Chapter 4: Bandit Attack

Cecil Leywin:

The next day we were ready to start the journey. Dad decided to go on this journey because the Twin Horns stopped by and were going to Xyrus, so we are going with them.

Following mom and dad, we them to the Twin Horns. They were already packing their stuff when we reached the inn where they were staying.

Mom and dad talked for a bit, catching up before he decided to introduce Arthur to them.

"Fellas, You already met Cel, so I want you guys to meet my oldest son Arthur! Go on, Art, introduce yourself."

I met them after Arthur awakened when they helped rebuild the house, but Arthur decided to stay in the inn we rented and read books.

Arthur gave a slight half-bow and introduced himself.

"Hello. My father has told me great things about his fellow Twin Horns members. Thank you for traveling with us to Xyrus."

"Hahaha... What is this? Such manners! Are you sure he's your son, Rey?"

Adam said while looking at Art and then dad comparing them, but he didn't have much time before he got picked up by Anglea.

"Awww... Isn't he just too precious?"

"Aunt Angela, big brother can't breathe." I said while tugging on her clothes, but I regretted it instantly as she picked me up and tried to suffocate me.

"Look at you, Cecil. You have grown so much since the last time we met."

Thankfully Durden saved us from an early death by picking us up.

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Having my Mana Vision activated, I looked around and the particles floating around us.

This was something I have often been doing when thinking about the future. Arthur will fall off the cliff in just a few days and meet Sylvia. What should I do?

I can fall off with him and meet Sylvia or go to Xyrus.

Manipulating a single mana particle with my finger, I sat there thinking.

"Hey Reynolds, do you mind if I test little Art?" The voice of Adam snapped me out of my thinking.

"Alright, but be careful. I haven't had the chance to teach him how to fight properly yet. We've just been doing light strength and mana exercises til now."

This should be fine.

I started watching as Arthur made his way to Adam for the spar.

They stood about five meters apart, and I saw the mana in Arthur go towards his legs before he dashed toward Adam with his wooden sword to the right.

Arthur used a footwork technique he made in his past life, but due to his small body, he didn't reach where he was aiming for. However, he still managed to catch Adam off guard and aimed for his ribcage, but it wasn't enough as Adam pivoted on his right foot and swung the stick he was using as a spear.

Arthur dodged the swing and landed a blow to his left ankle. It looked like Adam was thrown off balance, but he did a full-on split followed by a roundhouse sweep. Arthur managed to block it, but the force was enough to send him skidding on the ground.

Well, I knew this would happen, but I must play my role as a kid. So as mom went to heal Arthur and Adam complained to dad about Art being a monster. I walked toward him and stopped before him.

"You hurt big bwoder." I told to him, and at the same time, I reinforced my hand and, with a good swing, hit him right in the crotch.

Adam fell on the ground from the pain, and I could hear dad and Durden wince in pain.

Ahhh... It's so nice to be a kid...

"Cecil, you shouldn't hit Adam like that." I heard mom say, and I turned to the right to see her returning with Arthur.

"But dad said it's best to end a fight before it begins." I said, still with a smile.

"..." The others just looked at everything without saying anything.

"little devil." I heard Adam mutter from the ground but ignored him.

We sat down near the fire again, where Arthur explained the footwork technique he used, and Adam joined us after some time but stayed a distance away from me.

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Sitting in the carriage, I manipulated the mana particles into different shapes while waiting for the attack. It has been a few days since we started our journey, and the attack should happen anytime now.

I continued to do this for a few hours before I heard Helen shout.

"BANDITS! PREPARE TO ENGAGE!"

Angela used a Wind Barrier spell, and I paid attention to the mana flow to replicate it if necessary.

Mom pulled me and Art close trying to shield us from any dangers, and we were surrounded in a matter of seconds.

"Look what we have here. Pretty good catch, boys. Leave only the girls and kids alive. Try not to damage the goods they will sell for less." The bald man said while carrying a giant battle axe

As the battle started and the Twin Horns started killing the bandits, I froze. This was the first time I saw someone get killed right in front of me, and it finally sunk in that this was real life, not just a novel I had read in the past.

While I knew this, it didn't feel real until now.

I felt the mana slowly start to move without me doing anything and giving me a feeling of protection.

But it was when I heard a crash that I snapped back. Turning around, I saw dad knocked down against the debris of an Earth Wall spell and struggling to get up.

"Alice, listen to me. Don't worry about me... Use a healing spell right now... when they realize you are an emitter, they will try harder to capture you." He said in between coughs.

Mom hesitated for a while due to her trauma, but after a while, she took out her wand and began chanting, and while she was doing that, he turned to look at Art and me.

"Arthur, Cecil, listen to me. After the healing spell activates, you need to get your mother away at all cost. Take your mother back to the road, and don't stop. Adam will open up a path for you."

I nodded my head. I knew this was the only thing I could do, and I needed to learn how to kill before the war started.

"No, dad! I'm staying with you. I can fight! You saw me! I can help!"

"LISTEN TO ME, ARTHUR LEYWIN! I know you can fight! That's why I'm entrusting your mother and the baby inside her. Protect them."

"Okay, I'll protect mom." He said, and as mom's healing spell finished, he grabbed mom and me and ran while reinforcing himself with mana.

As I heard a wizz sound, I used a Wind Barrier to block it while not stopping.

"Damien! Forget the plan, don't let them live!" The leader yelled.

It didn't take long before I saw one of the archers cast a Water Connon. Then, as I was about to move mom to the side. While I was focused on the caster, I didn't hear the sound of an arrow before it was too late, and I fell headfirst onto the ground.

I felt excruciating pain in my right leg and couldn't move it. Lifting my head, I saw Arthur tackle mom from the spell.

Trying to stand up, I only fell again. Then, looking back, saw an arrow sticking out of my right leg.

Arthur quickly made his way to me, and with all his strength, he threw me to the side, and I could see as the spell hit him and threw him off over the edge of the cliff.

This was the last thing I saw before I passed out.

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Authors Note:

Thank you for reading this chapter.

I was thinking about what to do with the cliff fall and decided to have only Arthur fall. I don't want Cecil always following him, mostly because it would just make the same story as the original but have two mc instead of just one.

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