Hours later - Center of Kirven City :

  Night had already fallen, and a deep starry sky covered the city of Kirven.

  Lanterns cast a soft light, making the streets almost peaceful despite the city's excitement.

  Muffled laughter from the taverns was heard in the distance, and a light breeze swept the cobbled streets, carrying pleasant scents with it.

  Thanks to Leo, Lucas and Arden managed to find a spacious room in a renowned inn in the city center.

  Their room, located on the third floor, had a large balcony that offered a breathtaking view of the rooftops of the city and its main streets.

  On one of the beds in the room, Lucas, covered with a white blanket, was sleeping soundly, his tousled hair half-covering his face.

  He was completely exhausted. Throughout the day, he had pulled Arden from stand to stand, testing all kinds of sweets, food and fruit that the city could offer. It was just at sunset that he ended up falling asleep on Arden's lap, while he was watching a show offered by a traveling troupe.

  Arden was on a wooden chair near the half-open balcony. His shirt was unbuttoned, and his boots, as well as Lucas's, were neatly placed in a corner of the room.

  Under the soft glow of the moon, Arden carefully ran a whetstone on the blade of his sword. The regular sound of the blade against the stone punctuated the room.

  With a relaxed expression, he recalled how Lucas had coaxed him to drag him from stand to stand, and how easily Lucas had fallen asleep after eating different foods at each stand.

  "They really look alike," Arden said nostalgically.

  A fresh wind entered through the balcony, and made Arden's hair sway. Even with his eyes half-closed, Arden's mind remained alert, as always.

  But while he was still sharpening his blade, Arden felt a slight variation in the air.

  Then he stopped, slowly placed the stone to sharpen on the table, and firmly grabbed the handle of his sword.

  "Pfff... why are they here?" he said with an annoyed look.

  Without a sound, Arden got up and walked calmly towards the balcony.

  When he reached the balustrade, he remained motionless for a moment, silently observing a couple walking hand in hand on the street below.

  "I'll count to three, and if you don't show up by then..." said Arden calmly.

  "... I would cut off your head," he added, lightly planting his sword on the concrete.

  "One! "

  Arden did not have time to pronounce the second number, when a shadow holding a sword appeared behind him with astonishing speed, aiming at his jugular.

  Feeling the presence behind him, Arden allowed himself a faint smile and remained motionless. He let the blade get closer, almost touching his skin.

  At the last moment, Arden suddenly bent down, pivoted on himself, and grasped his attacker's wrist with a fluid gesture.

  Without releasing his grip, Arden powerfully drove his fist into the man's stomach, the dull shock resounding in the night silence.

  "Always so slow," he said with a smile on his face, his eyes shining with amusement.

  The attacker collapsed to the ground, breathless, and curled up into a ball.

  "Shit," the attacker managed to say between two breaths.

  "Were you... obliged... to hit so hard?" He added in a trembling voice while slowly catching his breath.

  Arden crouched down and looked at the man on the ground while sketching a mocking smile.

  "Wait... you're not going to tell me that you can't stand a simple blow," he said in a mocking tone, while pointing at the man on the ground with his finger.

  "Shit, shit... you could have gone less hard," said the man, trying to get up, but with difficulty.

  "Huh, why is that?" said Arden in a slow and provocative tone.

  "Anyway, I didn't hit you that hard..." he added, raising his hands dramatically, as if to taunt the man.

  "... and I'm sure you felt the same way, didn't you, Master An?" He said serenely, looking at the dark side of the balcony.

  At these words, a tall and imposing man calmly came out of the shadows.

  "You're right, young master," An replied in a calm voice.

  "I felt that you held back in your attack," he added in a respectful tone.

  "Yeah yeah," Arden replied, nodding proudly.

  "But you still have to understand Jayden, young master. He hasn't reached your level yet," said An in a calm tone, his gaze on Jayden who, on all fours, was slowly catching his breath.

  Jayden dragged himself to the edge of the balcony, and sat on the floor, leaning his back on the railing.

  "Damn it... the pain isn't going to go away anytime soon," Jayden groaned, placing his left hand on his stomach.

  "Sorry," Arden replied, scratching his neck with a slightly embarrassed look.

  "At least thanks to that, I could see how much stronger you've become," he added slowly with a smile on his face.

  Jayden stared at him for a moment, before sighing with a smile on his lips.

  He then removed the hood that covered his face, and under the light of the moon, his features were finally distinguished: disheveled blue hair reaching his forehead, hazel eyes betrayed an impulsive temperament, and an athletic body, sculpted by years of training, revealing real strength behind his relaxed appearance.

  Jayden, still sitting against the railing, let his head fall back, and looked at the stars in the sky.

  "Damn... and I who thought I had at least caught up with you," he said with a sigh.

  "Don't worry," replied Arden calmly.

  "One day you will catch up with me, I trust you," he added, raising his thumb with a cheerful look.

  At these words, Jayden stared at Arden for a moment, then he sketched a slight smile on the corner of his lips.

  "Dumbass," said Jayden in a slow voice.

  "Next time, wait for me to smash your head," he added, looking Arden straight in the eyes with a confident and provocative look.

  "Ohh... I can't wait to see that," Arden replied, his eyes shining with excitement.

  Jayden was not just anyone for Arden, he was his best friend, the one he considered a brother.

  But while they were still talking, Master An stepped towards them, the moon now illuminating his face.

