“You know, your dad is a badass! He even killed a dragon one time!” Chianti waved her fork in the air as she talked in an animated fashion.

Solera blinked in surprise. Vinoh had bragged about killing a dragon numerous times, but he had never believed it. How could a cripple like him possibly have done such a thing?

“That’s cool.” Solera said, shyly looking at Chianti. His gaze was fixed onto her scar, which moved as she chatted.

“You don’t say!” Chianti guffawed. “I wonder how it is, getting trained by someone like your father for so long. I only ever got pointers from him, but those pointers saved my life a bunch of times already.”

“You fought?” Solera asked curiously. Then, he blushed. Of course she fought. Where else would that scar come from? “I mean, where did you fight?”

Chianti leaned back in her chair, putting both her feet on the table. “Uh… I think when I joined Reginald’s Bright Star mercenaries, we were fighting for Camelot against the Bloodsand Dominion. You should see their capital city, it’s amazing! After that, we started moving east. Ran guard duty for Pantheon merchants moving around Threeclaw Mountain and Spirit Woods for a while. Then, we fought for the Opportunity Kingdom against the Pantheon. Halfway through the campaign, we went over to Zircon, which wanted to protect its zircon mines from a sudden attack by the Chen clan. I heard the zircon mines are quite pretty, but I still never got to see them. After that, we helped the Chen clan attack Opportunity. Then, we fought for Sundan against the Pantheon. There’s more, but I’m sure you’ll get bored by it.”

“Wow…” Solera felt this was an impressive array of battles. “You guarded the Pantheon, then fought against them, then attacked the kingdom you were working for, then went back to fighting the Pantheon?”

“Geopolitics is some complicated bullshit, kiddo.” Chianti looked amused. “We’ve fought for everyone and against everyone, as long as we got paid. None of them knew our mercenary troop was actually led by the prince of Eden until a little while ago!”

Chianti was about to say some more, but she stopped when a diminutive woman strode into the town hall, ten children trailing behind her. This woman looked to be in her early thirties, with short green hair that resembled grass and unnerving yellow eyes.

But this appearance was very deceiving! This was the Grove Tender, a descended spirit from Sky who had lived for over two thousand years! The world had only existed for seven thousand years - to have lived through two thousand of them was a feat perhaps not more than a hundred people in history could have managed.

The Grove Tender, as her name suggested, led the Grove. She took care of the day-to-day matters and decided which crops to grow every season; if Solera had not known who she was, he never would’ve expected the tender, fragile-looking woman to be someone with a cultivation that reached immortality.

Reginald had been talking with Vinoh this entire time, but now he rose, nodding to her.

“Grove Tender. Along with Teri, who is eight hundred years your junior, you two are the pillars of our Garden.” Reginald raised a wooden cup to her, smiling. Though he did so in a polite smile, Solera found the smile to be cold and emotionless.

The Grove Tender bowed. “Our foundation is the royal family, which carries the lineage of Gardner. Besides, Leera has been much more useful than me in the last six centuries, ever since she was born.”

Reginald sighed. “Leera is reaching the end of her longevity. Soon, she will ascend. You and Teri are the only ones left from the time of our Garden.”

The Grove Tender led the children to a table, seating them down. “Enough about the Garden, Reginald. You should stop dwelling on a past you’ve never witnessed. Here, these are the children you wanted.”

Solera only barely knew the children present. There was Pinot, who was excitedly whispering to another girl. The tall, lanky boy standing off to the side was Merlot, who had become a devout follower of the Halo Cult after witnessing a blessing occur during his travels with his father, the head merchant of the Grove. Solera knew a few other names, but Pinot and Merlot were the only two he had ever talked with.

Reginald smiled emotionlessly again. “Children, I know you’re all wondering why you are here today. Let me answer this question for you. You are all here because of your parents, each of whom are heroes of Eden!”

