An hour had passed walking inside the Untamable Forest… The atmosphere was tense, thick, as if even the air refused to move normally.

  One beast guardian, visibly exhausted from the recent fights, protected a novice adventurer and a spoiled child. Meanwhile, the other two guardians fought a large number of minor monsters trying to ambush them along the path, jumping out from the bushes with desperate growls.

  Even though they had every right to be angry, the three guardians had no mood to speak to their young master. They walked in silence, teeth clenched.

  Kael moved forward quickly without stopping at any moment, carrying the unconscious demon girl on his back. The blood flowing from her wounds stained his clothes and left small drops on the forest ground.

  Lyris watched the situation uncomfortably. She did not carry the weight the three guardians once carried during the war, but she could feel the tension surrounding them.

  “Young Master Kael… you look very tired. I would like to help you,” Lyris said softly, trying not to completely break the fragile silence.

  Kael looked at her. His face showed clear exhaustion, but his eyes remained firm.

  “I truly appreciate your concern, Lyris… but I caused all of this. As long as I remain a member of House Sungley, I must face my insubordination alone…”

  Lyris frowned slightly.

  “As long as you remain a member…?”

  The three guardians were surprised by the direct, though naive, question from the adventurer.

  Kael kept looking forward as he answered:

  “That’s right… I committed actions that put every member of House Sungley who accompanied me in danger. This act can clearly be classified as betrayal against my house… and if necessary, I will face it as I should.”

  The words fell heavily. Lyris was shocked by the determination in his voice. There was no doubt or hesitation.

  To ease the atmosphere a little, Kael decided to change the subject.

  “And how did you find me?”

  Lyris blinked, grateful for the change.

  “Oh, it was Coco! He followed the gargoyle’s trail and we followed him.”

  Kael’s eyes lit up for a moment.

  “From the first day I saw Coco, I knew he was an extraordinary bird! Remind me to give him the best seeds and food as a reward… thanks to him, I was able to survive…”

  For a moment, the atmosphere eased slightly.

  However, Lyris looked again at the blood soaking his clothes.

  “Young Master… if possible, would you allow me to apply some bandages or medicinal herbs to your wounds? I’m worried about your bleeding…”

  Kael shook his head gently.

  “I can’t, Lyris… I’m sorry. This was the result of my decisions and I must endure it alone. Don’t worry… they are not fatal wounds.”

  She looked at him in astonishment.

  “But I’m impressed, Young Master… at your age, you can use magic…”

  Holley immediately stepped closer. Her gaze turned severe.

  “Miss Lyris,” she said in a low but firm voice, “we ask you to guard this secret with your life. No one can find out that the Young Master can use magic. Otherwise, not only his life would be in danger… the entire nation would be as well. I hope you understand the seriousness of this.”

  Lyris swallowed hard. The weight of those words hit her strongly.

  “Of course. Knowing that his life would be at risk if this is revealed, I won’t say anything.”

  Silence returned as they finally left the Untamable Forest.

  .

  ..

  …

  As they reached the edge of the forest, they began to encounter soldiers standing guard. When the men saw the guardians, they immediately reacted and reported their arrival.

  At the entrance of one of Cautares’ main walls, Caria and Laret were waiting alongside several soldiers.

  Caria looked visibly exhausted. Her clothes were torn, her hair messy from the recent battle. Even so, she stood upright, firm, determined to spend her last drop of energy just to see her son return.

  From a distance, the group coming back could be seen.

  When they recognized Kael’s silhouette, they breathed with slight relief after confirming he was alive… but that relief did not extinguish the fury boiling under the surface.

  The closer they got to the gate, the heavier the atmosphere became. Even the soldiers began to step back slightly.

  Ken, clearly worried, spoke in a low voice:

  “Young Master… this will be difficult. Please be understanding of the situation. Don’t do anything that creates more problems. Your parents love you very much.”

  Kael looked at him seriously.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  “That does not depend on me… it depends on what they decide to feel..”

  Caria and Laret remained serious, visibly furious. They were a true storm of emotions: fear, relief, anger, and disappointment. All mixed in a tension impossible to hide.

  But for Caria, one emotion became dominant when she finally saw her son up close.

  Kael stopped in front of them. He was clearly injured, bleeding… and carrying a demon girl in his arms.

  The murmurs among the soldiers stopped completely.

  With a threatening and furious look, Laret spoke first.

  “Kael… what does this mean…?”

  Caria, unable to contain herself, began releasing magic uncontrollably. Despite her extreme exhaustion, the air around her vibrated violently.

  “Kael… what the hell do you think you’re doing…?” she snapped, her voice filled with fury and pain.

  Everyone felt the magical pressure crush the surroundings. The ground began to crack under their feet.

  The guardians prepared to intervene… but Caria shot them a deadly glare.

  “Guardians! Keep your distance. This does not concern you.”

  Kael kept his head lowered. Then he raised his face.

  There was no fear in his eyes. He did not feel intimidated.

  There was defiance.

  “Hello, Mother,” he said firmly. “First of all, I have no words and no excuse for what I did. I acted on my own and put everyone in danger. I am totally and completely responsible. I will accept with my head held high whatever punishment you consider appropriate… even if it is expulsion… or death.…”

  Soldiers and guardians were shocked by the declaration.

  Caria’s uncontrolled magic increased even more. The ground cracked harder and a light tremor shook the area.

  “You put civilians in danger… you put soldiers in danger… you put the guardians in danger…” her voice trembled with rage. “And you put yourself in danger for a damn selfish wish! And to complete this disaster, you bring a damn demon with you!”

  Her power kept expanding. The pressure became almost unbearable.

