Fresh from the shower, Yuda shook out his damp hair, savoring the clean feeling. A glass of water and a flop onto bed would cap the perfect day. Heading to the kitchen, he grabbed a cheap, plain ceramic cup from the sink shelf, filled it, drank, and headed to his upstairs room.
“Yuda.”
Tia called to him from where she was laying on the three-seater sofa. She patted the armrests, calling him over. She wasn’t like this at first, but since he started hunting solo a year ago, it seems like she’s been slacking off. Well, she still handled chores, so he couldn’t really complain. Sauntering over, he leaned on the backrest, peering down. She held a small book
-The Wind Hunter.
It’s a fun book. But she probably didn’t call him to chat about it.
“What’s up? Need water?”
Hiding her mouth with the book, she shook her head.
“Then?”
Abruptly, she tossed the book to the floor and reached out. He flinched to dodge, but her arm snagged his neck too fast, yanking him down with her strength.
“Ow, you cute little thing! If only you’d flirt more, you’d be perfect!”
Gasping, he caught her feline scent as soft, firm skin pressed through her clothes. Blushing, he squirmed against her tight, rubbing embrace, but she wouldn’t let go. Outmatched in strength, he sighed quietly.
“You like it, so why sigh? No girl out there hugs like this.”
“Well, yeah, but…”
Chin on her boobs, he looked up. Her golden eyes brimmed with affection. Was her face-rubbing some favor boost? Checking, he saw her stagnant 49 Favorability had ticked past 50 to “Interest.”
[Favorability: 50 (Interest)]
[Trust: 75 (Trust)]
Early on, smitten by her beauty, he had picked her flowers and fawned to raise it but only Trust level would increase. Fair enough, a kid’s flowers would just seem cute, not romantic. Stalled at 49, he had given up on anything more, age and his young body in the way. For half a year, it hadn’t budged.
Yet today, it hit 50. When? The system log showed a +1 while he showered. It was nice anyway. She was his first crush here, and that hadn’t changed.
Still, not groping her boobs felt like torture. Swallowing the urge, he hesitated, eyeing her.
“Uh, what’s this about?”
“Do I need a reason to hug my cute apprentice?” Tia said.
He didn’t think he looked that cute, but if she said so, what could he do? Pouting, he stared which only made her squeeze harder. After a quiet moment, she spoke.
“You sure you got no injuries, right?”
“None. Really. Are you that worried?”
“Of course! If my apprentice bit it, how would I feel? I would storm the south gate to slaughter those wolves!”
Stroking his hair, she cradled him like a doll. Who would expect black wolves in the eastern forest? The wolves had never left the south region before, so she had sent him alone, assuming safety.
“Good thing you’re fine. How was fighting them? Training paid off?”
“Definitely. Dagger-throwing saved me especially. Thanks, Tia. I survived because of you, my mentor.”
“Heh heh heh.”
“And being prey, not predator showed me experience matters.”
“Oh? Then tomorrow, let’s hunt together in the east through the south forest. Revenge on those wolves.”
They were already dead with their pelts peeled.
“I’d love that. But…”
He paused. She was chatty today, keeping the conversation flowing like she had something to say. He waited but being sprawled on her body, his body stirred awkwardly. She might’ve noticed. Mentally reciting the national anthem, he met her gaze. Maybe she was enjoying this kind of Yuda's reaction.
“Tia.”
“Yeah? What’s up?”
“You’ve got something to say, right?”
“Hmm… My cute apprentice, do you know what I hate?”
“Dunno.”
Plenty came to mind but none fit here.
“You’re sharp. I wanted a long, chill talk, and you cut it short. This mentor’s heartbroken.”
“Heartbroken,” yet she hugged tighter, pressing his face into soft flesh. This affection was borderline torture. He might snap.
“Yuda.”
Grunting, he looked up as she eased off, radiating an “Look at me!” aura with a sigh.
“Yeah?”
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
“My dream?”
She nodded, and Yuda hummed thoughtfully. The dreams of kids here were pretty predictable. While many in the original world aspired to be cops or firefighters, here, the common dreams were to become mercenaries, adventurers, mages, or knights. And just like back there, most of them ended up in unexpected places. Thinking his silence was due to hesitation, Tia spoke first.
“We’ve been together for two years, but never talked about dreams. Haven’t thought about it?”
“No, I have.”
He did have a dream, but it wasn’t one he could just blurt out. How could he say, “My dream? To be a demon lord!” with a straight face? It wasn’t exactly a demon lord, more like a higher “Monarch,” but neither option was a good choice. Chasing after it might corrupt him in the process.
“Look.”
Thinking he was shy, she shared hers.
