The Whispering Grove was not a place of monsters. It was a place of mirrors. The deeper he walked, the more he saw his own reflection in the gnarled bark, in the still pools of rainwater. He saw the boy he had been—proud, impatient, desperate for a fight. He saw the tantrums. The times he had mistaken violence for strength.
Kaito never picked up the wooden sword again. He became the village elder. He planted trees. He listened more than he spoke. shounen ga otona leer
What do you mean?
The wooden sword felt heavier than usual in Kaito’s hand. The Whispering Grove was not a place of monsters
“Put down the sword. Let’s go for a walk in the woods instead.” shounen ga otona leer
You brought no steel, little warrior.