The first week of Arthur's new routine passes in a happy, productive blur. One afternoon, the two siblings are out delivering a package for their father when they cross paths with Anton's group, who look tired but content on their way back from the arena.
Anton's face lights up when he sees them. "Ellie! Arty! Out running errands?"
"Something like that," Ellie replies coolly, already sensing where this is going.
"Well, we just finished our warm-ups," Anton continues, undeterred. "I was about to give the kids a lesson on basic hunting. Any chance I could persuade you to give a guest lecture?"
"Anton, we've been over this. I can't commit to your project," she says firmly.
"I know, I know. Not a commitment," he says, holding his hands up in a gesture of peace. "Just one lesson. You're out here hunting all the time. Just let them watch. They'd learn so much."
"I can't," she insists. "I have to get my brother home."
"I can get home by myself, Ellie. It's fine," Arthur says, looking up at her with his most innocent, wide-eyed expression.
Please fall for it, please fall for it, he thinks.
Anton beams. "See? The little man says it's fine. Problem solved."
Ellie lets out a long, suffering sigh and pinches the bridge of her nose. She has been perfectly and completely cornered.
"Oh, alright! Fine!" she concedes. "Arty, you go straight home. And I mean straight home. Or Mom will have my head."
"You got it," Arthur says with a grin so wide it's clear he knows he won. It does not reassure her.
"I'm serious, Arty! Mom will kill me if anything happens to you!"
"I promise. Relax."
"Okay then," she says, turning back to Anton with a resigned look. "Let's get this over with. I'll show your group a few things. But don't expect a miracle."
"Fantastic! I promise they'll be the best students," Anton replies, his smile so triumphant you'd think he'd just slain a dragon.
As Elisa lays out her final, reluctant terms to Anton, Arthur turns to head home. Just before he's out of earshot, he glances back. He catches Anton's eye over his sister's shoulder. The older boy, hidden from Ellie's view, gives him a slow, deeply grateful nod and silently mouths the words, "Thank you."
Arthur just offers a small, conspiratorial wink in return, a knowing smile playing on his five-year-old face.
As he walks away, the true reason for his meddling settles in his mind. He's a good kid, that Anton, he thinks. He reminds me... well, he reminds me of me. The memory of his old life, of the karate dojo and the social projects, of all the kids from tough situations he had tried to help... it all comes flooding back. Even in this world, I'm still the same old me, I guess, he concludes with a quiet sigh.
As Arthur heads home, Ellie turns and follows Anton's small group of youths toward the Soulwood. Partway there, she pats her hip, realizing she's only carrying her personal shortsword.
"Anton, what's your group's typical loadout?" Ellie asks.
"I'm a swordsman, like you. Most of the kids favor knives, spears, or bows."
"Smart," she nods. "Bows are safer for beginners, knives are simpler to handle. Problem is, I only brought my blade. I'll need to borrow a bow."
"Not a problem at all! Everyone here is excited to learn from you," a small, cheerful voice pipes up from the group. It belongs to a young girl with bright blue hair, who can't be much older than Arthur.
"Oh. Thank you," Ellie says, slightly taken aback. "What's your name?"
"I'm Catia!" the girl says with a starstruck smile. "I'm your mom's biggest fan!"
"Oh," Ellie replies, a slightly awkward but warm smile touching her own lips. "Well, me too."
"I watch all of her fights!" Catia adds proudly.
Ellie's eyebrows shoot up. "How do you manage that?"
"Anton showed us a trick for sneaking into the arena on event days. It's actually really easy," she says matter-of-factly.
Ellie's eyes widen. "But how... You know what? Never mind. On second thought, don't tell me. It's probably better if I don't know."
After walking for a while, the group finally reaches a good spot in the woods. Ellie gathers everyone around.
"Okay, listen up," she says, adopting a serious, teacher-like tone. "I'm going to teach you the easiest, laziest way to hunt boar. Their meat is delicious, but they're a pain to fight head-on because they travel in big groups. First, I need a bow."
