Chapter 194 - My Dear And Precious Backpack!

"Good thing we were almost at the end of the stairs..."

He sighed in relief once again. Right. Good thing there were only a few steps left, or else he would really break one bone or two from that fall. Then, Kain wouldn't even let him go to school! Really, he was lucky!

"Tsk!"

The boy who was walking beside him clicked his tongue while glaring at him angrily.

"Hehe!"

He smiled awkwardly and looked away. 

He didn't expect Reyan to fall down with him as well. He had heard that he does swordsmanship training, so he assumed that he would be able to prevent such a fall.

The famous Heartz family that this boy belonged to was one of the six great families of the country. The 'family' word was like a tradition, actually. 

It was said that the first time that Hainston Empire came to being, there were six generals beside the emperor. 

Those generals each held one different power and would serve their emperor until death. The generals would normally be chosen from the best knights in the country and vow with their lives that they would bever abandon the king. 

But the empire fell and it was divided into smaller countries. As that happened, a lot of things changed. One was the 6 generals of the empire. The last generals of the empire all had died in the battle before the fall of the empire and there was no one to carry their role, so the first king of the Hainston kingdom assigned 6 new generals. 

Unlike how things were in the empire, in the newfound Hainston kingdom the next generation of the generals were the offsprings of the previous ones. 

The unique powers were not inherited, but still in most cases, if both parents held a specific power, then the child had a higher chance of having the same power. Again it was not guaranteed so in case the child of a general didn't have the power they were supposed to have, they would take in an adoptive child and raise them to inherit the title.

Like that, six great families were created that gave birth and raised the generals of the kingdom for thousands of years.

Times passed and the political world changed once more. After thousands of years, there were no longer a king and a queen, no knights, and no generals. 

But one thing didn't change, those families still raised the most powerful soldiers in the whole country. 

The power of each family was so much that they couldn't be taken down anymore. Also, there was no need to take them down. They raised the people who would defend this land, so they were treated with the most respect all the time. 

Even in the new era where the country had an elected president and no kings, those families were all like some nobilities.

There were 6 families in total. 

One raised swordmasters, the other one raised archmages. One had the children with natural attributes while the other raised the ones who could control time. The two last ones were the families who had the power of space, and law.

And the Heartz family was the family of the sword masters.

And someone from such a cool and big family couldn't help someone who was falling down the stairs!

But that was still a good thing. After getting hit by his own books on the side, Reyan finally agreed that he could carry the books for him for a while. 

Sticking to the boy's side, he thought about how he was supposed to start the conversation he wanted. 

First of all, he didn't even know what he was supposed to talk about. What did he want to ask? Like 'Hey bro why do you keep showing up in my dreams?'

Nah! That was too... gross!

Maybe, 'Dude I keep feeling that we will see each other a lot in the future!'

Nah man that was even grosser! It was awful!

He shook his head. He couldn't think of a way no matter how much he racked his brain. 

Maybe he had to think more before doing this? Maybe he had approached the boy too soon? 

And maybe, no, definitely, the method was also wrong. 

'My back!'

The backpack was too heavy. His back was about to split in two!

'I hope the backpack will be fine...'

He didn't want his precious bag to be torn due to the weight of all of those books.

"Sigh!"

And they had only walked about... one minute? They had just exited the school doors. He would be crushed under the weight of this thing until they reached home...

After leaving the school, Reyan stopped and looked around. He glanced at all of the cars parked around the school one by one before resuming walking.

'Ah, right!'

He also looked around. He couldn't see the luxurious car that would come to pick up Reyan every day. His family must be having a hard time not even being able to send a car after their son.

He had forgotten about there being a car to pick Reyan up before so there was no reason for him to be disappointed, but he still felt that his back hurt even more now.

The two of them kept walking like that in the awkward silence. While walking, he thought of different stuff. How to make this boy carry the backpack instead of him, how to start a conversation, what would be for lunch, how to study in a way that his sleeping hours wouldn't be lessened, why was he having such thoughts?

He shook his head.

"Where are you going?"

The sudden, cold, and scary voice of Reyan made him so startled he almost jumped up. 

"Y-yes?"

"I asked where is your house?"

"Why?"

"The fuck! I want to know which way we should go!"

Reyan pointed at the crossroad.

"Oh! It's okay I can walk you home then return back."

"....."

Reyan glared at him with narrowed eyes.

"What do you want?"

His voice sounded a little bit threatening.

"Um... yes?"

"What is your goal by doing this?"

"...."

He blinked. 

He blinked again and tilted his head.

And again blinked.

"You've got it wrong!"

He desperately shook his head.

"I just wanted to help!"

Reyan scoffed.

"Help? You came to help me all of a sudden at a time like this?"

Tap

Reyan took one step closer and grabbed his collar.

"Do you take me as a fool?"

SLAM

And slammed him to the wall.

"Gasp!"

"Talk!"

"...."

At a time like this...

Now that he thought about it, didn't his timing really suck? 

This boy had just lost his father and uncle. His family must be in chaos, struggling not to collapse. There also must be a lot of people who wanted him dead and the family ruined. 

Then suddenly a stranger sticks to his side telling him that he wanted to help, forcefully taking his stuff and following him to his house.

Not to say that that stranger attempted to throw him down the stairs!

"Haaa!"

He sighed and lowered his head a little bit, staring at the hand that was holding his collar.

"I just wanted to have a conversation with you."

Let's be honest and don't beat around the bush, it would only make things worst.

