--

(??? POV)

"Go! Get rid of that scum from my sight. I don't want her coming here and placing a claim for MY title." An angry old man with blue hair says.

"Ye-yes sir!" The servant rushes off and goes to set up the plot to get rid of a bug.

"Hmph, no one can stand in my way." The old man gets up from his chair and moves towards a bottle. He grabs it and leaves the room.

--

(Percival's POV)

We have started our journey for Caelin after a week of preparation. Our first stop is the city of Bulgar, the commercial center in Sacae. It is on the border of Bern, Lycia and Sacae.

"Look, Percy, someone's started a fire that way!" Lyn says running up to me.

"Let's go see who it is then…"

'Hopefully it isn't any bandits…'

…

We arrive at the fire and see it surrounded by men holding torches.

'So, this is where the bandits went that we're supposed to deal with in the prologue.'

"Percy, we have to do something!" Lyn says grabbing hold on my shoulder.

"Lyn first listen," I turn to look her in the eyes. "Never rush in without a proper plan." I say giving her a smile.

I can see Gawain holding his laughter behind me. 'Oi, I plan out a lot of things. You just don't see it!' Fuming at his laughter.

"First step of forming a plan. How many bandits do you see?"

"There's 4 at the main entrance with torches. 6 around the left and right side each. There might be more around the back…"

Lyn looks back towards where I was and doesn't see me. Looking back at the village she sees a building on fire and Percy rushing towards the bandits at the main gate with his sword out. Lyn grabs her sword and starts running down.

"Be careful!" Madelyn yells behind her.

…

A wind blade cuts through the lead bandit's hand. Dropping it and the torch it was carrying.

"Ahhhhh!"

The rest surprised by this, start to look behind them. Another wind blade comes in and decapitates one of the bandits leaving 3 left. "We're under attack!" A bandit yells out alerting the rest of them.

The bandits on the side throw their torches at the village and starts to rush the front entrance.

I send out wind blades in the direction of the torches trying to put them out, but only a few do.

"Lyn! Get the torches!"

Some of the bandits hearing my command stop moving towards the entrance and start trying to make the fire grow faster.

"I'm on it!" She yells back and rushes the left side from a wide flank. Only two bandits guarding that side, she should be able to handle it.

A bandit charges forward with an overhead swing. Expecting this I sidestep it and pierce his heart with my sword. Another one trying to take advantage of my distraction strikes at my head. I use my replicate skill and my double smashes his axe into that bandit.

"Wha-"

"There's two of them!"

I take this break that they're giving me to look at what's around me. Two dead bandits, one disabled. I order my duplicate to move towards the right side and the back to check for bandits and put out the fires. 'Ok, so about 14 left. How's Lyn doing?'

I take a glance towards the left side and see Lyn in a fight with one bandit. One of them already dead on the floor.

'Good she isn't hurt yet. She's stronger than she was in the prologue.'

The bandits seeing me distracted try to rush at me again, but I sidestep all of their attacks.

"Why is he so fast!"

I parry a strike and take out a bandit. Continuing this method of fighting I wipe out the remaining bandits when my duplicate comes back.

After all the bandits are dead, I look towards Lyn. She finished her fight and is putting out the fire.

The duplicate points toward a building on fire and I can hear screaming from inside it. My duplicate de-summons and I rush in to see if anyone is inside the building.

Inside the village I can see a bunch of villagers surrounding the building and they seem panicked.

"Is there anyone inside it?" I look towards the closest person.

"Ye-yes a-a fam-family!" The young lady says stuttering.

I rush inside the building and see if there's anyone I can rescue.

"Percy!" I hear Lyn's voice, but I'm distracted with the people in the building.

I enter into a large room where a pillar is crushing a young woman's leg and a young boy, and an older man are trying to lift it.

The three see me and instead of the agony in their eyes are replaced with hope.

I rush forward and lift the pillar up.

The man picks up the woman. "Thank you, I'll never forget this." The boy with the man nods and all three head outside. "There's another family upstairs!" He says just remembering that.

"Go! I'll go get them."

After they leave, I start to hear crying over the sound of wood burning. I move towards it and find a young child crying over a body. I move over to the body to see if there's a pulse… there's nothing. I move to grab the child, but they won't let go of the body.

"Come on kid. She's gone you have to come with me if you want to live."

