"Mostly nobles, and few top tier A-ranks right? Elite guards of the king… and members of the royal family?"
"Y-Yeah," he said. But I can feel the hesitation...Suspicious...Very suspicious.
"Then how did you end up in that party anyways?" I narrowed my eyes..hah!!! Of course I will try to caught him off guard!
...He looked away. Mother smirked...
"Well, you know…" he said casually. "I was an S-Rank adventurer back then." He coughed. "That's how." I kept staring...Yeah, this idiot father of mine was definitely hiding something. But before I could press further, he pointed at Mother.
"And your mother was an A-Rank healer!"
That caught my attention instantly.
I turned to her.
"So that's why you're so absurdly good at healing magic…" She smiled proudly.
"Now you understand." Father nodded.
"Your mother once reattached my arm."
I nearly choked. "She WHAT now?"–
"It was hanging by a thread," he said casually. "YOU SAY THAT LIKE IT'S NORMAL!"
"It was a busy day," Mother replied.
What kind of battlefield romance was this?!
I looked between them. An S-Rank –swordsman, An A-Rank healer. Heroes who fought a legendary dragon.
And somehow… They ended up here, arguing over backyard property damage and yelling at me during breakfast. Life really was strange. But strangely wonderful...
I smiled without realizing it. If these two could survive fire, death, and each other…
Then I can say... I really had been reborn into something precious. Something worth protecting...
As I was thinking deeply about it, a thought suddenly crossed my mind. If I truly wanted to become stronger…Then staying inside this house forever would not be enough. Training with my father was valuable. Learning from books was useful. But the world outside? That was where real growth waited. So before I could overthink it, I looked at both of them and asked–
"Can I set out for an adventure?"
Silence...–
The room itself seemed to pause. Then my mother was the first to respond. "Son, you're still too young." Her voice was gentle, but firm. "Newbie adventurers usually set out at fifteen. Some even later." Yeah… I figured she'd say that.
Honestly, I understood. She wasn't rejecting my idead. She was worried. And for some reason… having someone worry about me still felt strangely nice.
Then–
"He'll be fine, he he–" Ah. There he was.
My father. The man who treated danger like a casual hobby.
My mother slowly turned her head toward him. "Lyndon…" The temperature in the room dropped. "Are you even thinking clearly about this?" She was grinning, menacingly, as if she's about to teach both of us a lesson..
But my father straightened his back like a knight preparing for court.
"Yeah, I am." He crossed his arms proudly.
"I've trained him enough already." I almost coughed. Enough? That depends entirely on whether near-death experiences count as training.
He continued confidently. "On top of that, he's also good at healing magic." My mother blinked once. He raised a finger dramatically. "Who knows? He might be even better at other things too." Another finger. "Just think about his future.
Then he grinned. "Maybe he'll even become a hot shot with girls out there."
Woah. Calm down there, old man.
One step at a time..Though… if I'm being honest… Every time I look in the mirror, I look so freaking adorable. So maybe his confidence was not entirely misplaced.
He wasn't finished. No, of course not.
He stepped forward like a commander giving a speech before war.
"And also..he is literally the child of adventurers!" He pointed dramatically at my mother. "You!" Then at himself. "And me!" Then both hands to the ceiling. "Top-tier healer and combat mage!" I stared at him.…When did this become a public address?
"It's literally in our blood!" he declared proudly.
I looked at the two of them. Their ridiculous energy. Their constant chaos. Their warmth. Their presence.
…Yeah. I am going to miss this when I am out there doing adventures of my own.
Then my father lowered his voice and looked at me seriously. For once, no grin. No–nonsense. Just sincerity. "Since you want to start your adventure, young guy…" He folded his arms. "Do you mind giving us an acceptable answer why?" He glanced at my mother. "Your mother is listening too."
The room became quiet. Heavy. Real. I took a breath. Then answered with everything I had.
