Chapter 27: You're Victoria's Son Aren't You?

Raegar watched the scruffy-looking bandits pass under him, causing him to think with a chuckle, 'They look like your standard outlaws. This world is amusing.' Following that, he quickly recast Enhancement as he felt it running out and jumped down before creeping up on the last man. While doing that, his mother's words sounded in his head as the nerves started taking over. 'We are the highest and they the lowest. It is our duty to lift them up as high as they will go. Anything less is simply not worthy of our name,' she said. 'Bandits, outlaws, criminal and monsters deserve no mercy my boy!' He steeled his growing nerves when hearing her words, his grip tightening on the daggers as he internally hyped himself up. 'I've fought plenty of people before, but never with death this close. This is it, the leap I need to take to become a stronger Aether Mage.' His pulse quickened with fear, but also determination. It was do or die, and he wasn't about to back down. Without waiting, he rushed up and slashed the bandit, which brought him down with a scared yelp. This caused the others to spin around and spot him standing there, giving them an eerie smile that made them stop moving. Raegar chuckled when seeing this before ramming his dagger through the man's skull, only to feel the skin, bone, and brain matter through the blade, which made him wretch. 'No time to feel sorry for him. I need to act,' he thought as the bandits launched their attack, forcing him not to think about his first human kill. Raegar moved like a blur, his daggers flashing as he deflected the man's attack as the enemy thrust a spear at his stomach, but he battered it away only for it to be followed by dozens of attacks with practiced skill. Minutes later, they were slow, their strikes almost sluggish compared to his lightning-fast reflexes honed over many years of tough training. Each movement flowed into the next, his speed overwhelming them as he weaved through their attacks with ease. A confident smirk tugged at his lips.'Their not as strong as the father or the old man. "This will be easier than fighting that Razorhorn beast,' he thought, twisting his hand to make one man drop his sword. When seeing this, Raegar Flash Stepped close and slashed the shocked bandit across the neck, causing blood to spray all over him. Following that, the others attacked and when their blades connected, sparks exploded as he blocked the attack. The force staggered him back under the relentless barrage of strikes, his feet carving deep grooves in the earth. His daggers gripped tightly as he steadied his breath, his heartbeat pounding like a war drum. 'Breath like grandfather taught me,' he thought while blocking the swing of a sword and dodging a beefy axe that passed over his head. Then it hit a chilling prickle down his spine. Two more auras, closing in fast from behind, planned to attack him from behind. Danger surged in his mind. Just as their attacks were about to land, he vanished, Flash Step propelling him out of harm's way in an instant. Raegar reappeared in a flash and slashed across the backs of the two men's legs, sending them crashing to the ground in agony. Wasting no time, he unleashed Stormfire Bullets that ripped through their leather armor, leaving smoking holes in their chests. 'Two down. Two left,' he mused as blood covered his arms and blades. He readied himself as the remaining bandits charged him, their screams of rage echoing through the forest. The first swung wildly, but Raegar sidestepped with ease, his blade finding its mark as it drove deep into the man's chest. The bandit coughed up blood while staring into his eyes and muttered before the light faded, ''You're a skilled warrior boy.'' Without missing a beat, Raegar turned to the last bandit, his free hand crackling with energy. He unleashed a devastating Lightningfire Blast; the spell igniting the bandit in a roaring inferno. The crackling flames consumed the bandit's last screams, leaving Raegar standing in the aftermath of his victory, but his blood covered hands trembled, and his breath came in uneven gasps. ''Fuck, I feel sick,'' he muttered before doubling over and retching violently, but something deep down woke up. He wiped his mouth with a trembling hand, his gaze fixed on the ground. The weight of his actions pressed heavily on him. This felt different from the journey to his grandparents as it was deeply personal because the horrible pain and worry for Yuki wasn't there. ''I can't believe I killed someone,'' he whispered, his voice cracking. Then, as if trying to convince himself, he muttered, ''They were scum who would have hurt the merchants. They didn't deserve to live, but I ended their lives.'' The nausea returned in waves, and he retched again until there was nothing left. Gasping, he pulled out his waterskin and took a long gulp of cold water, hoping to steady himself. But the memory of the man shook him once again. Raegar remembered the fear, the desperation, flashed in the man's eyes, hit him like a dagger to the gut. His stomach twisted, and he bent over once more, consumed by the weight of his first kill. ''It's not like before when I wasn't paying attention,'' he whispered to himself. Ten minutes later, he felt better and started looting the bandits of anything valuable, like the loot goblin he had become. A while later, he had found two gold, twelve silver and twenty copper coins, along with some Health and Mana Potions. 'This will be useful in the coming weeks,' he mused. Afterward, Raegar sank down, his body heavy with exhaustion. The weight of his first proper fight with humans had drained him more than he expected. He leaned back, his chest rising and falling as he took slow, deep breaths, trying to steady himself. While sitting there, catching his breath, he made a silent vow to himself. 'I'll start working out every morning and night,' he thought, his mind already set on the goal. He spent some time there and ate some monster meat before heading toward the road to see how the caravan was holding up after the attack, where he spotted a few carriages surrounded by adventurers. When the men spotted him appearing from the treeline, they pointed their weapons at him until a deep voice rang out. ''Stop where you are young man,'' a large man dressed in plate armor said as he stepped out from the crowd. ''Were you fighting the bandits?'' Raegar stopped short when seeing the stranger who had dark skin, orange hair and tiger ears that twitched in all directions. He shook his head as it was the first time he'd met a tiger demi-human and answered, ''Yes. There were six trying to attack you from this direction. I killed them all a little while ago.'' When the tiger man heard this, his green eyes lit up with interest as he questioned, while motioning to some adventurers who rushed into the treeline, ''What are you doing wandering around in the Bloodfang, young one? It's dangerous out here.'' ''Training, it's something the young people do in my family and tell me about it. I've been getting chased around by a nest of Forest Widows with a grudge,'' he answered as the caravan started packing up. ''Family? What's your name? I'm Ranthar Crowhurst. Captain of the Silverspear Guild,'' the stranger introduced himself while holding his hand out. He returned the gesture with a firm grip. ''I'm Raegar Blackwood.'' The tiger man's eyes widened in shock, then he burst into laughter that echoed across the forest. ''What a small world we live in, little Blackwood! I'm a friend of your parents. I used to adventure alongside them when we were younger before becoming a caravan guard.'' Raegar stood frozen, his mind racing at the situation, as it was weird to him because he didn't know this man. He hadn't expected this, didn't know what to say in response. Before he could gather his thoughts, Ranthar bellowed, ''Sister! Get your tail over here, now!'' Moments later, he spotted a tiger woman in her late twenties approaching them while dressed in leather adventurer's armor. His breath caught in his throat as he took in her beauty, 'Oh wow, her ears look soft,' he thought. Her wild orange hair cascaded around her face like flames, catching the light with every step she took. He found her mesmerizing. Her facial features were flawless, with a small, elegant nose, captivating eyes, and plump lips. Raegar couldn't help but admire the smooth, dark brown skin that glistened in the afternoon sun, glowing like rich bronze. The woman's tiger ears twitched, and her tail flicked from side to side. When her vibrant green eyes met his, they widened in surprise before speaking with a knowing smirk. ''You're Victoria's son, aren't you? Little Raegar Blackwood.'' This caught him and Ranthar off guard, while they were trying to think about where they met. An early memory popped into his mind when he was first born. 'Oh, it's her!' he thought with wide eyes. [Drop some powerstones, comments, and gifts to help the novel grow; I appreciate all the support you can give]