She looks around expectantly, and one of the older boys nervously offers her his.
"Thank you," she says, testing the string's tension. "The plan is simple. Step one: we find the boars. Step two: we get ahead of their path and climb some sturdy trees. Step three: we wait for them to pass underneath, and then it's just target practice."
She pauses for effect. "The trick is to be fast. The moment the first arrow hits, the rest of the herd will scatter. That's our only window to take down as many as we can."
"But how do we find them in the first place?" asks one of the boys.
Ellie taps the side of her nose with a confident grin. "That's the easy part for me. For you guys," she says, looking at the human children, "that'll be your biggest challenge. For beastkin, our noses do most of the work."
"That's so cool!" Catia exclaims. "Is your mom's nose super good too?"
"The best," Ellie replies with a proud smile. "Alright, enough talk. Ready to try it?"
"YEAH!" the children cheer in unison.
True to her word, Ellie leads them on a looping path through the woods until they're positioned ahead of the boars she'd scented. "Alright, up you go!" she whispers urgently, pointing to the trees. "Everyone get into a tree. Help each other if you have to, but nobody stays on the ground."
Once the last child is safely perched, a tense silence falls. They wait. Soon, they hear the sound of the boars crashing through the undergrowth. As the herd passes directly below, Ellie gives a sharp, bird-like whistle. A volley of arrows rains down. Three of the boars collapse in heaps as the rest of the startled herd stampedes away.
"Well," Ellie says, hopping down from her branch and surveying their work. "Your aim needs a lot of work. But this is a good haul. It'll keep you fed for a few days. Even Arty cooked one of these for me once, and it was amazing."
"Arthur can cook?" asks Catia, impressed.
"He can cook very well," Ellie says, a flicker of pride in her eyes. Then her voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper. "He just... doesn't like to admit it."
"I always thought boys didn't know how," Catia comments.
"Not Arty," Ellie replies softly.
After the meat is prepared, Anton approaches Ellie as the group gets ready to head back.
"See? You're a natural at this. Great with the kids," Anton says, his voice hopeful.
"Anton, please," she says, her voice tired but firm. "I'm glad I could help today. But I am not joining your project. As much as I admire what you're doing, I have my own path to follow."
"I know," he says with a small, sad smile. "Still, thank you for today. It was fun."
With a final nod, the groups separate, and Elisa returns home.
The next few days fall into a comfortable routine of training and chores. Their favorite spot to relax afterwards is the grassy patch on the riverbank, near the old stone bridge. It's there, one sunny afternoon, that Arthur makes a proposal.
"Ellie, I need your help with an experiment," he begins. "I want to practice some support magic, but Mom would never let me go into the woods alone to find targets. But," he adds, a strategic glint in his eye, "if you were with me, I bet she'd let us go 'hunting'. I could practice my spells on you. What do you say?"
"You want to use me as a training dummy?" she asks with a laugh, but her eyes are already shining with excitement. "To see your new spells? Of course! Let's go ask her!"
Just as Arthur predicted, Christina is hesitant but ultimately agrees, though only after issuing several stern warnings to Ellie about keeping her brother safe.
With their mission approved, the two set off for the Soulwood once more. They don't have to go far before they spot their targets: a small scouting party of goblins, seemingly on the hunt.
"I've got this first group," Ellie says, her voice low and focused, already drawing her daggers.
"Go for it."
After Ellie efficiently dispatches the goblins, Arthur walks over and places a hand on her arm, which had received a shallow cut.
Okay, healing magic... In the games and stories, it was always about channeling the energy, focusing on the concept of 'mending' or 'restoration'. Let's try that. Imagine the flesh mending and the body being reconstructed, he thinks.
A soft, golden light envelops her arm.
"Wait a second!" Ellie exclaims, her eyes wide as she stares at her now-unmarked skin. "You can use healing magic, too?!"
"Yeah. It's not so hard once you get the principle of it," Arthur replies with a practiced shyness.
