System's POV
chapter-469

The sound of merrymaking could be heard from the Leventis Residence's backyard.

A month of living under one roof was enough for the Hero Party and Zion's family to become close.

Gerald and Alessia were more than happy to share their knowledge about the places they had been in Solterra.

They also shared with the young Wanderers things that they should look out for when exploring abandoned ruins.

Because of this, the members of the Hero Party started calling them Aunt and Uncle, which was something that the two adults didn't mind.

"Seriously, my friends would be jealous of me if I told them that I'm now good friends with Little_Sister_13," Derek said with a smile. "Of course, if I told them that you're just an eight-year-old, I'm sure they will think that I'm just making things up."

Remi and Derek had also become good friends, and they always fought in GANDAM during their free time.

Due to Thirteen's training, their battles now end in a draw.

Derek was now no doubt stronger than Remi, even in the Mortal Combat Mode.

He would have won all their battles if not for the fact that Thirteen had given his sister a strategy to counter the Swordsman in a one-on-one battle.

Because of this, the Swordsman was unable to land any hits, especially whenever Remi shifted to a defensive style of battling while moving around the arena.

But every time Derek fought in the Dueling Arena for Wanderers, no one under the age of twenty, with the exception of Roland, Erica, Mildred, and Diana, was able to beat him.

Sometimes he won against them, sometimes he lost against them.

However, one thing was clear.

They were much stronger now compared to a month ago, and it showed a lot in their battles.

"I'll miss you, Rhia," Mildred said as she gave the adorable girl a hug. "Will you miss me too?"

"Un!" Rhia replied. "Miss you."

"Aww~" Mildred glanced in Thirteen's direction as she continued to hug the adorable girl in her arms. "Can I take her home?"

"No," Thirteen replied to the same question for the umpteenth time.

Mildred had gotten close to Rhia and would often play with her whenever she was done with her training.

Mildred was the only girl in her family.

She had three brothers, and all of them treated her as their most precious sister.

However, there were times when she wished that she had a little sister whom she could pamper, and spoil from time to time.

Because of this, she would always spend time with Rhia and Remi whenever there was time.

"Why are you drinking champagne?" Shana frowned when he saw what Zion was drinking.

"It's fine if it's just one glass," Thirteen replied. "Besides, this is a celebration feast, so drinking champagne is a normal thing to do."

"Brother, can I also drink Champagne?" Remi asked.

"No, you're too young," Thirteen replied. "Just go drink some fruit juice for now, okay?"

"Mmm." Remi nodded because she always listened to what her brother would tell her.

Thirteen was drinking champagne because this was a good way to hide his exhaustion. If he became drunk and sleepy, he could just blame the champagne for it.

Also, he had always been a light drinker.

Two glasses were enough to make him drunk, which made him very worried for his future.

As the Supreme Commander of the Alliance, he was expected to attend parties. If he couldn't handle his liquor, then that would be a problem.

Fortunately, Thirteen wasn't the type to do stupid things when he was drunk.

Some people would start crying or even do embarrassing things when they became intoxicated.

Not him. At most, he would just feel drowsy, then he would sleep.

When his glass was half empty, he suddenly felt a soothing warmth spread on his body.

At first, he thought that it was just the champagne doing its thing. But it didn't take long for him to realize that the warmth he was feeling was coming from Shana's hand, which was pressed against his back.

"I know you're tired," Shana whispered. "So this is my thanks for doing your best for us."

"I can't fool you, huh?" Thirteen understood that Shana had already seen through his facade.

As the Saintess, she was very sensitive to the people around her, especially if they were injured or suffering from other illnesses.

"Of course, you can't," Shana replied with a smile. "I am very good at observing people."

Thirteen chuckled and took another sip from his champagne. His drowsiness was slowly being washed away by Shana's power, so he believed that he wouldn't be getting drunk anytime soon.

The healing treatment lasted only for a minute. But when it was over, a sigh of comfort escaped Thirteen's lips.

All the aches in his body were now gone, and he felt that he could once again train the Heroes for another month without problems.

Suddenly, Erica appeared carrying a glass of champagne of her own and sat on Thirteen's left side.

"What are the two of you talking about?" Erica said in a mischievous tone. "Are you talking about us behind our backs?"

