Garion was the first to step off the flying ship.
The moment his boots touched the ground, a familiar figure was already walking toward him.
Elder Rendric stood straight, hands behind his back, a calm smile on his face.
"Master Garion," Rendric said warmly. "Long time no see."
Garion laughed and stepped forward. "Yeah, long time no see, Rendric."
He gave him a slow look from head to toe, eyes narrowing slightly in amusement.
"You look… different. That tidy red hair, the well-kept beard, the glasses..."
Garion pointed at his outfit. "And that suit. You look more like a gentleman official than a gym regular."
Rendric sighed, rubbing his forehead.
"What can I do? Patriarch Raviel and Matriarch Aveline decided they'd focus on the big picture. So most of the official work on the island fell on me."
He adjusted his collar.
"If I'm handling documents and meetings all day, I can't exactly dress like I'm about to deadlift a mountain."
