Starting An Army

Paradise.

Oh, this is paradise indeed.

Since the incident that occurred a year ago, every day, I felt bliss.

Aunt Amanda, she's terrified of me. When father asked what happened to her burn and cuts, Amanda said that she's clumsy, and the children are real angels. She insisted on going back home after Raphael returned.

Yes, Raphael, Christopher, and Sylvester are home! It's so weird interacting with them again. I still remember when they're all just brats that are going through a phase. Now they're all adults who graduated from school.

When Raphael returned, I was so excited. But he's so awkward and surprised to see that I'm a full toddler. That day he only patted me on the head and watched me from a distance. At nights he usually visited me when I'm asleep.

I know because Io always reported it to me.

Unlike Christopher.

Christopher is still Christopher. He showered me with smooches; then, he cried after seeing that I've grown older.

Sylvester?

Boy, he's changed. No more shy Sylvester. He became a serious man. At the top of his class, perfect scores, and got invited to a lot by important aristocrats to banquets, discussing business.

I'm happy that my brothers are back, but It's hard to reach them like I used to.

They're so busy!

Raphael took over mother's spot. He went out a lot to attend meetings and parties. Christopher is now a certified mage, and he always goes to the mage's quarters; it's a secret base, so enemies couldn't detect the location. And then there's Sylvester doing business stuff.

I sighed while looking up to the sky, in a daze.

Other than that, I'm ecstatic that every day is a blessing.

"Boo!"

"..."

I lazily glanced to my left, seeing Sehan tried to surprise me. He pouted.

"Aaw, it didn't work,"

I'm not surprised because Io told me beforehand. Io is floating like usual nearby, watching over me from afar. Sometimes disappear, sometimes appear. He's still a sly rebellious demon. At least he always listened to me.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Father wanted to meet you," Sehan grinned.

I nodded my head. Sehan cheerfully grabbed my hand, and we walked together inside the mansion. At least Sehan and Leorys are still little brats. It'll get boring when they're all became adults.

"Where's brother Leorys?"

"Oh, he's studying,"

"Why you're not with him?"

"..."

"..."

"... I took a break-"

"You ditched,"

Bull's eye.

Typical Sehan. On the contrary, Leorys likes to study. Sehan kept ditching his tutoring classes and sword-training with the guards. I let out an exaggerated sigh. But father usually doesn't care, because the one who kept confronting Sehan is Christopher.

"Sehan!"

"Ack!" Sehan startled when he heard Christopher's voice from near the stairs. Christopher walked down the stairs while glaring at Sehan.

"You. Little. Brat,"

"Eek!" Sehan shrieked. He let go of my hand and ran away in the other direction.

Christopher muttered something, like chanting a spell. He lifted one of his hands and let out blue light from his fingertips.

"Argh!"

Blue light bars covered Sehan's path. He's trapped in a magic box and couldn't go anywhere. Christopher let out a sigh before walking toward us. His malicious expression changed to happy when he saw me.

"Baby brother!"

"Chris!"

He picked me up from the ground and twirled me around. I laughed happily.

Sehan stared at us with disbelief.

This is why every day is amazing to me.

"Father wanted to see me," I told Christopher while snuggling to his arms. Christopher pouted his lips and kissed me on the forehead.

"Aw, come to me after you're done talking with father, okay?"

"Okay!"

Christopher smiled happily. "Gods have blessed an angel as my brother,"

"... You're too much," I mumbled. Christopher laughed and showered me with kisses on the cheek.

"Ehem,"

The two of us turned to Sehan, who's sitting on the floor with his arms crossed, glaring at Christopher. Christopher cleared his throat and put me down to the floor.

"Alright, I'll have to take this little twerp back to the library. Don't forget to come to see me after you're done!"

Christopher cheerfully walked in the other direction. And the magic box that Christopher created to capture Sehan floated, and it followed Christopher from behind. Sehan waved a sad goodbye to me, and I just waved back innocently.

I then make my way to my father's office.

Luckily his office isn't that far. Walking around in this humongous mansion every day is sometimes tiring.

Usually, brother Edgar would've escorted me. But he's at school now.

Brother Juno is still the same.

I knocked on the door. Then the door quickly opened. Father opened the door by himself.

"Ezra,"

"Da- Father," I greeted him.

Now that I'm getting older, well, still five, but I'll start my etiquette lesson soon, and I have to address my father like my other brothers formally.

Father cleared his throat, then nodded.

I tried to suppress a grin because I know deep down father wants me to call him dada.

"Come in,"

He closed the door behind me as I walked in. He signaled me to sit, and I did. He sat across from me.

"?" I tilted my head to the side, curious about what he's going to say.

"I know that you already have one demon, but I promised that I'd give you another one on your fifth birthday. With two demons, you can order them to scout for more demons that you can take as your pets. To create an army,"

"!"

Army of demons? That's too much. I can't even handle one rebellious demon!

"Yes," I mumbled.

Father nodded. He searched something inside his pocket, then let out a stone. It's obsidian. The stone is small, smooth. It shaped like a capsule. He put it on the table.

"This stone is called a 'container.' Mages managed to store stray demons in this stone. And only a Coordinator can take them out and control them. The demon in this container is given by an elder mage for your birthday,"

"Woah...," I stared at the stone happily.

Father gave me a thin smile.

"Go ahead,"

"..." I gulped.

I wanted to have a powerful demon. Stronger than Io, more terrifying!

"Come out,"

"!"

I gasped when the stone shakes. Then the stone shattered. Black steam coming out from it, and the steam slowly formed into a huge smoke. I widened my eyes. Father must've seen it as well, but he's very calm. Of course, he's an ex-Coordinator.

The black smoke; there's something inside.

I squinted my eyes, anticipating what kind of demon that will appear.

"... Pyu!"

I blinked dumbfounded.

... Is this a [bleep] lizzard?

"Pyu?"

A black dragon with purple eyes, scales, and four wings. It's the size of an adult chameleon.

I glanced back to father, and he smiled.

"Congratulations, your second demon is a dragon. That's quite rare,"

"... Thanks...?"

"Pyu pyu!"