After that day, Ryuji would end up becoming more and more acquainted with the Helstea family as they were close with Arthur and he trained out in the open at Xyrus Park.
Quite quickly, everyone recognized Ryuji's immense physical strength, even though he hadn't awakened his mana core yet.
He usually would help the Helstea's move in supplies and other rhings whenever he was out training and taking breaks. They never asked for his help, but Ryuji was the type to simply help if he could.
In fact, when his friends had chances to leave the Academy, they would often end up helping him do things for the community.
While it wasn't as much fun as they wanted to have, as nobles and people from high standing families, they gained praise within their family and from the community.
While it did seem like people lost interest in him and his family after realizing they were commoners, most people simply looked past it.
As the weeks passed and became months, Ryuji was learning much more about the world and gained many new interests outside of simple magic.
Rune Language and Magical Engineering.
Firstly, he gained an interest in Magical Engineering ever since he first stepped foot into Xyrus. While there were many things that looked similar to the machines back in his old life, there was also many things that weren't.
Along with the different mechanics of these machines, Ryuji was incredibly interesting in the idea of mixing ideas from his past life and his current life.
However, with the level of books he could get as a child, he wasn't really learning much.
On the topic of Rune Language, there wasn't much to be said. He could barely find any books on things like spell forms and whatnot.
He didn't give up though and with the Helstea's 10th Anniversary Auction coming up in a few months, he was sure Vincent would be able to give him some more advanced books.
For now, he focused on his training and spent as much time with friends and family as he wanted.
….
"Yuji, now's your chance!" Hearing Ryan's callout, Ryuji leaped from a rooftop at the same as a black cat, was jumping onto it.
'I've got you now!' He thought as he reached out towards the cat, but with insane maneuverability and agility, it ran along his arm and jumped off his head onto the rooftop.
Chase caught Ryuji with his wind magic before he could hit the ground and the boys could do nothing but watch as the cat ran along the rooftops and ducked off into an alleyway.
"It's been a week and that cat still dodges me!" Ryuji spat with an evident irritation.
"I'm more surprised it dodged my wind magic so easily. I could've had it, but it jumped right before the spell fully manifested." Chase explained as he scratched his head.
"We'll definitely get it next time!" Ryan said with Dante huffing in agreement. Although he was practically useless here since his fore affinity might just kill the cat.
As Ryuji looked up at the boys around him, he thought that even though it's been two years since they became friends, they still hadn't changed.
Still though, it's a bit awkward for him being the youngest in the group by such a huge margin.
Ryan was now 15 with Chase and Dante being 14. It was at times like these that their family was starting to put pressure and more responsibility onto them since they were now getting to that age of maturity.
On the orher hand, Ryuji had 5 more years before responsibility even thought of knocking at his door. Even then, Ryuji didn't actually think about it too much.
As he and his group of friends walked around Xyrus there seemed to be a commotion going on nearby.
"I wonder what's happening?" Dante muttered as the three stopped to listen. At the same time, a women had spotted the group of boys and immediately rushed towards them.
"Yuji, there you are! You need to go stop your father before he does something irreversible!" The woman warned as she huffed for breath.
At that moment, Ryuji's heart skipped a beat. It was either intuition or reasonable suspicion, but he knew that the other party involved had to be a noble. If he was right, then it's over for his family!
Without a word, he jumped onto a rooftop in one bound and had already shot away from the group.
"Chase, follow him!" Ryan shouted as he turned to the woman.
"Where are they?!" He hurriedly aksed the woman.
"They're at Sword&Shield, a few blocks down!"
Wordlessly, Ryan and Dante sped off with mana strengthening them to catch up to Ryuji and Chase.
….
'What the hell is dad thinking?! We're fucking commoners, there's no way we can cause trouble with nobility or ANY prominent figure for that matter!' Just thinking about it, made my heart race!
Then again…if this situation had anything to do with my mother….
"YUJI, SLOW DOWN! DAMNIT, I'M NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE USING MANA!!"
I could hear chase shouting behind me, but I ignored him. I had to see what the issue was with my parents!
From the height I was at, I could see a crowd forming around a weapons shop and there were guards already involved!
I could see it clearly!
My father in handcuffs, as a man dressed in fancy clothes yelled at guards to take him away.
'No!' I dropped down from the building and shoved my way through the crowd! I was small, but they couldn't resist my strength.
