Ambush

Kaiser Remington

It's been a year and I've felt a huge amount of improvement in my mana body. I could feel that I only need a small push in order to complete my training in maturing my mana body and manifesting my unidentified elemental magic.

In one year, I managed to incorporate ninety percent of my white-orange orb into my mana body. The color of my mana slightly changed from white to white with a few amounts of orange hues.

Aside from my sudden increase in mana production, my physical and magic training made me comfortable in firing small balls of mana. The biggest thing that I've only damage with my fired mana is the wooden gate of our home which is already unusable because I destroyed it.

With my physical training, I'm able to secretly train my martial arts after my sparring with my father. Flora, on the other hand, still has no interest in magic because she's still not thinking about it seriously, as expected to a child.

Since my mother noticed my determination, she's always interested in watching my sparring with my father. She also told me that her magic is used more in supporting fighters so whenever I'm cornered by my father, she's giving me magic boosts that increase my mana production and get back up against father.

I've done reading the book titled 'The Betrayal of God'. I noticed that the book pertains to the betrayal of Kaiser's son against him which means that the author of this book must be a person spectating during the war between humans sided by Kronos and Kaiser.

The book that's sealed by magic is still not opened even having to improve my strength but it doesn't mean that I can't open it in the near future. I always kept it beneath my bed in order to avoid mother from seeing it.

***

Clara Remington

"Dear, it looks like our son needs to have his own training equipment. Tomorrow is his 'thing' right?" I asked Caedric.

"What do you mean his 'thing'?" He emphasized.

"It's his birthday!" Flora said.

"You knew it Flora! You're more better unlike your father over here." I said while looking at him with a judging eye. He smiled as he's scratching the top corner part of his head.

Today, we're done collecting his rewards at the Hall to buy gifts for Kaiser. His reward came from winning first place at the Dungeon's hunting event that happened recently. The reward includes the money and public bestowing of a certificate with a chance to be a professor to the Capital's prestigious school.

"What gift do you want for your brother, Flora?" I asked looking down at her.

"Hmmm, books?" Flora replied.

"Come on, I'm still here you know." Caedric said.

I decided to ignore his sin and let him help us in choosing our son's gift for his birthday tomorrow. We walked for hours going from one store to another store finding the perfect gift for Kaiser and at last, we've come to the last store that'll be our last chance in finding a gift.

After hours of strolling around the Capital, the sun's already setting and it's getting dark. Luckily, we've managed to buy a gift for him and we're now ready to go home.

"Let's go to the entrance. Jard's waiting there." Caedric said as he carried his sleepy daughter with her eyes closed.

I nodded back at him and we went to the entrance until Jard's presence is visible. We rode back at his carrier and started to motions the rope making his horse walk.

As we're in the middle of our travel, Jard stops the carrier and shoves his lantern forward to the dark surrounding in our front. "Who's there?" Jard asked with a strong tone.

Caedric felt the danger and told us to stay on the carrier. He went down with Jard and prepared a spell on his hand. I don't notice the presence that made the two of them go down the carrier.

After a brief second, a group of cloaked men was surrounding us. The group started to slowly approach us but with a very intimidating presence.

"Step back!" Caedric said as he released a large of mana surrounding the four of us.

"Die." A large man said as he steps inside and started to attack the two of them.

Flora was alerted by the sudden occurrence and woke up looking at me.

"What's going on mommy?" Flora asked after scanning the battle in front of us.

"Nothing Flora. Don't look at them and focus on me okay?"

"Mhmm." Flora replied.

I looked at Caedric waiting for him to notice my glance. He looks at me and I signaled him about my plan. He nodded and asked Jard to hold the man down.

He sprinted back towards us and told him that we needed an opening to make Flora go home by herself. The group that encircled us noticed our small talk and started to individually fall apart from their position to help the big man fighting Jard.

Jard backs up nears us with a tired expression, "What's the plan, strong one?"

"We make a diversion for Flora to run home and hide with Kaiser." Caedric said.

I could see Flora's trembling face in confusion with the darkness and ruckus surrounding us.

"Flora, listen carefully." I told as I kneeled down and put my two hands at her small shoulders. "You'll need to run home Flora. I want you to run as fast as you can to hide with your brother. Can you do that?" I asked calmly.

"Y-yes." Flora said. I noticed her worries but there's no time for this drama.

"Flora, listen to your mommy okay? We'll get back after this practice." Caedric said.

"It's a practice?" Flora asked.

"Yes kid, now go home so you can practice with your brother as well." Jard said backing me up.

As we're done devising our plan, Caedric held up his arms to the highest point in the sky and strikes the ground causing the ground below our attackers to burst decent amounts of cylindrical formations of earthen rock thrusting them upwards.

