The blonde man remained still as he stared at Riley. Suddenly, Opilec stomped towards the luminescent Orb, pushing the boy away. The man observed it for a while and then turned to Riley.

  "...Do you know what this means?" said Opilec calmly.

  "..."

  "I said. Do you know. What this means?" repeated the man, this time with an edge in his tone. But the boy was unresponsive. Irritated, he grabbed the child’s collar and violently shook him.

  "A DEFECT!" The blue-eyed man roared directly at Riley’s face. "YOU’RE A FUCKING. USELESS. DEFECT!!" The child winced at his bluntness, causing his grey eyes to darken even more.

  "I warned you, didn’t I? That if you get some trash powers, I’ll beat you up? But what do you do? Getting jackshit?" His face slowly reddened, and Riley caught Opilec’s usual wrath bubbling underneath.

  The blonde man heard whispers behind him and turned, only to see most of the villagers peering at the village chief’s house. His eyelids twitched when he heard them snickering at his earlier shout.

  "Look at what you made me do, Riley. I’ll deal with you when we're back home." His face contorted with rage, betraying his calm tone. Opilec exited the house, dragging the raven-haired boy from his scarred arm back to the crimson house. As he traveled through the village, more villagers joined in and watched.

  "What’s happening? Wait, isn’t that the cursed kid?" said one of the ladies near the Inn.

  "Yep. And guess what?" said an orange-haired girl next to her. "The boy’s a Defect! His dad sure is unlucky to have him."

  "God must truly exist. If that evil lad got a Path, I pray our lives would have been hell," said an old man with a black cane.

  Each new voice that spoke sent Opilec’s fury to heights it never reached.

  "Fucking weak-ass pests," Only Riley heard his malice-laden remarks. The black-haired boy knew his father would vent his anger on him, and the villagers only fueled his rage.

  Usually, he would have shivered in fright for what awaited him, but the recent news made him as still as a corpse. By the time they got to the house, his short legs and bare soles were inflamed, and his scarred arm bled.

  Opilec nearly broke the wooden door when he kicked it open and slammed it shut. He lifted Riley to his face and looked him dead in the eyes.

  "You had ONE JOB, rat. JUST ONE," The man started shaking Riley, the blood dripping from his hand flying everywhere. "And you FUCKED IT UP." The young boy only winced at the shaking when his scar flared in throbbing pain.

  His silence only made Opilec’s mood worse.

  "All you had to do!" Riley opened his eyes wide when a smack hit his cheek, forcing him to tilt his head.

  "Was score A GOOD!" Another slap hit him in the same place harder than the last one. His hand jerked in place, drops of blood tainting the floor below.

  "FUCKING!" He punched him near his eyes and then let go of his hand. Riley fell onto his knees, too dizzy to move. The wooden floor creaked under his weight. But Opilec wasn’t done.

  "POWER!" The blue-eyed man sprawled his bloodied hand open and slapped Riley so hard he flew across the room and broke one of the chairs. As Riley choked on his saliva, he couldn’t help but notice how the splintered wood mirrored his shattered hopes and dreams. Broken sobs escaped him as the heavy footsteps of Opilec approached.

  "But you couldn't do that. You disappoint me, Riley."

  "Ugh!" The young boy’s grey eyes widened when his father kicked his stomach. He clutched his stomach tightly, gasping for air. Opilec grabbed him by the throat and lifted him. No matter how much Riley struggled to free himself, Opilec's hands barely registered his weak attempts.

  "And disappointments don’t live long," The man stared directly at the shaken grey eyes, then punched him in the stomach, sending him to the wall.

  He’s gonna kill me... The young boy coughed blood as he remained stuck to the wall. His tears fell from his eyes like waterfalls, the pain burning through his back. Words fled from Riley's mouth, attempting to explain and quell Opilec's anger.

  "...I...di..n’t.. wa... th... this..." Riley slurred between sobs and pain.

  "Huh? You said something?" Curious, Opilec grabbed his hair painfully and brought him next to his ears.

