While Rygar continued forward through the streets of the imposing fortress-city of Tinaver, Kilian and Pursena split off from the group, each heading to a different quarter of the city with the aim of warning the others of their arrival.
Lerov, for his part, also took his leave shortly thereafter, leaving only Rygar and Verdia walking side by side along the fortress streets.
The road leading to the military center was wide and dotted with many warriors, but as they passed through the gates of the central wing, the shouts and ovations all but ceased.
Every warrior, regardless of race, who saw Rygar and Verdia pass stopped whatever they were doing and bowed in respect.
The atmosphere was more serious, although excitement and admiration were still clearly visible in the warriors' eyes—they were simply more restrained.
All eyes followed every movement of the Beast God. Verdia, with her serene countenance, kept pace beside him, and the two conversed quietly.
"Rufus learned the Colossus Fortress at eight years old?" asked Rygar, still looking ahead, his surprise apparent.
The elf smiled and confirmed.
"You'd be amazed at how quickly he picked it up! I think, if it's just Earth Magic, his talent is almost on par with yours… or very close to it. Besides, he has an impressive mana reserve."
Rygar nodded, lost in thought. Among the apprentices he had trained when they were still children, two had stood out for their special magical talent: Lisena and Rufus.
Of course, this was exclusively about magic talent; Kilian and Taes, for example, were excellent swordsmen, on top of being able to use Chantless Magic.
Lisena had followed almost exclusively the path of magic, struggling to learn to control her touki.
Still, she was a brilliant mage, especially proficient in Ice Magic.
Rufus, on the other hand, although he also delved deeply into magic, had no trouble with touki, and therefore trained the North God Style as his combat foundation.
But his true focus was Earth Magic, where his talent truly flourished.
"In any case, that's great," Rygar commented. "But it's a shame Rufus got involved in the war so young…"
Verdia sighed, her smile slowly fading.
"Yes… Those are the inevitable sides of war. Children born amidst conflict… innocents who lose their lives for no reason."
She looked at Rygar, her eyes showing an understanding that could only come through experience.
"It's awful, but… peace isn't always a choice. I'm sure you know that. Caring about every life lost on the battlefield would drive anyone crazy."
Rygar kept his gaze fixed ahead and answered in a low but firm voice:
"I know. Still… I'd rather end this war as soon as possible. I don't want my sister to grow up and have to get involved in this battle because I wasn't strong enough to end it."
He surveyed the surroundings of the fortress with a dark, determined expression.
"It's enough that all the friends and apprentices are fighting now. I want to crush Milis in a year at most."
Verdia followed his gaze and stared at the operations base ahead of them. Her expression turned concerned.
"Pope Lucios has the power to see the future, Rygar. You must know that a large-scale attack would make you vulnerable to an ambush, just as we fell into one…"
Rygar did not respond immediately. He walked in silence for a few seconds, reflecting on her words. Then he replied calmly:
"I'm confident I can escape an ambush," he looked into the elf's eyes, "Besides, there's little they can do with their warriors if I don't invade Milishion all at once."
He paused for another moment.
"But even if I'm caught… I won't be killed. Even with all my mana sealed, I can still fight and get away."
Verdia seemed to relax upon hearing that.
Her face softened as if she truly believed that, so long as Rygar took care, he wouldn't be killed in this war.
She smiled happily and asked:
"So it's all right then… Rygar, do you trust me?"
Rygar raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden question.
"Huh? Of course I trust you. Why?"
Verdia let out a soft giggle and turned her gaze forward again.
"Nothing!"
And then the two finally reached the entrance of the building where Rygar could distinctly smell Eris, Aisha, and Ghislaine.
Even before entering the structure, Rygar caught the scent of Skoll in the distance, and close by, that of Ezkalor.
Sounds of battle could be heard in that direction, accompanied by the unmistakable presence of another ebony wolf.
One that was not Skoll. Rygar narrowed his eyes, thoughtful.
'Is it Geri or Freki? I'll check later…' he thought, before moving forward and entering the building.
The structure, located right next to the Iron Legion's operations base, was immense.
It looked like a colossal house, far too large to belong to any ordinary family. There were no signs of permanent residents, only silence.
By what he sensed, Aisha was alone in one of the rooms, probably studying some spell.
As he walked through the corridors, Rygar picked up a new—no, rather, an old—scent.
One he hadn't smelled in many years. His steps grew firmer, hastened by curiosity and contained excitement.
He proceeded to the back of the house, where a wide passage led him to an extensive grassy field surrounded by high stone walls.
Spaced-out trees offered occasional shade to the area, which seemed designed both for leisure and training. A small refuge within the fortress—isolated, protected, and peaceful.
There, Ghislaine stood in position, acting as referee between two warriors.
One was Eris, her companion, wielding a wooden sword with extreme concentration in her gaze.
In front of her, the opponent was a figure Rygar had longed to see.
A dark-skinned man, silver gray hair, dog-like ears, appearing about forty years old—young by beast-race standards.
He too held a wooden sword and wore no armor.
His bearing, his stance, and his fierce look… everything about him spoke of contained experience and power. Rygar recognized him immediately.
Ghislaine noticed Rygar's presence but did not announce him. With her usual seriousness, she signaled the start of the match.
The warrior lunged with great speed, soon unleashing the Howling Magic characteristic of his race.
The ground cracked beneath his feet from the force of his acceleration. He was skilled—a warrior of Saint level, no doubt—but for Eris, a Sword King, his charge and magic were still too slow.
With keen eyes and perfect reflexes, Eris executed the Longsword of Light. The wooden blade sliced through the air in an illusory gleam, outstripping any tactical trap her opponent had prepared.
The strike was so fast it struck the warrior's chest before the sound of the magic could even fully propagate.
