Narrator
"Tonight... the moon was the same as always."
Quiet... gentle... watching the world without saying a word.
But the silence of the sky... and the silence inside a person's heart... are never the same.
Sometimes... the greatest storms are not born on battlefields.
Sometimes... they begin around a dinner table.
Several days had passed since the Holy Kingdom's minister, Lazim, visited Restart Village.
On the surface...
Everything had returned to normal.
The children laughed beside the river.
The villagers worked in the fields.
Smoke rose peacefully from the chimneys as evening settled over the village.
It looked...
Like any ordinary day.
Yet...
There was one person whose heart refused to be at peace.
Brald White.
The last rays of the setting sun slowly disappeared beyond the mountains.
Golden light slowly faded into deep orange...
Then violet...
Until the first stars appeared overhead.
A cool evening breeze drifted through Restart Village.
The sound of insects echoed softly across the fields.
Inside the White family's wooden home...
A warm fire crackled inside the stone fireplace.
Its orange glow gently illuminated the room.
The scent of freshly baked bread...
Grilled river fish...
Vegetable stew...
And warm herbal tea filled the air.
For the first time in many days...
The entire family had gathered together.
T happily climbed onto her chair.
Her tiny legs swung back and forth beneath the table.
She looked at the steaming bowl in front of her.
Her eyes sparkled.
"Mom!"
"It smells amazing!"
Lily smiled.
"I'm glad you think so."
"But don't burn your tongue."
T nodded proudly.
"I won't!"
She grabbed her spoon.
Scooped up a huge mouthful.
Blew on it once...
Then immediately stuffed it into her mouth.
"...Mmph!"
Her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel storing food.
V watched quietly.
"...Slow down."
"No one is going to steal your dinner."
T swallowed.
Then crossed her arms.
"You don't understand."
"I'm growing."
"I need lots of food."
V smiled.
"So does the village pig."
For one second...
Silence.
Then...
T gasped dramatically.
"Brother!"
"You compared me to Mr. Pochi!"
Even Brald couldn't stop himself from laughing.
Lily covered her mouth.
The Butler quietly looked toward the ceiling...
Pretending he hadn't heard anything.
Alistair calmly continued eating...
Although the corner of his mouth had slightly lifted.
T pointed her spoon at V.
"I challenge you!"
V blinked.
"...To what?"
"A bread eating contest!"
Lily immediately shook her head.
"No."
T looked disappointed.
"...Why?"
"Because neither of you is turning dinner into a battlefield."
V quietly nodded.
"...I agree."
T pouted.
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"Hmph."
"You're both boring."
The peaceful laughter slowly faded.
Only the crackling of the fire remained.
For several moments...
Nobody spoke.
Brald slowly placed his spoon onto the table.
Clink...
The small sound somehow echoed louder than it should have.
Everyone instinctively looked toward him.
His expression had become serious.
His eyes remained fixed upon the dancing flames inside the fireplace.
Almost...
As if they reminded him of something.
After a long silence...
He finally spoke.
"...In all my years..."
"...No one has ever come to Restart Village..."
"...With an offer like that."
The warmth inside the room seemed to lessen.
Lily quietly folded her hands together.
V straightened his posture.
Even little T stopped eating.
Brald leaned back slightly.
"When someone offers you wealth..."
"Protection..."
"And asks for almost nothing..."
"You should become suspicious."
He looked toward V.
"Do you know why?"
V thought quietly.
Then answered.
"...Because nothing valuable is truly free."
Brald slowly nodded.
"Exactly."
"If someone gives you ten pieces of gold..."
"They expect to receive twenty in return."
"Perhaps not today..."
"But someday."
T slowly raised one hand.
"...What if they only wanted to be nice?"
Everyone looked toward her.
Brald smiled gently.
"There are kind people."
"They certainly exist."
"But..."
"The truly kind people..."
"Usually don't announce how kind they are."
