8 Chapter Eight: The Great Outdoors

(A/N: It's imperative that you read till the end, I explain myself there).

Shrugging it off, Leo goes back into the library.

As Leo passes through the door, Arc and Anne can be seen staring down onto a piece of paper. His blueprint to be exact.

"No matter how long I look at it, I just can't understand it." Anne says, staring intently at the paper.

"Yeah, especially those odd letters." Arc says, staring as well.

"Uh, guys?"

"Hmm?" Both sound in unison, looking up.

"You guys enjoying yourselves with that?"

"Oh, young master, we were, inspecting your work." Arc states.

"Yeah, yeah, you guys can't even read it I bet."

"Erm, what language did you use for this blueprint, the only thing I understood was Poseidon, and even then, what does that mean?" Anne asks, pointing at the title.

"I very well can't tell them it's English." Leo thinks.

"I'll just make something up."

"It's a language I made up, though I didn't think of others looking into this, I at least thought of those who could've seen this." Leo states, half-assing things.

"As expected of young master, you never seem to run out of surprises." Arc states.

"Phew, they bought it." Leo thinks, wiping his brow.

"Young master, what exactly is this, wand, it looks nothing like the ones that the blacksmiths make." Anne asks.

"Damn, another question, better try to turn this around." Leo thinks.

"This is a special type of wand, it's capable of retracting and extending at will, making it perfect as a concealed weapon." Leo states.

Both look at Leo, with astonishment, and concern.

"Young master, not only have you produced a design of a weapon that is considered a national treasure, you've also designed a new, concealable weapon at the same time!?" Arc exclaims.

"Well, yes, I do plan on going out soon, so I'll need a way to defend myself, do I not?" Leo says.

"You have us, so you don't have to worry about being attacked." Arc states, hand on his chest while pointing at Anne, eating a pastry.

"Hmm?" Anne sounds, while chewing.

"Anyways, if I'm guarded by knights who stand out, that'll give incentive for others to attack me, putting me at greater odds of being injured, kidnapped, or killed." Leo states, rolling up his blueprint.

"If you put it that way, it makes us seem like we aren't suited for guarding you."

"It's not that, I just want to be out, by myself."

"But you're six, young master, no matter how smart you are, you're still a kid in our eyes."

"But-"

"No buts, if you'll still put up resistance like so, I'll ask Sir James and Lady Maria if it's possible for you to do so, until then, we'll go where you go."

Defeated, Leo nods and makes his way to his room, and, as expected, he goes ahead and crafts a baton, one that doesn't utilize magic, for obvious reason.

Item Crafted: Retractable Steel Police Baton

Description: An average steel police baton, wielded by police officers as standard.

Phys. Damage: 32-48

Level: 1

Element Affinity: N/A

Item Grade: Blue (Not a recommended weapon against more than one enemy, it shines best in one on one combat.)

Selling Price: 1 Gold, 57 Silver. (Not recommended, but still possible to do so without receiving too much attention.)

(100 Copper = 1 Silver, 100 Silver = 1 Gold, 100 Gold = 1 Platinum.)

"Nice, it's just like the one on T.V." Leo thinks.

Selecting it in his inventory, the baton materializes into his hands.

"Pretty lightweight, isn't it?" Leo thinks out loud.

After extending it and swinging it around a few times, he places it back into his inventory and heads to bed.

"Finally, after six years I'll be able to go outside, while not alone, at least I'm able to go."

With that in mind, he thinks of what he's going to do, the things he'll see until he fell asleep.

Morning approaches, and surprisingly, Leo is wide awake sitting in the library as usual, this time, without the studying.

"Couldn't really sleep last night, guess I was too excited for tomorrow." Leo says through a yawn.

"Young Master, isn't it a bit early for you to be out and about?" John asks, pouring him a cup of tea.

"Like you can say that now, you've been waking me up early to train, have you not?" Leo replies, stretching out his arms.

"Well, this is a different occasion, yes?"

"Mhmm, yeah, anyways, I think I'll head out now."

"W-wait a minute, go out?" John says, tripping over himself.

"Yeah, go out."

"But, why?"

"I haven't been outside our mansions walls, haven't I?"

"But, isn't this a bit sudden, you are six after all."

"No it isn't, it's just going outside, calm down."

"Then we'll have to send you off in a carriage."

"No, no carriage."

"But-"

"If we go out in something that flashy, we're bound to be attacked, are we not?"

Quite shocked that a six year old would say that, defeated, he says nothing more. Some time passes, and the knight duo come by the library.

"So when are we heading out!?" Anne exclaims as she passes through the doorway.

"Seriously, you have no manners around the young master." Arc says, hands on his hips.

"You're no better."

"Yeah right, more like a thousand times better than you'll ever be."

"Bold statement you got out there, Arc."

"It's not like I'm wrong, aren't I, young master?"

Anne looks at Leo with expectant eyes.

"Don't look at me." Leo says, arms crossed.

"Seems like the young master agrees." Leo states, hands on his hips with his chest puffed out.

Anne throws a book at Arc' head, earning his attention, as well as his anger. Sparks fly in between their stares, their presence as well as their foolish argument brightening up the room, leaving a smile on both Leo and John, as well as those passing by the room.

"Alright, break it up you two." John states, as he places two more teacups and filling them with tea.

As soon as he finished filling up the cups, Anne' head turns and stares at the tea, as if all forms of hostility and readiness to fight went away, along with Arc, soon following suit.

"In a little while, the young master will be heading out, and you two will be guarding him from the shadows." John states.

"Hmm?" The duo sounds in unison.

"You heard me, this is a very important task, one that will allow for no mistakes."

"Y-you can leave it to us!" Anne states, suddenly getting up from her seat and chugging the rest of her tea.

Shocked by the sudden request, Arc pulls Anne to the side.

"Anne, why'd you suddenly agree to do this!?" Arc whispers, albeit relatively loud.

"We are the young master's personal knights, aren't we?" Anne whispers back.

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Are you guys done?" Leo asks, getting up and stretching.

Stumbling to stand straight, Arc and Anne get up.

"Y-yes, we're done." Arc replies, a bead of sweat falling down his face.

Leo releases a sigh. "Guys, I wouldn't have you two assigned to me if you weren't able to protect me, yes?"

Both nod in unison.

"And 'cause of that, you're well within the requirements to be my personal knights, therefore, you're qualified to be my guards during my trip outside."

"I-it's as you say, young master." Anne says, sweating as well.

"So, let's head out, shall we?" Leo states, heading out the door.

"I feel that we missed something." John states, his hand on his chin, as he follows behind.

The four stand in the courtyard, beyond them, a towering gate of steel and wood.

"Well, standing here isn't going to get us anywhere." Leo states, arms crossed.

As the four make their way to the gate, it automatically opens. A faint sound of metal screeching can be heard as it opens wide, light passing through the gap, blinding the four. As their eyes adjusted, a path of stone, surrounded by trees of tall stature, it leads to a town can be seen in the distance, and to the left, the glistening ocean with the sun watching over can be seen.

"It's beautiful." Leo states, eyes brimming with infatuation.

"What are we waiting for, let's head into town!" Anne exclaims, pointing onward.