SMALL STEPS
The royal garden was bustling with red roses that the maids have personally planted just to see their little prince happy playing with it.
There are two maids that guards Luke and watch him all day. For a normal five year old child, it is nothing. But, Luke has a secret that he will never tell to anyone.
'Why am I enjoying these?! Ever since I came to this world, my old self had never returned to me.', Luke thought, while happily playing with the roses, passing by a straight lane with open arms to feel them.
"Wait Luke, don't run too fast!"
A cute girl with black hair and a blue ribbon tied on her hair quickly followed Luke. She wears a white dress with blue laces in the end, swaying as she ran.
"Haha! You're just too slow, Mizu! Run faster or else Brother Jed will tag you, too!"
The two children are the only ones in the royal garden, except for the two maids watching them with satisfied eyes. They are delighted to see Luke playing with their plants.
"Mizu, come over here, quick! I think I saw a scarf, swaying in that corridor."
Luke his behind a pillar and peeked at the corridor with Mizu underneath him. They are the only two left to be tagged.
'Hehe, no one can beat a mind of an expert in hiding. You're a little too early to beat me in mind games!', Luke thought.
Naturally, no child can beat Luke's intellect as he retained his memories from his previous life. He was an assassin that mastered infiltrating, sabotaging, and imposing.
He doesn't know why, but, even though Luke had his memories from his past life, his attitude seemed to be that of a child.
Luke can't control his emotions even though his mind is matured to be his playmates' parents but, he didn't mind being swayed by his emotions anymore. He had many regrets in his last life that he didn't have the time to do, and being a child was one of them.
Luke had no name in his past life, as his only purpose was to kill from the day he was taken to the training shelter that he later called 'Hive'. But that was the past now and Luke has a more important mission to do; survive the game of tag with Mizu.
Feelings and emotions were the things Luke didn't have in his past life, but things are different now since he's in his childish body. The excitement and the happiness is overwhelming for Luke.
"Let's go, Mizu. Keep your head down, in case they entered from the garden, they won't see our heads.", Luke whispered to Mizu.
But she never replied and so Luke took a glance to see her behind him, looking at the parallel side of the corridor they were watching. There, they saw a kid with chestnut spiky hair with a scarf on his neck smiling at them.
Luke immediately grabbed Mizu by the hand and turned back towards the garden where they came from.
"Run! Brother Jed is here!"
Luke, holding Mizu's hand ran quickly towards the arched branches of roses, the entrance to the royal garden.
"You two can't escape us, Luke! We will eventually tag you both!"
Jed shouted behind their backs and also started running.
"Luke, leave me! I'm just a baggage for you!", Mizu cried out.
"No way! I'm not leaving you! Just keep running! I promise you, we will win!"
Luke turned left while Mizu was still behind him, keeping up with his pace.
'Why does it have to be that emotional?! I never meant to say it like that.', Luke thought with a frustrated face, he really can't control his emotions.
They run towards the training yard to see the soldiers running around and being shouted by Adam, the father of Luke's cousin, Earl.
Looking back, Mizu saw Jed slowing his pace when he heard the voice of the commander. He has no time to be scolded right now, so he dashed back towards the right hallway to run around the yard.
"Luke, Brother Jed run around the yard! We can cut through there by running straight!", Mizu said, her determination rose when she saw Jed's flustered face.
"Okay, but I'll get the commander's permission first."
Luke and Mizu head towards Adam, basking in the sun with his soldiers. There's no one other than him standing behind the wall of the yard so, it looked safe to get close.
"What are these kids doing here?", one soldier said, looking at them approaching the commander.
"Hey kids! Go home to your mothers! Can't you see this is the soldiers' training yard?!", the other soldier walked towards them with a punky demeanor to scare them. Looking closely, Luke saw a little scale under this guy's chin and guessed he was new here.
Mizu was scared and hid behind Luke. Luke just sighed and continued walking towards the commander that was also approaching the scene.
Five soldiers, bullying to kids inside the royal castle, that was clearly a scene to look at. Even the other soldiers in the training yard were stealing a glance on what's happening.
Seeing that the boy in front of him wasn't even scared and even looked disappointed, the punky soldier got irritated and grabbed Luke's left shoulder.
"Hey! Where are you going, huh?! Look at me, boy!"
It would've hurt if Luke's body was from an ordinary five years old but, it only made him angry.
Mizu gasped in shock to see Luke being pulled by the arm.
"Luke!", she shouted.
'God, how I miss this!', Luke thought, smiling in excitement.
He then turned sideways and used his right arm to shove the soldier's hand away then jumped up to knee his groin area.
"Kuhaa!", the soldier shouted in pain.
'Ooh!', the four soldiers with him reacted and then backed away from the harmful kid.
Luke saw the soldier while trembling in pain as he brushed his left shoulder.
"How dare you touch me?"
"Luke, are you hurt?!"
Mizu looked at him with worried eyes, but Luke patted her by the head to calm her down.
"I'm okay, don't worry."
The two children left the other four soldiers in awe then met with Adam.
"My prince! What can I do for you here?", Adam kneeled when he Luke.
"Hey, Commander. We were just passing by towards the yard. I didn't mean to cause any commotions with your soldiers, I apologize."
Seeing Luke apologizing, Adam felt ashamed for his unsatisfactory performance as a commander then looked around to see the newbies still standing. Even more anger formed inside Adam.
"What the are you looking at, you green horns?! Kneel before the Prince! Now!!", Adam furiously ordered the soldiers while lowering his head.
"I'm sorry for the attitude they have given, my prince. They are newbies that was recruited recently. This is their first time here and haven't been drilled. I'll make sure to discipline then thoroughly from now on."
The soldiers kneeled while trembling in fear. They could've been executed for what they're subordinates done.
"It's okay, Commander. I know it's tough to train them in their early recruitment. It seems like they're not from here, though. That guy has scaly chin."
Luke pointed the soldier behind him, still trembling in fear and pain. It seems like the pain will be doubled after this.
"No, it was just rashes, my prince. I will order him to out ointment in it after this. Please, don't mind it."
Adam waved his hands, denying what looked said. Luke must never know about the different demonic races too early, that's the queen's orders.
"It was green, though. Wouldn't rashes look red?", Luke teased Adam more.
"Luke, I see big brother!", Mizu repeatedly patted Luce on the back while pointing at Feng running walking towards them slowly.
"Crumbs! Ah, we will go now, Commander. Have a nice day!"
Luke and Mizu sprinted away from the training yard.
Thankful that he doesn't have to answer more of the Prince's suspicions, Adam sighed in relief then directed his gaze to the soldier that was kneed on the groin by Luke.
"Take that undisciplined soldier back to the camp, make him clean the stables after he circulated his blood!"
"Yes, sir!"
The soldiers quickly carried the soldier to the infirmary.
'Taking down a soldier in one hit? Even if he was a child, Prince Luke's power is exceptional. It'll definitely put him at the best seeds position.', Adam thought, proudly thinking of his son, Earl.
Adam then moved towards the shades, looking down, he saw the small footprints of the two kids that left.
"Small steps... How cute.", Adam said.