Greetings, Hanks.

I hope this letter finds you well.

This is Flynn. I am of good health and good spirits. Below is a summarization of my report—

Today, which is September 18th, will mark the 60th day; approximately two months since Yuri and I joined the Imperial Knights program.

As of now, we are currently stationed in the small town of Shizontania. It's surprisingly a bit run-down but bustling with life. The people here are warm and welcoming, almost like a replica as the Lower Quarter so I feel quite a bit at home.

Our Captain, Niren Fedrock—though he can be quite phlegmatic at times, is a truly remarkable leader. Since we were recently-recruited, we are given extra supervision by him and of the seniors.

Honestly, I'm glad that they have done so as the skills and knightly etiquette that I've learned were because of them. In regards to the training, it's drastically different and complex as I expected it to be. Every morning when I wake up and every night before I go to sleep, I would practice my swordsmanship out in the courtyard to hone my skills for the forthcoming battles. It's hard labor and quite challenging at times, but with more time, I'm certain that I can master them by the end of this year.

The treatment we are being given is daunting.

Most of the knights that are a part of our division are comprised of nobles and of the Middle Quarter. I believe Yuri and I are the few, if not, the only two who are representing the Lower Quarter. And yes, as you may have guessed, we do often get a share of discrimination from time to time.

Due to our status as rookies, we were instructed to share the same room. It's funny, as it somehow reminds me of the time when we used to share everything as children. In my case, I believe this is for the best that it would give me a good reason to keep a watchful eye on Yuri.

Fortunately, we made friends with most of them being seniors—with the twins, Hisca and Chastel Aiheap and the vice-captain, Jurgis being one of the notable few and would look out for us when someone brings up about our status. That said, there's no need to worry.

But enough about that.

You must be wondering about Yuri.

As always, he's reckless and doesn't think twice.

He would be charging into the front of the battle without having to worry about his safety or choosing not to wear his uniform when it's time for training. We're barely two months in and he's already making a mess of things.

Every single knight in the Niren Corps acknowledges him, including some of the ruffians belonging from a guild stationed in the same town as us. He would skip sword practice just to wander around the area, would prefer to sleep in rather than stand guard outside or patrol.

Luckily, Captain Niren was aware of this and had officially assigned him to be the temporary nanny of Repede—a newborn pup who's the child of Lambert, a dog-knight owned and raised by Captain Niren and his family.

Overall, everything is fine on our side. I don't know about Yuri but my experience here has been truly wonderful.

Hanks, I've been wanting to ask—

How are the others there in the Lower Quarter?

Are the children in the orphanage okay and safe? Is Aunt Marie still running the public inn?

Let them know that I deeply miss them. Yuri might not express his emotions as much but I know, deep down, that he's worried about everyone's well-being too.

There is much to discuss but unfortunately, I am running out of paper to write (yes, including the back)

Just want to let you know that tomorrow, we will be embarking on a great expedition to the mountains. We already have our scouting groups established—Yuri with Hisca and me with Chastel. It'll be our first big mission so I am looking forward to it.

That is all for now.

Please look forward to my next letter in a few days.

Best regards,

Flynn

At the sight of his foster son's name embedded below, a warm sensation filled his stomach. Adjusting his glasses, Hanks leaned back and sighed heavily.

"Hanks!"

Unfazed by the newcomer's voice, the bearded man quirked his eyebrow. Peering over his shoulder, Hanks took notice of a younger boy with shaggy, greenish hair and donning a striped shirt staring back at him with a curious look.

"Ted," Hanks greeted the boy with a nod, "Finished with homework?"

The boy named Ted beamed, shaking his head excitedly. "Uh-huh, and dinner and washing dishes…"

"That's good."

Ted smiled, quite pleased with himself. "Yeah, so now I got a lot of free time!"

As he finished his sentence, he began to climb up on the wooden table.

Watching him struggle made Hanks quickly pull out another stool underneath the table. "Sit here,"

"Thanks!" Ted chirped, and then settled himself on the seat. Once he got comfortable, something caught his eye. "Hey, whatcha got there?"

Following the direction of his finger, Hanks turned to the paper.

"News from good old' Flynn," He answered, chuckling lightly. "Would ya like to read it?"

Frowning, Ted shook his head. "Nah," He replied, "Why don't you just tell me what it's about?"

