Way of the Knights

Chapter 2: Reunion with Parents

This crown and Raven shared a very long history.

It was the one who never left him no matter what happened.

Right after the destruction the kingdom was the time he encountered it. At first he was completely oblivious of it’s uses, but when his blood was infused to it, they became inseparable.

It was this divine tool that allowed to reach the heights that he never thought nor dreamed of. It allowed him to see higher peaks and experience the view from the top, albeit briefly.

“You’re visibly weakened, which means I am right. It was you who sent me back. No worries. I will find a way to restore you, and we will face that ugly son of a bitch for round two.”

He whispered softly as he withdrew his vision away from the thing. He decided that he won’t be disturbing it right now since it needed to slumber, he will slowly nourish it once he began cultivating, that will help for it’s recovery to hasten.

While his mind was drifting somewhere else, he didn’t notice the faint traces of a heavenly scent that was creeping up inside his room. Once he inhaled the scent, he immediately felt a strong melancholic feeling. It was a foreign yet familiar. Tears began forming in the corners of his eyes once more but he wiped it immediately. No time for an emotional reunion, he just wanted to be happy.

*Grrrrlll*

“It seems that my stomach wants to be happy too.” A foolish grin could be seen on his immature face.

Indeed, the scent that he smelled earlier was due to his dear mother’s cooking.

He stood up from his bed and neatly arranged it. He then wore his indoor sandals and began walking towards the kitchen according to his memories. It didn’t take long before he managed to get there, he opened the door to take a peek at his mother.

Just from the view of her back, one could immediately tell that she is a fair woman. She radiated a mature aura as well as a dense motherly love. She was humming a tune while she was cooking, Raven almost cried when he heard this since this tune was very familiar to him.

It was the tune that his mother uses whenever she thought of him. Whenever she cooks for him, each time she lulls him to bed, each time she sewn the damages on his clothing, anything that she does for him will always be accompanied by this tune.

This tune was also the same tune he hummed to her when she ‘fell asleep’ and sent her to the ‘dreamland’, she ‘slept’ with a smile on her face.

Raven fiercely shook his head, he shook off all the distractions and vowed in his heart: ‘Never. Again.’

He silently crept up to her and wrapped his slim arms around her waist. His mother was surprised but she turned her head towards him, he just showed his cheeky grin and said: “Hi.” Which made her chuckle.

She stopped whatever she was doing for now and ruffled his hair.

“How is you’re sleep little guy? Do you feel hurt anywhere?”

Her voice sounded sweet, almost ethereal even. Her deep onyx eyes looked at him with love and tenderness as she asked about his condition.

“I’m good now Mom, and also hungry.” He patted his stomach as he showed a cheeky grin once more. His mother chuckled and pinched his cheeks saying:

“I’m not done yet, go with your dad first and I’ll call you guys when food is ready.” Raven nodded and kissed her cheeks. She just shook her head and went back to cooking.

Raven felt weird. He found it somewhat embarrassing to act like a kid but he is one. This was always how he acted whenever he’s with them. He had almost forgotten what it feels like but it feels natural to him as well.

‘Whatever. I’ll act according to how I feel. I’m a kid now after all, just an old soul.’

Wearing a foolish grin, he skipped around and went towards the back of their house where the yard is. He found another door and gently opened the door and saw a bare chested man holding a broadsword horizontally.

Like him, his father also had a black hair, albeit longer than what he had. His shoulders were broad and most of his facial features were inherited from him, even his temperament. This father of his was performing casual swings of his sword, but Raven could tell that there’s a profound meaning behind these ‘casual’ swings.

He was after all an old soul, his vision was trained into the point where he could easily point the weakness of a low grade battle art without any difficulties, if he seriously consider it he could even give them instructions that would allow them to see the path beyond them.

With one glance, Raven could see multiple seals around his father’s body. They were placed on his hands, shoulders, spine, thighs, legs and feet. These seals adjusted the weight around the area where they are placed. Each time his father swung his sword, the seals will adjust the weight on his limbs, making it extremely challenging to perform even a casual swing.

This is a very old way of training but it was definitely effective, but with his father’s current cultivation realm, this won’t be enough. He sighed and looked for a towel to help his father wipe of his sweat. He went into a corner and saw it, he also found an unfinished work of his mother.

It was his father’s military uniform, there was a hole on both of the sleeves. He could see that she was on the middle of sewing it since there was a ball of thread and a set of needles beside it.

Seeing this, Raven’s eyes shone. It was fated that since he experienced rebirth, he will disrupt the original timeline and destiny of those who were around him, and since it was gonna happen anyway, would it really matter if he started now or later?

He secretly stashed the needles on his pocket and picked up a towel and entered the back yard.

“Dad!” He exclaimed as he went inside. His father looked towards his way and smiled, he stabbed his sword on the ground and waited for him to come closer. As Raven did, his father placed his hand on his head and ruffled his hair.

“You fine now little brat?” His father’s voice was deep and full of vigor as he asked about his well being.

“Mn! I’m fine now!” He nodded in confirmation, he beckoned his father and said: “Sit, I’ll wipe your sweat, Mom would pinch my ears if I won’t do it.”

“Hahaha, then I’ll be on your care.” His father grinned and sat down with his back facing him.

Raven grinned and wiped his back carefully. He slipped his other hand on his pocket and placed needles between his teeth. He withdraw one and wedge it swiftly on his nape. His father lost consciousness right away, not even knowing what happened. He placed the towel down and lift up his sleeves.

“Alright old man, I’m gonna give you one hell of a boost. Slap the faces of those pigs in the army for me and show them what real talent plus hardwork means.”

Saying this, the pupils in his eyes changed. A golden corona appeared on it’s outer layers, it’s barely noticeable unless someone was really paying attention. His vision changed along with the appearance of this golden corona as well.

His vision was boosted by ten times, he could now see everything in a 180° angle clearly. If he chooses to, he could focus his vision onto a straight line and zoom in closely. A smile formed in his lips, he lifted one needle after another and poked it onto the acupuncture points on his father’s head and spine.

Once he’s done, he deactivated his vision and slumped onto the ground while panting, good thing his father was still unconscious or else his cover will be blown. Now he only had to wait until the treatment was done.

“Old Sam, you’re book is really amazing. Thanks to it, my father’s true potential will awaken and his foundations will be extremely solid. I just need to think of a solid plan so that I could give him a Cultivation Techniques plus some Combat Arts that suited him the best. Then he will really be unstoppable.”

Raven laughed in delight as he could see the foul air that’s drifting off from his father’s orifices. This treatment that he did to him was not only to cure any lingering damages on his body but also liberate his true potential. If it weren’t for the fact that he is trying to hide the knowledge of his rebirth to everyone, this process would be so much easier. Nonetheless, he succeeded in the end.

“Alright it’s done, time to wake him up and act.” He whispered as he silently crept up on his back.