Happiness was spread everywhere across the village.
People were smiling, talking, and moving around with a sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had finally been lifted from their shoulders. The once tense atmosphere had now turned warm and lively.
Leo stood quietly among them.
He wasn't celebrating like the others.He simply stood there… watching everything in silence, his calm eyes observing the villagers.
For him, this peace was enough.
Just then—
He heard the faint sound of footsteps approaching from behind.
Leo slowly turned around.
From the distance, Zefer was walking toward him with his usual calm expression. His steps were steady, and his presence alone carried a quiet authority.
As he reached Leo, he stopped beside him and said,
"Why did you decide to help these people, Leo?"
Leo heard the question clearly…but he didn't answer.
Instead, he turned his gaze back toward the villagers.
For a few moments, he just kept watching them—their smiles, their laughter, their relief.
Then slowly, Leo turned his face back toward Zefer.
Without any hesitation, he asked the same question,
"And why did you help them?"
For a brief moment, silence filled the space between them.
Then—
Zefer smiled.
A calm, knowing smile.
"I already got my answer."
Leo frowned slightly, confused.
"But I didn't give you any answer."
Zefer let out a soft chuckle.
"Leo Black… it's not always necessary to answer questions out loud."
He paused for a moment and then continued in a calm, steady voice,
"Sometimes… the answer is hidden within the question itself."
Leo stayed silent.
His eyes slightly narrowed as if he was thinking deeply about those words.
After a few seconds, he gave a small nod.
"I'll remember that."
There was a brief pause before Leo asked again,
"So… what will you do with these people?"
Zefer looked toward the villagers before replying,
"I'll give them food… and a place to stay."
He continued,
"In return, they'll help us with farming.It will benefit both sides."
He then added honestly,
"That's all I've thought for now."
Leo nodded slowly.
"That's a fair deal."
After that, both of them walked toward Nyra and the others.
As they approached, Zefer said,
"You all should get some rest."
Leo stretched his arms slightly and let out a tired breath.
"Yeah… I'm exhausted."
Zefer looked at him and said,
"You should stay here for a few more days."
Leo thought for a second… then agreed.
"Alright. I'll stay."
But the moment he said that—
THUD!
Nyra's punch landed straight on his head.
Leo instantly grabbed his head in pain.
"What was that for?!"
Nyra glared at him, clearly annoyed.
"Don't act like you've forgotten."
Leo blinked in confusion.
"Forgotten what?"
Nyra's expression turned even more irritated.
"We didn't come here for a vacation!"
She stepped closer and said,
"We came here for something important!"
Leo paused again…
"What did we come here for?"
For a second—
Everyone went silent.
Then Nyra snapped.
"We came to find Leves!"
Leo froze.
Then suddenly—
"Oh… right."
Zefer, who had been quietly listening, spoke up,
"So… you came here for medicinal Leves?"
Nyra nodded seriously.
"Yes. Our academy sent us for that mission."
Zefer casually replied,
"I have those Leves."
For a moment—
No one moved.
It felt like time itself had stopped.
Shock spread across everyone's faces.
Leo's mouth slowly opened… and stayed that way.
Inside his mind, only one thought echoed—
I fought the Ogre King for nothing…
Zefer continued calmly,
"Not far from here, there's a cave."
"We grow our own medicinal herbs there."
He looked at them and added,
"You can take whatever you need."
Leo instantly stepped forward.
"Thank you! Seriously… thank you so much!"
Zefer gave a small nod.
"Now go and get some rest."
After Zefer left with a calm smile, the group stood there for a moment.
Then—
Maya walked toward them.
She looked… different.
Her face was glowing with happiness.
Nyra noticed it immediately.
"Why are you smiling like that?"
Maya let out a small laugh.
"After so many days… we finally got to eat properly."
She looked around and continued,
"That's why everyone is so happy."
Then her eyes stopped on Leo.
Her expression softened.
"And all of this happened because of him."
She hesitated slightly.
"I don't even know how to thank you…"
Leo smiled gently.
"You don't need to thank me."
He added,
"You're my friend, right?"
Maya froze for a second.
Those simple words meant more to her than anything else.
Then Leo said,
"Maya… there's something important I need to tell you."
Maya looked at him curiously.
"What is it?"
Leo spoke without hesitation,
"You're coming with us to the academy."
Maya's eyes widened.
"You'll study there… with us."
For a moment, she couldn't even react.
"W-What…? Is that really possible?"
Then her expression slowly turned sad.
"But… I don't have any money…"
Leo immediately replied,
"Don't worry about that. I'll take care of it."
Maya tried to say something,
"But—"
Leo interrupted her firmly,
"You're coming with us tomorrow."
"That's final."
Nearby, Alex, who had been listening, spoke up,
"Leo… she definitely has talent."
He paused before adding,
"But how are you going to get her into the academy?"
Leo smirked slightly.
"Leave that to me."
Then he let out a long yawn.
"Now I'm really sleepy…"
As he walked away, he turned slightly and said,
"Maya… be ready tomorrow morning."
Maya stood there, frozen.
Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.
"Today… is the luckiest day of my life."
She whispered softly,
"It feels like all my happiness came at once…"
She wiped her tears and nodded.
"Okay… I'll be ready."
That night—
Everyone slept peacefully.
For the first time in a long while, there was no fear… no tension… only calm.
Next morning—
Leo was still sleeping deeply.
Completely unaware of the world.
Suddenly—
SPLASH!
Cold water hit his face.
Leo jumped up instantly.
"What happened?! What happened?!"
Nyra stood in front of him with crossed arms.
"Last night you were shouting 'be ready, be ready'…"
She narrowed her eyes.
"And now you're the one still sleeping?"
Leo looked around.
Maya, Alex, and Kio were all laughing.
Nyra pointed downstairs.
"Hurry up and come down."
After getting ready, Leo finally came downstairs.
The moment he arrived, he saw Zefer and Zorath standing there with the others.
Leo quickly walked toward them.
He was ready to leave.
But suddenly—
Zorath stepped forward and stopped him.
He held Leo's hand.
"Thank you… for everything."
He lowered his head slightly.
"And I'm sorry… for my behavior."
Leo smiled casually.
"I already forgot about that."
Then Zefer stepped forward and handed a map to Nyra.
"I've marked the cave's location here."
He pointed at it.
"You'll find it easily."
Nyra nodded respectfully.
"Thank you."
Zefer then looked at Leo.
"Make sure to visit again."
Leo smiled back.
"Of course… Uncle Zefer."
And just like that—
Leo, Nyra, Kio, Alex, and Maya began their journey once again.
This time… with a new companion.
And a new beginning.