Rion and his group members strode through the Redwood Basin and headed to Redwood Den, more specifically, the Vice Lord's hut.

As they crossed the huts, the nearby tribe members knelt, but strangely, there were no kids; it was as if the tribe didn't have any.

'All of the kids are probably asleep.' Rion concluded and gazed at all those who knelt before him as he marched forward with a calm smile.

Even though the Remnant had attacked the basin and the den, he was certain that his father had made sure none of those who shouldn't know of their battle were able to see it.

Before, he would have considered such actions as chains disguised as protection, but now — after learning what kind of existence the Remnant truly was — those chains had been reforged into a grand shield.

His jaw tightened, and his eyes instinctively shifted toward the purple fog forest. Veins bulged along his clenched fist.

Yuura and Karhun exchanged glances before one of them asked worriedly, "Is something wrong?"

He shook his head, and his faint smile returned as he answered, "Nothing..."

They frowned but didn't ask further. At the same time, the murmur of Tarek's group members reached him.

"Did we do the right thing?"

"He's the one who saved us."

"I know, but it's hard to trust him, given his age..."

"Age is just a number."

"Stop spouting that bullshit."

Rion chuckled under his breath. He understood their hesitation and fear, and he had decided to pay them back for standing with him.

'Don't worry, I'll make sure that none of you have any regret about this,' he promised inwardly.

The dried leaves and twigs gave way under the weight of his steps, and a few moments later, he reached the tunnel leading to the Redwood Den.

As he crossed it, the memory of entering the den for the first time resurfaced in his head, and his eyes gleamed in reminiscence.

However, he didn't allow himself to linger in it. He had all the time to do so afterwards.

As he entered the den, the trainees, squad members and squad leaders knelt while group leaders placed a hand on their hearts.

He also regarded them with his gaze, and after a few minutes, he reached the Vice Lord's hut.

His steps slowed down before he halted and turned towards his group members.

All of their murmurs stopped as they looked at their new leader with puzzled expressions, as Rion was looking at them with a frown.

He scanned through all of them and asked in a low voice, "Where is Dora...?"

His group members frowned, and they began to search among them, but she wasn't there. Rion's eyes went dark, and his expression twisted unpleasantly.

He took a deep breath and said, "Stay here."

He turned around and thought while gritting his teeth, 'Why is she not here?'

None of Rion's loved ones were with him during such an important event in his life, and he didn't like that. He could understand Haden and Lara's inability to join him, but Dora... she was not just a person he loved but also his first friend and his group member.

For now, he decided to push away the dark thoughts and stepped towards the Vice Lord's hut.

Bang!

The door struck the wall as he unknowingly pushed it with more than needed strength, and his eyes fell on Marin and Lara.

Marin displayed his usual smile and asked, "Why so serious?"

Rion ignored him and looked at Lara in confusion.

"Mother... why are you here?"

Lara didn't say anything and just flashed him a smile. Seeing that, Marin spoke playfully, "She came to ask why I'm taking away her son."

Lara glared and muttered, "What sane person appoints a sixteen-year-old child as a group leader?"

Marin shrugged and answered, "In which world can sixteen-year-olds fight The Remnant?"

"Tch," she clicked her tongue and smiled softly at Rion.

Rion ignored their banter and stepped closer to Marin.

At the same time, Marin lowered his hand and picked up the lunging serpent spear that Rion had forgotten to take with him.

Rion stared at the spear in silence, and Marin stated, "Don't lose your weapons so easily."

'No wonder I didn't find it in the hut,' Rion voiced inwardly and took the spear from him.

Marin leaned back in his chair and said while looking out from the window, "I didn't think that you would cause such a mess right after becoming a group leader."

"I am doing whatever I can for myself and for my people," Rion replied seriously.

Marin nodded and said, "Not in the mood for jokes, are we? Anyway, do you understand how important your role is?"

Rion nodded and answered, "The Remnant would return next year, and I have to prepare my group for it."

Marin shook his head and said, "Right now, your group is a mess, so you have to fix that first, and while doing so, you also have to prepare yourself for the next year."

Lara's expression hardened, and Rion mumbled, "I understand."

"Good," Marin stood up from his chair and placed a hand on his heart as he said, "I know you'll do great, Group leader Rion Del Haden."

Rion turned towards Lara and said, "Mother, can you leave us alone for a moment?"

Lara frowned and gave him a slow nod before she stepped out of the hut.

Marin stared at him with curious eyes and asked, "What do you wish to talk about?"

Rion stepped closer to the table and leaned on it. He said, "It's time for you to fulfil your promise."

Marin's smile faltered slightly, and he muttered in an uncertain tone, "...You want to do it now?"

Rion nodded and said, "Yes. You won't back away from your promise, would you?"

Marin exhaled in defeat and mumbled, "You don't have to attack my honour like that, I'll teach you more than what I promised just because of your achievements."

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