  "...did..n...wa...n...thi..." whispered the raven-haired boy from the bottom of his heart, barely conscious. I didn’t want any of this. Whether it was about being beaten up, the Defect status, or being hated, none of them were things Riley desired.

  When Opilec heard his heartfelt declaration, something resonated deep within him. This brat's right... He too didn't desire any of this.

  Yet, rather than a moment of clarity and reflection, his fury only burned hotter.

  "...You didn’t want this?" Riley slowly nodded despite the pain, believing that somehow, his words managed to stop Opilec. And when the grip on his hair weakened, the grey-eyed boy breathed in relief before his head was smashed on the floor.

  "Who didn’t want this... was ME! I DIDN’T WANT THIS! TO WASTE MY TIME WITH A SHITTY KID!!" Each sentence was followed by its own slam. Blood, tears, and snot seeped through Riley's face when it hit the old wooden floor.

  "I WASTED TEN YEARS ON YOUR SHITTY ASS!" Opilec raised him and then slammed him to the wall.

  "TEN YEARS!! I GAVE YOU A HOUSE! FED YOU AND CLOTHED YOU! AND WHAT DO I GET?" A punch hit Riley directly in the abdomen, forcing him to cough blood. By now, he was nearly unconscious from the vicious beatdown.

  "..y..ou....d..idn...o...an..i.th...ng...or....me.." said the bloodied child. You didn’t do anything to me. He chuckled at the thought, knowing it would only enrage Opilec more. From his swollen eyes, he could see his father’s red face. I don’t care anymore.

  "..." The blond man didn’t move, processing what he just heard. His blood boiled when he realized what Riley meant.

  "YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!!!" He tackled Riley to the ground before repeatedly attacking the boy. The sound of punches and the smell of blood filled the house.

  Riley could barely move an inch. Each part of his body wailed in pain, and he could feel his body getting slowly colder.

  Am I dying? The thought brought morbid relief to his mind. Sorry, Auntie Maria. I guess I won’t see you again. He closed his teary grey eyes, too tired to keep opening them.

  Opilec cared little if, in his anger, he nearly killed Riley. He stepped away from the beaten child, grabbed one of the splintered wood pieces, and was about to hit the raven-haired boy before a pink aura enveloped him.

  "What do you think you’re doing, you oaf?" said Maria, stepping into the house from the backdoor.

  "Disciplining my Son, old hag."

  Maria spared one look at Riley’s battered form, then rushed towards him.

  "If I didn’t stop you, you would’ve killed him. That’s discipline to you?" The old lady expressed as she lifted Riley’s battered head in her arms, helping him drink a red luminous potion. If I was late for just another second, this child would have died.

  "Fuck you, Maria," Opilec retorted, irritation still on his red face. However, his rage cooled when he remembered where the red-haired lady came from. What was she doing back there?

  "You wish you could," Her words earned a hostile grumble from the blue-eyed man.

  "What the fuck are you here for?" he said, gritting his teeth. "I made sure that this little shit did everything right, and he still fucked it up. So don’t try to blame me for his failure."

  "I’m here for this boy, and I wasn’t about to blame you besides you trying to kill Riley," she said, startling Opilec enough that he dropped his aggression.

  In its place, suspicion took hold. The man narrowed his eyes as his instincts whispered that she was excluding him from something.

  "Oh really? And what can a Defect rat possibly do?" His voice halted Maria in place. "Don’t think that me and Laidenvy will help you unless you spill the beans. You kept us here when you said we’ll get so rich, we’ll hate money."

  "But I’m not seeing that anywhere, especially after a fucking decade. Laidenvy thought that only after the PAR we get our reward, and I know she’ll just figure out some ways to use this brat anyway, but I couldn’t give less of a fuck."

  "So either you tell me here and now what we're getting," He tapped the wooden floor with his leg, and a giant hammer appeared. "Or me and Laidenvy would leave and rat you out," A manic smile spread across his face while a crimson glint shone in his eyes. "A fugitive Conquest should give enough cash for our trouble."

  Maria’s eyes flashed silver, sending sparks between the two. Dammit. I knew that ten years was too long for this idiot, but I had no other choice. I can’t tell him Riley’s Path...

