Chapter 24: How It All Started
(It will be the final story of the past before the main story begins.)
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In the eastern quarter of the 'Kingdom of Daelon' capital, a young child dashes through the neighborhood, radiating pure joy through her beaming smile.
She had bright red hair beautiful ocean blue eyes while even though she was a girl she liked to dressed as a boy. She is Liza Turner.
Today is a big day for her. Her parents have given her the green light to explore beyond their home's boundaries. Eager to see the world outside, she sets out with a heart full of curiosity.
In just a few minutes, she arrives at a nearby park. Laughter and play fill the air as children her age enjoy their time together. Their giggles reach her ears, adding to her anticipation.
Breath in.....
Breath out...
No matter how energetic she was, making friends for the first time is still making her a little scared..
At that moment she remembered what her father told her.
'Remember, Liza, always keep your head high, no matter what comes your way' he had told her. She had admired her father's strength and wanted to follow in his footsteps.
'Why father?' she asked his father with sparkling eyes,
"Because you're my daughter, that's why!" he had exclaimed, his laughter was so loud that even their neighbor could heard it...
But instead of being irritated she also started to laugh with him....
'Hahahahah' while she was trying to imitate her fathers laugh, all it came out was sweet laughs of a child...
Later her mother has to come to stop the stupidity of the father and daughter duo...
Remembering those happy moments she smiled and walked toward the playground where the other children's are playing.
"Hey guys. let me play!!" she told them in a loud voice while showing a toothy smile..
Being children there though process are simple so they just told her to join happily, the more the merrier it is for them...
Seeing how they agreed easily with her, Liza thought she succeeded in making her first friends...
After that they started playing.....but in the middle of their playtime Liza saw a boy with petit figure sitting alone in one of the bench..
Seeing how lonely he was, she tried to go and talk with him...
"Hey!! Why are you here alone?" She dashed toward her while shouting...
The timid boy slowly raised her head and told her "Tt-hey dont want to play with me because of my girly figure."
Seeing how timid the boy is Liza thought that the boy was lonely for being left behind by the others and decided to help him.
Then she invited him to play with her, even though the boy resisted first, Lizas energetic self had won and they both went to the playground to continue their play.
.
.
As the day transitioned to evening, parents started arriving at the park to gather their children. Meanwhile, Liza and the boy found respite on a bench, their laughter echoing as they relived the shared fun.
Liza's laughter continued, her hand clutching her belly as she recounted their playtime. The boy, however, sat there, out of breath, his energy spent.
For the first time, Liza got a good look at the boy's face, and words slipping out unintentionally, "Cute."
Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment, realizing she had spoken her mind aloud. Swiftly steering the conversation, she introduced herself, discovering the boy's name was 'Vaelen Hart.'
After that their mother came to pick them up and they went their own ways.
.
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On their way home Liza was humming a happy song and seeing how happy her daughter was her mother tried to ask her about her little adventurer with a gentle smile
"Did out sweetie make any friends today?"
"YES!!Mom!" she replied energetically..
Seeing how energetic her daughter was her mother was happy for her...
"And I made one special friend today!!!" suddenly Liza told her mother while looking at her with a happy smile
Hearing this her mother became curious and tried to ask her....
"Who was it?"
"Its a boy name ' Vaelen Hart' and he is just sooo cute!!"
"Oh..."
Her mother knows that name because earlier she talked with 'Mary Hart' the mother of that boy..
Suddenly her mother thought something and asked her with a teasing smile..
"Did our sweetie found her first crush~"
Liza's mother's teasing words caused her entire face to turn red, her crimson hair making her resemble a ripe tomato.
"D-don't tease me mom!!" and she ran toward her house leaving her mother behind..
'Cute' her mother thought, marveling at her adorable daughter.
After that she also started to walk toward their house..
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(3 years later)
Three years have gone by since Liza and Val first became friends. Even though things weren't great at Val's home, he managed to keep a cheerful face whenever he was with Liza.
Their friendship began when Liza was five and Val was four. Now, with two more years passed, Liza had joined the special center in the Kingdom of Daelen. Val, on the other hand, was getting ready for his turn to enter.
Liza had started training when she was just six, driven by her dreams. This kept her mostly at home, except for visits to the specialized center. This meant that Liza and Val didn't get to see each other as much, but Val still made sure to visit Liza's house for some playtime.
Liza sometimes wanted to go to Val's house, but her father always stopped her. He didn't like 'Jack Hart' due to his drinking problem, and living in the same neighborhood meant news always traveled fast.
.
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A dark purple hair boy can be seen outside of a house pressing the doorbell with a box in his hand. He had long hair which covered his whole eyes.
The house was no different that other houses in the neighborhood but the owner of this house decided to install a dojo at the back side of his house because of that it has a large backyard..
The name plate of the house was..
[Turner Household]
This was the house of Liza, his childhood friend..
From a young age Liza idolize her father. Her father was a swordsman and martial artist and She always dreamt of becoming like her father and because of that they had a personal dojo on their backyard.
While Val was waiting, he heard miss Lisa's voice from the inside..
"Coming"
Step, step.....
"Oh Val, welcome!" The moment Lisa saw it was Vaelen she showed him a gentle smile..
"Good morning Miss Lisa, is Liza training again?"
