Lucy had fought like a beast, biting Adam constantly. The Iyrmen who had been training with her, hadn’t seen such ferocity from her before. Even after she had returned and she had become so dour, she did not act so beastly.

Adam stared down at the woman, who was still confused for a moment, before recognition fell on her face. 

Lucy had returned a while ago, and had shut herself in the yard to train constantly. She hadn’t heard word about Adam for a while, including the fact that he had fought Jarot and had beaten Otkan.

‘When did he become so powerful?’ Lucy thought. She had recalled when they had first met, and it was nigh on impossible to become so powerful so quickly. 

“Are you feeling better?” Adam asked, still holding her in his arms. 

Lucy stared up at him and her eyes filled with tears, but they did not fall. “I’m sorry.”

Adam nodded. “It’s okay.”

“I’m sorry,” she repeated, before covering her face with her arm. “I just miss her so much, Adam.”

“You should return back to your business,” Jurot dared to say to the older Iyrmen. Though it was rude, they understood that Lucy needed a moment to herself, and quickly retreated away. Jurot remained, watching over them.

“I know,” Adam replied.

“I just want to save her.” Her voice shook like her body.

“I promised, didn’t I? I’ll definitely help you save her.”

“I just… I just want her back. I miss her so much. I miss how she brushes my hair. I miss talking with her into the long hours of the night, staring at the stars. I miss her fish soup, even if I hate fish, and I miss her buttered baked potatoes with just a touch of salt.” Lucy grit her teeth, her throat clogging up as she tried to hold back her tears.

Adam thought to how he had felt when Jurot had first left him alone, that sense of foreboding, the sinking feeling of whether he would return back to him alive. However, this was so different.

Mara wasn’t just trapped, she was currently dying, and days were passing by as her life was being drained, a battery for some unknown existence who had just come to be.

“When Nightval comes, we can go and adventure,” Adam said, his voice as calm as he could make it. “We probably won’t be able to find an Adult Dragon, and even if we do, we won’t be able to handle one. When we’re strong enough, we’ll go and find an Adult Dragon to slay, together.”

“Okay,” Lucy replied with a sniffle, still covering her eyes. 

“We can’t rush,” Adam said, warily. After what happened last time, he had no mood for rushing into his death. “If we do, we won’t be able to save Mara. If we die, who will save her?”

“I won’t die,” Lucy grumbled. 

“You’ve already died once before, haven’t you?” Adam flicked her forehead. “We need to take our time. I know it’s painful, and I know it seems like I’m not taking it seriously, but I am.” Adam sighed, hoping she’d understand why he couldn’t rush. “I have someone I need to save too, but I know that it’ll take a while. She’s still waiting for me, cold and alone, but I need to grow stronger before I can go and find her.”

Lucy continued to sniffle, rubbing her forehead as she stared up at Adam, having forced back her tears. “Right…”

“I’ll figure out what we should do.” Adam brushed her hair gently, causing her to squirm out of his grasp. 

‘I should be taking Nightval off, but since she’s so anxious and has no faith in me…’ 

“Nightval is a dangerous time,” Jurot warned. “If you are to adventure through Nightval, there are many factors to consider.”

“You’re right,” Adam said. It was one thing to adventure through hills and forests, but it was another matter entirely when creatures slip away to hibernate, and there’s little in the land to scavenge, and then there was the matter of trekking through snow with freezing wings whipping away at the party.

“A little bit of cold can’t beat me,” Lucy stated, puffing out her small chest with pride. 

“I don’t have any experience with that sort of thing,” Adam said. ‘Not in this world, anyway.’ “Jurot, will you come and adventure with us? I know you were out adventuring during Duskval, but it would ease my mind if you’re there with us.”

Jurot fell into through for a moment. Nightval was a time of rest, even for the Iyr. It was especially so for him since he had completed several quests recently. 

However, it was Adam asking.

“Okay,” Jurot replied.

“I knew I could count on you,” Adam said, patting his shoulder. “We’ll let the others relax. Since you’re my right hand man, you need to work harder than me.”

