"And although we have already chosen which Stronghold we would like to join, we still need to train because we will be giving our choice to Warrior Jean in a few days so that we can immediately join the stronghold," Tala replied as she stared at Orion.
She couldn't help but scrutinize his whole figure; after all, she had received several updates about what he had been up to from her father, who had told her to keep it confidential. Thus, she had available information about what Orion had been up to, unlike Gorg and Grim.
Orion nodded in response. He had been too busy with several issues outside of the Village to be aware of the stages that Tala and the others had to go through in becoming warriors. Nevertheless, he was curious about which stronghold they had all chosen to go to.
"Alright, now answer, where have you been? Is all the news that we have been hearing true? Were you really kidnapped..." Gorg immediately asked again, his voice slowing down as he whispered, "...by the Rightward Stronghold Leader?" He looked at Orion, awaiting his response.
Orion thought for a moment before nodding his head. "It's true. But fortunately, I did my best and survived long enough to return home safely."
Gorg's eyes widened as he stared at Orion with eyes full of disbelief.
From what his sister had told him, the Rightward Stronghold Leader kidnapped Orion and a tree nymph because Stronghold Leader Drakar wanted to somehow take Orion's six-star potential for himself. As such, Stronghold Leader Drakar had been branded a traitor for kidnapping, attempting to kill a tree nymph and Orion, and fleeing the Village.
However, seeing Orion here, it was clear that not only was Stronghold Leader unsuccessful, but Orion and the tree nymph had also managed to escape his grasp successfully.
Witnessing that Gorg was momentarily stunned, Orion immediately said, "Since you guys are going to the forest to train, how about we join and watch you guys."
Gorg shook his head as though he wanted to ask more questions and forgo his training; however, Grim immediately interrupted, "Alright. We have been fighting by ourselves, so I haven't had the chance to show off in a while. Maybe now I might have the chance to do so," he said.
Tala nodded in agreement.
Gorg's eyes immediately shone as he understood he could use this opportunity to discover how strong Orion had grown. After all, although he didn't know what Orion had done, if he was strong enough to escape from the Rightward Stronghold Leader, Orion must also be stronger than he had been since they had last met.
He could use this opportunity to gauge Orion's strength against his own.
Seeing as they were all in agreement, Orion turned his head towards Sura and asked, "Do you want me to escort you back to the farm, or follow me to the forest?" Sura had just settled an important matter with her parents; he had to make sure if she wanted to go back home and rest or follow to watch Gorg and the rest train.
"I'll also come along to watch; I don't feel tired that much," Sura responded.
Although she had watched Ursa and Fifi practice and had even practised with the two of them, they didn't really use excessive or lethal force against each other as they were afraid of the other person getting injured. So, she was curious about what an actual warrior combat looked like.
Orion nodded and gestured for Gorg and the rest to lead the way.
….....
After an hour of trekking from the Village to the forest and another half navigating through it, they finally reached a border ravaged by Vylkr vines. Gorg, Grim, and Tala dropped their bags, stretching their hands to retrieve their weapons.
While Tala and Grim unsheathed cutlasses, Grog took out a long piece of cloth, tightly gripping it with a cutlass in his other hand.
Orion observed curiously, wondering if it was related to Gorg's unique gift, as he hadn't fully grasped its nature since the last time he witnessed its use.
"Alright, who's going first?" Tala asked, her gaze fixed on Gorg and Grim.
"I'll go first," Gorg promptly replied. He was very eager to showcase his skills before Orion.
Nonetheless, Tala nodded in response.
"Don't lose so badly this time around, okay?" she joked, smirking.
She turned around and walked forward.
"Don't get too ahead of yourself. I'm always holding back to avoid seriously injuring someone, or else you would have been the one losing badly," Gorg retorted with a snort as he followed her.
The two only stopped when they were at a safe distance from the others, ensuring they wouldn't be harmed or disturbed by the aftermath of their battle.
"No cheating," Tala said, pointing the blade of her cutlass at Gorg with a serious expression.
"It's not really cheating if I'm using my gift, is it?" Gorg responded with a crafty smile.
From a distance, Orion's sharp ears easily picked up on the audible voices and the silence around them.
He shifted his attention towards Grim and asked, "What are they talking about?"
Grim smiled. "Don't worry, you'll understand when they start fighting," he responded.
"Besides, who do you think will win?" he added, looking at Orion.
Orion furrowed his brows.
Although he wanted to choose Tala because of her ferocious green flames, which must have gotten stronger during this period, he was also aware that Gorg must have also become significantly stronger in his absence.
He honestly didn't know who to pick.
"Come on, go ahead," Grim urged, his smile widening as he noticed Orion's hesitation.
Orion nodded decisively and made his choice. "I pick Gorg," he said.
Grim's eyes immediately widened in surprise before narrowing with suspicion. "Did you pick him because he's your best friend?" he asked with a hint of suspicion.
"It's just a hunch," Orion responded, shaking his head.
Although he had initially wanted to pick Tala because of her green flames, he chose Gorg to avoid hurting his feelings, considering it was the first time they had met in an extended period.
