Chapter 658: The Road Home

Hajin sat on the clinic cot while Vella checked his channels and counted the days he still owed to recovery.

Fragrant steam drifted from a ceramic teapot on the side table, filling the room with the earthy aroma of steeped restorative herbs.

Hajin sat on the edge of the bed, slowly fastening the buttons of his clean traveling coat.

As he reached for his belt, he flexed his spiritual core, feeling the faint, dormant hum of his seventh physical Ring.

Before the golden hoop could fully ignite around his wrist, a wooden ladle slapped sharply against the back of his hand.

"Stop that right now, young man!" Vella scolded, planting her hands on her hips with a fierce, motherly glare.

"Your meridians are cracked like dry riverbeds, and you want to test a sixteen-fold multiplier?"

"I was only checking the baseline resonance," he muttered, rubbing the stinging redness on his knuckles.

"You will check nothing until next week," she replied firmly, handing him a bowl of steaming medicine.

"Your internal conduits sustained immense stress during that final strike, and healing takes real time."

"Drink every drop of this, or I will have Loccy sit on you while I pour it down your throat."

"I am drinking, I am drinking," he said hastily, gulping down the bitter concoction with a resigned grimace.

She took the empty bowl, inspecting his pulse with a glowing fingertip pressed against his wrist.

"Better," she acknowledged, nodding in mild approval. "Now keep your feet on the floor and do not sprint down any stairs."

Down in the town square, the sound of cheering crowds and clinking tankards drifted through the open windows.

The returning expedition reached the gates at midday, and the citizens of the Sixth were celebrating their defenders by name.

From the second-floor balcony, Juna looked down with a bright smile as her supply-line escorts were hoisted onto the shoulders of grateful merchants.

Near the central fountain, three young apprentices held up a detailed parchment schematic of the twin ignition blades, drawing applause from visiting engineers.

Ferra stood beside them with her arms crossed, loudly correcting an old blacksmith who misidentified the temper temperature.

"Are you ready to head down?" Nyra asked, stepping into the clinic room carrying two travel bags.

"Let us take the quiet lane behind the brewery," he suggested, standing up with a slight wince from his bruised ribs.

"Good choice," she agreed, smiling softly as she adjusted her cloak. "The parade looks fun, but I just want hot soup and a quiet bench."

They walked side by side down the shaded gravel alleyway, enjoying the peaceful afternoon warmth without drawing a curious crowd.

"The vegetable patches behind our kitchen survived the frosts," she remarked, pointing toward the garden walls.

"We will have fresh autumn squash and sweet leeks for dinner tonight."

"That sounds ten times better than dry travel rations," he laughed softly, enjoying the crisp mountain air.

By the time they reached the guild residence courtyard, Marrick was waiting by the front steps with a sealed parchment folio.

"Welcome home, Lord Hajin," Marrick said, bowing respectfully with a stack of municipal reports under his arm.

"Did the city survive our absence?" Hajin asked, taking a seat on the veranda bench.

"Better than expected," the steward replied, pulling out an ornate wax-sealed envelope with a gold guild crest.

"This demonstration notice from the Grand Guild Council arrived months ago, deferred while the viaduct campaign raged."

"They still want to witness your output firsthand before confirming your high-tier license."

Hajin inspected the formal seal, feeling the lingering ache in his spiritual channels whenever he channeled mana.

"Tell them we accept the summons," he said, handing the envelope back to Marrick.

"Set the demonstration date for six weeks from today."

"Six weeks?" Marrick asked, raising an eyebrow in mild surprise. "Are you sure you do not want an earlier date to display the seventh Ring?"

"I want to show them what seven Rings can actually achieve when fully healed, not limp through an exhibition."

"Understood, sir... I will draft the formal reply immediately," Marrick nodded, tucking the missive into his satchel.

That evening, the entire household gathered in the great dining hall around a massive feast of roast mutton, spiced potatoes, and berry tarts.

Hajin tried to prop a sheaf of supply invoices against his water jug, attempting to review warehouse requisitions from his chair.

"Put those papers away!" Didi ordered, snatching the record straight from his hands with a stern pout.

"You promised Nyra a full week of rest!"

"I am just reading numbers... reading does not strain soul pathways!" he protested, reaching for the record.

"No working at the dinner table!" Rumi declared, kicking his leg under the tablecloth before grabbing a buttered roll.

"Hey, who stole the velvet cushion from my reading chair?" Nari demanded, glaring across the table at Loccy.

Loccy blinked innocently, her small frame comfortably tucked into the corner sofa atop three plush velvet cushions.

"These cushions were abandoned in the hallway," she insisted, taking another bite of a honey pastry.

"They were on my chair five minutes ago!" Nari laughed, throwing a bread crust at her chest.

"If you two keep throwing bread, I am confiscating the berry tart!" Ferra warned from the kitchen counter.

"You would not dare!" Rumi gasped, placing her hands protectively over the dessert platter.

"Try me, shadow girl... I forged the pie tin, so I own the crust!"

"I think I prefer monster sieges to mealtime disputes," Hajin teased with a grin.

"Do not complain, summoner," Juna said, passing him a bowl of honeyed apples. "You earned this peace."

The hall erupted in lively banter and laughter as the companions argued playfully over seats, pillows, and dessert portions.

The fragrant warmth of the hearth pushed back the chill of the evening, wrapping the dining hall in comfortable domestic peace.

Hajin leaned back in his chair with a relaxed smile, savoring the rare taste of everyday life after weeks of continuous warfare.

High above the tranquil town, the celestial broadcast interface lit up with a warm cascade of celebratory superchats.

[ Seoul_Tactician: "They are home! Someone set out another place at the table for them!" ]

[ StarlightScholar: "Vella smacking his hand with a wooden ladle is pure comedy gold! Even a 7-Ring god gets scolded by the doctor!" ]

[ IronVanguard: "Six weeks for the Guild demonstration is the smartest move! Heal the meridians first, then flex with 16x output!" ]

[ HearthKeeper: "Seeing all of them squabbling over cushions at the dinner table brings so much joy to my heart!" ]

[ ShadowMage44: "Loccy hoarding the pillows like a dragon on a treasure hoard! Classic Loccy!" ]

[ TacticalNerd: "Notice how he chose the quiet alley with Nyra instead of floating above the crowd? Hajin’s humility is top tier!" ]

[ NewViewer_02: "From epic god-slaying to stealing couch pillows... this stream has the best slice-of-life balance ever!" ]

[ CringeSlayer91: "Vella threatening to have Loccy sit on him had me rolling! Nobody messes with clinic rules!" ]

Hajin took a sip of berry cider, listening to his companions argue about tomorrow’s breakfast menu.

"Put the spare blankets near the door," Vella reminded him. "You are resting here, even if somebody knocks at midnight."

The war for the viaduct was behind them, his recovery was officially underway, and home felt better than ever.