Not long after, Melly woke up. Though still weak and a little dazed, the little girl immediately got to her feet when Riven gestured for her to leave. They didn’t want to linger there. Even though the treatment had already been fully paid for, Riven still felt uneasy about owing space in such a luxurious place.

They walked along the main street of Glimfell, their footsteps blending with the city’s bustling rhythm. Glimfell was a relatively large town, lively and crowded. Street vendors called out their wares, the clatter of horse-drawn carts echoed along cobblestone roads, and the metallic ring of the blacksmith’s hammer mixed into the lively atmosphere. The warm midday sun kissed their skin, adding to the sense of life moving fast and full of color.

Yet Riven felt strangely out of place. His steps were steady, but his mind lagged far behind.

This journey had been reckless. Too dangerous. He had set out armed only with faint hope and courage, guided by rumors. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that he had survived purely by luck.

But even though nearly all of his belongings were gone—his weapons, gear, even the spoils from Jacky’s shop—the losses weren’t in vain. He had found Riftmaker. That alone was enough to repay the rest.

And… he had met Aria.

The woman hadn’t only saved their lives. She had trained them to become Lawbearers. Though, of course, she also brought danger wherever she went.

But without her… without Aria…

Riven and Melly would have been dead in the midst of that beast tide. There would be no story left to continue.

A shadow of Aria’s face appeared in his mind. That sharp gaze. Her rare but unforgettable smile. Her long blood-red hair cascading in the night.

Then, without realizing it, another image intruded—the memory of Aria naked, soaking in the lake at night, not a scrap of cloth on her. Instantly, he slapped his own cheek hard.

SMACK!

“Damn it…” he muttered under his breath, cursing himself silently.

‘Why do I keep imagining that when I think of Aria? Am I that desperate? Idiot…!’

Melly turned to him, watching her brother slap his own face in the middle of the crowded street. Innocently and a little worried, she asked, “Brother… are you crazy?”

Riven glanced at her, then quickly averted his gaze, embarrassed. “No… just a mosquito.”

Melly frowned, skeptical, but didn’t press the issue. She returned her attention to the road ahead, while Riven let out a long sigh.

A little while ago, he had asked Melly what she remembered.

And just as Riven had expected, Melly didn’t know anything.

For her, it all felt like one long sleep. She only knew that when she opened her eyes, she was in an unfamiliar place with Riven lying injured beside her. She didn’t know what had truly happened. Didn’t know that they had nearly been devoured alive by a pack of beasts. Didn’t know their lives had hung by a thread. Beyond that, it seemed his sister had other thoughts occupying her mind.

And Riven had no intention of telling her.

Why should he? She was already strong enough for everything they had been through. No need to burden her with the past—something that, if remembered, would only worry her.

Let all that remain in his own thoughts.

He only wanted to ensure that Melly could still laugh, still call him Riven as she always did.

Their steps continued in rhythm through the hustle and bustle of Glimfell when suddenly Melly turned to Riven and asked, her voice soft but clear:

“Riven… you promised, right, that you wouldn’t take up arms again from the battlefield?” Her eyes were straight and innocent, but a flicker of worry lingered behind them. “So… what are we going to do now?”

The question halted Riven in his tracks for a moment.

He lowered his gaze, staring at the cobblestones beneath his feet. A simple question, but the answer was far more complicated than it seemed.

For years, this had been the only life he knew. Scavenging from wars, taking weapons from the hands of the dead, selling scrap metal and unused magical artifacts, then using the money to survive, to eat, to raise Melly.

He had long known it wasn’t a life worth living. But he had endured it, for his sister. And now, after everything that had happened…

And after the promise he had made.

Finally, Riven made a decision.

He looked at Melly and answered, his voice calm yet filled with unshakable certainty.

“First, we get the horse carriage we left behind and sell the weapons. After that, we’ll head to the kingdom of Rosendell,” he said.

“Then maybe we’ll rent a small place or a room. After that, we open a stall, sell grilled fish at the market. We start from the bottom.”

Melly blinked. “Grilled fish?”

Riven nodded. “We save the profits. Once we have enough, we open a second stall. Then we grow. Two stalls become four. Four become eight. We hire people. Then we open a franchise. Build a name. Become the kings of grilled fish across the Kingdom of Rosendell.”

He glanced at Melly and gave a crooked smile.

“And we’ll call it… Riven and Melly Grilled Fin,” he added, raising his eyebrows dramatically, as if announcing a legendary kingdom. “One day, everyone will eat our grilled fish.”

Melly stared for a moment, then her eyes lit up.

“I don’t really get the last part… but it sounds like a good plan!”

Riven chuckled softly and ruffled her hair affectionately. He looked forward and said quietly but firmly,

“We need a fresh start.”

The image of Ashtoria’s face appeared again in his mind. He added, jokingly but with a hint of hope,

“Maybe I’ll look for a girlfriend too. Preferably rich. My face isn’t that bad, right? I don’t care if she’s older, as long as she has money and is loyal. I just sit back and enjoy life.”

Melly, who had been walking slowly, suddenly stopped. She glared at Riven and pinched his arm playfully.

“Broooother!” she exclaimed, pouting her cheeks.

She then crossed her arms, lifted her chin, and said in a mock-adult tone,

“Well then, I’ll find a rich boyfriend too! Then we’ll live happily ever after!”

They looked at each other, and in a brief silence that felt unexpectedly warm, they laughed together. Laughter free, light, and unburdened.

Without another word, they opened their arms and hugged.

“You really are my brother,” Melly whispered, her voice small but sincere.

“And you really are my sister,” Riven replied, patting her back gently.

While still in their warm embrace, suddenly a sound emerged…

Guuuuurrrrkkkk…

Riven froze. He furrowed his brows, then looked at Melly.

Melly immediately pushed her brother gently, her cheeks red.

“That… that wasn’t me!” she said hurriedly, though the sound had clearly come from her own stomach.

Before Riven could respond, another sound followed—louder this time and from a different source: Riven’s own stomach.

Guuuuurrrghh…

They stared at each other. Then…

Laughter erupted between them.

Riven laughed freely, rubbing his stomach.

“Hahaha, okay, that one was me. But clearly we’re both hungry.” He patted his belly as if telling it to be patient.

“So… how about, for our fresh start, we eat meat? Juicy, thick roasted meat, full of fat, cooked in a sweet-salty sauce, and don’t forget hot rice.”

Melly nodded eagerly.

“Agreed! I want it! I want it!” she exclaimed, drool already forming at the corners of her mouth.

Riven chuckled, patting her head again.

“Careful, don’t eat too greedily or you’ll pass out.”

Melly pouted.

“Let’s have a contest then!”

They resumed walking, steps light, hearts full of excitement, heading toward the city center in search of the promised aroma of smoked meat paradise.

But… unbeknownst to them, not far from where they stood, in the shadows of a narrow alley…

A pair of blood-red eyes watched them calmly. Unblinking, faintly glowing from the darkness, as if waiting… or judging.

And in the silence, the thin lips belonging to those eyes curved, forming a faint smile.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep