3 A Promise to Keep Memories of Family and the Will to Move Forward

At the beach, the golden sun shone down on us, its warm rays making our skin tingle with delight. The cool sea breeze blew through our hair, refreshing us and bringing with it the briny scent of the ocean. The sound of waves crashing onto the shore was soothing, like a gentle lullaby that lulled us into a state of relaxation. The sand feel soft in our feet, we watched as seagulls flew overhead, their calls blending in with the sound of the waves. The blue-green water of the sea stretched out as far as the eye could see. It was a picture-perfect day that I ever see and I would cherish in my memories forever.

"Chase me, Onii-chan!" my little sister Lexy exclaimed, giggling as she started running away from me.

"Here I come, Lexy!" I responded with a smile as I began chasing after her.

But before I could catch her, my other younger brother Lex chimed in with a pout, "Onii-chan, it's not fair that you're only chasing Lexy. Chase me too, please!"

"Of course, I'll chase you too, Lex. Sorry about that," I replied with a chuckle, trying to make him feel better.

As we played and laughed, I heard my parents' voice, "Al, you're such a good big brother to your siblings,"

I looked back and cried out, "Mom! Dad!" Tears streamed down my face.

Suddenly, I woke up from my sleep with a tear on my cheek and muttered, "Oh, it was just a dream." I wiped away the tears and clenched my fists. "Mom, dad, I miss you. I promise to make Lex and Lexy happy." I glanced at the clock and saw that it was still 5 AM.

I sat on the bed, wondering what to do. Should I wait for Zelta to wake up or should I train my body? I decided to train my body.

I descended the stairs and saw the guild receptionist. "Morning," I greeted her, and she replied in kind.

"You're up early," remarked the guild's receptionist, observing me as I descended the stairs.

"I always wake up early to do household chores," I explained, walking towards the guild's receptionist.

"Wow, you must be a hard worker," she said, her expression filled with surprise.

I smiled, my face turning red, and scratched my back hair. "I have to work hard for my siblings," I said.

The guild's receptionist cheered me on. "Do your best!" she exclaimed, clenching her fists.

I waved my hand and left the guild saying, "Yes, thank you, and bye."

"Bye," replied the guild receptionist.

Outside the guild, the chilly morning air stung my skin, but I relished the chance to get my blood pumping and warm up my body. The sky was still painted with deep hues of blue, and a thin layer of fog hung low over the ground. Dew drops glistened like diamonds on the grass, and the trees swayed gently in the light breeze. It was a serene and peaceful morning, and I felt invigorated by the fresh air as I began my exercise routine. I prepared to run and before starting, I said, "Mom, Dad, please look at me," and then I began running.

After running around the guild three times, I did 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups. The purpose of doing body training was to increase my stamina during quests or battles.

As I was doing sit-ups, Zelta saw me from the bedroom window and greeted me, "Morning Al."

I replied while still doing sit-ups, "Morning Zelta, have you woken up yet?"

"Yup, I just woke up, Al. Come in, we will have breakfast together," said Zelta.

I got up and entered the guild, saying, "Here, I come."

We sat together in the guild, and then the maid came and asked us, "May I take your order, please?"

I said, "Yes, I want a glass of chocolate milk and a sandwich, please."

"Please give me a hot green tea and a bread," said Zelta.

"OK, please wait until your order is ready. Thank you," said the maid with a smile before she disappeared into the kitchen to prepare our order.

I turned to Zelta and asked, "How did you sleep last night?"

"It was good because I saw something funny," Zelta replied, giggling.

I was confused by her reaction and asked, "What was it?"

"Nothing, hehe," Zelta replied.

I made a poker face and said, "Do you think I'll believe that nothing happened last night when you're giggling like that?"

Zelta just shook her head, still giggling. "Nothing, hehe."

I frowned, not convinced. "Do you really expect me to believe that nothing happened last night when you keep giggling like that?"

"It's a secret," she teased, sticking her tongue out.

I sighed, "Come on, Zelta, don't hide something from your childhood friend."

But she just grinned mischievously and refused to tell me.

Finally, the maid returned with our food, setting it down on the table. "Here's your order," she announced. "Wow, both of you look happy this morning. Did something happen last night?" The maid couldn't hide the smile that crept onto her face.

I glared at Zelta and pouted, "She won't tell me what happened last night, maid-san."

"Is it really that you don't know what happened last night?" asked the maid, giggling.

I tried to convince the maid by saying, "I really don't know what happened last night."

"OK, young couple, that's your order, and I'll be back in the kitchen. If you want to order something else, just call me," said the maid with a smile before leaving us.

Surprised by what the maid had said, I exclaimed, "What?! She said that we look like a couple. Do we really look like a couple? For me, we look like childhood friends."

"Oh, really? So, you don't want me to be your couple?" asked Zelta with a slight smile.

Blushing, I looked away and replied, "No, it's not like that."

"So, do you want me to become your couple?" asked Zelta with a little smile.

Still blushing, I looked away and said, "No, it's not like that either."

"So..." said Zelta, but I cut off the conversation by saying, "Let's eat breakfast before it gets cold."

After we finished our breakfast, we stood in front of the guild and discussed the plan for today.

"Hmmm.... Zelta, you said yesterday that we would go to the school to look for the sword's teacher, right?"

"Yes, Al. Come on, follow me."

On the way to the school, we meet Noa. The boy's silver straight hair was neatly styled, with bangs framing his forehead. His striking silver eyes were bright and expressive, adding a unique charm to his appearance. His white skin was flawless and seemed to glow in the sunlight. Despite his slender build, he stood tall and held himself with confidence, giving the impression of someone who was both strong and determined. I notice that he is his Zelta's younger brother, with the same silver hair and eyes that seemed to run in their parents.

"Onee-chan," said Noa. "Hi, Noa. How are you? Have you finished your chores?" said Zelta with a sweet smile.

"Yes, nee-chan. I missed you, so I wanted to visit the adventure guild, but I met you on my way there," said Noa.

I looked at Noa and said, "You really care about your sister, Noa. You don't need to worry because she's with me."

"I can't trust you to protect my sister, Al nii-chan," said Noa.

When Zelta heard what Noa said, she laughed so loud that it confused me, and I asked, "Is something funny, Zelta?"

"No, I just think you need to convince my little brother before we become a couple," Zelta said with a laugh.

Then Noa and I both exclaimed,

"Huh?!"

"Nee-chan!"

"I think that's enough. We have to hurry to school, Noa," Zelta said.

I said, "Please say hello to my siblings for me and take care of them, Noa."

"Yes, I will," Noa replied, nodding his head.

I smiled at Noa, patted him on the head, and said, "Thank you, Noa."

"You're welcome, Nii-chan. Please take care of yourself nee-chan and don't forget to come home sometime. I'll miss you. Oh, and you too, Al-Niichan. I'm sure Lex and Lexy will miss you too," Noa said.

"Okay, Noa," we both replied.

We continued our trip to the school, walking down the dirt road and passing by wooden houses and small gardens filled with colorful flowers. I noticed a group of stray cats lounging in the sun, lazily lifting their heads as we passed by but quickly going back to dozing. The road was quiet, except for the occasional sound of a rooster crowing, a dog barking, or birds chirping as if they were singing. As we walked, I admired the rustic beauty of our village.