The hearth inside Lio's run-down home crackled faintly, its modest warmth doing little against the drafty boards and chipped stone, yet it glowed with something brighter, laughter. Selena sat cross-legged beside Lia and Lana, the two young girls animatedly chattering away, giggling as they combed through her long hair with stubby fingers. Red leaned silently against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching the scene unfold in his usual quiet composure.
Lia: It's really soft, like cloud fluff!
Lia giggled, running her fingers through a strand of Selena's hair.
Lana: Do adventurers have to brush their hair every day?
Lana asked curiously, eyes wide and filled with admiration.
Selena sniffled between soft chuckles, wiping away tears with the sleeve of her robe.
Selena: Only if they want it to stay silky like this,
she said, forcing a cheerful smile through the swirl of emotion overwhelming her. Her heart still ached from what she'd just witnessed outside, the way those two little girls had embraced their brother, joyful and relieved that he had come home safely. She hadn't expected such raw, human warmth in the shadows of the adventurer's world.
Lio, now setting down the last of the food bundles he'd lugged back, finally slumped into a wobbly wooden chair and exhaled heavily.
Lio: Sorry for the mess,
he muttered, brushing a hand through his unkempt hair.
Lio: It's not much, but… it's home.
Red gave a slow nod.
Red: It's enough.
Selena glanced around. The walls were patched with mismatched boards and cloth, and most of the furniture looked salvaged or handmade. But despite its condition, the house felt warm. Lived in. Loved.
Lio clasped his hands in his lap, his expression sobering as he looked at both Red and Selena.
Lio: You probably guessed by now… about my situation.
Lio: My parents were adventurers, good ones. Brave. They used to tell me bedtime stories about their quests. Mom was a Spearwoman, and Dad a Swordsman.
He paused, glancing at the weathered armor propped against a chair, the dented helmet resting on the table beside it.
Lio: They were killed during a joint mission against an orc warband two winters ago. The guild told me they died protecting the others. Heroic, they said.
He gave a bitter smile.
Lio: But heroism doesn't pay for food."
Selena gasped quietly, covering her mouth with one hand.
Selena: Lio…
Lio: After they died, I took care of Lia and Lana. I was just barely old enough to register at the guild, so I borrowed Dad's gear and started taking small quests. Gathering mushrooms, culling slimes, whatever I could get without a party. It wasn't enough, but I kept at it.
Red shifted forward from the wall and sat down across from Lio.
Red: Why didn't you say something back at the guild?
Lio looked away, his jaw tight.
Lio: Because… people don't care. They see a freckled, desperate kid in oversized armor and they just laugh. Or they pity you and walk away. I didn't want pity. I wanted a chance.
Red: You've got one now
Lio looked up sharply.
Lio: Huh?
Red: Join our temporary party. Train under us. Learn what it means to really survive out there—not just for you, but for them too.
He gestured with a glance toward the girls.
Red: And get rid of that junk armor. You'll need gear that fits if you're going to stay alive.
Lio blinked. His mouth opened, then closed again. He stared at Red as if the words were some sort of illusion.
Lio: Are you… serious? he asked, voice cracking.
Red stood and offered a hand.
Red: Let's go see Oki.
Selena smiled through teary eyes.
Selena: You're lucky, Lio. You just got recruited by the most terrifying mentor in the guild.
Lio hesitated for only a heartbeat before dropping to his knees, hands pressed to the wooden floor.
Lio: Thank you! I'll train hard, I won't let you down!
Red simply turned and opened the door, not even glancing back.
Red: Then let's get to work.
—
Silverhaven's late afternoon sun cast golden hues across cobblestone streets as Red led Lio and Selena to a squat stone building with a giant anvil sign hanging out front. Oki's Weapon and Armor Forge glowed with orange light from the inside, thick smoke billowing from its chimney.
Red pushed open the heavy oak door and gestured for them to enter.
Oki, the broad-shouldered dwarf with soot-streaked arms and a braided beard, stood behind the counter polishing a blade that shimmered with a faint green hue.
Dwarf Oki: Red, ye shadow-lurking bastard, You come to break more gear, or just pick up your boots?
Red: Neither,
Red said, motioning toward Lio.
Red: He needs equipment. Something light but sturdy. His current set's a death trap.
Oki peered over the counter, sizing Lio up.
Dwarf Oki: Hmph. Freckles. Skinny. And wearing armor two sizes too big for his ghost.
Lio: It was my father's…
Oki's expression softened.
Dwarf Oki: Aye, that's noble, lad. But noble doesn't keep yer guts inside when a goblin spear finds your ribs. Let's fit you proper."
Selena watched as Oki ushered Lio toward the forge's armory section, where suits of light steel, boiled leather, and chainmail hung like silent sentinels. The dwarf muttered to himself as he examined Lio's frame, occasionally grabbing pieces and holding them up against him.
Dwarf Oki: Hmm… no, too heavy. That one's for a berserker… aha! Here. Try this on."
By the end of it, Lio was dressed in a fitted leather cuirass reinforced with steel plating along the shoulders and chest. Matching bracers and greaves completed the set. A new scabbard hung at his hip, carrying a slender longsword with an etched crossguard and a grip bound in black leather.
Lio: I… I look like a real adventurer
Dwarf Oki: You're startin' to, Now pay up or work it off in blood.
Red tossed a small pouch of coins on the counter.
Red: On me.
Lio looked like he was about to cry again.
Lio: Thank you… I… I don't know what to say.
Red: Don't say anything, Just survive."
As they stepped out of the shop, the golden light of the setting sun framed them like heroes from a legend, Red leading the way, silent and formidable; Selena beside him, hopeful and smiling; and Lio, now clad in gear that reflected not only his new path but the strength he'd carried all along.
The road ahead was long. But for the first time in a while, none of them were walking it alone.