Ren woke up from his dream, realizing that he was sitting under a banyan tree with his friends, Violet and Louise.

They all felt exhausted after spending months in intensive training, honing their skills at the training camp on top of Mount Beryn. They fought hard to be the best and show their potential to help advance the village of Caelfall.

They all agreed to ignite their spirits and determination to achieve their goals and push the village of Caelfall forward.

Ren and his friends were members of a training camp centered at the summit of Mount Beryn.

An ancient tradition in the village of Caelfall was to hold a selection open to all 16-year-old children, aimed at finding those with talent and potential to advance the village.

Each selected child would climb Mount Beryn, a place considered the source of wisdom by the villagers.

"This is what we've been waiting for, right!?" Ren shouted as a cheer of encouragement to his friends.

"You're always so full of energy, Ren." Louise was still asleep on Violet's lap, enjoying the cool breeze under the banyan tree.

"Tch, I don't want to hear that from someone who's always lounging around on Violet's lap." Ren teased Louise, who was resting her head on Violet's lap.

"Ahahaha... just let it be... Louise probably really needs the rest." Violet chuckled lightly while leaning back against the banyan tree.

"That's right! Only you, Violet, can understand how I feel." Louise nodded her head repeatedly.

"Violet, listen... you spoil her too much. She's really just seeking attention." Ren slowly stood up and reached for his long wooden staff to practice with.

"Is that true, Louise?" Violet pinched Louise's cheek.

"Ah! Ouch, ouch, that hurts, Violet!" Louise cried out in pain.

"Seeing you two lazing around makes me want to move ahead of you. So I can always tell myself that I'm better than you." Ren left Violet and Louise alone under the banyan tree.

"You really are full of energy, you damn Ren! I won't lose to you!" Louise shouted.

Ren participated in this training to unlock his potential.

He was confident that the training camp on Mount Beryn would provide him with the training and skills he needed to achieve his goals.

The sunset cast a warm glow on the surrounding scenery. However, Ren's heart felt heavy when he saw his happy friends being picked up by their parents, who were still together.

After the training session ended, Ren sat alone by the river that flowed on the outskirts of the village, tossing stones into the water to try to distract himself from his mixed emotions.

"Hey, you kid over there practicing! Catch this!" A senior threw a crumpled piece of paper with a hard stone inside at him.

Ren felt something drip from his head, realizing it was blood.

"...Blood?"

"Huh?" Ren picked up the paper.

"Keep training until your hands break, you fool!" A senior yelled, cursing at him.

Every day, Ren was bullied by that senior, and he kept every piece of paper that had ever hit him.

Knowing that he had become a target for bullying and the annoying seniority system, Ren stood up and approached that senior.

"What's the meaning of throwing this at me? Do you have a problem with me?"

"Oh, you've got guts?"

The senior grabbed Ren by the collar and shoved him hard, sending him flying quite a distance.

As the senior approached Ren, a young girl from the village chief's family, who was tasked with observing, noticed the altercation and always tried to intervene.

"Stop this!"

"You're really lucky, kid, this beautiful girl needs something from me. Isn't that right, Ralph?" The senior teased Ralph, trying to grab her hand.

"Hey Ralph... would you like to accompany me tonight...?" Ralph looked unhappy with the senior's casual behavior. The senior kept teasing Ralph.

Ren slowly got up.

"Stop that, idiot. The girl doesn't feel comfortable around you, go away before you make her feel insulted." Ren turned away after grabbing a branch.

"Oh, now we have a white knight!" The senior mocked Ren and looked down on him. "You know, a girl is just a..."

Ren ran at the senior and swung the branch with all his strength, hitting the senior's jaw.

"ARRGGHH!!! YOU!!! DAMN KID!!!" The senior couldn't move after Ren struck him hard, knocking him to the ground, motionless.

In retaliation, the senior scratched Ren's face, drawing blood.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!!"

"Huh... is this how a senior fights?" Ren kept hitting the senior with strong blows, bruising his cheek.

"Both of you, stop it!! Amour... stop it!" Ralph couldn't stand the fighting until they were both bleeding, and she intervened by holding Ren back as he continued to rage.