The child keeps crying while hugging the body.

I lift the body and the child looks up at me with tears in his eyes.

"Mama!" I move to grab the kid and put her on my back.

"Listen little one. Just hug my neck tight okay?"

The child listens and holds on. She starts crying into my shoulder, while I carry them outside.

After I get outside, I lean down and put the body down. "Is any member of her family here?" The child on my back stopped crying and just hugging onto me for dear life.

"She came to our village recently with her child. She didn't have anyone else with her, so we let her stay with us." The woman who had her leg crushed by the wooden pillar says.

"So, she doesn't have any family here…" I move the kid from my back to be in front of me. Well I try to but her grip on my neck is a bit too much. I don't want to hurt her either so she can stay there for now.

"Can you let go?"

"No!"

"Please?"

"No!"

I sigh at the kid's antics.

"Can you take care of her?" I look towards the three people I rescued.

"No!" The girl says, but I ignore her and look towards them.

"So-sorry w-we can-can't afford it." The woman stutters out.

"Don't worry. You did just lose your house. I understand."

"Anybody here capable of doing it?"

I hear slight whisperings, but one single sentence gains my attention.

"The devil is in her head; we don't want her."

It looks like the girl heard it too, by the way she's putting me in a chokehold.

My hand reaches for her trying to get her to loosen her grip, but to no avail. "Alright kid, I can't breathe if you keep choking me."

She loosens her grip but stays attached. "I'm staying with you."

"Okay kid." I head out back to our group.

…

"Why'd you rush in after telling me to plan!" Lyn says stomping up to me. "What was the point of that?"

I look at her with a confident smirk. "Naturally because I'm strong enough not to need a plan." With my arms on my sides and my chest out.

Gawain and Madelyn are giggling to themselves behind Lyn, while she is fuming.

"Hmph. We'll see how long you can last without me planning out your steps." She says with a frown.

I put a hand on her head and ruffle it.

"I can't go anywhere without my strategist!"

Lyn looks at me with a bright smile and then I feel a slight pinch on my neck.

"Percy, why do you have a child on your back? Don't tell me you kidnapped her!" Lyn says looking surprised, while Madelyn walks up to talk her off my back.

"Now, now Lyn. There's no need to be so aggressive with him. I'm certain he has a good reason. Right, Percival?" Madelyn says with a smile that isn't really a smile. "He might be her dad." Gawain decides to add to the conversation.

I feel a chill when he says that. Lyn is glaring at me, while Madelyn is looking at me with a neutral face. 'Uh oh.'

The child on my back with her infinite wisdom decided now was the time to chip in.

"Dad!"

"Wait! Hold on! I just saved her from the building on fire. Her mother died in the fire and the villagers didn't want to accept her."

Lyn puts away her sword, wait when did she pull it out. Madelyn and Lyn walk over and look at the child.

"Come on little one." Lyn says holding her hands out expecting the kid to turn towards her.

"No! Staying with dad!" Lyn starts to sulk hearing that response, while Gawain starts laughing loudly.

"Great. I'm a dad already…"

I grab her off my back and put her in front of me while I sit down. I move to push her hair off her forehead to see the mark the villagers were talking about, but she stops my hand.

"No!"

"I promise you that I won't leave you no matter what."

"No!"

"How about this then. I show you my secret and you show me your mark?"

"You go first!"

Pointing towards my eyes I say "Watch." I show her the lion brand in my eyes and give her a smile.

"See? That's my secret."

She starts shaking with excitement and she rushes me for a hug.

"You're branded, kid? That explains the strength and skill…" Gawain says to himself. Madelyn and Lyn look on confused at the conversation.

While the little kid is hugging me, I move her hair covering her brand. What's hidden beneath was the brand of a dragon. Behind me, Gawain lets out a breath.

"I know, Gawain." I nod and then turns back to her. "What's your name?"

"Athena."

'Whoever named her knew what the brand on her forehead meant for her future.'

"Alright, Athena welcome to the team."

Lyn comes up behind her and ruffles her hair.

"Welcome to the team, Athena." She says with a smile.

Athena's eyes tear up. "Thank you!" She goes back to crying.

"We're going to have work on that though."

Madelyn comes up behind me. "So, you're her father?"

"I suppose I am now." Little did I know I had my work cut out for me.