The impact sent the man flying back, and the sonic wave of the Howling Magic continued on its own path.
Rygar grinned from ear to ear at the sight.
The warrior rose with a groan, massaging the bruise forming on his chest. Rather than sulk, he let out a sincere laugh:
"Hahaha! You're strong too! Are you sure you're only fifteen?"
Eris beamed with pride:
"Of course I am."
Only then did she notice Rygar. Her eyes brightened, and she eagerly moved toward him.
However, she suddenly stopped upon noticing the golden-haired elf at his side—Verdia. Her gaze flickered between surprise, curiosity, and… caution.
Rygar, however, kept his eyes on the warrior who was rising. His expression softened, filled with contained emotion.
"How long has it been… father."
---
The one training with Eris was, in fact, Rygar's father, Hontar Adoldia, who had become a North Saint while his son was away.
His style specialized in unarmed combat, using primarily his claws, though during Rygar's absence he had also learned to wield a blade efficiently.
His physical prowess and mastery of Howling Magic made him formidable on the battlefield against virtually any opponent—of course, this did not apply to Ghislaine and Eris.
Hontar had arrived in Tinaver the day before, shortly after receiving news of Rygar's return. He was at a battlefront when he was informed.
Since Rygar wasn't in the city at that moment, Hontar stayed in one of the dormitories and, the next day, decided to visit Rygar's two women: Ghislaine and Eris, his daughters-in-law.
During the visit, they decided on a brief sparring session, which Rygar witnessed just as it was happening.
"Hahaha! Who would've thought even your women would be this strong, son!" Hontar exclaimed, laughing as he rubbed the bruise on his chest.
Everyone was seated around a large table in one of the mansion's halls.
Seated were Rygar, Eris, Ghislaine, Verdia, and Hontar.
Aisha was still in one of the rooms, likely still studying. Rygar found it a bit odd she hadn't come out to greet him, but assumed she must have been in the middle of something important.
Initially, Rygar intended to introduce Verdia—his master—to Eris, Ghislaine, and Aisha, but his father's sudden appearance altered those plans a bit.
"You've become very strong, father," Rygar said sincerely. "But they… they're somewhat extraordinary."
Hontar smiled proudly, his expression relaxed and his gaze warm.
"I suppose that's necessary to be a wife of the Beast God… I still can't believe my son is one of the Seven Powers."
The brief reunion was filled with warm emotions.
After chatting with his father for a while, Rygar felt relieved to see that he hadn't changed at all.
If he had to point out something, it was that he no longer treated him the same way he did the last time they met.
Even recognizing him as a warrior when he was younger, Rygar sensed that back then his father still saw him as his little boy.
But now, Hontar treated him as an equal. He also seemed genuinely proud of all Rygar's achievements.
Father and son began talking about various subjects—his mother, the new sister named Ruby, past battles, training, and techniques. Rygar laughed several times, carried away by the familiarity of the conversation.
And so Rygar unconsciously ignored the silent battle playing out at the table.
Eris was practically piercing Verdia with her intense gaze, and Ghislaine, though remaining serious and impassive, also scrutinized the elf with contained curiosity.
Meanwhile, Verdia looked at them both with a friendly smile, then returned her attention to the conversation between Rygar and Hontar, occasionally adding something, trying to ignore the intense stare of the red-headed young woman.
"I can't imagine my mother as an advanced-level swordswoman…" Rygar sighed.
"Hahaha! But she really did it!" Hontar replied, laughing. "And more: she learned elementary Healing Magic. She decided to try learning a bit after Ruby was born."
Rygar's expression grew serious for a moment.
"But she won't go to the battlefield, right?"
Hontar shook his head with a calm smile.
"Of course not. Aside from Ruby still being small and needing care, all the higher-ups of the Iron Legion tacitly agreed not to allow your mother to go into combat."
Rygar let out a relieved sigh. In truth, he didn't much like seeing his father, Verdia, Eris, or Ghislaine in combat.
In an ideal scenario, he would resolve everything himself, alone. It was a strange contradiction in his mind: he admired their strength and wanted them to be powerful, yet still wanted to keep them safe.
However, he knew he couldn't—and shouldn't—prevent any of them.
This world demanded more from those who trained to fight, whether in swordsmanship or magic. It demanded unwavering will, something to fight for, and something to live for.
Murder was far more common in that world, and the will of these warriors was something few on Earth could reach, even under the worst circumstances.
Determination and ego had to be solid. That's why Rygar never stopped any of his loved ones from fighting. Nor would he ever. Unless it was certain death, of course.
His mother, on the other hand, was different. Although she had begun training, she was never a warrior. She had spent part of her life as a slave and afterward only wanted to live in peace.
The reason for her training was purely self-defense. And that was also why she had learned exclusively the Water God Style from Eleonora.
Hontar and Rygar continued talking about combat techniques, magic, styles, and Hontar expressed interest in trying to learn the Beast God Style Rygar had created.
Until finally Hontar stood up and said with a teasing smile:
"All right, Rygar, we'll have time to talk later. I imagine you have some matters to attend to first…"
When he said that, Rygar finally noticed Eris staring at Verdia with flames in her eyes. He cleared his throat softly, trying to ease the tension, and forced a smile.
"All right… we'll talk more later. Will you be at the War Council?"
Hontar shook his head.
"I'll return to the battlefield in a week. I'll replace the Demon King Gretta when she comes to the council."
Rygar nodded, considering for a moment.
"Very well. Take care. I'll see you before you leave again."
With a nod, Hontar left the mansion, leaving Verdia, Ghislaine, Eris, and Rygar behind.
Rygar sat down again and faced the two women.
"Ghislaine, Eris… this is my master, Verdia Solarion."
-----
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