"That training camp didn't change you at all, did it? Can't you behave better!?" Ren yelled, still trying to break free from Ralph's hold to land another punch on the senior.

"...That's enough." Ralph continued holding Ren's body, her physical strength much greater than his, but she still tried to separate them both, her priority being their safety.

"Just an amateur. How could he be called a senior?" Ren finished the confrontation and walked away after hitting the senior's jaw hard enough to dislocate it.

"He's your senior. You should respect him." Ralph lowered her head, staring down and pinching Ren's arm as he tried to walk away.

"Is this your response after I helped you? Fine, do as you please." Ren left without another word, feeling unappreciated despite having helped the girl.

Ren walked off into the forest to find a quieter place to practice.

Ralph continued watching Ren as he slowly disappeared from view.

"...Thank you," Ralph said with a faint smile.

Ren had long been frustrated with training that didn't yield satisfying results. To him, it was all nonsense and didn't help him sharpen his skills.

"I'm home!" Ren continued to reflect on his thoughts as he reached the old hut.

"Oh, Brother Rein? Welcome back!" His sister, Roze, greeted him and was startled.

"Grandfather! Brother Rein's face is badly hurt!" Roze ran back into the house and called for her grandfather.

"Is your brother okay? I knew he was just looking for attention. Grandpa's going to scold Ren," the grandfather said, walking in and speaking to her outside.

"Hey, troublemaker! Who did you fight with!? Why are you hurt!?" Grandpa scolded Ren in a loud voice.

"Senior. At the training camp." Ren lowered his head and answered.

"Hmm... Really?" Grandpa hesitated, lowering his tone. "So, who was hurt the most? Did you beat him up much worse?"

"I beat him until he couldn't move, lying limp on the ground." Ren smiled slightly at his grandfather's unexpected question.

"Oh, that's good. Pretty impressive." Grandpa wiped his sweat.

"So, what's the matter? It's rare to see you come back to this old hut. I had you join the Murphy family foundation so you could meet many new family members. What's going on? Do you have a problem?"

"No. I just wanted to visit here." Ren smiled, admitting that although his small family wasn't perfect, they weren't too bad.

"Next time, greet your new family. They're also worried about you." Grandpa walked inside the hut.

"Alright." Ren felt a little relieved because at least he had some amazing people who always cheered him on.

"Good. That's my grandson. Now go inside. Roze has been worrying about you all day." Grandpa patted Ren on the shoulder.

"Oh yeah, thank you..." Ren came home to his small family, which only consisted of his younger sister and beloved grandfather.

The next day, Ren went early to the orphanage for breakfast together.

Ren daydreamed about how his friends were joking around with their parents, holding hands, and speaking joyfully.

He felt envious and sad because he didn't have parents who could make him happy with such laughter and conversation.

"If only... I were luckier..."

All his friends, who walked with their father or mother's hand on their shoulder, left a deep impression on Ren.

He felt lonely and neglected in the middle of their happiness. The sight made it feel as though the world had separated him from the love of a family.

As he slowly arrived, Ren wiped away the tears that nearly fell from his eyes. He took a deep breath and tried to strengthen his heart.

With firm steps, he began walking back to the orphanage where he lived.

"YO REN! YOU'RE HERE?!" Louise, from behind the orphanage door, got excited when she realized Ren had come to the breakfast session.

"You're here so early. Missing us?" Violet followed behind Louise.

"Hurry up and come in, idiot! This time, Violet helped the kitchen manager make breakfast." Louise pulled Ren inside.

Ren was warmly greeted by the kitchen manager. "Oh, Ren, you're back? Sit down and join us for breakfast."

Violet smiled. "It's rare to see Ren join for breakfast. I'm glad I made it today."

"Oh, of course! Ren, don't be shy if you want seconds!" Louise helped the kitchen manager set the food.

"You're the one who always wants seconds, you idiot, Louise." Violet smiled widely, as this moment of togetherness was quite rare.

They all sat down joyfully and full of happiness.

"Uwwaahh... This looks so good!" Louise took a piece of warm potato and ate it.

