I began living with Lily and her father, Richard. Every day, I walked beside Lily as she distributed bread, and I helped Richard in his smithy whenever I could. In every free moment, I worked with all my strength, determined to repay the kindness they had shown me.
One afternoon, as I was cleaning the forge, Richard stopped me with a sharp look.
"Kid, you don't have to force yourself," he said. His voice was steady, but his eyes carried something deeper. "Do you think I'm blind? I can see you working yourself to the bone. If you're only doing this to repay our kindness, then stop. I don't need pity from a child."
His words froze me in place. For a moment, I could barely breathe. But then, I smiled faintly and shook my head.
"I'm not helping out of pity, Richard. I'm helping because… for the first time, I feel alive. Back in the alleys, my life had no meaning. Now, every swing of the hammer, every loaf of bread I deliver—it makes me feel like I matter. I'm not tired of this life. I'm happy, because I can be useful."
Richard studied me in silence, then broke into a rare smile. He ruffled my hair and muttered, almost proudly, "Listen to yourself—talking like an adult already. Don't forget you're still just a kid."
I smiled too. But inside, I knew I had already grown far beyond the boy I once was.
Two years passed in that rhythm. I turned eleven; Lily was ten. Together, we continued to deliver bread across the town. People began to greet us warmly, and I was no longer the nameless shadow from the alleys. Faces remembered me. Smiles welcomed me.
By then, I also learned more of Richard's world. His blacksmithy wasn't just any shop—it was the only smithy in town. And Richard himself wasn't just a blacksmith; he was famous for forging weapons of unmatched strength. I finally understood why the soldiers had released me so easily that day. His name carried weight even in the prisons.
One afternoon, as Lily and I walked back from our deliveries, we passed the Adventurers' Guild. For two years, she had always stopped in front of its towering doors, staring quietly at the emblem carved above them.
I noticed, but never asked. I carried the question inside me like a stone, but each time I swallowed it back. What right do I have to ask about her dreams, when I've barely begun to understand my own?
And so I stayed silent, watching her gaze linger on those doors, year after year.
That evening, as we passed the Adventurers' Guild once again, Lily suddenly broke the silence.
"Hey, Andrew," she said softly, her eyes still fixed on the great doors. "You never asked me why I always stop here before we go home."
I glanced at her, caught off guard. I tried to answer casually, "Maybe… you just like the building."
She chuckled, shaking her head. "Do you really think that's the reason?"
Her smile faded as she turned to me, her eyes bright with determination. "The truth is… I've been thinking about becoming an adventurer. And today, I've finally decided. I will become one."
My heart clenched. Fear rushed in before I could stop it. "No, Lily. That's a dangerous life. You could die any day out there. And with how bad things are in the kingdom now, it's even more dangerous. Besides, do you think Richard would ever allow it?"
"I know," she admitted quietly, "but I can't turn away from it." Then her expression hardened, her voice steady with resolve. "I'm still going to become an adventurer."
I stared at her, searching for words. The determination in her eyes was unshakable. I sighed heavily. "Then at least tell me why. Give me the reason."
She hesitated, then spoke with an intensity that silenced everything around us.
"Do you remember the day the soldiers detained you? I was so afraid I'd never see you again. When you came back, I was relieved… but also angry. Angry at myself. Because if I had been stronger, I could have protected you. I should have protected you."
Her voice rose as emotion overtook her. "I don't want to feel that powerless ever again. If I become stronger, I can protect the people I care about."
I tried to answer gently. "If that's the only reason, then you don't have to risk your life as an adventurer. You can still grow stronger here. There's no need to throw yourself into danger."
But she shook her head fiercely. "No, Andrew. That's not my only reason. Becoming strong is important, but I also want to see the world. An adventurer is the only one free to travel across the continent. I don't want to spend my whole life here in one place. I want to go beyond these walls… to see everything the world has to offer."
Her words struck me like a blade. I had always thought of survival—never of dreams. Yet here she was, standing before me, daring to chase something greater.
I could see it in her eyes—Lily wasn't going to change her mind. No matter how much I argued, she carried a fire inside her that I couldn't extinguish.
"So that's the reason," she said firmly. "I want to become an adventurer. I want to grow stronger—stronger than anyone else in this world. Strong enough to protect myself, to protect my father, and also… my love."
Her words pierced me. For a moment, I faltered, caught between admiration and fear.
"What did you just say?" I asked, my voice tight. "Did you mean… love?"
She only smiled faintly, her eyes steady. "I said nothing."
I tried pressing, but she would not give in. In the end, I sighed, defeated. No matter what I said, her resolve stood like iron.
Finally, she looked at me with a teasing glint. "So what do you think, Andrew? Will you walk this path with me?" I looked at her and then said " Are you kidding mw. If not me, then who will stand beside you? Who else can you trust to become an adventurer with you?"
That was the day Lily and I made our promise—to become adventurers together.
As we walked home, reality crept back into my mind. "But… who's going to tell Richard?" I muttered.
Lily only smirked, pointing directly at me. "You."
I nearly tripped. "What? Are you serious? I'm not going to ask him!"
She crossed her arms stubbornly. "You will. You promised you'd help me. This is part of it."
We argued the whole way home, our voices rising and falling like children bickering, though the matter was far more serious. I tried to remind her of the last time we had spoken about changing the smithy's weird name to someone better and i nearly died. But she kept pressing me and in the end i agrred.
"Fine. I'll ask him. But don't blame me if he throws his hammer at my head."
She laughed triumphantly, leaving me to stew in my dread.
