"Halt," sighed a guard. "You are causing a ruckus- hey! Stop!"

"No! I can't let him break it!"

"Is min'!"

"No, you gave it to me," shouted Kha as he sprinted past the perplexed guard.

Andrew stubbornly followed but felt a hand reach for the scruff of his neck. He did not stop. However, as the small hand grabbed at him, the hidden weight of the steel-laced, under-clothes took them both off-guard.

The boy toppled over fantastically in an inelegant flop. And atop him was another boy. Long, flowing blond hair in a silver suit. Yet, his face was not tranquility, but, rather, rage.

"Bastard! Why are you ruining my ball! I spent ages preparing for it, inviting all the finest of people to attend - just to have it ruined in one fell swoop!"

"Huh? Da 'ell you wan'?"

"Gods damn it! Who even invited you anyways," growled Salan as he dusted himself off.

Andrew looked at the boy inquisitively before he started to snicker louder. It was an incoherent laugh, but it served only to fan the flames of anger and malice in Salan's eyes.

"My boy," laughed a voice from above. "Shall we do it according to tradition?"

Salan's eyes gleamed as he noticed a wry smile on Lord Huren's face. Andrew was still laughing, but the other boy was already preparing a spell.

"Andrew! I'll tell you this just once: prepare yourself!"

Andrew kept laughing fitfully for a long while. Nevertheless, Salan fired off a small fire bolt towards Andrew. The various nobles encircled the two and were casually making defences to prevent the magic from running amok.

In Andrew's quietening laughter, he did not bother making a defence. Instead, he rolled on the floor as he continued snickering. After rolling from the blast radius of three fire bolts, Andrew lethargically sat down on a chair to steady his wavering vision.

"Why ya doin' dat?"

"Fight, damn it, just fight."

Andrew tilted his head before he instinctively responded with several balls of slushy water. It neutralised the common fire bolt and Salan's expression grew darker.

Six firebolts appeared in a second and shot towards Andrew. However, to him, there were at least thirty. Andrew cried out in alarm and tried to match them all. Some extinguished the flames, while others flew around disorderly.

Of the six, two managed to hit him. However, the concern for Andrew was lost the moment the relatively weakly bonded spell was overtaken by Andrew. With an exaggerated wave of his hand, he discharged the flames back and knocked over several wine glasses. One of which he hastily opted to drink.

Salan was furious and continued to pelt him with various fire spells. A three-meter long tiger appeared in a flickering coat of flames. Andrew's eyes widened at he looked at the fire-cat irritably.

"No! Bad kitty! Don't eat me!"

Yet, the tiger was already approaching Andrew. The boy staggered back and fell smoothly as the chair leant back. His arms wildly swung around, but only stray water spells were launched. By the time he hit the floor, he was already being rammed by the three-meter long tiger.

"Ha, you don't have anything on me, you brat," laughed Salan boastfully. "Just lay..."

He looked around and the other nobles began to smile wryly. Andrew was snoring loudly as the boy gloated. His boy was covered in various minor burns, but he managed to repel the flames just in time to avoid major damage.

"This is not over!"

"Salan," spoke Lord Huren irritably, "leave it for now."

"But, father-"

"Leave it. Where is this child's guardian?"

Keryzn stepped up and picked up the unconscious Andrew. The man wordlessly dismissed Keryzn and Rae followed soon thereafter.

Leya was torn about whether or not to go, but at the end, she decided to leave as well. With the one commoner's family departure, followed by an aristocrat's, the ball started to grow more empty.

After two hours, the rest of the patrons and party-goers were convened in the middle. Lord Huren, without his son, sent them off joyously as both Kha and Terra remained.

"W-what are you saying?!" Roared Lord Huren.

Kha looked over his shoulder suspiciously before heaved a heavy sigh. "He is not to be touched. We wish to test his resolve... and have the chance to receive appropriate compensation."

"That was the boy? It's been but a full year and so, of course, I'd remember him, but HQ is stopping their plans?"

"Yes and no," laughed Kha. "Delaying it. That is all. We have... well, no matter. Tell Yuol that he is being recalled back to Vinas. I will take his place."

"Excuse me," growled a voice from behind. "You'll be doing what now?"

"Five days," spoke Kha calmly. "That is how long you have to return to Vinas. And you know whose order is that."

Yuol grew furious at the notion. "Just wait, Blacktide, I'll see to it that that child is face-down on a street. You are not the only group that is under his banner, realise that."

Kha snorted, "true, but we are the most influential."

"Before or after the kid," laughed Yuol viciously. "Don't try your luck. He will suffer for that humiliation."

Terra raised a hand, but Kha stopped him.

"It would be simple, right now, yes," spoke Kha. "However, there are issues later on. Anyways, leave or face Tribunal."

Yuol left with six pale-faced assassins who reverted back to visibility. The three simply chatted for a short while before they left for their own separate ways.