"A conversation? About what?"

He thought a little bit before chuckling.

"That... I don't know either!"

Reyan's frown deepened even more as his grip tightened.

"Are you making fun of me?"

"...."

"Tell me what you want!"

"...."

In Reyan's response, he only smiled. 

"Tsk!"

After glaring at him for a few seconds Reyan finally let go of his collar. 

"Get lost!"

Reyan's face while saying that looked like he would kill him for real if he didn't get lost right away.

"What about your books-"

"I said get lost!"

"...."

He nodded his head and took a few steps back.

"I'll bring them to school tomorrow! Don't forget to get a new backpack for yourself!"

"...."

Without any regret, he turned back and walked away from the blonde boy.

'Maybe I acted too rashly...'

He had to think about Reyan's situation as well before attempting to suddenly stick to his side and try to have a conversation with him. He could try again later anyway so there was no need to insist so much.

Thinking that way, he walked away without even looking back. 

BOMMMM

"...."

But he hadn't even walked 10 steps when he had to stop and turn back to look where he heard a fairly loud noise. Once he did so, he saw a blur of yellow fly bast his face and hit a car.

BANG

Thud

"Gah!"

The blur, Reyan, stood up while grabbing the car and glared at someone on the other side of the street.

"KYAAAAA!"

"It's an attack!"

"Another attack!"

"Call the police!"

"RUNN!!!"

People in the street started to scream and run away as soon as they saw two men with a mask on their faces approach some school kids while holding swords.

Just in the blink of an eye, everyone in the street had run away. The attackers didn't seem to mind the people running away and only walked towards Reyan.

"...."

He stood there like a dry stick for a moment before he too started to walk away from the attackers. Again, no one even paid him any attention, and both of the attackers were only focused on the other boy.

"Pfft! Miserable!"

One of them scoffed before rushing at Reyan.

BANGG

Reyan was fast enough to jump to the side before the attacker's sword cut the car in half. The attacker turned his wrist and the blade moved towards the boy's neck.

"Who are you?"

Reyan bent his back. The sword missed him and only cut the air. He then grabbed the attacker's wrist with one hand and the sword's hilt with the other.

"Hah!"

The attacker only scoffed while looking at something behind Reyan. The other attacker was rushing at him from behind.

"Tsk!"

Reyan let go of the sword's hilt and instead punched the man's elbow. The attacker's grip holding the sword loosened for a second, giving the boy the opportunity to grab the sword and block the attack from behind with it.

'Wow, that was so cool!'

Crouched down in one corner behind a car, he watched the three people fight.

Indeed, the boy was trained in swordsmanship. He also seemed to know a little bit about martial arts. If that's the case why didn't he stop the fall from the stairs? He could do so! What if he got hurt from that fall! That boy was too heartless!

"I asked who you are?"

The three people were exchanging blows and the boy was holding on just fine, but he was visibly getting tired the more time passed. On the other hand, the two attackers had really perfect teamwork that they were easily overpowering him.

"Who do you think, little boy?"

CLANG

They clashed once again.

"I'm surprised. Your family must've already thought about this situation. Are those guys in such a miserable state that they can't even protect the only heir of the family!"

POW

"Argh!"

The boy was punched in the stomach. He staggered and took some steps back. While he was busy blocking another sword attack, he was kicked from the side. The boy knelt down and the sword fell out of his hands.

The attacker holding the sword placed his foot on the other sword on the ground that Reyan was holding a few seconds ago.

"Kid, this is not personal."

He said while moving up his sword.

"Even as an assassin, I also don't like to kill children!"

"....."

The blonde boy stared at the blade. The blade shining under the sunlight was moving towards his neck.

POOOOWWWW

But before the blade could reach his neck, the attacker's head was hit with something.

"Ah?"

The attacker staggered for a moment before plopping down. The sword fell out of his hand and rolled on the ground. The man's head was bleeding.

"....."

"....."

"....."

The three people looked at the thing that had just flown from somewhere and hit the man's head. There was a big backpack on the ground.

The three people turned towards the direction where the thing was flown from. There, they could see someone hurriedly hide behind a car and crouch down.

'I will be punished! I used magic to shoot that backpack without permission! I will be punished! Definitely punished!'

They were not allowed to use magic outside the orphanage.

'But I saved the princess! They should reward me! AAAAAHHH!!!'

He glanced at the three people once again. He didn't see what exactly happened after he hit the man's back but he could see them approaching him now.

"There was someone else? He is a mage!"

"It's dangerous! You get that boy!"

"Alright!"

POWW 

Reyan kicked the backpack again at that moment. It hit one of the attackers' feet, making him stagger a little bit. 

"Tsk!" 

Once the attacker turned around, Reyan picked up the backpack and proceeded to beat him with it.

"Gasp!"

He gasped and stood up.

"Don't do that! It will tear apart!"

"What?"

POWW

Reyan moved up the back and hit the attacker's head again. The back was full of books. That must hurt a lot.

"Hey! That's not a weapon!!!!!"

He better not damage the backpack! It was a gift from Kain! He even used magic to make sure it wouldn't get hurt when he hit the attacker's head with it and now that rich boy was using it as a weapon!!!

POWWW

"ACK!"

One of the attackers punched his face. He hit the car's solid body and fell down. The attacker took a dagger out of his pocket.

"Stop right there!"

"It's SMF talking! Surrender!"

"Get away from those kids!"

Fortunately, help arrived just in time.