Hanks smiled. "Okay," And fixed his attention back on the letter. "Flynn says that everything is good. He's training hard to be a fine knight and says that he misses you and the others."

"Really?"

Hanks nodded in confirmation.

"And what about Yuri?" Ted pressed on, wanting to know more.

"He's…well," Hanks trailed off, taking a moment to think it through. And then the thought of his other foster son resurfaced from the back of his mind and all he could do was smile. "Yuri's just being Yuri."

Hearing this, the boy laughed.

Two months passed since Yuri and Flynn were recruited into the Knights.

Shortly after their initiation to the program, the two childhood friends were rushed off to their designated location—far away from Zaphias, from their beloved home in the Lower Quarter and from their foster father, Hanks.

With their lack of presence in the community, Hanks took it upon himself to embrace the change.

This also meant that the room which Yuri and Flynn previously occupied became available for use, allowing anyone to rent it out. And every morning, Hanks would find himself strolling out to the Public Quarter, purchase flowers and head outside the walls to visit his wife's gravestone. After that, he'd visit Lily's as well and would recite the letters that Flynn would often send to him every weekend.

In total, Hanks had about six letters in his possession—neatly tucked under his pillow on his bed, would stay up for a good while and reread them all before hitting the hay. Despite how lonely he was, owning these letters brought joy to him as they were reminders that his foster sons were alive, healthy and in good hands.

Sometimes, the letter would be accompanied by an item.

The first time was a picture—of Yuri and Flynn wearing their knightly attires, their expression somber and direct as they posed for the camera.

The third one was with a pin—an emblem of the Niren Corps that they were both recruited from.

As for the latest one, which was the sixth, it was a postcard of the town of Shizontania—befitting the description that Flynn wrote down.

Lost in his thoughts, Hanks lowered his gaze.

With Flynn providing him daily reports, he felt at ease. And yet, he couldn't help but wonder about his other foster son—Yuri.

There was Flynn who was well-versed and organized, always punctual with his letters and his training.

Luckily, he would make sure to mention his foster brother in his writing but…

"At least write a letter, damn it…" Hanks murmured softly, though was loud enough for Ted to hear.

"Hmm? Did you say something, Hanks?"

Blinking, the bearded man motioned his head to glance at the worried-looking boy. "You seem like you're down in the dumps. You feeling alright?"

Hanks tightened his lips in a straight line. Raising his arm, he plants his hand on his head and flashed him a smile. "I'm fine," He affirmed, ruffling his hair. "Anyway, you better get a move on before Marie arrives."

Ted tilted his head, unable to comprehend the meaning of his words.

On cue, a looming figure appeared.

"Ted…"

Flinching, the boy turned to the direction of the voice. He gulped. "H-hey, Marie…" He sheepishly grinned, followed shortly by a wave.

The middle-aged woman set her hands on her hips, leaning a bit forward as she shot him a glare. "What are you doing, still up? It's 10 pm! You should get to bed!" She cried, "Your brothers and sisters are already fast-asleep!"

Ted pursed his lips. He turned to sneak a glance at the bearded man who in return offered him an encouraging smile.

"Go on now," Hanks said in a gentle tone, waving his hand dismissively. "Don't want ya to get tired when you go to school tomorrow."

Ted sighed. "Oookay…" And hopped out of his seat and ran to the staircase at the far corner of the room. Before he could take the first step, he stopped and turned back to face them. "Goodnight."

"Sleep tight," Marie, the innkeeper, replied back.

Hanks nodded and watched the boy sprint up the stairs, his footsteps banging loudly against the wood. Once the noise ceased, a moment of silence ensued.

"You best go home too, Hanks," Marie spoke up, "You need rest."

"I know…" Hanks agreed, getting up on his feet and pushing the stools underneath the table. Seizing hold of the letter, he began to wobble his way over to the exit. To his surprise, Marie rushed ahead of him to open the door for him. He jerked his chin to silently acknowledge the innkeeper. "Thank you,"

Marie bobbed her head in response. "Be safe,"

After their brief exchange of farewells, the door was closed behind him and Hanks leisurely strolled to his house. Once he was in front of his door, he reached out to grab hold of the doorknob. As he twisted it and pulled the door open, he paused and peered upwards to the sky.

Of the millions of stars that twinkled across the dark horizon, one stood out to him. He furrowed his eyebrows.