Later that evening, I found Richard at his forge, hammering steel with practiced strength. Swallowing my nerves, I stepped forward.
"Hey, old man."
He looked up, grinning. "Oh, Rick, you're back. What's the matter? You want permission for something?"
I hesitated, my heart pounding.
Richard paused mid-swing, the ringing of his hammer dying into silence. The air inside the forge grew heavy as he turned, his gaze sharp.
"Permission?" he repeated. "Permission for what?"
I swallowed hard, forcing the words out. "To become an adventurer."
For a long moment, nothing moved. The fire crackled, the iron hissed, and Richard simply stared. Then, without a word, he raised his hammer again and struck the steel with a thunderous blow.
"Go back to your room," he said flatly. "Stop disturbing me."
His tone left no doubt—he was angry. Still, I stood my ground. "Old man… please. Hear me out."
"I said enough!" His roar shook the walls, his voice laced with rage. "Didn't I already tell you? Stop this foolishness and stay out of danger! Do you want to throw your lives away?"
The weight of his fury pushed me back, but Lily and I didn't retreat. Even after he turned away, even when he ignored us, even when he lashed out with words—and sometimes even with his hands—we refused to let go of our dream. Again and again, we returned to him, only to be met with rejection.
Until one day, his anger finally broke.
"Just why won't you listen to me?!" Richard's voice boomed, carrying beyond the smithy walls. "The adventurer's path is nothing but death! Why can't you understand?"
Lily's voice cut back at him, sharp as a blade. "And what do you expect me to do? Stay here forever? Hide away while the world passes me by? I refuse to live like that!"
Their shouting drew people from the street; villagers lingered outside, listening as the argument escalated. But then—something I never thought I'd see happened.
Richard's voice cracked. His hammer slipped from his hands. And before our eyes, the man who had always been unshakable… began to cry.
"You don't understand," he choked, tears streaming down his soot-stained face. "I've already lost once. I lost your mother. And I… I can't—" His voice broke completely. "I can't lose you too."
The sight of him—this man who was always so strong, so cheerful—reduced to tears struck me like lightning.
"Please, Lily," he begged, his voice trembling. "I'm begging you. Don't become an adventurer. Don't walk that path. I don't want to lose you."
Seeing her father like that, Lily rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him.
"I know you worry about me—you always have," she whispered through tears. "But you should also respect my wishes. You can't keep me locked away forever. Please, give us your permission to become adventurers. If we wanted to, we could have run away without your permission… but we didn't, because we didn't want to hurt you. So please, Father—let us go with your consent."
Richard's hands trembled. For a long while he said nothing, then he pulled Lily close and held her tightly, sobbing into her shoulder.
At last, After calming down, while sitting on chair he said " Alright..., I give you the permission to become an adventurer. "
Joy surged through us. Lily's eyes lit up with relief, and for the first time in weeks, she smiled without restraint. But Richard quickly raised a hand, his tone firm.
"Not yet. If you are to step onto this path, you must first prepare. Six years—you'll train for six years under a true adventurer. Only then will I let you set foot into that world."
We agreed without hesitation. Soon after, Richard introduced us to an A-rank adventurer who had settled in town. Under his guidance, we began our training in mana and combat techniques, our journey finally taking shape.
Two months passed in the blink of an eye. In that short time, I learned two things.
First—I discovered I had some talent for mana. It took me about a month to sense the mana what usually takes others two or three. I was proud of that, until the second truth crushed me.
Lily.
She was a genius. Within a single week, she had already mastered sensing mana, a feat that left even our instructor impressed.
When Richard saw it, he wasn't surprised. He only smiled, as though he had expected it all along. But for me, it was devastating. I realized that if I didn't push myself harder—far harder than ever before—the distance between us would only grow wider.
So, I clenched my fists, gritted my teeth, and began to train with everything I had… not just to keep up with Lily, but to make sure I could stand beside her when the time came.
Six years had passed in the blink of an eye. In that fleeting span, Lilly rose to become a renowned Aura Master, her name spreading like wildfire across the kingdom. Whispers of her incredible talent echoed everywhere, claiming she was one of the youngest ever to reach such heights. In contrast, I remained at the level of External Art—a level that allowed one to apply Aura to the body but ranked just below an Aura Master. Despite this, I never felt disheartened. I believed that with unwavering effort, I would one day catch up to her.
That fateful day had finally arrived. We were about to embark on our journey as adventurers.
"Let's go, Andrew!" Lilly's cheerful voice rang out as she left the smithy, heading towards the guild. I attempted to follow, but Richard, firmly grasped my shoulder from behind. His eyes, filled with years of experience, met mine as he spoke.
"Do you know why I'm not surprised by Lilly's talent?" he asked. "It's because of her mother. She was a great adventurer herself, just as talented. Lilly bears her spirit and will. And i am sure she will undoubtedly risk everything for the sake of others, just like her mother did. So, please protect her."
His words stirred something deep within me. I looked at Lilly standing ahead, a smile spreading across my face. "Don't worry, old man. I will keep her safe, even if it costs me my life."
"No, not your life," Richard said, embracing me firmly. "Don't throw it away, for I want both of you alive."
Just then, Lilly's impatient voice cut through the moment, "Andrew, hurry up! How long are you going to make me wait?" Richard chuckled and urged me forward, "Now go, she's waiting for you."
Blushing, I moved towards Lilly, and after enduring a playful scolding for my delay, we began our march towards the guild. With hearts brimming with anticipation, our grand adventure had begun. I closed my eyes, gazing up at the endless sky, ready to embrace whatever fate lay ahead.