Side Story: John

"Hey! Ha!"

A little boy no older than ten was holding a wooden sword high and striking it forward.

Bang!

The boy on his opposite side, who was of a similar age, waved his sword to block it. The two swords collided in a dull noise.

Under the scorching sun, the two boys were sweating hard. Their cheeks and their necks were all wet. Even so, they were still gritting their teeth and focused on the sword practice.

On the stairs nearby, a golden-haired and brown-eyed man slightly nodded, expressing his satisfaction with the boys' sword practice. He looked young and handsome, but his manners were mature and trustworthy, making it impossible to tell his accurate age.

However, he was in an obvious trance right now, as if he had seen somewhere far away through the child before him.