Not long after, inside the inn in the slums.
After their long-awaited reunion with Jin, Will and Lisa, overjoyed, immediately invited him to the inn where they were staying. They found a table in the tavern on the first floor and began discussing all that had transpired during their time apart.
"How did you two end up here, and why are you being hunted?" Jin asked, taking a large gulp of his drink.
"Well, the story is a bit long," Will said, at a loss for words.
"Simply put, I was initially looking for the Demonstone, but got caught up in a series of events from Will's country. So now, I'm here to assist him with some matters concerning his country," Lisa explained helplessly to Jin.
"Hmm, sounds quite interesting," Jin said with a hint of intrigue, taking another sip of his beer.
"By the way, Jin, what brings you here?" Will asked.
"You saw it for yourself. Pix is here, unharmed, except for the loss of his right hand," Jin suddenly grew serious, standing up and leaning towards Will and Lisa, speaking in a low voice.
Will and Lisa exchanged a glance, sensing the oddity of the situation. Pix, who they thought had been captured, was now unexpectedly here and seemingly thriving.
"Indeed, I also find it strange. Wasn't Pix taken by the bounty hunters you called?" Will inquired.
"That's right. At first, I thought everything was settled once Captain Murphy took Pix away," Jin said, sitting back down and sipping his beer.
"After we parted ways, I made my way toward Arus. But on the third day, when I passed the snow-capped mountains here, I found the bounty hunters ambushed and lying dead by the roadside," Jin said urgently.
"Later, I discovered Captain Murphy among them, barely alive. He told me they were attacked by a group of people, and Pix was taken by them."
"So, what about Captain Murphy?" Will asked.
"He's fine. I managed to give him some hemostatic medicine in time. He's resting in a very safe place now," Jin replied with a wry smile.
"So, it sounds like Pix's accomplices are somewhere in Arus?" Will said.
"That's right. No wonder when Pix was taken, he said his master would come for him. At the time, I thought it was just a joke," Jin said seriously.
At this, the three of them fell into a contemplative silence, unsure of what to say next.
"Alright, tell me your specific purpose for being here," Jin suddenly spoke after a moment of silence.
Will looked around, and after confirming that no one was paying attention, he stood up and leaned closer to Jin's ear, speaking softly: "Arus is now under the control of the UN's mages. We've come here to resist them."
"What? Just the two of you?" Jin said, his tone incredulous.
"Of course not. We have an ally," Will sat back down.
"Is he strong?" Jin asked.
"He should be very capable. His movements are swift, almost like yours," Will said confidently.
"Really?" Jin asked, intrigued, then took another long gulp from his mug.
Just then, General Lei, who had been worried about Will and Lisa, rushed down the stairs from the second-floor room. His pace was hurried, clearly anxious. Will, seated at the table opposite the stairs, stood up, and since he could not yet address General Lei by name, he waved his hand repeatedly, trying to catch his attention. When General Lei saw that Will and Lisa were safe, he sighed in relief. His stern expression softened slightly, and he walked over to them.
"Our ally has arrived. Let me introduce him to you," Will said with a smile, addressing Jin, who was still drinking his beer. By then, General Lei had reached their table.
"General Lei, this is my and Lisa's friend, Jin. Jin, this is our ally, General Lei of Arus," Will said excitedly, standing up and whispering the introductions.
"You..." General Lei stared at Jin in surprise. At that moment, Jin also looked at General Lei with a fearful expression.
"Brother… brother?" Jin set down his mug and stammered.
"Brother?" Will and Lisa both exclaimed in shock.
...
A little later, in the second-floor room of the slum inn.
"So, you chose to leave your brother's army and leave home because you didn't want to stay?" Will asked, confused.
"Ah, yes, that's exactly it," Jin said, looking disgruntled at the others in the room.
Hearing this, Will and Lisa both burst out laughing uncontrollably. Meanwhile, Jin stood in the corner of the room, avoiding General Lei's gaze, and staring at the walls around him.
"But you're called Jin, and he's General Lei. How can you be brothers?" Will asked, wiping away tears from his laughter.
"I'll answer that," General Lei suddenly said with a serious expression.
"In Arus, there's a tradition where every family member has their own first name, but the family name must be the same. Our family's surname is 'Raging Stream,' so my full name is Lei Raging Stream, and my brother's name is Jin Raging Stream."
"Raging Stream... that's a name I haven't heard in a long time," Jin leaned against the wall, gazing up at the ceiling, his eyes unfocused. He sighed in resignation.
"Jin, you could've become the youngest general of the Raging Stream family after I stepped down. But instead, you left a letter and vanished without a word," General Lei's gaze burned fiercely as he fixed his eyes on Jin.
"I've told you, don't pressure me with that pointless family honor. I won't accept it," Jin said, no longer avoiding his brother's gaze. Their eyes locked with unwavering determination. It was at this moment that Will realized just how similar they were in character. They were indeed brothers.
"What? Pointless family honor? Do you have any idea how many people are eager to see the Raging Stream family's disgrace? The youngest heir to the family suddenly disappears because he didn't want to become a general of Arus," General Lei raised his voice, shaking the very walls of the dilapidated room.
"Have you kept up with your training?" General Lei suddenly asked Jin.
"Occasionally," Jin replied dismissively.
"Fine. Let me see what kind of strength you have now. I'll test if you've been doing better outside the family than inside," General Lei said, unsheathing his sword and assuming a combat stance.
"Come on," Jin said, not willing to back down. Determined to prove himself, he threw off his cloak and took his own fighting stance.
After a few seconds of silence, both men suddenly vanished like a gust of wind with a sharp whoosh.
"Did… did they disappear?" Will asked, astonished.