Serpang, the Missing, and the Guardian
...I thought we had built a strong bond.
But for some reason, Toto showed up at the training ground alone.
I guess people really don't change that easily.
Where's Serpang? Is she still sleeping?
Toto shook his head and tugged on my pants.
Ah! Captain!
You're late! I've been waiting forever!
Hmm? Are you here looking for your child?
Yes, thank you for keeping her safe.
...Huh?
Captain, I think you're mistaken.
I'm not the lost child here!
I was just acting as a temporary guardian!
I've been taking care of this lost child, see?
Serpang...
Ah, sorry. Did I wake you?
How long do I have to wait...?
Is mommy really coming?
What if... she abandoned me...?
Don't say that!
*Gasp...!*
I know. I understand how scared you must be.
But hey...
Have you heard of the Eastern Continent?
The Eastern Continent...? No... Why?
Hehe, over there they have creatures called Mystics.
Like lions that breathe fire, or hawks covered in steel...
But the most amazing of them all is the phoenix!
Phoenix...?!
Its wings cover the skies! With one flap, it can fly for thousands of miles!
Whoa!!
That phoenix made a promise!
That your mom will definitely come find you!
I want to see the phoenix too! Where is it?
Uh... well, you see...
Ta-da! This is the phoenix!
...Coo?
Oh... So that's... the phoenix...
...
I wanna see mommy...
...
Serpang and Toto did everything they could to show her how majestic the phoenix was.
Toto stood upside down on his wings, did tap dances with his avian feet, pulled out snacks from his feathers...
None of it was very majestic, but she seemed to enjoy it anyway.
A few hours later, her mother arrived at the shelter.
She thanked Serpang over and over and tried to offer a reward, but Serpang just asked her to be careful from now on.
Whew... I am beat!
Coo...
Hard work from both of you.
Eh, it was the least we could do.
We couldn't just ignore a crying child, right?
But... the sun has already set.
What about training?
Training is to help one become a true Savior.
And today, Serpang undoubtedly was an excellent Savior.
So... I told her we'd count what she did today as training.
Really?!
Coo!
Then, no make-up session?
No, that's a separate issue.
Aww...! Don't be petty!
I'll buy you orange juice instead.
I guess that'll do.
Coo!
I watched Serpang and Toto walk on ahead.
When did they grow so much? They seemed to be a lot taller than when we first met.