The funeral for Tork took place that same afternoon. Many people attended the noble ceremony, as some had stayed after the party, and when we moved on to the ceremony for the townspeople, I could only see an endless sea of people in front of me. My domain was giving me a headache from perceiving so many people at once. I haven't "turned it off" because I want to stay alert to any situation.

I spent the whole ceremony with Arisa and Marga, and near the end, Sol joined us. She gave an emotional speech about her late uncle. Although she's still quite broken, the worst part has passed—now it's just a matter of time until she learns to live with a wound that will never fully heal. I'll be by her side for as long as it takes to see her smile again.

She grips my arm tightly as she says goodbye to her uncle one last time. He'll be cremated, and the family will keep the ashes as a remembrance. I find it curious how they have a tradition so similar to my old world, where family members and pets are often cremated so you can carry a piece of them with you always.

"Goodbye, Uncle, I'll never forget you." I manage to catch Sol's last words by chance; they were a whisper, accompanied by a strong squeeze to my arm. Her grip slowly loosens until she's just resting against me. We look at each other for a moment and I smile softly at her. She smiles back.

"It's time to go, Sol." Her parents are walking toward the carriage to return to the Solar estate. The ashes will be delivered to their home later. The four of us climb into our carriage. During the ride, the three of them talk about various topics. Marga and Arisa try different ways to cheer her up. I just focus on holding her hand and staying attentive to the conversation.

The following days were rather peaceful—morning training, followed by lunch at my house with the three of them, city strolls in the afternoon, and dinner together again. Afterward, I'd take them back to the Solar family estate and return home for some late-night training.

Over these days, Marga has earned our friendship. She's now one of the group, and the three of us are always together—though her personal guards always keep a safe distance. This has made things a bit more complicated. I understand the feelings all three girls have for me, and I hope I won't cause any trouble in the future due to foolish decisions.

I haven't resumed practicing my mental skill with the electric affinity. I feel like I'm just one step away from unlocking it, but I've postponed it until I return to my village. My grandmother will help me with this little issue.

"Safe travels, Marga. I hope we see each other again soon." Marga is about to teleport to Spring City, and then return to her own city. It's time to say goodbye.

Sol and Arisa have already said their farewells—I'm the last one. "We'll see each other at Arisa's birthday. Take care until then." Without warning, she grabs my face with both hands and gives me a mischievous smile. I swear on my life that for a second I thought: Is she going to kiss me in front of everyone? I can't deny I was a bit scared. But she only pressed our noses together and then pulled away.

Arisa and Sol are watching us with daggers in their eyes—better step back a little. "Goodbye. See you in a few months." The three of us wave goodbye to the duke's daughter. We'll surely see her again soon.

That same night, Arisa is also returning to her city. She didn't leave with Marga because Baron Camux needed to talk to her about something important that afternoon. We say our goodbyes, and she gives me a kiss on the nose before leaving. If this keeps up, I'm going to die—my heart can't handle this much suspense. I'm not used to these situations.

I promise Arisa that I'll take care of myself until we meet again at her birthday. And now it's time to head back to my city. Sol accompanies me to the carriage. I've already said goodbye to all the workers in my house, including the two old folks, and I also said goodbye to the Solar family this afternoon. That leaves just the two of us under this lovely starry night.

"Thanks for everything, Maki." Sol is smiling again like before. Her wound has healed enough for her to stay strong in any kind of situation.

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"You don't have to thank me. I'd do it as many times as necessary, Sol." It's the truth. No matter when or where, I'll go anywhere to help her. Not just her—Arisa and Marga are also on the list of people I won't let die, no matter what.

"If you say that, I'll get myself into danger just to play the damsel in distress." She's laughing at her joke, but her eyes are serious. A slight chill runs down my back. I hope she doesn't do anything foolish… she's mature enough not to. We both laugh and pull into a strong hug.

"Send me letters to let me know how you're doing. I'll be waiting for them." She leans in close, our faces just a few centimeters apart. "I love you very much." Her words freeze my body and warm my heart.

"I love you very much too." I reply sincerely, no hesitation—just the plain truth. Her face turns red like a tomato and she gives me a small push. It seems it was too much for her to handle. She couldn't bear it. On my part, I was ready for anything.

I step closer again, hug her, and kiss her on the forehead. "See you soon, milady." I walk away toward my carriage. She raises her hand to wave goodbye. Her face is still completely red, and she can't find the words to speak—she just moves like a robot. It's funny to see her blushing and nervous.

"It's time to go, Samu." I hear a confirming response, and the carriage starts moving.

My trip to the Solar territory has been a rollercoaster of emotions and events. I met a duke's daughter. I met the rising star of the marquisate. My little companion and younger sister was born. I ventured into a new grade 3 dungeon and ended up fighting to save a city, where sadly, a good man died.

Many thoughts cross my mind. The road back is full of nostalgia—sweet and bitter memories intertwine, stirring mixed emotions. Never in my mind did I imagine these things would happen when I came here. It's been one surprise after another.

The trip was quite relaxed compared to my thoughts. We weren't attacked at any point, and we're now just a couple of hours away. I'll probably arrive just in time for family dinner. I'll use that moment to tell them everything that happened. They probably already know a bit about it, but I'll give them the full details.

I arrive just a few minutes before dinner. By coincidence, I run into my father returning from Mancor, and we head to the dining room together to eat with my mother and grandmother.

During dinner, I tell them everything that happened in great detail—from Marga's carriage being attacked to the assault on Azurri town. Now that I think about it—could those attacks be connected? I hadn't considered it on the road.

They come to a similar conclusion: some criminal group is taking advantage of the dungeons to wreak havoc across all territories. But their responses to the rest of the events were very different.

My grandmother accused me of charming older girls everywhere I go. My father was more excited about me meeting the marquis and diving into grade 3 dungeons. And my mother was worried about my future with so many complications ahead.

I assure them that everything will be fine, and that it's better to deal with situations as they come. My approach is simpler—I prefer to handle things when they actually happen. Only when the situation is clear can I take proper precautions and actions. However, they are responsible for many people, so they have to act in advance to prevent future attacks, and I'll give it my all when the time comes.

I remember my new pseudo law and tell them about it before heading to bed. They're all surprised that I didn't awaken it earlier, considering how long I've used the sword and my unprecedented talent in swordsmanship. In the end, we conclude that it happened because I had focused on obtaining other types of pseudo laws.

The day ends with me lying in bed, ready to sleep and wake up early to train with my grandmother as we've been doing. According to them, I won't be able to fuse my abilities without the electric pseudo law. Even if I could, it would be far weaker than the version offered by the omnipresent voice.

That got me thinking—should I focus on that pseudo law first? I'm already in the Emerald rank, which is nearly impossible for 99% of the population. Some people go their whole lives without getting one, but I've already awakened several, and one rank lower than usual. Nobody knows if I'll experience any adverse effects from accumulating so many abilities and laws.

That's a problem for future Maki to deal with. Since no one has a clear idea, there's nothing to be done for now. If something does happen later, I'll find a way to fix it—with Glia, who will accompany me on all my travels when it's time to say goodbye to my family.

The little one senses my emotions and appears at my side. She spins around and curls up on the bed. "Yes, brother. I'll be by your side my whole life, just like you'll always be with me." Sleep overtakes her once again—she's like a cat in that sense, always sleeping and eating.

"Tomorrow I'll ask Grandma about the space affinity. It's crucial if I want to improve my domain." I close my eyes, recalling one last time my journey to the Solar territory—a journey full of surprises and memories. It left a deep mark on my heart and mind. Now it's time to return to routine and keep improving so I never have to see someone die in front of me again.

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