That star…now that he remembered, Lily briefly mentioned about it. Something about it being a part of an urban legend or whatever.

Its name…it was at the tip of his tongue, but like the memory, it seemed so long ago that he could never seem to recall it. Removing his touch from the doorknob, Hanks enclosed his hands together in a firm grip and bowed his head.

"Give them strength, give them protection…" He murmured to no one, "Guide them to their future."

A week passed and no letter.

At first, Hanks assumed that maybe Flynn got too busy with his knightly duties or an emergency came up and he didn't have the time to sit down and write.

But then another week had gone and still, no letter.

The first few days of October hits and nothing.

Pacing back and forth in his living room, Hanks couldn't help but grow worried. Are they okay? Are they safe? What's happening over there? And then his heart nearly stopped when another thought occurred to him—oh, no…did the barrier in Shizotania break?

Quickly, he whirled his head to the framed pictures situated on the table. His tired eyes carefully inspected them one by one—the first was the younger version of his deceased wife, to a picture of a baby Yuri together with him and Jiri. And then another family picture, this time with Yuri as a seven-year-old and Flynn included. Until finally, he found himself gazing intently at the picture of Yuri and Flynn wearing their knight uniforms—the same one that Flynn sent with his last letter.

Inhaling deeply, Hanks seized the framed picture with both hands. His eyes mixed with longing and worry…hoping for their safe return.

"…You boys better be okay."

It took a few more days for Hanks to finally receive another letter.

Unlike the rest, this one was brief and short.

To Hanks,

This is Flynn.

I would like to deeply apologize for not being able to write to you sooner. These past few weeks were hard to process. Captain Niren has unfortunately passed away, along with three of our comrades. Lambert, Captain Niren's faithful dog, has also deceased. Fortunately, we have Jurgis who's taking the mantle as our temporary leader. However, that's not all to this report.

The town's barrier has completely diminished. This means that in less than three days, monsters are bound to enter. As much as I would like to come home and visit you all, I've chosne to stay behind and help evacuate the people of Shizotania to Capua Nor.

For now, this is all I can offer to you.

Again, I apologize for making you worry but I will do what I can to write an update as soon as possible.

Best regards,

Flynn

Hanks narrowed his eyes, his grip tightened onto the paper as he reread the message for the umpteenth time. Though he felt rest-assured that Flynn was okay, something else was concerning him.

There was no mention of Yuri.

And that alone was enough to make him scared to the bone.

Did they have another fallout? Is he okay? If so, where is he?

More importantly, is he alive?

His ears picked up the sound of an abrupt knocking on the other side of the door. Startled, Hanks hastily scurried over to open it.

His eyes widened.

There, standing in front of him—soaked from head to toe from the intense pouring of the afternoon rain was—

"YURI!" Hanks suddenly cried, baffled by the unannounced visit of the latter. "What are you doing? Get in here!"

Nodding, the dark-haired man walked inside. Without a moment to lose, Hanks closed the door shut behind them. From the corner of his eye, he took notice of something wriggling inside his foster son's half-exposed tunic.

"Is that who I think it is?" He wondered aloud, jerking his chin at the latter's chest.

Peering downwards, Yuri cracked a smirk. Putting down his bag on the floor, he slowly pulled out his left hand from the folding of his tunic—revealing a small fur ball.

"This is Repede," He began, crouching down to place the tiny puppy next to his bag.

Releasing himself from his new owner's hold, Repede stood on his tiny hind legs and began to waddle around, forming a circle around Yuri, then Hanks before sitting down to inspect the unfamiliar environment.

"Woof!" Repede barked, switching his large pipe tucked in-between his teeth from left through right.

Fascinated by the animal, Hanks bent one knee down and reached out to touch the dog. To his surprise, Repede allowed him to do so.

"What a good boy," He commented, earning him a delightful bark in return.

"So, old man," Yuri interrupted, gaining the bearded man's attention. "You don't suppose we could crash at your place for a few days?"

Hanks crossed his arms. "You can rest here for the night, though I'm afraid you'll have to find someplace else to take shelter afterward." He explained, rejecting his request. "Since you and Flynn left, I made your old room into a guest room. Tomorrow, a traveling merchant is gonna arrive and they've already reserved the space a few days ahead."

Yuri clicked his tongue.

"Why don't you take my bed?" Hanks insisted, catching the dark-haired man off-guard. "I'll rest on the couch."

