Chapter 3: Visits.

It's been 6 years since I started living with the king, and now I was old enough to do at least the most basic things on my own, like going to the bathroom, as I always felt awkward asking for help with that.

My parents haven't been around for 2 years now, and I really worried about them.

Every time they returned, my father would have new scars on his body.

I couldn't even imagine the horrifying battles he went through and who could be strong enough to leave scars on him.

He always told me exciting stories about their adventures with my mother and the battles they fought in.

But I was sure he wasn't telling me everything, that there were more battles and truths he kept to himself. Despite the joy and strength in his face, I could see sadness in his eyes, a glimpse of a war-weary veteran.

One of the recent stories he shared was about how he single-handedly destroyed an entire settlement of evil orcs.

Orcs were foolish creatures, but their strength was in their numbers.

They always moved in large groups, and 100 orcs were as strong as one B-class royal guard.

There were seven classes: E, D, C, B, A, S, SS.

The orc settlements ranged from 1,500 to 3,000 individuals. Usually, they moved in groups of 50 orcs. The B-class guards could easily handle such a group without breaking a sweat, but sometimes the orcs came in larger groups, and if a guard encountered 100 orcs, they had to work hard.

My father said he alone destroyed a settlement of 2,200 orcs. The orc chieftains usually were between B and A class. The difference between a B-class guard and an A-class warrior was about 10 levels, meaning one A-class was like 10 B-class guards.

If my father managed to destroy such a settlement, then he must have been an S-class or maybe even SS-class warrior.

My father was truly an extraordinary man. Achieving such power and success at such a young age was remarkable and not something many could accomplish. He was a unique warrior.It seemed like he had no flaws or weaknesses, and being around him filled me with awe.One scar on his hand was left by the orc chieftain.

According to my father, he was probably an A-class, but he managed to leave that scar only because 400 orcs swarmed him at once, and the orc leader used that moment to attack him. But it was a fair fight, and the orc chieftain's only chance failed.

I can imagine how frustrating it must have been for the old orc to have such numerical advantage and yet only manage to leave a small cut on a human.These stories were truly captivating.

Every time my father went away, he repeated a phrase that he said was the symbol of our home. "The wind ignites the fire, the night reveals nightmares, a resolute heart destroys nightmares."

I miss them all so much. It's been so long, but luckily, I wasn't alone.

As for my friends, Den was 8. Our relationship couldn't be described as too friendly; he didn't seem to want to accept me much. It was different with his younger brother and sister.

Mer was like a younger brother to me, even though he was a year older. He was quite energetic and brave, and we often got into trouble together. Like that time we tried to sneak into the royal treasury to find some cool artifacts. But we were caught by the royal guards, even though we tried to be stealthy like ninjas.

Those guards were truly formidable. They were the elite among mages and paladins. They went through grueling training and were graduates of the prestigious royal academy.Becoming a royal guard was the dream of almost every child in the kingdom.

Now, about Saiyri, our relationship was something between how I felt about Den and Mer, though maybe closer to Den. But maybe there was something more, perhaps she even liked me?Over these 6 years, even though she was still a child, she became more beautiful with each passing day, and I liked her. I tried to push away those thoughts since I was mentally much older than her, which felt strange, considering I was still in the body of a 6-year-old. Waking up in the morning, I took a shower and got ready after the night and yesterday's training.

When I arrived at the dining hall, my friends, or rather my family, since they were like my brothers and sister, were already sitting at the table.

Den looked disapprovingly at me, but Mer smiled and called me to sit next to him.

"Good morning, guys!"

I greeted them as I sat down next to Mer.

Saiyri looked at me angrily and threw a carrot at me."Hey, Saiyri, don't throw food!" Mer said.

"Pff, I don't like carrots," Saiyri replied, looking at me with annoyance.

Maybe she wanted me to sit next to her? After breakfast, we headed to the training grounds, which were located at the back of the palace. As we stepped onto the grounds, we greeted our teacher.

He was a tall, sturdy man in his fifties, with neatly combed gray hair. His broad shoulders gave us a sense of calm and protection, but at the same time, his presence evoked fear, as he was a strict instructor who never cut us any slack.Looking at us, he said, "Saiyri, your face looks too gloomy even for such a gray morning. Sai, did you do something wrong again?

"How could the teacher be so perceptive?

Saiyri crossed her arms and turned away, saying, "Good morning, teacher."

"Today, we'll start our training with one-on-one sparring, something you've been looking forward to for a long time. From now on, we'll begin our daily training this way. We looked at each other in surprise, and smiles spread across our faces. But deep inside, our hearts raced with the desire to find out who was stronger among us. Sai and Den will be the first ones to spar." As Den and I stood facing each other, it seemed like a malicious grin appeared on Den's face, as if he had been waiting for this moment since he started understanding anything.

I had a feeling he didn't like me much, but I never expected it to be this intense. My palms got sweaty, and my heart pounded in my chest.

Then I faintly heard the teacher's voice.

"Begin!"