9 The Armored, the Hooded and the Children

[Bellona POV]

"What happened next, papa?"

I asked father after listening to the suspenseful event that he had went through. Honestly, I didn't expect for the hooded stranger's prophecy were actually came true.

"Well, after the crash, your papa had encountered two people"

"Who are they, papa?"

"The armored swordsman and the hooded fellow"

Grandfather then answered my question on father's behalf.

I see, so these were the two main actors of this part of the story. I need more context.

"Papa, please tell me more"

I prompted father to continue the story and he complied as he starts narrating.

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[Philip POV]

"Urgh, my head. Where am I?"

I woke up from being unconscious and I cautiously look around my surroundings. From what I can see, the horse carriage that I used was destroyed into pieces. The coachman and his horse were laying down near the wreckage, presumably dead as far as I can tell.

"How could this happen?"

Confused on what is happening, I scour the entire destroyed carriage and found my father half-buried under the wreckage.

"Father"

I subconsciously yelled as I rush towards father and tried my best to remove the wooden debris to save him.

While I am busy taking out the wooden planks, I heard the sounds of heavy footsteps and metal clanking right behind me.

I slowly turn around and saw an ominous person clad in dark colored armor.

Wielding a large sword on their left hand and a shield on their right, the armored swordsman stared at me with their glowing red eyes that peeks through the gaps of their helmet.

"W-who are you?"

"....."

I anxiously asked the swordsman to identify themself. However, they didn't answer my question and just kept staring at me in utter silence.

Few moments later, the armored swordsman then raise their sword up in the air and was preparing to strike me down.

Seeing that, I back away from the person. However, I trip and fell down to the ground, making me look up to see their menacing stare.

What did I do to deserve this?

*Whoosh*

The armored person swings down their sword, making me immediately closed my eyes in preparation for my death.

'I'm sorry, Bellona. Papa is not coming home tonight'

*Clang*

However, instead of death awaits me, the sound of metal clashing echoes within my ears. I slowly open my eyes and saw another person wearing a hooded robe was standing right in front of me.

"Phew, that was a close call"

The hooded person seems to be relieved that they came just in time, suggesting that they are here to save me.

Then I noticed the pattern of the robe, it shares resemblance to the one who I talked to at the capital several moments ago.

"It is you! You are that hooded fellow from earlier, aren't you?"

"No time to explain. Get lord Sauros and run away from here"

The hooded fellow promptly instructed me as they proceed to distract the armored swordsman for me. Complying to the command, I quickly get back on removing the debris to get father from under wreckage.

While I'm busy doing my part, I got a little curious and took a peek behind me to check on what's going on.

*clang* *clang* *clang*

There, I got to witness the intense sword battle between the armored swordsman and the hooded fellow. The two sword-user clashed their blades, exchanging blows in the midst of the luminous night.

Swinging their weapons at each other, parrying every blow they deliver and evading heavy attacks they counter. Both of them seems to display high level of proficiency with the blade, making them dangerous to deal with.

"Incredible…" I was in awe while seeing them fight.

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Returning to the task at hand, I continue on taking the broken planks away until I can get to father. Plank by plank, I eventually able to pull him out of the wreckage.

"Father, wake up. Can you hear me?"

I tried to wake up father while gently shaking his shoulder. He groans and winced as he slowly regains his consciousness back.

"Urgh, what happened? Where am I?"

Confused yet annoyed, father grimaces as he pulls himself together while questioning me about the situation.

"Father, you are alright?"

"Of course, I am, you fool. Now explain to me what is happening"

"I'm sorry, father. We need to go while we still can"

"What are you blabbering abou…."

*clang* *clang* *clang*

Before father could finished his sentence, he was stunned when he saw the broken horse carriage and the two people clashing their swords on the distance. He stayed like that for several seconds before taking a deep breath and….

"WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS?!!"

Father thunderously yells as his voice echoes throughout the grassy plains. The two people on the background stops fighting and looks at father's direction.