Terra boarded a night caravan and was gone the day after. However, Kha remained and went back towards Andrew's family's temporary villa.

The night pressed on and the group seemed to chat amicably whilst Andrew slept at his father's side. Reva and Kate before looked concerned, but the man was drinking heartily and cooing over their newborn as the night progressed.

The next morning, the two families were on the road. Andrew, of course, carried a debilitating headache that was second only to his grief of losing such a fortune.

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"Mother... Mother... can I - can I?!"

Rae smiled gently and stroked the boy's hair. "Nope, not at all."

Keryzn grinned, "scholars have already found the locations of ninety percent of the items."

Andrew's face twitched as he jumped to his feet on the waggon. "Then ten percent! I can mak-"

"No," laughed Rae gently. "Just stop it. And what about that armour?"

Andrew looked underneath the blood-red cloak that was gifted by a sleeping assassin at his side. "Huh, just to prevent cats from running off with my limbs. It really, really isn't fun. The cows weren't so bad, but the cats... can I just please engrave it?"

Rae sighed quietly as she looked to Keryzn for help.

"One a year- Is that fair?" Spoke the man unassuredly.

Andrew's tears welled up and he pounced to his father's side. He wrapped his arms around the man who stood in shock. However, Andrew was imagining the amount of gold if he produced a good set of items. A set still counted as one in his mind.

After an awkward silence, Andrew's gasp woke the group. He disregarded their curious stares and started to replicate the mask he lost in the Lord's palace a year before.

It was nearly the same, but there was an artificial ageing to it. In addition, one of the horn covers were broken. Yet, it served to allude to how spiral horns could be fitted into a mask. Albeit, it required the ability to manipulate the steel, it allowed for the empty section to fill the spot where a standard set of horns would be.

"How about this!"

"No, too flashy," spoke Keryzn with a dismissive wave. "I'd say... jewellery or a pot. You haven't done much jewellery under that mask, so maybe try that."

Andrew sniffed and looked at the mask. However, he did convert it back to a lump of steel.

"Oh, Father, I want to get a few legendary-ranked spells so I need a certain book - I swear, I swear it is just for research purposes."

Seeing Andrew's frantic appearance, Keryzn prodded him forward. Rae looked at him with gentle eyes and already nodded.

"Uhm, you know that crazy old man? I promised to make a book that illustrates the text. Anyways, I don't know where to get one, but I can probably find it by myself later... Hello? What's wrong? Mother, why are you - owe!"

"No, I refuse," spoke Rae adamantly. "It is one thing to be leaving my son in an ancient ruin filled with vicious monsters for a year, but this? No. Keryzn, no."

His father bit his lip anxiously before he nodded with Rae. He jumped to her side to avoid the repercussions and the waggon remained in silence as Andrew begrudgingly worked on a new piece.

He knew of the insignia that Reva and Kate's father picked out after chatting with them on occasion. However, he wasn't sure how to broach the subject. Instead, he hesitantly, under his mother's eyes, pulled his father back to form a plan.

"I just want two items! Then I can... uh, get my contacts? Ah, that! And, yeah! Okay, sound good?"

"That is... surprisingly reasonable. It has some history involved too, but these guys?"

Andrew waved his hand dismissively, "pitiful, but they are to be my mi- ahem, nothing. Just play hero and beat them up... I'd prefer you didn't kill them."

"You... I don't even know," sighed Keryzn. He glanced at Rae who forced herself in the plan already "You think you can make them look realistic?"

Andrew grinned before suddenly stopping. "Hey! Leya shut the hell up! You're not even here!"

An exchange happened back and forth as the two caravans moved. However, Andrew slipped silently into the darkness as he neared one of his outposts.

-----

"Pitiful! Pitiful! You guys need to work on your assassin-esque skills, right Kha?"

"Yeah, it truly is amateurish," yawned the veteran assassin. "Anyways, I suppose we have a job for you lot. Who wants to keep the gold they made?"

They exchanged glances for a short while before a short, stocky man appeared.

"Why are you back, little one?"

Andrew's hands stood on his hips as he pridefully called out, "I have gathered you here for one purpose: to make money!"

There were several cheers in the background from those that were confused prior; however, Andrew added, "but you are too weak! I have a job for you then I will spend a month or two training you to become mages! Then you'll be able to rob all but the king's men. Oh, and if they say 'Great, Master, Amazing Blacksmith X' just let them go. That'll be the password, 'kay?"

The bandits were stunned into silence as they exchanged wry smiles. Andrew had already beaten up several newcomers so the rest naturally fell back in line. Granted, the tattooed, muscular one was no longer present, but the troop did expand to a terrifying degree.

"Alright, at day break you need to carry this, get beat up, drop it and run! Don't get caught! Oh, I guess you can sell this thing-a-gig."

Andrew hastily created another decorative pot and tossed it towards the stocky man. They stood in silence, but greed appeared in their eyes.

