- Erden Wall -

“Vigril! Is it true!? My men say that that man found a child outside the wall.”

The intelligent-looking young man from earlier was walking along a brick path with a tall old man.

The old man had a receding hairline half-full of greying blonde hair and his face was almost fully covered with a scruffy beard, the visible parts were filled with wrinkles. His eyes, icy blue, still looked sharp despite his age. This was Sacha Vinney, the head of the Vinney House.

“Yes, grandfather. Father said he found the girl as they were heading back from their inspection.” The intelligent-looking young man answered.

“How was her condition when that man found her? Was she injured by any beast?” Sacha asked. He showed a genuine look of concern on his face as he couldn't imagine what a human child would be doing outside the wall of Erden.

“Father found her lying down in the middle of the forest with no visible injuries.” The intelligent-looking young man stated. ”He asked me to call you for a discussion as the girl's situation seems to have something to do with—“ He stopped in the middle of his sentence.

He noticed that his grandfather wasn't listening and that he had already entered his 'doting grandparent' state.

“Poor child must've been too scared to move. How long must she have been out there? Where are her parents? Did she have anything to eat? Ah!” Sacha started to ramble.

His legs emitted a soft hue of green as the wind gathered around his feet and he suddenly began to sprint towards the mess hall.

The intelligent-looking young man was left alone rubbing the middle of his forehead with his fingers before following along to accompany his grandfather.

- Erden Wall Mess Hall -

“Urgh... It's all beast meat. Would a child find this appetizing?” The unruly-looking young man from earlier was at the mess hall looking at the food displayed for the soldiers training out in the yard. He was currently in a dilemma, as he was having a hard time picking out food that a child might find palatable.

The food on display was mostly meat from the mana beasts they hunted outside the wall. Along with vegetables from the nearby farms, they were nutritious enough for the soldier's diet, but because they had grown up in a forest filled with mana, the beast meat was slightly tougher than the meat from domestic animals they raised near the city.

Since the soldiers themselves were also in charge of cooking the meals, they didn't care much for taste and would usually just mix in all the ingredients inside a boiling pot. He was just about to decide on a random dish when a strong gust of wind blew in from the mess hall's entrance, drawing his attention.

“Wha--!? Why is he here?” The unruly-looking young man exclaimed.

He was startled as his grandfather entered the mess hall and rushed into the kitchen. A few seconds later, his older brother arrived at the entrance.

“Big bro, why is grandfather here?” He saw his eldest brother coming in after his grandfather and asked him a question.

“I called him just as Father had asked me to, but he suddenly ran towards here. He must be planning on cooking something to bring to the young miss before we go back to Father's office.” His elder brother answered.

“Oh yeah, he knew how to cook.” He said. “That solves one problem then.”

The elder brother was curious about his words, but soon understood what he meant after taking a glance at the food displayed on the mess hall counter.

“He used to cook for us whenever he visited our house back when we were younger. The maid would always put on this look like her job had been stolen.” The elder brother joked.

He had recounted a memory from a few years ago, back when they still lived in the city with their mother.

“That was back when we were cute kids.“ The unruly young man chuckled. “Now, he totally treats us like our father since we take after him. I bet he'll still dote on our youngest though since he looks more like mother than father.”

The unruly-looking young man thought of their youngest sibling back in the city of Daerin. They were supposed to go back home for the Harvest Festival but had to go back on their word as the magic creature's activity outside the wall had become more ferocious. That was why their father had to lead an inspection of the forest, which then led to him finding a lost child.

Both of them took their seats at a table and continued their conversation while they patiently waited for their grandfather to finish cooking.

A while later, Sacha came out of the kitchen holding a carrier with two bowls of rice porridge, garnished with bits and pieces of meat and vegetables. A carefully thought out dish that would be easy to eat for a child. It was the best he could come up with given the ingredients available in the kitchen.

“Hey gramps, where's our food?” The unruly-looking young man was looking at the two bowls with drool dripping from his mouth. He knew that his grandfather had a hidden stash of seasonings somewhere in the kitchen that he usually used whenever he cooked his own meals.

“Tch.” Sacha clicked his tongue towards his own grandson and gestured his chin at the food on the counter. He then exited the mess hall and went on his way to the commander's office.