"Again, Louise. You're eating first again. Hurry up and lead the prayer." Violet smiled at Louise's clumsiness.

"Oh! I forgot! It's okay because today we're still given the chance to be together!" Louise excitedly led the prayer.

They all ate together after praying.

"Welcome back, Ren." Violet took a seat next to him.

"Oh Violet. Yes, thank you." Ren smiled, surprised that his friend still wanted to accept him.

"Ren, how are you!?" Louise, as usual, was overly excited.

"I'm fine!" Ren replied to Louise's greeting with equal enthusiasm. "I feel amazing!"

Louise laughed heartily. "Oh really! I'm glad to hear that! I hope it stays that way!"

"By the way, Ren, how's your training going?" Violet handed Ren a glass of water.

"It's very exhausting, but everything is fine." Ren ate his breakfast eagerly.

"Thanks for the food!" Louise placed her plate in the sink and helped the kitchen maid wash the dishes.

"Oh, it looks like I have training today too." Ren finished his meal.

"Don't rush." Violet handed him the glass of water. "Drink this first. If you leave later, you'll still make it on time, so don't worry."

Ren drank it all. "Don't worry, I can't be late. At least this is my way of thanking you." Ren packed his things.

"Alright then, be careful on the road." Violet opened the door for him.

"See you again, Ren!" Louise waved her hand.

"Take care, Ren." Violet smiled and waved her hand.

"See you again!" Ren waved back at them and left.

Ren headed to the top of Mount Beryn, taking an alternative route through the forest. It was the fastest way to the top of the mountain but a bit risky. For Ren, who had mastered the deep forest area, it was no problem, and he arrived safely.

Upon reaching the top of Mount Beryn, Ren was tasked with cleaning the warehouse at the training camp.

Ren noticed a sword that caught his attention, lying among old, unused items. He felt intrigued by the sword, but decided to ignore it. Curious about the art of sword fighting, Ren decided to practice his sword skills.

With boredom and frustration from his spear training, Ren became more motivated to hone his swordsmanship. He practiced every day and gave his best effort. His swordsmanship gradually improved.

Who would have thought that the papers that had been thrown at him a few days ago contained several sword techniques? Not very complete, but still could be perfected. "I don't really understand this kind of thing, but I guess trying it isn't a bad idea, right?"

Ren was already familiar with the atmosphere in the forest. As he passed through a forest area, he found an abandoned hut. It occurred to him to fix the small, neglected hut to store his things and have a place to rest.

Fixing the hut seemed to take a lot of energy. Ren covered the hole in the roof, replaced the termite-eaten wooden walls, and provided lighting around it.

After the tiring work, Ren planned to take some time to practice sword fighting.

While Ren was focused on training, suddenly the pain in his hand became unbearable, causing him to faint.

"Ouch, oh my, I'm lost... Again, because of my carelessness." The blonde-haired village chief's daughter walked through the forest and was quite surprised to find the hut in the middle of the woods.

"There's someone over there." The girl, who was lost, encountered Ren once again, this time collapsed on the ground. "Isn't that him, the one from before?"

"The fool from that day. How could he faint?" The girl hurried over to Ren, who was lying weakly.

Ren was lucky that the village chief's daughter passed by and found him. He woke up from his fainting spell with his head in her lap. "Oh, you're awake? I'm glad you're okay."

"Hmm...?" Ren tried to regain his consciousness.

"...I'm quite impressed with the hut over there. Did you make it?"

"Unfortunately, it's not mine..."

The girl gave him a drink and asked about his condition. "Then whose is it? And how are you now?"

"...Oh, you're the girl from a few days ago." Ren adjusted his head as he lay in Ralph's lap.

"I'm not the girl from a few days ago. I'm Ralph." Ralph was slightly offended and flicked Ren's forehead.

"Oh, okay... so you're the girl who forgot to thank me when I helped you, right?"

"I told you I have a name! I'm Ralph!" Ralph argued with Ren. "And I already thanked you!"

"Really? Didn't I just leave without saying anything?" Ren was a bit confused.

