"Are you alright?" Emily asked gently.

"Yeah. Totally fine," Leon replied. Before leaving, Leon glanced at everyone and gave a small bow — a silent gesture of reconciliation, showing that he held no grudge over what had happened earlier.

But as she walked away with him, Emily shot Sol a cold glance.

"That guy is really something," Sebastian said, unable to take his eyes off Leon’s retreating figure. "Those sword moves were effective and precise. I am not a swordsman, but I have seen enough to tell the difference between. But what a shame he is only at D-Class."

"Yeah. But, if he’s nurtured properly, he could someday reach a level others can only look up to... assuming he has the aptitude for it. After all, a person’s highest potential is determined at birth. No one can surpass that limit," Julia added thoughtfully.

Spencer remained silent, but the look in his eyes revealed that he was planning something... Something that might not end well for someone.

Sol clicked his tongue in annoyance. "This is all because of you three. Now she’s definitely going to give me an earful."

"Ah, come on. Relax. Accidents happen," Sebastian replied awkwardly.

Sol didn’t argue further and simply followed behind Emily.

Meanwhile, Emily brought Leon back to the room he had been staying in.

"Let me heal you," she said as Leon sat down on the bed while she pulled a chair closer.

She placed her palm against Leon’s chest. A warm flame-like energy spread through his entire body, washing away the lingering pain.

Leon stiffened slightly at the sudden warmth.

After a while, Emily withdrew her hand. "How are you feeling now?"

"Everything feels fine."

"Good. Get some rest. We’ll talk later."

As Emily turned to leave, Leon suddenly spoke again.

"Uhh... can I leave today? I think I’m fully healed now, and I still have a lot of things to take care of back home."

Emily stopped and looked back at him. For a moment, she remained silent. "Okay. I’ll arrange it," she finally said after a brief pause.

"Thank you very much," Leon said immediately with a bright smile.

Emily simply nodded before leaving the room.

’Finally going back after such a long time...’ Leon stretched his body a little before lying down on the bed. ’Once I get back, joining a guild should be easy. I’m already close to becoming a C-Class knight, and with that level, I can even participate in B-Class dungeon raids as part of a group. And the higher the dungeon rank, the higher the payout.’ A faint smile appeared on his face as he imagined the amount of money he would earn in the future.

Within two hours, Emily had prepared everything for Leon’s return. She stood outside the villa beside a car when Sol walked out together with Leon.

"Bro, I’m really sorry about this morning," Sol said awkwardly. "If I hadn’t dragged you down there, none of this would’ve happened."

Leon placed a hand on his shoulder. "Relax. It’s nothing. Whatever happened is already in the past."

Sol nodded before suddenly remembering something. "Why don’t you stay a few more days? We could explore dungeons together."

"That does sound great," Leon admitted with a small smile. "But my sister is waiting for me at home, and I also have my college finals coming up. Still, I’m sure we’ll get another chance in the future."

"Yeah... I know about the future. Probably more than you do," Sol chuckled.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Leon asked with a puzzled look.

"Nothing," Sol replied casually. ’When my sister sets her heart on a task, she achieves it no matter how difficult the mission is...’ Sol thought inwardly as his gaze shifted toward Emily. ’Now let’s see what happens when the mission involves a person.’

The two soon arrived in front of the car. "Let’s go," Emily said as she opened the door for Leon.

Leon and Sol got into the back seats while Emily sat in the front beside the driver.

Before long, they arrived at a private runway where a sleek plane was already waiting for departure.

Leon couldn’t help but stare at the scene in amazement. ’Money really does make life easier...’ he thought inwardly.

Emily guided him toward the stairs leading into the aircraft. Leon climbed halfway before turning back and waving lightly.

"Until next time, then."

"Yeah, bro. Take care," Sol replied with a grin.

Emily, however, remained silent, her expression unreadable.

Soon after Leon entered, the plane took off, soaring high into the sky before gradually disappearing into the distance.

"You could’ve asked him to stay for a few more days," Sol said while watching the plane vanish.

"He has more important things to do," Emily replied quietly. This time, she didn’t deny it outright.

Sol couldn’t help but chuckle, though he quickly suppressed it before Emily noticed.

Meanwhile, Leon had already drifted off to sleep during the flight. There wasn’t much else for him to do anyway. Five hours later, the plane finally landed on the soil of Delvan.

After thanking the pilot, Leon walked out toward the main road and took a cab home.

An hour later, he finally arrived at his apartment building. He climbed the stairs to the second floor and rang the doorbell.

"Who’s there?" a familiar voice immediately called out from inside.

"It’s me."

The moment those words left his mouth, the door burst open, and a girl threw herself into Leon’s embrace.

"You’re back... I thought you were... you were..." she sobbed, unable to finish her sentence as her voice trembled.

Leon gently caressed her hair. "I got trapped inside a gate."

The girl immediately pulled herself out of his embrace and punched him hard in the chest.

"Who told you to wander around gates? Serves you right for getting trapped in one!"

"Hey, hey, hey. Your brother is an awakened knight now, you know. Show some respect," Leon said smugly while brushing a finger under his nose.

"Really?" she asked suspiciously.

"What, you don’t believe me?"

"Hmph. I’ll believe it when I see it." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Then come with me to the Hunter Association tomorrow."

"I hope you’re not just shamelessly bragging again, you brat."

Leon widened his eyes dramatically. "How dare you call your elder brother a brat? Looks like these past few days made you forget how a gentle girl is supposed to behave." He reached forward and pinched her cheeks hard.

"Ow! Let go!"

Their loud and cheerful banter continued even after the apartment door closed behind them.

The next day...

Leon and his sister stood in front of the Hunter Association building.

"Let’s go," Leon said confidently.