"Go!" Caedric shouted as Jard escorts Flora forward. They quickly stood up and directed their attack at Jard and Flora so I buffed them with my magic to defend them with a gust of wind.

Caedric runs toward our attackers and blocked their path after Flora escaped. He holds them until I could no longer see the back of Flora in the darkness. I boosted her speed with my magic so she could run fast to return safely at home.

"Do what you need to do, Kaiser." I mumbled under my breath.

***

Kaiser Remington

Since all of them are gone to the Capital, I'll use this chance to train my martial arts. I went to the other room and closed my eyes for a moment. I stretched my arms and legs until I can feel that I can proceed to the next step of my training routine.

After moments of warming myself up, I started to imbued mana on my limbs and executed a bunch of fighting techniques that I can recall in my past life. I threw punches and kicks for hours and sat up to rest my little body.

"It's hard training in this small body." I softly said. Every punches and kick that I threw were so weak that I can't do anything without putting mana to my limbs.

I sat up and looked at the window noticing the sky turning to light orange.

"They sure took their time without me huh."

I closed my eyes and took this chance to train my mana in meditative form.

After an hour of meditating, I looked again at the sky and the sun is clearly gone, it's already seven in the evening.

'Why are they taking so long?' I thought while starting to concentrate for the second time.

I meditated for several minutes until my concentration was stopped by my repetitive worries about my family. Maybe I was overthinking because I'm tired, I thought to myself as I got up to eat and take a bath.

After sitting on the table with the plate in my hand, I still can't stop thinking about them. Maybe I've become too dependent on them.

"They're just eating dinner at the Capital." I told to myself while eating at the table.

After finishing the food on my plate, I got up and took a dip in the cold water.

I'm starting to feel drowsy as my naked body felt the refreshing touch of the cold water. As I'm slowly closing my eyes, my consciousness was taken aback by the shout of Flora outside the door.

I opened the door with the bath towel hanging on my lower body and noticed Flora's sweaty face. I used my God's vision and saw traces of my parent's magic. What's going on?

"What happened, Flora?!" I asked as I hold her two trembling hands.

"Daddy told me to train with you because they are practicing with a group of men down the road." Flora said as she smiled at me.

'No Flora. You don't understand, you're ambushed back there.' I thought to myself.

"Flora, I want you to close all the doors and hide, okay? I'll be fetching mother and father so we can play hide and seek. Is that okay?" I asked Flora in the most calming voice that I can muster.

"We're finally playing?!" She happily said.

"Yes Flora. Now go hide." I said back at her. She nodded once and ran back to our bedroom.

I hurriedly went to fetch my clothes and took the hidden blade of my father on the chest in my practice room. The knife looks big on my hands since it's my father's weapon on his adventure down the dungeon.

'Time to hunt them down.' I said to myself as I closed the door behind me wearing down the hood that I wear.

As I sprint through the darkness without light guiding my vision, I tried my best to conceal the mana flowing on my legs as I ran swiftly.

'If Flora ran for forty minutes, I'll be late. I need to at least see their attackers to have lead.' I thought to myself as I stopped concealing my mana and imbued more of it making me run faster.

As I was running for a good ten minutes, I can see from the distance a broken carrier with its horse lying on the ground, bleeding to death. Nearing the distance, I quickly ran and stopped my mana flow to conserve more of my energy.

I stopped to scan the surroundings and looked around for pieces of evidence that the attackers might have. I walked near the broken carrier and kneeled down running my hands through it throwing the broken parts to the side.

I scanned more of it until I saw a single paper bag shaped like a rectangle with a small card into it. I opened the card and my heart sank from what I discover.

'Happy Birthday Kaiser! From Flora, Mommy, and Daddy.' Written from Flora's unstable penmanship.

I opened the paper bag and saw a beautiful black scarf that's imbued with a small amount of magic.

As I was preparing to bring down my hood, I heard a cough near the grass fields. I looked through it with my God's vision and saw Jard's figure with his hands cut clean. I ran at him and holds his face with my small hand.

"Jard! What happened? Explain it to me." I hurriedly said to him without considering his weakened state.

"Your parents. They're taken by Dem…. I think he's jealous because of your father earning first place on the dungeon's hunt event." Jard said as he coughs more blood.

I took a potion in my small pocket that mother gave me whenever I trained with father. "Drink this. It'll heal a small amount of your wounded body." I said as I opened the potion and put it to his mouth.

"Don't go. It's… dangerous… Don't be a… he…ro." Jard said as he lost his consciousness. I knew from the start that he'd keep me from going so I put a sleep-inducing ingredient at my mother's healing potion.

"I'm not trying to be a hero because I'm an idol." I said as I stood up, wore the scarf on my neck, and put it under the hood on my head.

I used God's vision and saw magic traces heading towards the shortcut that I somehow felt familiar with.