"Huh?" Jack and Stella struggled to gather their thoughts while staring at his stupid grin. Was he joking? Is this the right time? Jack failed at processing the words in an orderly manner. Did he ask us to save the world? "Huh?" Jack repeated.

Stella wasn't too bothered by the absurd question due to being at a loss for who this even was. Did he not notice the fight? What is that thing on his face? "Excuse me Sir, now might not be the best time. I think you might want to get out of here."

She pointed to the captain walking forward slowly. Her heart dropped staring at the enemy's eyebrows that were now touching each other. The scars on his hands flowed like waves over the veins bulging from a squeezed fist. He shouted something, but Stella couldn't focus on anything besides getting this crazy moustache out of here. How many more people was she going to get hurt?

"Yeah, it did seem you like guys were busy. Let me handle this and we can talk about it later, okay?" It had to be too late. There was a mountain behind him with clenched hand poised and ready for release.

"Ace!" Jack reached out to try and push him out of the way. Before Jack's hand could contact the red top, there was nothing there. The loaded fist was now relaxed but the captain's face sure wasn't. Ace stood directly on the side of Rodriguez while twiddling his thumbs. No green light showing his path. No sign he was even crouched before them seconds ago. He was just there, looking up, patiently waiting for the slow unbelieving head of the captain to turn and meet his eyes.

"I know this looks bad, and I understand you have to do what you have to do, but let's work out a deal. I mean kids will be kids am I right?" Ace said, scoffing in Jack's direction.

Rodriguez stood tall above Ace, who was not too much taller than them. The captain relaxed his shoulders, but never unclenching his fist. He paused a moment as if to make sure his voice can counter his heart rate. "You have my attention, what do you propose is suitable compensation for treachery against the empire?" Stella noticed his demeanour was completely different. That unwavering confidence was broken by Ace's magic trick.

"Oh, nothing can probably excuse them for their irresponsible actions. They should be tied up and beaten and then imprisoned in the open for everyone to see. Preferably this evening before everyone forgets, buttttt—" Ace said while gently guiding the captain away from them with a slow walk. Stella and Jack sat in the same position, not sure if they are getting help or watching their saviour plan their execution, and worse yet, he was doing all this without taking time to breathe. "They are just kids and let's face it, that would never look good. Look, I have been here as long as you have been here, and it's easy to see, you're one hell of a soldier, and it always leads me to wonder how you got stuck out on our side. Let us change that, stop worrying about these small jobs. Let me help you reach where the action is." Ace smiles and pulls out a ring from his pocket.

Stella gasped. "Is that Caelstin? I have never seen one in person before," she said, trying to confirm with Jack. It didn't seem to impress him as much. He was more interested in what the general was thinking.

"A divine gem huh. That is your proposal?" Rodriguez said flatly, but Jack's heart skipped a beat.

"Yes Sir, a divine gem indeed. This one in particular is loaded with a class one wind movement spell. Did you not notice how fast I ended up beside you? Come on, you know just having this puts you on the fast track to higher ranks, and even if you aren't after that, give this to the right people and I am sure that you never have to fill out a ledger again in your life. You can rest in the countryside and bully kids that your men provoked forever." Rodriguez pulled his head back slightly. His brows met again but it had no effect on the big grin that took shelter under the moustache. "Come on now, show some mercy, look good and accept the present of a lifetime."

"You are really willing to trade this for them.?" Rodriguez enquired, intensely focused on the ring.

"No sir, I am willing to trade this for you. Sorry I don't think I made sense there. I thought it would sound a bit more dramatic, but yes just let them go and it's all yours." Ace scratched his head, a little red that his rescue attempted wasn't as cool as he clearly imagined it to be. The captain laughed out loud and held out his hand.

"You got yourself a deal Ace. This isn't immunity so tread carefully, but I like how you think. Thank you for this. I will be seeing you around, hopefully it won't involve them anymore." Rodriguez signalled his men to turn back. The soldiers' reactions were mixed with relief and the complete disappointment of Boras. Jack leaned back and stuck his tongue out at frowning soldier being escorted by his companions.