"Uhmm... I don't know! Forget it!" Ralph turned her face away when Ren mentioned the thank you.

"So what do you want?" Ren stared at Ralph's face while still lying in her lap.

"I helped you when you were lying on the ground... and this is how you thank me? I'm offended." Ralph looked disappointed in Ren.

"Seems fair enough to me," Ren replied.

"...By the way, I just asked, what do you want? You certainly didn't help me without a reason." Ren got up and sat facing Ralph.

"Oh really?" Ralph slowly stood up and was about to leave Ren. "It's fine, after all, it's not my concern to receive your thanks."

"Yeah, yeah, I understand... You. Ralph. I'll remember your name. Thanks for your help."

"That's all I wanted to hear. Was it really that hard for you to say thank you? Well, you're welcome. I'm glad I could help you." Ralph continued walking away, leaving Ren alone in the forest. "And there's no need for any reason to help someone in need."

"What's with that girl? Annoying." Ren knew Ralph was angry, so he immediately followed her.

"Ralph. Why did you stop me back then?"

Ralph halted her steps. "Isn't it obvious? You should respect your seniors."

"That incident should have counted as... defending myself from being bullied during sword practice. Was it wrong for me to defend myself?"

"...Sword practice, you say?"

Ralph turned around and stared at Ren.

"So what do you think? Why the silence?"

"Then show me. What do you mean by sword practice? You're a member of the special training camp, right? Shouldn't the spear be your weapon of choice?"

"Isn't it also my freedom to choose the weapon I use? The situation back then was a bit complicated... I had no other choice but to use swordsmanship."

"Remember... even the training camp has its rules, you can't just do whatever you want..."

"...Let me remind you, as an observer at the special training camp."

Ralph continued walking, intending to leave Ren.

"You're so annoying, if that's the case, I'll show you. What true swordsmanship is!" Ren shouted and drew his wooden sword.

Ralph instinctively reached for his sword but then reconsidered.

Ralph chose to respond with words, safety is still the priority. "Oh? You just challenged me with a stick?"

"Correction. This is the sword I usually use for training."

"The technique you just used... I have to try it." As Ren chased Ralph, he launched a strike with his wooden sword at her.

Ralph reflexively turned around and parried it with her bare hands. "Hmm?? Is this what you thought when you saw a girl like me alone in the forest? Just so you know, I won't let my guard down easily."

"You seemed hesitant when you were about to draw your sword. What's wrong? Underestimating me?" Ren tightened his grip.

"This should be reported, right? A scenario where an observer at the special training camp, who highly values his spear, is about to draw his sword? A joke today." Ren continued to corner Ralph.

Ralph paused for a moment, then smiled. "Correction. I haven't even touched the hilt of my sword."

"Then? Afraid to duel me in swordsmanship?" Ren grinned.

"Seriously? Someone like you intends to hone their sword skills? Don't joke around!" Ralph swatted away and deflected Ren's wooden sword swing.

Ren noticed something strange on Ralph's face.

"You're off guard." Ren brushed aside Ralph's hair and saw a bruise, as if she had been slapped on her right cheek.

"Hey! That's rude!" Ralph tried to shake off Ren's grip.

"Who did this? A senior from that day?" Ren rubbed the bruise on her cheek.

"You don't need to know." Ralph shoved Ren away, sending her stumbling, then drew a real sword.

"Oh, so you really intend to hurt me?" Ren parried with just her wooden sword.

"Quite impressive, but don't underestimate a girl." Ralph launched a second slash.

"I'm not underestimating you." Ren continued to perfectly parry Ralph's strikes.

"I hate to admit it, but you're quite skilled... and a little impressive too." Ralph smiled slightly as they clashed swords.

"Come on! Show me all the techniques you have!"

"...Don't hesitate like before to draw your sword!"

"I won't hold back!" Ralph smiled as they dueled with swords.

Ren talked about his desire to hone his sword skills, even though he knew that the most valued skill in their village was riding a horse and wielding a long spear.

In the silent stillness, night embraced longing and stretched lantern lights from afar. They continued their sword duel in the dim glow of the dawning day.