Aegis_Of_The_Void

This chapter may make you uncomfortable in more ways than one. You may even cry, I don't know. Life sucks, it's unfair. You may know being different isn't always good, I know. Sadly, one of my loved characters is now going to learn this. But there will be no revenge plot here. Only feelings. It will not all be sad though. Our little protagonist finally learns of her immediate future and has a path now.

The next few months were heated. Very heated. The oven was on almost the whole time and he was cooking a bunch of food. We had decided on a farewell party for Seyra and were making food in preparation for that.

The actual party and her leaving would be in just over a year but since Grandpa had a high-quality spatial storage item, we could just leave it all in there. It would stay warm and we could get it out when it was time.

On that topic, the basket was also a spatial item. A much lesser effect than Grandpa's but still enough for a ten hour trip, at least.

We prepared tons of foods, both local delicacies from a nearby kingdom and some I had 'invented'.

Besides all that, the progress I had made was no small amount. I had finally gathered enough 'strings' for a substitute core. That would be used to progress my magic until I had enough for an actual core.

The window was cracked open and a gust of air blew in, rustling the tablecloth and even making ripples in the pot of stew. I only took notice when it pushed a page of my book.

I looked out the window from my baby seat, and saw grey clouds.

'Fuck, I've read enough novels to know the worst shit happens when it rains.'

Click.

Me and Grandpa locked eyes and solemnly nodded.

I scooted back a bit and laid my head on my book and began to fake sleep.

Grandpa put away the cooking utensils for anything other than the soup and then continued making the soup.

Click.

The door creaked as it opened in here. Seyra walked in and I played the part of rubbing my eyes as I pretended to wake up.

"Seyra, welcome back."

I smiled innocently with my tired eyes as I yawned.

Grandpa looked over.

"Welcome back, you went to check out the school right, how was it?"

I waddled over with my limited ability and hugged her. She felt cold. I looked up and only then did I realize she was soaked with rainwater dripping from her dress.

'Didn't she bring an umbrella?'

"Sis, aren't you cold?"

Grandpa turned fully after hearing that and properly took a look.

"Nope, I'm fine Igni, your big sis won't be affected by something as small as rain!"

She picked me up and ruffled my hair, ticklish as it was I laughed with her soon smiling warmly.

I yawned. I was much more exhausted than I had thought I was. I wrapped my arms around her neck and leaned on her shoulder. And slept. Well, fake slept. I had gotten good at it now. Controlling my breathing and my mana levels well enough was hard, but I got to the point where I was almost indistinguishable from when I was sleeping. There was something I needed to know.

'Guess I'll hear whatever Sis doesn't want me to hear.'

I felt the movement and the mattress as Seyra laid me down in the crib in here. I usually slept in the bed in my room but I kept the crib. Another place to sleep after doing a bunch of reading or sleep.

A sound I was surprised to hear came from Grandpa and Seyra.

Crying.

'Is that.'

It was unmistakably Seyra.

"Grandpa. My dad tried to punch me again, I don't know why, he never says anything. I-I don't need to go to s-school. D-do I? School feels so horrible, all I did was walk, check it out. Yet I heard them as I w-walked around. They called me a motherless... how did they even know? It's, I-it's stupid! It's so. So, so stupid. Then they took my umbrella, and, and the teachers didn't even stop them as they snapped it in half."

She stumbled now and then, eventually stopping her words as she cried harder. Grandpa spoke softly and delicately, more so than I had ever heard.

"It's alright. Let it out."

The sounds of her sobbing intensified and drowned the room.

I was confused. By the fact she had not trusted us.

Saddened. By the fact that she had endured this.

I felt weak.

For I could do nothing to alleviate the pain I once felt, from the one I had come to call Sister.

Multiple emotions went through me as I heard everything but my tears remained salty and silent.

"She's asleep. You can look now."

I rolled over, uncaring of how my muscles ached or how tired they felt nor of my reddened eyes. Before me, Grandpa had picked up Seyra in a princess carry. Her face was red and tear-stricken. Her shut eyes slightly puffy.

My heart ached.

Understanding why she didn't tell me and acknowledging were so different.

A woman's face flashed in my head.

'So we're the same. No, we're different.'

I looked outside. The rain heavy and overbearing.

It had felt bad having the blood of a flying bird made of fire in me.

But, right then it just felt suffocating.

I thought back to when I bore the black suit, so long ago. So, so long ago...

'I had no one then. Not even my own father.'

I wallowed in my tears as I listened to nothing but the rain.

"Igni."

My eyes re-focused. I looked over at Grandpa. The fire in his eyes was calm. Infuriatingly calm.

My words went before my brain followed them.

"Did you feel nothing at that?"

His eyes flared with a fury I had not seen before. Then they settled, calmed, once more.

He looked down and I looked to the window, tears still falling.

Eventually, they dried out. I could cry no longer.

My mind went to her face. I felt stupid. I had thought I'd have time before something like this happened. But no, time waits for no-one. Civilisation waits for no-one. There are no rewards for slothfulness here.

My brain registered that Grandpa was in here and that I probably shouldn't, but I started gathering mana anyway.

"I'll leave you to it."

Surprise briefly painted my face.

'What, he has more of a conscience than I thought.'

I smiled slightly before wiping it and focusing.