Sign...
"Yes, I dont know what I will do with her all she talk about is training training...haaa....how I wished I had a normal daughter." After signing she started complaining to Val...
Val could only smile helplessly because he know what Liza meant when she complained about Liza talking about training all the time...
"Hmm..."
Suddenly Lisa noticed that there was something in Val hand...
"What did you bring today Val~"
Val became embarrassed and tried to hide the Lunch box behind him...
"N-nothing,, Miss Lisa!"
Lisa was also an adventurer when she was young because of that her sense were quite sharp so she quickly noticed what Val hide from her...and when she realized what was in his hand she was slightly amused...
"Ohoo~"
When she thought for whom he brought it for. she showed him a teasing smile..
Seeing that smile Val realized that Lisa already know what he hid and his face became even for redder..
Seeing how embarrassed Val has become Lisa thought it was enough and told him get inside..
"Why don't you get inside~ Liza is with his father in the backyard."
Without any hesitation Val entered their house and went toward the dojo with beet red face...
'So cute!'
Even after seeing him almost everyday she couldn't get used to how cute Val is when he became embarrassed.
But, remembering the situation of his family, she looked at the direction where Val went with a concern look..
'Even with that situation he never showed it on his face...he really is a strong boy from the inside' she thought..
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After arriving at the entrance of their family dojo Val saw two people inside
There an extremely beautiful girl can be seen swinging her sword repetitively while a man is looking at her posture from the side a with an observing look. Val watched the girl from the dojo entrance.
Swish swish...
Every time she swing her sword downward her long red hair fluttered in the air and with her determined look she looked even more beautiful which cause the young Val to look at her with a dazed expression.
She stopped for a second.
The girl spotted Val watching her from the corner of the room. She only looked at him for a moment and turned in the opposite direction and strode toward the man in the middle of the room who was observing her carefully..
"Father, how was it?" Liza asked, this man was Lizas father 'Mike Turner'. He has quite a buff body and face full of beard, anybody can tell from those big muscles that he was quite a strong individual..
"It was great!! And you are more talented that me when I was of your age, being able to continue you training with me all this time.....I am proud of you my daughter!! Hahahah" He patted her head with his big hand while laughing proudly...
"Thats not true father!! Its all thanks to you." Even while being humble one can tell from the look on her face that she was happy to receive compliment from her father.
Then Mike turned his head toward the entrance and suddenly his look changed when he saw Val..
"Its all for today" saying that he left from the back door of the dojo, it was like he didn't want to deal with Val.
Seeing her father left, Liza turned her head toward the entrance and started walk toward there.
"Hey Val, what's up?" Liza strolled over to Val.
"Val?" Standing in front of him, she noticed him staring at her, lost in thought.
Shaking himself out of his daze, Val realized he had been lost in looking at Liza, forgetting everything around him.
"N-no, I'm good. H-how about you?" He stumbled over his words, feeling embarrassed.
"Are you sure?" Liza raised an eyebrow and leaned in a bit closer.
With her lovely face so near, Val's heart started racing.
Over these three years of friendship, Val realized he felt a different kind of emotion whenever he was around Liza.
Whenever he saw Liza talking to other boys, he felt a pang of discomfort. He found himself wanting to be close to her, to spend more time with her.
'What are these feelings?' Val often pondered this question, but he had no answer. There was no one he could ask either.
He had even tried to ask Liza herself once, but his words had gotten stuck, and he couldn't bring himself to ask.
"Uh, here." Unable to find the right words, he held out the box he had brought with him.
Intrigued, Liza took the box from him.
"What's th-" She began to ask, but before she knew it, Val had turned beet-red and was already sprinting back toward his house.
"Val!!" Liza called after him, but he had disappeared from sight.
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After Val left the dojo, Liza let herself collapse onto the ground. The rigorous training had left her quite exhausted, but she had put on a facade of strength in front of Val. She didn't want him to see her weakness.
"He's just too adorable when he gets all embarrassed~~" Liza chuckled to herself, fully aware of Val's feelings for her. However, what she wasn't entirely sure of was her own feelings.
"Oh, that thing he brought me." She glanced over to the lunchbox lying beside her.
Picking up the lunchbox, she examined it for a moment before popping it open.
Inside, there was a simple yet carefully prepared meal – rice, vegetables, and an omelet.
"Hehehe~" Liza giggled, looking at the contents. While it may have been a simple lunch, it held a special place in her heart.
Using the spoon already inside the box, she took a bite.
"Delicious~" The warmth she felt after eating the meal Val had prepared for her wasn't just about the taste. It was the fact that Val, who was a year younger, had taken the time to make it for her.
"I know he likes me," Liza mused aloud as she continued eating.
"No, he's head over heels in love with me." She was well aware of Val's deep feelings for her, and strangely, she didn't mind it at all. In fact, she enjoyed when Val tried to impress her with these small gestures.
"If he ever confesses, should I say yes?" It seemed like a simple question, but there was a complication – another person stood in the way. If it weren't for this person, she might have already accepted Val's feelings. However, since meeting this boy, her thoughts had been consumed by him.
"What's he up to now? I'm so curious." Liza always sought answers to questions like these.
"Ethan Light, where are you?" This boy was the source of her confusion, the reason she couldn't easily make up her mind.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone