Inside the cave, a cold wind howled at the entrance.
Gildarts lightly shook his shoulders, and snowflakes fluttered down.
"How could he be here...?" Cana was a bit stunned; his appearance was beyond her expectation, and she almost dropped the cards in her hand.
"That doesn't matter."
"Cana."
Gildarts smiled, waved his hand, then looked at Cana's hair with a complicated gaze, his eyes returning to Cana's face, and he softly asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"What?" Cana was a little dazed, not knowing what Gildarts was talking about.
"You are Cornelia's child, aren't you?" Gildarts's expression was exceptionally complex.
"There's no mistake; your hair color and appearance..."
"You..." Cana was struck as if by lightning.
Cornelia was the name of Cana's mother.
Gildarts sighed softly, walked to Cana's side, pulled off his cloak, and wrapped it around Cana.
"Your mother, Cornelia, was the only woman I ever loved."
Gildarts's voice was deep and hoarse, as if coming from a distant past.
"She was also the only one I married."
Every word seemed to carry endless memories and deep affection.
Cana withdrew the cards in her hand; she clearly saw that the card, which should have sealed the Swamp Crocodile, was now blank.
Cana remained silent, clutching the cloak tightly around her.
The cloak was old and warm, seemingly weighing a thousand tons, pressing Cana's head down so she couldn't lift it.
Her lips trembled slightly, wanting to say something, but she didn't know where to start.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she tried hard not to let them fall, but they eventually slid down her cheeks, dropping onto the warm cloak.
"Sixteen years ago, because I was busy with work and neglected my family, Cornelia left me. When I next heard news of her, it was of her death."
"I deeply loved your mother, but I didn't know we also had a child."
"You're my daughter, aren't you, Cana?" Gildarts asked softly, his tone very certain.
"Why have you kept it from me all this time?"
Gildarts's eyes were filled with complex emotions: guilt, heartache, and a deep paternal love that had not been expressed for many years.
Cana couldn't help but look up, and the moment her gaze met her father Gildarts's figure, tears gushed out like a broken dam.
Her lips trembled, as if bound by an invisible force; a thousand words seemed to be stuck in her throat, leaving her at a loss for words for a moment.
After a long time, Cana finally spoke, tears mixed with snot flowing down, looking very disheveled. She shouted loudly, "Because I couldn't say it!"
"You're too outstanding. Compared to you, as a daughter, I'm too ordinary!"
"You are the strongest Mage in the guild, and I also want to work hard to catch up to your footsteps!"
"But my progress is too slow!"
"I planned to tell you when I passed the S-Class Mage exam and became an S-Class Mage..."
"At that time, you and Mom would both be proud of me, right...?"
Cana cried, shouting out her heartfelt feelings.
Gildarts's mouth opened slightly, but his throat felt as if it were stuffed with cotton; words hovered on his lips, yet he didn't know where to begin.
Finally, Cana broke the heartbreaking silence again, her voice with a slight tremor and genuine happiness: "It's so good to see you... Dad."
Gildarts stood stunned, looking at Cana in front of him, feeling a little disoriented.
At the guild's front door, Gildarts carried his luggage, with a short-haired little Cana, only up to his knees, looking up at him expectantly.
"Be, be safe on your way back!"
The scene shifted, and a slightly older little Cana with her long black hair tied up waved vigorously.
"Work hard, Gildarts!"
The scene shifted again, a teenage Cana was about to take the Mage exam, and Gildarts, about to leave for a mission, offered a word of encouragement.
"Good luck, Cana."
Young Cana paused for a second, then smiled happily.
"Okay."
The figures of the three Canas overlapped, transforming into the tear-streaked girl before him. Gildarts finally couldn't hold back, darted forward, and pulled Cana into his embrace.
This resolute and strong middle-aged man had two lines of hot tears streaming down his face.
Gildarts held Cana tightly in his arms, as if wanting to make up for all the missing hugs from over the years.
Gildarts's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice a little hoarse, carrying the vicissitudes of time and inner pain: "It's my fault; I couldn't be with you on your journey of growth. In those days when I should have been there, you were walking alone. Dad is sorry."
Cana bit her lip, trying to steady her emotions, but her slightly trembling shoulders betrayed the turmoil in her heart: "Dad..."
Tears welled up in Gildarts's eyes, sparkling in the sunlight, like the guilt and emotion in his heart: "Child, you've done very well, even better than your dad when he was young."
"It's so good; it turns out, in my memory, you are such a gentle person, Dad." Cana buried her head deep in Gildarts's embrace, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible, a whisper from the depths of her soul: "Dad, actually, I already realized this might be an illusion, but I really don't want to wake up."
"In this illusory world, to be able to embrace you like this, to hear your voice, to feel your warmth, is such a rare and precious moment for me."
"I don't want to lose all this so quickly; I just want to stay with you a little longer, even if it's just one more second."
Gildarts's body trembled, as if Cana's words had struck the softest part of his heart.
His voice was full of reluctance and guilt, that deep voice echoing in the cave: "I truly wish I wasn't your imagination, but truly standing before you."
Cana looked up, tears glistening in her eyes, the crystal clear teardrops like the brightest stars in the night sky. She looked at Gildarts, her voice carrying a trace of tremor and determination: "It's enough. This is the happiest moment I've had this year, no, these past few years."
"EZ, Marcus, and everyone in the guild are waiting for us to return safely. And you, the real you is still out on a mission; I hope to see you return safely."
Gildarts's eyes were filled with tenderness; he caressed Cana's hair, his movements so gentle as if touching the most precious treasure in the world.
His voice trembled, every word filled with deep emotion: "Cana, grow up well, eat well, take good care of yourself, and be happy. Dad believes you have enough courage and strength to face everything."]}