After the Blacksmith class ended, Jack rolled his shoulders and let out a long, tired yawn.
"Haaah…"
The echo of hammering still rang in his ears, like ghostly beats of steel on steel
clang… clang… clang…
The heat from the forge still clung to his skin, and his arms ached from the weight of the hammer. Yet, despite the exhaustion etched into his bones, a quiet smile crept across his face.
He had done it.
Alchemy and Blacksmithing two Production Classes, both completed on his very first day. It wasn't just progress. It was a step into a new life.
Jack walked slowly along the familiar stone-paved path that led toward the residential area, his boots tapping softly with each step
tap... tap... tap…
The sun was dipping low, spilling golden-orange hues across the sky like molten fire, painting the clouds in brilliant streaks of crimson and amber.
Long shadows stretched like fingers from the buildings, swaying gently in the breeze.
In the distance, the caw-caw of returning birds and the rustling of wind through trees whispered of day's end.
By the time Jack arrived at his home, the academy bells had already rung the fifth chime 5:30 PM.
He stood before the weathered wooden door of his cozy little cottage, its frame warm with the sun's fading light. Jack raised his hand and knocked twice, each tap soft and lazy
knock… knock.
A heartbeat of silence passed. Then
Click.
The doorknob turned with a gentle sound.
The door creaked open slowly, welcoming him back.
There, standing in the soft glow of the setting sun, was his little sister Sofia. She blinked up at Jack with those big, round eyes of hers, full of curiosity and a flicker of surprise. Her cheeks were as soft and plump as ever an open invitation.
"Hehe… come here, little fluffball," Jack said with a grin, reaching down and gently pinching her cheeks.
"Muu~! Stop that!" Sofia puffed up, her voice a playful protest as she swatted at his hand with tiny, flailing arms. Her cheeks puffed out even more, making her look like a pouting squirrel.
Jack laughed. "Still adorable as ever."
He stepped inside, the wooden floor creaking faintly beneath his boots
Creak… creak…
The air inside was cool and clean, filled with the gentle scent of dried herbs and fresh parchment. A peaceful haven after a day at the fiery forge.
In the living room, nestled in a corner chair with a thick tome in her hands, sat Ava calm, poised, eyes darting across the pages with quiet intensity.
Jack walked over, his smile easing into a gentler expression. "Hey, Ava."
She looked up, her gaze softening immediately. "Welcome back, Jack."
Sofia flopped onto a cushion beside them, hugging her knees as she stared at her brother, eyes wide with curiosity.
"So, how was the Academy?" Ava asked, setting her book aside.
"Yeah, tell us! What was it like?" Sofia added, bouncing slightly with excitement.
Jack opened his mouth to answer
Knock knock.
All three of them turned their heads in unison.
"I'll get it," Jack said, already heading toward the door.
The hinges gave a familiar squeak as he pulled it open.
And there they were.
His father, James tall, broad-shouldered, with a confident, easy smile and beside him, his mother, Emma, her face radiant with warmth, her cloak speckled with dust from travel.
"Oh-ho! Our boy's opening doors now!" James boomed with a hearty laugh, arms folded across his chest.
Emma stepped forward, eyes brimming with affection. "Jack." She pulled him into a soft embrace, warm, grounding, the kind of hug that could melt away every ache and worry.
Jack let his eyes close, sinking into that familiar comfort, his heart swelling with quiet joy.
They stepped into the house together. The moment the door closed behind them with a click, a new kind of warmth filled the room one only family could bring.
With Jack, Sofia, Ava, James, and Emma gathered in the living room, the house felt vibrant. Laughter and light seemed to linger in the air.
"Come, sit down," Ava said gently, shifting the cushions around, her voice as calm as a breeze.
And for the first time that day, Jack felt like he was truly home.
Once everyone had settled into their cushions, the soft rustling of fabric and the gentle creak of the wooden floor filled the quiet.
Jack leaned back with a satisfied sigh, then turned to his parents with a curious spark in his eyes. "So… how was your Guild Quest today?"
James chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that filled the room with warmth. "Straight to the point, huh?" He rubbed his beard, eyes glinting. "Alright then. We took on a Glowpetal Herb gathering quest in the morning real peaceful, just combing the meadow fields north of the Wildgrove. Then in the afternoon, we handled a Molten Nature Shard ore collection near the Ember Caverns. Easy stuff. No monsters, no drama."