"I want to protect you guys." My own voice surprised me. It didn't shake.
"I want to protect everything…"
I clenched my fists.
"Everything that matters to me now." I looked at both of them."Everything and everyone that will matter to me in the future." I paused. Then spoke the truth I had carried since the day I was reborn.
"I want to be useful."
"To have a meaningful life."
"A life I can live to the fullest!!.."
I meant every word.
My father stared at me silently. Then I saw it. A glimmer in his eyes. Pride. Hope Something deeper than approval.
"…Well," he said at last. "For me, that's an acceptable answer."
My mother looked at me quietly. Her expression softened. Then she spoke in a calm voice. "You're so mature…" She tilted her head slightly. "As if you're an old man inside the body of a child."
I froze internally.…Well... She's not entirely wrong though... Because I am already a grown ass man in my old life..
"Mom, Dad… with that being said, I want to start my adventuring days tomorrow!"
I announced it with all the dignity a ten-year-old future legend could muster.
My father's eyes widened for a second. Then he grinned. That dangerous grin. The kind that usually came before property damage. "Yeah… not so fast." He folded his arms proudly. "You'll set out after our last training, he~ he~"
My soul left my body. Why did he laugh like a final boss? Why did the birds outside suddenly stop singing? Why did I feel like tomorrow would be recorded as a historical tragedy?
That night, I barely slept. I imagined–countless horrors. Endurance drills.Mana exhaustion training. Sword sparring until sunrise. Running ten mountains while carrying boulders. Maybe even death?. I don't know but I feel it's much worse.
Morning came.–
I stepped outside with the resolve of a condemned man. My father was already waiting. Hands behind his back. Standing in silence. Menacingly.
"…Son, come here."
I flinched. I Thought he's going to blast me with a fire magic of some kind out of nowhere, I slowly approached, ready to dodge fire, water, or emotional trauma. but man was I wrong..
He simply looked at me. Serious. Calm. Almost noble. "No training today."
"…What?"
I blinked twice. That was illegal. He had mentally tortured me all night for nothing...So he's just trolling me all this time?..
"But listen carefully," he said. "This is an important lesson."
I straightened immediately. My father turned his gaze toward the road beyond the village.
"The world out there is dangerous." His tone was firm. "Full of people with deceitful intentions." I quietly listened. Even in another world… Human nature still refused to patch itself. He looked back at me. "Always keep your guard up." He tapped his temple. "Mentally." Then tapped my shoulder. "And physically."
I nodded seriously. This wasn't the loud, reckless father I usually saw. This was the man who had survived the outside world.
Then my mother stepped beside him.
Her eyes were gentle. But worried.
"Take good care of yourself," she said softly. "Because if you don't… you won't be able to protect others."
That hit deeper than expected. I swallowed quietly. These two really cared. And somehow…I was lucky enough to be their son...
Then my father ruined the moment instantly.
He grinned again. "And don't forget to bring a girlfriend when you come home to us!"
I stared at him. "…I'm ten."
He shrugged. "And handsome!"
My mother smacked his arm. "Lyndon, He's still too young!"
"I'm being supportive!"
I sighed. Even emotional farewells were impossible in this house.
Still…I smiled. I walked forward with confidence... Followed the road ahead of me..And so my adventure had begun.
…Probably...
Meanwhile, Lyndon – Back at the house
Anissa picked up a folded parchment from the table. She stared at it. Then slowly turned toward Lyndon.
"Lyndon… "
"What?"
"Did you forget to hand the map to our son?"
Lyndon blinked...Silence.–
"…Ah."
"…Ohh."
"…Damn."
Two days later, Lucien – Lost
In unknown woods.
Man, I forgot to ask them for a map, I forgot that this world doesn't have GPS. Now I'm completely lost… and I have no way home too... Yeah, Fantastic. My first few days as an adventurer…And I messed up already as I was defeated by my very first enemy...Navigation.
End of chapter.