The sound of snoring can be heard in Michael room.
Michael was currently laying on his back, fast asleep, breathing deeply.
Beside him in his bed,Jeanne was curled up, her arms wrapped around him in a tight hug, her face pressed against his shoulder.
She'd woken up sometime in the middle of the night, climbed out of her sleeping bag, crawled into Michael's bed, and promptly fallen back asleep while clinging to him like a koala.
With Michael completely oblivious to that.
But for someone like Michael, he would be subconsciouslly happy with it, due to him enjoying his life as it is.
----------
Meanwhile - Downstairs
----------
(Edward's POV)
I sat at the kitchen table, with a glass of wine in hand, staring at nothing in particular
It's currently morning.
And I'm drinking wine,as usual.
Enjoying the day.
I took a sip.
Man this is so good.
Not to mention with my beautiful wife across me.
Now some might be concerned about me drinking wine a lot.
But in my defense, it's a very nice wine.
Giulia sat across from me, sipping her coffee, looking far more relaxed and better than I am. And probably having a better liver.
"You have a mission in a few days, right?" she asked.
I nodded. "Yeah. Dad asked me, heck i already notified my workplace. Told them I'd be 'sick' for a few days."
She smiled faintly. "The perks of being self-employed."
"Exactly."
She set down her coffee cup. "What's the mission?"
I leaned back in my chair. "Report came in from Dad's network,of a dragon sighting. Potentially dangerous,so an investigation is needed."
Giulia's expression shifted to a concern look across her face.
"A dragon?"
"Yeah, some civilians spotted something flying and reported it,which is... not good. Dragons are supposed to stay hidden, if normal people are seeing it, either it's reckless, injured, or something else is going on."
"Do you know what kind?"
I shook my head. "Not yet. That's why I'm going,and I'm going with some Reconnaissance personnel first. After our confirmation we'll decide how to handle it."
Giulia reached over and squeezed my hand. "Be safe."
I smiled. "Come on Giulia,you don't need to be worried,I'll be fine. What's the worst that could happen?"
...
I paused.
"...I'm jinxing myself, aren't I?"
Giulia's lips twitched. "Yes...Yes, you are."
I sighed. "Great."
She chuckled softly and took another sip of her coffee. Edward goofiness was something she always loved about him.
After a moment of comfortable silence, she spoke again.
"Anyway any news from our friends? Or anyone else?"
I tilted my head. "Which friends? My parents and your parents know so many influential and famous families. Not to mention the amount of friends i have,You're going to have to be more specific."
Giulia smiled. "I guess... the Charlemagne family?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Charlemagne? As in, the Charlemagne bloodline?"
"Yes."
I let out a low whistle. "Last I heard, their daughter is growing up quite well. Though I still don't understand how that family manages to keep such a low profile considering their lineage."
I took another sip of wine.
"But then again, who am I to judge? My family descends from Templars and magicians. We're not exactly subtle either."
Giulia laughed. "Fair point."
She set down her cup, her expression turning thoughtful.
"We should bring Michael to meet them sometime. It would be good for him to know other children from... well, from families like ours."
I considered that.
Meeting different families for Michael to meet and experience with.
That's... actually not a bad idea.
Thought considering things,it would be a bit hard for some family but compared to most people who don't have any connections , it's much easier.
Michael's already friends with Jeanne. And now Lavinia's going to be part of the family.
Expanding his social circle with other kids from supernatural or historically significant families could be beneficial.
Plus, it's good to maintain alliances.
I already have someone in mind,my old good buddy, Alexandre the descendant of the Artagnan, which he recently had two daughters. I'll probably talk to him if possible.
I nodded. "Agreed I'll set something up and also tell Mom and Dad."
Giulia smiled. "Ok."
We sat together in companionable silence, enjoying the quiet morning.
Upstairs, two children slept peacefully, Michael completely unaware of what his parents are planning.
For now, he was still a kid.
And that was enough.
-------
Meanwhile - Great Britain
-------
(Lavinia's POV)
I woke up early, sunlight streaming through the window of my new room.
My room.
I still couldn't quite believe it.
I climbed out of bed, clutching Mochi, and padded downstairs.
Grandma Vivienne was already in the kitchen, preparing breakfast.
The smell of fresh bread and tea filled the air.
"Good morning, Lavinia," she said warmly when she saw me.
"Good morning, Grandma," I replied, smiling.
She gestured to the table. "Sit down. Breakfast will be ready soon."
