Quite some time had already passed since Seraphine left on her secret investigation, leaving Max with far too much information in his head and a promise now weighing uncomfortably on his conscience.

So he had decided to do something to pass the time:

Sit and watch Moonlight train.

Max was leaning against a small wooden fence surrounding an outdoor training area inside the castle.

And in front of him, Moonlight swung her frostfire sword.

CLANG.

The blades collided again.

Neros blocked Moon’s strike with ease.

"More firmly," he instructed.

Moon frowned and tried again.

CLANG.

Max smiled faintly.

Watching her train genuinely gave him a certain sense of peace.

Moon looked completely in her element.

Focused.

Motivated.

Happy.

’Need to enjoy every day while I still can.’

"You okay?"

The voice pulled him from his thoughts.

Max turned his head slightly.

Frida was approaching, her hands stained with grease and metal, as usual.

The dwarf stepped beside him, also watching the training session.

Max smiled a little.

"Yeah."

He looked back at Moon.

"I was just watching Moon get stronger."

His expression softened.

"That makes me happy."

Frida glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

Max added, almost without thinking:

"You have to enjoy every day while you can."

Frida frowned.

"What do you mean, while you can?"

Max cleared his throat.

"It’s just a saying."

Frida narrowed her eyes slightly.

"I never get bored."

She crossed her arms proudly.

"There’s always something for me to do."

Max let out a small laugh.

"Right."

He pointed at Neros.

"With him breaking his sword every time he breathes, I guess you’re never short on work."

Neros turned his head slightly.

"I heard that."

He dropped his guard for a second.

A grave mistake.

Moon immediately took advantage.

CLANG.

Her sword struck Neros’s with surprising precision.

The blow caught him off guard.

And his sword flew out of his hands.

Landing a few feet away, embedded in the ground.

Moon’s eyes widened.

Max burst into immediate laughter.

"That was amazing."

Neros stared at his sword stuck in the dirt.

Then at Moon.

He looked genuinely offended.

Frida crossed her arms and grinned.

"Don’t worry."

She pointed at the weapon.

"That sword won’t break so easily anymore."

Neros raised an eyebrow while retrieving it.

"Oh yeah?"

Frida smiled with absolute artisan pride.

"I reinforced it with dragon steel."

Moon tilted her head.

"Dragon steel?"

Frida nodded.

"The king gifted it to Neros for his service."

She lightly punched the cat-man in the chest.

"Now he carries a weapon worthy of a royal knight."

Neros smiled.

He grabbed his sword and held it in front of him.

"One day, you’ll have one just as strong as this."

Moon looked at him.

Then lowered her gaze to her own sword.

She held it a little closer to herself.

"I don’t need another one."

She looked at Max.

"This one is fine."

Max smiled.

"Besides..."

He shrugged.

"She’s never broken her sword."

There was a second of silence.

Then Frida burst out laughing.

Moon started laughing too.

Neros looked at both of them.

"I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that."

"Good idea," Max said.

Neros sighed deeply and returned to position.

"Alright."

He pointed at Moon.

"Back to it."

Moon immediately assumed her stance.

Now even more focused.

Neros raised his sword.

"I’m going to teach you something important."

Moon narrowed her eyes with absolute attention.

"The parry."

Max raised an eyebrow.

Now that was interesting.

Neros gently tapped Moon’s sword with his own, demonstrating the motion.

"It’s not about blocking."

He explained,

"It’s about redirecting the force of your opponent’s strike."

He demonstrated again.

"You use their own momentum to throw them off balance and create an opening."

Moon nodded.

"Try it."

Neros launched a controlled strike.

Moon tried moving her sword.

Failed.

The impact pushed her back a step.

She frowned.

"That didn’t work."

"It took me months to master it," Neros replied.

"So be patient."

Moon repositioned herself.

Took a deep breath.

Neros attacked again.

CLANG.

Moon twisted her wrist at exactly the right moment.

Redirected the strike.

Used the momentum.

And counterattacked with a clean motion.

Neros’s sword was knocked off line.

Max’s mouth opened slightly.

So did Frida’s.

Moon smiled slowly.

"Like that?"

Neros seemed momentarily speechless.

He blinked several times.

"...Yes."

He looked at his own sword.

Then at Moon.

"It took me months."

Moon lifted her chin slightly with absolute pride.

Max covered his face with one hand.

"Fantastic."

He looked at Frida.

Frida let out a small laugh.

"The kid is ridiculously talented."

She watched Moon with genuine admiration.

"She’s a prodigy."

She pointed at the little dragon girl.

"Magic. Combat. Learning."

She shook her head in disbelief.

"She does everything absurdly fast."

Max raised a hand.

"Please."

He lowered his voice slightly.

"Don’t let her hear you."

Frida smiled.

"Why?"

"Because it inflates her ego way too much."

As if summoned by the energy of the comment, Moon turned toward them.

"Are you talking about me?"

"Never," Max replied immediately.

Moon narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

And that was when Max saw her.

A few meters away.

Walking along one of the stone paths in the courtyard.

Elanor.

Her posture caught his attention immediately.

Head slightly lowered.

Slow steps.

Hands clasped together in front of her.

She didn’t look distracted.

Or tired.

She looked... worried.

Max felt an immediate stab of alarm.

His expression changed.

’Oh no.’

He didn’t need to be a genius to connect the dots.

Private lesson with Thara.

Elanor walking out looking existentially miserable.

Yeah.

Definitely Thara’s fault.

Max straightened up abruptly.

Neros raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

Max gestured vaguely.

"You guys keep going."

He looked at Moon.

"I’ll be back."

Moon followed his gaze.

"Is that Mommy?"

"Yes."

Max was already starting to walk.

Moon raised her sword.

"I’m going to master parrying before you get back."

And without waiting any longer, Max started following after Elanor.

His concern grew with every step.

He didn’t like seeing her like that.

Especially not so soon after what had happened between them.

His mind was already constructing violent theories about what kind of diplomatic psychological torture Thara had inflicted during that lesson.

Behind him, Moon and Neros resumed training.

CLANG.

CLANG.

CLANG.

Frida watched them.

Then looked back at Max walking after the princess.

She blinked.

And muttered quietly to herself:

"...Something is definitely going on."