"Arty, that's not just 'not hard'! Healing magic is almost never seen outside of the Church, and an instant heal like that... it's absurd. You are truly unbelievable."
"What do you mean?" he asks, feigning ignorance.
"I've never even heard of a healing spell that works instantly!" she says. "A wound like this should take time, a long prayer... You just... fixed it."
"Well, like you said, it was just a shallow cut. It probably didn't require much concentration."
"Seriously..." Ellie mutters, shaking her head in disbelief. "You are not normal."
After their short conversation, they venture deeper into the woods, soon finding another pack of goblins.
"I'll provide support this time," Arthur says, and a faint, shimmering aura envelops Ellie just as she charges in.
The effect is immediate. "Whoa! I'm so much faster!" she exclaims, a blur of motion. "This is weird... I can see their movements more clearly, but my own body feels... floaty. I need a second to adjust to this new speed and power, or I'm going to get sloppy."
As if on cue, a goblin takes advantage of her momentary imbalance and lands a solid hit with a wooden club, sending her stumbling. She rolls with the impact and comes up in a perfect fighting stance, but Arthur has an idea.
"Ellie, I know this sounds crazy, but can you let that same goblin hit you again?"
"What?! Are you insane? Why?"
"It's a test! I'm going to boost your defense, and I need you to tell me how effective it is."
She groans in frustration. "Argh! Fine. Just tell me when."
"You're good to go," Arthur says, after casting the defensive buff.
Ellie becomes a phantom, effortlessly dodging the other goblins, weaving between them until she deliberately allows the same one to strike. This time, the goblin puts its full weight into the swing, and the impact is visibly stronger, sending her flying several feet.
"Incredible!" she shouts, hopping back to her feet without a scratch. "The impact felt bigger, but I barely felt any pain! Your magic is seriously useful, little bro!" Ellie calls out, her eyes never leaving her enemies, her focus absolute.
"Great! Now let's add a proper shield!" an excited Arthur shouts.
He casts the spell on her. This time, Ellie sees the magic form—not the brilliant gold of the Sacred Shield he'd used before, but a shimmering, translucent blue. A goblin swings its club, and the blow connects with the barrier with a dull thud, the impact completely absorbed. Intrigued, Ellie stops dodging entirely, planting her feet to test the shield's limits. Arthur seems to understand, his brow furrowed in concentration, ready to recast the spell the moment it breaks. For hours, they continue this strange, dangerous game of magical experimentation.
At a certain point, a strange look crosses Ellie's face. "Arty... are you okay?"
"Yeah, why?" he asks, frowning at her sudden concern.
"You're not low on mana? I mean… after all that?"
"Nope. I'm fine," he replies with a cheerful innocence.
"Seriously?!" Her surprise is evident. "But you've been casting spells for hours. Some of them were high-tier."
"Don't worry about it. Honestly, I haven't even used half my mana yet."
"How is that even possible?!" she sputters. "Kid, you're a monster."
"Of course I am," he says with a cheeky grin. "I'm your brother. Did you think a normal kid could keep up with you?"
"Idiot," she replies, turning away to hide a smile.
"So," Arthur says, changing the subject. "Should we find a bigger enemy this time?"
"Are you thinking about that hobgoblin from before?"
"That one might be hard to find, but something in that weight class, yeah."
"Let's do it, little bro!" Ellie's excitement returns instantly. "I could use a real challenge. And if you've still got the mana, this is going to be fun."
So they venture deeper into the woods in search of stronger enemies. After walking for a long time, the duo finally finds a worthy opponent. This one, however, was far more than they bargained for.
"I think an earth drake is a bit of an exaggeration, don't you?" Arthur says, his voice suddenly very small.
"Agreed," Ellie whispers. "We should go back. Now. Before it sees us."
But it's too late. A pack of goblins bursts from the trees, intercepting their path, and their panicked squeals echo through the clearing, calling the dragon's attention.
"Damn it. Now we have no choice," Arthur breathes. "Do you think you can do it, Ellie?"