I sat, watching her work.
This feel like home.
After a moment, I spoke.
"Grandma?"
"Yes, dear?"
"When can I start training again?"
She turned, smiling. "Eager, are we?"
I nodded. "I want to get better,and stronger on using magic."
Vivienne's expression softened with pride.
"After breakfast, we'll continue. I'll teach you more about controlling your energy. And we'll start working on your Sacred Gear."
My eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Really."
I hugged Mochi tighter, excitement bubbling in my chest.
I'm going to work hard.
I'm going to get strong.
So I can protect the people I care about.
Grandma set a plate of toast and eggs in front of me.
"Eat up," she said gently. "You'll need your strength."
I nodded and started eating, my heart full of determination.
--------
Later - Training Session
--------
I stood in the garden, with my hands raised, focusing on the warmth inside my chest.
I remember what Grandma told me.
That is to feel the energy.
Let it flow around your body.
A magic circle then appeared above my palm still wobbly, still unstable, but stronger than yesterday.
A flame flickered to life.
"Good," Grandma said, standing nearby. "Now hold it. Keep it steady."
I concentrated, willing the flame to stay lit.
It flickered. But then i concentrated more ,and soon the flame quickly enlarged.
"Excellent." Grandma smiled. "You're improving quickly."
I felt a surge of pride.
I'm doing it.
I'm really doing it.
"Now," Grandma continued, "let's try something new. I want you to summon your Sacred Gear. Consciously. Not just when you're scared or upset on command."
I blinked. "Can I do that?"
"You can. It's part of learning to control it. Right now, it responds to your emotions. But with training, you'll be able to call it whenever you need it."
I nodded, taking a breath.
Alright, let's try it
I closed my eyes and reached inward.
Thinking about the ice doll
She's always there with me, protecting me as Michael said.
I focused on that presence cold, quiet, watchful.
Come out.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the air grew cold,as the grass started to freeze.
I opened my eyes.
The ice doll stood beside me, tall and silent, her six hollow eyes fixed on Grandma.
I gasped. "I did it!"
Grandma smiled looking at the ice doll with fascination. "Well done, Lavinia. That's a significant step."
The ice doll tilted her head slightly, as if acknowledging the praise.
I looked up at her, feeling a strange sense of... connection.
The fact she's part of me.
And I'm part of her.
"Now," Grandma said, "let's work on controlling her movements."
And so, the training continued.
---------
Meanwhile - With Michael
---------
(Michael's POV)
I woke up slowly, still groggy, due to my posture as the shine of the sun,hit my eyes.
I soon tried to stretch.
But i can't .
Something was blocking me.
Huh what ?
Something... fluffy.
I blinked my eyes open.
And noved it with my freed arm.
And froze, i realise Jeanne was in my bed.
Right next to me.
Arms wrapped around me in a death grip, face pressed against my shoulder, sleeping peacefully.
...
Oh.
That's why I can't move.
I stared at the ceiling.
You know, normally someone would panic or scream like in those anime scenes.
Jumping out of bed.
But this is Jeanne. The person I've spent a lot of time with.
And considering her shenanigans,and the thing that she does ,I'm not even surprised anymore.
Still.
Can she let go of my arm?
I tried to gently pull my arm free.
But Jeanne's grip tightened.
Causing me a bit of pain.
Ow.
Why is her grip strength ridiculous!?
I pulled harder.
She didn't budge.
Seriously!??
She's ASLEEP and she's STILL this strong!?
I considered my options.
I could use a wind spell. Gently blow her hair or something. Wake her up subtly.
But... that might startle her.
And a startled Jeanne is a dangerous Jeanne. Don't asked me how i know that.
And after some time.
I made up my mind.
I sighed internally.
Guess I'm stuck here until she wakes up.
Which could be... I don't know when.
I don't even know her sleep schedule.
Does she wake up early? Late? Does she sleep for twelve hours straight? Since she appears like actual magic.
But i know for a fact it's not magic.
Since well i know actual magic.
But overall i have no idea.
I resigned myself to my fate and stared at the ceiling,waiting.
And i don't really mind about it.
Then I heard footsteps.
The door to my room opened.
The person who entered was Mom.
Thank God.
Looks like help has arrived.
Mom stepped in the room, carrying a laundry basket, and paused when she saw us.
Her eyes went wide.
Then she giggled.
"Oh my," she said softly, clearly trying not to laugh too loud. "That's adorable."
I tried to raise my other hand and asked for help.
