After Loys had left, Cale sat silently in the tent and watched Jonat Paseru - his old master. The man with whom he had spent many years in his fourth life, when he had moved to Frignez.

  Cale remembered the day as if it were yesterday. After the attack on Groka, he had arrived in Norgram about six months later, disguised as a 10-year-old boy with blond hair and ice-blue eyes. Chief Ninett Merensen, Aletta's father, had been the first to speak to him, but Cale avoided saying anything at all. His silence led Ninett to assume that Cale had been abandoned by his own parents.

  From the beginning, Cale was aware that Ninett would feel sorry for him. Thought Cale didn't expect to be taken in by himself. Aletta was not yet born at that time, but Delenna Merensen was already pregnant with her. It was probably her maternal instinct that ensured that Cale was allowed to live with them for years and thus became a kind of older brother to Aletta.

  His relationship with Ninett helped Cale get in touch with Chief Jarsep Heriog and Master Jonat Paseru. At first, Jonat was anything but friendly to him, mainly because Cale was literally following him around. He spent weeks observing Jonat and his two students, Miguel and Sverre. When he started imitating their movements, Jonat became even more annoyed and regularly shooed him away from the training ground.

  Until the day Jonat lost his patience and gave him a chance.

  And Cale seized that opportunity. It was the first duel he had with Miguel Heriog and also the first he won against him. Miguel was anything but pleased with the result, but Jonat was all the more astonished at how things had turned out. From that day on, Cale was allowed to watch the training, and a few weeks later he was also participated.

  A smile flitted across his lips as Cale thought about the past. Jonat Paseru had driven him to the brink of death more than once, as he had always fought Cale seriously. But it was precisely this direct approach that had led to Cale being able to call himself a swordmaster today.

  He owed Jonat Paseru a lot. His master. The stubborn Frignezer who wouldn't let anyone or anything tell him what to do. The stranger who eventually became like a gruff old uncle to Cale.

  Just as Jonat moved, Cale could sense that Julius was on his way back to him. His expression darkened abruptly as he thought about the discussion they had just had. Cale realized that he had overreacted... but he had his reasons.

  Julius seemed to feel the same way, because he entered the tent with a deadly serious look on his face and stared at Cale for a few moments. Jonat's consciousness returned beside them, but Julius didn't seem to notice.

  "What?", Cale spoke up first.

  "Nothing."

  "Do you need something from here, or why did you come back? Shouldn't you be helping Loy?"

  "He's talking to some nobles who want to know what's going on."

  "And?"

  "Nothing."

  "So he's keeping the situation under wraps for now?"

  "Of course", Julius replied, loosening his cloak before throwing it over the nearest crate next to him. Cale's gaze fell on the large bloodstain on Julius' hip and his bandaged arm.

  "Shouldn't I take a look at that?", Cale began hesitantly, knowing full well how the conversation had ended last time. "It seems to have gotten worse."

  "It hasn't."

  "Still...", Cale murmured quietly. "It must be uncomfortable?"

  "Like I said, it's not that bad."

  "Julius..."

  "Oh? Now all of a sudden you're worried about me again?"

  "Of course I'm worried, especially when you're hurt."

  "I'm not a child."

  "I never said you were!"

  Julius stood silently in front of him for a moment, so Cale turned around and pulled out a small box from behind him.

  "Sit down and let me take a look. Please."

  "What's this all about? First you start a fight, and now you're acting like nothing ever happened."

  "I'm not acting like nothing happened. Sit down and let's talk calmly, okay?", Cale asked him, tapping twice on the box that was now directly in front of him. After a moment's hesitation, Julius approached him without even glancing at Jonat Paseru.

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  "I'm still angry with you."

  "Me as well", Cale replied, gently reaching for Julius' arm as he sat down. "Are you offended that I took care of Sir Paseru's injuries?"

  "Nonsense. I'm angry with you because you're defending him."

  "Julius... I never said Sir Paseru wasn't at fault."

  "Then please explain to me why you hesitated during the fight. The real reason, not the excuse you gave Loy!"

  Cale sighed as he carefully ran his mana through Julius's body to get a better picture of the overall situation. Aside from the deep cut, he had a few minor injuries on his chest and some bruises, but nothing that was really cause for concern.

  "You were right when you said I didn't want to hurt him", Cale began slowly. "And I didn't want to hurt you either, Julius. It's just that there are things that... I just can't explain to you."

  "And why not? Are they really so personal that it would be inappropriate for me to ask?"

  "Yes."

  "I just want to understand what's going on."

  "Don't you trust me?"

  Cale looked him straight in the eye as he asked the question.

  "Of course I do. Otherwise, I wouldn't have left him in your care."

  "Then please trust me when I tell you that there are good reasons. I don't hide things like this just for fun. The legendary swords are... simply a complicated subject that is none of the business of outsiders."

