chapter 45

Close to another week passed since the day Leonard and companies arrived at the capital of the Empire, to first meet his mother side of the family, I.e his grandfather, the Emperor and then his mother, Lanette herself afterward.

Of course while he's there, he makes sure that he asked his mother the same question that he had asked his grandfather, but once again- it was the same answer that he had gotten from the mouth of the old man- but this time, it's from his mother mouth instead.

With this, he started to have some doubt about the answers that he had received.

But his grandfather had told him that the secret of the family will be revealed to him once the ceremony of recognition finished, he decided to wait, he wanted to see what's this so call secret is, the secret that forced his mother to return to the Empire and falsified her death in his memory for the past eighteen years- more like close to two years for Leonard himself.

After that, Augustus returned to the chamber and promptly took Leonard and the two girls, Ryan and Sachi with him and settled the three down in one of the empty building for the time being- where Leonard and the girls had stay for all these time.

*****

Flash Back.

"Mom, can you tell me the reason why you left father and us back in the Evergreen kingdom...eighteen years ago?" Leonard asked his mother.

"Your grandfather had told you, the first, it was to safeguard the secret of the empire… It was unexpected for me as well… I thought that the day I ran away with your father, it's the day that I cut off all ties with the Empire itself- however, fate played us all for the fool, enemies actively seeking out the main bloodline of the royal family and killing any others who were in the way?... I did that to protect you, Vandal, and your father- who knows what kind of crazy stuff he would do if those monsters were to show up at his door and look for me." she let out a sigh.

"But why did you only brought back Augustus? Couldn't you bring everyone back to the Empire as well?" Leonard asked her, why did she only brought back his brother and herself and left the rest of them in the backwater countries.

"Imagine the one who had eloped with your daughter many years back returned when was summoned, but not by herself- but with that same man and two kids and a newborn… your grandfather might try to strangle your dad, Augustus was complicated enough, I brought him along for that chance of him inheriting the throne because he was the first born son- if that were to happen, he could bring you, your brother and father back to the Empire and protect you."

Flashback ended.

******

Thinking back about what his mother had told him and the words of his grandfather, Leonard couldn't help but chuckle.

"You expected me to believe this shit? Protecting us? If that was the case- how the fuck am I the third young master of house Welser? Transmigration didn't just happen on a whim, something MUST have happened to the previous Leonard…" his face turned chilly as he thought back about the first day that he arrived on the new world- but then he just let out a long sigh as he inspected the circuit pattern on an energy crystal on his hand.

"I'll deal with the problem when it decided to show up, anyone who messes with my family, Vandal, father, and the girls… that fatty Edward, and any other servant and friends who had helped me… will face my wrath, for now- let make sure that these things don't backfire on me when I needed them… else it ain't going to be pretty." Leonard did not exactly have much feeling for this eldest brother of his- his mother, he only had respect, for she was one of the people who brought this body of his to life, he knows that they had planned something, but he could not grasp on what it is, taking the Empire? Most likely the case.

But back to reality.

Sitting idle for a week isn't what he had in mine, for that week, he either try to mess around with the System that was inside of his head- that or either tweaking around with more magical stuff, such as the basket full of Energy Crystal "Grenade" that he and Naz'rith had finished before he followed Augustus back to the Empire- by a basket full, Leonard meant that he had enough to probably leveled down an entire district of the capital if he were to spread them out enough.

One had to ask why Leonard had so many volatile materials on him at all time, the reason was- he was paranoid, the Empire was unlike the kingdom- the existence of the Emperor had proven that point, he was afraid that his strength was not going to be enough for him to protect himself and the girls, that's why he took the grenades with him- worse come to worse, he will detonate all of them on his enemy, hopefully it will be enough to distract him or her so that they could escape- having the force that could blow up a settlement the size of a large town concentrated in one place, let just say that the outcome will be either quite painful for the victim- or distracting.

*knock *knock, the sound of knocking break his concentration on the most dangerous part of the grenade inspection, the triggering circuit- the one that determines if the grenade going to blow or smoked- i.e nothing happens, no one dies, he almost dropped the dangerous object too, but luckily he caught it out of reflex and so, no one had to die today.

It was then that he heard knocking on the door and the voice of his brother, Augustus called out for him from the other side.

"Leonard, the recognition ceremony will start in an hour, put on the cloth that I ordered the servant to bring to you and meet me outside, you cannot be late for this," Augustus told him.

"I'm on my way, just wait fifteen minutes!" Leonard shouted and quickly donned the luxurious black suit with jewels and gold patterned, along with a short cape, he then quickly fixed his hairs and rushed out to meet Augustus, who was waiting for him patiently outside of his quarter.

Seeing that Leonard was ready, Augustus stopped for a moment and adjusted his brother shirt.

"There we go… that should be decent enough looking, can't be having my youngest brother throwing the face of his mother and myself out the window."

He told Leonard before leading him to the place where the ceremony was supposed to be held- from the information he gotten from Augustus, it's a secret sanctuary deep underground.

*****

Leonard and Augustus walked down the countless step on stone pathway down underground through the hidden entrance in the private garden.

The stairway was dark and cold, the only source of light they gotten was from Augustus fire magic, which somewhat lit up the pathway for them.

They traveled down for a good half an hour before they reached the end of the stairway, which was a giant metallic door with red glowing circuit all over it surface, it was constantly pulsing.

"This is it… are you ready for this, brother?" Augustus turned around and asked Leonard, who was too busy studying the door- which greatly reminded him of those doorway in the sci-fi movies which depicted alien technology.