Sven opened his eyes after a long, deep sleep. He found himself alone in a hospital ward. The walls were stark white, while the floor and ceiling were a dull gray. He felt a heavy weakness in his limbs and a thick fog clouding his mind.
'Oh, to hell with this...'
He was lying on a large bed under a thick blanket. Pulling the covers back, he saw his legs smooth, but now marred by scars. He tugged up his hospital gown to find several long, jagged scars stretching from his collarbone all the way down to his knees.
'Damn it. There goes my plan of wooing women with my physique in the future.'
'Where's my phone? God, I don't even know what time it is.'
Suddenly, a doctor of the Triton race entered the room. She differed from humans with her pale blue skin and visible gills and fins. She offered a warm smile.
"Hello," the Triton said. "Hello," Sven replied, his voice coming out as a dry rasp. "How are you feeling?" "Like my thoughts are in a fog, and my body is made of lead," Sven croaked. "That is perfectly normal for your condition," she noted, tapping something into her smartphone. "Where are my things?" Sven asked, propping himself up on his elbows. "Your relatives have them."
The Triton left and soon returned with a lead physician. The doctor performed a lengthy examination, asking standard questions like "How do you feel?" and "Can you feel your arm?" Sven answered "yes" to everything until the doctor finally left.
After a few hours, the fog in Sven's mind finally began to clear.
'I need to check the time.'
Sven climbed out of bed, only to realize he was wearing a hospital diaper. He immediately headed to the bathroom to get rid of it and wash up. When he returned to the ward, he found a man in formal attire waiting for him. The man had dark, curly hair trimmed at the temples, a weathered face, and piercing dark eyes.
"Good day, Sven Laocard," the man said. "Good day," Sven replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I am here on behalf of the Head of the Black Hounds," the man said, clearing his throat. "I wish to convey his words."
'Well, his daughter survived, so he clearly wants to reward me,' Sven thought, a small smirk playing on his lips.
"[Dear Sven Laocard, words cannot express how grateful my heart is for you saving my daughter. For this reason, I would like to present you with a gift from the Black Hound family,]" the man recited, pulling a box from his pocket.
The man placed the box on the nightstand and departed. Almost as soon as he left, Sven's parents, Arthur and Mari, entered. Arthur wore a shirt with puffed sleeves and black trousers; there was a noticeable tension in the set of his eyes. Mari wore a black dress under a gray jacket, her face equally strained with exhaustion.
"Hello," Sven said.
"Hi," Mari replied, sitting on the bed beside him. Arthur remained standing, leaning against the wall opposite the bed.
"How are you?" Mari asked.
"I'm okay. And you?" "You put yourself in grave danger. You shouldn't have done that," Mari said, her face downcast.
- "..."
"What's in the box on the table?" Arthur cut in.
"It's a gift from the Black Hounds," Sven said.
"Well, try it on then."
Sven opened the box. Resting on the bottom was a silver ring engraved with runic symbols.
'The man said "gifts" in the plural, didn't he?'
Sven slipped the ring on. Instantly, it felt as though something altered his perception—it took him a moment to realize what it was.
"The ring contains a sword and a pair of Rogue's boots," Arthur explained.
Sven focused his will, and the sword manifested. It was about 80 centimeters long with a 15-centimeter hilt. The tip was forged from Hetu steel, while the edge was Varkan ore; it shimmered like polished silver. It featured a saber-style guard and a hilt wrapped in dark fabric.
'This is a fine blade. Almost as good as my father's.'
"How good do you think this sword is?" Sven asked. His voice was steady, but a hint of excitement peeked through.
"It's quite good. Mari, you know more about this than I do," Arthur said. Mari rolled her eyes slightly.
"The tip is Hetu ore, which can store Keer, while Varkan steel repels it. Personally, I would have used something else instead of Varkan, but it's not a deal-breaker," Mari analyzed.
"Has she always been able to do that?" Sven whispered to his father.
"Yep. Surprises me every time," Arthur replied.
Sven then summoned the second item from the ring. It was another silver ring with runes, but this one was set with a brilliant ruby.
When Mari saw the ruby, she froze, her expression darkening. Sven peered into the depths of the gem and saw someone or something looking back at him.