Ace walked over with his hands behind his head and the proudest smile. Tenny got to the pair first, joining Jack on his shoulder. "Sheesh you really got tossed around." Tenny chuckled at his own choice of words. "You should have told me earlier that you were going to take on the military. I would have kicked some ass!"

"They would have used you to wipe their ass," Ace said finally arriving. "Thank goodness that worked out, we could have been in some serious trouble. Even if you did get away, it could have dragged your dad into this."

"I am so sorry. I dragged you all into this and you even gave up a divine gem to save us. I got ahead of myself. I am so sorry for the trouble I have caused," Stella blurted out while bowing her head. How could they have done that? She was glad to be out of trouble, but would she always feel this guilty.

"You were only defending yourself, and I mean I jumped into that crowd myself. I think I was looking for adventure," Jack said, scratching his head and holding on with an awkward smile.

"Well, that is perfect because I was passing in town looking for this guy with the proposal of an adventure. Would it be okay for you guys to hear me out now?"

Stella felt a bit of relief. She knew their words were true, but she also knew it was her fault. "It is the least I can do." She gave a soft smile. Jack nodded his head in agreement.

"Thank you very much! We can discuss it over a meal, but first we should return the cart." He shifted his gaze. "It is about time I face Mr. Sidra anyway."

***

The four of them arrive at the workshop. Jack dashed on forward to apologise for being late and to explain that he needs the rest of the day off, to possibly save the world. During their exchange inside, Stella and Ace patiently waited for their conversation to end. Ace's gaze could never find a point to rest. Stella noticed the quietness between him and Tenny as well.

"I am sorry to pry, but is everything okay? Do you and Jack's dad not get along?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"I'm sorry, I zoned out. Umm, how to say this, but sometime ago I caused everyone in the village a great deal of pain. People died, lives were changed, and I even cost Jack's father his legs. I haven't really faced anyone since then." Stella didn't know Ace at all, but the tone in his voice made her feel uneasy. It was so different from a couple of minutes ago when he was talking down to a captain of a military unit.

Jack burst out the door and said he has gotten the day off. They can go now if they want, but Ace asks them to spare him a minute as he walks in by himself. He inched forward, focusing his gaze milliseconds at a time on Mr. Sidra. Jack's father was a fairly muscular man with thinning hair and thick brown moustache that was neatly trimmed. He wore glasses and sat on his wheelchair while bearing a smile as Ace approached him. Before the words could escape his mouth, Ace fell to his knees and bowed down.

"I have no excuse for not coming sooner to apologise, but I am truly sorry for all the pain I have caused you and everyone in this village." The cold ground pressed against Ace's forehead. Every muscle in his body tensed, like the words that were about to hit him would be physical.

"Sit up Mr. Ace. I am fine with you apologising, but then I have to thank you for all that you have done for this family." Ace's head swung to meet Mr. Sidra's eyes. His jaw fell slightly open. "I am not much of a talkative person. I had many things I wanted to explain to my son, but I never found the words, however the joy he would have after eating with you and Mr. Tennebrae, the excitement he shared when discussing books, just being someone he could talk to about anything has really kept a light shining in this house that reminded me of someone important."

"Mr. Sidra—" Ace began to say before having to swallow his emotions. "Thank you so much Sir. You are a great man. I can see where Jack gets his strong heart from."

"You have to thank his mother for that. She would have forgiven you outright. I am a little sterner. I will forgive you after I have eaten these meals my son so greedily brags about," Mr. Sidra said. A smile as warm as forgiveness.

Ace sat there with a stunned look on his face. A half smile peaking from the corner of his mouth, and eyes look like they witnessed a horror.

"Is that a problem?" Mr. Sidra asked.

"No...it's just...I can't believe I never sent any. I was completely running away from all of this. Was I really that scared?" Ace locked eyes with the blacksmith.

"It isn't an easy thing to do, but I believe it to be the right thing. Better late than never, I am glad you came to see me, Mr. Ace."

"Me too, and it would be my honour for you to try my cooking," Ace said while putting his hand to his chest. "Umm, Mr. Sidra, I hate to follow up an apology with anything more, but I have a proposal I would really like you to hear."