T blinked.
"...That's confusing."
"It will make sense someday."
She scratched her head.
"...I'll just ask Brother later."
V sighed.
"...Please don't."
The fire quietly crackled.
Outside...
The wind gently rustled the leaves of the ancient banyan tree.
The familiar sound somehow felt comforting.
Yet...
Brald's heart remained restless.
He looked toward the window.
Beyond it...
The village slept peacefully beneath the moonlight.
Children laughed somewhere in the distance.
Dogs barked lazily.
Everything looked normal.
Too normal.
"...Lazim."
He quietly whispered the minister's name.
"People like him..."
"Never make meaningless offers."
"He didn't come all the way here..."
"Just to help us."
"There was another purpose."
"I'm certain of it."
Silence returned.
Only the fire answered him.
Its flames continued dancing inside the fireplace.
As though mocking every unanswered question.
Lily finally spoke.
"...Do you think the King knows?"
Brald remained silent for a moment.
Then...
He slowly shook his head.
"...I don't know."
"But..."
"If the King truly sent him..."
"Why hide so many details?"
Why pressure the villagers?
Why rush them?
Nothing made sense.
Across the table...
V listened carefully.
Every word.
Every pause.
Every expression.
He couldn't understand politics.
He couldn't understand ministers.
But...
He understood one thing.
His father trusted his instincts.
And those instincts...
Had never failed before.
T looked back and forth between the adults.
"...Is something bad going to happen?"
The room became quiet.
Lily gently reached over.
She softly patted T's head.
"No."
"We're simply talking."
T looked unconvinced.
"...Adults always say that."
Everyone smiled again.
Even Brald.
Only slightly.
For a few minutes...
Dinner continued peacefully.
Bowls were emptied.
Tea was poured.
Fresh bread was passed around the table.
The warmth slowly returned.
Almost...
As though the earlier conversation had never happened.
Then...
The quietest person in the room finally spoke.
Alistair.
He calmly tore another piece of bread.
Without looking up...
He said,
"...I know."
The room immediately fell silent again.
Every eye turned toward him.
Even the Butler's expression changed slightly.
Alistair slowly took another bite.
Chewed quietly.
Swallowed.
Only then...
Did he continue.
"People believe..."
"An axe cuts wood..."
"Because its blade is made of iron."
He paused.
Then gently placed the bread onto his plate.
"But..."
"That same axe..."
"Cannot swing..."
"Without a wooden handle."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Brald's pupils slowly narrowed.
He understood.
Alistair wasn't speaking about an axe anymore.
He was speaking about kingdoms.
About power.
About the people quietly supporting it from the shadows.
V frowned slightly.
He understood only half of the meaning.
T understood none of it.
She whispered toward V.
"...Brother..."
"Why are they talking about axes during dinner?"
V quietly whispered back.
"...I'll explain later."
She nodded obediently.
"...Okay."
The fire continued to crackle softly.
Outside...
The wind gently shook the branches of the ancient banyan tree.
Almost...
As though even the village itself had begun listening.
Across the table...
Alistair slowly stood up.
His footsteps echoed gently across the wooden floor.
Tap...
Tap...
Tap...
He stopped beside Brald.
Then leaned forward.
His voice dropped into a whisper...
As though what he was about to say...
Was never meant for anyone else to hear.
Alistair lowered his voice.
"...Brald."
"...Walk with me."
Brald silently nodded.
Without another word...
The two men stepped outside.
The cool night air greeted them.
Behind them...
The wooden door closed softly.
Inside the house...
Laughter slowly returned as Lily distracted V and T with dessert.
Outside...
Only silence remained.
The moon hung high above Restart Village.
Its pale light covered the quiet village like a gentle blanket.
The two men walked side by side beneath the ancient banyan tree.
Neither spoke for several moments.
Only the wind whispered through the leaves.
Finally...
Alistair broke the silence.
"...You've already noticed it."
