'With this, I can consider some of my problems solved.'
Leonard thought this while riding in his carriage. The Pope had asked a few more questions and then dismissed him for the time being. It was the Pope's final words that let Leonard know his plan had worked:
"Don't tell anyone else about this. I'll address this matter with both of you soon."
Leonard's plan was built on the premise that the Pope would not want the affair revealed. To Leonard's luck, the Pope seemed desperate to keep the matter quiet, but Leonard couldn't depend on the Pope forever. Once he officially turned eighteen, he would be of legal age. With the Pope's status, he might eventually try to change the story and claim the affair only began when Leonard reached adulthood.
Although Leonard was facing problems now, once he reached the age of eighteen, those problems would only increase. He had to secure a strong standing now while he still held the advantage of his age.
***
In a large grass field, two people were slowly moving toward each other. The one to the left had short black hair and brown eyes; he wore a black shirt and baggy black trousers. To the right was a youth with long blonde hair and golden eyes, wearing a similar outfit. Both were slowly closing the distance between them.
Leonard took the initiative. He took wide steps, closing in on his opponent. The man didn't move back. Once Leonard was close, the man shot his right leg at Leonard's abdomen. Leonard raised his left leg to block the attack, then shot his right fist at his opponent's face.
The man dodged and moved a few steps back, but Leonard charged again, shooting his right leg at the man's calf. His opponent wasn't able to dodge in time and let out a pained groan. The man raised his arms to guard his face.
Bang!
Leonard changed his trajectory from the man's face to his stomach. Letting out another pained groan, the man staggered back and fell to one knee.
"I accept defeat," the man said, despite being short of breath.
'One person isn't enough,' Leonard thought. He glanced at two other men watching the fight. "You two, attack me with this man."
The two nodded and slowly walked up to Leonard.
Tap, tap, tap.
Leonard charged at them. Seeing Leonard approach, they moved back slightly and took on defensive stances.
Swoosh!
One of them threw a punch at Leonard's face. Leonard's reaction time was fast; his body moved to the left, dodging the attack, and he shot his right leg into the man's stomach.
"Urgh..." The man let out a pained groan and fell to his knees. Leonard quickly moved past him to the last standing man. Instead of throwing a punch or a kick, Leonard simply tackled him, lifting him off the ground before dropping him hard.
'And that's three.'
Leonard let out a heavy breath. He was good at hiding it, but he was tired. 'I can fight three men without tiring too much.'
One week had passed since the meeting with the Pope. In that week, Leonard had not done much; he spent his time training with assigned instructors. In three weeks was Lady Beatrice's banquet, and Leonard needed to find a suitable gift for her. Leonard and Melissa had not gone to church since Leonard's talk with the Pope, and neither the Pope nor Ariana had contacted him.
Leonard was still clueless regarding the power the Witch of Time had given him; there were no signs of it yet. His only visible sign of progress was his Qi, but it improved at a slow rate. Fighting three normal people wasn't hard for him, but if they had weapons, it would be a different story. Fighting someone with a Rank was currently out of the question.
Today was a party held by the Astra family. Leonard could guess it had something to do with his previous body.
"That's all for today," Leonard said, leaving the three men behind.
He walked back to his mansion, bypassing the servants. On his way, he saw Melissa seated on a small white couch, sipping tea and flipping through a newspaper. Leonard took a pocket watch from his left pocket. He still had plenty of time to prepare for the party; the event was to be held in the afternoon, and the current time was only 5 AM. Both Leonard and Melissa were to attend. Although it wasn't as mandatory as Lady Beatrice's banquet, they had to attend to save face.
"Anything interesting?" Leonard asked.
Melissa glanced at him and replied, "There's an interesting section describing some guy from the slums who killed a Feather."
Leonard's head tilted slightly. 'A Feather dying...'
"Did the person by chance have Qi?" Leonard asked, leaning in close to Melissa to see the newspaper.
"Not much is known about this person, but he comes from an ordinary family," Melissa said. She added, "I'm not sure about the specific details."
"I see," Leonard muttered as he looked at the newspaper.
It was hard to believe what he had just heard. A Feather was amplified by a spell cast by a Mage. For a normal person to kill a Feather was like a small cup of water killing you—it was possible, but incredibly hard to believe.
"Tell the servants to prepare breakfast. What I normally have," Leonard said to Melissa as he left. Melissa gave him a nod and continued reading.
'Could this have anything to do with my death?'
Although the two cases didn't seem linked, Leonard felt a connection between them. He simply lacked an explanation for how they were connected. Then, Leonard had a shocking thought.
'Could it be...?'