“Huff, C-can you… Slow down?! My legs are falling off!”

  Eri turned around. “You can just go back to the castle if you’re tired, you know?” he suggested awkwardly.

  “N-no! No way I’m losing to a twelve-year-old kid on a jog!” Bori wheezed. “I can keep going!”

  Jorrais sighed. The large man was drenched in sweat as well, his running shirt clinging to his muscular form, but he looked less winded than his companion. “Pace yourself. We still have a long way to go.”

  “Don’t look at me like that! I’m not the weird one here!” Bori complained between breaths. “Who the hell goes for a fifteen-kilometre jog with weights the first thing in the morning?! We haven’t even eaten breakfast yet!”

  “Eri, apparently,” Jorrais huffed. He turned to the boy. “Thanks for letting us join you, by the way. We needed the exercise after our recovery.”

  “No problem,” Eri mumbled shyly.

  A week had passed since the Port Violet incident. The three of them were currently running around the mountainous perimeter of Castle Elathion.

  Day had barely broken, but the dawnlight provided enough illumination for the clear paths. Eri had decided he was healed enough to resume his training routine, starting with weighted morning jogs on hilly terrain to hone his Athletics Skill.

  Jorrais had noticed him returning from his run the day before and asked to join in. Bori had as well, saying that a cool morning jog could be a nice way to unwind from the recent hecticness.

  Neither probably anticipated the hellish exercise Eri had set for himself.

  A fifteen-kilometre one-hour run, against inclined rocky terrain, barefoot and with half his body weight in iron strapped to his person. His magical Core was kept to minimum power as well, such that his body bore the full brunt of the burden alone.

  Jorrais had wisely opted out of the weights and missing footwear. Bori, on the other hand, had taken on the additional iron, confident that he could keep up with Eri thanks to his longer legs and more developed physique.

  In the end, the jog took half an hour longer to complete as Eri slowed down for them, and Joarris had to carry Bori’s iron for the last four kilometres before the Swordfighter collapsed.

  “How… how are you still alive?” Bori coughed, gagging from exertion as Jorrais patted his back. “There’s no way you train yourself like this every day! You’re not human!”

  “You already said that before,” Eri pointed out.

  “I was joking before! But now I'm certain you’re not human! Urgh, I’m going to throw up…”

  Eri privately wondered if he should continue his routine or stop for the morning. He wasn’t sure if the pair would survive the rest.

  “Your physical conditioning is remarkable. I feel rather inadequate now,” Joarris chuckled. “Perhaps it is to be expected. The stamina you displayed during our battle at the Port was quite something.”

  “You shouldn’t compare yourself to my standards. I cheat a lot,” Eri offered, feeling oddly guilty. The System’s boons gave him absurd vigour and endurance, far beyond even what regular Chosens enjoyed.

  “Well, teach me how to cheat too, dammnit,” Bori cursed weakly. “I can’t believe a kid almost half my age managed to beat me at fitness…”

  Bori and Joarris were not weak by any measure. That they managed to keep up with Eri at all was already commendable. For all Bori complained, he still almost completed the entire run with the weights strapped on. Meanwhile, Joarris only looked mildly tired even after the gruelling jog on the inclined paths.

  For Eri, however, the run was merely a warm-up to his morning training routine. It was the same training routine he used almost every day, unless he was injured or otherwise occupied.

  “We still have weights and wall climbing to finish up,” Eri sheepishly said. “Do you guys want to join in, or…”

  Bori groaned loudly. Joarris’s expression turned curious. “There’s more?”

  “I mean, you don’t have to—” Eri tried.

  “No! Screw that!” Bori snapped. “I’m not letting a kid show me up anymore! C’mon, bring it on! I’ll prove I’m man enough to keep up with you!”

  Eri looked to Joarris, who shrugged.