"MOM! DAD!" I shouted for them the moment I saw my mother.
"Ah, this is even better. Now look at your son and realize your mistakes! You'll never get to see him again, all because you couldn't come to an agreement on something as simple as a manaless woman!"
Watching the man point at my mother as he spat his bullshit, I felt my thoughts suddenly go blank.
"What the f-" Before I could even finish my sentence, I just barely saw my dad's leg whip across the air and slam into the nobles face.
His body was blown off of his feet as he flew through the glass windows of the shop behind him.
"I already spared you the first time, so do yourself a favor and just shut the fuck up." Andrew said as he looked towards his family.
"I'll be away for a while, so look after your mother." He said with a smile.
"That's enough, get in the fucking cage!" The guards said as they proceeded to use mana to throw him into the cage.
I watched as my mother moved towards the wagon to say goodbye only for the wagon to speed off. Leaving her stunned. As I looked up at my mother's face, I couldn't tell what was going on behind that blank expression.
"Now, how about you-"
"Cease your yapping this instant!" I turned my head and saw Chase along with Ryan and Dante moving through the crowd.
"Who's bastard is this?"
"You dare insult the second son of Duke Monroue?! Give me your name!" Chase commanded. Watching the beaten up man shake so much just from hearing his house name made me realize, Chase really was of higher nobility.
'Maybe he could do something for my dad!'
"I-I hail from house Dilord. M-M-My My name is…J-Joseph Dilord!" He stuttered as he dropped to both of his knees.
"I'm deeply sorry by troubling you with this commotion! You see that COMMONER that was just taken away wouldn't agree with me on a settlement! He even put hands on one of my guards!" Joseph shouted.
I opened my mouth to say something, but was cut off by Chase as he stepped forward, just one foot away from the man.
"I'll have you know that COMMONER is the father of a VERY close friend of mine. If it weren't for the fact that your family had close ties with the Valeris family, I'd do whatever I could to make you legally responsible for this matter. However, I'll be reporting this to my father. Get up and go about your business." Chase said as he walked away with a sigh.
'That's it…?' I thought, watching the noble named Joseph get up and stammer away with his guards.
'That's really it?'
Chase put his hand on my shoulder and gave me a faint smile.
'The fuck are you smiling for…?'
"That's it…?" I mumbled, watch Joseph and the store owner argue.
"Huh?"
"You heard me! I asked if that was it?! THAT MAN JUST HAD MY FATHER SENT AWAY FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG AND THIS IS ALL YOU CAN DO?!?!"
"Eh? I-It's tough for me too. I'm just-"
"BULLSHIT!! I CAN DO MORE THAN THAT!"
'Yeah, right now! He's not far away at all, I can do much more than that!' Just looking at him use a healing bead made me want to rush forward and tear-
Suddenly my world went dark, but I hadn't passed out. I knew it was my mother's hands, covering my eyes and holding me back in some way.
"Sorry for the disturbance everyone. I can make the payment for your shop repairs as well, Mr. Mace. Thanks for your help, Sir Chase, it was greatly appreciated."
Listening to my mother apologize to the people around and even apologizing to Chase on my behalf made me sick to my stomach.
Even with her hands trembling as she was on the verge of erupting into tears, she kept her composure at the current time.
Why was she acting as if this was her fault? Everyone here seen it and he even admitted to trying to buy her like a slave! How could they just sit here and let her apologize like it was her fault!?
Is the Valeris family so powerful, that nobody wants to get on bad terms with even the related families?
Were people so spineless?
'….'
"Sorry, Chase. That was really immature of me. Thanks for your help." I held my mother's hand over my eyes, not wanting to face the friends in front of me.
"It's fine, you're still a kid, so it'll happen." He said, laughing it off awkwardly.
I couldn't say anything. Instead me and my mother silently left Xyrus and went home.
Once we got there, my mother went to her room and within a few minutes the sound of things being thrown around and gasps for air between sobs reached my ears.
It hurt. Hearing my mother crying so much when I've almost never heard her crying in the first place struck me like a train.
I found myself in my room with tears flowing down my eyes. The tears were simple sadness for my mother feeling the way she did now.
However, as I looked across my room and into the mirror I saw those same eyes filled with a different emotion.
Pure Rage.
I was definitely going to get my revenge.