"Only one way to find out!" she says, drawing her daggers.
"Alright, this time I'll help with offensive magic too."
"Great idea. This guy has a good physical defense, so I think magic will be a great help."
The roar of the earth drake echoes through the clearing, making the ground tremble. Ellie leaps back as Arthur thrusts his palm towards the goblins. Rays of bluish mana dance between his fingers, and the ground beneath the smaller monsters contorts, sinking into a sticky mire that traps them like flies in amber.
With the goblins immobilized, Ellie doesn't hesitate. She leaps and spins among them, her blades whistling through the air, felling them one by one.
"Ellie! Focus on the drake! Leave the goblins to me," Arthur calls out, a confident smile on his face.
"How are you going to manage that?" she asks, not taking her eyes off the larger threat.
"Just trust me. I've got the perfect spell for it," he replies.
"Alright. Counting on you," she says, seeing no point in arguing further.
Now free to engage, Ellie focuses her full attention on the earth drake. Its scales are the size of shields, hot smoke billowing from its nostrils with each heavy breath. She darts in, her blade seeking the less-protected joints. Steel sings as it glances off a thick scale plate, sending tiny sparks into the air. The drake swings its massive head, its amber eyes burning with fury, but Ellie is already gone, feeling only the hot, fetid breath of the creature brush her hair.
Arthur, maintaining concentration on his 'Swamp' spell with one hand, raises the other. An intense golden glow forms at the tip of his index finger. The Leigan. With a sharp hiss, the small sphere of energy shoots out, striking a trapped goblin in the chest. There is a muffled, wet pop of ruptured tissue as the energy punches straight through it. With cold efficiency, he begins to pick off the remaining goblins, one by one.
With the smaller threats eliminated, Arthur turns his full power on the drake. The fight becomes a perilous dance: Ellie's impossible agility against the beast's raw power, punctuated by the accurate shots of Arthur's magic. His Leigan isn't powerful enough to pierce the drake's thick hide, but each shot hits with a dry, powerful thud. There is a hiss of burning flesh as the golden energy carves a shallow furrow into a scale, leaving a smoking, blackened mark. The damage isn't significant, but the force of the impact makes the monster flinch, creating precious openings for Ellie's daggers to find the softer membranes between its scales.
Slowly, methodically, they wear it down. Finally, after a well-aimed Leigan blast stuns the beast for a crucial second, Ellie sees her chance. She leaps onto the creature's back, scrambles up its neck, and drives both her daggers deep into the soft spot behind its massive skull.
The earth drake lets out one final, monstrous roar and collapses, lifeless.
"Okay, now I'm exhausted," Ellie says, slumping against the dead dragon. "That wasn't hard, exactly. Just... long."
"Tell me about it," Arthur agrees. "Its hide was ridiculously tough."
"True. But it was slow," she analyzes. "Once you learn its patterns, it gets predictable. Boring, even. That's when it gets dangerous, 'cause you get careless."
"Good point, sis. I'm glad you were here with me. Thanks."
She just rolls her eyes, but she's smiling. "Seriously, you'd be hopeless without me."
The two look at each other and burst out laughing. After they've recovered, they butcher what they can and head for home, dealing with a few more minor monster encounters along the way. They arrive back with plenty of meat for the coming days.
"Where have you two been?! I was starting to think something had happened!" a worried and irritated Christina demands the moment they walk through the door.
"Sorry, Mom! We were just having so much fun, we lost track of time," Ellie replies, bracing for a lecture... that never comes.
Christina's stern expression softens just a little. "If that's the case, then it's fine. But don't do it again. You had me worried."
"Yes, Mom. Sorry," they reply in unison.
"Now, go get cleaned up for dinner," she orders, turning away to hide a proud smile. "You both stink."
The siblings start to head inside, relieved. Then, their mother's words seem to fully register. They both freeze mid-step.
A look of dawning, shared horror passes between them.
Their voices come out in a single, terrified whisper.
"...Mom's making dinner."