"Hm ...!" Lucy protested as she stretched her body, opened her eyes, and saw George., who was still busy stroking her hair gently beside her.

Assured by the sight of her father, she turns her eyes outward, trying to guess what was behind the blinds by judging the light that wanted to break in from there.

And Lucy guessed correctly, "The sun isn't even out yet ..."

"He'll be here soon, honey." George argued, "We wanted to leave when he came." And explained, "Plus, Lucy didn't want to look bad the first time Lucy entered their capital, right?"

After a bit of thought, Lucy nodded and got up from her supine position. This time, the girl sat lazily on the bed, watching her father turn his back on her as he changes trousers.

Of course, her father didn't take much time, only changing what his lower half was wearing because that was all that was covered in something.

Lucy kind of understood why her father didn't like wearing clothes, and she was jealous that his father could do it freely while she couldn't.

Lucy wants to be shirtless too ..., she protested in her heart. Wanted to that say out loud once again, considering her clothes were sometimes too hot for her. But after his father's stern words and pressure, Lucy knew full well saying it would only result in the same thing.

Hence the reason, "Lucy, c'mere." Why when her father called to change her clothes, "Hm!" Lucy could only nod and swallow her dislike of garments.

Her father showed her some fancy dresses from their big travel bag, "Which one do you want today, honey?" And asked. But to be honest, Lucy doesn't want to wear any of them.

She already felt stifled just by looking at them, let alone wearing them.

And George could see the dislike in his daughter's eyes.

Indeed, his daughter rarely said anything to George so that he could adjust his actions, attitudes, and speech so as not to overwhelm his only daughter.

However, for this kind of thing, George could too easily understand. He touched the back of his hand to the girl's forehead and felt the burn.

The temperature's up again, huh. George silently whispered as he forced a smile. He's yet again reminded that he had to find something that could stop this heat from snatching away his daughter.

After committing his goal to heart again, "How about a shower before changing clothes?" George changed their topic.

"But there aren't any baths here ..." Lucy replied immediately, interested in stopping the chewing sensation all over her body, but saw no solution.

"Papa saw a river nearby while walking around yesterday." George wiped out the worry, "It's in the direction of the capital we're headed for." Then again, "So?" Asked.

Lucy put her index finger to her lips, pressed her mouth, thinking, "Will Papa ...."

"Papa will block people from watching, of course." George stopped his only child's train of thought with a confident smile.

A smile that Lucy, who nodded, imitated. And so, they move.

He first picked up their large bag full of items for a nomadic life, then lifted his daughter into her favorite position, the front sling.

Lucy stayed there with George walking out after grabbing a few gold pieces from the gold pouch hanging behind his waist.

He placed the gold coins on the empty reception desk before exiting the inn, starting another journey to another capital with a slight stop at the river.

He then took one last look at his daughter, who was busy hugging him.

And he whispered, "Hang in there ...." To himself.

"It will be fine, Arion." Who knows how many times Arion whispered that to himself, "Just, hang in there." Hoping his heart would stop beating this fast.

The sun was already high in the sky, but Arion didn't care. He remained under them in front of his house, making sure all his gear was ready for war.

His wife did not do the same. That woman has been missing since the news that the Storm was heading to the capital this morning came.

Arion hopes that his wife is here so that the two of them can distract each other from this impending disaster. At the very least, Arion wanted to know what his wife was doing right now so he could lie to himself that it wasn't wrong to say yes to her request yesterday to join this war.

He hopes that his wife is training in elementary warfare or even running sports so she can get away from the massacre in front of the capital's walls later.

Anything that will give his wife, who until now has not yet forgiven Arion's or the state officials, more opportunities to survive, really.

Of course, Arion tried to argue with his wife a few times yesterday and even apologized. Yet, all she did was punching Arion, and Arion never wanted to get beaten by her.

Not only because he didn't want to fight her, but also because almost everyone in town knew that fist fighting with the previous great general's daughter was a big mistake.

His wife had a tendency towards violence, and Arion had to admit he didn't really want that tendency directed at him. Just like how Arion had to admit he didn't want to see the young girl he had just seen pass him by.

The girl was dressed in luxurious and expensive clothes that Arion always thought was a waste of money. Like a princess, the young girl walked gracefully past them, ignoring their fearful eyes, for everyone knows what calamity the girl had brought with her.

"The Calm before the Storm ...." Arion repeated an old adage, "The Devil before the Tower ..." finished it while signaling for a soldier to go running and report to the palace.

The beautiful white princess wrapped in purple and red never came alone, after all.

A fact confirmed by another soldier who came in a hurry a moment after the young girl disappeared into an alley was clearly here to report on the young girl's charge.

He was out of breath as he points towards the west gate, trying to say something that he dares not do, "The Storm." So, Arion helped him

And the soldier nodded, allowing Arion to quickly prepare himself with the soldier's help.

He wore his full armor.

The bronze gleamed, trying to imitate gold; his silver weapon had a slightly shinier luster as if summoning the soldiers that were beginning to appear in Arion's eyes.

They walked with discipline, in full armor almost like Arion's one, distinguished only by the weapons divided between swords and spears.

They stopped in front of Arion, who then took the leader's position, starting their journey towards the end.

People hid in their homes, crying over their soon-to-be-dead father, son, or husband at the west gate to protect them all.

