Without realizing it, I had begun to infuse both my body and the saber with mana, I cast a spell for getting lighter and with a stomp I was in front of the knight, brandishing my saber so fast that a normal person wouldn't be able to dodge.
The knight accompanying Brandon did his best to block, he was attacking so fast that he had no choice, between attack and attack, Nixen remained on guard behind me.
In a moment of carelessness on the part of the knight, I poorly blocked an incoming attack from below, causing the force of my attack to bring his sword crashing down on his head. I brought my saber down in the same manner, delivering a fatal blow.
With the knight's experience he did his best to dodge, but even though he was as fast as he could, he was not able to dodge completely.
"Hmph," the knight managed to say. He didn't scream or make any other sound as he held the stump. The arm was cleanly severed at the shoulder.
Taking advantage of the distance the knight had tried to gain, I took advantage of the opportunity and charged toward Brandon.
When I turned my back, Nixen stepped between me and the knight. In less than a breath, she was standing before Brandon, my saber at his throat. My eyes were red, radiating so much killing intent that Brandon had lost control of his bowels.
-"If you wanted me to die, you should be prepared for the same."-
-"My family is not a bargaining chip and that Lirak is also part of my family."-
I was about to start cutting the boy's throat when I heard someone screaming.
-"SAM. Put your gun down, this is not the time or place for this."-
-"I know you're angry and you have the right to be, but by doing this you're only making things worse."-
When I heard that, my anger grew even greater. I turned around with such murderous intent that I couldn't control myself anymore.
When I saw my father, looking at me without a hint of fear. With his completely calm eyes, I came to my senses. With that simple look, I was already calming down.
My father calmly began walking toward me. Nixen didn't even try to block his path; she was focused solely on the knight.
My father took my hand, trying to move the sword away from Brandon's already bleeding throat. As he gave me a small hug, my eyes began to water.
I was calming down when suddenly Brandon stood up like a spring, he had a dagger in his hand and was pointing it at my father's back.
I hadn't reacted when a "boom" sounded. I stood there, blank, hugging my father, thinking about what had just happened.
Blood trickled down my fingers. I was warm; my father was stiff, still holding me. He didn't move or turn around, as if he didn't feel a care in the world.
Time stood still during those moments, I couldn't form any thoughts, only the anger I felt for not having finished quickly what I started was present.
I caught a glimpse of a shadow out of the corner of my eye, and the next thing I saw was Nixen landing behind Brandon. One of his paws was bloody, and Brandon's head was rolling on the floor next to us. The body fell after a few seconds. I started feeling my father's back, looking for any wounds, but I couldn't feel anything. The blood on my fingers looked like Brandon's.
Absolute silence. A commotion had broken out, all the locals were screaming. There were people vomiting, children crying, and women screaming.
More and more people began to arrive. The guards arrived, and with them, Grandma Thea.
The first thing the grandmother did was calmly pick up the head and place it next to the body. She then covered it with her robe and headed toward the knight. No one stood in her way; in fact, they seemed afraid to get in her way.
The knight was very pale, apparently due to blood loss. Grandma cast a spell and began to stop the bleeding. She held his arm and spoke a few words to him that I didn't understand.
After that he approached us.
-"Little devil, why did you do this? What happened?"-
-"I'm sorry, Grandma, as I've already told you, Nixen and I were recently attacked by some people in the forest. Based on what they said among themselves, it seemed like someone had sent them after us."-
-"I had spent some time locked in the house because of that attack, I have been very nervous and apparently I still am."-
Grandma listened to me without saying anything, her expression completely serious. She looked at my father, who just nodded.
-"Sam. I understand that killing for the first time is difficult. If watching someone you're trying to save die is a tough pill to swallow, I can't imagine watching them die by your own hands, especially at your age. But you have to control your emotions, have control over yourself and your feelings. That's what makes you different from others. To be a good mage and a good healer, you must be able to exercise complete control over your emotions and actions."
"I understand, Grandma. And I'm truly sorry. But as Brandon was passing by, he told his knight about the adventurers not doing a good job of taking on a small child and a Lirak."
"That sentence completely freaked me out. I was letting the whole thing slide. But it was a different story to hear those words thrown right in my face."
The grandmother said nothing, but the wrinkles on her forehead tightened. She turned to look at the knight, searching for answers.
When the knight felt her gaze, he immediately stared at the floor. He didn't dare say a single word against the grandmother's gaze.
"Is what Sam says true? They sent adventurers to find him?" asked Grandma.
The knight did not dare to utter a single word, while keeping his gaze glued to the floor.
"You must remember that I'm the only one in this city who can restore your arm; your employer is already dead. You should be able to make a rational decision," Grandma threatened.
At her warning, the knight continued to look down at the floor. But he nodded in our direction.
When the knight nodded, Grandma regained her composure. As if nothing had happened. She was holding her new cane, and that made her look even more powerful than she normally appeared.
