As expected, the moment Ludger stepped through the front door, he was ambushed.

  A blur of motion, soft hair, the smell of herbs and clean linen, and then crack.

  His ribs protested audibly as Elaine wrapped him in a hug that could have doubled as a wrestling hold.

  “Ludger,” she said, her tone the perfect mix of maternal warmth and impending doom, “do you have any idea what kind of letter I received five days ago?”

  He grunted against her shoulder, arms stiff at his sides. “I’m… guessing it wasn’t a thank-you note?”

  Her embrace tightened slightly, a warning squeeze that made his spine pop. “Five days ago, I heard that my eleven-year-old son, who happens to also be the Vice Guildmaster of a growing military organization, decided to cross national borders without so much as a word to his parents.”

  She pulled back just far enough to look him in the eye, her expression the calm, smiling kind that promised judgment. “Care to explain that?”

  Before he could answer, two smaller forces of nature arrived.

  “Lulu!”

  The twins, Elle and Arash, crawled across the room like tiny missiles and latched onto him, before he lowered down to grab them with his arms. Elle yanking on his scarf while Arash grabbed both cheeks and pulled in opposite directions.

  “Gghh—” Ludger grimaced as the skin stretched painfully. “You—two—don’t—help—”

  Elaine folded her arms, one brow arched. “They’re helping me discipline you.”

  “Feels like it,” he muttered through distorted lips.

  The twins giggled at his expression, which probably looked like a squashed frog, and tugged even harder. Their timing was impeccable, every pull coinciding perfectly with Elaine’s reprimand.

  “Do you realize,” she continued, pacing lightly, “that your father and I only found out because Darnell sent us a letter?”

  “I wrote the letter,” Ludger said — or tried to say; it came out as a muffled groan.

  “Oh? Before or after you negotiated with a foreign power?”

  “…During?”

  She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Unbelievable. You build walls, move mountains, and apparently now conduct international trade, but talking directly is too much trouble.”

  Elle finally released his cheek with a small giggle, patting his face. Arash nodded, or at least it looked like one.

  Ludger rubbed his sore cheeks, wincing. “That would’ve been less painful than this.”

  Elaine finally exhaled, her irritation softening into weary affection. She stepped forward, smoothing his scarf back into place. “Just… next time, tell us. You’re not alone, Ludger. You never have to act like you are.”

  He met her gaze, calm, serious, a little guilty, and nodded once. “Understood, honourable mother.”

  “Good,” she said, tapping his chest lightly before turning toward the kitchen. “Dinner’s almost ready. Sit down before I decide to lecture you again.”

  By the time Arslan returned that evening, the house was quiet except for the faint sound of the twins laughing upstairs and the soft clatter of dishes being put on the table. He stepped through the door, cloak still dusted from travel, and immediately spotted Ludger sitting at the table, posture straight, expression calm, but eyes faintly glazed in that particular way only a son freshly lectured by his mother could manage.

  Arslan chuckled under his breath. “Judging by your face, I take it your mother already handled your ‘welcome home.’”

  Ludger gave a noncommittal grunt. “Very much so.”

  Elaine appeared from the kitchen with a raised brow. “Don’t start with me, Arslan. You’d have gotten the same treatment if you’d disappeared across national borders without a word.”

  “I sent word,” he said with a grin. “Eventually.”

  “That’s not helping your son’s case,” she replied, setting down the last of the plates.

  They ate together soon after, peaceful dinner at the family table. The twins were full of energy, until they got too sleepy to keep up their ambushes. Once Elaine finally scooped them up and carried them off to bed, the house quieted again, leaving only the three adults and the faint hiss of the fireplace.

  Arslan leaned back in his chair, arms folded. “All right,” he said, his tone shifting from casual to business. “Tell me everything.”

  Ludger nodded and began his report, clear, methodical, stripped of fluff. He walked them through the Velis League negotiations, the discovery of the slave collars, the industrial coreworks, and the lessons he’d attended at Coria Academy. He mentioned Maurien staying behind to oversee the investigation and how Dalan and Linne had agreed to cooperate.

  Elaine listened in silence, expression calm but eyes sharp. Arslan, on the other hand, looked steadily more impressed as the details unfolded.

  “Cross-border diplomacy, infrastructure planning,” Arslan summarized, smirking. “Not bad for two weeks.”

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  Ludger gave a small shrug. “I prefer measurable results.”

  The room softened with quiet laughter, tired, but genuine. Ludger leaned back slightly, eyes flicking to the faint glow of the mana lamps overhead. For the first time in weeks, the air felt still. He’d reported what needed to be reported, learned what needed to be learned, and, for a few hours at least, home felt steady again.

  Arslan leaned back in his chair once Ludger finished the last of his report, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. The fire crackled between them, throwing soft orange light across the table.

  “Well,” he said at last, “that saves me the trouble of guessing. Darnell already sent word about the trade agreement. The shipment’s ready to go, froststeel and cores sorted, paperwork done. We’re just waiting on your word to send it east.”

  Ludger nodded once. “Good. I’ll confirm the transport schedule after I talk with Lord Torvares in the morning.”

  “Good,” Arslan repeated, though his tone shifted, the casual confidence replaced by something more measured. “Though speaking of decisions… I heard from Kharnek about Kaela. You’re planning to bring her in officially, aren’t you?”

  Ludger’s eyes flicked upward, but his tone stayed calm. “She’s reliable.”

  Arslan raised an eyebrow. “Reliable, sure. But she’s also a walking magnet for trouble. Are we certain that’s the kind of energy we want inside the guild halls?”

