"Hey, Fee. Your big brother is really incredible. I can't believe he took down a Magic Armor Beast so easily."
That night, Shiroi lay in the bed Yugo and the others had surrendered to him. He spoke softly to Fee, who occupied the opposite bunk.
With Yugo himself fast asleep on the floor alongside Marcos, Fee responded with a proud, happy smile at the praise directed toward his brother.
"He really is! Big Brother is amazing. He’s taken down dozens of Magic Armor Beasts. He’s fought things even scarier than that to keep people safe. He’s a real hero!"
"He looked so cool... The way he used that Magic Item to end the fight in an instant was truly amazing. Hey, did you build that Magic Item, Fee? I thought I heard you mention something like that earlier."
"Not exactly. It’s a standard-issue Magic Item, but I tuned it specifically for him and added a Weapon Creation Function."
"So you modified it! That makes you just as impressive as him, Fee! We’re about the same age, but you can do all that...!"
Sharing a bath and being close in age had quickly bridged the gap between them. Their mutual admiration for the same hero likely played a significant role in cementing their new friendship.
As Fee beamed with bashful pride at the compliment, Shiroi looked down at the Stone Knife in his hands—the very one he’d lent Yugo for the battle earlier that day.
"Hehe... so, I helped your brother too, right? In my own way? Even if I just lent him my knife."
"Definitely! Big Brother even said he was able to defeat the Magic Armor Beast thanks to you, Shiroi!"
"Heheh, awesome!"
Fee answered with absolute certainty, knowing exactly how his brother would have phrased it. Shiroi smiled happily, raising the hand holding the knife toward the ceiling.
He gazed at the crude stone tool as if it were a prestigious medal. His voice dropped to a whisper, almost as if he were talking to himself.
"This knife is my treasure now. A cool hero used this weapon. I feel like... just holding it makes me stronger."
"Hehe! I think Big Brother would be happy to hear that. I’m actually a little jealous!"
"Then I'll make another one just like it for you, Fee! You helped me, too... so I want you to have it as a Proof of Friendship!"
"Really!? Wow, thank you, Shiroi!"
The boys chattered and laughed despite the late hour, their bond growing with every shared promise. But eventually, the excitement faded, and Shiroi’s voice dropped as he voiced his lingering fears.
"Hey, Fee... will things really be okay? My Papa and Mama... everyone in the village... they've all changed. Can they ever go back to the way they were?"
"Shiroi..."
The cause was a mystery. They didn't know the nature of the anomaly or what had truly happened. There was only a vague, haunting sense of wrongness, but the conviction that it wasn't a mistake filled Shiroi with a desperate anxiety. He was terrified that his old life might be gone forever.
Would his parents, his friends, and the kind people of the village ever return to normal?
Sensing the terror in his friend's heart, Fee offered words of encouragement.
"It'll be alright! Big Brother, Mr. Marcos, and the others are going to find out what’s happening in this village and solve everything. Your father and mother will return to normal before you know it. You have to believe in the hero, Shiroi!"
"Fee..."
Recalling those words of absolute trust and the dependable sight of Yugo's back from earlier that day, Shiroi turned his gaze to the Stone Knife once again.
Believe in the hero... Repeating those words in his head, he nodded with a small smile.
"You're right. I'll believe in them. I'll trust that everything is going to be okay."
"Yeah! Big Brother always says a hero is invincible as long as someone believes in them. So if you believe, then everything will definitely be fine!"
Fee smiled as he passed on the lesson he had once learned from his brother. His spirits brightening in turn, Shiroi placed the Stone Knife on the bedside table and let out a carefree, sleepy murmur.
"That Vegetable Soup I ate earlier was so good... I hope I get to have more soon!"
"Fufu! If we ask Presia, I'm sure she'll make it for us again. Let's talk to her tomorrow!"
"Yeah... I'm starting to feel kind of sleepy. Shall we go to bed?"
Shiroi gave a wide, jaw-cracking yawn, his eyes growing heavy. Fee, feeling just as exhausted, nodded and gave his final greeting for the night.
"Goodnight, Shiroi. See you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Fee. Tomorrow..."
With those final words, the two boys drifted off into the World of Dreams, their breathing falling into a peaceful rhythm.
In their dreams, they were surely cheering for their hero. And with their faith to guide him, the hero would surely strike down the Evil Lurking in the Darkness and restore peace to their world.
Small, happy smiles lingered on the boys' faces as they slept, bound by a quiet and certain friendship.