After a while Brandon's father arrived.
-"Liam, my condolences for your son," the grandmother said.
The head of the Krail family was completely serious. Without a hint of expression on his face, he merely raised an eyebrow at the grandmother's comment and continued toward his relative's body.
"Thea Wolt, you should know how things are around here. And I hope you won't interfere," the head of the house said to Grandma.
-"I'm so sorry for your loss, but in this case I must interfere."-
"I've taken in a disciple after a very long time. However, if my disciple were to blame, I would give you an explanation. But in this case, your son was the one responsible," the grandmother replied in a very neutral tone.
-"So the great Thea Wolt has finally decided to take in a disciple, after so much insistence and favours you never wanted my son, but now you take in a peasant."-
-"You should watch your mouth, Liam. It's my decision who I choose and my criteria for it. Your son never had a good character, and you know it." -
"Apparently, he hired mercenaries to kill Sam and kidnap his family's Lirak. Brandon's knight can confirm this; he just confirmed it to us." - Grandmother said in a strong tone, not giving time for any further confirmation or complaint.
Liam focused on looking at the knight, his neutral expression had changed to one of total anger as he watched the knight who was still looking at the floor.
Grandma had started walking, pushing us in the direction of her house. Nixen was on my right side, while my father was on my left.
Suddenly, we heard two very loud sounds. The first had been in the knight's direction, of which only a small shadow now remained. The knight and his arm were no longer visible.
The second sound had struck the grandmother.
She was holding the staff with both hands, giving it enough mana to make the coiled part look like a living snake.
The temperature of the place had risen by several degrees, apparently Liam, the head of the Kriel had cast a fire spell against the knight and us, blinded by anger and his loss.
I didn't think one of my artifacts could produce such effects, at the time, nor was I clear on what effects they might produce.
The mana had condensed into something resembling a shield in front of Grandma, protecting the four of us.
"Liam, I hope you don't continue your attack. I'll overlook this one because of your son. But if you continue, I'll have no choice but to counterattack," Grandma said calmly, looking the Krail family leader directly in the eyes.
Liam didn't say anything, just turned around. He picked up his son's body, or what was left of it, and headed in the direction of Krail Manor.
After arriving at Grandma's house, she had made us all some tea to calm our nerves. She also cleaned Nixen and checked us for injuries. Since no one was hurt, we just concentrated on drinking the tea.
After a long silence and awkward glances, they began to talk.
-"I want to know something," my father said, looking at my grandmother.
-"Since when did my son become your disciple and with what permission did he do so?"-
-"Ohh, I thought you, his parents, knew about the little one's intentions."-
-"He arrived today before you and asked if I could be his healing magic teacher." -
"I was going to refuse, knowing you two, I thought it wasn't a good idea. But there were two things that stopped me."
"The first is: the staff you made is wonderful. You yourself witnessed the great improvement in mana management I was able to achieve. I couldn't refuse something so good," said the grandmother while looking at and caressing the staff.
I didn't think I'd consider it so valuable. Yes, it took me several days to make and a good amount of time to design, but I didn't think it was worth that much.
-"Second: the situation at that time was not very good and one of the ways that I may be able to help your family is to be under my protection for now."- he said, looking at my father with a look of mixed feelings.
"Hmm, you know more than anyone what that means, although it bothers me to be in this situation. I appreciate the gesture; neither Emma nor I want to be in everyone's sights," my father said to Grandma.
I still didn't understand why Grandma always seemed to be trying to curry favour with my parents, or why the debt between them was so great, always showing equality between them or favouritism, but in front of other people she was the one who stood out.
-"And you, Sam, you have to learn to manage your emotions. What Grandma told you is true, and I also said it while we were training. To handle the bow, you must always keep your emotions under control. If your hand shakes or you hesitate, you could die or see someone close to you killed, and I know you don't want that."
"If you want to learn healing with Thea, that's fine. You can come with Nixen when it's time for class. If you're traveling at today's speed, you shouldn't have too much trouble. Still, we're not done with bow training yet."
"There are many things you still need to learn, and I hope leaving the house will help you do so. It's time you left the forest and the forge. Perhaps Grandma's company will be helpful; she can also teach you many things besides magic. I hope you train hard and exceed everyone's expectations."
"If you're worried about the Krail, there's no need. With Grandmother's protection, we'll all be safe. The only chance would be if they hired more adventurers, and I don't think the Krail would choose that path."
What my father said surprised me; it gave me even more freedom and confidence, even after everything that had happened. Although it made me feel happy, it also made me feel more responsible for my actions. Things won't always turn out as well as they did today.
I have to keep training and getting stronger. I don't want to need anyone else's protection; I want to be the pillar they can lean on, not a burden.
The decision had come like a bolt of lightning, and what happened today would be very important for the future.