“Yuda, being a mercenary wasn’t my dream. I did it to survive. You’ve got Kaseun as your guardian, living easy, but I didn’t.”
Slowly, she unveiled her untold past.
“Like you, I lost my parents young, but no one took me in. I knew nothing to survive this harsh world. I wandered the streets, stole, and lived like any orphan. Then I met Kaseun, and he took me in.”
“…”
“Under him, I learned, ran through bloody battlefields, fought magical beasts, took jobs and became a capable mercenary with the crew. I roamed regions, met people, lost comrades. And that’s when slowly, my dream formed.”
Her eyes curved warmly.
“Nothing grand. You might laugh. It’s that simple. Just meeting a man who loves me, whom I love, and living peacefully. Having kids would be nice, but it’s not a must. A life where we feel happy together, that’s it.”
“Sounds easy, but tough.”
“Right? Harder than it looks.”
Being ordinary real challenge. Fairy tales ended “happily ever after”, life didn’t. Love could fade, infidelity strike, murder or money ruin it.
“But it’s not laughable, Tia. It’s beautiful, and worth chasing. If it’s your truest dream, I’ll cheer you on and help if I can. If someone mocks it, ignore them. Because they simply don't understand it
Her eyes widened, stunned. A kid saying this? She had told mercenary pals but some scoffed, others urged grander dreams and few simply nodded. She had planned to ask about his dream and support it, but instead, she ended up opening her heart and receiving encouragement. It felt good. This kid.. this was why she adored him. She wanted to squeeze him like a toy and didn’t hold back.
“Such pretty words!”
Lifting him, she peppered his cheeks and forehead with kisses, beaming.
“That’s what I wanted to say, Yuda. Like you’d help me, I want to help you. But two years in, I don’t know what you want to be or do. You’ve got a dream, right? Tell me.”
“Ha. Haha.”
“I promise—no laughing, I’ll be a serious help.”
Help, huh. Grateful, but his dream clashed with hers, hard to voice. Mixing truth with a fib, he spoke—kids could fib about dreams innocently.
“Mine’s not big either.”
“It’s fine, tell me.”
“Hmm… I want to see the continent. 〈The Land of Revelry, Urun〉, Philoria the warrior’s land, Calypso with its magic towers, the warring empires Byron and Baekje, the desert where dragonkin built a nation, the Dragon Valley where dragons still live. I want to visit them all.”
Fragments of Fernlern were scattered across the entire land. If his memory served him correctly, and if this place was indeed as he remembered, there were 24 fragments on the First Continent alone, with 11 of them still unaccounted for. Three of those had been missing for over a hundred years. However, Yuda knew exactly where those fragments were and how they were positioned. To acquire them, he would need to visit every country and land he had mentioned. It wasn’t a lie.
“And my biggest wish? When that journey ends, someone welcomes me back warmly. A place to return to, that’s my dream.”
Oh god, so embarrassing!
"No way I would say something like this!!". Yuda wanted to hide under a blanket and scrape off the goosebumps, but he continued. And half of those words were true.
There was nothing more comforting than knowing there was a place to return to. If he collected all the fragments, he could return to his original world, but if his abilities fell short, he might be forced to stay in this world forever.
Then, he wished to come back to Serenia Castle. It wasn't a place filled with memories, but it was still home where he could live comfortably without the interference or judgment of others. If someone were to greet him warmly upon his return, it would certainly bring him joy.
“Huh?”
Had his honesty hit her, or was she just shocked? She gawked dumbly. He pressed on.
“Tia. No, Tia. Two years from now, when I’m an adult, I’ll leave Serenia. If it’s okay, I’ll give you this house. You said you wanted a rest spot after mercenary life, right? Stay here if you like. Not a burden—you can leave anytime. If you find your love, use it as a honeymoon—”
“Shh.”
Smiling warmly, she pressed a finger to his lips.
“No more. I get it. But don’t worry.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll wait. I’ll be your place to return to.”
Something must have struck a chord with her, as Tia’s actions became much gentler. In her tight embrace, Yuda had almost given up and surrendered to the moment. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a system notification flickering. When he opened it, he saw that his previously stagnant affection had risen by 11 points, and his trust had increased by an additional 10.
What? These climbed that easy?
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***Author’s Note***
Sadly, no spicy scenes yet. Hold off, haha.
He’s still a kid.
So many coupons… I keep posting back-to-back. Shouldn’t, but…
Running low on material.
Still, two at once today!
Hit that like button?
Just leaving?
Hmm, that’s a bit difficult.
Q: When’s he an adult?
A: Hmm—time’ll pass quick. 15’s adulthood here, legal age.
Q: When’s the prologue over?
A: This isn’t the prologue… sob. Gotta ease the story in naturally…
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