At the entrance of the Adventurers' Guild, Bennett watched as his last dad closed his eyes. Feeling the coldness of his dad's arm, he could no longer hold back. Tears streamed down his face.
Bennett bent down and held his lifeless dad tightly in his arms. "Dad, don't worry. I will become a great adventurer. A great adventurer just like you."
Before long, a light rain began to fall. Bennett hung his sword at his waist, reached out to support his dad's body, and lifted him onto his back. He would carry his dad home and bury him on the hillside above the cliff, where the breeze could reach him—just like his other six dads.
Along the way, acquaintances who saw Bennett called out to him.
"Bennett! Did you successfully register as an adventurer?"
"Bennett, are you taking your dad on an adventure? He's too old. Don't wear him out."
"Bennett, I just registered as an adventurer too. Let's form an adventuring team together."
"Bennett, let's play a mock adventure!"
In the drizzling rain, many people greeted Bennett. But as if he heard nothing, he carried his last dad's body and walked home without a word.
In the days that followed, Bennett did not go on any adventures. He didn't speak to anyone. He was preparing his dad's funeral.
When his earlier dads had died, the others had comforted him and helped with the funeral preparations. But now, with his last dad gone, there was no one to comfort him. No one to help him.
During those days, Bennett didn't have enough Mora to buy a coffin, so he went into the forest to cut wood, intending to make one himself.
But before the coffin was finished, a falling axe struck his own foot, nearly severing it. Bennett had no choice but to drag his bleeding foot to the Church of Favonius.
This time, the one treating him was not the previous deacon but a new trainee deacon—Barbara, a girl about his age.
Seeing the wound on Bennett's foot, Barbara's hands trembled. How could he be so calm after such an injury?
She couldn't help asking, "How did this happen? Did someone attack you? If someone hurt you, you can seek help from the Knights of Favonius. They'll bring the culprit to justice."
Barbara didn't know that Bennett had injured himself.
Bennett looked at the trainee deacon and said despondently, "No one attacked me. I accidentally did it myself."
He didn't understand how it had happened. The axe had been lodged in the tree trunk. How could it have fallen on him? What terrible luck.
Though confused, Barbara did what a deacon should do. She healed Bennett's axe wound.
After leaving the Church of Favonius, Bennett leaned on his cane, looking at his bandaged leg. He sighed. He couldn't cut wood now. He couldn't make a coffin for his dad.
Just as he was worrying, several friends his age appeared before him.
"Bennett, where have you been these past two days? We've all registered as adventurers. Did you register successfully? Let's form an adventuring team together. We'll go on adventures and find unknown treasures!"
"Hey, what happened to your leg? Did you go on an adventure by yourself? How sly!"
They crowded around him. They had agreed to form a team, but his dad's death had interrupted those plans.
Bennett had to tell them about his dad's passing. "I need to make a coffin for my dad. Bury him with my other dads, on the hillside where the wind blows."
Hearing this, his friends were sympathetic and comforted him.
"You're so young. Do you know how to make a coffin? Let's pool our Mora. It should be enough to buy one. Let us help you."
Looking at his friends, Bennett finally felt the warmth of companionship. He understood what his dad had said: for an adventurer, the only thing more precious than treasure is the companions by your side.
And so, with his friends' help, they pooled their Mora and bought a coffin for Bennett's dad. Just like his other six dads, they buried him on the hillside above the cliff, where the wind blows.
On that hillside, Bennett stood at the top, leaning on his cane. Looking at the seven gravestones of his dads, a wave of sadness washed over him. All seven dads were gone. From now on, Bennett would have to live alone.
As he was thinking, a sudden gust of wind swept through. The rock beneath his feet trembled violently. Already injured, Bennett lost his balance. With a crash, he fell from the rock and tumbled down the steep slope.
Bump, bump, crash. He rolled all the way to the bottom, hitting a large stone. Fortunately, it wasn't his head that struck the stone. Unfortunately, when he tried to stand up, a sharp pain shot through his other leg. He had broken it too.
"At least I have my friends with me."
With their help, Bennett, who had just buried his dad, found himself back at the Church of Favonius.
As before, the one treating him was the trainee deacon, Barbara.
Bennett said sheepishly, "Sorry, it's me again."
Seeing his broken leg, Barbara was very puzzled. "Didn't I already heal you this morning? Did you take off the bandages?"
Barbara had just become a trainee deacon. The boy before her was her first patient—and also her second.
Bennett stammered, "No—this morning it was my left leg that got cut. This broken leg is my right leg. Sorry for the trouble."
He showed her his left leg, still wrapped in bandages. Now both his legs were injured. Even with a cane, he couldn't go out.
Seeing his injured legs, the enthusiastic Barbara was stunned. She quickly set to work healing him.