  "It’s just that this boy has strong powers that would be dangerous if kno-"

  "BULLSHIT!!" said the man before throwing the hammer at the amber-eyed woman. The weapon was easily caught with a pinkish hue, more focused on Opilec’s rapidly approaching form.

  Just as the man’s punch was about to hit her, a silver hexagon barrier appeared between her and the punch, blocking the attack. The barrier shook from Opilec's blow, sending a gust of wind that pushed away the dust and wood near them. Damn, this oaf and his strength.

  "I saw the Orb, old hag," he said, throwing another punch at the barrier and breaking it. The old lady was pushed back, rocking the unconscious boy in the process. "And it was grey. I know the kid’s a Defect, so don’t try to lie your way out of this."

  Opilec prepared himself to ignore any excuse she might come up with. Yet, not in his wildest thought did he imagine her shocked.

  Maria’s amber eyes were wide open. The liquid from the potion spilled on Riley’s face. In her mind, Riley was a Defect because it was what Erling told the oaf. But if the Orb genuinely showed a grey light, all her efforts were in vain.

  She soon collected herself, lifting the somewhat healed Riley in her arms. I can’t be wrong. This child must be a Pestilence!

  "Whether he is a Defect or not, it doesn’t change the fact he is important," She walked past Opilec towards the backdoor before a wooden hammer blocked her.

  "Don’t think you can just leave. Tell me what’s your plan, or I swear, I’ll kill this kid," said the blue-eyed man, standing face to face with Maria.

  "Fine," the old lady spat out. "Since you asked so politely, I’ll tell you." She opened her mouth and quickly closed it shut. How can I say this without him catching on?

  "Let’s just say that he’ll be the key to enter a noble house," she declared, chilling Opilec’s aggression instantly.

  "A noble house? How? What in the unholy fuck could they want wi-" he stopped dead in his track as he remembered Riley's colorful eyes. He knew the boy’s future was a dud, but if she was talking about those weird eyes...

  "I know someone willing to bring us in if we give him Riley. So," she said, pushing the hammer away. "Him dying isn’t gonna please them."

  A pink aura surrounded the wooden door before it opened. Maria walked towards Riley’s shack with careful steps, cradling Riley and making sure he remained comfortable. Opilec watched her go toward the weathered shack, contemplating her words.

  A noble family... That’s more than just money. I don’t know what kind of creepy shit they’ll do to the kid when they get him, nor do I care, he thought, imagining the riches and woman he’ll soon be swimming in. But his gut still warned him. But why only say that now? Was that her plan from the start? Fuck you, you cryptic old hag.

  Maria turned abruptly towards him, sending a pebble with her pinkish aura. He squashed the projectile that flew to his face with his hands, then noticed the old lady glare at him before entering the shack. Opilec went inside the house and closed the door, more entertained with finding a bottle to drink. Seeing the aftermath, he downed a bottle as he sat on a conjured wooden stump. Laidenvy is not gonna like this.

  "Welcome home, Riley," Maria whispered to the boy’s ears, closing the door behind her just in case. Her amber eyes roamed the inside of the old shack, then made her way toward the leaf bed. This place is cleaner than I expected.

  Just as she put Riley on the makeshift bed and covered him with ample cloth, the little boy stirred, slowly opening his eyes.

  "...Aun...ie..?" spoke the young child as he saw the blurred form of Maria, still exhausted.

  "Yes, little one. It's me," The old lady's tone was mired in warmth. A genuine sigh of relief escaped her when she heard his voice.

  Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

  "...I...d..n...w’n...b...ere.." he said through choked sobs, weakly clutching her robe. Even with the potion’s effects, the pain radiating from his bones proved that he was still not fully healed. Tears streamed down his grey, hazy eyes as he looked at the old lady. Is ..thi...s a d..rea..m?

  Maria didn’t wait a second more before she hugged him. Riley wanted to move, but his body felt like it was made of metal. He stayed limp as she lifted him in her warm embrace.

  "It’s okay, my sweet child. I’m here," she wiped his tears multiple times, lulling him into sleep with honeyed words.

  "Opilec will never harm you again," shared the lady when she felt tears taint her robe. "You’ll be okay, just sleep."

