Sherry had one big brother.

She looked up to him because he was kind, strong, and very responsible.

He was two years older than her, and she was very happy to have such a dependable brother.

"Don't worry. I promise to return safely from my First Wandering."

Those were the words he told Sherry and his parents before he left.

More than two years since his promise.

Until now, they were still clinging to the hope that he was still alive, and every Night of the Fireflies, they would send Flying Lanterns for him, hoping that it would reach him.

Perhaps due to a moment of weakness when she was feeling down during their journey in the Fractured Heaven, Sherry had opened up to Zion and told him about her brother and her worry that he might have already perished in Solterra.

That night, Thirteen didn't say anything to her and simply held her as she cried herself to sleep.

When she opened her eyes the next day, Thirteen was no longer inside their wagon, which made her feel anxious.

Zion reminded her of her brother. Like the latter, the young man was kind, strong, responsible, and very dependable.

Both of them were of the same age, but she always felt that the teenage boy was very mature for his age.

Fortunately, before Sherry suffered from an anxiety attack, Thirteen entered the wagon, carrying a bowl of food for her.

Sherry, who was feeling anxious at that time, threw herself at Zion and hugged him tightly, causing him to almost spill the food on the bowl he had brought with him.

That was one of Sherry's most embarrassing moments during her First Wandering in Solterra.

Perhaps it was also due to that incident that Thirteen paid extra close attention to her, always making sure that she was safe and well-protected at all times.

Back then, she immediately apologized to him as soon as she regained her composure. However, the teenage boy told her something that made her body tremble subconsciously.

"Your brother didn't break his promise to you. Even now, he's doing his best to return home so that he can be together with you and your family."

Sherry didn't know if Zion only said those words to give her hope.

But for some reason, his words carried a tinge of confidence as if he truly knew that her brother was alive somewhere in Solterra.

"It's that dream again," Sherry muttered as she looked at the unfamiliar ceiling above her head.

That scene of her being held by the teenage boy and being told that her brother was still alive was one of her most dearest memories.

And whenever she felt lonely, she would dream of that scene from time to time, giving her hope.

The young lady then propped herself from the bed and glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.

It was two in the morning, and the sky outside of the window was still dark.

Looking at her empty room, Sherry couldn't help but feel lonely.

Because of this, she picked up her pillow and left her room, intending to head to the room beside hers.

'I hope it's not locked,' Sherry thought as she turned the knob of the door, hoping that it would open for her.

Fortunately, the door clicked open, making her sigh in relief.

Thirteen had stopped locking the door of his room at night, not wanting any extra disruption from Erica or Sherry, who often snuck onto his bed at night.

At first, he still locked his room, but they would just knock, and knock, and knock some more.

Tiona was a light sleeper, and she would always open the door for them, for she knew that Erica and Sherry would never harm her Master.

It happened so often that the Black Snake asked her Master to no longer lock the door, so she wouldn't have to open it almost every night.

When Sherry entered the room, she found the young man sleeping peacefully on the bed.

Deep inside, she was feeling very grateful that Erica wasn't around.

The Sorceress had already developed a habit of sneaking onto Thirteen's bed at night, and the teenage boy would always end up burying his head on her chest and suckling her like a baby.

It was more like a muscle memory by now, and it was Erica's fault for not stopping Thirteen's subconscious habit in its early stages.

But for some reason, Zion had never done the same to Sherry.

Instead, he would just hug her and wrap her in a protective embrace as if making sure that she was safe from harm.

And just like that, Sherry laid down on Thirteen's bed, facing him.

She then hugged him tight, and soon, he reacted and hugged her back. Even subconsciously kissing her head as if he had been trained to do so.

Feeling his warmth and protective embrace, Sherry felt safe and once again fell asleep in his arms.

An hour before Sherry visited Thirteen's room…

"This storage ring has five months' worth of food and water," Thirteen said. "It also has a few clothes in it. The weapon I gave you seems to still be in good shape, but I included three more swords in the storage ring as backup in case of emergencies.

"I also bought soap and shampoo for you to use. There are also three packs of razors that you can use to shave. This time, I didn't forget to bring you a mirror. But since it might break, I brought four of them.

"Don't worry. I also brought magazines that you can read whenever you have free time. I even gave you a bonus service by adding gravure magazines of your favorite idols…"

"Hold up brother!" a handsome young man with shoulder-length blonde hair stopped the teenage boy from talking. "I didn't ask you to bring me this stuff!"

Thirteen looked at the young man with a smile.

"You've been here in Solterra for two years already, so I'm sure that you don't have time to do THAT. Since that's the case, I thought you might need something to help you relieve yourself."

The young man's face reddened a bit because although what the teenage boy was saying was the truth, he still found it embarrassing to talk about such things, especially with another boy!

Seeing his embarrassed expression, Thirteen no longer said anything and glanced at the horde of Rank 1 and Rank 2 Monsters, which was blocking the young man's path from crossing over to the next mountain range.

According to the teenage boy's calculation, the young man would still need two to three months to reach the nearest human kingdom.

If he succeeded, he would be able to complete the survival mission that the God of Wanderers had given him.

Suddenly, a Magma Bal-Boa surfaced from the ground and summoned a horde of monsters that started to massacre the Low-Ranking Monsters blocking the young man's path.

Thirteen looked at the massacre taking place in the distance for a few moments before shifting his attention back to the young man, who had a grateful expression on his face.

"Prioritize your safety, and don't rush your journey," Thirteen stated. "Your family has still not given up on you, so make sure that you complete your mission no matter what."

The young man didn't reply right away. Instead, he looked at the teenage boy in front of him with a solemn look on his face.

"I know that you're already tired of me asking this question, but you still haven't given me a proper answer," the young man said. "I'll ask you again. Why are you helping me? What are you after?"

Thirteen held the young man's gaze for nearly a minute before giving his reply.

"There's this girl who's the same age as me, doing her best to act strong on the surface," Thirteen answered. "But on rare occasions, she would show a moment of weakness and break down, crying in a place where no one would see her.

"This girl's circumstances aren't unique to her. Many brothers, sisters, fathers, and mothers would always wait for their family members to return from their long wandering. Me helping you is the same as helping those people who wish to reunite with their loved ones sooner.

"Of course, I won't deny that I am helping you because the person I am talking about is very dear to me. So, for her sake, you must return home safely and tell her personally that you have kept your promise."

The young man bit his lip as he struggled for words to say. In the end, he bowed to Thirteen in gratitude.

"Are you Sherry's friend?" the young man asked.

"No," Thirteen replied. "I'm her nanny."

The young man looked at Thirteen in disbelief before laughing out loud.

"A nanny? It seems that my good sister has found a good nanny." The young man chuckled. "Please tell her that I'll see her soon."

"I don't want to," Thirteen replied as a purple portal appeared behind his back. "Tell her that yourself."

The teenage boy then entered the portal without a second glance, leaving the young man behind with a smile on his face.

"Time to continue my wandering," the young man muttered as he walked forward.

His path was now a bloody mess, with countless dead monsters everywhere.

Even so, for the sake of the person who had paved a bloody road for his return, he would do his best to survive so that, one day, he would see his beloved sister, who had almost stopped believing in the promise that the two of them shared more than two years ago.