What confused him was the x5 by the Shiede phantom, and what does that even mean. 

"Isn't that Hardin's pet's name?" 

So he consulted his dad about it.
"Hmm, I see, there's something in this book that records other animals, maybe even other enchantments and armaments. Son, observe this, Release your might Ikrar!" His booming voice caused the water in the river to take shape into a water dragon of no form and it rushed forth and crashed into two trees, utterly destroying them.

Zephyr's eyes turned a shade darker and kept observing it to the best of his abilities before his eyes turned back to normal and rolled to the back of his head.

After two hours of scouting, they found a place to rest and chose to let Zephyr rest a bit longer. When he came to, he immediately opened his book but there was no addition to it, his dads hypothesis failed.

"Weird, maybe because I didn't show it in battle?" Renault guessed and was ready test his new idea out.
"Dad look at Zephyr! Urkh!" Hardin cried but his face started contorting in pain and he fell to the ground. Renault also sensed an abnormality within and around him as he looked at his son.

"Is the energy in the air in a frenzy due to him? Are the spirits blessing him or cursing him?" Renault murmured. He was an expert in battle but things like this belonged to the scholars of Liandry.

He had now made up his mind, he could sacrifice his pride for his kids.
Within the dark realm again.

Things looked bleaker the first time around and now the black, gloomy area looked more comfy to him and after looking around he spotted certain things.

He saw phantoms appear in front of him, three in fact. They were a snake, a lizard and a dragon, but they were all transparent and black in color.

"Are these brother and father's pets, as well as the snake they hunted?"

"Weird what's going on urkk!?!?" Zephyr groaned as he grabbed his head and blacked out, and as he zoned out into unconsciousness, another string of cackles was heard.

When Zephyr awakened he found himself in his room, there was nothing much except toys and scary looking objects which he used for pranks, the rest was just the necessities in a room like a table or bed.

"Your awake brother?" Ralph appeared by the door with bread and a cup of milk and placed it by Zephyr's side.
"Ya, but my head feels like its splitting." Zephyr responded.

'Mom made you some food, hurry and finish it and find dad, he wants to speak to you." Ralph spoke as he left the room to do other things.

Thus Zephyr gobbled up his food and ran in search of his father. Pretty soon he saw his Father in the backyard watching his son do some exercises while having some glowing blue runes marked on Hardins body body.

"Dad you called? And you are an armament user? What's going on with Hardin?"

"Do not worry yourself of what's happening to him as you will experience it soon." I told the rest already but in one month we are leaving for Oswald, the capital of the kingdom of Liandry as I know some people there who could take a look at your baffling condition." Renault finally looked away from Hardin and stared at Zephyr.

"Plus another boon would maybe look for a cure that can help your mother with her frail constitution."
"Were finally leaving this place! I've always wanted to see the outside world, plus these villagers show no more reaction to my tricks." Zephyr jumped in celebration.

"One more thing, I will also enlist you into three blessings elementary battle academy and Hardin into the battle academy of Oswald." Renault dropped another bomb.

Doesn't that mean..?" Zephyr looked a bit worried.
"Yes you will stay there for four years and will also go the the real academy for four years for a total of eight spent away from home."

"What!! Hardin and Zephyr said aloud together.

"Do not fret, you can visit your mother when they give holidays and free breaks". We have already prepared you in both mental and physical capabilities as best we can, it is time for you to shake up the capital as the sons of Renault! ahahahah!"

This was the first time they saw their father lose his steady composure and show such pride in them. They both silently acknowledged this order.

This was the start of a new era for the world as the ones to bring massive upheavals were finally let loose!
The child of chaos and the shield of Liandry were to step foot onto Liandry in one month!

***one month later
"Is everyone ready? I ordered the carriage and its waiting outside." Renault spoke to his household.
"Ya we ready!"
"Yeah.."
"Yes father!"
"All that's left is Aaly huh" Renault spoke.
"No that's okay, I'm here, lets go." The door opened and a lady appeared, she was dressed In a dark blue dress with a furry blanket drawled over her shoulders with a little ferret in her arms that was reddish with a tint of purple, giving a menacing presence to its cuteness.
"Alright Robo lets get on." their mom slowly got in the carriage while Zephyr and Ralph followed behind her. Hardin and Renault followed closely with their horses.