  H..how w....arm.....Riley wanted to bask in her kindness forever, but he knew dreams don’t last that long. With a regretful look, he slowly closed his eyes, letting his body rest.

  The amber-eyed lady stayed in her position for some time, using her powers to fill the cracks with some of the torn clothes until light barely seeped in. When she was sure Riley was sound asleep, she laid him on the bed and then approached one of the rags, lifting it and some charcoal with a pink aura.

  Writing something on the rag, she put it down on the ground next to Riley and nailed it on the ground with a rock. Sparing another glance at it, she nodded in satisfaction at her work before heading towards the door. This should awaken his Path, regardless of whether what Opilec said was true or not. When she was about to open the door, her amber eyes flashed an icy glare at Riley. And if he is truly a Dud, then some nobles would love him as a collectible.

  The sound of the old wooden door creaking open rattled Riley, momentarily waking him up.

  "Au...nti...e, pl..eas.....d...on leav..." Maria stared at him for a while, but the only response he got was the door shutting firmly. She ignored Opilec, who stopped drinking and watched her intently, and left the crimson house.

  "An...ti...." The young boy called for the kind old lady to comfort him in his restless sleep, unaware he was left alone. His mind replayed today’s events like a broken record, from his shattered dream to Opilec’s violent outburst. And when that was done, it began recalling previous memories like a broken dam, twisting them into the worst version they could be.

  Riley’s body soon began to sweat before it joined in on this cruel dance. Bursts of pain randomly spread across his body, forcing him to wake up in agony. But he was too weak to scream. The raven-haired boy cried in silence, incapable of uttering a single wail.

  And when exhaustion took over, his consciousness drifted back to the nightmares. The cycle repeated, and each time it did Riley’s grey eyes darkened even more. He hated how his fate was always to suffer in silence as no one was there to help. Yet, no matter how much he wanted to give up, his instincts forced him to persevere.

  He didn’t survive for so long to throw in the towel, even when it felt bleak. Ten years, his instinct repeated. Deep inside his eyes, resilient brown dots swam in the gloomy clouds covering his eyes.

  Alone, in the dark, and in pain, Riley was faced with a new challenge. Despite today’s events, the child could only rely on his willpower, his savior in dire times, to push forward.

  Hours passed after Stephan met Riley, and he could be seen panting from his recent training. He didn’t know what his Path or Powers were. Regretfully, the adult hunters forbade using weapons until they went through PAR, which made the amber-eyed boy choose to train his body and fist techniques. Regardless of what he would get, he knew learning to fight barehanded was essential.

  Nende and Neiren didn’t stick around for much longer when he started, preferring to play with other kids the moment they got slightly tired. He preferred the quiet more than other’s company, but as they lived with him in the same room back at the orphanage, he had little choice. Even with their average skills, they were far better than the completely inexperienced children of the village.

  Only adults could give him a goal to chase, but they were far too skilled. None could give him a challenge out of the many children in the village, or so he thought. Until One day, he found a pleasant exception.

  Riley... A smile crept into his face as he got into a grappling position, imagining the raven-haired as his opponent. Whether it was skill, determination, or wit, Riley had them all. He was the ideal goal for Stephan. The perfect Rival.

  I can’t wait to fight you after my PAR. Just as he was about to imagine the colorful-eyed boy dashing towards him, Nende appeared from behind him. He was so focused he didn’t hear the green-haired boy call him.

  He breathed deeply before turning to the other kid.

  "Can’t you see I’m busy?"

  "I know, but it’s important, dude!" said Nende.

  "Oh really?" Stephan was not convinced in the slightest. He crossed his hands, and his amber eyes stared directly at Nende’s brown ones. "And what’s this ‘important’ thing? I don't want to hear about it if it’s about Sophie or some other girl."

  Assuming it was his usual gossip, Stephan imagined Riley facing him, and returned to his training. "But it’s not! It’s about that trash kid!"

  Trash kid? Is there anyone called Tr- His thought instantly stilled when he remembered Riley. And he couldn’t turn any faster than he did. "What about Riley?"

  "Uhh..." Nende was so stunned by how fast Stephan turned to him that he forgot what he wanted to say.

  The brown-haired boy grabbed Nende’s collar, addressing him again. "I said. What about Riley?" A couple of shakes jogged his memory back.

  "Oh! His PAR is done!" A manic glint appeared in Stephan’s eyes as he waited for the green-haired boy to continue. "And apparently, he’s a Defect! Suits the cockroach, don’t you think?"

  Stephan didn’t react to his words. " Excuse me? "

  " He’s a Defect ! " repeated Nende. He didn’t get to say another thing before the amber-eyed boy raced towards the village. After a couple of seconds, he finally realized he was left alone.

  "Hey! Wait for me, man!" Yelled Nende, running behind him.

  Of everyone in the village, Riley not having a path shocked Stephan the most. He refused to believe what Nense told him. Until either he saw it or one of the adults told him about it. Someone with that much resilience can't be useless.

  He made light work of the distance and reached the village. The buzz of chatter and discussion filled the air, and each group of villagers spoke loud enough that Stephan’s heavy breathing was drowned.

  When he closed in on one group, his ears caught their discussion.

  " Well, at least now we don’t have to worry about that thing. " said a man.

  " Yeah. "I just hope the kid ends up killing himself because of it. Saves us all the trouble." The voice of a lady responded from an open window.

  " You know how stubborn that thing is. We would have gotten rid of it if it wasn’t for that curse. " Grumbled the man, spitting on the round.

  "Uh, Excuse me," said Stephan, earning their attention. "What happened to Riley? "

  "Riley? Don’t know anyone with that name, cutie. " replied the woman.

  "I meant the ‘the thing’ you talked about, " said Stephan, gritting his teeth. He knew from his fights with the swirling red-eyed boy that he was worth more than anyone in this village.

  "Oh! Well, that's something you kids shouldn’t bother with." Replied the man, patting his shoulder.

  "I just wanted to know what’s happening here."

  "Can’t blame ya. If anyone saw this crowd, they’ll think something big happened. But it's just that the thing's a defect." Stephan’s eyes widened at the confirmation.

  "Ugh. Just remembering how that kid's weird eyes look at me when I’m baking makes me want to vomit."

  "Tell me about it, ma’am," said a plump woman, joining the conversation. "One time, I put away one of my old buckets so that the sun hits it, and the little raccoon just went and stole it!"

  "See? Knew keeping that thing was a mistake, but our chief is too nice," The man shook his head in disapproval. He suddenly turned his head to Stephan.

  "I dunno what you want with knowing about It, but it's best you just ignore it and focus on your own PAR, kid."

  "Yep. And I’ll focus on this man right here," the lady licked her lips before inviting the man into her house.

  "You don’t mind another one tagging along, ma’am?" said the other woman as she

  "Of course not. My doors are always opened, fufu."

  And with that, the adults forgot Stephan even existed, more focused on each other. They left towards the houses, with the plump women dragging the man in.

  The boy's mind blanked. It couldn't understand how Riley was just a Defect. His bandages hid the aftermath of his skirmishes with the raven-haired. The sensation of being grabbed by rough hands still lingered in his mind, along with the vivid imagery of being pushed onto the ground.

  Those colorful red eyes glaring at him from above never failed to ignite his fighting spirit. And someone like that's a Defect? He was unaware of why he didn't hate Riley, but that mattered little to him.

  He felt lost. His main goal suddenly disappeared, dowsing his inner fire. Reminiscing his battles with Riley, Nende and Neiren came to him. The green-haired one stopped to catch his breath before he grabbed Stephan's shoulder from behind.

  "Why did you leave me behind, dude?" said Nende, panting heavily. But Stephan was unresponsive.

  "Is he sick?" said the golden-haired boy, Neiren. The other boy gently shook Stephan, snapping him from his thoughts. "Hello?"

  As if brought to reality, Stephan nearly jumped and hit Nende in the stomach. It connected, which made the boy clutch his stomach in pain.

  "Ugh. What's your problem, man?"