  Ludger gave a small shrug, as if he’d already considered that argument and moved past it. “Maurien vouched for her.”

  That made Arslan pause. “He did?”

  “She has a habit of getting into fights with kidnappers and slavers,” Ludger said, voice dry. “Always by ‘accident.’ Maurien said half the border’s smuggling routes have gone quiet thanks to her wandering in and blowing things up.”

  Arslan huffed a quiet laugh. “So she’s chaotic good, then?”

  “She’d deny that part,” Ludger said, leaning back in his chair. “She doesn’t like being seen as one of the good ones. But she knows when to act, and she’s skilled. We can use that.”

  Arslan studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Fair enough. Just make sure she doesn’t start a tavern brawl under our banner.”

  “She already did,” Ludger said. “In Coria.”

  Arslan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Wonderful.”

  Ludger stood, brushing his coat sleeve. “I’ll handle the formalities tomorrow. Talk to Torvares, finalize the shipment, and get it moving toward the League before they start questioning our efficiency.”

  Arslan smirked faintly. “You mean before they start questioning your efficiency.”

  Ludger gave the faintest ghost of a smile. “Exactly.”

  He turned toward the door, already planning the next day’s work. Behind him, Arslan shook his head, amusement and pride mixing in equal measure.

  Elaine’s voice floated faintly from the hallway. “Don’t stay up planning all night again.”

  “I won’t,” Ludger said automatically, though they both knew he would.

  After finally sleeping through the night in his own bed, for the first time in weeks, Ludger woke feeling almost human again. The stiffness in his shoulders had faded, his mana flow felt balanced, and the quiet hum of Lionfang outside his window reminded him that he was home.

  Breakfast was calm, at least until he stood up to leave. He barely made it three steps toward the door before two small blurs shot out from behind the table and collided with his legs.

  “Lulu!”

  Ludger staggered slightly, steadying himself as the twins wrapped around him like determined vines, Elle clutching his left leg, Arash the right, both giggling with triumphant energy.

  He looked down at them, deadpan. “You two planning to join the guild early?”

  “Go!” Arash shouted. “Go with Lulu!”

  Ludger sighed. “You’re getting better at words. Unfortunately.”

  Elaine chuckled softly from the kitchen, arms crossed as she leaned against the counter. “Seems you’re not going anywhere without them today.”

  He crouched, gently prying them off one by one, though they clung like trained recruits refusing to retreat. “You’re supposed to be learning new words,” he said. “Not inventing worse versions of old ones.”

  Elle tilted her head innocently. “Vice Lulu?”

  Ludger froze, staring blankly for a long moment. “...We’re training pronunciation later,” he said flatly.

  Elaine laughed behind her hand, clearly delighted. “Oh, I don’t know, Vice Guildmaster Lulu has a nice ring to it.”

  “Don’t,” Ludger warned, tone dead serious. “That name’s already spreading.”

  Arash raised both arms expectantly. “Go Lulu!”

  Elaine stepped forward with a teasing smile. “So what’s your plan, then? You’re taking them with you to the Torvares estate? Going to run there with one under each arm, or are you actually using a wagon like a sane person this time?”

  Ludger straightened, dusting off his coat. “Neither.”

  That made her pause, brow lifting. “Neither?”

  Elaine nodded, though her expression softened with that faint maternal concern that never quite faded. “Understood. Though you could at least pretend to take a day off now and then.”

  He gave her a small look, half acknowledgment, half that’s not happening, then turned back toward the living room, where the twins were waiting expectantly, tiny arms lifted in silent demand.

  He sighed quietly and scooped them both up, Elle in his left arm, Arash in his right. “You two really don’t understand the meaning of personal space.”

  “Go Lulu!” they cheered in unison, delighted.

  Elaine smiled from the doorway, shaking her head. “You’re not actually taking them to the guild, are you?”

  “No,” Ludger said, already walking down the hall. “I’m taking them with me.”

  “To the Torvares estate?” she asked, incredulous.

  He stopped outside his room and turned slightly, his voice calm and matter-of-fact. “They’ve been restless. Viola can deal with them for a few hours. Consider it payback for all the times she caused me trouble.”

  Before Elaine could argue, he stepped into his room, the twins still giggling in his arms. With a light tap of his boot against the floor, the ground rippled, the mana around him pulsing in response to his will.

  A faint grinding sound filled the room as the floor split along clean geometric lines, revealing a hidden spiral staircase descending beneath the house. The air from below was cool and faintly earthen — the smell of old stone and clay walls carefully reinforced with rune marks.

  Elaine blinked once, exhaling in disbelief. “You are going to use the secret exit under the house?”

  “Tunnel,” Ludger corrected, stepping onto the first stair. “Leads to the outskirts of the town.”

  Elle clapped her hands, delighted. “Secret tunnel!”

  Arash pointed at the darkness below with wide eyes. “Monster cave?”

  “Not this one,” Ludger said dryly. “Just a shortcut.”

  Elaine crossed her arms, sighing but unable to hide her faint smile. “Of course you have a shortcut to another noble’s estate. Why am I even surprised anymore?”

  Ludger gave her a faint smirk. “Because you still think I rest. This doesn’t only lead there…”

  Then, as the stone door began to close behind him, he added over his shoulder, “Tell Father I’ll be back before lunch.”

  The last thing Elaine heard before the tunnel sealed was Elle’s delighted shout echoing up the stairwell:

  “Attack Viola!”

  Elaine pinched the bridge of her nose, half laughing. “Poor girl’s not ready for that.”