Eyes set, I pushed for meter long strings.

Seconds passed as I pushed myself, mana gathering almost 2.5 times faster than before.

'I guess hating your stupidity is a good motivator.'

Minutes passed before I finished my first one. Hours passed as I continued nonstop, gathering the surrounding mana and making it mine. I purged all but neutral mana from the strings before bringing them towards my body. I would finish the core today, even if I collapse afterwards.

The rain turned to drizzle and the grey had darkened further before I was ready.

A breath left me, exhaustion and weariness already starting to set in.

But I now had the mana strings required.

'Now I can go to sleep.'

The tiredness creeped in and sleep pushed before I struggled with myself. I kept it away while my mind was able to.

I was irrational. I wanted to continue, to make the core right then.

A hand was set on my shoulder. It was Grandpa.

"Sleep, you little fool."

I leaned back, into the very mattress I loved. Sleep claimed me for a third time that day, my last thought being a slight recognition of mana flowing into me.

Yet, unlike my expectations, I did not wake in my crib or bed when I was roused.

No, I was in a carriage. And so, I stared accusingly at Grandpa and smiled.

'I'll wait until that miniscule bit of shame he has surfaces. Then I'll finally get some answers as to why this is happening.'

It was agonizing. Seyra wasn't in the carriage with us and was instead on a horse riding forward with others. A few of which looked like knights. Why would knights be escorting us? Well, part of that links to my question as to why we're here.

The actual ride or the waking up in a carriage wasn't a problem.

The elephant in the room was, in fact, the people I was sitting across from. Would that be elephants then? The two elephants in the room were nobles. It was almost painstakingly obvious they were. Golden hair that looked like the finest of wheat, sparkly sapphire eyes, a soothing and appeasing-to-look feeling practically radiating off them like the bloody sun.

They were most definitely nobles. Twins or married most likely, as they both wore a single Earring of the same type on their left and right ears for the girl and boy respectively. Outwardly, they looked young, however, they could be so, so much older than I think they are.

Whom, as I was, stared at Grandpa.

Almost three hours in, the awkward silence was broken by the girl of the two.

"So, may I inquire as to whether this is your Granddaughter Sir Vatra?"

My mouth twitched before I held myself back. I would not prank Grandpa until I figured out what the fuck was going on.

"No."

The two seemed slightly shocked. Then, in a movement I could not see, I was snatched. The girl had me in her lap and stared at Grandpa with what was definitely disgust. I smirked.

'She probably thinks I got kidnapped or something else.'

The boy seemed to also be cautious now if his tone was anything to go by.

"Then, I don't suppose you'd be able to explain your relationship with this child?"

I couldn't hold it back.

"Hehe. Haha, HAHAHA."

I doubled over laughing so loud that Seyra came over and looked over at Grandpa. Grandpa, as ever, was unfazed. The other two, however, were not nearly as stone-faced as him. Red tinged their faces as they probably realized that the assumption they had was wrong.

I got up and went back to the other side.

I sighed.

"Hah, it's been a while since I've laughed that hard. So, Old Man."

He flinched, his face twisting.

I smiled.

"The hell is going on, huh?"

I ignored the baffled duo on the other side of the relatively small vehicle.

A sigh reached my ears before Grandpa shed light on our situation.

"We're going to a city, four reasons for this. First, we've were discovered a while ago when I was teaching Seyra."

"That's not surprising, I could hear it clearly when you were what, seven, eight kiloris away?"

Grandpa ignored me.

"Second, I found the item I was searching for. The problem, is that the family of these two have it in their possession. The third, is the deal I have made to obtain the item, which, is to train these two in magic and weapon use."

'No surprise there, even I've never heard of someone like you. A master of 3,000 weapons has high value for anyone trying to learn anything.'

"And? You said four."

"Seyra will be starting school and I found the last one lacking, so another clause of the deal is that they will provide a spot at an academy and school for you two. Given that only those with talent can enter, you will have no problem."

'You fucker. You did that on purpose! Fucking academy arc here I come.'

I sighed, as frustrating as he was, he was only thinking about the future and what needed doing. Teachers are probably high on that list.

'I doubt he would need to do this if he could just take the thing he needs.'

My expression then softened, quite a bit.

'At least he took care of the issue of Seyra's school.'

"Do you have a grasp of the situation now brat?"

"Yep."

I then addressed the other issue. The twins across from me were an issue.

'Since Grandpa is going to teach these two... we'll need to make sure they say nothing to Seyra.'

I crossed my legs and put on my most intimidating face.

"So, let's get down to business."

The affect left much to be desired.

The girl's eyes lit up like stars and she snatched me, again, before hugging me tightly.

"How can you be, so, CUTE!"

Needless to say, I was speechless.

'I've been snatched twice now... I want to grow up quickly.'

"So. No getting down to business then?"

'This is the most annoyed I have been since Grandpa force fed me baby food.'

"We can later."

I glanced over at the boy beside the culprit of the snatching. I raised a brow, he simply shook his head. I could see the tiredness. He had dealt with her being like this a lot hasn't he.

Aegis_Of_The_Void

A bit shorter than normal but I have edited it more than usual. I can also say that there are only two more major time skips in this arc left, please be patient and there WILL be action! Or rather, progression. Have a good day, I hope you enjoyed!