  Well, if they insist…

  ~~~

  A few hours later, Joarris dumped an unconscious Bori onto a hay bale and poured snow water over him.

  “He actually lasted way longer than I thought he would,” Eri noted. “Is he going to be okay?”

  “For all his bluster, Bori’s a fine fighter and as tough as they come. I wouldn’t have added him to my party if he were all talk,” Joarris said. “I’m more concerned about you.”

  “Me? I’m not tired. Not more so than usual after my training, anyway.”

  “That’s what I’m talking about,” Joarris half-laughed, half-sighed. “Even I gave up keeping up with you halfway, and I’m still exhausted. I’m practically twice your height and muscle mass, but somehow you were faster, stronger, and more enduring than I was at every turn. What compels you to train like this? It’s madness. Even the Spartans of the Red Isles would be impressed by your training regime.”

  Eri grimaced. “I’m used to it, I guess. I’ve been doing this for years.”

  “The results show. Though, as Bori said, I am slightly surprised you are not dead. More secret abilities?”

  Eri looked away. “Something like that. I… I haven’t thanked you. For keeping my powers hidden from Lord Draevan. And for convincing your party to do the same as well.”

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Battlefield conditions muddy memories and give rise to false testimonies all the time,” Joarris replied casually. “Who knows what we really saw in there? Do not worry too much. Our words do not hold as much worth as you think. Whatever happened in there with the King Hydras is not my party’s business to speak of. Despite what our behaviour might suggest, we know how to keep our mouths shut.”

  “Even Alvine?” Eri hesitantly asked. “I know she doesn’t… like me.”

  “She has a bad history with demons. It doesn’t make up for the stress she has caused you, but I hope it makes her ire more understandable,” Jorrais explained. “Nonetheless, you need not worry about her. You have saved our lives, blew up a Hellgate, and slew an Archon. That’s far more than what most Chosens would ever accomplish in their entire life, and that earns her respect. Or her silence, at least.”

  “Is that why the others are choosing to keep my secret as well?” Eri asked curiously.

  “Well, that, and also because your matron visited us a few nights ago and gave a very convincing argument why we shouldn’t go around spreading ‘false rumours’ of her ward,” Joarris admitted. The man chuckled when Eri groaned. “You have a very protective guardian, you know that? Scary as hell, too.”

  “Sorry about that.”

  “Think nothing of it. If anything, I’m glad to see you have someone else looking after you and your secrets.”

  Joarris’s party of five were currently staying at Castle Elathion to recover from their wounds and finish up House negotiations. Eri understood there were repercussions to Joarris’s band sneaking into Port Violet under the orders of House Dervaine — thereby resulting in several heated meetings between the young noble and the House head in regards to reparations or future concessions — but such matters of noble intrigue were beyond his concerns, so Eri left it well alone.

  “You might be interested to know that Lord Draevan will be visiting my father at Castle Dervaine in a few days,” Joarris commented idly, piquing Eri’s attention. “It appears this debacle will result in our two Houses forming lasting relations rather than enmity.”

  “You managed to convince Lord Draevan to sell your family the Ruby Core, then?” Eri asked, amazed. “How in the world did you pull that off?”

  Joarris nodded, a grim smile on his face. “House Elathion needs gold, and mine needs clout. It was a simple enough trade.”

  Eri frowned. “It can’t be that simple.”

  He was dim when it came to noble intrigue, but even Eri knew a Ruby Core wasn’t a thing to be traded lightly.

  “House Elathion would have to make some compromises,” Joarris admitted. “The detonation of the port is now seen as an extremely favourable outcome by both Church and Empire officials, since the Hellgate was miraculously sealed off in the process and no one was killed.”

  Joarris’s expression turned uncomfortable as he continued. “My father has ordered me to secure the heroic deed as my own, for there is much reputation to be earned in the matter that could be beneficial to House Dervaine. In exchange, he will purchase the Ruby Core from House Elathion and expedite the recovery of their House.”

  In essence, House Elathion would obtain the gold it desperately needed instantly, without having to wait months or years to secure a buyer. Meanwhile, House Dervaine would get itself a precious Ruby Hellgate Core, as well as a significant reputation boost for taking down the Violet Maw’s Hellgate that had plagued Kaldreach for so long.

  That Joarris was able to secure such a favourable deal for his House under such circumstances — and against someone experienced like Lord Draeven as well — spoke greatly to the young noble’s skill at intrigue.

  “Ironic that you trespassed on House Elathion’s property, blew up their port, and now they’ll have to somehow thank you publicly for it,” Bori grumbled, apparently awake and listening the entire time. “Not only that, but you managed to snag a Ruby Core for your House in the process. I swear that silver tongue of yours could sell sand to a desert dweller.”

  “I’m just happy the Empire agents and Church inquisitors will be leaving soon,” Eri muttered. “Having them around was nerve-racking.”

  “Well, you did cause the largest explosion this side of the continent since the first Crusade. I think that warrants some investigation from the officials,” Bori sardonically pointed out. “Just count your stars that Raharim didn’t go yapping to the Church that you were a Saint reborn, or Alvine to the Empire that you were the Fifth Demon King’s son or something.”

  Eri frowned. “Don’t be silly. Demons can’t have children.”

  “That’s just the thing a Demon Lord’s son would say,” Bori retorted. “I’m watching you!”

  “If you’re good enough to sprout nonsense, you’re good enough to walk,” Joarris grunted, kicking the prone Bori slightly. “C’mon, let’s wash up. We stink.”

