Auren tried to go into his house. It was night, and the door was locked.
Auren (thinking): How should I go inside? What will they do if they find out I'm back? It's been two days, I guess… Should I break the window? No, no—that's a bad idea. Should I knock? Sigh… I think that's the only option.
Knock Knock.
Kaen opened the door, half-asleep.
Kaen: "Who are you…? Auren?"
Auren: "Yes, it's me."
Auren quietly stepped inside.
Auren: "Is everyone asleep?"
Ka en: "See for yourself."(He yawned and went back to his room.)
Auren looked around and slowly climbed the stairs, still sleepy. He opened his door and saw the same walls—the pink flowers, the trees, the glowing blue waterfall painted across them.
Auren (smiling): "Oh… this looks like Whirlpool Mountain."
He sat down.
Auren (thinking): Wait, did I change the wall theme? Oh yes, I did… I changed it after I met Rose for the first time. What a coincidence… The theme I painted, I also saw in real life. Well, Auren, you should sleep now…It'ss late.
He went to bed, pulled the blanket up to his chin, and whispered,
"Good night, Rose…"
Knock Knock.
Still sleepy, Auren muttered,
Auren: "Who is it?"
Lisa (soft voice): "Auren… open the door."
Auren got up, rubbing his eyes, and opened the door.
His mother stood there with both arms crossed and a slightly annoyed smile.
Lisa: "Where were you all this time?"
Auren: "I was at Anthridum Park."
Lisa: "And why did it take you two whole days to come back?"
Auren (smiling, scratching his head ):"To become a hero… it takes time."
Lisa (sighing): "I was worried, you know."
Au revoir: "I'm sorry, Mom. I shouldn't have made you worry."
Lisa smiled and suddenly leaned in excitedly.
Lisa: "So… who's the girl?"
Auren (startled): "She's not my girlfriend!"
Lisa: "Ohhh… so there is a girl. "You just told me—she's not your girlfriend. That means… she is a girl."
Auren (groaning): "Mom… you're too clever."
Lisa (grinning): "What's her name?"
Auren (softly):" Rose. And… she's sweet."
Lisa (sitting beside him): "Rose… I see. So… do you love her?"
Aure: "No! She's just my best friend…"
Lisa (raising an eyebrow): "You can share anything with me, you know. So… tell me. Do you love her?"
Auren stayed silent for a moment.
Auren (quietly): "I… I don't know. But… I think I love her."
Lisa smiled warmly, eyes full of understanding.
Lisa, "Then I need to meet her."
Auren: "Really?!"
Lisa: "Of course. I want to meet the girl who made my son paint flowers and waterfalls on his walls."
Auren blushed, smiling like a kid again.
Lisa: "Okay, now sleep well."
Aure n: "Yes… Mom."
She walked away quietly.
Auren closed the door gently behind her, the room falling silent once again.
He leaned against the door for a second, then turned around and walked back to bed.
As he lay down, eyes staring at the ceiling, he whispered to himself:
Aure n: "Will Rose come…?"
Morning — Auren slowly opened his eyes.
Outside, the sound of marching footsteps echoed through the streets.
He sat up. "What's happening…?"
He rushed to the window—nothing clear.
Then ran downstairs, opened the main gate—His eyes widened.
Mage troops.Dozens of them. In perfect formation, marching.Some holding flags. Some sharpening weapons. Some are chanting quietly.
Auren: "Are they... planning for war?"
Meanwhile, inside Ryuki Dojo—
A large chamber. High ceilings. Glowing banners.
Hoshin Maru, Ryden Ryuki, and other top elites sat around a wide table. The air was heavy with silence.
Hoshin Maru spoke first, voice calm but sharp.
"As you all know… what Yuzen City did cannot go unanswered."
He stood up slowly.
"We don't want a full-scale war…But we must be ready. A counterattack will be launched. Our main target—Jackey Siroka."
Gasps moved around the room.
"From now on, we'll form a covert elite team. Marco and Wiki—you two will lead the plan."
Ryden Ryuki added firmly:
"Start preparing troops. Veon and Sia, you'll guard the borders with full army and sub-elite units."
Everyone nodded.
Hoshin Maru's eyes narrowed.
"Do not underestimate our enemy. Jackey Siroka is a Commander Ace rank. And he… will not go down easily."
Hoshin Maru (calm but stern):Do you have a plan, Marco? Wiki? Speak now.
Marco (standing, confident):Yes, sir. We've crafted a path—stealth first, strike later.We can't storm Yuzen directly. That would be suicide.
(He points to the war map on the table.)
We'll disguise ourselves and use the trade route from Roma City.Roma has been Yuzen's long-time trade ally.Their underground transport system—massive trains and tunnels—links directly to Yuzen's southern sector.Step one: We infiltrate Roma.Step two: Ride the tunnels into Yuzen, unseen.
Veon (frowning, raising his hand):But wouldn't they expect that?That route is too obvious.Yuzen's new head may already have it heavily watched.
Wiki (nodding, cool-headed):That's exactly why we built Plan Two, Veon.
(He leans forward, lowering his voice slightly for dramatic weight.)
While we're moving through Roma's tunnels...We'll stage a false assault at Yuzen's eastern border—our strongest front.It'll look like Ryuki's going all-in on war.Yuzen will pull troops there, panic, and shift their focus.
Marco (grinning):Meanwhile, we slip right through their shadow.
Hoshin Maru (intrigued):And what if even that fails?
Wiki:Then we go deeper.We've prepared three more contingency plans.Each one darker, riskier—but if it means ending this war without dragging our people into bloodshed, they're worth it.
(He glances at Marco, who nods solemnly.)
We will not fail, sir.
Hoshin Maru (after a pause):Good.Then go.This war will not be won on brute strength, but also with minds sharper than swords.
Wiki: "Sir, we want three months to prepare properly. During that time, let them think we're not up to anything—that we've forgotten about revenge or war. Let them relax."
He continued, looking serious."But we should make our first move soon, in just a few days. Then, we'll go completely quiet—no attacks, no provocation. Let them believe we've given up. And after three months… We'll execute our main plan."
Hoshin Maru nodded slowly, then looked at Ryden and Veon.
Hoshin Maru: "Alright. I approve of the plan."
He leaned forward."But I'm also thinking of building our underground tunnel, connecting us to the border of Yuzen. We never know when we might need it—maybe not now, but someday."