Song of horses' tacking soles accompanying an stagecoach passing by the plain of Lilac flowers at the direction of Lilac Town.
The wooden wheels squeaking softly because of the frequently impact it received while passing this gravel road.
An old swordman with stern face and gray ponytail hair take a glance at the astonishing environment while the stagecoach ascending the bridge above the wide Lilac Lake that bordering the Lilac Flowers plain and the farmer's farm area.
"I see," A faint smile shaped at the swordman's face, "So... Is this your proudedly home of you, my Friend?"
His eyes is blocked at the Lilac plain, but he can sensing the presence of a white-haired man sitting at the another side of stagecoach's chair unknowingly since when. Even other passengers not even bother him cause his very presence, who should be not here yet since now, is so natural; as if he is already here since the beginning in their mind.
"It's already a while... How's your journey?" The white-haired man asked.
In response, the swordman smiled.
In the next moment, a faint slicing sound heard.
"Well, I can't say I liked it, but I think my journey is something I enjoyed," The swordman answered.
The white-haired man's eyes widened slightly when he seeing a sheet of white hair blowed far away by the breeze.
He smiled.
"You're getting even stronger, Ken."
The swordman also smiled, although with a bit of bitterness.
"Not as much as you, that's it," He laugh.
His eyes sharpening when he eventually make an eye contact with the white-haired man.
"I can't even fully slice that Mana barrier of yours, Thiandore."
The white-haired simply smiling with no cares at his words—he always find it amusing and interesting to be with him, this old friend of him.
"I don't know what are you talking about though~?"
The both of them laughed warmly for a while before the Swordman, Ken, finally asked about why he visiting this County of his friend in front of him.
"So, why don't you tell me about this child of you that you said wanting to be my desciple?"
Ken put a wide grin in his bearded face.
He is very curious what kind of child who born at Lilac Family and yet, choosing to walk at the path of Swordman despite the initial overwhelming talent at magic in their gen.
Thiandore's expression turned back to the surious one.
"The child is my own son. His name is Arcide."
"Hoho~..."
After reach the farm area of Lilac Town, it's needed almost no time to reach the gate of the Town.
The two of them silently and naturally, sneaking among the crowd of people, without even them realizing the presences of the two.
Their conversation keep going.
From the formal topic about Arcide, to something more personaling and humoring.
The two only stopping when they finally arrived at the front of the Mansion of Lilac Family.
Ken rubbing his bearded chin, whistling, at the view of the spacious and grandiose Mansion.
"As expected from Noble~ Isn't it a cool Mansion! I quite like your taste, even if I think eastern building is felt more attaching for me! Hahaha!"
"Well..." Thiandore sighing, "After all, you are born from east, at the Yamato Nation, if I correct?"
Ken take a look at the surrounding of the Mansion—the statue, the carving, the anxieted soldiers guarding the gate, their armors, and even the wall.
He happyly and curiously looking at everything, admiring the contrast of culture.
He was about to nodded at Thiandore words when his eyes locked at the two small figures approaching from afar.
"Hm?"
His interest piqued.
He narrowing his eyes, using his Mana and Aura to enchance his vision range.
When he eventually seeing the actual figure of the two kids, a boy and a girl, whose now running around the Mansion with sweat covering their bodies.
At the next moment, Ken's ears flinch, hearing the approaching foot sounds from inside the Mansion.
The main door of Mansion throwed open with a bang.
From the inside, an beautiful mistress in an embelishing gown dragging her gown with angry face, the maids following her in panic.
"R-RILANA~!! Y-you childs! I can understand if it Arcide since he is a man, but you, Rilana, YOU IS THE PRINCESS OF THE LILAC COUNTY OF OURS!"
The beautiful mistress ran at the direction of the two kids, angry and displeased, but without any bad intentions—rather, she just don't want her daughter to enveloping some bad habit that would makes her daughter became someone among nobles to laugh at.
The two kids running away at the opposite direction, panicked.
Thiandore pinched his forehead at the event revealed, sighing deeply.
In other hand, Ken smiled, looking at them with distant eyes.
"Maybe I should be force everything and be genuine at my feeling instead at that time..."
He can't help but felt a sense of regret when he remembered about a certain princess he getting close to at one time when he returned to his hometown, the Yamato Nation.
Well, it's already too late to even regreting it now, though.
Ken sighed, smiling with even more bitterness than anything.
"This man is Ken, Kawaou Ken, someone who would become your sword master from now on."
Thiandore introducting Ken to Arcide in the training ground that used to be one of three training ground for soldiers.
Ken just show a faint smile, his eyes looking at Arcide from the head to toe, counting his potential.
Ken particularly focused on Arcide's calm and composed demeanor despite his age.
He can't help but take a glance at his friend beside him and smiled.
As expected from Thiandore, the Velvet Mystical Thunder's son...
Arcide make an eye contact with Ken.
He seems to somewhat intimidated, but he endure it with determined eyes of him, put his right hand at his chest as respecting greet.
"I am glad to meet you, master. Please guide me from now on! My name is Arcide Lilac."
Ken's eyes sharpening.
Not bad at all... He'd definitely would worth teaching.
His smile widening.
Looks like it's gonna be interesting...