Legends of Runeterra

'Most likely a Solari warrior.'

Looking at the familiar gun and shield, Iula turned around to look at Hannie and little Thomas who were hiding at the door.

"Hanni, take your brother to the basement first!"

"But mother..."

"Mom, you..."

"Be obedient and go!"

Iula's face turned serious, and the brother and sister turned around and left obediently.

“Crack~!”

After lifting the floor in the room, the brother and sister went into the basement.

After tidying up the blanket used to cover himself, Iula returned to the door, opened it and walked out.

"your good friend!"

Iula stared at the man approaching and shouted loudly in the howling cold wind.

"May the sun's rays illuminate you, and may you have overcome all the difficulties along the way!"

The voice was muffled by the howling cold wind, and Iula was not sure whether the other party could hear her clearly in this situation. She just watched the other party not stop walking and chose to continue speaking.

“I’m sorry, I can only provide you with food and tea, but this room no longer welcomes any warriors, it only belongs to me and my husband Paras!

Perhaps you have heard of him, Pylas of Lahorak, who was a famous warrior of the Solari forty years ago!"

Perhaps he had really heard of the name "Palas", the warrior who was moving forward in Iula's sight paused.

However, before she could breathe a sigh of relief, the other party continued to move forward.

"Ah!"

His face turned cold, Iula suppressed his inner nervousness, and was about to turn around and go into the house to take out the sword of Pallas.

"Iula, it's me."

An extremely familiar voice sounded in his ears, and Iula turned his head suddenly.

At some point, the figure holding a spear and a huge shield had arrived at the open space at the door.

"..."

Pursing his lips tightly, Iula stared at the warrior standing in the open space.

Seeing that Iula didn't speak for a long time, the warrior slowly took off the dark golden helmet on his head.

"......"

"Iula..."

Atreus shouted in a dry voice, and then just stared at his good friend.

Compared to the last time we met, the traces of time and life on Iula's face are now more obvious.

The once jet-black hair is now mixed with noticeable gray.

It was as if in an instant, his good friend had aged to this extent, and an inexplicable sadness emerged in Atreus' heart.

After a while.

"Whoo~~!"

Exhaling a long breath of white mist, Iula's tense body gradually relaxed.

"come in."

After saying this, Iula turned and walked towards the door.

Seeing this, Atreus hesitated for a moment, but finally followed him in.

Even outside the door he could sense the two young life forces in the house, but strangely enough, he did not detect the presence of an adult male.

"Close the door. The fire in the fireplace is about to be blown out."

"Oh well."

"Bang~!"

The door, which seemed heavy due to the constant cold wind, was easily closed by Atreus.

Looking at Atreus, who was standing stupidly at the door with a spear and a huge shield in hand, Iura rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"This is not a battlefield. Put your weapons over there."

"Uh...I..."

"Hurry up and move. You're not that old yet, are you?"

Seeing that Atreus was clearly over sixty years old but still looked like a strong man, Iura thought of her husband who was still under the snow on Mount Targon. She felt a sudden pain in her heart and couldn't help but say something sarcastic to him.

"..."

Atreus moved his mouth, but no words came out.

The warrior who would never surrender even to a giant god lowered his head involuntarily at this moment, avoiding Iula's sight.

"..."

Seeing this, Iula, who regretted what he said the moment he said it, didn't know how to start again.

So she stepped on the ground three times rhythmically as agreed, then lifted the carpet and opened the floor.

"Mother!"

"mom!"

Two figures, one big and one small, threw themselves into Iula's arms and hugged her tightly.

"Don't worry kids, I'm fine."

"Mom, who is this uncle!?"

The jumpy little Tomis left Iula's arms and looked curiously at Atreus who was standing at the door.

"His name is Atreus, and he's... your father and my friend!"

"Hello Uncle Atreus!"

"Uncle, you are so tall and strong. I wish I could be like you when I grow up!"

Hanny greeted politely, but little Thomas ran up to Atreus, tilted his head and looked at his tall and strong figure with longing.

"Haha~! Eat well and listen to your mother, then you can grow up to be as strong as me."

"Really, uncle?"

"Of course!"

"Okay, I will definitely do it!"

"Okay, it's time to make dinner, Atreus, please help me look after little Tommys."

"Ok."

"Hanni, help me light the fire."

"Okay mother."

After a busy period, the four of them finished a dinner that was not very sumptuous but sufficient in quantity.

As Iula cleaned up the dishes, little Thomas, who had been chasing Atreus and asking all kinds of questions, began to nod his head little by little.

After settling the two children, Iula gently closed the door and came to the room that served as both a dining room and a living room.

At this moment, Atreus was sitting by the fireplace, staring blankly at the long sword lying horizontally above the fireplace.

"Click~!"

"Have a drink. This is the 'Midu' that was just brewed this year."

"Thank you."

Atreus picked up the wine glass and drank it in one gulp.

The familiar smell made his vision dazed, as if he saw the days when he trained and fought with Paras.

"Hoo~!"

"How about it?"

"tastes good."

"Ah."

After the brief conversation, there was a long silence.

Atreus rubbed the calluses on his palm with his index finger, looked at the dancing flames in the fireplace, and kept an eye on Iula beside him.

"Those two little guys... aren't they your children?"

"Hahaha~!"

Iula covered her mouth and let out an uncontrollable laugh, until the corners of her wrinkled eyes sparkled in the firelight.

"Are you serious? Ever since we met, I could never tell if you were joking or not."

"I...I didn't..."

"Well, no, they are not my children, Hanny and Tangtang, they are orphans I adopted.

I know you are now physically ageless, but Atreus, I am sixty-four years old..."

As Iula spoke, she wiped her eyes and looked at Atreus beside her, but her friend's appearance made her stunned involuntarily.

"I'm...I'm sorry...I..."

With one hand covering his cheek, Atreus gave Iula the apology she had waited so many years to hear.