The days had begun to flow with a quiet rhythm.
Not because Red commanded it, but because the rookies finally understood why it mattered.
Before dawn, Selena rose to stretch in the dark, her body sore but steady. She moved through simple drills with slow, practiced breath, polishing her sword not with pride, but with purpose.
In the washroom, Hina brewed tea as she always did, her hands calm, her eyes closed, humming softly while the herbs steeped. She'd begun using a different blend for each of them: stronger for Lio, calming for Yuzu, minty for Rika.
On the porch, Lio sat with Greenie in his lap, quietly wrapping his wrist with linen and checking his gear. Once he would've done it with a sigh or grumble.
Now?
It was just something that had to be done.
Inside, Yuzu sat cross-legged, flickering light dancing between her fingers. She no longer tried to cast full spells at once. She shaped flame the way Red had taught her, small, precise, patient.
Beside her, Rika flipped through a leather-bound notebook she'd started keeping, marking wind patterns, shot distance, grouping. When she looked up, she didn't smirk or scoff like she once had.
She just nodded at Yuzu.
The house didn't echo with chaos anymore.
It pulsed with discipline.
Red watched from his usual place, leaning against the side of the house, sipping dark tea from a chipped metal mug.
He didn't speak.
Didn't interfere.
Just… observed.
When he looked at them now, he saw fewer cracks. Fewer wild, unpredictable rookie flares. Less noise, more rhythm. Less pretending, more being.
They didn't realize how far they'd come yet.
But he did.
After breakfast, no one had to be told what to do.
Selena and Lio took their practice swords to the yard, sparring in slow, coordinated bursts. No shouting. No showing off. Just movement and timing.
Clang. Step. Pivot. Block.
Rika set up new targets and walked the yard, testing angles with string and marker stones to improve her sight lines. Greenie followed her like a squire, handing her spare arrows one by one with exaggerated importance.
"Miss Rika, this one is extra sharp!"
Rika: "It's a stick, Greenie."
"Magic stick."
Yuzu, now stronger after yesterday's collapse, trained in short intervals. Red had instructed her to pace, and she obeyed. She cast no more than three spells per set, then rested, drank water, and practiced meditation before repeating.
Every time her hands shook, she stopped.
Not out of fear, but from awareness.
Across the way, Hina sat on a rock near the tree line, eyes closed in focus. A white cloth wrapped around her staff, gently fluttering in the wind. Her healing magic now came with less strain. Her stamina had improved.
The real difference?
They were doing all of this without Red saying a word.
By midday, Red finally walked among them.
He stopped behind Lio and Selena, watching as the two clashed wood against wood with firm footwork.
Selena stepped in low. Lio swept left, parried. Selena twisted, struck high.
Red spoke without looking. "Selena, use your shield before your blade."
She blocked on instinct.
Lio nearly fell from the redirection.
"Better," Red said.
He walked on.
Rika was mid-pull when she spotted him watching. She didn't flinch, just steadied her breath and loosed.
Thump.
The arrow struck center mass.
Red gave a faint nod and moved on.
Yuzu noticed him last. She stood mid-spell, a small orb of fire spinning gently above her palm, not as large or flashy as before. But stable.
"Still burning?" he asked.
"Controlled," she said, a hint of pride.
Red: "Good. That's harder."
She smiled faintly.
He moved on.
Near the shade of the trees, Hina opened her eyes as he approached.
"You're not pushing," he observed.
"I don't need to," she said quietly. "It's not about power, right?"
Red nodded.
He looked at all of them, each absorbed in their own training.
Each one awake.
Present.
Not perfect, but aware.
That was enough for today.
That evening, Red returned to the porch as the sun dipped low over Silverhaven. A soft orange glow kissed the house and the field, washing the day in warmth.
Inside, the rookies moved about the kitchen, prepping a simple dinner. They'd taken to rotating cooking duties, and tonight it was Rika and Yuzu's turn, which meant lots of herbs and possibly something too spicy.
Greenie had donned a makeshift apron, proudly stirring an empty pot.
"I'm making air soup!" he declared.
"Best thing you've ever cooked," Rika replied dryly.
Lio cleaned the dining area while Selena polished her shield in the corner. Hina checked everyone's bandages and left fresh herbs on each bedside.
There were no orders.
Just quiet steps.
Red sipped his tea and closed his eyes.
They were becoming adventurers.
Not just with their weapons.
But in their hearts.
Later that night, when the stars glittered above the roof, the house fell into a familiar calm.
Rika's notebook lay open on the table.
Yuzu had fallen asleep mid-meditation.
Lio snored softly on the couch, with Greenie curled up like a dog on his chest.
Selena sat on the porch in silence, her shield resting beside her. She didn't say anything when Red stepped out, just nodded once.
He nodded back.
They sat like that for a while, side by side, with nothing but the wind between them.
No need for lessons.
No urgent speeches.
Just the gentle, steady beat of progress.
One quiet step at a time.