"Haaa... why on earth hasn't anyone fixed this damn road? No, wait! Why does that cursed carriage only pass once a month?"
Along a mountain path, a man with a weathered face grumbled to himself. His gray hair and unkempt beard gave him a disheveled appearance, but there was still a spark of life burning in his green eyes.
His path was uncomfortable and full of stones, making the journey harder. However, if he shifted his gaze to the other side of the mountain, he could see an untouched forest stretching as far as the eye could reach.
The man sighed and stopped for a moment to massage his knees.
"Tsk... at this rate, it'll take me forever to get there."
He shook his head and continued, trying to ignore the unpleasant crunch of the rocks beneath his worn boots.
The mountain breeze blew gently, carrying the scent of damp grass and the distant call of some animal hidden in the vegetation.
"Haaa... I should have retired earlier, don't you think?"
At the question, the man shifted his gaze toward the weight on his chest, where a child, not even a year old, rested peacefully.
"Hah! To think I used to throw myself into battle without hesitation. Now I worry about where I step."
He shook his head, but his voice no longer carried any trace of frustration. With careful movements, he adjusted the strap that held the child securely against his chest. The day was still long, and the road ahead didn't seem to be getting any easier.
"Yeah... you don't care about these roads, do you?"
After many years of wandering, his journey was finally coming to an end. No longer aimless, he was returning home.
The thought hit him harder than expected. Home. A word he hadn't spoken in a long time. Yet, with each step, the landscape seemed more familiar. The trees, the distant profile of the mountains, and even the air brought back memories of his childhood.
He kept walking, letting his thoughts blend with the soft sound of the wind between the rocks. Then, finally, he passed the last stretch of the path and stopped.
In front of him, the landscape opened up in all its magnificence.
"This place hasn't changed at all."
A nostalgic smile curved his lips as he lowered his gaze to the child.
"Welcome to Zisa Village."
Perhaps sensing the man's gaze, the little one stirred slightly, slowly opening his eyes. Two amber irises, shining like gold in the sunlight, curiously examined the world for the first time.
What the child saw was a breathtaking fjord, surrounded by towering mountains that shielded the village from the colder winds. Below, a basin of water reflected the sky like a crystal-clear mirror, fed by a river winding through the rocks, bringing life to the land.
The village stretched along the shores of the basin. From that distance, the rooftops of the wooden houses were already visible, smoke lazily rising from the chimneys, and people bustling along the well-worn streets.
The man took a moment to admire the scene, then continued walking. As he neared, the hum of the crowd grew louder.
"I must say, it's gotten livelier... well, it's been more than forty years."
With that thought, he proceeded toward the village entrance. There, two guards stood at attention, seemingly focused on their duties. However, the bulging of their bellies and their relaxed posture betrayed a certain lack of dedication. Even so, when they saw him, they straightened up and stopped him.
One of them eyed him suspiciously. "Who are you? I've never seen you around here."
The man sighed, running a hand through his unkempt beard. "I'm just a traveler, returning home."
"Name?" one of the guards asked.
"Ronald."
"Ronald... Ronald..."
The man, or rather, Ronald, watched the guard with mild annoyance as he flipped through stacks of papers, yawning now and then.
Eventually, the guard found the sheet with the name, but both he and his colleague looked at it strangely, seeing what was written.
"So?" Ronald asked.
"...You're listed as dead," the guard said after a pause.
"Surprise, surprise, guess what, I'm alive and kicking," Ronald quipped. "Can I get in now?"
The two guards exchanged another look. Ronald had given them some documents, but they were very general and didn't confirm his identity. Moreover, his disheveled appearance aroused suspicion, especially when their gaze shifted to the child.
"Whose child is this?" One of the guards asked.
Before Ronald could get any more frustrated, a young man, appearing to be in his twenties, approached.
"Is there a problem?"
"Oh, Luke, perfect timing. Have you ever heard of someone named Ronald? He should be from your grandparents' generation," said one of the guards.
"Tsk..." Ronald clicked his tongue at the comment. He knew he was old, but it still irritated him when people pointed it out.
