In a beautiful night, sky illuminated by the twin moons Astia and Aurora.

In a forest, a large number of black cloaked figures could be seen chasing a couple; it was a young man and a woman carrying a baby girl. The man stopped and unsheathed the sabre from his waist and said to his wife "Run ahead, I will hold them back" and without waiting for her reply dashed towards their pursuers and attacked. As fiery lightning started covering his sabre as he slashed it.

''9 Thunder style - First slash, flashing Thunder''! A sabre beam slashed towards the pursuers.

''Weak aren't you a bit too weak Grand Duke Leo Bernard" the leader of the pursuers spoke as he blocked it with his palm.

He then struck out towards the escaping wife as the duke cried ''noooooo!!!'' there was a huge blast as dust and smoke blew where the wife of the duke was.

As the dust cleared an old man in hemp clothes with a baby in hand was seen and behind him were the duke's wife and daughter completely unharmed.

The old man had the aura of a refined scholar and did not have any magic or qi fluctuations.

The leader of the pursuers was stunned, as he was aware of the strength of the attack he had just launched and noticing no power fluctuation from the old man and became wary of him. He sized up the old man before him and asked in a respectful tone-

''Who might you be sir?''

The old man replied in a mocking tone ''Aren't you quite the shameless one attacking women and infants?"

The leader said in a wary tone; ''Sir, it would be in your best interest not to interfere in the affairs of the Azuria Empire''.

The old man ignored the assassin leader and tossed a bottle towards the duke and said, ''Drink it''

The duke had a questioning gaze as he looked at the bottle filled with a greenish liquid. Still drank it. It had a bitter taste as it slid down his mouth he felt the poison within him get purified and the wounds healing.

The duke then and thanked the old man and walked over to his wife and daughter.

The old man then launched a palm strike that looked completely ordinary towards the assassins and the leader sending them flying just as a kite with its string cut and fell to the ground unconscious. The duke was stunned by this display of strength and thought '' There are very few people with such strength in the empire and most of them have high positions and that medicine earlier was also not ordinary. I need to think of a way to thank him while forming a good relation with him it will be beneficial for the empire and the house''

The old man turned towards the duke and said "It seems I am not required here anymore'' as he looked towards the southern sky where the faint outline of a flying beast could be seen approaching the location quickly.

As the old man was about to leave the duke hurriedly said ''wait''.

''Sir may I know who you are''

The old man replied '' just a physician''.

''Sir my name is Leo Bernard and I am a grand duke of the Crestia empire. I would like to invite you over to

"Sorry I am busy right now I need to find some food for my grandson here''

The wife got up, said ''Sir I have some porridge which I stored for my daughter'' as she said that she had already taken a container from her waist pouch, and gave it to the old man. The woman looked towards the cute little infant with multicoloured eyes and asked'' Sir what is his name?''.

The old man answered in a voice filled with vigour-

"His name is Drake Astorius."

The lady said "that is a very nice name my name is Emma Bernard and my daughter's name is Sophia''

The duke looked as if he suddenly had an idea and said '' Sir why not engage my daughter to your grandson as soon as they become of age they can be married it can also be considered as our family showing our gratitude for your help"

At this the old man went into deep thought while looking at the infant in his hand and then said ''OK'' then gave a storage pouch to the lady and said " it contains a few medicines to nurture your daughter's body and increase her talent and the way to use them. I will leave now. He will come and find you with this scroll" as the old man wrote the engagement terms on the beast skin scroll and created a copy of it on another scroll and gave it to the duke and jumped up and disappeared with the infant while his voice rang in the wind ''take care''. while the lady was standing with shaking hands while looking into the storage pouch as it was a rare spatial storage item while the item itself was rare what it contained was astonishingly valuable. While thinking whether a frightening genius was about to appear on the continent.

as soon as the old man left an enormous griffon with many soldiers and magicians on it landed and started capturing the assassins while the leader of the group an old man with fiery red hair and beard with a muscular body rushed towards the duke and his wife and asked in a worried and voice ''HOW IS LITTLE SOPHIE??"

While the duke and his wife just smiled wryly at this.

Then turned towards the soldiers and ordered them in an authoritative and booming voice "Interrogate these and then execute them".

And then turned towards the duke and asked him about the events that took place here while the duke explained the course of events the old man kept making funny faces and playing with the baby when the duke reached the part about the marriage the old man who had a smiling face suddenly became frozen and his face contorted in anger as he roared at the duke while pointing his fingers which were shaking in anger "I do not acknowledge this yo… you cannot take my granddaughter away from me!!