The Bear of the Fireheart Clan
There wasn't much time remaining until the Nine Day of the Flames ceremony commenced—
and I was being held hostage at the moment by a bear masquerading as a man.
"You aren't escaping this time, huh," the man growled, his voice as deep as far-off thunder.
If anyone ever had the nickname Giant Mountain, it would be him.
Ryan Fireheart, Second Elder of the Fireheart clan.
The man stood at least eight feet tall, his wide shoulders cutting off the light behind him. White streaked through his otherwise dark hair, and his face was creased with lines that spoke both of age and savagery. But for all his years, he was not weak—he exuded the raw, heavy weight of a lifetime warrior.
I let out a dry laugh. "You threatened to cut me in two if I didn't come… and how could I possibly miss the Nine Day of the Flames, right?"
Ryan's lips stretched into something on the verge of a smirk or a growl.
"Oh? You're speaking back now?"
Before I could even respond, one of his giant hands came down and messed my hair so hard my whole upper body wobbled. His harsh laughter echoed through the corridor.
"Ha! You used to flee the instant you saw me, Davis! What's happened to you?"
My head reeled. "You. could. show. affection. less. violently!"
He laughed all the harder. The force behind his grip was sufficient to blur my vision.
'I–I feel like throwing up…' I found myself staggering in place as the world spun on its side.
The instant I was going to pass out, salvation arrived in the form of Mio Fireheart.
She came into the hall, her face momentarily darkening at seeing me being twisted and turned by our giant of an elder. But she smoothed it into calmness almost instantly and bowed low.
"Greetings, Second Elder," Mio said deferentially, her voice precisely formal.
Ryan promptly let me go, his humor changing quicker than the wind. "Oh! My Mio came!" he thundered with real warmth. His voice almost vibrated the air.
'Oh, come on…' I muttered to myself, reeling up to standing and straightening my hair. 'So she's got the gentle tone and I've got whiplash?'
Ryan stuck his hand in his robe and produced a piece of chikki, the golden syrup-glazed sweet shining in the torchlight.
"This pest never has days when he's adorable," he grumbled, scowling lovingly at me. Then his expression softened as he gazed at Mio. "You must be exhausted after traveling such a long distance. Grandpa didn't bring much because he was in a rush… but would you like some chikki?"
Mio smiled politely and shook her head. "Sorry, I'm not quite well right now…"
"Oh no! Then I'll call for the medics immediately!"
"It's no problem, Second Elder," Mio replied quickly, voice gentle. "I'm just nervous about the event. I'll gladly take the chikki next time."
Ryan sighed in relief as she bowed again and walked off to change.
"She's so polite and respectful," he said proudly, "unlike someone here."
I glared at him deadpan. "May I see the doctor because I'm going to pass out from you shaking my head like a rag doll?"
"That can be fixed by slapping a little spit on it," Ryan replied curtly. "You'll be fine."
".What a medieval cure is that?" I grumbled under my breath.
It was futile to argue with him. The man was a force of nature—half brute power, half pure heart.
"Second Elder, if you're not going to eat that chikki, can I—?"
"Ridiculous!" he snapped, his eyes blazing down at me. "I've said it to you before—eat less! The son of the Fireheart clan shouldn't be so stingy over sweets!"
I folded my arms. "But you were just giving it to the daughter of the Fireheart clan. And what does lineage have to do with dessert?"
"Mio deserves it," Ryan said unhesitantly. "She trains hard. You, however, merely eat, sleep, and grumble."
"It's not for me anyway," I said exasperated. "I was going to offer it to Isabella."
That made him hesitate. With a growl of reluctant assent, he handed the chikki over.
Each time I spotted chikki now, I couldn't help but recall Isabella—her shining face lighting up whenever she took a bite, her black-blue eyes sparkling like stars.
Perhaps that was the reason I always made a point to save one for her.
I stuffed the candy into my pocket as I spotted Isabella and the other attendants coming our way. They bowed elegantly, and Isabella, ever a step behind, mimicked their actions, her little body swaying slightly. Ryan waved a giant hand.
