V3.C8 Sudden crisis, Rift Walk

Looking at Bize breathing heavily, Leo opened his mouth.

"So did you send the kids back to their homes?"

Bize nodded his head. "Yes, the caravans departed yesterday."

Leo frowned at his answer. "What about the sandworm monsters? Is your escort group strong enough to defend against them?"

"Mervyn-san, a former black-ranked adventurer, is personally escorting them."He shrugged his shoulders in response and sat on the chair. "Go bring something delicious, I'm starving," he said as if ordering a waiter and lazily waved his hand.

Bize smile twitched at the corner, still, he ordered the servants to bring the food. He told the guards to inform him when Leo's group steps inside Ankaji and already ordered his best chefs to make the most delicious cuisine.

Bize didn't want to provoke the young man in front of him, who single-handedly immobilized their best guards. Even Mervyn-san, a former black-ranked adventurer, dreaded this man. He wanted to maintain a friendly relationship with him, he wasn't an heir to a dukedom for nothing. He could see the kindness in his eyes when he interacted with kids, such a guy will surely not hang his friends out to dry in any crisis.

Leo devoured the food like a hungry wolf, Grazie and Bize were left speechless.

'How can you eat so much? Have you not eaten for years?' were their thoughts on his appetite.

Shea ate her food slowly, trying to not appear as an uncouth woman. While Yue went outside to play with Myu.

"Fuuh~ I'm stuffed, thanks for the delicious food. I take this as your attempt to form a friendly relationship?"

Bize had an expression that said 'You saw through it', but he was panicking inside.

Leo shook his head. "You should forget about it."

"W-Why?" asked Bize, this was his first attempt to help the Royal family. He wasn't prepared for something like this.

"We will be branded as heretics the moment church knows of our existence. So, can you, as a friend, help me against the whole human race?"

Leo let out a chuckle at the wide-eyed expression on Bize's face. "Because I can go against the world a thousand times..." he smiled gently at Shea. "If it's to protect my family."

Shea cupped her cheeks and laughed shyly, he resisted the urge to pat her head and walked toward the exit.

Bize regained his senses. "Why will Church... go against you?"

"Did you see our vehicle? That is an artifact I made myself. You may have also guessed our strength, that is not something any human should have. The church will try to use our power, if they can't they will… try to eliminate us," A vicious smile crept on his face. "The main thing is I swore to kill Ehit, the shitty god they worship."

His smile chilled Bize and Grazie down to the core.

"Shea! Let's go."

Shea snapped out of her delusions and followed him hurriedly. He also took Yue who was using her magic to float Myu in the air.

"Why did you tell them about our circumstances?" Shea asked.

"That was just a test."

"...Did he pass?" Yue asked.

She understood that he wanted to try something.

He shook his head. "No, he failed. But his mother, I think she saw through our intention."

He didn't want any relationship with the Bize family, in case they were branded as heretics. He could see the family wasn't corrupted like some nobles. In fact, they tried their best for citizens. The happy smiles on the commoner's faces proved it.

He walked without much attention in front. Someone bumped against his shoulder. He hurriedly looked back and saw no one nearby.

His sharp gaze swept over everybody in the street, people stopped moving in fear and stared at him nervously.

'Why did my instincts warn me so badly? There's no strong presence here.'

"Onii-chan?"

"Leo-san? What are you so worried about?"

"...What happened?"

He shook his head and started walking silently.

'Could it be Ehit came to know about my existence?'

***

Leo woke up to find Myu sleeping on his chest... with a frightened expression.

"...Papa… Papa… Papa" a pleading voice leaked out of her tightly shut lips.

'She must be having a nightmare about her father…'

He stroked her hair gently. Feeling the warmth in her head, Myu's expression slowly turned peaceful.

He kept rubbing her head with a smile. 'Her mother must be worried sick about her.'

Myu slowly opened her eyes and stared at him.

"....Pa...pa."

"What? I'm Leo, not your father."

"Onii-chan?"

He shook Shea and Yue to wake them and went to the bathhouse.

After the bath, Shea chose clothes for Myu while he used wind magic to slowly dry her hair.

"Hehe~ It tickles."

Myu wriggled her body and laughed, feeling strange from the warm wind circling around her head.

After everything was ready, he bought juicy fruits worth 200,000 Luta and stored them in another refrigerator he made.

They exited from the west gate of Ankaji Dukedom. During all this, Leo felt someone's gaze fixed on him. His sharp senses allowed him to perceive the intentions of anyone looking at him, but this gaze was filled with indifference... and little hostility. He kept his guard up the whole time.

After exiting the western gate, he took out Drachen and let Shea and Myu sit inside. As he grabbed the gate, a chill ran down his spine, someone powerful was targeting him with ill intent.

He moved his head and caught glimpse of a massive silver blade of mana coming at him. The attack was timed perfectly if he dodged every one in Drachen will be hit by it. Yue and Shea will survive... but the chances of Myu dying were higher.

'Jen, take out the shield!'

The fully equipped shield appeared in his hands.

Thump Thump Thump

His heart sped up in a panic, a long-forgotten emotion engulfed his whole being.

'Not enough, I need speed! More speed! Berserk!'

Pitch black aura oozed from every inch of his skin. Suddenly, a strange spark ran through his head and the time came to a halt. He turned around and looked at the attack, fifty meters away from him.

He incredulously stared at the attack, coming at no better speed than crawling.

He slowly put up the shield. The attack crashed against the shield and slowly disintegrated a part of the sturdy azenthium shield into fine particles.

A shiver ran through his body, it didn't last long before the maddening rage took over. He stopped the berserk skill and looked back at the girls.

"Leo!"

Shea and Yue called out to him, they also sensed the sneak attack but weren't fast enough to react to it from inside the vehicle.

He smiled at them. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Let me handle this, you guys protect Myu."

Feeling the confidence in his voice, the girls nodded their heads.

"Papa! Beat the bad guys."

Myu said with a worried expression. Yue activated diamond protection on Drachen.

['Air Dance' derivative skill 'Rift Walk' acquired][+Rift Walk] (Active skill)Allows the user to move at extreme high-speed, and increases the ability of all the five senses to the maximum to allow better focus and process all information.

The sudden crisis helped him acquire a powerful skill. He tore his eyes from girls and glared at the attacker.

"It surprises me to see you surviving my strongest attack."