After the meal, Mathew and the other children led Luca and Finn to where they lived. It was an old, abandoned house with broken windows and a leaky roof. Despite its poor state, the children had made it feel like home with blankets and small trinkets they had gathered over time.
As they talked, Luca and Finn learned more about the city. The children were knowledgeable about the city, sharing gossip from the markets and recommending which shops to visit or avoid. Their stories revealed how much the children had experienced at such a young age.
Before departing for Silverdeep in the evening, Luca and Finn treated the children to another meal in the afternoon. This time, Finn paid for the food, claiming, "It's only fair since you bought the last one."
After saying their goodbyes, Luca and Finn returned to the inn to gather their belongings. As their carriage rolled out of the city, they were surprised to see Mathew and the children waving from the gates. "Goodbye, Luca! Goodbye, Finn! Come back soon!" they shouted.
The journey back to Silverdeep took three days. When they arrived, Luca suggested, "Should we visit Instructor Aldric? Maybe we can show him how much we've improved."
Finn nodded. "Good idea. Let's go."
At the Drakemore estate, the guards informed them that Instructor Aldric was away on a mission with an unknown return date. Disappointed, Luca and Finn turned back.
Having no other plans, Luca and Finn headed to their village, Eldermoor. After several hours of travel, they arrived at the familiar outskirts. Despite being called a village, Eldermoor was surprisingly vast.
Fields of lush green crops spread across the land, the main source of the villagers' income. Farming was at the heart of Eldermoor, and every family owned a field, even the poorest among them. The smallest plots, about half an acre, were sufficient to meet the families' basic needs.
As Luca and Finn walked through the village, they were greeted warmly by everyone they passed. "Welcome back, Luca! Welcome back, Finn!" The cheerful greetings caught them off guard.
Luca glanced at Finn. "Did we suddenly become famous?"
Finn shrugged, just as puzzled. He spotted a young boy nearby and called him over. Taking a candy from his pocket, he handed it to the boy and asked, "Hey, what's going on? Why is everyone being so nice today?"
The boy grinned and replied, "Brother Finn, my mother said that five people from our village joined the military as temporary recruits. The news spread that You and Luca who were chosen as servants by the Drakemore family, Eldric and Tomas chosen by the Gaellen family, and Greta chosen by the Morwan family got recruited into military as temporary recruits."
News of their recruitment had apparently spread throughout the village. Luca and Finn knew that three others from their village had also been selected as temporary recruits, but since they were in different parts of the camp, they hadn't interacted much with them.
Only four families in Eldermoor held an official grade 3 rank, distinguishing them as the village's wealthiest. These ranks, unlike noble titles, were not hereditary, making them challenging for commoners to achieve.
If Luca, Finn, and the other temporary recruits became permanent, they would be awarded a grade 3 rank. This would elevate their social status, potentially transforming their lives and their families' prospects.
Thinking about this, Luca couldn't help but remember his own family's struggles. His father, Gregory, had passed away when Luca was only two years old, leaving his mother a widow. His parents were not originally from Eldermoor. His father had lost his parents at a young age and was raised by his uncle. He worked diligently for his uncle's family, whom he considered his own.
However, after his father married his mother, things changed. His uncle claimed that since he had taken care of him and even paid for his wedding, all the family land—ten acres that once belonged to Luca's grandfather—rightfully belonged to him.
His father, heartbroken and betrayed, left with his mother and settled in Eldermoor. With his father's savings, they purchased half an acre of land and built a small home. They cultivated the remaining land to grow vegetables for a living.
However, their savings soon depleted, and his mother became pregnant with Luca. Fortunately, Luca's father had learned hunting skills from an elder in his childhood village. He hunted small game in the nearby mountains and sold it in the city.
One day, when Luca was just two years old, his father went hunting as usual but never returned. A search party found his hunting weapons, bloodstained, and wolf tracks in the vicinity.
Luca's mother was devastated but found the strength to care for him. As Luca was too young to comprehend, his mother single-handedly cared for him. She worked tirelessly to provide a safe home for Luca.
Following his father's death, the villagers kept their distance, neither fully accepting nor rejecting them. Luca felt isolated, as village children avoided him. Some children mocked him for being fatherless.
Because of this, Luca spent most of his time at home with his mother. To support them, his mother Rhea learned how to weave and found work at one of the wealthier families in the village, who owned over fifteen looms. She worked tirelessly, returning home exhausted late each night. However, whenever Luca called her 'mother,' she couldn't help but smile, feeling that all her hard work was worthwhile.
His mother never complained despite their struggles. She shared stories about Luca's father, portraying him as a kind, hardworking man.