  The guardians, despite the order, were ready to intervene if the situation went out of control.

  And then…

  Kael began to release his own magical energy.

  It was a rough, irregular, but intense burst. He was desperately trying to match his mother’s magic.

  The clash of auras made several soldiers step back.

  Kael held Caria’s gaze.

  “You want to lock me up? You want to execute me? Do it if you believe I deserve it for the chaos I caused… I will accept it. But I will not allow you to touch this girl! If you so much as touch a single hair on her head, even if it costs me my life, I will defend her!”

  His energy increased even more, fueled by anger, fear, and determination.

  At that moment, Laret’s magical aura also exploded.

  “Kael!” he roared. “Do you dare rebel against your mother after all our worry? And over a damn demon?”

  Kael clenched his teeth.

  “This ‘damn demon,’ as you call her, gave her life to save me! I will not allow you to harm her without knowing the context of what happened! You want to do something to her? Then come! For me, you are the two most important people in my life, but if you taught me anything, it is that I must not bow to injustice. And you are trying to impose one on someone innocent!”

  The magical pressure vibrated in the air like a storm about to explode.

  And Kael began to bleed from his mouth.

  Blood also flowed from his ears.

  But he did not step back.

  Blood slid down the corner of his lips and dripped onto the cracked dust on the ground. His ears also began to turn red, marking the brutal price of forcing his body beyond its limits.

  Just as those words finished crossing between them, a ray of power descended from the sky and struck the center of the conflict.

  The explosion of light forced everyone to close their eyes for a moment. The impact raised a gust of wind that swept away the accumulated magical pressure, scattering the clashing auras as if a higher will had decided it was enough.

  When the light faded, a figure stood between them.

  It was Garbard.

  His presence imposed silence. His expression was hard and severe, but not uncontrolled. His mere appearance crushed the confrontation with the authority of someone who does not need to raise his voice to be obeyed.

  “The only one responsible for issuing judgments and punishments is me,” he declared firmly. “So I ask you, in the clearest way possible, to lower the intensity of your fury. Right now, none of you are in a condition to think clearly.”

  The air still vibrated, but the pressure was beginning to fade.

  Garbard turned first toward Laret and Caria.

  “Laret. Caria. I understand your helplessness and your fury. But in your current state, you are not capable of forming a reasonable resolution about what is happening. I order you to return to the house immediately and rest. Otherwise, you would be disobeying a direct order from the Grand Lord… and you would become traitors, just like your son.”

  The words fell with cold, absolute weight.

  Laret clenched his jaw. Caria was still trembling, tears mixing with sweat and the dust of battle.

  Slowly, their auras began to decrease.

  The magic surrounding Caria weakened unevenly, like a flame that consumes itself after burning too much.

  Suddenly, the emotional storm holding her together broke.

  Caria let out a choked sob.

  All the accumulated tension — the worry, the fear, the rage, the guilt — collapsed over her. Exhausted, unable to hold herself any longer, she fell to her knees and then to the ground, crying in devastation.

  Dust rose softly around her.

  Laret reacted immediately. He rushed to hold her in his arms. When he lifted his gaze toward Kael, it was no longer only fury.

  It was pain.

  It was disappointment.

  It was helplessness.

  He did not say a word. But that look was heavier than any shout.

  Garbard, meanwhile, fixed his eyes on his grandson.

  There was no explosive anger on his face, but a deep and contained sadness.

  “Why did you do this, Kael?” he asked with a gravity that pierced the chest.

  Kael was breathing with difficulty. Blood was still falling, but his posture remained firm.

  “It was my mission…” he answered without lowering his gaze. “And I do not regret fulfilling it. I will pay the consequences.”

  The silence that followed was heavy.

  Garbard held his gaze for a few seconds before speaking.

  “When we arrive at the mansion, you will receive the necessary treatment. After that, you will be taken to the dungeon. Do you understand?”

  Kael nodded slowly.

  But before the matter was closed, he straightened up again with one last effort.

  “I will obey all your orders… with one single condition. Otherwise, you can kill me right here.”

  A murmur spread among the soldiers.

  Garbard narrowed his eyes.

  “On top of everything, you still have the nerve to demand something…”

  Kael did not step back.

  “That’s right! Allow this girl to rest in my room. She needs rest and treatment. If you are not able to promise me that… I will not submit.”

  The tension floated in the air again, though without the previous chaos.

  Garbard closed his eyes for a moment.

  It was not only the Grand Lord speaking.

  It was also the grandfather.

  The helplessness was visible, but controlled.

  “If it is relevant to your judgment,” he finally replied, “I promise to fulfill what you asked.”

  The moment those words were spoken, a white light appeared in front of Kael.

  It was not violent like the previous lightning. It was purer. Quieter.

  The light slowly moved forward and entered his body.

  A message echoed clearly.

  // -- Mission completed: Save the lives of all innocents… -- //

  The light faded.

  And Kael could no longer endure.

  A spasm shook his body. He vomited blood and his legs finally gave out under the weight of extreme exhaustion. He fell forward without strength to support himself.

  The guardians reacted immediately. One carefully took the demon girl, making sure not to hurt her more than she already was. Another held the Young Master before his body hit the ground violently.

  The tension that had dominated the atmosphere for minutes began to fade, but it left behind a heavy emptiness.

  That day ended with Caria completely broken, both mentally and physically. The exhaustion from the battle, the emotional pressure, and the confrontation with her own son had shattered her more than any previous war had.

  And Kael…

  Kael knowingly sacrificed a part of his relationship with the people he loved the most.

  He did it to save innocent children who, in large part, who, in many ways, might once have become the very same monsters that threatened to destroy his kingdom.

  And even so, he did not regret it.