Jurot nodded, having known that Paul was the hardest working member of the Adventurer’s Guild. 

“We should probably form a party with someone else during Nightval,” Adam said. “Or we could take Jonn and Brittany. Technically, they’re under me, even if they are your Guests in the Iyr.”

‘Though, should I take them with me? It would be extremely dangerous, even if Brittany is a little useful. It might be better to take her out after Dawnval.’

“Hey, Jurot. Can I get some ink for my spells?” Adam asked. 

Jurot nodded. “The Iyr stocks some ink for those who know magic, as it is required to create spell scrolls.”

“Great.” Adam’s stomach growled. “Let’s eat some breakfast first, since we skipped it.”

“Thanks, Adam,” Lucy said, bowing her head apologetically.

“Any time. What are friends for?”

Lucy nodded, clenching her fists. She had grown stronger quickly, but she was nowhere near her previous strength. ‘I can’t be the weak link.’

Adam returned back to the family estate, where he found Jonn, Dunes, and Brittany accompanying them. 

“Morning,” Adam greeted. “Sorry about not talking to you two before.”

Jonn nodded.

“It’s okay,” Brittany replied, meekly. 

“I heard that you didn’t do too bad during the quests,” Adam said, glancing over at her. “How is your training coming along?”

“Good,” she replied, simply. 

“She is able to hit her targets well,” Jonn informed. 

“You aren’t ignoring basic training either, are you?” Adam asked. “You still need to run and lift, even if you don’t want to.”

“I run every morning,” she defended. “I lift, sometimes.”

“Good. I’ll see how good you are when Dawnval comes.”

Brittany’s ears perked up. “And you’ll take me out to adventure?”

“That’s right. We’ll start off with some weaker quests to get you used to adventuring, and then we’ll pick up the pace. I’ll warn you that even the Iyrmen think I quest too much.”

Brittany looked to Jurot, who only nodded. “That doesn’t matter. I’ll work hard so that I can adventure with you all.” She was the weakest of the bunch, and not by a small margin. She was a villager, and so had some basic ability in fighting, as she needed a little strength to survive against wild beasts, but this was another matter entirely. 

“Keep that up and you’ll get a magical weapon in no time,” Adam said.

“A magical weapon?” Brittany asked. “Me?”

“Yeah,” Adam said, smiling. 

Brittany stared at him in shock. She hadn’t expected that she’d get a magical weapon. She wasn’t Dunes, who had his Priestly magics, or Jaygak or Kitool, who were both Iyrmen, each of whom had great strength from their background. 

“I can really have a magical weapon?” Brittany asked, shyly.

Adam hadn’t expected her to be so meek. “Why not?”

“I’m just a village girl,” she said, staring at her bowl of food. “A magical weapon is something I can only dream of.”

“Well, I am Adam,” Adam said.

She didn’t quite understand what that meant, but the others, including the children who were eating nearby, were nodding their heads in response to his statement. 

“I’m not sure I can believe that,” she said. “I wouldn’t dare.”

“Just like how you didn’t believe that I’d take you away from your little village? Even if I wasn’t there, you already adventured with three Iyrmen, all without me,” Adam stated, frowning slightly. “I’m still annoyed about that, by the way! Where are my gifts?”

Jurot smiled. “You will receive them tonight.”

Adam grumbled quietly, but he accepted that they’d soon hand out the gifts. “They better be something good.”

Jurot nodded slowly. 

Once breakfast was over, Adam made his way to the nearby warehouse to find some ink. 

Jurot stepped into the house with his mother and younger sister, who went to play with her toys.

“Have you decided it then?” Sonarot asked. 

“Yes,” Jurot said. “It would be best if we kept it for Adam.”

Sonarot slowly nodded her head. “It may prove useful in the future. Did Phantom not give you pause?”

“The weapon is an amazing weapon,” Jurot replied, simply. He wasn’t going to hold the weapon against Adam, not when his mother had accepted him. Even if Adam turned his axe against him, it would only make a good story, and a good hunt.

Sonarot pet his head and kissed his forehead. “Then we will lay claim to it.”

 

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Still sad.