Jack, Aos, and Mila were all eating dumplings at a small round table. The whole village was sitting inside Ralf's tavern, enjoying his delicious food. Drinks and dumplings were being served in the accommodating tavern, and the smell of rich food spread everywhere. The sound of people speaking and laughing echoed. In the middle of their table rested a pile of dumplings.
Jack's eyes widened as he tried the first one, filling his nose with a rich aroma. He bit into the soft dough, opening it with his teeth—and then, a surge of meat flavor flooded his mouth.
Without hesitation, he grabbed his fork again and shoved two more dumplings into his mouth at once.
Mila stared at him proudly, as if she had made the dish herself.
"I told you!"
Aos laughed at the sight.
"Wow, for being calm most of the time, you really eat like a beast, Jack."
Jack spoke with his mouth full.
"WHO AHGRE YU CAGHLHING A BHEASGHST?"
Aos lifted both his hands in the air, giggling.
"No one… Just enjoy."
Finally, they all finished their food.
Jack, Aos, and Mila grabbed their bellies, now round and bloated from the ridiculous number of dumplings they'd eaten.
Jack leaned back, letting out a satisfied sigh. His thoughts began to drift.
I love dumplings...
Cough, cough.
"By the way, Aos... remember that footprint we saw together last time?"
"I saw it."
"That Yeti thing you talked about," Jack said, his voice calm.
Aos and Mila both turned toward him, eyes wide, their fullness suddenly forgotten.
Aos suddenly screamed, "WHAT?!"
"You saw the Yeti?!"
Jack nodded.
"Yes. I barely managed to escape."
Aos stared at him, his eyes widening even more.
"Jack... where is it now?"
Jack casually wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"Don't worry. Nicholas said it won't show up for a while. It lies deep in the forest."
But Mila was still staring, bewildered by Jack's words.
He noticed her expression—and couldn't resist the urge to tease her.
"Actually… I'm not sure," Jack said, his lips curling into a mischievous grin.
"He might be here right… now."
He stared at Mila intently.
She began trembling.
Then, suddenly, Jack raised both hands and opened his mouth.
"ROAR!"
Mila screamed and jumped out of her chair.
"AH!"
Jack stared at her for a moment… then burst into laughter.
"Ahahaha!"
"I'm kidding. We should be safe."
He sighed.
"For now, I guess."
Then, with a more serious tone, he added,
"Don't worry. I'll train really hard, Mila, Aos. I'll make sure I defeat it… before I leave."
Mila stared in confusion.
"Leave?" she asked softly.
"Why will you leave?"
She walked over to Jack and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. Jack let out a quiet sigh, followed by a small smile.
"I'll still be here for a long time before I leave, don't worry."
He gently patted her on the head.
Aos stood silently, watching Jack with an empathetic gaze.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps approaching from inside the tavern.
Jack turned to look.
It was Rodrick, the brown-haired man. He walked toward Jack slowly, eyes serious, as if carrying the weight of something heavy. The three of them turned to face him, unsure what to expect.
Rodrick came to a halt in front of Jack… and then, without a word, dropped to his knees.
The entire tavern went quiet. Even Ralf, the chef, was watching from afar—his thick black mustache twitching slightly, hands on his round belly.
Rodrick stared at the floor, his hands clenched tightly on his thighs. Then, nervously, he opened his mouth.
"I'm sorry!"
Jack blinked, confused.
What the...?
Rodrick slowly lifted his gaze to meet Jack's.
"I'm sorry for what I said back there. It wasn't my place. I didn't know… about your mother. About what happened to Grace."
He lowered his head again.
"I shouldn't have overstepped my boundaries. Please… forgive me."
Jack stared at him, surprised and a little awkward. He lifted his hands quickly.
"Hey, hey! It's okay, I didn't mind it."
Rodrick looked up suddenly, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Really?!"
Jack scratched the side of his cheek and gave him a sheepish smile.
"Yes, really. You can stand up—you're making a fuss over nothi—"
Right before he could finish, someone else stepped out of the crowd.
A man—identical to Rodrick, save for a small birthmark on his cheek—walked forward and dropped to his knees beside him.
"I'm sorry for my brother!" he said with a flat expression.
Rodrick turned toward him, his face twisting in disbelief.
"What are you apologizing for, Greg?!"
Greg stared back at him, completely unfazed.
"For you, of course, dumbass."
Rodrick's eyes widened even further. He looked at Jack, then back at Greg.
"Forgive me, Jack, for doing this in the middle of my apology, but…"
He turned back to his twin, voice rising.
"He doesn't know what he's talking about!"
Greg smirked and turned to Jack.
"Forgive me for my dumbass brother, Sir Frost."
Sir?
Jack stood there, still not understanding what the twin's banter had to do with him.
From the crowd, a man with an apron and a simple mustache covering his mouth appeared. It was Ralf, the tavern's owner. His face was a mix of irritation and exasperation as he stormed toward the twins. With a sudden motion, he grabbed both of them by the ears.
"YOU TWO!" he bellowed. "I remember I said no fighting in my tavern!"
Rodrick stared at Ralf, his face a mix of confusion and frustration.
"B-But he started it!"
Greg turned to his brother, giving him a cold, almost bored look. He spoke in a mocking tone.
"Sure I did, DUMBASS."
Ralf's glare intensified, his grip tightening.
"ENOUGH! YOU TWO—OUT!" he shouted.
Ralf marched out of the tavern, still holding the twins by their ears. Jack, Aos, and Mila stood in stunned silence, their eyes following the chaotic scene. But as the door closed behind Ralf, the tavern erupted in laughter. The sound of villagers' chuckles filled the air, and before long, Jack, Aos, and Mila found themselves laughing as well.
From the crowd, Mica, who had been looking after Aos and Mila, stepped forward. She met Jack's gaze, a gentle giggle escaping her lips as she gave him a calm smile.
"Don't worry about those kids," she said with a soft laugh.
As the laughter from the crowd began to die down, Mica took Jack's hand in both of hers. Though Jack didn't feel warmth the way others might, he could tell the gesture was full of sincerity.
"On behalf of the whole village," she said, her smile widening, "we welcome you, son of Grace and Roan."
A drunk man from the back of the tavern raised his beer cup high, shouting with great enthusiasm.
"WELCOME, JACK!"
The crowd followed suit, clapping slowly at first, then with growing enthusiasm. Aos and Mila joined in, both clapping and smiling at Jack.
Though Jack had been introduced to the village before, this was the first time he truly felt a sense of belonging, as though he were a real part of this place. It felt… awesome. He never had felt a sense of belonging anywhere despite his house which only consisted of him and his parents it felt like a nice change… Yet still a scary one.
Blushing slightly, Jack lowered his head in a humble bow.
"I'll be under your care," he said, his voice warm. "Thank you, everyone!"