Lucien grinned as he watched his master pull the trigger. The bandit let out a pained scream, instantly releasing him. No way was he dumb enough to stick around after that.
Wasting no time, Lucien grabbed Clorinde and ducked behind a log, staying out of their master's way.
"You okay?" he asked, concerned.
"Yeah, just a little bruise," Clorinderesponded.
"Good."
He then turned his head back toward the fight—well, what seemed like a fight.
"Oh, how long do you think they'll last?" he mused.
"Ah, I'd give it a minute," Clorinde said with a smile.
Few moments later…
SHEESH!
Now that was epic.
Watching his Master take down those criminal scumbags was the most exciting thing to happen—well, aside from getting beat by his sister.
Wait, no—I meant sparring with my sister!
But seriously, how the hell is Clorinde so good at fighting? Like, bruh, she must be a genius or something… or maybe I'm just a loser.
Just you wait—once I'm older, I'll overpower you for sure.
He shot Clorinde a side-eye.
But honestly, he'd pay to see fights like this any day.
Better than having nothing to do but train. He shuddered at the thought.
Lucien and Clorinde continue to watch closely from behind the log, excitement gleaming in their eyes, completely forgetting the part where they had been beaten earlier.
Then, a shudder ran down his spine. He cringed at their Master's dramatic declaration—"I am the protector of justice."
Clorinde started giggling at that, but he couldn't bring himself to do the same.
How could She say that with a straight face? She even looked completely serious while saying it.
GODDAMN IT, Master! Could you at least come up with a better line?!
He sighed. That's my master for ya.
His attention shifted back.
Okay, these guys are just plain dumb. Are they seriously going to throw—
KABOOM!
Yep. No brain cells whatsoever. Did they not see Master shoot the last one with perfect accuracy?
They 100% deserved that beating. After witnessing this, how the hell do they even come back from such an embarrassing moment?
"Now, listen up. I don't have all day. Run off now, or I'll finish you here," Petronilla said, her tone leaving no room for argument.
The defeated bandits struggle to their feet, stumbling away in disgrace.
"Good riddance," Lucien whispered.
The figures faded into the distance until they were no longer visible. His mind began to wander.
What the hell were these guys even doing here in the first place? They weren't far from Plaisir, and with the number of officers around, it didn't make much sense. Were they really just trying to rob?
Lucien frowned. Something about this felt off.
Normally, criminals avoided towns with heavily stationed officers.
He shrugged. Well, it didn't matter now—Master had already taken care of them.
They wouldn't be coming back anytime soon.
"Okay, you two, no need to keep hiding," Petronilla called out to them.
Lucien and Clorinde rushed out from their hiding spot, making their way toward her.
"Master!" they both shouted in unison.
Petronilla looked down at them, her expression softening. "Are you two okay? Any injuries?" she asked.
Clorinde shook her head. "I'm fine," she assured her.
Lucien nodded. "Same. I'm fine."
Petronilla watched them carefully before continuing.
"Good," she said, patting their heads. "This is the part where I'd normally have you two go train… but I almost forgot—we need to clean up the place first."
"Clean up?" Lucien asked, puzzled.
"Yes. Don't tell me you already forgot about going to the Court of Fontaine," Petronilla replied, amused.
How could he forget?
Lucien quickly turned to Clorinde. "We gotta go! Let's clean up—now!" He grabbed her hand, pulling her along.
(Petronilla POV)
Petronilla watched as Lucien and Clorinde hurried back to the house.
Her attention shifted back toward the direction where the criminals had scattered.
Her information had been correct. They had been lurking nearby, just as the locals had warned. But lately, their activity has been increasing.
"I wonder why…" she muttered to herself.
Those useless officers—what's the point of having them around if they can't even catch criminals.
They had been causing havoc for a while, and yet the authorities still hadn't been able to catch them.
Petronilla's sharp ears picked up the sound of Footsteps rustling along the dirt path.
she smiled, knowing they wouldn't get far now.
A squad of men and women in Gardes uniforms marched forward, accompanied by Gardemeks. Their hands rested near the hilts of their swords as they scanned the area, eyes sharp and alert.
"Mademoiselle, would you happen to know if any Treasure Hoarders have been around here?" a young officer asked her.
"Well, you're a bit late, but they ran off in that direction. If you hurry, you might be able to catch up—they're injured after picking a fight with someone way out of their league."
Petronilla flashed a fake smile.
The officer paused, taking in her words, then his eyes landed on her Vision, prominently displayed.
Nodded in understanding, he turned to his squad. "Men, come on! They went this way!"
They all stormed off in pursuit of the criminals.
"Useless," she whispered under her breath.
Turning back toward the cabin, she exhaled sharply. She hadn't expected them to be in danger. It seemed she had been—what was the word? Ah, naïve.
They weren't old enough to defend themselves yet.
Her gaze landed on the knife she had given Lucien, lying abandoned on the ground.
"I can't leave them on their own just yet," she murmured to herself. Looks like my trip to Liyue will have to wait a little longer.
(Lucien POV)
How could he have completely forgotten that they were leaving?
The past month had flown by in the blink of an eye. He was eager—his life back on Earth had been miserable. Growing up in LA, especially in the neighborhood he called home, was far from pleasant.
But seeing how beautiful this world was in the game—and now actually living in it—oh man, he could hardly contain his excitement.
He was geeking out, of course—he loved video games and world-building. But now, he couldn't help but wonder: do domains exist? Just thinking about it made his mind race.
But then his thoughts drifted back to the moment when he and Clorinde had gotten roughed up. Damn, he really hated feeling useless—it was an awful feeling. He had to shake it off though; there was nothing he could've done. Still, it was stupid to try to fight them in the first place. It was a hard lesson—pick your fights carefully.
He turned his head, watching his sister gather her things into a small bag. She didn't have much, but she wore a serious expression—one that made him feel like she was probably thinking the same thing he was.
Even so, a child shouldn't be going through this…
Wait a minute.
Something just occurred to him. He and Clorinde were children, which means…
ARE THERE SCHOOLS?!
He started to panic. No way was he going through that hellscape.
"What's wrong with you?" Clorinde asked, noticing how pale he looked.
"Oh, nothing at all. Just a little nervous, that's all," Lucien quickly brushed it off.
Shoot, how dumb could I be. If there's some form of education in this world, I'm going to crash out. There's no way I'm going back—never!
Shaking off those thoughts, he quickly moved to pack his most important belongings into his luggage. Not that they had much to begin with—just clothes and… oh, right, his schematics!
He hurriedly gathered the scattered sheets of paper, stuffing them into his bag before anything got left behind.
And then wait shoot I feel like I'm forever something before he could realize what it was
A knock echoed at the door.
"Forgetting something?" Petronilla asked, leaning against the doorframe with the knife she had given him in her hand.
"I knew I was forgetting something!" Lucien said, rushing toward her and reaching out for the knife. But she moved her hand just out of his reach.
"Never leave your weapons lying around carelessly," she warned. "Treat them with respect, got it?"
He nodded in agreement.
She handed him the knife, and he carefully put it away, ensuring it was secure.
"Oh, right, Master, quick question—are there any forms of education here?"
"Oh, in fact, there are."
NOOO! He wanted to cry.
I should have kept my mouth shut.
"According to Fontaine's laws, once you reach the age of five, both of you must attend school to educate yourselves… but you two don't have the proper paperwork. Luckily, you don't need it for public education."
Groaning, he fell to his knees, looking up as he pressed his hands together in desperation.
"Master, I must not go! I beg of you!"
"Brother, stop being so dramatic," Clorinde said, giggling as she watched the scene unfold.
After Lucien finally calmed down, he realized the education here might actually be simple—nothing like the high-level stuff his old life used to cram into his brain.
So he could only hope and pray… or maybe just skip it altogether. His master probably wouldn't mind.
Petronilla clapped her hands together. "Now, enough of that. I believe it's time for us to get going."
With their luggage ready, they stepped outside, pausing to take one last look at their home.
"What are you going to do with this place, Master?" Lucien asked, glancing up at her curiously.
"I'm selling it to a young couple," she replied.
"Now, let's head off."
Petronilla tilted her head slightly, the corner of her lips lifting as she turned toward the path ahead. Her coat swayed as she led the way toward Plaisir.