  ~~~

  “Come on! Just a hint! I promise I won’t tell anyone!”

  “For the last time, Julie, no!”

  Eri put aside a fresh batch of cookies from the stove, slapping Julie’s hand aside as she tried to snatch one.

  “I’m not asking you to tell me all your abilities, but you can’t blame me for being curious!” the dexterous archer complained as she nimbly tried stealing a cookie again. “You’re good at everything! Fighting, crafting, cooking… You can make bombs, pull everything out of your pockets, and have crazy magic powers as well! Raharim’s been going through the history of every Saint recorded over the last five thousand years, trying to figure out your secret identity.”

  “I’m not a reborn Saint,” Eri grumbled, finally giving up and letting Julie snatch a cookie. The woman bit into the sugary treat and moaned.

  “So good~ What I won’t do to have you cooking for me every day,” she sighed happily. “I'd better snatch you now while I can. You’re going to have girls pawing over you when you grow up.”

  “I already have enough problems with the women in my life… Hey! Don’t take all of it! I need to give them to Elen!”

  “Oh? The matron is still mad at you? I thought she would have forgiven you by now. What happened between you two?”

  Eri looked away. “It’s complicated. Enough about me. How’s your problem with Alvine going?”

  “Urgh, don’t remind me,” Julie complained. “It’s complicated, too. I bet mine’s worse than yours!”

  Eri thought back to the demon dragon in his pocket and Elen’s understandable hatred of it.

  “I doubt that,” he said. “What’s so difficult about you two, anyway? I think you’ll be great together.”

  “Hah! Good one. There are so many issues I don’t even know where to begin!” Julie ranted. “First off, I didn’t even know she liked me that way the whole time, so it’s awkward staying in the same room alone with her now. Plus, she’s a snobbish noble, while I’m a proud peasant. And most important of all, we’re both girls!”

  Eri looked at her strangely. “Is that last one really a big deal?”

  “Well, it’s mostly tied to the first two problems,” Julie admitted. “She’s a noble, so there are certain expectations for her to bear a child. Can’t do that with a girl, because, umm… How old are you again? Did you have the ‘talk’ yet?”

  Eri sighed. “Penis goes into hole. I know what sex is.”

  “Huh. Blunt, but oddly fitting way to put it.” Julie nodded approvingly. “As for the first part, well… I used to sleep naked when we were in the same room away from the boys. Old habits, I guess. Can’t do that anymore, cause it either turns her on or makes her uncomfortable, and that pisses me off!”

  “W-why would you even do that? It’s cold at night!”

  “It builds character! Anyway, now things are all awkward because Alvine tries to play off her confession as a joke, but everyone in the group knows it's not a joke, and now every time I’m alone with her, I catch her giving me this longing look, and it makes me feel bad!”

  “Have you tried… talking to her about this?” Eri offered.

  “It’s not that simple.”

  “I feel like you’re making it a lot more complicated than it needs to be…”

  Julie snorted, snatching another cookie. “Well then, Casanova, why haven’t you talked to that Elathion Heiress who’s been giving you crazy eyes the whole time?”

  “Well, that’s—! It’s not… that simple…” Eri weakly trailed off.

  Julie patted his head. “There ya go. Relationships sucks. Especially when it’s people who have feelings you don’t reciprocate. Now, for imparting to you this piece of wisdom, I demand more cookies.”

  Eri sighed. “I’ll make another batch.”