"Yes," Thirteen replied. "I was telling Shana that you could definitely fool any boy into falling in love with you, as long as you don't open your mouth to talk."

"Heh~ any boy?" Erica smirked as she lightly swirled the champagne in her glass as if it were wine. "You know, I realized something. Sometimes, we pursue things we cannot possess."

"Last time I remembered, you are a Sorceress." Thirteen arched an eyebrow. "Since when did you become a Sage?"

"You always have a comeback for everything, huh?" Erica giggled. "Won't you just acknowledge that I say smart things from time to time."

"Pursuing things we cannot possess is like chasing an impossible dream," Thirteen replied. "But if people have nothing to pursue, they will stop moving forward and grow stagnant. That in itself is death, and something that you should avoid at all cost."

The teenage boy then gazed at the star-filled sky.

A moment later, he saw a shooting star streak across the sky, symbolizing that yet another Wanderer's journey had come to an end.

"Zion, do you have any dreams or goals?" Erica asked after seeing that the teenage boy had suddenly become quiet.

"Of course, I do," Thirteen replied.

"Then can you tell me about it?" Erica asked with genuine curiosity. "I want to know what Zion Leventis dreams about, and the things that he wants to attain in his life."

Shana, who was also curious about the answer to this question, glanced at the teenage boy beside her and waited for his answer.

"My dream is to make you, Erica, and those who are like you live happy, fulfilling lives," Thirteen said softly. "I want all of you to be released from the whims of Fate and be given the choice to pick your endings.

"Whether those endings are bad endings, sad endings, open endings, or happy endings… I want all of you to have the power to choose your path without being tied down by Destiny and Fate."

Erica felt a slight pang of pain in her chest because Zion's words seemed to have touched the heartstrings of her soul.

She didn't understand what was happening, but deep within her heart, she was hoping that the young man's wish would come true.

Suddenly, she felt her cheeks burning. She didn't know that her face turned slightly red because, for a brief moment, she felt as if the teenage boy was proposing.

"You shouldn't say things that can easily be misunderstood, Zion," Erica said with a beet-red face. "If you say that your dream is to make me happy, how am I supposed to react to something like that? You sure know how to mess with me, huh?"

A heartfelt chuckle escaped Thirteen's lips, which made Shana, Erica, and the others who heard it look in his direction.

There were many kinds of laughter, and Zion also laughed, but this was the first time they heard their strict Training Instructor laugh a laugh that came from the heart.

For them, Zion was a very deep, and mysterious person. They couldn't understand what he was thinking. Whenever they talked to him, sometimes, they felt that they weren't speaking to someone younger but to someone older with vast experience.

His confidence and maturity were way past his years, and they often wondered how he became the way he was despite being younger than them.

His laughter was like the peeling of bells, soothing the souls of anyone who heard it.

It was as if they were seeing a rare phenomenon, like the Solar Eclipse that only happened once every few years.

When Thirteen finally stopped laughing, he felt lighter as if a load had been removed from his heart and shoulders.

"Don't worry, Erica," Thirteen said with a smile. "I promise that I'll make you and others like you, become happy and free in my lifetime."

"There you go again." Erica lightly hit Thirteen's head with a karate chop. "Stop saying things that can be misunderstood. It's like you're proposing to marry me."

"Don't worry, I'm not interested in romance," Thirteen replied in a heartbeat. "Also, you deserve someone better, Erica. I'm sure you will find a wonderful person who will make you the happiest girl in the world."

Thirteen then finished drinking the champagne in his glass before standing up.

He then walked toward the table to get some snacks, leaving the two girls staring at his back.

"This guy… really doesn't know how to read the mood." Erica shook her head helplessly. "I already noticed that he didn't seem to be attracted to us girls.

"The way he talks and interacts with us makes me feel that he genuinely cares for us. However, it's also clear that he doesn't see us in a romantic way. Of course, I don't see him in a romantic way either, but my confidence in my looks took a hit. How about you, Shana? What do you think?"

"… I think he's still too young to think about these things," Shana replied. "Maybe when he reaches puberty, he will have a change of heart."

"Mmm." Erica didn't agree or disagree with her friend's words.

But in her heart, she wished that Zion would also find happiness in his life.

A happiness that would last him a thousand lifetimes.