"Don't you want to meet your birth mother and succeed the throne?"
Amelia's question made him silent for a brief moment.
"It's fine as long as she know I am alive and well. I will meet her when I am ready. As for the throne, I don't want it."
"You don't want the throne?" Amelia widened her eyes in shock. Rachel was also startled.
"Maybe I do, but not now. There are many things I want to accomplish and experience, before taking on such responsibility. I trust you would keep my identity a secret until then?"
"Oh?" Amelia was amazed at Leon's level-headedness. Many couldn't wait to sit on the throne should the opportunity be presented to them.
Leon was able to see the bigger picture. There were many nobles eyeing the throne. To put himself in the centre of the storm was not wise, while he was still weak.
Even if he likes to look for trouble, he would have to assess whether it wasn't too big for him to chew.
The troubles from being the centre of the storm was enough to drown him fo death.
"Fair enough. I will not keep you, if you insist on leaving. Do remember to visit us often." Amelia said. It was unbefitting of her status to force him to stay. He had his own plans and she wouldn't intrude on it.
Leon nodded and left with Mia in his arms.
"Goodbye Aunty and big sister." Mia waved her hand cutely from Leon's should as he was leaving.
"Bye, bye." They waved back with some reluctance as they parted ways. They didn't play with little Mia enough.
Rachel sighed with both relief and disappointment after Leon was gone.
"Come, try this tea. It is very good for you." Amelia cheered herself up and told her daughter.
Rachel nodded and accepted the tea with curiosity.
...
Leon was not in a rush to return to the Lower West District as he was carrying Mia in his arms. He was afraid of hurting her delicate body by moving too quickly in the wind.
By the time he reached the entrance of the district, night had already settled in.
Leon frowned as he paused his steps.
The night was still early, but the streets was devoid of people. It gave him an eerie and ominous feeling.
He had felt like he was being watched when he had left the Lancaster Mansion, but he thought it was just his imagination as he could not detect anyone.
But the feeling had only grown stronger as he got further away from the Lancaster Mansion. He still could not detect anyone, but he decided to trust his gut feeling and put on his guard. It was better to be safe than sorry.
Leon's pace slowed down as he tread forward carefully.
Mia saw his serious expression and was intelligent enough to kept quiet and not distract him. Having been in dangerous situations before, the eerie silences also made her unsettled.
He didn't step into the Lower West District for long before he felt a dangerous feeling creeped up behind. He instinctively made a leap for the side as he rolled on the ground, while protecting Mia.
Swoosh* A metal throwing knife implanted itself in the floor right where he originally stood.
"Tch." The unknown assailant covered in black grunted, having failed to kill his target in one shot.
"Who are you? Why are you trying to kill me?"
"You don't need to know. Just obediently offer your head to me." The person in black leaped down from the entrance wall and made a mad dash for him. A metallic dagger appeared in his hand as it shined in the night sky. His speed was fast. About as fast as Leon.
"Dammit!" Leon retreated backwards with Mia in one arm as he waved his free arm to conjure a fire wall to halt the person's advances.
The figure leaped over his firewall and made a beeline for him.
With no time to think, Leon withdrawn the block of steel ingot and defended the dagger blow in a timely manner.
The two broke away after the clash.
"Mia, quickly run and hide somewhere." He couldn't fight, while protecting her at the same time.
"Why do you carry a block of steel ingot around?" The figure questioned as he made his next move.
"Your dagger isn't bad either." Leon narrowed his eyes as they traded blows. The other party's background wasn't simple to be a 5th step awakener and in possession of weapons made of metal.
Leon wasn't as good as the other party as he suffered cuts to various places on his body.
"Just give up, boy. You're no match for me!" The other party mocked him, but he was inwardly shocked that Leon was at the same level of strength as him. His killing intent strengthened. This kid has to die!
Leon gritted his teeth as he defended the figure's attacks without wavering. He could feel his strength slowly being sapped from the wounds he suffered, but giving up was equal to death!
He couldn't continue like this for long. He had to find an opening to end the fight in one blow, but the opponent had no openings to exploit. He was a skilled fighter, killer or even assassin.
Who wanted him dead!? The only person who had animosity against his identity as 'Leon' was Edric and his cronies. He thought it was impossible for them to get their parents to mobilise a high level killer after him for some trifles between children.
Who else could it be!? He felt being watched since leaving the Lancaster Mansion. Was this person from the same unknown organisation that wanted Rachel dead!?
Puchi*
He suffered a deep stab in his left shoulder due to a lapse in judgement. Leon's expression changed as he instinctively kicked the figure away at the same time.
Dammit! This was no time to be distracted! His left arm's combat effectiveness was cut in half by that blow. He had to create his own opening and finish the person off in one blow quickly!
Mia's eyes were red as she was watched Leon covered in his own blood.
Leon took initiative to close the distance, but he felt his foot sink into the ground like quicksand before hardening.
"Shit!" His leg got caught! The opponent was a earth-user!
"It's over!" The figured roared as the dagger aimed straight for his heart.
Leon felt it piercing his chest as he made a minuscule movement and shifted the dagger away from his heart.
The dagger stabbed into his chest, missing his heart by a small margin.
"Big brother!" Mia cried out.
Leon coughed up a puddle of blood as he grabbed the figure with his weakened left arm and prevented him from breaking away.
"For you that is." Leon clenched his right fist.
"What?!!" The figure tried to break away, but it was too late.
9 Echo Oscillating Fist...2 Echoes!!!
His fist slammed straight through the figure's chest and pulverised his heart with the full 1000 jin force.
"Impossible... How can I lose to a brat like you...?" The person in black felt all of his strength drained from his body as he dropped to his knees and drew his last breath.
"Nothing is impossible." Leon popped an healing pill into his mouth and swallowed it. One must not only be ruthless to their enemies but also on themselves. It was a very close call.
Leon took away the black mask and an unfamiliar middle-aged face appeared in his view. He didn't know who he was, but maybe someone he knows might.
He pulled the dagger out of his chest and planned to keep only the head. His face was pale as he popped another healing pill in his mouth and rubbed some Golden Ointment on his chest wound.
His body suddenly felt heavy like lead as his vision blurred.
"Ah... I lost too much blood." Leon passed out on the ground. The pills slowly heal his wounds but couldn't make up for the blood he lost.
"Wuuu...Big brother don't die..." Mia cried over to him.
...
These days, Lina had been in a gloomy mood as she wasn't able to meet with Leon. She wanted to spend more time with him and ask for his help to cure her parents, but was also hesitant as she seem to owe him a lot already.
With all the students busy with military training, she couldn't find the opportunity to and had a lot more free time instead. She used her free time to retrain the military arts she once learned in the army.
If only she had continued to keep her body in shape from practicing the military arts then the normal thugs wouldn't have been a problem for her back then.
She was just on her way home from Campus when she heard a child crying somewhere.
Lina was rooted on the spot. Why was there a child crying at this time? Something was wrong! She was timid and afraid of the unknown, but she still couldn't ignore a child's cry.
At the scene, a little child was crying over one body, while another body laid not far away.
What exactly happened here? She inspected the later body.
Huh? Isn't this the Grey family's steward?
"Wuwuu... big sister... please save my big brother.." Mia pleaded tearfully. She didn't know what to do.
Lina looked over at the blood covered body.
This is...Leon?!!
