Chapter 65: You Return To Us Not Merely As Warriors, But As Legends Reborn Several days after the battle against the mutant spider had ended... The gate that led to the Etherion Domain opened, and countless beams of light shot out of it. Alex and the other Catkins were ejected from the domain after their ten-day trial period ended. Frankly, the adults were just happy that the very stressful ordeal that all of them experienced was finally over. The parents of the Catkins, who had been informed of what had happened inside the domain, hugged their children tightly. Although they were proud warriors, some of them still teared up after seeing that their loved ones were truly safe. Given the intensity of the battle, some of the teenagers were still injured. Even so, the baptism of blood made them realize more how precious life truly was. This would shape them to become better individuals in the future, who would pave the way to the prosperity of the Clawford Tribe. Ramza and the Elders had ordered their tribe’s healers to come. As soon as the children got out of the domain, they rushed to the wounded and immediately started healing them. "Thank you," one of the parents of the teenage Catkins who had entered the Domain walked up to Alex and bowed to him. "If not for you, I would have lost my one and only daughter. I can’t thank you enough for saving her." At first, Alex planned to say that it was a team effort by everyone. But seeing Cairo’s encouraging gaze, the young man decided to accept the Catkin’s gratitude instead. "You’re welcome," Alex replied. "But I believe most of the credit does not belong to me. The first Oathkeeper, Sir Leo, was the one who saved us all. I think we should hold some sort of festival for him for keeping his oath so long after his death." "That sounds like a great idea!" Ramza, who was approaching the young man, nodded. "I’ll see to it that a feast will be held in his honor." The more he looked at his grandson’s disciple, the more appealing Alex became in his eyes. The birth of a new Oathkeeper held great significance to the Clawford Tribe. Because of this, he decided to let Alex keep Svalinn, which had been a treasure given to their clan as a gift. While being hugged by her parents, Lavinia kept stealing glances at Alex as he spoke with her grandfather. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂 After the battle, Alex had bidden everyone goodbye, and no one had seen him since that day. Lavinia had tried to look for him on the first and second floors, but she hadn’t been able to find him. Of course, she wouldn’t find him there. After receiving permission, the young man returned to the fourth floor of the domain to farm experience points from the Rank 2 fire salamanders that spawned there. Although he had lost the passive skill of Fire Immunity he had temporarily gotten from Svalinn, he had gained Fire Resistance in return. This allowed him to fight the monsters in the Scorched Barrens, raising his combat awareness and his swordplay. He also gained five levels, further boosting his stats in the process. Overall, this trip had given Alex a taste on what it was like to fight with the strength of a Rank 7 Oathkeeper. This Rank was for those whose combined stats were above 6,400 but below 12,800. ’I’ll reach that rank someday,’ Alex thought as he followed his Master to the grand hall. Ramza had followed tradition and prepared a feast for the challengers. This year’s trial had produced some exceptional warriors, with Lioren managing to get one of the Hidden Job Classes available in the Etherion Domain. But the true star of this gathering was none other than Alex, who had become the second Oathkeeper in the long history of the Clawford Tribe. Unlike the other Hidden Job Classes that anyone could get, there could only be one Oathkeeper at a time. This elevated the young man’s influence as well as gained him the admiration and respect of Ramza and the Elders of the Hartwell Clan. "Master, can I just sleep?" asked Alex, who didn’t want to mingle with everyone. "No," Cairo replied firmly. "This is your duty as my disciple. So make sure you perform well." A sigh escaped the young man’s lips, but he no longer insisted on skipping this tradition that welcomed the challengers who had survived the trial. When everyone had been properly seated, Ramza raised a goblet and gave his speech. "Welcome home, brave warriors of the Clawford Tribe. You have braved great dangers inside the Etherion Domain and returned not broken but forged anew. "The trials you faced were not just tests of strength but also spirit. Where others faltered, you endured. Where hope flickered, you carried the flame. "You return to us not merely as warriors but as legends reborn. This feast is to honor your determination, as well as the courage you showed when the mutant spider came to hunt all of you down. "The world may not remember your accomplishments, but we will remember. As such, enjoy this feast, brave heroes of the Clawford Tribe!" Cheers rang out inside the main hall as the teenagers also raised their cups and drank from them. Alex also found Ramza’s speech very moving, so he shared his drink with Dim Dim. The little guy then took out a straw from who-knows-where and started slurping the fruit juice happily. Lively chatter commenced between bites of food as the teenagers shared the stories of their experiences in the domain with their parents. They would glance in Alex’s direction from time to time as they told their parents about the Oathkeeper who had protected them with everything he had. "Are you interested in him, Lavinia?" Ramza asked his granddaughter in a voice low enough only for her to hear. The young lady immediately blushed before shaking her head, making her grandfather chuckle. Lavinia’s parents smiled faintly, while Cairo scratched his cheek. To be honest, this was an unexpected development even he hadn’t foreseen. "Y-You’re misunderstanding things!" Lavinia tried to explain, subconsciously raising her voice as she rushed to deny her feelings, but this only attracted the attention of others at the table. Even Alex, who was letting Dim Dim drink his fruit juice with a straw, glanced in Lavinia’s direction. The young lady’s face turned a shade redder. "I’m sorry." Ramza said to his guests with a smile. "I was just teasing my granddaughter, so she reacted like this." Faint smiles and laughter spread inside the hall. Lavinia lowered her head in embarrassment. Ramza no longer teased his granddaughter and simply listened to everyone’s tales of their adventures inside the Etherion Domain. Less than an hour later, the feast finally ended, and everyone returned to their homes. Alex was then escorted to his guest room, where he immediately took a shower before resting on his bed, feeling refreshed. Dim Dim yawned and closed its eyes. Just like Alex, it was also very tired of their adventure so it fell asleep within a few seconds. The young man also closed his eyes to rest and, just like his companion, he fell asleep in less than a minute, dreaming of a time when he finally became a Rank 7 Oathkeeper and felt invincible with the power he wielded in his hands.