  "You really like creeping up on people," said Stephan, looking at his clenched fist in annoyance. No point in fighting Riley if he was a defect.

  "But why did you hit him?" exclaimed Neiren.

  "Doesn't matter. This moron deserves it." Stephan walked past them toward the training grounds, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration. If Riley is out of the picture, what do I do now?

  Nende saw where he was heading and stomped the ground.

  "Come on, man! I ran all the way here, and now you're just going back?" Hearing no response, he turned towards the other boy. "Neiren, let's just ditch this guy and sneak up on girls," he said before heading towards the crowd.

  Stephan thought of many possible children to fight, but none were as satisfying as Riley. He could challenge the hunters, but the boy knew they would never go all-out against him. As for the other adults, they had always refused.

  After kicking a pebble on his way back, Stephan felt something stir in his chest. When he admitted that from now on, fighting Riley would no longer give him the same satisfaction, he lifted his head and looked at the clear blue sky. What do I do now?

  The sun descended towards the horizon, announcing the end of the day. Its golden rays painted the sky one last time before stars flickered into existence.

  Moonlight pierced through the windows of the Wilwich chief’s house, illuminating Erling’s lone figure in the darkness. He stared at the Orb, unsure of what happened with Riley.

  "Was I mistaken?" he whispered. "The Orb showed grey when the boy redid it, but those lights before couldn't have been my imagination." Sigh. He knew from experience that a PAR never lies about one's Path.

  "So there's no reason to believe Riley is a Pestilence," So why do I feel like something’s wrong?

  "What’s a Pesty?"

  "Sophia?" He nearly jumped out of his seat when he heard the youthful voice. "Why are you still up?" said the man to his granddaughter.

  "I wanna know what it means!?

  When Erling saw the look in her eyes, he knew that his granddaughter would never leave until she got her answer. I shouldn’t have rambled.

  "But it’s already nighttime, Sophia. You should be asleep by now," he said, gently patting the little girl’s deep blue hair.

  "I couldn’t sleep, grandpa," she told him, quickly jumping on his lap. The sudden move earned a laugh from Erling before he held her closer to his body.

  "And why is that, my dear??

  "I wanna know what a Pesty is!?

  And I’m back where I started. This girl isn’t gonna drop the subject, is she? Erling stared at the little girl’s golden eyes for a moment and yielded to her curiosity.

  "Alright. You win.?

  "Yay!" Sophia lifted her arms and accidentally hit the man. "Oops.?

  Erling rubbed his bearded chin in mock pain. "Ow! If this is how you’re behaving, I won’t say a thing,"

  In a flash, the girl sat straight.

  Cheeky little girl. "Well, where do I begin?" said the old man.

  "I said it two times already! Tell me what a Pesty is!?

  "It’s called Pestilence, my dear, but sure. Anything you want." Sophie raised her arms again, but Erling blocked it before it hit him with his hands. With a look, he gave her a gentle flick to the head.

  "In any case, you know what the three main Paths are, right?" With a nod from the blue-haired girl clutching her forehead, Erling knew he could skip the basics.

  "The Pestilence Path allows those that walk it to use the powers of diseases and poison," he stated. " They are a nightmare to deal with, but at the same time, the easiest.?

  "Nightmare?" said Sophia.

  "Yes, my dear. A nightmare. They could easily poison the food or water people use, or unleash devastating illnesses at their enemies. Thousands have died without even knowing what hit them. And with most, if not all, being elusive and cowardly, you never know whether it was truly a Pestilence’s doing or nature.?

  "So horrible..." Dread accompanied the words into the girl’s ears, painting a horrific image of what Pestilence users look like. Despite the terrifying message, realization shone in her eyes after some time, surprising Erling.

  "So that’s why..." muttered Sophia.

  "You said something??

  "I think I know why you thought that weird kid was a Pesty," shared the little girl.

  "It’s called Pesti- whatever. But what about Riley?"He was curious to see what the little child thought about his words. She puffed her chest when she had Erling’s attention.

  "That dirty kid, Rily, was it?" Erling was going to correct her but didn’t want to interrupt her. "Always goes through trash and eats moldy and disgusting food, right? So I bet he has some disisis, and that’s why you thought he’s a Pesty!?