"Ronald? Wait!" Luke quickly shifted his gaze to Ronald. "Does the name Beatrice sound familiar to you?"
"Betty, the brat, you mean?" Ronald asked, tilting his head.
"Incredible!" Luke's eyes lit up. "You are Mr. Ronald?! I thought you were dead!"
"As I said earlier, no, I'm not," Ronald sighed.
"Is he famous?" Asked one of the guards.
"Of course! This is something my grandfather told me, and many confirmed it. When Mr. Ronald was just eighteen, he had already reached the Expert rank! His talent was so extraordinary that the Duke enlisted him in his army."
Luke's words left the two guards in shock. Being part of the Duke's army was already surprising, but the idea that a boy who hadn't even turned twenty had reached the level of an Expert seemed absurd.
"But... I don't sense any mana from him," said the guard who appeared to be more competent.
"Haaa... because of an injury, I can no longer channel mana, that's all."
Ronald's words made the three of them look at him with pity. Reaching a new rank was a difficult feat that required an enormous amount of time and dedication. Considering the talent he seemed to possess, according to Luke's words, Ronald could have easily become an incredibly powerful person. Alas, the climb to power was ruthless and narrow, with only a few reaching the top.
"I'll take care of him, continue with your duties," Luke said, leading Ronald into the village.
"So... Luke, right?" Ronald asked.
"Oh, yes, I still haven't introduced myself," the young man said, smiling awkwardly.
"You look familiar..." Ronald rubbed his beard as he looked at Luke.
"I guess I remind you of Lucas, my grandfather. You should remember him as the blacksmith's son."
"Hah! Of course, I remember him!" Ronald laughed. "Who would've thought I'd see his grandson? How's he doing?"
"He's doing well. He passed the blacksmith job to my father, and now he enjoys his days," Luke smiled.
"Lucky him," Ronald sighed, causing Luke to laugh. "By the way, how are you related to Betty?"
"Ah, about that... she's my mother-in-law."
For the first time, Ronald froze, staring at Luke with wide eyes.
"If she's your mother-in-law, that means she had a daughter?"
"Yes, and... she and I had a daughter of our own, who just turned one."
A mix of emotions passed over Ronald's face—surprise, sadness, bitterness, and eventually resignation.
"Time doesn't forgive, huh?" He said, looking up at the clear sky.
"Sorry if I seem intrusive, but what was your relationship like? My mother-in-law said you were just neighbors," Luke asked curiously.
"Neighbors... in the end, that's all we were," another bitter laugh escaped Ronald's lips, and Luke understood it was better not to delve deeper.
Eventually, the two continued walking, attracting little attention from the villagers, who were busy with their work, finally reaching the house where Ronald had grown up.
"It looks even better than when I left it," Ronald said, surprised.
"It's usually rented out to merchants passing through, so it needed to be kept in good condition. But now that the real owner is back, it'll be yours again," Luke joked.
"Technically, it's no longer mine. I gave the deed to Betty."
"Then we just need to go to my mother-in-law's. I'm sure she'll give it back to you right away," Luke reassured him.
"Wait, now?" Ronald said with a sharp tone.
"Of course, you don't want to leave that little one outside. I'm sure she'll be surprised, and I want you to meet my wife and daughter too."
Ronald was practically dragged by Luke, who took him to his mother-in-law's door and knocked energetically.
"Mother-in-law, Angela, it's Luke. Come out, someone wants to see you."
The door opened, and the first person to appear was a countryside-looking young woman, but with a particular charm.
"Oh, Luke, already back?" Angela said, before shifting her gaze to the child Ronald was holding. "Oh my, he's adorable!"
But Ronald didn't seem to pay attention to the girl's excitement. His gaze was fixed on the older figure behind her.
Beatrice clearly showed signs of aging, but perhaps due to her mountain life, she still appeared energetic, and Ronald had to admit that she had a mature physique befitting of a mother.
"Yo Betty, long time no see."
Ronald blurted out the first words that came to his mind, not realizing that Beatrice was almost having a heart attack, recognizing the figure she had long considered dead.