Arion, who failed to find his wife in time, could only hope the same. That he would die so that the love of his life would live to take their son home one day.

With such hopes, Arion and the majority of the capital's military force have passed through the western gate.

In front of them appeared their enemy. Alone with a bag almost as large as his sinister, muscular body hanging from his back.

The man's expression grew clearer the closer they moved, allowing everyone to see the cruel, arrogant smile etched on the giant's face.

They stopped some distance away from the man who did not move from his position. Their standard war strategy would always recommend that they build walls out of the shields.

However, everyone could see how futile it was from their enemies' hands, who were almost as big as their heads.

Maybe that was the reason there was silence there, the last calm before the Storm.

No, no, no! Arion shook his head, wiped the despair from his heart, then shouted an order.

"Brave warriors!" An order that was devoured by the voice of the enemy, "Come!" Challenging them.

Their armorless and weaponless opponent took one step forward, then used those legs to draw a line to the ground.

The opponent then took a few steps back, then lowered his head with a welcoming gesture.

Seeing that, everyone, including Arion, was confused. It took them a moment to process what their enemy was offering.

And when everyone became aware of what the enemy was offering, nothing changed. They all want to go home without facing the living legends in front of them, including Arion.

Even so, of course, there are still fools in the army. Arion thought, watching one of the soldiers he assumed to be young and inexperienced advancing. Like a hunting dog thirsty for blood, the soldier clearly wanted the fame he could not have.

Arion contemptuously smiled until his observant eyes caught a glimpse of blonde hair under the full armor's helmet.

Robin!? Arion shouted to himself just to calm down quickly because he realized that his son's body was not that tall, of course not .... He let out a sigh of relief, "Demeter!?" Before once again voiced his surprise.

Sure enough, the soldier turned around and threw a sharp gaze at Arion, who knew well that his wife was smiling cruelly under the helmet. She wanted to kill herself.

Shit, shit, shit! Arion grumbled to himself as he ran after his wife.

When Arion reached her, "What do you think you are doing, Ether!?" He grabbed his wife's shoulder and asked.

"Ion. Honey." His wife responded calmly, "That's my question." Continuing proudly, "Look."

"What ..." Arion looked around, "... do you mean ..." Then he lost his voice.

He was right behind the line their enemy had set, and the opponent was in front of the two of them, smiling so warm it's as if the three of them were good friends.

The man was towering over both of them with some muscles that are bigger than Arion's entire torso and fists bigger than Arion's head that is too busy wondering how his opponent survived that many fatal wounds signaled by his scars.

Yet, before he got an answer, "My name is George." His opponent broke the silence, "George Mayn." And introduce himself, "How about you?" While offering a hand.

The wife casually shook the monster's hand, "Demeter." Having lost her mind because of Arion's actions, who evicted their son yesterday.

Realizing that he was being looked at with expectation by the two people who had shaken hands, "A ... Arion." He joined and grabbed the man's big hand.

Nodding, their opponent pulled his hand back, "Can we start now?" And asked.

Something his wife answered quickly with a nod before she jumped to the side.

Arion mimicked it, avoiding the giant's hand, which fell rapidly downward, destroying the place they had been standing on.

Seeing the opportunity, Demeter pushed her sword forward, stabbing her opponent's upper arm, but it's not enough. The man's skin was thick, just like the stories told, and Demeter expected as much.

She pulled her sword back, having managed to get the giant's attention, Demeter using her petite body and dexterously move faster than the man's attack.

The two of them danced, letting Arion watch on the side in surprise without actually attacking.

But then, "A fly, eh." The giant's whisper forced Arion to move, wanting to stop whatever the giant was trying to do to Demeter: Arion moved forward and started slashing, occupying the giant.

Unfortunately, his sword was quickly caught. The man's movements became faster than before, shocking the disbelieved Demeter but already within Arion's prediction.

He knew that his opponent liked to play with his prey, and this was one of that disgusting play: holding Arion's sword hostage.

Having no other choice, Arion began trying to pull his sword away.

But no matter how many times he pulls, the blade wouldn't budge.

Seeing that, "That's it?" The giant mocked him.

Arion increased his strength, trying harder. Still, nothing changed except for one: the giant strengthened his grip, allowing Arion to draw his sword now blind sword.

He was thrown to the ground under his own strength, staring at his broken sword and the giant's palm, which was wide open and bleeding with the fragments of his sword stuck there.

His wife, who yet again saw the opportunity, tried to cut the giant's neck. Yet, all the sword succeeded in doing was getting the giant's attention.

Arion shouted, "Wait!" Trying to divert their enemy's attention from his wife, who was unmoved.

His feet moved swiftly, his hands threw the useless sword to the ground, he used all his strength to hold back the giant, but with a bit of force, the giant threw him away.

Then, there was no longer any distance between the giant and his wife. Arion wanted to avert his eyes, knowing full well what the giant will do to his opponent when he got that close.

However, "Lucy?" Instead of doing what Arion had already seen, the giant looked away, saying a name Arion didn't recognize.

George could feel it. Something was wrong with his only child.

"Lucy!" He shouted as loud as he could as he ran to the place where his daughter was supposed to be.

She was at one of the most expensive restaurants in the capital, where now Robin is letting a young girl lying on his thigh.