At a mansion on the outskirts of the city, standing amid an endless golden field of wheat and wildflowers.
Not far away, a silver origami-style paper horse was galloping toward the gates of the Augustus estate.
The horse neighed once before stopping in front of an old man.
Although he looked to be over sixty, his posture and sharp eyes revealed a man of courage and unwavering resolve.
He wore an elegant suit befitting the head butler of the estate.
Yet on that stern, weathered face lined with wrinkles appeared a warm, gentle smile.
"Welcome back, you sly little bastard."
From atop the paper horse stepped down a slender young man whose shirt concealed a well-built body. With his beautiful golden hair and captivating appearance, it was easy to imagine that one day his face and figure would be immortalized as a statue for future generations.
The young man's name was Promet. He rushed forward and hugged the old butler casually, like two close friends.
"Mr. Elli, hello—"
"HO HO! This brat ran away from home for two years and grew this much?"
Although Promet clearly weighed over eighty kilograms and stood a head taller than the old man, the butler effortlessly lifted him up as if he were a doll—or a small child—laughing all the while.
"You've grown, you've grown! A toad turning into a swan! At this rate, Miss Selena won't be able to stay away from you, kid."
Promet struggled to break free from the arms of the sixty-year-old man, yet his face had already turned bright red—perhaps from the heat of the sun.
"Alright, go inside. Leave your things here, I'll take care of them. And get yourself ready—Miss Selena will be back soon."
…
"Hmm."
Holding a comb, Promet examined himself in a mirror in the living room.
He studied his handsome face and carefully brushed his hair.
"That's good enough. Hurry up and prepare things for Miss Selena. You've been gone too long—where did you even pick up that habit of grooming yourself like this?"
A seventy-year-old woman in a classic maid outfit said this while holding a mop.
She waved the mop in front of him as she cleaned, clearly telling him to move aside.
"Hello, Grandma Hiko. Long time no see."
The young man nodded, then took out a piece of cloth from his pocket that looked like a handkerchief.
"Ah, right. I brought you a little gift. Didn't you say you wanted a spatial cloth? This thing is really expensive."
He bent down and gently placed a reddish-brown handkerchief into her hand. She looked at it, then lifted her gaze to Promet. Her eyes sparkled, and the corners of her lips curled all the way to her ears.
Then she burst into laughter, trying to sound elegant but coming out rather boisterous.
"Ho ho! Who would've thought I'd live to see the day someone repays my kindness. All my teaching wasn't for nothing!"
Grandma Hiko slapped Promet on the back with a loud smack—like hitting a bag of snacks—making him jump.
"Ha ha, finally…"
She turned away, admiring the handkerchief like a treasure. After all, even a small pocket-sized spatial handkerchief was worth almost as much as this mansion.
"Sigh… she's thrown the brooms everywhere again."
Mr. Elli walked over to Promet, fixing his hair while casually lifting the broom with magic.
"Alright. If you're free now, go prepare a gift for the young lady. She's been quite exhausted lately."
"Understood."
Promet answered mechanically—not because he was that kind of person, but simply because he was too excited.
Leaving the living room, he walked along a long corridor that opened toward the garden.
Outside, he saw a small sign engraved with his name. It was only about the size of a palm, marking the place where he planted flowers. The spot itself was small, yet it was filled with blossoms resembling blue forget-me-nots.
He walked up to it, knelt down, and smiled at the memories of his past.
He remembered the bitter cold of that winter long ago—when, without incredible luck, he would never have lived to see this day.
Then he stood up and headed toward a domed building, the place where he had slept for many years before leaving for The Gate Academy.