Starting with the sentries on the frontier

"Why are you arguing with a kitten! It's so small, yet so well-behaved, coming all the way to comfort you, and you're yelling at it!"

Mrs. Marsh picked up Snowball tenderly, not at all associating it with mysticism, nor questioning Aiden and Zag about their conversation. Instead, with her aged voice and unique wisdom, she gently enlightened Zag: "Zag, my good child, even in a dream, you can't make everyone live the way you imagine them to live, let alone in reality."

Life is always full of regrets, and many things may be unnecessary sacrifices, but this is no one's fault, nor is it a shackle you need to bear. It is just the arrangement of fate, whether good or bad, it is a gift from the goddess of fate.

Some people fight back, some submit, and some are oppressed to death by the heavy weight of fate at a young age, but... that is fate. It rewards the brave and oppresses the poor. What you can do is decide whether to become a brave warrior who fights against fate or a mortal who accepts it.

"As for whether others decide to defy fate, that's their lesson, not yours."

The room became very quiet. Even Lilia and Andrew were affected by the sad and heavy atmosphere. They hunched their shoulders and hugged Herford on either side, lost in thought.

After a long while, Zag's Adam's apple bobbed, and he finally let out a long sigh. He then carefully folded and put the letter away, thanking Aiden: "Thank you for the letter, Aiden."

"Uh, no, you're welcome, Uncle Zag." Aiden scratched his head awkwardly and stammered, "I haven't thanked you yet for recommending me for the Sentinel position; it's the job I've always dreamed of!"

Zag managed a strained smile, trying to force a polite one, but failed several times. Finally, he maintained a strange expression and said, "This recommendation is well-deserved given your abilities. I merely mentioned your name to Mr. Liam."

Aiden took a few steps back guiltily, then bowed and scraped towards Mrs. Marsh, saying, "Well, then I won't disturb you any longer. I'll go get the armor!"

Then, he thumped up to the second floor, and from upstairs came all sorts of loud noises that only come from heavy objects being dragged or metal colliding.

The dull metallic sound dispelled the gloom in the room just right. Zag slowly sat back down at the long table. David silently opened a new bottle of mead for him and handed it to him. Zag silently accepted it and then silently drank it.

"Humans, no, humans and dragons are so pretentious!"

Snowball lay on Mrs. Marsh's lap and meowed.

Zag ignored it, but Mrs. Marsh lifted it up a little so that its kitten face was level with the long table, and then asked softly, "Poor little thing, are you hungry? What do you want to eat? Grandma will feed you."

The atmosphere in the room seemed to lighten a bit after Mrs. Marsh's words, and the two children immediately abandoned the disgraced Herford and ran to Mrs. Marsh.

"It loves to eat fish! Definitely!"

Lilia said loudly.

Andrew retorted, "No, it doesn't! It likes sweet rolls! But it might like sweeter ones, Mom. Could you make sweet cheese rolls for the kitten next time?"

"Kittens don't eat sweet rolls, I think it's you, you greedy cat, who wants to eat them."

As Lily spoke, she took two redcurrant cheese rolls from the plate and placed them on two clean wooden plates, giving one to Lilia and one to Andrew.

Lilia cheered and immediately reached out to pick up the sweet roll, eating it until her mouth was covered in cream.

To prove whether the kitten would eat the sweet roll, Andrew deliberately placed his portion in front of Snowball, looking at Snowball with bright, sparkling eyes.

Snowball broke free from Mrs. Marsh's hands, leaped lightly onto the table, sniffed Andrew's plate, then turned its head away in disgust. With elegant little cat steps, it walked to the large plate of sweet rolls, hooked one with its paw and put it in a clean plate next to it, before lying down by the plate and starting to fight with the sweet roll.

On the other side, after David had drunk half a bottle of mead with Zag, he said, "Don't think too much about it, brother. Mrs. Marsh is right. You don't have to be responsible for other people's choices."