Alarmed by this, Yuri cast him a bewildered look. "Not a chance!" He countered back. Before his elder could say anything in response to his words, Yuri was already maneuvering his way over to the nearby couch and plopped himself on it.

Hanks rolled his eyes, shaking his head in dismay as he watched Yuri removing his gray leathered boots. There was already a puddle beginning to form around him and he doesn't seem to realize it. Quietly, Hanks walked to the medicine closet, opened it and seized hold of two items.

"Yuri,"

Hearing his name being called, the dark-haired man turned around. "Hmm?" His eyes widened as he saw the bearded man threw a towel straight toward him.

Luckily, he caught it in time. Inspecting the item, his eyes reverted back to its natural degree upon realizing that it was just a towel. A smile appeared on his lips as he put the towel on his dampened hair.

"Be sure to dry up," Hanks spoke up from nearby, "Don't want ya to start getting sick on your first day back."

Yuri snorted. "Whatever you say," And then raised his arm, gesturing for the wandering puppy to come over.

Hanks smiled as his foster son welcomed Repede into his arms and with his available hand, started to dry his wet fur with another towel.

"If ya need some extra clothes, feel free to rummage through my cabinet," Hanks added in, "Put your wet ones in the hamper and I'll get Marie to dry them up for ya."

"Thanks…" Yuri muttered without bothering to lock eyes with him as he fixated his concentration on the little pup on his lap.

"I'll start preparing our supper," Hanks announced, breaking the brief silence in the room. Catching sight of Yuri's widened eyes and open mouth, he knew what was about to come. "And no, I don't need your help. Your main priority right now is your health and Repede's."

Yuri closed his mouth, shifting his eyes from his foster father, then at Repede and then back to the latter. Nodding his head, he went back to work.

Hanks let out an exasperated sigh. He twirled his body around and proceeded to take a few steps ahead, only to pause briefly in his tracks. Collecting his hands behind his back, he called out Yuri's name.

"Yeah?"

"Welcome back."

Registering his words, Yuri cracked a bold smirk. "Thanks," He replied, "It's good to be back."

After dinner, Yuri filled Hanks in on what happened in the last three months.

The mission in the mountains was deemed successful, though the outcome of it had opened a can of worms.

Captain Niren advised Flynn to request for more reinforcements but was unfortunately admonished by the Commandant himself, Alexei Dinoia.

With only ten to fifteen knights left and timing running out for the townspeople, Captain Niren teamed up with the same guild stationed in the town. Turns out—he and the guild leader were old pals and decided to collaborate for this one mission. Once again, their daring exploits proved to be successful…however, in exchange for the townspeople's protection, Niren sacrificed himself.

During the conversation, Yuri brought up of Niren's life—how his wife and daughter were killed while he was drowning in his knightly duties and how his heroic endeavors remained unacknowledged by the Council and the Imperial Knights.

Little by little, Yuri began to loathe the rules laid out by the government, how arrogant and egotistical they were and not having to care of their knights' or the peoples' lives—so long as they remained the head of the government and that everything was going their way, they would never submit.

Yuri confessed how much he badly wanted to get out of there.

And Niren's sacrifice became the trigger he needed to finally walk away—with the first thing that came to mind was the Lower Quarter.

"…So, you and Flynn still in good terms?" Hanks asked, changing the topic.

Yuri shrugged. "I mean, he was okay about it." He admitted, raking a hand through his long mane and sighing. "He wished me the best and that was it." A light chuckle escaped his throat as he added, "Good thing I walked out when I got the chance. If I had chosen to stay there, I would've gotten an earful and a beating from him."

Hanks chuckled as well. "So tell me, what are your plans from here on out?"

Again, Yuri shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me." He drawled out, putting his arms behind his back and staring up at the ceiling. "All I know is that I never wanna be a knight again."

"If you're interested, you could always help at the inn," Hanks went on, "Marie's got her hands full with Ted and the kids. And with her being the only one running the building, she doesn't have time to do the cooking." Crossing his arms over his chest, he continued. "You're good with cooking, right, Yuri?"

The dark-haired man pursed his lips. "Depends on the kind of dish." He said casually, "What does she want? Stir-fry noodles? Rice balls? Crepes?"

Hanks frowned. He had a good point.