He held up two fingers. "Twenty-five silver coins each per quest fifty total."
Jack's eyes widened. "That's awesome!"
A grin broke across his face. "You two make it sound so easy."
Sofia's eyes sparkled. "Glowpetals sound so pretty! Are they really glowing flowers?"
James nodded. "They shine faintly when the moonlight hits them. A silvery glow, like stars scattered across grass. They're used in alchemical tonics for vitality and mana circulation."
"And what about you?" Emma asked with eager warmth. "Tell us everything! How was the Academy?"
Jack leaned back against the cushion, exhaled slowly, and let his mind drift back to the day.
A soft crackle from the fireplace echoed in the pause.
"Well… the Academy is massive," he began, his voice carrying both awe and fatigue. "The buildings are arranged so precisely, symmetrical, and elegant. But it's more than just architecture… the whole place breathes magic. You can feel it in the air. Mana pulses through the halls like a heartbeat."
Ava and Sofia leaned in, eyes wide and shining. James tilted his head, a content smile playing on his lips, while Emma folded her hands over her lap, listening closely.
"There are students from all over between as young as sixteen and nearing twenty-one. Each with different blessings, different stories. Some wore nervous expressions, others smiled with bright excitement, and a few looked like seasoned adventurers hardened by real battles. The diversity… it's honestly kind of inspiring."
He paused, running a hand through his hair, before continuing.
"This morning, I had Alchemy Class. And the professor…" He chuckled softly. "Her name is Elira Moonshade. She's an Elf who looks like she's in her early thirties, but you can tell she's lived centuries."
Jack's voice softened, the memory vivid in his mind. "She's tall and elegant. Silver hair that cascades like moonlight, glowing emerald eyes that feel like they're always watching… not judging, just understanding."
He made a subtle motion around his ears. "And her ears are long and adorned with glowing runic tattoos. They shimmer faintly with ancient symbols, each one a key to some forgotten alchemical law."
Whoosh.
The faint image of a floating crystal orb hummed in Jack's memory. "She carries a levitating crystal staff always floating just above her hand, humming with mana. Her forest-green robes shift colors subtly depending on the elements around her. They react to mana like they're alive."
"And the pendant around her neck…" he added, his gaze drifting toward the ceiling. "It glows faintly, like a heartbeat. I don't know what it does, but it felt… ancient. Important."
Emma raised her eyebrows, visibly intrigued. "She sounds powerful."
Jack nodded firmly. "She is. But not in the 'explosions and lightning bolts' way. Her presence… It calms everything. Even the herbs in the lab started reacting just by her walking past them. She speaks softly, like the wind through leaves, but every word sticks."
"She doesn't just teach alchemy like it's mixing ingredients. She teaches it like it's a philosophy of harmony between nature, magic, and intent."
Silence hung in the room for a moment.
Sofia blinked, then whispered, "Wow…"
James gave a low whistle. "Sounds like you got lucky with your mentor."
"I think so," Jack said with a small smile. "She made me feel like alchemy isn't about formulas, it's about understanding the world itself."
Then Jack leaned forward, eyes still alight with energy. "After that came Blacksmith Class. And let me tell you… it was a completely different world."
CLANG! CLANG!
His voice echoed faintly in sync with the imagined rhythm of hammer striking metal. "The moment I stepped into the forge, I was hit with the heat waves of it, thick and heavy like a dragon's breath. The air was filled with sparks, smoke, and the symphony of metal being born."
He paused, a nostalgic smile tugging at his lips.
"That's where I met Master Borin Stonebeard."
"Stonebeard?" James echoed with a hint of recognition.
Jack nodded. "Yeah. A Dwarf. Only about four feet tall, but his presence... it towered. Like a mountain. He's got thick gray hair that falls like iron wool, and his beard man, it's a masterpiece."
He gestured animatedly, "Braided into strands with flame-shaped charms and heavy iron rings, each one a mark of his journey. His skin's bronze and tough, covered in old burn scars that he wears like medals. And his eyes… emerald green and sharp enough to pierce steel."
WHUMP.
