During the weeks that were left before Philip could begin his training again were spent in a very orderly fashion. He got up every morning and ate breakfast with Barney and the twins. Then he helped Barney harvest the grains they planted in spring – as it was farming day, which, for the record, wasn't one but rather a couple of days since they had to pick everything by hand which took a long time. As a result, the little boy became closer with Barney and discovered the man to not be as timid as people made him out to be. He had a few courageous traits hidden beneath his kind and gentle exterior, as well as a few dangerous ideas about farming, how one could increase the efficiency of harvesting and ploughing. One of Barney's ideas was to use a creature called 'ox' and tie a sickle or customised, large blade to its back. And as it walked forward, it would automatically harvest all the protruding grain without much effort from their side.

It was almost winter when Philip's body was completely healed. He came down to the training field and swung his arm a few times. It was still rusty from being out of work for a few weeks, but other than that, he felt very good. In fact, the little boy, though he hadn't been training for a while, actually felt stronger than before– which was quite strange.

"Good morning, Sir Clave," said Philip. "I'm all better now, said miss brent."

"Great, then we can finally get started again," said Instructor Clave with a smile. "How do you feel? Do you want to have some lighter training today and start the normal routine tomorrow, or do you want to directly begin with pushing past the ten minutes boundary?"

"I actually want to start directly," said Philip. "if that's okay with you."

"Sure, just don't push yourself too hard," said Instructor Clave. "Remember what I said to you a few weeks ago. There's a fine line between pushing moderately and trespassing."

"I understand, Sir Clave," said Philip. "I will not go beyond where my abilities stretch."

"Great, let's get started then. You know what to do."

Philip went over to the mine and picked up the boulder. It was very heavy, but the little boy thought it was easier to carry it now than it was before. This feeling probably had something to do with how he, before doing anything, felt as if he had become stronger.

"Begin," Instructor Clave commanded, his arms folded as he watched the little boy whose height wasn't even half of Instructor Clave's own, carry a boulder that was double the boy's weight. As he watched thoroughly, he thought himself to witness a more fluid form when Philip loaded the boulder onto his back. Was it Instructor Clave's eye playing a prank on him, or did the little boy load it onto his back with more ease than a few weeks ago?

"N-nine minutes!" said Instructor Clave and could barely believe it. "Dang, kid, you broke through while doing nothing. Are you a genius, or am I dreaming?"

Philip laughed from happiness. "I too felt something was different from before. As if my body have become stronger during the past weeks. Can it be an effect of meditation?"

"I don't think so," said instructor Clave. He furrowed his brows. "it would be possible for star warriors to improve their body condition slightly from meditation, have I heard, but for people without a star connection, that's unheard of – at least in the village."

"You said it's possible for star warriors?" asked Philip.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Well, you see, three weeks ago..." began Philip, explaining what happened that night.

"That," said Instructor Clave after hearing the story, his face stricken with shock. "I've never heard of anything like it! But it must mean something. Maybe this star who you met wants to recognise you, but since your mental and physical power was insufficient, it had to wait. I'm not too sure, but if I'm right, then you will surely become a star warrior one day! That I can guarantee!

"Really?" asked Philip, his eyes almost glowing. "But how do you know I'm not a star warrior now?"

"The recognition of a star brings a beam of light from the starry sky down to the recognised person, allowing for him or her to bathe in the pure essence of one's connected star and reforge one's mortal body to a body fitting for a star warrior. Did something like that happen to you?"

"No, then I'm not a star warrior yet. Because no light came down."

"Exactly," said Instructor Clave. "On the other hand, what you need now is time. Only time. Meditate as often as you can and train as hard as you can, and I can promise you that it won't be long until you are a star warrior!"

"And when you are a star warrior, you not only can leave the village in search for your mother, but you can also travel to the capital of Pristine and register yourself as a star warrior. If you donate even a sliver of the monthly stipend you will receive, you can drastically improve the state of our village and maybe allow for our children to go to a real school in Sun City. Currently, we don't have the funds, which is why we are forced to rely on Tutor Daniel, but when we do, we will send over some of the younger children to live on the school grounds, letting them learn everything from martial arts to the arts of the pen."

"Martial arts? What's that?"

"You don't know?" returned instructor Clave.

"No, I've never heard of it." said Philip.

"I see, well, if you want to become a star warrior, it's a must," said Instructor Clave. "Martial arts is the foundation of fighting. It uses stances and combinations of punches and kicks to employ the most of one's strength, speed and agility. You're only seven now, but in about a year and a half, when you're nine and will start school in the village, you will be taught the village's legacy martial art, also known as the Dancing Bear."

Philip nodded. He truly couldn't wait until he was nine years old.

The rest of the day progressed as those days prior to his injuries did. After five days, the little boy finally broke through ten minutes boundary. After that, they began a new training regime which consisted of different body exercises. Other than to train, Philip also spent his time meditating, especially during the breaks every hour. The instructor would arouse him from the state of no awareness and they would resume the practice.

And just like that, a year and a half went by in the blink of an eye.

After the hot summer in the south of Pristine, everyone was eagerly expecting autumn where the temperature would drop below twenty degrees, making everything a bit more tolerable. And when it came, even Philip was excited – mostly because he would finally be able to enrol in the village's school.

He was also finally a true member of his new family. Barney regarded him as his son and the twins regarded him as their little brother. He also began to regard them as his family. Although the memories of his mother and dead father had dimmed, the notion of rescuing his mother was still there, and wouldn't disappear until he had done so. And he also wondered, how his biological father had been like. He wondered if Barney and his father would have been friends if his father had been alive, and if not, he would have wished for them to be.

And then it came, just like that, at long last. The second day of autumn. The day Philip would start going to school.