Chapter 4 - A Trip

The next three months passed without issue, both Xavier and Zeus' progress in swordsmanship continued at an outstanding pace; Sy even began to wonder whether they would break into saint class before the aptitude test, but quickly dismissed the thought. That would be ground-breaking, no, more than that, it would be impossible.

He no longer had the skills to train the boys to that level. He glared at the stub which used to be his favoured right arm and grit his teeth with regret. He never should've taken that request. It'd been eight years since he'd lost his right arm and eye after taking up a mithril ranked subjugation request. He had been confident and, not to sound boastful, but his party had been through little difficulties with requests in the past. God, he regretted that confidence.

'So, what now?' Questioned Xavier to his seemingly daydreaming father.

Both Xavier and Zeus had reached the upper peak of intermediate swordsmanship under their father's watchful guidance and were in dire need of real combat experience to break through to the next level, and Sy knew exactly how to solve that. Sometimes he had to remind himself that the two children in front of him were exactly that: children. Although he knew how to get them that experience, once they stepped into the world of adventuring, they would no longer have those rose-tinted glasses when it came to life.

'We're going on a trip.'

…

That night Sy had the twins pack up a light bag with necessities and told them that they would be leaving the village in the morning at first dawn for a few days. The boys' hearts were full of excitement, anticipation and anxiousness at the thought of finally leaving their small village. Sometimes they had thought it'd felt suffocating being trapped in such a small backwater village but at other points, they could appreciate the feel of comfort and security it had with it.

That night ended up being a sleepless one, for both Xavier and Zeus, as they could only talk about what their trip may entail. Xavier had speculated that they were going to the capital which Zeus could only scoff at.

'Use your brain, you idiot, dad said the trip will be a few days, it'd take longer than that just to reach the capital.'

Of course, what Zeus had said was completely incorrect, but Xavier knew no different and simply shook his head with acknowledgement. The creatively named 'Avax', capital of the Avax Empire, was only a three-day trip from their home village, not that they'd be going there.

The morning was marked by the songs of birds in the trees surrounding the Chaoxs household and the twins, having no need to get changed since they had never been to bed in the first place, opened their bedroom door and rushed downstairs.

'Dad?' The two boys questioned as they reached their ground floor.

The man in front of them was definitely their father, but what he was wearing was unlike anything they had ever seen before. Donning a suit of armour that could only be described as darker than night, adorned with grey runes around the ankles, wrist, and chest piece he looked like the incarnation of death himself. The armour itself looked light and agile whilst giving off the impression that the boys couldn't cut through it no matter how hard they tried. It perfectly sculpted his body, highlighting their father's broad shoulders and muscular physique. His armour appeared to be hidden at the back by a black hooded cloak that masked their father's short black curly hair and rough unkempt face, giving him an appearance very similar to what Xavier would've imagined an assassin to look like. At his hip underneath his one remaining arm, lay a sheathed bastard sword. Although neither Zeus nor Xavier could make out the sword's appearance, a bright red gemstone was clear to see at its base. However, the most intriguing thing about his new appearance was not the armour and sword to Zeus (to Xavier it definitely was) but the appearance of a necklace around his father's neck. It was a pair of platinum dog tags that reflected slightly in the early morning sun. Zeus had never seen his father wear a necklace but if he was showing it while in a full suit of armour, it had some serious importance.

'We'll be taking a cart up to Dynabury,' their father stated matter-of-factly, 'Both of you will be entered into their adventurer guild's monthly intake and receive a rank. Afterwards, you two will take part in exactly three assignments that I will pick from their notice board subsequently. Depending on how long this takes we should be home within two weeks.'

'Two weeks?' Zeus questioned, 'I thought you said a few days?'

'That was only to get your mother to agree.' Sy grumbled as he thought about the headache he'd get from Emilia once they returned, 'you said your goodbyes last night so get your boots and light armour on and get out the door. The cart is waiting.'

The twins didn't need telling twice and quickly slid on their boots and light armour before exiting the front door and into the cart waiting on the drive, both mumbling a greeting to the elderly driver sitting at the front.

Sy too exited the front door, closing it behind him with a creak.

'Dynabury, I wonder what adventures you have in wait for us.'