"Huh?! Oh! They're back, everyone!"
A few hours later, a guard watched from his watchtower as the group of youths, laughing loudly and filling the quiet night, approached the city gates.
"WE'RE BACK!"
Ansegar was the one who stepped forward to announce the group's return, only to be met with…
"Quiet, idiot!"
A sharp knock on the head.
"Honestly, have you seen the time?! I thought you'd spend the night out hunting a simple Bicorn."
"Damn… that was unnecessary, Dad!"
"Hah! In my day, we would've hunted one of those and been back in thirty minutes! Oh, welcome back, my angel. Did you have fun?"
"It was a good hunt, Father."
In contrast, the man treated Frida gently, checking on her. Right beside him stood Hilderic and his uncle.
"What did you think of today's hunt?"
"Hmm… that Bicorn was more than expected. It was a valuable experience."
"I see. Remember to reflect on it later, okay?"
"Right!"
The parents and relatives of the young hunters checked on them one by one, happily commenting on the day's events. Valen, of course, was no exception.
"Valen!"
"Ah, hi Mom, I ju… Agh!"
His mother threw herself at him, hugging him tightly, then immediately squeezing his cheeks.
"So? Did you have fun? Was the hunt good? …Was the prey strong?"
Among the three questions, the last caused a subtle shift in the air. The youths didn't seem to notice, but all the adults cast worried glances toward Valen.
"…It was the same as always."
A simple answer, delivered with a fake smile. His mother's eyes watered as she hugged him again.
"I see… so today's Bicorn still wasn't enough…"
A tall, imposing man spoke as he appeared behind her. He stopped in front of Valen and gently ruffled his hair.
"Haha… that's just how things are, Dad."
"Valen…"
At a glance, his expression seemed proud, but there was clearly more beneath the surface.
"…The youths are back, Garmr! What do you think of today's prey?"
Turning toward the nearby plaza, where a massive ball of fur lay, a large shape slowly rose.
"Haaaaaa… hmm? Oh, you're back, my little ones."
Standing up and making the ground tremble, a wolf as tall as the buildings of the small city looked at the youths with affection.
"Hmm! A fine Bicorn, likely an alpha of its herd. It will be splendid for tonight's banquet."
Grinning from ear to ear, the youths raised their fists. And amid the warm atmosphere…
"Valen? Would you accompany me for a moment?"
The great wolf Garmr gently called out to Valen. Caught a bit off guard, he returned a soft smile.
"Of course, Matriarch."
The two walked away as banquet preparations began, wandering through the city.
"I won't ask. The answer seems obvious… so not even an alpha Bicorn was enough of a challenge, was it?"
"…No. I did have some expectations. It looked strong."
"I see…"
The wolf stopped in front of a statue in a quieter park, farther from where they had been before.
"…to become strong is to understand the fragility of the world, and to know how to treat it with care."
"…"
"And through that, to learn about yourself. Where your flaws and strengths lie."
"…The creed passed down by Patriarch Dresden, right…"
"Well, those were foolish words spoken by a fool."
The wolf let out a small laugh, licking her paw and brushing her ear with it.
"…It's suffocating."
Valen gave a dry laugh, staring firmly at the statue of the Ritterwulf Clan patriarch.
Awkwardly, he scratched the back of his neck while looking down.
Garmr yawned, not out of disinterest, but because this was something she had expected.
"Hmm… what do you think, Goëtz?"
"Haha… the Great Matriarch never fails to notice things, does she?"
"…Dad?"
Goëtz stepped out from behind the corner of a house, watching his son and the great wolf with an awkward smile.
"Sorry about this, Valen. Matriarch."
The man cast a subtle glance that seemed to communicate with the wolf, who responded with a gentle nod.
"I'll leave you two alone for a moment."
Before leaving, she carefully placed her paw on top of Valen's head, like a gentle pat, and returned to the excited voices of the rest of the clan.
"…So…"
"…Maybe…"
Goëtz walked until he stood shoulder to shoulder with Valen.
"…Your mother's been pretty worried. You've seemed lazier lately, you know?"
"Sorry."
"It's fine. I understand the reason… Tell me, Valen."
"What?"
Valen looked toward his father, who was still staring at the patriarch's statue.
"…Do you want to leave Heldenbuch?"
"…Huh?"
The man closed his eyes, resting a hand on his chin thoughtfully.
"We have to face the facts… in Heldenbuch…"
Slowly opening his eyes, he turned to his son with a warm yet sad smile.
"Not even the adults have given you much trouble in sparring, right?"
"Well… I…"
"I spoke with an old friend of mine. He's a counselor at Dawn Garden."
Valen remained silent, clearly unsure where the conversation was heading.
"Oh right, you were never the intellectual type, were you? Basically, it's a place where talented people study for the good of Syceus as a whole."
"So… a school?"
"If that makes it easier to understand, you can see it that way. What matters is… my friend told me something interesting."
The man's smile grew slightly animated, as if he had expectations about his son's reaction.
"This year's generation is quite promising. They say some are even stronger than I am right now."
"But… stronger than you?"
"Amazing, ri—"
"But you're terrible at fighting, Dad."
"Gah! Where did you get that dry humor from?"
"From you."
Valen replied with an indifferent expression and a faint smirk as he looked at his father.
"W Well… I'm still fairly strong when I put my mind to it, okay? But that doesn't diminish them. You know this, Valen. Strength isn't everything."
"…"
"Technique, combat intellect… many factors make up someone's strength. We're a clan of wild idiots, so it's not really our style, but maybe… that's what you need."
"And that's why you suggested I leave Heldenbuch?"
"…Yes. You want that too, don't you? To find something to push you forward. If I was too intrusive, I'm sorry."
Valen turned toward the patriarch's statue, and his father did the same.
For a while… silence.
"…I…"
"…"
"…"
Valen tried to break the silence, but it quickly returned.
"…Are there really people out there who…?"
"I can't promise that."
"…"
"But isn't it worth trying? That's what the patriarch left us, right? For us, stagnation is worse than death."
"…Can I think about it?"
"Take all the time you need."
Ruffling Valen's hair without looking at him, the silence that remained was now less tense.