[30] Independent II

After dealing with the thugs who sought to harm him, Zephyr searched for a spacious area to practice. With nothing particularly interesting remaining after his second round of exploration and as evening approached, the boy began to swing his sword, diligently honing the techniques he had learned.

Unbeknownst to him, someone had been watching his training from behind a wooden crate. Zephyr soon noticed the presence of a young girl who had been tailing him since he had left the alley earlier.

"Ahem... You can come closer if you want," Zephyr said with a high-pitched tone.

The girl, startled, stumbled back and bumped into the wooden crate before falling. Seeing this, Zephyr approached her and observed the intruder. The girl was cute, with a round face and sea-blue shoulder-length hair, wearing light clothes that were slightly dirty from her fall.

"Hey, are you alright?" Zephyr asked, his sharp brown eyes examining her as he rested his wooden sword on his shoulder, letting out a slight sigh.

"Hehehe~" The girl chuckled, brushing off the dust from her hair, "Uh?" She stared at Zephyr's extended hand in confusion.

Her face turned slightly red as she looked at Zephyr's calm, eagle-eyed expression, mesmerised. After a moment of hesitation, she took his hand and was helped to her feet.

"Thank you..."

"No need to mention it," Zephyr replied firmly. "By the way, is there a reason you were following me?"

The girl shook her head quickly. "Sorry, I was just curious."

"Curious?"

"Un..."

"For what?"

"A... I!"

"Islote? Kid, where are you!" A woman's voice called out, startling the girl who was now called Islote.

"Islote?"

"Ahahaha! It's nothing, sorry for the disturbance!" Islote hurriedly turned and ran off, leaving Zephyr to watch the absurd encounter with bemusement.

"Well, that was something," he muttered, then turned back to continue his practice.

Zephyr swung his sword with more conviction, feeling the breeze produced by the Wind God techniques he had mastered.

...

Constantine Group Temporary Office, Outskirts of the Capital

A once dilapidated building had been renovated by Ash, now looking much better than the other structures around. Though it was nearing evening, the shop remained bustling, with staff announcing that items were sold out.

Zephyr navigated through disappointed customers who had queued for hours only to find nothing left. "Sold out again?"

"Yes, young master," a staff member replied politely.

The boy's eyebrows lifted at the title. "Don't call me that, I'm not fond of formalities," he said sternly.

"Sorry for the rudeness, Zephyr," the staff member quickly responded.

Zephyr sighed, trying not to let the small issue bother him. He entered the building, passing by several employees busy preparing for the next day. He could sense the aura of hard work and dedication from everyone here, which reassured him of the path he was on.

Inside the office, Ash was in discussion with a few trusted associates. Seeing Zephyr arrive, he smiled and waved. "Zephyr, how was it out there?"

"Busy as usual. A lot of people were disappointed because we ran out of stock," Zephyr replied as he took a seat.

Ash nodded. "We need to increase production," he said, waving to the people in the room to leave. "So, tell me, did you find anything?"

"As you suspected, there were about twelve people who attacked me earlier today. While they weren't fighters, they were still a hassle for a ten-year-old," Zephyr said calmly.

"Oh, and?"

"Of course, that didn't apply to me. If I were to lose to those country bumpkins, I would be embarrassing you!"

Ash chuckled softly. "Haha, this kid is mimicking my tone, huh."

Zephyr smiled sheepishly. "Hehehe~"

"I'm glad you're okay, but you need to stay vigilant. The threats will increase, so it's time to face the real challenges!"

"What do you mean?" Zephyr asked, curious.

"I've been training you gently, but not anymore starting now," Ash said with a mischievous smile.

Zephyr shivered at the thought and gave a wry smile. "Speaking of the shop, is Aurelia still working?"

Ash's eyes widened when the boy mentioned his sister. "Ahem..." Ash leaned back into the sofa. "Yes, even though I told her to stop, she keeps working. Right now, she's in the warehouse checking stock for tomorrow with the others. I feel a bit guilty for having her work so much that she loses track of time."

"Lord Ash, you're not at fault! It's only right for us to repay your kindness!" Zephyr insisted.

"This kid, you don't know anything. Listen, Zephyr, excessive workload can affect your mental state in the future. I don't want you to end up resenting me for making you work when you're still so young."

"No! Don't be like that, Sir Ash!" Zephyr exclaimed passionately.

"Zephyr! Listen to me, and I apologise for pushing you so far. Starting tomorrow, you're free to do as you please like a normal child, except during training hours. Be like a normal kid," Ash said firmly.

Hearing this from someone he admired so much, Zephyr clenched his teeth and balled his fists on his lap, struggling to control the emotions raging within him.

"I'll discuss this with Aurelia as well, so I hope you can find something like friends," Ash added as he stood up and walked away, leaving the boy deep in thought.

...

Nightfall.

Aurelia lay her head on her study desk with a vacant stare after hearing what Ash had said. Like Zephyr, she was told to enjoy her childhood despite her training hours, to be like a normal child.

"Huhuhu~ Sir Ash, I don't need such memories!" the girl murmured with teary eyes.

As she wallowed, someone opened the door without knocking. She looked up to see who had entered, and it was Zephyr, her brother.

Without speaking or greeting, the boy sat on Aurelia's bed. After a moment of awkward silence, Zephyr finally spoke, "So, Sir Ash gave you the same talk too?"

Aurelia, already knowing the implication, replied, "Yes, honestly I don't mind being a normal child, because it reminds me of bad memories."

The boy sitting on the bed sighed wearily. "So, we're on the same page..." he said, turning his head with a helpless expression.

"I don't know what we will do with our free time, but associating with the locals in this capital is the last thing I imagined. Considering how they look down on our master," Zephyr continued.

"I agree, these people don't understand the greatness that Sir Ash brings. I get so angry and frustrated when they belittle him!"

"Yeah~"

After a while of complaining, as the candle in the room burned low, they both agreed to register as adventurers.