A New Friend. Luméon!

Yusuf shouted from the bath area, "Are you coming or not?"

Bastin ran toward him. "Sorry," he muttered before jumping straight into the pool, tossing aside his leaf clothing.

Yusuf sighed, placing a hand on his forehead. "Oh! I forgot to remind Uncle to buy us clothes."

After their bath, they covered themselves in Yusuf's old pre-bath clothes. As soon as Baran saw them, he burst into laughter. "What were you two up to? Crazyyy!"

Saliz stepped forward. "Let's go to the market right now. But before that—Phytus Lifarius."

In an instant, Yusuf and Bastin's clothes changed back into their leaf clothing.

Saliz turned to Baran. "Are you coming with us?"

Yusuf whispered, "Please say no."

Baran, catching his words, smirked. "Yes."

Yusuf froze, his mouth hanging open.

Before leaving, Saliz took out a small blue berry and placed it near the door. "Take care of the house, Tillie," he said.

A rodent appeared out of nowhere, grabbed the berry, and gave a quick thumbs-up before vanishing.

The four of them headed to the marketplace. Saliz walked quietly, his thoughts elsewhere. "I should get him a pair of clothes too…"

As soon as they arrived, Yusuf ran off, eyes sparkling.

Baran sighed. "Older than me but still a kid."

"You too", Bastin thought but said nothing.

They entered a medieval clothing shop.

"Pick whatever you want," Saliz said.

Yusuf rushed inside. Bastin hesitated for a moment before following.

Saliz glanced at Bastin and suddenly stiffened. "The brooch… it's not with him."

Without another word, he turned and ran back toward the house.

"Where are you going, Master?" Baran called out.

"I'll be back soon. Take care of them," Saliz said without stopping.

Baran sighed but followed the command.

Saliz reached the house quickly. Tillie was napping near the gate. Saliz ignored him and leaped through the window, directly landing inside.

Tillie, startled by the voice of Saliz landing in the house, bolted away in fear.

Saliz frantically searched every corner of the house, checking under tables, inside cabinets, even lifting rugs. But the brooch was nowhere to be found.

"Damn it…" he muttered under his breath, rubbing his temples. "Where could it have gone? That Child!"

Frustrated, he gave up and stormed out, walking back toward the shop. As he neared the marketplace, Baran spotted him.

"Master, did you find what you were looking for?" Baran asked, catching up.

"No," Saliz grumbled. "But I'll deal with it later."

They reached the clothing shop just as Yusuf excitedly ran up to him.

"Master, look! I got these for both of us!" Yusuf held up two sets of medieval-style clothes—one for himself and one for Bastin. The fabric was decent, the stitching sturdy.

Saliz took a quick glance, nodded, and paid for them without much thought. "Alright, let's go."

As they walked back, Baran eyed Yusuf's choice of clothing with a smirk. "You really have terrible taste, you know that?"

Yusuf scowled. "What's wrong with them?"

Baran pointed at Bastin. "Even he picked something better."

Yusuf looked at Bastin's outfit and huffed. "Oh, come on! His and mine are almost the same!"

Baran shook his head. "Not at all. His at least looks decent. Yours? Looks like you grabbed it from a scarecrow."

Yusuf gritted his teeth. "At least I don't dress like a stuck-up prince."

Baran chuckled. "Better than looking like a wandering fool."

Bastin stayed quiet, watching their bickering.

Baran turned to him. "By the way, what's your name?"

Bastin hesitated before replying, "Bastin."

Baran raised an eyebrow. "Just Bastin?"

Bastin simply nodded.

Baran stared at him for a moment but didn't press further.

Once they reached home, Saliz stretched his arms and cracked his knuckles. "Alright, enough wasting time. Baran, time for your training."

Baran sighed. "I knew this was coming."

Saliz smirked. "You wanted to tag along, didn't you? Now show me if you've got what it takes."

Baran rolled his shoulders, stepping forward. "Fine. Let's see what you've got, old man."

Saliz grinned. "Oh, you'll see."

Saliz and Baran squared up in the open yard, the was air thick with tension. Baran clenched his fists, shifting his stance as Saliz remained still, his piercing gaze locked onto his student.

"Come at me," Saliz taunted.

Baran didn't hesitate—he lunged forward, throwing a quick jab aimed at Saliz's face. But in the blink of an eye, Saliz sidestepped, grabbed Baran's wrist, and twisted it behind his back, forcing him down to one knee.

"Too slow," Saliz muttered before letting him go.

Baran gritted his teeth, immediately rolling away and getting back on his feet. He dashed in again, this time feinting a strike before attempting a leg sweep. Saliz simply jumped over it and landed smoothly. Before Baran could react, Saliz grabbed his arm and flipped him onto the ground with a sharp thud.

"Ah—!" Baran groaned, but instead of giving up, he kicked his legs up and flipped himself back onto his feet.

Meanwhile, Yusuf and Bastin sat at the side, watching in awe.

"They've got strength," Bastin murmured, eyes fixed on the spar.

The fight continued for a few minutes, Baran throwing punch after punch, grapple after grapple, but no matter what he did, Saliz countered effortlessly. Eventually, exhaustion took over. Baran's breathing became ragged, his stance wavered, and with one final attempt at a tackle, Saliz grabbed him and pinned him down completely.

"That's enough," Saliz said, standing up. "You've got energy, but you lack endurance."

Baran groaned, laying on his back. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. You're unbeatable."

Saliz smirked. "For now." He then crossed his arms and said, "We need to build up your stamina. Get up."

Baran sighed and sat up, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

Saliz walked over to the side and picked up two empty buckets, handing them to Baran. "Your next task is simple: walk to the beach, fill these with water, and bring them back to fill the bath pool."