The elder brother had an expression showing that he was used to it, while the unruly-looking young man was pulling at his hair in frustration. They decided to come back to the mess hall to eat after their discussion and followed after their grandfather.

***

“Father, what you're saying is that..."

Back at the office, the four men were discussing about the red-haired young girl that was moved to the adjacent room to eat.

“That's what the Water Spirit said.” Their father nodded his head as he repeatedly shook his hand. “She was given a greater blessing, I experienced it for myself.”

“Then, do you think she might have more of those in the future? “ Furrowing his brows, the wrinkles on Sacha's forehead became more pronounced.

“Maybe a few more, but not as intense. The Water Spirit helped me take care of the first one.”

“Father, don't you think that it's similar to what mother wrote in her letter?” The unruly-looking young man asked.

A piece of paper was flapping around between his fingers. It was the letter that their father, the stern-looking man, had been reading earlier.

“I do have an idea about it but nothing concrete to back it up. For now, we should bring her to Daerin. The wall's not a good place to be when those beasts come knocking on the gate.” The stern-looking man replied.

“But where would she stay? Should we let my daughter take care of her?” Sacha was looking hesitant as he put out an honest suggestion.

“How do you think mother would react when she hears father wants her to take care of a child that he 'found' outside of the wall?” The unruly young man chuckled. He looked amused as he wondered how their mother would take to the discovery of a child bearing similarities to themselves.

“That's alright, give our mother something to busy herself with.” The elder brother added, a mischievous smile formed on his face.

Betraying his unchanging expression, there was a glint in the stern-looking man's eyes as he listened to his sons' opinions. He paused for a brief moment before acquiescing.

“Sacha would be the one to take her to Rivelle then since he is not of much use currently. “ He spoke, a subtle change in his tone was evident.

“Boy, watch your tone. It's been a while since I've seen my daughter, so I'll agree, not because you said so.” Clicking his tongue, their grandfather, Sacha, agreed to the request. He had actually been recently looking for valid reasons to visit his youngest grandson.

“Let the girl build up strength, then you can leave for the city after a few days.” The stern-looking man said.

He stood up and dismissed them as the matter had been settled. The three other people had left to go bother the little girl in the other room and he was left alone, pondering.

Gideon Loeth, rubbing his forehead with his hand, was wracking his brain on what to write in his letter to explain this situation to his wife.

- Erden Wall – Four Days Later -

"Say, Gideon boy... I've been thinking. How about taking little Celeste in as my adopted granddaughter?" Sacha suggested.

Gideon had a stern and unchanging face as he stared at the tall old man with a receding hairline. A subtle glint in his eyes expressed slight contempt.

The old man had suddenly entered his office with a huge smile on his face and started spouting nonsense.

Sacha continued to speak without waiting for Gideon to reply,

"Look, she's a child, she needs to be with people the same age as her. What about enrolling her in the academy?" He reasoned.

"And what does that have anything to do with adopting the little girl?"

"You know how the enrolment period for Daerin Academy ended a few days ago?” Sacha said. “The only way for her to get in is through a recommendation, and Vinney has a free slot."

"Didn't we all agree to just send her to Rivelle? Have you even consulted the child?" Gideon replied.

"She doesn't speak much, but it'll probably be okay with her. As for leaving her with my daughter...”Sacha's facial expressions alternated between disapproval and affection. “As much as I'd like to drive a wedge between you and her, I don't want to involve little Celeste. So I spoke with her about staying at the main house for a while before letting her stay with Rivelle."

The last few days, Gideon and his two sons had been taking turns teaching Celeste how to perform mana circulation. At almost every occasion, Sacha would visit with a bowl of food for Celeste, trying to earn her trust.

He must have been aiming for this, thought Gideon. "Then what about your duties with your squad?" He asked.

"You said it yourself, I'm not of much use currently.“ Sacha was scratching his nose with his right hand as he spoke with a slurred speech. “So... Why don't I take a leave of absence until the next dispatch?"

Gideon thought for a moment. Seeing that he had not much reason to disagree, Gideon filed the papers for Sacha Vinney's temporary leave of absence and gave him permission to return to Daerin.

***