  "Because you can't trust us."

  "I trust you..."

  "You don't."

  "Let me finish", Cale replied, so Julius kept his further comments to himself and Cale could return to treating the injury. "I trust you when it comes to the safety of Sylve and its inhabitants. It's just that Sylve isn't the only country I'm trying to... protect."

  "Frignez..."

  "And Altona. You know I've been around quite a bit."

  "Then why are you even working for the royal house? I don't understand why King Leonhardt would allow you to work for Loys without further consultation."

  "I don't know what King Leonhardt is thinking", Cale explained, and began to heal Julius's large cut bit by bit. "But I'm here because I feel like you need help."

  "Help? Why help?"

  "Groka."

  Suddenly, everything fell silent, and Jonat Paseru opened his eyes. For a moment, Cale returned his surprised gaze, but quickly refocused on the injury.

  "You know I have family in Groka. Ahri and I wanted to move there when the attack happened and... seeing what had become of the village... I can't just sit around and pretend there's nothing I can do about it", Cale mixed truth with a lie. "That's why I came to Bellator. And that's also why I applied to be a soldier of the royal house. Simply so I could get involved in the events without everyone questioning my actions."

  "We're not that skeptical of strangers. Sylve is the center of trade, you know yourself how many foreigners travel with us."

  "And yet you're both cautious around me."

  "We used to be, when we didn't know you."

  "And you don't know Jonat Paseru."

  "That has nothing to do with it", Julius immediately defended himself, while Cale closed the rest of the wound and removed the bandage completely to take a closer look at the result.

  "It may look that way to you... but to me, it's the same thing. Frignezers are peace-loving people and generally avoid contact with strangers. That's why you rarely meet them outside Frignez. Admittedly, Sir Paseru is a little more open, but he also grew up in Frignez, with the awareness that people should help each other."

  "What are you trying to get at, Zod?"

  "Do you really believe that Sir Paseru knowingly hid... piles of children's corpses?"

  At this comment, Julius turned to the swordmaster, who was crouching behind them without comment, listening silently to the conversation. When Julius realized he was awake, he jumped up in surprise and unconsciously hid behind Cale.

  "How long have you been awake?"

  "Long enough", Jonat Paseru replied, settling into a more comfortable sitting position. "That smell of blood..."

  "In the mine... we found the bodies of the children who had been missing", Cale explained, also standing up. "Sir Paseru, I hope I don't have to tell you that you are not in a good position right now. The royal house accuses you of being involved in the child abduction, and you will have to justify yourself before King Leonhardt. The Chiefs won't be able to help you, even if they wanted to."

  "But I...!", Jonat exclaimed, but fell silent when he noticed Julius's grim expression. "I really didn't know anything about it."

  "Then why are you here? Not in Mornet itself, but here at the mine?"

  "Inar... asked me for help."

  "Inar? Duke Inar of Mornet?", Julius repeated in surprise.

  "Inar is his younger brother", Cale explained, walking toward Jonat Paseru. With a faint smile, he knelt before his old master. "The Duke of Mornet is in Bellator, currently facing similar charges, as are the Duchess and their children."

  "This has to be a misunderstanding. Please let me talk to Inar."

  "Unfortunately, I cannot let you go. As I said, you are also facing charges."

  "I hope you realize that these shackles will not hold me back."

  "I know", Cale replied simply, releasing the shackles - much to Julius's regret.

  "Have all the good gods forsaken you?", Julius interjected.

  "Sir Paseru cannot and will not run away. Not without Zurakekama."

  "Where... did you hide Zurakekama?", Jonat Paseru asked cautiously.

  "I have it", Cale explained, straightening up before extending his hand to Jonat Paseru. "And as I see it, you won't try to take it by force. Not after our little duel."

  "Probably not, no", Jonat Paseru interjected again and got to his feet. "Why did you heal me?"

  "Your ribs were broken", Cale explained, turning back to Julius, who was still standing in the same spot, his face pale. "That's why I healed him. Left untreated, it would have been quite dangerous."

  "You could have told me that", Julius said.

  "Would that have changed anything?"

  "No", Julius confessed. "Still..."

  "You were so upset that you didn't listen to me at all."

  "I wasn't upset", Julius defended himself, folding his arms across his chest. "I just don't like the whole situation. Don't you have anything to say in your defense, Sir Paseru?"

  Jonat Paseru had come to stand next to Cale, but did not respond to the question.

  "How about the three of us take a little trip? To the mine", Cale suggested. "Sir Paseru should see it, don't you think?"

  "I don't think that's a good idea."

  "Let me see it, please. With my own eyes", Jonat Paseru interjected. "I'll follow your instructions, I promise."

  "I hope so", Cale confirmed with satisfaction and did exactly what Julius advised against.

  He let Jonat Paseru out into the open.