Jack mimicked placing something heavy on the ground. "He wears a soot-stained apron over rune-inscribed armor. And that war hammer he carries it like a badge of honor. When he sets it down, the whole forge rumbles."
He puffed up his chest and deepened his voice dramatically. " 'I am Master Borin Stonebeard, 6-Star Grandmaster Blacksmith!' with that he introduced himself." The impression was nearly perfect, causing Sofia to gasp.
"That's badass," she whispered, completely captivated.
Jack laughed softly. "It was. He wasn't just teaching us how to hammer metal into shape. He was teaching us how to listen to it. To respect it. He said, 'A blacksmith doesn't create weapons… he awakens them.'"
The room fell silent for a moment, soaking in the weight of that sentence.
"We studied ore types, smelting temperatures, and how to control flame intensity. We learned how to temper metal, how to quench it, and even how enchantments fuse into forged gear."
"And… I made a dagger," Jack said with a proud grin, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He reached into his satchel and gently pulled out a glimmering steel blade smooth, sharp, and perfectly forged, though still missing a handle.
Clink.
The bare blade tapped lightly against the table as he placed it down, catching the golden glow of the lantern light.
A hush fell over the room.
Ava leaned forward, eyes wide. "You made this… today?"
James whistled low. "That's some fine metalwork."
Emma brought a hand to her lips, her eyes shimmering. "It's beautiful…"
Sofia gasped, her hands clapping. "It's shiny! So cool!"
Jack's smile widened, warmth blooming in his chest.
"Not bad for Day One, right?" he chuckled.
Crackle…
The fireplace behind them let out a soft pop, as if echoing the pride that filled the room.
It was more than just a blade it was a symbol of Jack's journey beginning.
He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "It was intense. Every swing of the hammer, every spark that flew, felt like a test. But I loved it."
"You really had an amazing first day," Ava said softly, her smile glowing with pride.
Jack looked around at his family, Sofia hanging on his every word, James nodding in approval, Emma's eyes shimmering with motherly joy, and Ava's quiet admiration.
He leaned back again, heart full.
"Yeah… I did."
Just like that, two hours drifted by in a warm haze of laughter and conversation, each second wrapping around Jack like a soft blanket after a long journey.
As the sun dipped low and the first stars began to twinkle faintly outside the window, the rhythm of the home shifted.
Clack.
Emma stood, the chair legs gently scraping the floor. "Alright! Let's prepare a celebration dinner," she declared, her voice light with excitement.
James rolled up his sleeves with a grin. "I'll fetch the wine. Got a fine bottle from the market this morning. Aged in oak barrels they say it sings when poured."
Thunk!
The cellar door creaked open as he disappeared below.
"I'll make juice for me and Big Brother!" Sofia chimed in, rushing toward the kitchen with sparkling determination.
Ava rose with a quiet smile, already gathering plates and helping Emma set the table, the clinking of dishes a soft, familiar harmony.
Soon, the air was filled with a symphony of scents golden roast chicken glazed in spices, herbs sizzling in butter, and warm rolls straight from the oven. The crackle of the hearth mingled with bubbling pots and soft footsteps.
James returned, holding a dusty bottle triumphantly.
Pop!
The cork slid free, releasing the mellow fragrance of aged wine. He poured it with care into glass cups, their surfaces catching the firelight.
Sofia placed two glasses of fresh, sweet apple juice on the table with pride. "Ta-da!"
When everyone had gathered, they raised their glasses.
"To Jack's first day at the Academy!" James announced, voice deep and proud.
Clink.
"Cheers!" they echoed, laughter in their voices and warmth in their eyes.
Jack glanced around the table. His mother's eyes glowed gently in the candlelight. His father's rough hands, worn from adventure, looked content. Sofia's cheeks were flushed with excitement, and Ava, always so calm, looked at him with a proud softness that made his chest tighten.
In that quiet moment, time seemed to slow.
This… this is the kind of peace I want to protect forever.
Outside, the night settled over the world like a soft quilt. Inside, the home glowed with joy.
The evening continued in waves of stories, laughter, and clinking cutlery marking not just the end of Jack's first Academy day, but the beginning of something far greater.
Something worth fighting for.
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To Be Continued…!!