They reached the Village safely before the sun finished its climb.
No one slowed until the gates were behind them.
Mina was taken straight to the medical center. Arin released her only when the healers were already reaching for her. They cut away her sleeve, splinted the arm, and checked her pulse twice. She grimaced once when they set the bone, then passed out again, breath shallow but steady.
"It's a bad fracture," one of them said, not looking up. "But clean. She will be fine in two weeks. Maybe even less, if she behaves."
Arin nodded. Raul exhaled for the first time since the mine.
Victor lingered at the doorway, arms crossed, helmet still on. He didn't say anything. Just watched until they waved him away.
Rasir arrived not long after.
He didn't come in shouting. Didn't demand answers. He walked in quietly, eyes sweeping the room once before settling on Mina's sleeping form. The bandages, the pale fingers curled loosely at her side.
He stood there for a long moment.
Then he checked everyone else. A hand on Raul's shoulder. A nod to Victor. A brief look at Arin that carried more weight than words.
They stepped outside.
Arin told the details of the fight. Not proudly, or dramatically, just exactly what happened. Where they misstepped, where Mina held longer than expected. Where she didn't back down.
"She saved Raul," Arin said at one point.
Rasir's jaw tightened.
When Arin finished, Rasir said nothing at first. He looked back toward the building, toward the thin wall separating them from his daughter.
"I tried to keep her away from this," he said quietly. "Thought if I delayed it long enough… maybe she wouldn't need to bleed for it."
He shook his head once.
"That was foolish."
Then, more firmly: "Take care of her."
Arin met his eyes. "I will."
Rasir left without another word.
Mina woke the next morning.
Her arm hurt like hell, but she ignored it.
She swung her legs off the bed anyway, teeth clenched, and stood. Someone shouted at her immediately. She pretended not to hear and went outside.
Raul was already there, stretching carefully. Victor followed a moment later, carrying water.
They trained lightly. Footwork, balance, nothing reckless.
Arin sat on a stone nearby and watched. Not because he didn't trust them, but because this was the first quiet moment he'd had since they returned.
He opened his status panel.
___________________________
Name: Arin
Core Talent: Lord
Rank: Soldier (30%)
Core Skills: Lord's Eyes, Lord's Imprint
Regular Skills: Basic Swordsmanship, Timed Step, Anchor of Identity
----------
Subordinates (3/3):
1. Raul Slade — Soldier (80%)
2. Victor — Soldier (80%)
3. Mina — Soldier (7%)
Lord Coins: 590
___________________________
"…That's more than I expected."
He scrolled.
___________________________
Notifications:
Your subordinates killed 9 Peak Soldier Rank Stoneback Lizards, +270 Lord Coins.
Your subordinates killed 50 Stoneback Lizard Eggs, +250 Lord Coins.
___________________________
Arin stared for a second.
"I get coins for eggs, too?" he muttered.
That… changed things.
He checked the others.
___________________________
Subordinate: Raul Slade
Core Talent: Combat Sense
Rank: Soldier (80%)
Talent Skills: Sixth Sense, Martial Kinesthesia
Regular Skills: Advanced Dagger Mastery, Flowstep, Enduring Heart
----------
Upgrade Panel (Raul Slade):
1. Upgrade Rank to Captain — 1000 Lord Coins
2. Upgrade Skill: Advanced Dagger Mastery > Dagger Arts — 200 Lord Coins
3. Upgrade Skill: Flowstep > Phaseshift — 1000 Lord Coin
___________________________
Enough to push him forward.
Victor next.
___________________________
Subordinate: Victor
Core Talent: Blacksmithing
Rank: Soldier (80%)
Talent Skills: Steelcraft, Forgemind
Regular Skills: Blackforge Technique, Guardian's Stance, Steeled Nerve
----------
Upgrade Panel (Victor):
1. Upgrade Rank to Captain — 1000 Lord Coins
2. Upgrade Skill: Blackforge Technique > Deep Forge Control — 1000 Lord Coins
3. Upgrade Skill: Guardian's Stance > Bulwark of Steel — 1000 Lord Coins
___________________________
Too expensive. Not yet.
Then Mina.
___________________________
Subordinate: Mina
Core Talent: Necromancy
Rank: Soldier (7%)
Talent Skills: Raise Undead, Undead Contract (2/5)
Regular Skills: Spear Form, Basic Shield Mastery
----------
Undead Contract (2/5):
1. Rook (Undead Stoneback Lizard) — Soldier
2. Tank (Undead Stoneback Lizard) — Soldier
----------
Upgrade Panel (Mina)
1. Upgrade Rank to Captain — 1000 Lord Coins
2. Upgrade Skill: Spear Form > Spear Intent— 1000 Lord Coins
3. Upgrade Skill: Basic Shield Mastery > Advanced Shield Mastery — 100 Lord Coins
___________________________
Arin blinked.
"…When did that happen?"
"Mina," he called.
She looked over, sweat on her brow. "Yeah?"
"You unlocked shield mastery."
She froze. Then opened her panel.
"Oh. I did."
She laughed, surprised. "Guess getting slammed into a wall teaches you things."
Raul laughed. Victor shook his head.
"Congrats," Raul said.
"About time," Victor added.
Arin stood. "Alright. Since we're all here, time for upgrades."
Raul grinned. "Finally."
Arin opened Raul's upgrade panel and selected it.
___________________________
Upgrade Panel (Raul Slade):
1. Upgrade Rank to Captain — 1000 Lord Coins
2. Upgrade Skill: Advanced Dagger Mastery > Dagger Arts — 200 Lord Coins
3. Upgrade Skill: Flowstep > Phaseshift — 1000 Lord Coin
___________________________
Confirm?
Yes.
Command confirmed. Skill has been upgraded. 200 Lord Coins consumed.
Raul didn't scream.
Raul got a sense of deja vu. He grabbed his head and dropped to one knee instead, breath hitching as pain flooded through him. It felt like someone rewrote his instincts mid-thought, forced new movements into old muscle memory.
Then it stopped.
He stayed there a moment longer before standing.
"…Yeah, this is great, Dagger Arts, that's quite a profound art," he said slowly. "This feels great."
Another panel flashed into Arin's vision.
___________________________
Upgrade Panel (Raul Slade):
1. Upgrade Rank to Captain — 1000 Lord Coins
2. Upgrade Skill: Dagger Arts > Dagger Intent — 1000 Lord Coins
3. Upgrade Skill: Flowstep > Phaseshift — 1000 Lord Coin
___________________________
Arin nodded. "That's good. Next."
Mina straightened immediately.
___________________________
Upgrade Panel (Mina)
1. Upgrade Rank to Captain — 1000 Lord Coins
2. Upgrade Skill: Spear Form > Spear Intent— 1000 Lord Coins
3. Upgrade Skill: Basic Shield Mastery > Advanced Shield Mastery — 100 Lord Coins
___________________________
Arin selected her shield mastery.
Command confirmed. Skill has been upgraded. 100 Lord Coins consumed.
She gasped as mana rippled through her, sharp but brief.
Then her panel updated.
___________________________
Upgrade Panel (Mina)
1. Upgrade Rank to Captain — 1000 Lord Coins
2. Upgrade Skill: Spear Form > Spear Intent— 1000 Lord Coins
3. Upgrade Skill: Advanced Shield Mastery > Unbroken Guard — 200 Lord Coins
Current Lord Coins: 290
___________________________
Arin stared, "…Unbroken Guard?"