Khazak woke up squinting against the morning light, finding himself in a bed far more comfortable than any he'd slept in before. As he tried to move the blanket aside, he noticed a weight on it. In the large bed beside him lay Mylia, her midsection wrapped in bandages, her tattered clothes still on. Moving carefully to avoid waking her, he got up and began to examine the room. Everything was made of wood, and shelves lined the walls, giving the place a warm, rustic charm. On one of the bedside tables lay Mylia's odachi and his own small sword, as well as two sets of fresh clothes.
Khazak picked up his own set: a black wool coat that fit a bit loosely, a classic white shirt, and a small leather chest guard meant to protect vital areas. He dressed, layering the white shirt, leather guard, and coat, then added a pair of relaxed, black trousers. Checking his reflection in the full-length mirror on the wardrobe, he was pleased with how he looked. The edges of the coat flared outward, giving him an impressive look that he couldn't help but admire.
Curious, he opened the wardrobe, which creaked loudly, releasing a cloud of dust and a stray insect. Inside was a collection of various swords, all high quality and meticulously crafted. Just as he was admiring them, he heard a sound and quickly closed the door. The noise had come from Mylia. She shifted slightly, then sat up in bed, staring down blankly at her knees, the blanket still wrapped around her. After a moment, she winced and reached for her wound, only to find it bandaged. She looked around in surprise and spotted Khazak, who was now standing in his new outfit. A slight blush rose to her cheeks, and she said softly,
"Where are we... and where did you get those clothes?"
Mylia asked, still a bit dazed.
With the confidence that came from his new, stylish outfit, Khazak turned to her with a grin.
"I have no idea. Last thing I remember, we reached that house we saw in the distance, and now here we are. But hey, these clothes suit me, don't you think?"
Mylia blushed slightly, raising her hands to her face as she glanced at him shyly.
"Yes... they look really good on you."
Pleased with the compliment, Khazak added with a smile,
"There's a set for you, too. I'm sure it'll look great on you."
After that, Khazak pointed to the red and white clothing set on the side table. Mylia carefully picked up the outfit, clasping her hands in front of her chest as she looked at Khazak with an embarrassed expression. Khazak stared at her blankly, not catching on, until Mylia finally murmured, blushing,
"Could you… step out?"
Realizing his obliviousness, Khazak quickly scrambled out of the room. As he closed the door behind him, he found himself face-to-face with a man standing just to his left, a coffee in one hand and a cigarette hanging from his mouth. The man had a mix of brown and white hair, with his beard streaked gray in the middle—a rugged, charismatic look befitting his age. After giving Khazak a once-over, the man grinned, taking a puff and chuckling,
"Guess my clothes look good on you, huh?"
Khazak fumbled in response, hesitated for a moment, and then clasped his hands together in front of him and said:
"Thank you... For the clothes and for saving us."
The man took another drag of his cigarette and said:
"You're welcome, besides, not helping people like you would be against my values. How's your girlfriend?"
Khazak blushed at the "girlfriend" part but didn't deny it and replied:
"She's changing inside."
An amused smile formed on the man's face as he walked over to Khazak, put a hand on his shoulder, and Khazak shivered from head to toe at the sudden touch. However, he also felt a strange sense of comfort in the man's masculine warmth. The man then said:
"Things are still in progress, I suppose, but I must say, you've dropped something really beatifull."
At these words, Khazak felt himself sink deeper into the ground. Just as he was standing there awkwardly, the door opened, and Mylia appeared standing inside. She was wearing a long white kimono, and underneath it, a red outfit, matching the color of her eyes, peeked through in a few places where the kimono revealed. To Khazak, she looked absolutely stunning in it. Mylia stared blankly at the scene of the man's arm around Khazak's shoulder, and after a moment of looking, the man, before Khazak could react, spoke:
"Yo."
Mylia clasped her hands on her knees, leaned forward, and said:
"I deeply thank you for saving us. I'm Mylia, nice to meet you."
The man removed his arm from Khazak's shoulder, took the last puff of his cigarette, and placed it in a small container inside his jacket. Then, rummaging through his pocket, he spoke in a deep voice:
"No need to be so formal, young lady, I just saved two young people, that's all."
After saying this, he pulled out a golden Zippo lighter from his pocket and lit a second cigarette. Taking a puff, he lightly tapped Khazak on the back and said:
"My coffee's getting cold. If you'd like, we can continue our conversation in the outdoor seating area."
Hearing this, both Mylia and Khazak nodded in agreement at the same time. The man walked ahead of them, with Mylia and Khazak walking behind, heading towards the door. Once outside, they reached the front of the house, where the ground was made of wooden planks connected to the house, with a round, dark wooden table topped with a fireplace. The man pulled out a chair and sat at the head of the table, while Mylia and Khazak sat near each other, away from him at the small round table. The man then began:
"Alright, let's start by introducing ourselves. I'm Gladius. Now, let's hear your names."
After taking a sip of his coffee, he began to observe Khazak and Mylia. Khazak spoke first:
"I'm Khazak, from a nearby village. Nice to meet you."
Immediately after, Mylia spoke:
"I'm Mylia, from the land of the elves. Nice to meet you."
The man took another puff from his cigarette and, looking up, exhaled the smoke into the air.
"So, we have a villager and an elf, huh... So, what brings you two here?"
Khazak and Mylia exchanged a brief glance before Khazak spoke:
"I was sent here by my master for training purposes. I need to survive here for a month."
Upon hearing this, the man gave a strange expression of surprise before responding:
"What kind of training is that? If you die here, it's all pointless anyway. First time I've heard of a master using such foolish methods."
Khazak's irritation grew at these words, and with a sudden burst of anger, he snapped:
"My master is one of the strongest people in the universe. You can't just talk about him like that without knowing anything."
Upon hearing this, the man tilted his head towards Khazak with a mocking expression and let out a sarcastic "heh," before saying:
"One of the strongest in the universe, huh? Who is this master of yours?"
With a puffed chest and childlike confidence, Khazak straightened himself and proudly said:
"Reagon Dragonsonn."
Both Gladius and Mylia slammed their hands on the table at the same time, standing up with extremely surprised expressions. Gladius then exclaimed loudly:
"Reagon Dragonsonn?! The one from the old 12 commanders?"
Khazak let out a sinister laugh and responded:
"Yes, exactly. Even the strongest demon is nothing compared to him."
Gladius sat back into his seat, still in shock, before Mylia cleared her throat and sat down to speak:
"You never told me, Khazak. The so-called egotistical master you've mentioned—was he really Reagon Dragonsonn?"
Khazak paused for a moment before turning to Mylia and replying:
"Yeah, you never asked, and I guess I forgot to mention it."
Then Gladius chimed in:
"So, after that legendary figure retired, he started training someone like you, huh?"
He took another puff from his cigarette, pressed it against the table, and said:
"In my youth, I had the chance to see the legendary Reagon in action during one of the wars with the demons. I can tell you, he was as powerful as they say."
This time, Khazak slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and said loudly:
"Really?! Please, tell me more! Even though he's my master, I know nothing about his youth or his full power back then."
Gladius, in a mocking tone, replied:
"Of course, I'll tell you. What else do we have but time? Besides, it's been a while since I had a good conversation. Now, let me tell you how it all started: Years ago, during a war with the demons..."