Brandon gathered the six half-grown white wolves, a pair of snow falcons, and the bck cat, Hua Hua, together, giving them a simple introduction. His method was a bit blunt and rough. With Dani’s help, he picked up each animal, making them rub against each other, causing their fur to fly, before he sent them off to their respective homes.
The snow wolves were thrown into the dog’s den. The snow falcons were taken to a loft at the top of the mountain, with the female tied up while the male was released to fly, hoping the falcon would instinctively build a nest on the rooftop of the loft. As Brandon petted the female, he comforted her, “Don’t worry, buying a house and building a home is a man’s job.” Then, with Hua Hua, who was a bit ruffled, he went back to his room to sleep.
...
In the early morning, the sound of the hawks’ calls woke Brandon. He quickly got out of bed, knowing that now he had responsibilities. His new companions needed care. Running outside, he saw Dani pying with the hawk and decided to leave her to it, heading instead to the dog den down the mountain. After cleaning the dog den and stables, he took Hua Hua, the white wolves, and the foals on a light jog along the estate’s perimeter, helping them familiarize themselves with the area.
...
After breakfast, Brandon and Dani went to the training ground. He quickly crafted several stone locks of varying sizes, then picked up the smallest one and waved it around, ignoring Dani’s dismissive gaze.
He set up several wooden training posts and picked up a long spear. With a swift motion, he thrust it, and just as the tip neared the horizontal beam sticking out from the post, he flicked his wrist, striking the beam with a sharp snap. He followed through with a thrust that hit the wooden post with a loud thud. Traditional spear techniques emphasize “closing, lifting, dragging, and grabbing,” with the key being quick and strong actions to disarm the opponent, allowing the spear to strike. But Brandon’s small frame still had a long way to go, and at the moment, his form was just superficial.
He grabbed an empty sack and stuffed a handful of small rocks inside. Lifting, swinging, and tossing the bag around a few times, he pnned to add more sand to it daily. This would be a daily routine. Strengthening oneself was a gradual process—there was no rush. Training was about consistency and growth.
Dani watched him work on his arrangements, occasionally stepping forward to lend a hand. By the time the weapon rack was set up, the morning had passed.
...
During lunch, as the sounds of hawks and wolves echoed outside, Brandon couldn’t help but ask, “Dani, why haven’t I seen your wolves or hawks?”
A hint of sadness crossed Dani’s face, then quickly vanished. “They’re dead.”
It seemed like she had found someone to confide in, as Dani began telling her story.
“I never had snow falcons. They’re very hard to tame, but if you manage to do so, they can be incredibly helpful. Back then, I wasn’t capable of taming one by myself.”
“I had a pair of white wolves. There are many white wolves where I’m from, both wild and domesticated, mixed together. Sometimes the wild ones would sneak into the vilge, following the domesticated ones for food. And sometimes, domesticated wolves would wander with wild wolf packs. A few years ter, when they were injured or old, they would return home. But it was rare to see them come back. The wilderness in the North is dangerous, and white wolves are not the strongest creatures.”
“White wolves don’t usually attack us or our livestock, even when they’re starving. So, if you ever encounter one in the wild, you can rest easy for a bit. When hunting, humans and wolves might even work together to catch prey. When a human and a wolf form a bond, they mark the wolf’s head with a simple symbol drawn in their own blood. From that moment on, they are partners for life. White wolves usually mate for life, and they stick together, so many of our wolves are partners as well.”
“I met my wolves when I was eight, about your age. I sneaked out of the tribe and got lost. I was crying when a pack of wolves passed by. The wolves stayed behind and left the pack to be with me.”
Seeing the look of admiration on Brandon’s face, Dani sighed. Her voice dropped as she spoke with a heavy tone, sadness creeping into her words.
“At my coming-of-age ceremony, I lost them. It’s all my fault. They warned me, but I was careless…”
She fell silent, her words trailing off.
Brandon softly spoke, “Those snow falcons will surely become your new companions.”
...
In the afternoon, Brandon went alone to the storage room, carefully inspecting the materials. Looking at each item and the name written next to it, a sense of urgency gripped him. He needed to start working soon.
He released his magical energy, using it to sense the materials. His magic could now extend about ten meters, and he knew that was his limit. Like tendrils reaching out, the magic would stretch as far as it could before it could no longer extend. He focused on calming himself, carefully feeling the materials, comparing them to those he had already studied and mastered.
After nearly a year of using his magic consistently, especially when working on swords, he had grown rapidly. Although he wasn’t yet able to fully understand the microstructures of materials, his magic seemed to have a memory, instinctively replicating certain patterns in the objects he worked with. That was why the swords he worked on were of such high quality—the irregurities common in hand-forged weapons were avoided by his ability.
If he were simply making a rge number of swords, he could easily create ten or more in a day without feeling fatigued. But Brandon didn’t want to just repeat the same process over and over. He hoped to create something that could be remembered, something that could st for generations, and for that, he needed to keep learning and exploring.
When Brandon tried to delve deeper, to fine-tune his perception of the materials, his magic would often drain away too quickly. This was why he often appeared pale—his magic would be exhausted too fast. But despite this, he stood firm, unlike when he had fainted in the past.
Brandon gradually pulled back his magical energy, restricting it to the one-meter radius around him. This had become part of his training routine. He thought about heading to the castle’s old storage room. There were many valuable learning samples there. With that in mind, he left for the castle.
...
Dani stood at a high point, watching the young figure disappear into the distance. A faint smile appeared on her lips. This child always seemed out of pce in the world, but when she was with him, it felt unexpectedly easy. He didn’t treat her as a servant, and he wasn’t intimidated by her strength as a warrior. He treated everyone equally, cking the Northnders’ usual bravado but possessing something even rarer—care, sympathy—though he hid it well.
