Day 31, Month 12, Year 1500
New Year's Eve Village
Morning
"Brother, you're not going to forget about us, right?" Little Ana carefully grabbed the sleeves of Nox's coat, her big eyes on the verge of tears as she looked at him with a sorrowful expression, as if trying to tell him to stay...
Nox looked at little Ana and crouched down to her level, smiling faintly and gently stroking her head: "Of course I won't forget. When I have some money, I'll send it to you, and if I have time, I'll come back with lots of gifts."
Ana's eyes widened and gleamed a little: "Really? Do you promise?!"
Nox smiled at her as she began jumping excitedly, laughing a little: "Of course, when have I ever lied to you? But first, promise me you'll study! When I come back, you'll need to know how to read and write, okay?"
"I'll do it! I'm smarter than André, don't worry." Ana gave André a teasing smile. He was left speechless, trying to defend himself, but in the end, he stayed silent...
Nox shook his head and stood up. He looked at the other children: André, Olivia, and Elías. To him, they were like siblings, his little family. Since they arrived at the little church, he had taken care of them since they were babies, along with Charlotte... Nox was silent for a moment, feeling truly sad about leaving them behind. So many years together, so many shared experiences... With a sad smile, he said, "I'll be back, I promise! When I do, I'll do everything I can to make sure everyone lives better." It was the responsibility of an older brother to care for the little ones, always ensuring they were in the best possible condition. At that moment, that feeling overwhelmed him, and it was also the main inspiration that gave him strength to improve as much as possible.
"Listen to what old Colder and Sister Jenny say: don't be rude and be respectful." With a somewhat serious look, Nox reminded them of their duty to help clean the church...
"Come on, we're not kids anymore..." Olivia blushed, lowering her head shyly, her cheeks slightly flushed. She raised her head: "I hope everything goes well for you! No! I'm sure it'll go very well!" She tried to hide the tears falling from her eyes...
"Come on..." André smiled and gently patted Olivia's back, trying to console her. He looked at Nox and nodded as he walked.
Good luck, Nox! Elías also approached with a sad smile, getting closer to Nox: "Remember to bring me a small weapon, okay? You know..."
Nox looked at him, raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and smiled: "Okay, leave it to me."
After chatting for a while with the children, sharing some smiles and recalling a few awkward moments they all knew about, the atmosphere lightened up. Nox, knowing he couldn't waste any more time, felt deep sorrow as he finally said goodbye to them, not without promising to visit if he had time. Olivia and Ana cried as André tried to stay strong... Nox couldn't help but remember that this situation had already happened five years ago when they said goodbye to Charlotte...
With a few last words, he left the room with a smile. Upon leaving, he saw old Colder and kind Sister Jenny. They also greeted him with big smiles. Nox approached old Colder, lowered his head: "Thank you for everything you've done for me. I don't have words to thank you enough, but please, keep taking care of the children for a little longer. I'll do everything I can to get them out of here." Old Colder was the closest thing to a father they had. At first, he took care of him and Charlotte. It wasn't until five years later that Sister Jenny joined the church. Thanks to old Colder, the other children, like him, learned how to read, write, basic math, history, and the general state of the continent. He helped them without asking for anything in return, providing food and shelter without expecting anything from them. He was kind, understanding, loving, and strict when necessary. A great person and the best person Nox could have met. He was deeply grateful to have had him by his side while growing up.
"Hehehe, kid! Don't get sentimental! Focus on what you need to do! Study and work hard. I remember the imperial academy is no place for people like us, but we had the chance and took it! You have to do the same and set an example for the other kids!" Old Colder placed a hand on Nox's shoulder and looked him in the eye: "Accept the money from young Cristina."
Nox fell silent. He already knew. In fact, the small high-quality cloth pouch was right next to him, on the table... it was impossible not to notice; they had purposely left it there for Nox to see. He sighed: "When I have money, I'll repay it." Nox wasn't going to question why he had taken Cristina's money. He also knew about the church's infrastructure problems, which is why he had worked so hard to fix them, but of course, the money he earned wasn't enough.
"Don't stress, kid, just focus on your studies. But since I know you're stubborn, I can only tell you to do your best, and if it's not enough, get it somehow." After giving him a few pats on the shoulder, he stepped aside...
Nox looked at kind Sister Jenny. He had first seen her when he was five years old. In the same way, she was like a mother figure to him, though she was much younger than old Colder. From what Nox understood, she was only 27 years old: "Thank you for all your care, we'll always be grateful." Sister Jenny was always present when any of them got sick or injured. She was also the one who had the great idea of starting a small garden in the cemetery. With those vegetables, the variety of food increased considerably.
"Nox, I expect a lot from you. Work hard at the academy and be the pride of our village." Jenny smiled affectionately and gently patted Nox's head: "Don't forget to send letters to the kids; they know how much they love you and how important you are to them. They'll be very sad if you don't write to them."
"I'll do it, don't worry, Sister Jenny." He already understood how important it was to send letters to the other children; he couldn't forget something so essential...
After talking a little more, they finally had to say goodbye. Nox felt very strange. Looking back, the church doors were open, and there, his family was bidding him farewell with sad smiles...
When he looked forward, he saw the three young people waiting for him in silence... After a few seconds of silence, he bid them farewell with a smile...