Wait... what did Clara even look like again...?

  ?Zaek the Hero, famed across the Empire for his strength and battle prowess, had many weaknesses. One of them was a complete inability to remember the faces of people he met more than five minutes ago.

  ?And age wasn’t making it any better.

  ?“...”

  ?Despite his best efforts, Clara’s face stubbornly refused to appear in his mind.

  ?Surely if I find her, she’ll recognize me, right? Yeah. Surely.

  ?He told himself this very confidently.

  ?“Now... where would a maid go? Supplies? Snacks?”

  ?Without wasting more time, Zaek rushed toward the town’s open market. He scoured sweet shops. He checked bakeries. He even poked his head into several colorful stalls, scanning desperately.

  ?Nothing.

  ?“Where the hell are you...?” he muttered, his worry growing stronger in his gut.

  ?From the corners of his senses, he felt sharp, suspicious gazes watching him—dark eyes lurking from alleys.

  ?We shouldn't stay here too long.

  ?Remembering Aelira’s urgent situation, Zaek rushed harder through the streets.

  ?Then—

  ?“Master Zaek?!”

  ?A woman’s voice called out, surprised.

  ?Zaek turned—and saw a maid-looking woman, smiling warmly at him.

  ?Jackpot.

  ?Without thinking, he grabbed her hand.

  ?“Finally! Come with me—quick!”

  ?He dragged her toward the carriage in a full sprint.

  ?“Wait—wha—?!” She couldn’t even finish her sentence.

  ?At the carriage:

  ?“Here!” Zaek pushed her forward triumphantly. “I found your maid!”

  ?Aelira stared at the woman.

  ?Her face slowly twisted in horror and disbelief.

  ?“...Who is this?”

  ?Zaek blinked in confusion. “...Huh?”

  ?The woman smiled gently, placing a hand on her chest to catch her breath.

  ?“Master Zaek, I believe there’s been a misunderstanding,” she said kindly. “I am Eliza. I wanted to thank you. You saved me once in the East from an ogre.”

  ?“....”

  ?Zaek’s face turned completely white.

  ?“Uhm...”

  ?Eliza continued politely, “If this young lady needs my assistance, I would gladly help.”

  ?Aelira, still holding herself, looked one step away from exploding.

  ?Zaek looked embarrassed as Eliza calmly stood beside him.

  ?“...Yes, please, Miss Eliza. That would be great.”

  ?She nodded and gently took Aelira by the hand, guiding her toward the nearest inn.

  ?Left alone, Zaek exhaled deeply and slumped against the carriage wheel.

  ?“...This is really tiring.”

  ?“Huh?”

  ?A small voice piped up beside him. Zaek blinked down and saw a dirty street kid staring up at him.

  ?“Sir, do you have a moment?” the kid asked, looking hopefully into his eyes. “Could you spare me a few coins?”

  ?Zaek’s eyes narrowed. He could feel people’s eyes on his back—watching, waiting.

  ?“Nothing, kid. Get lost.”

  ?The child yelped and bolted down the street.

  ?Moments later, Aelira and Eliza returned.

  ?Zaek straightened. “Is it done now?” he asked, clearly grumpy.

  ?Aelira stared at him, expression blank. “I can’t believe you forgot Clara’s face and brought someone else. You’ve been sitting next to her in the same carriage all day.”

  ?“Shut up,” Zaek muttered, scratching his beard. “It’s hard being old.”

  ?Eliza chuckled softly. “You two seem to get along well.”

  ?“We don’t,” both Zaek and Aelira said at the exact same time.

  ?Watching them, she smiled warmly. “It feels like... father and daughter. Or perhaps grandfather and granddaughter?”

  ?“Cut it out already,” Zaek groaned, waving her off.

  ?Eliza simply smiled politely. “If you don't need anything else, I shall take my leave. My sister awaits.”

  ?“Wait,” Aelira said quickly, stepping forward. “I wanted to ask about Clara. She was with us earlier—someone with messy orange hair.”

  ?Eliza's expression turned thoughtful, and a little concerned. “No, I’m sorry. I haven’t seen anyone like that. But...”

  ?“But?” Aelira pressed.

  ?Eliza leaned in closer, whispering. “There have been a lot of thugs around lately. I'm sure Master Zaek can handle them, but it's still better to be careful.”

  ?Aelira’s eyes widened slightly. “Thanks for the warning.”

  ?With a final, concerned nod, Eliza waved goodbye and disappeared back into the town.

  ?“...She seemed nice and reasonable,” Aelira said after a moment. “Unlike someone I know.”

  ?“Yeah... seems that way.”

  ?Aelira glanced around, her previous drowsiness completely gone.

  ?“Could she have been kidnapped by thugs?”

  ?“I don’t know,” Zaek said honestly. “I couldn’t find her anywhere.”

  ?“So, what will we do?”

  ?Zaek’s eyes shifted, scanning his surroundings. The shadows seemed longer than before.

  ?“Whatever we do, it's better if we hurry,” he muttered.