Brald let out a slow breath.
"...Yes."
"The minister wasn't interested in our village."
"He was interested in something inside it."
Alistair nodded once.
"Good."
"You still trust your instincts."
Brald looked toward the distant outline of the Death Forest.
"...Ever since Lazim arrived..."
"My heart hasn't been quiet."
"It feels..."
"As though someone is watching us."
Alistair remained calm.
"...Someone probably is."
Brald's expression hardened.
"...Then you believe it too."
"I do."
The answer came without hesitation.
For a moment...
Neither of them spoke again.
The forest remained perfectly still.
Too still.
Almost...
As if it were listening.
Brald slowly folded his arms.
"...Do you think this has something to do with Liza?"
Alistair closed his eyes.
"...Everything has something to do with Liza."
"The day she died..."
"The balance protecting this village began to change."
"The world simply hasn't realised it yet."
A distant owl cried.
The sound echoed across the forest before fading away.
Brald quietly looked at the moon.
"...The villagers don't understand."
"They think I refused the King's kindness."
"They think I'm stubborn."
Alistair gave a faint smile.
"Leaders are rarely understood while danger is still invisible."
"They are only understood..."
"After the danger has already arrived."
Brald remained silent.
Those words carried an uncomfortable truth.
He thought back to the meeting.
The hopeful faces.
The angry voices.
The signatures appearing one after another.
People he had known since childhood...
Choosing comfort over caution.
He couldn't blame them.
After all...
Everyone wanted an easier life.
But...
Sometimes...
The easiest road led straight into disaster.
"...Do you think they'll try again?"
Alistair slowly opened his eyes.
"...Without question."
"People driven by greed rarely give up after failing once."
"They simply return wearing a different smile."
The wind grew slightly colder.
Brald instinctively looked toward his home.
Warm light still shone through the windows.
Inside...
Lily...
V...
And T...
Were probably laughing again.
That simple sight eased his heart.
"...Whatever happens..."
"I won't allow anyone to take this peace away."
Alistair looked toward him.
"...That's exactly why they fear you."
Brald blinked.
"...Fear me?"
"You've spent years protecting this village."
"You know every path."
"Every family."
"Every weakness."
"If someone wished to control Restart Village..."
"The first obstacle..."
"Would always be Brald White."
The words settled heavily between them.
For the first time...
Brald understood.
This was never personal hatred.
He was simply...
Standing in the way.
Meanwhile...
Inside the house...
T rested her head on the table.
"...Mom..."
"I'm really sleepy now."
Lily smiled gently.
"I can see that."
V quietly laughed.
"You almost fell asleep while chewing."
T immediately protested.
"I did not!"
Then...
A second later...
She yawned again.
Everyone smiled.
Lily carefully lifted her into her arms.
"...Someone's reached her limit."
Half asleep...
T mumbled softly.
"...Goodnight..."
"...Everyone..."
Within moments...
She was asleep.
V watched his little sister with a peaceful smile.
"...She can fall asleep anywhere."
The Butler gave a respectful nod.
"...A rare talent."
Even Lily couldn't help laughing.
Outside...
Brald returned to the doorway.
Before entering...
He glanced back one final time toward the forest.
Dark.
Silent.
Unmoving.
"...Whatever you're planning..."
"I'll be waiting."
He quietly stepped inside.
The wooden door closed.
The warmth of home embraced him once again.
Lily looked toward him.
"...Feeling better?"
Brald smiled.
"...Much better."
Not because his worries had disappeared.
But because...
He had remembered exactly what he was protecting.
The fireplace continued burning softly.
Its flames danced peacefully.
Almost...
As though they already knew...
The difficult days waiting ahead.
Narrator
"Fire has two purposes..."
"It warms the people gathered around it..."
"And it reveals the shadows standing just beyond its light."
"The wise protect both..."
"The warmth..."
"And the darkness they know is waiting beyond it."
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