  He was a middle-aged man, with broad shoulders and a perfectly cut straight back. He had long black hair held in a low ponytail, and black eyes. He had a scar, a vestige of an old fight, that crossed his left eye.

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  His aura was calm, but wild.

  As he stopped in front of the two young men, An silently watched Arden for a moment.

  "He is exactly as Her Majesty the Queen described him. I wonder how the Capital managed to change his appearance so effectively," he thought.

  While Arden and Jayden continued to discuss, with an impassive look, An spoke in a calm and controlled voice:

  "Young master... as you probably guessed, our presence here is not without reason."

  At these words, Arden remained silent, before lowering his head, his smile slowly fading away.

  "I suspected it," he breathed.

  "What does she want from me this time," he added in an exhausted tone.

  Seeing him like this, a slight ounce of compassion crossed An's gaze, but he remained firm and impassive, faithful to his mission.

  "Our mistress, your mother, sent us to remind you that the scheduled deadline is coming to an end soon," he began in a calm tone.

  "She wants to know if you are finally ready for the confrontation that will take place in a month, and if your trip has brought you the expected fruits," he added in a composed voice.

  After An's words, a heavy silence slowly settled.

  Arden raised his head towards the stars. The moonlight illuminated his face, thus revealing a tired, almost resigned air.

  "Of course... I didn't expect anything anyway," he said in a disappointed voice.

  "Apart from that, what would she expect from me," he added in a bitter tone.

  Seeing him like this, Jayden discreetly clenched his fists, while An remained motionless and impassive, despite the compassion he felt.

  "Young master," continued An in a voice still as controlled.

  "You know that..."

  But before he could say a word more, Arden raised his hand, his palm open towards his direction. Seeing this, An remained silent, and tilted his head slightly, agreeing to this unsaid order.

  Arden then remained silent for a while, then he suddenly put his hands against his knees, and calmly straightened up.

  He then took a deep breath, and his face regained that calm that he always displayed.

  "Hey... don't worry about me," he said in a quiet voice.

  "Do you really think I'd lose?" He added in a calm tone with a confident smile on his lips.

  Surprised by this attitude, Jayden looked up at Arden, and sketched a discreet smile.

  An, he remained silent, but when he saw Arden's gaze, a subtle smile appeared on his lips.

  Arden went to the railing and leaned on it, looking for a moment at the street below.

  "Anyway, before being a member of the Vaskar family... I am an Ingriss," he said in a calm tone.

  Afterwards, he turned around, then with a calm and relaxed look, he leaned his elbows against the railing. By displaying this smile that looks good like him, he turned his gaze to Jayden and An.

  "Narkell or another... sooner or later, I should have faced someone from my family," he began with a relaxed look.

  "Despite the great difference in age and experience that separates us... I will not let the name Ingriss be stained because of me," he said confidently.

  At these words, silence slowly fell on the balcony.

  Jayden lowered his head, and with a reassuring smile on his lips, he thought:

  "You haven't changed at all... Arden."

  An, he, respectfully bowed his head, satisfied to see Arden's expression.

  "You have grown so much... Young master," he thought.

  But while the two men were reassured by Arden's words, he turned to the city and began to observe the thousands of small flames twinkling under the deep night.

  And during this brief moment when no one could see him, his smile and confident air disappeared, giving way to a deep weariness and fatigue that he never showed.

  "Pff... it looks like I absolutely have to reach the FivFtera before next month," he thought with a tired look.

  "I'm young, but I'm already so exhausted," he whispered, sighing slightly, his eyes empty.

  A night breeze rose, waving his hair while he kept his eyes fixed on Kirven's lights.

  Meanwhile - Northeast of Kirven:

  The streets of the Kirven slums had nothing in common with the lively city center.

  The lanterns, rare and often broken, struggled to pierce the darkness of the alleys.

  Three knights wearing hooded capes, moved slowly through the narrow alleys, their steps resounding weakly on the damp and cracked cobblestones.

  "Shit... why did we have to be sent to this place," said a knight in a plaintive tone.

  "Deem yourself lucky, imagine what Dan must go through... he is stuck next to the captain and the prince," replied another knight calmly.

  At these words, the two knights briefly raised their heads to the stars, and imagined what their comrade could experience.

  "Hehe... the pressure," they thought simultaneously with a mocking air.

  Meanwhile, the third remained silent, his gaze sweeping the surroundings with attention.

  The facades were dilapidated, gnawed by time, and the air was loaded with a smell of mold and rot.

  As they advanced, the third, who was watching the surroundings, suddenly stopped when his gaze met two small silhouettes between two buildings.

  He quietly broke away from the group and approached the silhouettes.

  At his feet, he saw two children, a boy and a girl, embraced, deeply asleep. Despite the dust that covered them, their features were surprisingly thin, and their pure white hair seemed unreal.

  Their faces carried a beauty that had nothing to do in these places.

  Without a word, the knight removed his cape, crouched down, took out a gold coin from his pocket, and slid it delicately into the boy's pocket. Then he covered the children with his cape, protecting them from the nocturnal cold.

  "Life had no mercy on them... they are so young and must be so exhausted," he whispered.

  "I hope that with this money, you will eat to your heart's content," he said softly, his voice full of compassion.

  "You are really too sentimental," said one of his colleagues who was watching him.

  "You should have joined the order of the white lions rather than ours," he added calmly.

  The knight got up without answering, took one last look at the sleeping children, then turned to his colleagues with a slight smile, his red eyes shining in the dark.