“Back then,” Bram explained, “when the apostle attacked. Our village wasn’t spared. My father… didn’t make it. After that, me and my ma’ had to fend for ourselves. Without the head of the house, money wasn’t easy to come by. So, even though she didn’t want to, my mother had to remarry to someone in the village. He–” Bram turned silent for a moment. “–wasn’t a nice person.”

Levi turned silent as they walked through the streets void of any people. Only the flickering lanterns above cast a dim light upon the streets.

He wasn’t a genius, but Levi could figure out what he was saying without him directly saying it. His step-father had abused either his mother, him, or both. Good riddance.

Levi didn’t want to say that, so he just nodded along. “Whatever happened, I’m sure he deserved it.”

Bram replied with a smile and ruffled Levi's hair. “Come on, let’s get back. We’ll turn in the reward in the morning.”

***

Upon reaching the inn, Levi excused himself and dashed to his room. He practically leapt through the door, closed it, latched it with 3 locks then sat right there in front of the door.

He answered the call of the Round Table and like water through his fingers, the call vanished. He had missed it. His heart thumped against his chest, his hands turned clammy.

The thoughts of having been turffed out of his golden pot didn’t feel good. No, he was panicking. Would he receive the summons next week? He dreaded it.

In the end, Levi forced himself to calm down. It wasn’t the end of the world, and he doubted that if he missed one meeting, the lord would cast him aside. Everyone at the Round Table had lives of their own. What if they were in a crypt? Even spending 5 minutes within the meeting could result in a death, or a backstab.

I will be summoned next week, Levi thought in an attempt to assuage his fears. So, with great struggle, Levi fell asleep.

***

Levi woke up the following day. Bram had left later that night to let the police know what had happened. And although it was done purely out of self defence, Levi couldn’t help his heart from smashing against his chest.

Would he be imprisoned? Sent to the chopping block? But when his mind settled on being thrown into a dark, jail cell to rot. For some reason, that felt like a fate worse than death.

This was meant to be his new life, and he was going to just have it ruined like that?

It was the crack of dawn, yet Levi couldn’t sit idle. He had a System held firmly in the palm of his hands, and he had to make the most of it. He was wasting his time here, he had to go out and fight, hunt, and Level to grow stronger.

With the unsurety of imprisonment hanging in his mind, Levi quickly gathered his things in his backpack. He made certain that his krag lantern was fastened to the side of his bag, and sneaked out the door to his room. Like a thief, he crept down the hardwood floor. Creak. Creak. Every step he took, the floorboards groaned in protest under his weight.

God dammit, I’m not that heavy.

Just as he was about to reach the stairs, he peered down into the main inn hall. Sera, Gregory, and Bram all looked up at him. They were all sitting on a round table with plates of food sitting on top. Levi smelt the aroma of coffee and cooked meat.

Oh. Coughing, Levi shakily made his way down the stairs and approached the adult trio. “Good morning,” he said awkwardly.

“Going somewhere, lad?” Gregory asked with a smile adorning his face, egg yolk spilled on his stubble.

Levi chuckled. “I was just going out for a stroll, actually.”

“Levi,” Sera’s face was serious. “You don’t have to worry about what happened last night. Everything is settled. But how are you feeling?”

“I’m okay,” Levi said, sitting down at the table, picking up a slice of crispy bacon. He chewed, tasting the salted, smoky meat. Only now did he realise just how hungry he was. In a matter of seconds, he practically devoured all that was on the plate. Bacon, eggs, tomato, square sausage, fried bread. It was exactly like a full English breakfast back home. It was the breakfast of champions.

“So–” Gregory leaned in. “What was the plan? Run away on your merry lonesome lest the police come and drag you away?”

“Anything is better than being in a cell,” Levi mumbled in between mouthfuls of food. He washed it down with a swig of Gregory’s coffee.

“I was enjoying that.” Gregory pouted.

“Actually,” Levi swallowed, took a breath, then looked at the trio seriously. “I want to go alone for a while.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“What?” Sera exclaimed, her brows raised.

“Levi–” Bram added.

“I know,” Levi explained. “I know it’s dangerous. Last night only reaffirmed that idea. I need to go my own way. Until I get to the academy, that is. How much time until the year starts?”

“4 months,” Sera said. “But, this is crazy. I can’t allow this.” She folded her arms.

“Now, now,” Gregory said. “Let’s hear the boy good and proper. Why do the events that transpired last night make you want to go out in the wild on your own? We can train you, like we’ve been doing. Things like hunting, fighting, Bram can teach you all of that in time. I like a good idea lad, but you’re not making any sense.”

Levi nodded and thought for a second. He couldn’t tell them that he had a System, that he could use it to fight and Level up. That he needed to be alone to use his relic to avoid so many questions. Sure, he could say that his mother had given it to him, or he had found it in the house, but that was a lie. Gregory could, and would, detect it like the stench of garbage in an enclosed room.