"I know your type," scoffed Andrew aloud. "I will help you all out if you become my minions, but I will destroy you if you don't! So be nice!"

The stocky man was the only one to approach more than five meters. He hastily bowed his head and Andrew snickered loudly. "Fat leader man, you shall be the first of my rogue minions! This comes with perks too, but control them! Make a new secluded town or safe-house somewhere. I don't really care where, but make sure I can find you!"

The bandits were stunned, but Andrew sauntered out of the camp. Suddenly a war cry was heard from behind and hundreds of bandits joined a march behind Andrew and Kha.

"Isn't this too much..." murmured Kha.

"Ah, Father'll find a way." He turned back to the troops and cried, "drop the bird thingy, get beat up and run! Then you'll be probationary minions! Got it!?"

"Yes!

"Understood!"

"What's a minion... oh well, yes!"

"Good, my rogue minions! We shall be off!"

Andrew and Kha stood ahead by a few hundred meters, but the raging tide of bandits was rather terrifying to most. Andrew had already alerted his family so only the Spring family was left in the dark. Even Leya was given some indication about it. Albeit, forcibly due to his mother's interjection.

After an hour's march, Andrew and Kha exchanged a glance and screamed.

"Ah, help us! Save me!"

"Please! Please!"

Andrew suddenly smeared dirt on the two of them, much to Kha's chagrin. However, the two sprinted from the troop towards the main road.

Andrew and Kha were purposely losing stride against the horde of bandits who played their roles effortlessly.

"What's going on," cried Mr Spring in alarm. "Bandits! Everyone ready the defence!"

Mrs Spring and Rae were loaded in the same carriage as four caravan guards protected them fearlessly. There were only two more that stood against the horde of over one hundred bandits. However, both Keryzn and Spencer were there to fight against it.

Keryzn show-cased low-tiered magic alongside the others. The bandits roared in fury as the first wave battered the four. Andrew and Leya begrudgingly got into the fight when Reva and Kate started to blow them all away with gale-force winds.

The battle raged for an hour, but the bandits surprisingly recovered all of their wounded. It was then that the stocky man appeared pointing a rather pitiful looking staff at Spencer.

"Die!" Roared the man as he charged towards the bandit.

However, the stocky man was surprisingly adept with the polearm. Since Andrew forced back the tide of bandits, he simply watched as the stocky man fought alongside the mana depleted noble.

The bandit received a light cut on both arms before he realised the rest of the troop ran away.

He growled furiously, "this isn't over, old man!"

As the bandit sprinted back, a small wooden box fell from his pocket. The others did not notice it, but Andrew smiled inwardly as the caravan guards and two adults helped tend to their wounds. Leya was also present as she and the girls pushed back the troop. They used their own respective spells to heal the guards and parents.

Everything all said and done, the four members, alongside guards, were too anxious and exhausted to question the events. Andrew rose a few stone walls to allow them to sleep in relative safety as the caravan was delayed. This, of course, was right next to the forested battleground. He purposely left the section dedicated to the Spring family to contain the box.

Granted, it took a full three hours to recover from their wounds. But it Andrew wanted to chase after the bandits and heal their injuries, but he decided against it. It was very close to nightfall, after all. It might be suspicious, he figured.

"Boss, Boss," cried one of the guards. "The leader must have dropped something!"

One of the caravan guards handed a wooden box towards their employer and watched curiously as the man opened up the container.

Reva, Kate, and Mrs Spring were all there as well and wore excited expressions as the man looked at the necklaces formed with an insignia ring acting as a pendant.

The necklace was a trademark of Andrew's. It was detailed with black and silver to look like small fissures. However, the ring was designed with a raven that stood with menacing red eyes. The maker's mark, of course, was there and the stone fort was silence more a long while.

Keryzn approached and murmured an illumination spell.

"Huh, not a bad bounty to bandits. Wonder how many people they had to hunt down to get something like that."

Spencer nodded dully as he tried on the ring. It was built to be purposely too big. However, the man simply transferred it over to his thumb.

His wide smile was infectious to all except Andrew and Kha who took the first watch. "It's... perfect. To find the necklace is one thing... but this.... this ring..."

Keryzn clasped the man's shoulder and laughed heartily. "Luck favours you today. I heard from my son, he had to defeat a few dozen bandits more before he could even find room to escape. Mind you, they should just be routed and well dispersed."

"Keryzn... please, give the necklace to Andrew as thanks. I don't want to see him unrewarded if he truly did do all that," spoke Spencer with a fervent gaze still locked on the picture-perfect insignia.

"It isn't his type. Mind you, I think I can find a way for you to reward him... I can't, but I can tell you the details later."

Spencer quirked his head and his extended hand was trembling. "What is it! I will do anything!"

"No word is to get out. About any of this, remember?"

"Of course. Now, please, please tell me."