Ancient Pasts - Tbate

Twin horns

Reynold's Leywin Pov

As I absentmindedly took a sip from my cup of coffee, a scalding sensation startled me out of my daze. Vincent and I were seated around the small table on the outside patio as we discussed some business plans for the Helstea Auction House. The topic had shifted towards the security parameters and how we were currently approaching the stages where it was necessary to completely restructure and enhance the guard teams. 

Alongside capable nonmage adventurers, we had recently managed to recruit a few long-range augmenters, making up an extremely powerful addition to the security. While it was still widely prevalent for augmenters to go the melee route due to functionality and ease, ranged augmenters, like archers and crossbowmen, continued to be a much more powerful asset in defensive settings. Vincent poked at me a few times whether conjurers should be employed for the upcoming event. 

"Hmmm... I know how beneficial it'd be to have conjurers that could set up barriers and help support the augmenters, but I'm against it. " I took another, more careful sip from my cup. 

"You mind elaborating? You just said how helpful it'd be to have them," he rebutted as he rhythmically stirred his tea. 

Setting down my cup, I replied, "If we're just talking about firepower, I'd be all for it, but you know it's not as simple as that, Vincent. It would affect team morale having even a few conjurers in a team of augmenters. You know how snobby most conjurers can get. I swear they think they're angel incarnates; most of them think of augmenters as some sort of primitive beasts for using their hands to fight. Even if we do manage to find a few that aren't so rotten, the team would start thinking we're hiring conjurers because I don't trust them. "

Vince's gaze was focused blankly on a stained smudge on the table; it was obvious what he was thinking. "You have a point. I left you completely in charge of the security aspects, so we'll go with what you say, but we need to be sure the 10th Anniversary Helstea Auction goes well. Even the Royal Family will be there this time. We can't let any commotions get too big. "

I simply nodded in agreement, giving my friend an appreciative smile. 

"Oh right! We need to take your sons with us to the Tenth Anniversary Auction. They had mentioned Arthur wanted a sword, right? I didn't know you had taught them how to use the sword. I expected the boys to take after you on the infighting style you're so good at with your gauntlets. "

"Sigh. I never taught them how to use the sword, Vincent. They already had a grasp of sword fighting since they were four years old," I let out, disbelieving the words that came out of my mouth. 

"You can't be serious... Lilia was still scared to go down the stairs by herself when she was four," a bewildered Vincent sputtered. 

I continued, "They learned by watching me train and reading books on swords. Vince, that's not even the part I care about. It's when we spar, though. Their gaze when we practice, their reactions, and their fighting style. I don't feel like I'm sparring with my nine-year-old sons. It feels like I'm fighting some veteran swordmasters. The only reason I can handle them right now is that their bodies are still immature, but the way they react to my moves... it's something that only comes with decades of experience in life-or-death fighting. "

"Mmm... I can't say I don't know what you're talking about. I sometimes find myself wondering if your sons are only nine. Are you scared of them, Rey?" he asked seriously. 

"No. That's one thing I've become more and more sure of. No matter what, they're still my sons. I know they care deeply about their family, too and that's all I could ask for as their father. "