***

Jack, Stella and Tenny sat at the table. Ace in the kitchen creating an aroma that causes the trio to pause momentarily to make sure they aren't drooling. The awaiting team laughed about the looks on the face of Boras and how they hope to never come across someone like Captain Rodriguez again. The plates hit the table cuing the sparkles in the eyes of Tenny and Jack.

"Rice in a spicy black bean sauce with steamed carrots, peas and a topped with fried pork skins. I'm sorry I don't have much more protein to offer, but my ledger was spread a bit thin for the four of us," Ace addressed while pouring water in their cups. "Dig in, we can talk after our bellies are full."

"This is wonderful, I have eaten many great meals and this one can really stand up there with them," Stella said in delight. Her mind still at a slight unease at the kindness she has been offered in one day. She was grateful, but what was the cost? For now, she would be content that Ace was happy they enjoyed his food and hear out his request.

Ace leaned back in his chair and took a moment to stare at the ceiling. The pair knew it was coming now. How can they save the world? "In the near future, a dragon that is capable of killing anything will be arriving, and I am pretty sure that it will be on a war path. I would like your help to stop him when he arrives." Ace looks into their fully opened eyes. Tenny casually continues fiddling with Jacks hands as they process the vague and ridiculous request.

"How do you know this?" Jack broke the moment of silence.

"When I came to this village, I was coming from another dimension. It just so happened that the dragon was following me as well. It is taking him a little longer to get through the portal, but I have reason to believe that he should be out in roughly four years, although it can be sooner, or there is a slight chance he may never come at all."

"Another dimension? That exists? What was it like there? Do you have proof? Also, what kind of estimated time frame is that? It makes no sense." Stella flurried him before he could answer anything specific.

Ace chuckled as if he wanted this exact reaction. "I'm sorry, you are just going to have to trust me. Even on the vague estimation but assume four years for now."

"Okay so if we do trust you, why are you coming to us? Shouldn't you tell the military, or maybe Virgo can help?" Jack said after realising he can get through the situation if he treats it as a hypothetical.

"That is a good question, but it has some complicated reasoning. The simple answer would be that the story is unbelievable. I was planning to search around for any proof, but I am not even sure on where to start. I also thought about it and really would prefer to take control of the situation without scaring the population and the larger group I work with then the harder that becomes," Ace said with a weakened resolve. Stella especially seemed to have her own thoughts on this flimsy excuse. "As for Virgo, I don't know him, and I assume it isn't easy to get in contact with the strongest person in the world. Truth be told, if this world is similar to the one I am from, and so far it has been, then I am one of the strongest here. The problem is that I am still not enough, and I cannot use any mimics, so it puts me at a bigger disadvantage—"

"Are you a berserker? How did you use the ring to evade the captain? Did you lie to the captain about the divine gem?" It seemed everything Ace said led to more questions Stella flooded him with.

"No, I am not like a berserker, I have no mana at all. It seemed to have vanished when I arrived here, and no that really was a divine gem with a high-class wind movement spell. I just didn't use it, I also never told him that I used the ring to move, I just asked if he noticed how fast I am." Ace chuckled, clearly patting himself on the back at his clever wording.

"That makes sense! There was no green path like when Rodriguez moved." Jack pieced the new information to the magic trick of before. "It was still a lie though."

"Yea, I guess so, but back to the proposal though. If you give me the time, I believe I can give you and maybe a couple of allies a strength and opportunity to do anything you want in this world. You just have to help me fight Ira when the time comes." Stella and Jack have no words at the moment. "I have studied a lot of magic and tactics, so I believe this is the best plan." There still was no response.

"If it is his words that you doubt, I can swear to you as a Mystical Creature, Ace can help you find power that few in the world have ever seen," Tenny reinforced.

"I am sorry I think we might have thrown a lot at you. There are some fruits in the kitchen, you guys can talk about it and come up with any questions while me and Tenny wait outside." And so they left.

"You know him best, is he serious?" Stella stared intently into Jack's eyes trying to decipher if he might be lying as well.