"No need for formalities," he told her.
She let out a sigh and came bounding towards me.
"Young Master! There are just so many people outdoors!" she exclaimed, chattering with excitement.
"Of course," I replied, laughing. "It's a ceremony."
"They're selling steam pockets, beef skewers, and noodles!"
"…You weren't discussing the crowd just now, were you? How did this become a food report?"
"But the steam pockets—" she began, and then froze suddenly.
Her posture froze and she crouched behind me, eyes wide open.
I turned around to see what frightened her—and found myself face-to-face with Ryan Fireheart looming over her, silent.
To anyone else, that expression would have been enough to freeze blood in their veins.
He towered over us, arms crossed, crimson eyes snapping and unflinching. The Fireheart family wasn't particularly known for sweet expressions.
"…Second Elder," I said slowly, "remaining still and glaring like that really scares people."
Ryan blinked. "Hmm…"
"What is the matter, sir?" I inquired.
He pointed at Isabella. "That child. Is she your concubine?"
I choked on a half-swallowed sip of tea. "What are you talking about? Take a look at her attire, sir—she's a servant."
The servants of the Fireheart clan wore pale yellow robes, and Isabella's were unmistakenly so.
"Is that so?" Ryan said to himself. "If you say so, it must be true."
He walked away, seeming uninterested, leaving me gaping after him in shock.
That was… one hell of a misunderstanding.
When he was out of sight, I finally gave the chikki to Isabella.
"Here. Eat this and be good."
She blinked. "Huh? But I already had some before…"
"Why? You said you liked it. Did you get bored with it already?"
"Not… Grandfather told me not to eat more than five in a day."
"…When did you already eat five?"
I furrowed my brows, understanding something was amiss. I looked at the servants, and they all dipped their heads as if ashamed children.
"So it was them…" I exhaled.
It seemed they used their own money to purchase her extras. I chose not to yell at them—just gave her the chikki and let her choose when to consume it.
Then I excused myself to dress for the ceremony.
Not much to prepare—only the red ceremonial robe, which was embroidered with the burning sigil of the Fireheart clan.
As sundown approached, light from hundreds of lanterns flooded the huge conference hall.
Ryan Fireheart towered in the center, exuding power. Mio and I flanked him, representatives of our clan by selection.
All the Fireheart lineage was to go to the Nine Day of the Flames, but the youngest was out, and the oldest daughter was occupied with her Swordfighter responsibilities.
Our own father, Loret Fireheart, was nowhere to be found—handling the commotion at The Hell Gate, along with the first group of Swordfighters.
That left the second, third, and fourth squads, so it was significantly less crowded than usual. The hall didn't seem as full, though "empty" was a relative term—it could fit hundreds.
Even then, the sheer scale of it made me nervous. The Eternal Market's grand hall was huge, constructed to demonstrate wealth and power. It meant that more onlookers could fit inside… but it also meant that if something went awry, chaos could easily spread.
Yet, no one would be crazy enough to make a scene around Fireheart Swordfighters.
Hundreds crowded the hall, each of them exuding the tempered air of a conditioned fighter. The air itself vibrated with contained mana.
Ryan's voice sliced through the din like a sword.
"Captains of every Swordfighter unit—step forward."
The mischievous old one from earlier was nowhere to be found; instead, there stood the serious Second Elder of the Fireheart clan. His booming voice echoed in the room, powered by his mana-enhanced tone.
Each of them approached individually, armor shining in the light of the lanterns.
"Second squad deputy, Abal, saluting the Elder of the Fireheart clan!"
"Third squad captain, Cheoma, salutes the Second Elder!"
"Fourth squad deputy, Yoom, shows respects to the Elder!"
Their voices echoed in harmony, the sound resonating throughout the enormous hall.
A shiver of tension crossed the air—the ceremony had finally commenced.
And I, standing here alongside Ryan and Mio, couldn't help but wonder…
'No matter how many times I witness this… the Fireheart clan still feels like being in the midst of a storm.'