Baran raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound too bad." but Bastin had a thought that Saliz is not that simple, he'll make it harsh anyways.

Saliz's smirk widened. "Oh, and one more thing. You can only carry one bucket per hand. If you spill even a single drop, you start over with that bucket."

Baran's eyes widened. "What? That's—".

"Yes!" Said Yusuf as he has been avenged.

"I'll also leave four extra buckets here," Saliz continued, placing them near the door. "In case you mess up and have to bring just one at a time."

Baran sighed heavily, realizing how ridiculous the task was. But before he could protest, Saliz was already walking inside.

"I'll be in my study," he called out, disappearing into the house.

Bastin shook his head. "That's almost impossible to do."

Baran clicked his tongue. "Yeah, well, standing around won't get it done." He grabbed the buckets and set off toward the beach.

Time passed, and despite his best efforts, Baran managed to deliver just one bucket successfully. He wiped sweat from his brow, gritting his teeth as he started another trip.

Yusuf, watching him struggle, suddenly grinned. "Alright, I can't watch this anymore." He ran up beside Baran. "Let's make it a race."

Baran frowned. "What?"

"A race. You and me. Whoever gets the most buckets to the bath pool first wins."

Baran smirked despite himself. "You're on."

The two of them started running back and forth between the house and the beach, carrying water as fast as they could. At first, Yusuf was faster, but he was sloppy—he spilled too much and had to restart several times. Baran, on the other hand, was careful but slower. The race kept them both engaged, pushing them to work harder.

Bastin sat at the side, shaking his head. And then following them to the beach "They're completely crazy." He took the view of the beach, no one visible till his sight could travel.

But as he watched them, something stirred inside him. Maybe it was their determination. Maybe it was the thrill of competition. He wasn't sure.

Before he knew it, he grabbed a small bucket and ran toward the beach. He was smaller, his hands weren't strong enough to carry full buckets like the others, so he settled for bringing back half a bucket at a time.

The evening air was filled with the sound of running footsteps, sloshing water, and occasional groans of frustration. But none of them stopped. The challenge had become more than just a task—it was a test of willpower, and none of them wanted to be the first to give up.

They repeated the task over and over. Saliz had been asleep in the study room the entire time, but the voices of the children eventually woke him.

"It's almost done," Baran said, breathless.

"Yeah, but I'm still one bucket ahead of you," Yusuf added with a smirk.

Saliz stretched and walked to the window, watching them, sweat dripping down their faces. He chuckled. "So, you two got pulled into the training too, huh?" Then, his eyes flicked to the pool. "Great job—just one more."

The pool was nearly full. The three of them walked back to the beach one last time. Bastin, exhausted, plopped down on the sand. The twilight sky stretched before them, the golden hues of the sunset reflecting over the waves.

"Wow," Yusuf and Baran muttered in unison, then turned to glance at each other.

"Let's finish this," Baran said, determination in his voice.

Yusuf nodded in agreement.

"They're finally becoming friends", Bastin thought, watching them.

With careful steps, they carried the last bucket together, Bastin cheering them on from behind.

Saliz sat on the veranda, waiting. As their figures emerged from the distance, he called out, "Come on!"

They reached the pool, sweat-soaked and weary.

"Let's do this together," Baran said.

Yusuf nodded, then turned to Bastin. "Come on, Bastin."

The three of them lifted the bucket and poured the final load of water into the pool, their exhaustion fading into a shared sense of triumph.

"You all take a bath right now and then come to the living room. You can wear your new clothes," Saliz said.

"What about Baran?" Yusuf asked.

"Remember my bag? I brought my own clothes," Baran replied.

As they bathed, they talked a lot—perhaps marking the day they were truly becoming friends.

Bastin thought to himself, "Saliz's behavior is getting more normal… but why does he suddenly turn odd sometimes? Right now, he seems almost fond of me."

Once they were done, both Bastin and Yusuf dressed up.

"You both look cool," Baran said with a grin. "Sorry for what I said about your choices earlier."

"Ah, I already forgot about that. It's not an issue now," Yusuf replied.

Baran hugged him.

They made their way to the living room, where Saliz had prepared a meal—curry, rice, and fish.

"See? I told you, if you follow a forester's lifestyle, you won't even feel hungry and will start eating only once a day—" Saliz started, but his words trailed off as he looked at them in their new clothes.

"You two look so cute," he said.

Bastin's thoughts stirred again. "See? This is what I mean. What happens to him sometimes? I need to figure it out."

They ate their meal, then bid farewell to Baran.

"See you tomorrow," Baran called back before disappearing into the dark.

[Scene Changes]

Somewhere in a Nordic country, Erythros Galanis was helping people as heavy snow fell around her. Suddenly, she felt a shift—her brooch had stopped glowing.

"Oh shit! Why does the charge always run out at the worst time?" she muttered.

The situation was dire. A child was trapped inside a cave, surrounded by hanging icicles, sharp as spears.

"I have no time—I need to charge it now!" Erythros exclaimed.

Stepping back, she held her brooch high in her left arm.

"Luméon, grant me power!" she called.

From the snow-laden clouds above, a faint yellow light descended onto her brooch. An angelic voice echoed, "Granted."

Wasting no time, she rushed to the cave's entrance.

"Psychos Telekinesis!" she commanded.

The child began to float, moving steadily toward her. But the vibrations of the spell made the icicles tremble, threatening to fall.

"Psychos Delunius!"

Erythros darted forward, conjuring a protective shield around the child. The icicles crashed down, but the child remained safe within the barrier.

Moments later, she finally managed to bring the child out of the cave, ensuring a successful rescue.