"I..uh... Heard there were bandits near the outskirts of this forest recently and were making raids on the villages near them. It will be about a week and a half to make it all the way to the village so its likely a couple bandit will show up."

The driver was a frail old man who looked cowardly and had his moustache split and he kept twirling them. While he tried informing Renault, sweat kept pouring out of him.

"Hold no fear, I will make quick work of Any that are threats, you have my word." Renault responded to ease the man's worries.

Hardin jumped into the conversation as they set out.
"What are the bandits like, how many are there just in the vicinity?"
"Just in the path of our travel alone, there could be as many as six strongholds in the area so we might encounter some. We better pray we don't encounter the Fiend Brigade out of all the bandits." The driver spoke.

"What's the Fiend brigade?" Zephyr popped his head out the carriage window.
"Normally all you got to do is hide the woman in the caravan and offer a bit of your gold and they will let you pass, but the fiend brigade love the sight of blood so they just kill and pillage, true villainous bandits."

"What about neighboring cities or land of Liandry, do they not have knights out to stop them?"
Due to the war between Sopri and Laus, which is located around the north of their territory, they neglected the bandits at the southwest of the land as these villages, as much as it pains me to say, is useless to them."

"What, why are they useless to the lords of the lands here?" Hardin asked furiously.
"That is because they believe the spirit world did not bless the peasants in the villages with talent" and the priests of Heinzman just grab kids with the bit of potential and train them to be fodder for the real knights."

"So Joseph..." Hardin looked at his dad, alarmed.
"You did well hiding it but he is probably already suspicious, no matter, as I am here so no harm will befall my children! Renault nodded.

The three kids felt warm at heart looking at their stern father of few words show how protective he was.
As they were walking they heard a high pitched laugh as three shadows approached them from the trees and landed in their path.

"Hyek hyek, my brothers and I had planted these trees and paved the road, pay us 50 gold to pass!" One man with pockmarks said with a disgusting smile, showing his yellow teeth
"Jiejie" the two others looked abnormal too and evil at first glance.
Ralph hurriedly went back into the chariot while Zephyr observed curiously their ways of pranking people, taking a liking to the lines they said.
"Hardin, go forth, they are around your level and good practice. Remember, I will never intervene if you struggle against someone of the same level. Right now you have great energy, around stage seven of the student stage. Also with your talent it should not prove difficult."

"That's a hoot, ya hear that bois!? We are stage one disciples and he just sent a kid out." One of the bandits said
"They won't cry till they see the coffin I guess, I'll show him who he should look up to."

The big bandit to the left of the pack stepped forward and raised his arm wide. A spear appeared that looked yellow in color and emitted a fishy smell.
"This heres my trusty spear, I'll make it quick. The bandit lunged towards Hardin, eager to wound him cooly and have them pay up but then a barrier appeared and enclosed him while shrinking rapidly, he was running with reckless abandon so when the barrier appeared, it restricted his arm and reach.

"Urk what's this, I can't move." Just like what Hardin did to that boy he easily captured the bandit and put him on his knees with no effort.
"Help o'l three, I'll provide support."
The two bandits went in opposite directions. One approached while the other ran and the one moving to Hardin pulled out a spiky shield and charged at Hardin. The other pulled out a crossbow with black liquid dripping from the arrow and aimed steadily at Hardin.

"What the?" The bandit leader said as
Another three barriers were formed and surrounded Hardin and the two bandits as well, obviously planning on shrinking his barrier like what he did to the other bandit. It made quick work of the leader with the arrow but once the barrier made contact with the spiky shield, it cracked into multiple pieces and fell apart, freeing the bandit with the shield.

"Wow, ahahah guess I'm powerful, still wanna go sonny?!" The big bandit laughed but was secretly nervous, he was spent after that charge and didn't think of attacking again.

When he opened his eyes again, he quickly saw an ocean of blue shrinking his space and his face grew ugly, he quickly charged again and shattered that barrier again.

"Damn it kid stop! Even I get scared when I am mad! The bandit roared angrily
"Freeze him, Shiede, Ice world." Hardin calmly looked on as his lizard which used to be a third of a meter tall grow to a meter and breathed a great frosty breath which froze the bandit immediately.

After a few seconds, Hardin thawed him out as he just wanted to knock him out. After that he looked at his father hoping to hear praise