A hubbub emerged from the crowd of children, who all seemed shocked. Solera knew that Carignan, a short boy with brown hair covering his eyes, was an orphan. He had an extremely confused expression on his face.

“Each of your parents were warriors of great renown. Ten years ago, they journeyed to the northern continent, the ravaged homeland of our Garden, and retrieved this set of armor, Luster, for me! Some of your parents died on that trip. Others, crippled. Each and every single one of them will be forever remembered in history. I, Reginald, do not forget a favor!” Reginald said, some passion finally leaking into his voice.

“The Northern Continent? The Wastelands?” Merlot asked, his eyes round. Solera could understand his confusion. The northern continent was an area infested with Spirits, irradiated with miasma, with only the barest of plant and animal life! Two thousand years ago, a great calamity had occurred, causing the utter destruction of the entire continent, which had been united under a single flourishing empire.

“Not the Wastelands. Our homeland!” Reginald’s voice boomed out. “Today, I have come to start repaying that favor. You talented children will be taken to Fortress Hickory to be trained by the finest minds in all of Eden!”

He sat back down, waving his hands. Some imps flew in, carrying platters of food to serve to the children. Solera turned his gaze away from Reginald, who had begun talking again with Vinoh, to look at Chianti.

“The boss is sooo cheesy.” Chianti smirked, haphazardly twirling the last of her spaghetti into a ball before slurping it up. “But Fortress Hickory is a nice place. I think out of all the places I’ve been to, only Excalibur was more badass.”

Solera had heard about Fortress Hickory. It lay a hundred kilometers away from Eden’s eastern border with the United Duchies, nestled within Eden’s endless forests. In that forest, one tree dwarfed the rest with its size. This tree was no tree, but rather a fortress! Fortress Hickory was one of the four wonders of Eden, the other three being the Grove, the Bamboo Tower, and the capital city, Eden.

“That’s cool.” Solera said. He didn’t know what else to say.

“Yeah, everything’s cool with you.” Chianti laughed, getting up. “I gotta go now, buddy. Got some work to do tonight.”

After she left, Solera sat there, frustratedly thinking to himself. What else was he supposed to say?

The other kids were sitting at a faraway table, eagerly talking about their new lives at Fortress Hickory. Solera thought about joining them, but decided against it. He didn’t want to make a fool out of himself again.

Reginald stood up. “It was good to see all of you, but I must go.” Bright white wings sprouted from his back, causing the children to gasp in amazement.

The Grove Tender frowned. “You’re not going to stay the night? We prepared a bed for you.”

Reginald shook his head, motioning for the two white-armored men to follow him. “The earth may sleep, the plants may sleep, and men may sleep, but the sun can never rest.” He strode out of the room, taking off into the air with his two subordinates flanking him. He gave off a radiant light as he left, as if a small sun was rising into the sky. Even after he was gone, a hazy trail of what Solera thought looked like sunlight was left behind in his wake.

Yes, Reginald was definitely very cheesy.

The Grove Tender stood up, clapping her hands to get the attention of the children.

“Children, what’s in a name?” She sighed, her gaze flitting from one child to another. “Merlot. Carignan. Guinness. When each of you were born, you were given your names by me, with the assistance of a Name Codex passed down by the Ancients! Of the billions of people on our planet, your names are unique! Nobody else has your names. Your name will only appear on the Codex again when you have died!

This Name Codex is one special to the Grove! Your names signify your heritage of the Grove! From the moment each of you were born, when I bestowed a name upon you, it was destined that you would be from the Grove, of the Grove, with all its history and might behind you! It is in your blood to be great; it is in your names to do great.

Tomorrow, you will embark on a long journey away from home. The journey will be difficult and strenuous, but you must persevere! Even though you may want to give up, remember that loyalty is the most valuable virtue. You are all saplings from the Grove! Carry on the torch that bears our reputation. You are all given the tools and the privileges to become figures of great renown. From here, it is up to each and every one of you to to achieve greatness, keeping in mind your roots and the Grove’s honor!”