Gracia chuckled and pulled Gloria toward the village.Gloria turned her head to Adrian. "Wait for me in Drogoton. I'll contact you when Cici and I get there," she said.Adrian made an "okay" gesture and watched the sisters return to the village. Shortly after, he left Thompsonville and headed back to Drogoton.***The news of Gloria's return caused a sensation in the surrounding area. Many living nearby Thompsonville came to see her. The village had organized a feast and set up over a hundred tables in the square to celebrate her return.Gloria was extremely happy that day and was inseparable from her little sister. Gracia stayed by Gloria's side, even insisting on going to the washroom together. She wanted to cherish every moment she had with the person she thought she had lost.Gracia could finally see the light at the end of the dark tunnel. She had been reunited with her sister, whom she thought she would never see again for the rest of her life. Thus, her lonely life ended,
Gloria followed Gracia back to her place, revealed to be a luxurious and extravagant villa. Gracia had been living here for some time.Gloria was delighted when she arrived at the villa that she explored everything inside, feeling how fresh and new the whole place was. Indeed, as Gracia said, this was the happiest point of Gloria’s life over the past five years.The sisters bathed together, cooked together, sat on the couch in their pajamas chatting, ate snacks, and watched TV together. They only had each other in their minds the whole time. The entire villa was now filled with the joyous laughter of two sisters who had been separated for five long years.***The sisters ended up falling asleep in each other's embrace that night. Meanwhile, Adrian stood on the upper floor of a hotel near the villa, quietly gazing at Gracia's villa, lost in his thoughts.The television in the room was broadcasting a series of news. Recently, news of the Wyvern Peak soldiers assembling had spread th
The night grew darker and darker.The next morning, the weather was especially hot. Summer had unknowingly arrived. Women up and down the street were donning short skirts, showing off their slender legs.Adrian woke up early that morning and pulled open his curtains. He then received a text message from Gloria.[Cici and I will be visiting Glovern today. After that, we're going shopping for some clothes in the afternoon. Cici even said she'd buy me some jewelry. Do you want to come along?]Upon seeing Gloria's message, Adrian quickly replied…[Have fun, but remember we're in a time crunch. We’ll be leaving the day after tomorrow.][Okay.]After ending the conversation with Gloria, Adrian left the hotel to head somewhere. He was quite familiar with his way around in Drogoton, and that was because a certain someone lived in the city.This person was Ben Davis, codenamed Draven.Ben was a resident of Drogoton who joined Wyvern Peak five years before Adrian did, thus making him co
Adrian instantly recognized the old man.It was Aiden Davis, Ben's father.Aiden used to be a martial arts instructor, and it was Aiden's influence that led Ben to join Wyvern Peak. Aiden longed to be on the battlefield since he was young. Yet, the former martial arts instructor had grown so old that he found it difficult to even chop firewood."Let me help you with that.” Adrian walked over and took the ax from Aiden's hand, who was slightly taken aback.With one swing of the ax, Adrian managed to split the firewood apart.Aiden took a few steps back and quickly recognized Adrian. "A-Adrian?”"You remember me?" Adrian laughed.Adrian had been to their house with Ben once. Although it was only for a day, Aiden had a sharp eye for faces and had a deep impression of Adrian. Plus, Adrian's fame as War Legate Draco had spread far and wide, which made it much easier for Aiden to recognize him."What are you doing here, sir?" Aiden chuckled. He then took out a cigarette from his pock
"Actually, I heard it from Ben. He's still in contact with a few of his old buddies, and they mentioned it in passing. You’re here to send Gloria home, aren’t you? I suppose that includes this visit?" Aiden asked in response.Adrian nodded. "Yes. I originally didn’t want to come here because I didn't want to see Ben. I always feel a lot of guilt whenever I see him. He must feel really bad not being able to fulfill his dreams.""He has been doing much better over the years. He has gradually come to accept the life he's in and often speaks very highly of you. Still, I wasn't expecting you to become the legate," Aiden said."It’s all thanks to the alcohol he brought me back in the day." Adrian chuckled.Upon hearing this, Aiden laughed and clapped his hands. "Goodness me. I would’ve forgotten about that if you hadn't mentioned it. Let's have a drink while you're here. It's been a really long time since I've gotten a few drinks in my system. My wife always stopped me, you see.""Sure,
"Hey, guys," Adrian politely greeted them.Illana pushed Ben over in his wheelchair and smiled. "What brings you here all of a sudden, War Legate Draco? You should've told me earlier so that we could've made some preparations."Adrian revealed a wry smile, while Ben said, "I could smell you the moment I saw the car parked outside. Still, I can't believe you're actually here!"Adrian smiled and walked over to give Ben a bear hug.Ben hugged back and smiled. "It's been a long time, brother.""Yes, it has!" After letting go, Adrian continued, "I'm here to send Gloria home and I thought I’d pay you guys a visit while I'm here in Drogoton. I wasn't intending to come here initially because… Hmm… I don't know how to put this, but I get kind of sad at the thought of coming here."Illana smiled. "Stop putting unnecessary pressure on yourself, sir. I'm extremely grateful to you for bringing Ben home alive."At the time, it was Adrian who dragged Ben's severely injured body away from the p
Seraphine handed Adrian a cup of tea. "Have some tea, mister.""Thank you, Sera," Adrian said with a smile."Are you War Legate Draco, mister?" Seraphine suddenly asked."Huh?" Adrian was slightly taken aback.Seraphine replied, "My father tells me stories about you all the time. He always talks about how incredible you are. Even my history teachers in school would tell us about you, saying that you're Azure Creek's hope and that you led the people in Azure Creek against the bully outlanders."You're really awesome, mister. Are you afraid of dying?"Adrian replied, "Yes, I am."Seraphina was surprised to hear his answer. "What? You're afraid too? But my teacher said soldiers aren’t scared of death."Adrian laughed. "That's because our home is always being invaded by our enemies. If we surrender, we will all die, but if we fight back, there might just be hope for us. That's why even if we have to die because of that glimmer of hope, we still fight back."Seraphina was processin
Adrian and Ben exchanged smiles.After becoming fathers, they bid farewell to the times they spent together in the past.***Illana soon churned out a few dishes for lunch. Adrian and Ben sat down to drink, this being their first reunion after many years. They reminisced about the past, recalling the little moments they had shared.Alas, the time for them to part ways arrived, and Adrian was ready to leave after finishing lunch."Ben, I don't know when we’ll meet again after today, so let's hope our friendship remains unchanged and true for the rest of time. Until next time, my brother."Illana pushed Ben along and accompanied Adrian to the courtyard."I don't know what else I can say to you, to be honest. But, as a retired soldier of Wyvern Peak myself, I sincerely hope you'll select a candidate fit enough to inherit your legacy.""I will." Adrian nodded."Goodbye, mister!" Seraphina waved to Adrian.Adrian smiled at her and said, "I'm sure you’ll grow up to become a woman w