"I don't think he would be lying about this. Tenny is a Mystical Creature, and I have never seen a Mystical Creature with a person. That should mean something."

"He was also carrying a divine gem, but if he is from another dimension then how could he have one of those? Well, I guess I can't look into that too much because I have no idea what another dimension is like. Ughhh I feel like I have more questions for him."

"I can understand that for sure, but let's just take it as he says. A dragon is coming in a few years to kill everything. He can make us really strong. Will you be willing to join him?" Jack asked.

"When you put it like that... I do owe you guys...It does sound like something I would have wanted to be a part of anyway," Stella articulated in short burst. "Finding my sister comes first, and I don't want to make promises until I finish my own mission. He knows you better, and I have a feeling the invitation was more aimed at you. I can maybe join you guys later on."

"I am not sure. I respect him a lot and I really want to be useful. I don't think he has ever asked me or anyone for anything in his 6 years here. I really want to be able to help, but this seems like a lot." Jack's eyes are focused on the ground. Maybe he shouldn't have eaten. He didn't like the back flips his stomach was doing at the moment.

"I feel bad for saying this, but are you sure you can trust him? He hasn't given me a bad impression, but when I was in town earlier, many people seemed weary of the house on the hill. He even said it himself that he hurt a lot of people in the village, including your dad." Stella's volume lowered for safety.

"Oh, I am surprised he mentioned that. 6 years ago, there was a large explosion in the forest, and it led to a fire spreading throughout our village. A lot of houses were destroyed, and a few people lost their lives. My dad got me out of the house, but he panicked and went back for a painting of my mom and our home collapsed. People rushed in and they found him under the rubble clutching the painting but missing his legs. Ace showed up the next day after everything was under control and said the fire was his fault. He apologised and started staying on this hill." Jack rubbed his own legs while telling the story. Stella could see that it was a memory he preferred not bringing up.

"I am sorry, I shouldn't have pr—"

"No, it is okay," Jack quickly said with a small awkward smile. "What I am getting to...is that he isn't a bad person. When the townsfolk inspected the forest, they found the fire was somehow contained to a small area. They figured Ace had to do something with that. In a couple of days, the military came to inspect if the explosion was a threat, and they began to seize control of the village. Ace had two divine gems that time and he traded one with them for a lot of resources and he helped build back the town. He also began to double the lumber output of the village by himself so that everyone had less to do on their ledgers. The military liked that very much, so they stuck around. I am not sure how much harder things were before, but I hear the townsfolk talking about how much free time they get now, and then there are some of the townsfolk that dislike that the military sticks around and harasses them. I think everyone avoids Ace because he avoids them out of guilt, and too much time has passed for it to change."

Stella felt her stomach begin to turn. It shouldn't be surprising that he saved them. She kind of wished that she didn't know this because she felt guilty for doubting him now. She was really starting to dislike Ace, but only because she wanted to be around and find out more.

"I think you should consider going then, I really can't afford to do anything else besides finding Luna." Stella stood up as to indicate that he should make his decision now and not keep them waiting.

"I am no hero. I also have to be here to help out my dad. I am sure Ace can find others," Jack said following her outside. They paused at the door for a second. They were going to disappoint the man who just helped them out. They deserved a deep breath before going through those feelings.

The door opened to reveal Ace swinging Tenny by his bottom paws as if he was going to launch him to a far-off land. "Help Me!" Tenny exclaimed as the sound hit their ears in waves. Ace put down the creature, who was now stumbling around.

"I am sorry you had to see that. I caught Tenny trying to listen in, and I was trying to teach him a lesson," Ace said with a surprisingly believable smile.

"Liar! I was going to tell them you were eavesdropping, and you started spinning like a top," Tenny growled back.

"Ignore him, but since Tenny explained what he heard. I understand and thank you for hearing me out. Miss Stella, you do have a mission to accomplish and if I hear anything, I will try and contact you. Jack, you are a great kid, keep it up. I have put this off for quite some time, so by next week I should be out of here. I would appreciate if you don't tell anyone, I would rather the word not spread needlessly," Ace explained.