In the end, he could only rely on his young age once more. “I need to.”

“Need?” Sera tilted her head, then laughed. “You want to, Levi. You’ve acted so mature until now. This is a hasty decision, and I won’t accept it.”

“I don’t know the rules of me joining your family,” Levi said. “I don’t know If I’m restricted, or if you can command me to stay, but I need to go on my own. For now. I want to experience and learn on my own. Grow my own initiative. Those nobles of the Church of War, they sent their children into the wilds. To ascend, or fall. I wish to go through the same thing.”

“Those children don’t have a choice, Levi,” Sera said, clearly becoming irritable. “What you’re asking… At 12 years old, it just isn’t possible. I won’t allow it. If you… died. That blood would be on my hands.”

Levi scrunched his toes further into his leather shoes. This wasn’t going how he had planned. But, was it ever going to? He was a top genius now belonging to the Lindar family. Sera would have to have something seriously wrong with her if she allowed him to head off into the wilds on his own.

So he had to make a concession. “It will just be throughout the day. Two days at the maximum, then I’ll return. I’ll spend as much time here as I can before heading to the other towns and cities on the way to the Imperial City when the day of the Academy approaches.”

Sera turned silent. It seemed that that request was more reasonable.

“Well,” she said. “That’s better, but still.”

“If it’s only for a couple days at a time,” Gregory added. “Then what’s the harm? Levi survived a week or longer on his own in Beron. Greenkins are more vicious than most monsters in this vicinity. I think it would be a good training exercise for him. It will teach him to hunt and rely on himself.”

“He has what it takes,” Bram added from the side.

“Well, if it’s only for a few days…” she said hesitatingly.

“And I don’t want Bram guarding me in the shadows,” Levi reminded her.

Sera shifted on the spot.

“Right then.” Gregory clapped. “Then if the lad’s going to be hunting, he needs a weapon of his choice, don’t you think? Let’s head to my favourite shop in town: the smithy.”

***

Gregory guided Levi and the others through the streets with a hop in his step. He truly was looking forward to entering the blacksmiths.

Levi couldn’t help but glance at Sera, as she was doing the same to him. He understood her worries. If something happened to him, it would be an enormous loss to her, and her family. Yet from that, he could see the care she had for him. She listened to his requests, even as absurd as they were.

Stopping in front of a shop, Levi could tell it was the smithy from a mile away by the smell of iron that wafted through the already opened metallic doors. The heat surged from within, but for Levi, he didn’t mind it one bit, of course.

Entering, he was greeted by the clang of hammers against metal, a symphony of craftsmanship. The walls were adorned with rifles and revolvers, each intricately engraved. Blacksmiths, a good distance behind the front cover, faces smeared with soot, worked tirelessly at roaring forges, shaping red-hot iron into elegant weapons. Shelves held bayonets, sabres, and daggers, while mannequins displayed elaborate, Victorian-inspired armour, gleaming under the workshop’s fiery glow.

Levi wondered why they would work in the same shop as where they sold their goods, but maybe it was just a speciality with this smithy.

Gregory was already in front of the firearms, taking hold of the pistols. He was like a kid in a sweet shop.

“So,” Bram said. “What weapon do you have your mind on?”

The older man with grey hair, and a long beard behind the counter, seemed to recognise the trio as he approached Gregory who was busy plucking weapons off the wall.

“I’m not sure,” he replied. “I think it’s between a spear, a longsword, or a hammer? I don’t know. What do you think, Bram?”

“Because of your height, my advice would be a weapon with greater reach. A spear would be a good choice; one with heavy metal to make use of your strength from your bug Sway.”

Levi nodded along. As Bram had the most combat experience, he decided to take his words into great consideration. Levi searched the entire shop, picking up some of the more expensive weapons within as they held the best metal, and were the heaviest to utilise his strength.

He tested out a few spears, but felt it… lacking. Thrust, and that was it. There was little variation in attack, and although that specific attack was very potent, what if he was in a citation where that wouldn’t work? What would he do against armour?

He needed something versatile.

It wasn’t until he got round to the ‘war’ section of weapons did he truly feel at home. He picked up one of the more expensive weapons. It was a polearm; a big hammer head on one side, a beaked, curved blade on the other, and it was finished off with a savage spike at the top. There was also another, shorter spike on the other side.

Levi thrusted with it, swung the hammer end, sliced with the beaked end. It was heavy, and not too tall like the other adult spears, either. It was perfect.

“You like it lad?” The old shop clerk arrived. “It’s called Hammer Thorn. Made of good, pure krag iron. A rarity in these parts. It’s a weapon designed for war, no matter what enemy you face, it can do it all. People might look at you funny walking around with it in the streets, though. Banned in some parts, too, as it’s registered as a weapon for war. You’ll have to bundle it up when in cities.”

Levi nodded, gazing at the weapon in amazement. “I want it.”