"Who knows? The best thing to do is talk to her," He suggested. And then another thought occurred to him. "If I remember correctly, I believe she mentioned having a spare room upstairs."

Yuri smiled. "If I take the job, do you think she'll give me the room?"

Hanks chuckled. "Probably,"

Yuri's grin widened, his words music to his ears.

The following day, the house was bombarded with men, women, and children—all anxious and excited to see Yuri again. Though the meeting was brief, the community insisted that they would hold a celebration for him at the inn later that night.

Once everyone left, Yuri went off to visit the inn to find Marie.

After a heated debate between both sides, the middle-aged innkeeper eventually settled with his offer but with a few adjustments—in addition to cooking, he'd have to buy the groceries in the Public Quarter and escort Ted and the other orphans to their school seven times per week. To balance this, Yuri would be occupying the small room upstairs, located next to the stairs.

Later that day, Yuri began to move into his new room. He took his belongings, the Second Star sword and a few clothes which Hanks had to keep for him until he returned.

Ted and the children from the orphanage decided to pitch in their allowances to purchase a doggy bowl and blanket for the little pup Repede. The men and children also joined as they built hangers for him to put his swords up for display and extra pillows and blankets from their respective houses.

Times like these, Yuri couldn't help but feel fortunate to have such people in his life. The friendliness and hospitality of the Lower Quarter…this must be exactly the reason why his deceased mother decided to remain here and called it her home.

And as promised, later that night—in commemoration of his homecoming, a celebration ensued.

Marie, the innkeeper, surprised Yuri with a strawberry shortcake she made for him earlier that afternoon and the children showered him with drawings of him and Repede looking all heroic and fighting against the bad monsters. While the children played with Repede outside, inside the inn was a different scenario as the able men, women and, elders encouraged Yuri to drink with them.

Yuri happily took the offer, already downing in three alcoholic shots in under two minutes. Before he could go on with the fourth one, Hanks luckily stepped in and scolded them for having to let a minor like Yuri, who was only eighteen, consume a lot.

Though he was worried for his foster son's health, he couldn't help but feel grateful that in the end, Lily's genes kicked in as the woman herself was renowned to have a surprisingly high tolerance when it came to drinking. And luckily, this was the same for Yuri.

Slowly, the crowds of people diminished with Ted and the children being the first to hit the hay.

And by the struck of midnight, so did the men and women—bringing the entire celebration to a pleasant end.

"Go on and rest now," Hanks urged his foster son, who stood idly near the door of his new room. "Tomorrow's gonna be a busy day."

Yuri nodded, "'Night," He said, waving a hand before entering in.

Hanks lowered his gaze to lock eyes with the little puppy. "You too, Repede," He said, smiling. "Go on,"

Repede barked in reply, waggling his tail animatedly as he rushed inside after his new owner.

Once the door closed and silence filled the air, Hanks couldn't help but feel that something was amiss. Even so, he brushed it off and went on his merry way. With Yuri returning to the community, he knew that in a few short days, the Lower Quarter was bound to get livelier. As he sauntered past the giant fountain, he stopped to take a look at the clear, night sky.

There it was again—the brightest star.

Upon the sight, his lips crinkled to form a smile. "Thank you," He muttered lowly to himself, bowing his head a little. "Thank you for bringing him back home."

Hello, everyone! This is Kroissant!

Sorry for the long wait, but I managed to spare some time off my hands to write this chapter. I'm glad to hear that there are people who are reading this and are having a good time!

As you might have guessed, yes-the star that Hanks is referring to is Brave Vesperia.

And most of the accounts here, as described by Yuri and Flynn are based on what happened in the movie.

Slowly, we are beginning to see the beginning of the game and also, the timeline!

As promised, the next chapter will be up tomorrow. Please look forward to it!

Feel free to comment if you'd like! I'm eager to hear your opinions and criticisms!

I forgot to point out that Jiri, Hanks's (deceased) wife, is actually a real character and she shows up in the light novels. The brief description of Yuri's mom having long black hair and his father's unknown identity is also canon but the rest? I just filled out the plot holes from there.

And as you might have guessed, this chapter marks the beginning and end of Yuri's career as a knight. Which means one thing-it's heavy on mentions of the First Strike movie.

Okay, that's it for now!

Have fun reading and I'll see you tomorrow!

P.S. Feel free to comment! I'm eager to read your opinions and criticisms!