They didn't expect to find so much comfort in his words. He wasn't upset, he didn't really seem disappointed. He even sent some food for Jack's dad when they were leaving. They figured that he knew it was a crazy request in the first place. It was a crazy day overall, but now it was back to their normal lives. Jack offered Stella to stay with them for the night before she had to make her journey.

"You really plan on taking them?" Tenny questioned as they both sat on the porch.

"I have my reasons."

"I'll help you as much as I can, but don't lose track of the mission."

"You know I won't Mr. Tennebrae."

***

Stella entered the house and introduced herself to Mr. Sidra sitting at the table with a guest. Jack was just outside slipping off his boots.

"I have been told that you both caused quite a bit of ruckus today." Mr. Sidra chuckled. "Will you be joining us for the evening?"

"I am sorry I got Jack dragged into this. I am also sorry if I got you in trouble Mister," Stella said to a nervous Mathias.

"Mathias! What are you doing here?" Jack questioned while walking up give him a sturdy slap on the back.

"First you both should take a seat. Get Miss Stella something to drink, son," Mr. Sidra calmly reminded him of his manners.

"The entire thing with the military today...I am so sorry by the way Miss Stella. I didn't like what happened... I never know what to do in situations... I feel like I didn't belong... I am really sorry again and to you as well Jack." Mathias fumbled through, controlling his breath in waves.

"Just breathe, it is ok." Jack placed his hand on Mathias's shoulder. Mathias took a deep breath and started again.

"I came to say sorry to you both after the situation, but Mr. Sidra told me that you went to Mr. Ace's house to discuss something. He told me to wait for you here and he wanted to talk to me. I am not sure if you noticed but I am not really cut out for the military." Everyone at the table tried not to give the impression that he stated the obvious. "I am from a small village as well and I never had much talent in anything. The government kept switching my jobs until I decided to join the military. Mr. Sidra told me today that he would take me in as an apprentice and help me turn blacksmithing into a career."

"That is great! I think you will fit in here. We will be working together. I'm pretty excited now." Jack smiled from ear to ear. He was always worried about Mathias. Stella kicked Jack under the table. He didn't understand why he deserved that but followed her glance over to his dad.

"I think you are missing the point, Son. It is all good and well if you want to stay here, but you have the opportunity of a lifetime," Mr. Sidra slowly spoke. It seemed like he was speaking with a form of authority but also a lot of warmth.

"Ace told you about the situation?" Jack asked quietly, processing that he might have just been replaced.

"Me and Mathias will be fine. I can still manage. You have read so many books, you have explored everything in this village, don't you think you should take this chance to see more." The eye contact was strictly between Father and Son. The room was silent, but the other two were deeply invested in the response.

"Dad... are you sure?"

"You are extremely helpful. Everyone in the village always talks about it. A quest that lets you see and save the world. It sounds like it is forged for you. I will be alright, so see as much as you can and decide what you want from it."

"Thank you very much." Jack quietly held back.

The rest of the night was filled with laughs, stories, and merriment. There was the lingering feeling that they had more to discuss about the previous situation, but it never happened. Stella figured that Mr. Sidra was a man of few words and chose the words he wanted to use already. The more time passed the harder it felt to bring it back up until they finally decided to go to sleep. Stella took Jack's room while Jack and Mathias made camp on sheets in the living room downstairs, but Jack couldn't sleep. He stepped outside and sat on the ground staring at the stars. He was startled when the door opened behind him to reveal Stella couldn't sleep well either.

"Am I interrupting?" Stella whispered before shutting the door.

"Just your own sleep cycle." They both looked to the distance. "What is keeping you up? I figured you would be exhausted after today."

"I think it was just the family atmosphere had me thinking about Luna. I really want to find her. To be honest my thoughts were all over the place. Ace says a dragon is coming soon. Dragons have been dead for hundreds of years so I can't even imagine what is going to happen."

"That is exactly what kept me awake. Ace made it sound so light-hearted, but I think that is just how he is. The world can be in serious trouble, but I think I am just going to have to trust him. Will you come with me tomorrow to see him, before you leave?" Stella nodded in agreement while the pair spent a couple more minutes gazing into the future.