"Father…. Let's back away nice and slowly"

"Don't talk nonsense! Hey, you two! Explain yourselves!"

**facepalm**

Instead of following my lead, my father blindly yells at the two sword users, ordering them to explain themselves. This made me facepalm myself out of disappointment. Surprisingly, the hooded fellow also facepalmed at the same time as me.

"Heh…hehe…hehehe…HAHAHAHA!!"

All of a sudden, the armored swordsman starts laughing maniacally. Their laughter echoes eerily in the air, making an unsettling atmosphere.

"What's so funny? I am ordering you to explain yourself!"

Father step forward and kept on demanding the armored swordsman who was currently laughing. However, the swordsman suddenly switches their mood and stopped laughing. The swordsman looks directly at father and then…

*Boom*

Kicking off so much dirt from the ground, the armored swordsman dashes towards father. Readying the sword at their hand, the swords man was about to strike father.

"Father, get away from there!"

"DIE!"

"!!"

"[Wood Bind]"

As the armored swordsman's sword swings at father, the hooded fellow chanted a magic spell and tree branches then burst out of the ground, restraining the armored swordsman's limb.

"There, I restrained the swordsman. Now, please leave!"

"Father, let's leave while we still can"

"R-right"

Following the hooded fellow's order, father and I ran away from them. We did not look back and continued sprinting our way towards the citadel.

I hope that I can thank that fellow, someday.

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While on our way back home, we saw a bunch of destroyed horse carriage scattered all over the road. All of them were blown to pieces and there many casualties laying down the floor. Perhaps these were also caused by the armored swordsman's attacks.

"What the heck happened here?"

"I'm not sure, but I guess I have to check in order to find out"

Without a second thought, I decided to run towards the carriages and check all of the wreckages.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

"I'm looking for survivors, father"

I didn't choose to save people just because I empathize them, I did it because of the prophecy that the hooded fellow told me earlier. I want to see if I can save any children in here just as foretold,

With my hopes were up, I scour each destroyed carriage and surprisingly, I see four small children huddled together in one spot within the wreckage. There were three boys and one girl, and all of which were alive and unconscious.

"Well, did you find something?"

"There are children here, father. Help me carry them"

"What? That's an odd coincidence"

Father helped me pick the children up and we carried each two in our arms. Once we rescued the children, we continued heading towards the citadel.

"Are you sure following some prophecy is a very good idea?"

"I don't know, but something about the words of that hooded fellow hold some significance to it"

"I guess so"

Whoever this hooded fellow is and what's their main objective was, it's a good thing they were in our side and even saved our lives from an ominous foe. Their actions are just and heroic yet quite mysterious to say the least.

As for that armored swordsman, I do not know what this person's deal was and why they want to kill us. But I could only assume that they were assassin hired by someone.

It's unsettling to think that someone was after my father's life and mine in this kind of timing. I have to get to the bottom this if I have the time to investigate this matter.

That being said, we continue to carry the children back to the citadel and recover from our injuries.

Soon, we can see the citadel on the distance, so we quicken our pace on the road. However, as we were slowly closing in to our destination, a mysterious silhouette loom over us.

I looked up saw something falling towards our direction. It's the armored swordsman again and they're plunging their sword downwards heading towards father.

"Father, watch out! Above you!"

"Huh?!"

"Die, Boreas"

"!!"

*BOOM*

We tried to dodge the swordsman's attack but the impact of the plunge attack knocks us back really hard. I tried my best to keep the rescued children safe while I roughly fell to the ground.

*cough* *cough*

Recovering from the sudden attack, I check to make sure the children I am holding were still safe.

"Alright, they're safe. How about father then"

After confirming the safety of the children, I moved my attention to where father was.

However, what I saw will haunt me for the rest of my life. I saw the armored swordsman holding father by the neck and the sword on their hand was ready strike him down.

"FATHER!!"