  The man arched his eyebrows. "You think Riley is a Pestilence because he eats old food? Also, it's Diseases, not whatever you said," Why do I feel like she’s somehow correct?

  "Yeah!" she said in absolute certainty, ignoring his remark. "Someone who’s a pest is obviously a Pesty. I never liked him, to be honest.?

  "And why’s that? I don’t remember him doing anything to you.?

  "To me? He did everything!"Tears suddenly started to fall from her eyes and fell on Erling’s hand. " I wanted *sniff* nothing more than helping the poor boy. *sniff* Prove to everyone *sniff* that even someone like that could be a good guy, but no." He was stunned. Since when did this happen?

  "He attacked me, Grandpa! He slapped my hand and was about to hit me!"She started crying when she finished, leaning deeper into Erling.

  "So he did that, huh..." Wait a second. That child didn’t seem to be so aggressive to kindness.

  "Are you sure it was Riley??

  She abruptly stopped crying and looked at the man in shock, as if he committed the worst crime imaginable. "Are you on his side? Do you not believe me, Grandpa??

  "I do, but..."She interrupted him as if she had heard enough.

  "I would have dirtied my hands again If it wasn’t for my Stephan." She put her hands on her cheeks, which had suddenly turned red.

  "He was so cool, Grandpa," Sophia gushed, her tears giving way to a wistful smile. "He saved me from Riley without hesitation, he even got injured!" Next time I meet that walking trash, I will break his bones for harming my Stephan. He always runs from me, so it will be easy. Her hands hid away the mad gleam in her eyes. Of course, I won’t forget my gloves.

  "..." How did we get here? Thought Erling.

  "And he was so handsome- Grandpa? Can I marry him when I grow up?" She stopped reminiscing and asked her old man.

  "..." He stared at her with wide-open eyes, not anticipating her words.

  "..." She started him with equally wide-open eyes, excited for his response.

  "...Sure. You can do whatever you want in the future," Sigh, I feel like I understand her less the older she gets.

  "Yes! Thank you, Grandpa. You’re the best!"

  "...Do you still want me to continue?" This little chat of theirs drained whatever was left of his energy. He hoped that at least it made her drowsy. But Sophie's big eyes told him otherwise. Feeling slightly jealous at her seemingly limitless energy, he started speaking.

  "Where was I??

  "You were saying how Pesties were dirty and eat trash. And how a War or Conquest Path can easily beat the villains up." answered the young girl with such energy her words felt truthful.

  "Ah, yes. The Pestilence Path may be able to use such powers, but that isn’t why they are dangerous." She made those up, didn’t she? His instincts still flashed in warning. She is still learning, though her words are a little harsh. "They were also capable of creating Artifacts and Formations, making them extremely valuable to the nobles.?

  ?Those villains are important?? a gleam flashed in her eyes before disappearing. ?How important are we talking??

  ?So valuable that if two noble houses were to hear about one unclaimed, they would fight to the death. I still remember how, years ago, a nearby village was raided by two noble houses to catch a newly awakened Pestilence.?

  ?It was so brutal that nearly all the villagers there died, including the girl they came for,? Sophia’s eyes glistened with desire after hearing Erling’s words. ?But thankfully, Riley isn’t that. Or else we would need to take drastic measures before the nobles come here two days later,? And now they suddenly dimmed as if losing interest.

  ?So that Dirty kid is just a Pest, huh,? A yawn escaped her mouth, to the old man’s joy.

  ?Well, it looks like my little princess is tired. I believe it’s time we both go to bed, don’t you think? Tomorrow’s a big day for you.? she nodded to his words and relaxed on Erling’s chest.

  ?Lift me like a princess, Grandpa.?

  "Why don't we continue this conversation next time?" Erling suggested. Sophia nodded sleepily, her energy finally waning as she closed her eyes. He chuckled at the sight.

  ?Alright. Sweet dreams, Sophia.?

  Only the sound of footsteps echoed in the house. As he watched her drift off to sleep on her bed, Erling couldn't shake the feeling that today's events would impact the village more than he believed.