Zag opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again, finally uttering, "I know."

"Oh, right, I also prepared a gift for you. Come and see if you like it!"

As David spoke, he threw aside the empty wine bottle, forcibly pulled Zag up from his seat, and shoved him upstairs to the second floor.

Aiden was already in his armor, and he was hesitating between a short-handled battle axe and a short-handled warhammer, seemingly unsure which one to choose.

"You brat! You always choose the most expensive treasures to ruin!"

David glared at his eldest son, but didn't stop him. Instead, he suggested, "You're used to swinging a hammer, so it'll be better if you use a hammer!"

"That makes sense!"

Aiden nodded in deep agreement, decisively chose Warhammer, then chuckled twice, turned around, and stomped downstairs and left.

David sighed, "That kid, we really owe him something!"

As he spoke, he led Zag to a room on the far end of the second floor that looked like his treasure room.

Inside were several large wooden crates, most of which were locked. Some weapons were also hanging on weapon racks and decorative panels, and they looked like they had been carefully maintained and had a high gloss.

However, the most eye-catching item was a complete set of steel plate armor draped over a straw dummy. Although it looked simple, it was made of solid materials, and even the helmet was a standard knight's armor with a face covering. Even in the dimly lit room, it was frighteningly bright, shimmering with a beautiful silver-gray metallic luster.

"Look at this armor, isn't it nice?"

David showed off triumphantly, tapping his armor a few times with his fingers; the dull metallic sound was as melodious as a bard's most beautiful song.

No man could resist such a cool suit of armor, especially since it's the real thing, not some cheap cosplay version.

So Zag's attention was immediately drawn to it, and he temporarily forgot about Rosa's death.

Zag couldn't help but reach out and touch the cool armor, exclaiming, "So cool! Is this standard knightly attire? Or that of a guard? This is truly amazing! It must have taken a long time to make this outfit, right? Was this made for your son? Or did someone place an order?"

David laughed heartily, and after keeping everyone in suspense for a while, he finally revealed the secret: "This is a gift for you, Zag!"

"What!?"

Zag's eyes widened; he was almost stunned.

"No, no, you're kidding, right?"

He simply couldn't believe David's words—

This set of armor is ridiculously expensive! Especially since it's not iron armor, but steel plate armor, and it falls into the category of heavy armor. Even if it doesn't have any patterns or intricate carvings, its market price would still be at least hundreds of gold pounds!

This is more than all of Zag's current savings!

That's equivalent to two years of his salary!

David burst into laughter at Zag's reaction: "Hahaha, do I look like I'm joking about something like this?"

Zag shook his head so hard it was almost a blur: "No, no, no, this is too valuable! I can't accept it! It's far too valuable!"

David draped his arm over Zag's shoulder and said, "Don't do that, brother. Forget about how you helped me recommend my son for the sentry position to fulfill his dream; just the fact that you'll help me send both kids to the church school in Eastgate Port is enough for me to thank you properly!"

"There's no need for something so expensive!"

"Hey, honestly, I consider you my own brother, Zag!" David said earnestly. "I know you have ideals and ambitions. Cabbage Town is too small, and even East Harbor might not be able to keep you in the future. We brothers might not even see each other again. Consider this my farewell gift to you as your older brother, please don't refuse!"

Having said all that, David felt it would be impolite to refuse any longer.

"I really don't know how to thank you, David."

David laughed again: "Haha, good brother, when you become successful in the future, just don't forget to come back and visit me!"

"Definitely, definitely!"

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[Snowball's Science Popularization Mini-Drama]: Under the rule of the Eternal High Kingdom, there are three major higher magic education and research institutions: the Golden Palace Mage Research Institute controlled by the Holland Royal Family, the Lonely Tower standing in the northern part of the Eastern Great Swamp, and the Dawn Mage Tower, which once served as a place where mankind pursued the light of magic, signed the "Dawn Protocol," and ushered in a new era of dawn.