Homecoming

"An, have you finished packing?" Linley's voice came from behind him.

"Almost." An turned, stuffed the Flat Blade and a few pieces of stone into his pack, then checked the bag of Magic Crystal Cores again. The cores seized from the bandits' camp, together with those they had obtained from hunting magical beasts themselves, were worth nearly thirty thousand gold coins. Linley had another bag in his pack, bringing their combined total to roughly fifty thousand.

That money would be enough to make life much easier for their father, Hogg.

An looked at the pack in his hands, and his father's face surfaced in his mind. That sharply defined face almost always wore a stern, cold expression, rarely showing a smile. But An knew that beneath that mask was a man burdened with far too much pain.

An and Linley's mother had died in childbirth while giving birth to Wharton. That was the story Hogg told others. But as a transmigrator, An had long known the truth from the original novel: their mother, Lina, had been sacrificed by the Radiant Church and turned into a twelve-winged angel. Hogg had endured in silence for eleven years, all so he could one day exact his revenge.

"An, what are you thinking about?" Linley came over and patted his shoulder.

"Nothing." An shook his head and slung his pack over his back. "Let's go. Boss Yale arranged a carriage to take us to Fenlai City. We'll hire another one there to take us back to Wushan Town."

The brothers walked out of the dormitory, with Bebe perched on Linley's shoulder.

"Second Brother, Third Brother, take care on the road." Yale stood at the academy gates to see them off, while Reynolds waved beside him.

"Give Uncle Hogg our regards when you get to Wushan Town!" Reynolds called.

An nodded and climbed into the carriage with Linley.

The carriage rolled out through the gates of Ernst Academy and followed the main road toward Fenlai City. An leaned beside the window, watching the scenery rush past as his thoughts drifted far away.

The carriage reached Wushan Town at dusk.

The last rays of sunset fell across the town's flagstone streets, and cooking smoke curled up from the chimneys of every household. Through the carriage window, An saw the training grounds on the eastern side of town.

Hillman was sitting at the edge of the training grounds. When he saw the carriage approaching, he stood up.

The carriage stopped outside the Baruch Clan's manor. An and Linley jumped down, and Hillman was already coming to greet them.

"Linley! An!" A delighted smile spread across Hillman's face. "What brings you back now? It isn't vacation yet, is it?"

"We missed home, so we came back for a visit," Linley said with a smile. "Uncle Hillman, is Father here?"

"He is. He's reading in the courtyard." Hillman patted the brothers' shoulders. "Go on. Lord Hogg will be delighted to see you."

An and Linley entered the manor. In the courtyard, a middle-aged man in a gray robe sat in a reclining chair, holding a thick book.

"Father," they called together.

Hogg looked up and froze for a moment when he saw his two sons standing before him. Then he set down his book, rose to his feet, and gave one of his rare smiles.

"Linley, An? What brings you home?" Hogg came over and studied his sons closely. "You've both grown taller and stronger. Is everything going well at the academy?"

"Everything's fine," Linley said. "Father, we came back this time because we have something to give you."

An took the pack off his back and placed it on the stone table in the courtyard. Linley set his own pack down as well. Both packs bulged and looked quite heavy.

Hogg looked at the two packs in puzzlement. "What is this?"

An opened his pack-

Magic Crystal Cores in every color spilled out, glittering brilliantly in the light of the setting sun.

Hogg's eyes widened.

"These are..." His voice trembled slightly.

"Magic Crystal Cores," An said. "Father, altogether, these cores are worth about fifty thousand gold coins."

"You two... went to the Magical Beast Mountain Range?"

An and Linley exchanged a glance, then nodded together.

Hogg's expression changed at once. He sprang to his feet and walked over to An and Linley, his gaze sweeping back and forth over them.

Hogg closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tilted his head toward the sky. He was struggling to keep his emotions under control.

As their father, he felt as though a knife were twisting in his heart.

"Father," An suddenly said, "there's something I need to tell you."

Hogg opened his eyes and looked at An.

"Do you know about blue heart grass?" An asked.

Hogg paused in surprise.

"I do," Hogg said. "Why do you ask?"

"My brother and I found in the records that blue heart grass can neutralize the poison in Living Dragon Blood. We discovered a large amount of it in a gorge in the Magical Beast Mountain Range," An said. "There are many high-level magical beasts guarding that gorge. Once my brother and I become a little stronger, we'll go and collect it."

"Father, the Dragonblood Codex says that drinking deeply of Living Dragon Blood can awaken the dormant Dragonblood Warrior bloodline within us. Our Baruch Clan hasn't produced a Dragonblood Warrior in over a thousand years because we haven't had enough blue heart grass."

Hogg's hands were trembling.

"We've already found the blue heart grass," An continued. "I'll get the Living Dragon Blood. Once I become a level eight or even level nine mage, I'll hunt down a dragon and take its blood. Then all of us can become Dragonblood Warriors."

Hogg went completely still.

I can become a Dragonblood Warrior too? The thought struck his mind like a bolt of lightning.

If I become a Dragonblood Warrior, I can avenge my wife myself.

Hogg's heart pounded.

Watching the changes in his father's expression, An felt a wave of relief.

At dinner, the Baruch Clan's sitting room was filled with laughter for once.

Hogg made an exception and drank a few cups of wine. His face flushed, and he talked far more than usual. He asked An and Linley about life at the academy, their experiences in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, and their progress in magic.

When An said he was a Level Seven Mage, Hogg's hand shook around his wine cup, spilling a few drops.

"Level seven?" Hogg's eyes widened like brass bells. "You're only fifteen this year."

"Sixteen," An corrected him. "I'll be sixteen next month."

Hogg set down his wine cup, threw back his head, and laughed. He patted An and Linley on the shoulders, saying over and over, "Good, good, good."

Night deepened.

An lay in bed, listening to the insects chirping outside his window. Linley was in the next room, with Bebe curled up beside his pillow, snoring softly.

The next morning, An and Linley took a walk around Wushan Town. They visited the children doing their morning exercises at the training grounds, walked around Wu Mountain, and went to the Ancestral Hall.

Inside the Ancestral Hall, the memorial tablets of the Baruch Clan's ancestors stood in silent rows. The largest tablet occupied the highest position, engraved with the words, "Baruch, first clan leader of the Baruch Clan, Dragonblood Warrior."

An stood before the tablets for a long time.

Ancestors above, he said in his heart, I, An Baruch, swear that I will restore our clan's glory. I will make the name of the Dragonblood Warriors resound throughout the Yulan continent once more.

He turned and walked out of the Ancestral Hall. Linley was waiting outside, and sunlight fell across the brothers' young, resolute faces.

That afternoon, An and Linley said goodbye to Hogg and set off on the road back to Ernst Academy.

As the carriage left Wushan Town, An glanced back. Hogg stood at the manor's entrance, waving to them.

An waved back, then turned away and did not look back again.