Knock Knock
While Kael was meditating in a room, a soft knock at the door grabbed his attention.
“Hero Kael.”
It was Sarah.
“Sarah? Please, come in.”
The door creaked open, and Sarah walked inside.
“They’re here,”
She said as she glanced at Kael.
“The soldiers have returned from the forest.”
“Then we should go meet them, shouldn’t we?”
Kael stood up with a smile.
“Yes. We should.”
Sarah smiled back as she nodded.
She led him outside, and the moment they walked outside the house—
“HERO KAEL!!!”
Kael flinched as he stepped into the sea of cheering townsfolk.
The entire town had gathered, their faces lit with joy and relief. Women and children who had been hidden underground during the attack were now standing before him, tears streaming down their faces—not from sorrow, but from overwhelming gratitude.
“ALL HAIL HERO KAEL!!!”
“ALL HAIL HERO KAEL!!!”
The cheers grew louder, reverberating throughout the town.
Men pounded their chests in salute, children waved their tiny hands in excitement, and the elderly clasped their hands together, whispering blessings.
The soldiers who had fought alongside him stood at the front, their expressions filled with respect, admiration, and… fanaticism.
“…”
Kael froze, his mind unable to process the sheer weight of the moment.
He had expected a quiet reunion, perhaps a debriefing about the battle.
But… this.
Suddenly, Sarah stepped in front of him with a victorious grin on her face.
“You didn’t believe me when I said you saved them, did you?”
She chuckled.
“I…”
Kael opened his mouth, but no words came out.
“Hero Kael!”
Then suddenly,
An adorable girl rushed towards him, and before he could react, she hugged his leg.
It was Selina.
Behind her stood her grandfather, who had guided the girl to him.
“Hero Kael! I can hear it again! I can hear the laughter!
Your magic worked!”
Little Selina exclaimed, the girl, however, wasn’t done there.
“I told everyone that you would do it! They didn’t believe me, but I made everyone pray diligently because you said you needed our help for the magic to work. Did I do well?”
“Yes, you did an amazing job, Selina.”
Kael knelt down and hugged the girl. His heart felt a strange sense of ease when he did that.
“Yay! I helped the Hero!”
Selina exclaimed as she hugged him as tightly as she could.
Tobias had a complex smile on his face when he saw the sight in front of him, his face reflecting countless emotions at the same time.
Kael stood up with Selina in his arms. He glanced at Sarah, who was watching him with knowing eyes, and he smiled back.
‘Thank you.’
He mouthed the words, and Sarah’s face brightened.
Then, Kael turned towards the rest of the people,
“People of Estwyn.”
He called out, and the cheers slowly died down.
Everyone wanted to listen to the Hero.
“The victory today was not mine alone. It was our victory.
Every soldier who fought, every person wh—”
“Hero Kael.”
Before Kael could continue, Sarah interrupted, her tone solemn.
“Sarah?”
When Kael turned towards her, Sarah closed her eyes, connecting her vision with Eye’s, who had warned her.
“Something is approaching.”
Sarah spoke.
“What?”
Kael walked towards Sarah and questioned. Sarah kept her eyes closed, watching the vision through her Bond’s eyes.
“It… seems to be flying…
But it’s different. It’s fast… much faster than anything we saw here…”
Sarah then opened her eyes and stared at Kael.
“Hero Kael…”
She called out, her body trembling.
“Eye… she is…
Scared…
That thing is much more powerful than anything we have faced, and it is coming right at us.”
“Okay, cal—”
Kael tried to calm Sarah down, but suddenly,
‘Guuu.’
He heard a voice in his head, and his expression changed.
“Call Echo.”
He ordered with a solemn look on his face.
“O-Okay.”
Sarah was taken aback by his sudden change. She, however, didn’t make Kael wait, and the space around her cracked.
“Connect with Eye. If she notices any changes, you tell me, is that clear?”
“Yes.”
Sarah nodded with a determined look on her face. In an instant, the atmosphere in the area changed as everyone turned silent.
“Alright, come with me.”
“Huh? O-Okay, where are we goi—”
Before Sarah could ask any questions, Kael grabbed her, lifted her like a princess, and then,
[Skill: Draconic Surge]
With Sarah in his arms, Kael dashed forward at a ridiculous pace.
“Aaaahhhhhhh!!”
Sarah screamed, taken aback by the sudden movement, but then,
“Calm down.”
She heard Kael’s voice. Only then did she realize that she was in the Hero’s arms and… extremely close to his well-built chest…
And… the Hero also smelled good…
“Tell me what you see.”
Sarah was brought out of her reverie when Kael asked a question.
“W-Wait a minute.”
She stuttered as she quickly connected with Eye, and suddenly, her expression changed.
“I-its direction changed…”
“…”
Kael didn’t say anything. He continued to run.
“Is it still changing?”
He questioned.
“Y-Yes.”
Sarah nodded, and Kael paused.
“What about now?”
He questioned, and Sarah’s tone changed…
“It’s… not changing anymore…”
The archer then opened her eyes. She knew what this meant.
With a worried look on her face, she stared at Kael, and,
“Hero Kae—”
“Sarah, listen to me.”
Before the archer could complete, Kael put her down.
“Hero Kael! If we all fight togeth—”
Sarah didn’t listen and continued, but,
“Sarah.”
Kael raised his voice.
Then, he looked right into the archer’s eyes and,
“I will be fine.”
He spoke in a convincing tone. Then, he passed down the orders,
“You are to take all the villagers through the Western Bridge, now.”
“But Her—”
“Sarah, that is an order.”
Kael spoke, his tone leaving no space for defiance.
“Y-Yes.”
Sarah bit her lip.
“Go back, now.
Use Echo to alert everyone and keep giving me updates on that Beast’s movements till you can, is that clear?”
“Yes…”
“And do not let Eye get close to me, it might attract the Beast’s attention and make it difficult for me.”
“I-I understand…”
Kael nodded, and then, he ran away and Sarah noticed the Monster’s direction changing again.
“Hero Kael!”
Sarah called out before Kael could leave her vision.
He turned around, and in a weak voice, Sarah muttered,
“Please return…”
Kael, however, just laughed out loud.
“Woman, I am not dying today.”