Which i whispered
"mom....i need....your....help... please"
But instead of doing what i asked
She pulled out her phone.
And i know what she's going to do.
No.
Mom, NO.
Click
She took a picture.
MOM.
"This is going in the family album," she whispered, still grinning.
Meanwhile she doesn't even bother helping me.
This is a Betrayal.
Complete And Utter Absolute BETRAYAL.
I gave her the most desperate look I could manage.
Help Me.
Mom just smiled, waved, and quietly left the room.
Closing the door behind her.
DAMN YOU, MOM.
I thought i could trust you more than dad.
I lay there, trapped, staring at the ceiling in defeat.
I've been abandoned.
Left to my fate.
Betrayed by my own mother.
-----
A few minutes later
-----
Jeanne stirred.
She mumbled something incoherent, shifted slightly, and her grip on my arm loosened.
Finally.
I carefully very carefully pulled my arm free.
Jeanne's eyes fluttered open.
She blinked at me, confused and rubbed her eyes.
"...Mikey?"
"Morning, Jeanne."
She looked around, realizing she was in my bed.
"Oh." She sat up, rubbing her eyes. "I climbed into your bed, didn't I?"
"Yeah."
"Sorry." She yawned. "Your bed looked comfy."
That's her excuse?
"It's fine," I said, sitting up and stretching my now-free arm. "But next time, maybe stay in your sleeping bag?"
She grinned sheepishly. "I'll try."
She won't.
I know she won't.
I sighed and climbed out of bed.
"Come on. Let's get breakfast."
"Okay!"
She hopped out of bed, completely unbothered, and followed me downstairs.
----
Downstairs
----
Mom was in the kitchen, humming cheerfully, clearly in a very good mood.
Because she got blackmail material for my future self.
Thanks, Mom.
Instead of helping me you decided to be evil.
"Good morning, you two!" she said brightly.
"Morning, Mom," I muttered.
"Morning, Mickey's Mom!" Jeanne said cheerfully.
Mom set plates of pancakes on the table. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yup!" Jeanne said, already digging in.
I shot Mom a look.
She just smiled innocently.
I see how it is.
Dad walked in, newspaper in hand, wine in the other....as usual.
He glanced at me, then at Jeanne, then back at me.
Then he grinned.
Oh no.
"So," he said casually, sitting down. "I heard you two had a cozy night."
MOM TOLD HIM.
Oh come mom
"It's not-" I started.
"Very cute," Dad continued, still grinning. Oh i hate you so much dad.
"Your mom showed me the picture."
I'M GOING TO DIE OF
EMBARRASSMENT.
Jeanne, completely oblivious somehow ,just kept eating pancakes.
I buried my face in my hands.
This family is the worst.(Well not actually)
----
Later - After Breakfast
----
Jeanne and I sat in the living room, playing games again.
But my mind kept drifting about the current live im living.
Experiencing childhood again,playing with friends,eating breakfast,rhen playing games again,and being spoiled and getting teased by parents.
It's... nice.
Really nice.
But part of me knew it wouldn't last forever.
Considering things like the supernatural is out there, taxes as well. Which i actually fear more on taxes.
And I'm somewhat part of it now.
Whether I like it or not.
I glanced at Jeanne, who was completely focused on the game, tongue sticking out in concentration.
But for now...
I'll enjoy the time i have.
With my best friend.
I smiled and turned my attention back to the game.
Yeah.
This is good.
----------
Meanwhile - Great Britain
----------
Lavinia stood in the garden, the ice doll looming beside her, as Grandma Vivienne instructed her on controlling its movements.
"Good," Vivienne said. "Now, try to make her move. Just a few step."
Lavinia focused, reaching out with her mind.
The ice doll shifted.
One step forward at a time
Lavinia gasped. "I did it!"
Vivienne smiled. "Excellent. Again this time make it move around."
"Got it, Grandma"
Lavinia then ordered the doll to move around,and it did. Immediately the doll rushed around the garden, moving at an incredible speed for its size.
Meanwhile Vivienne smiled seeing Lavinia progress.
With Lavinia having a wide smile seeing what she's doing.
"Good " Vivienne said.
And the training continued.
----------
A day or two Later....
----------
(Michael's POV)
Mass was finally over.
I stood outside the church with Jeanne, both of us waiting as our moms finished talking with their friends.
The eternal conversation of the Great Gossipers"just five more minutes" that always turns into thirty.
I glanced at the group of women chatting animatedly Mom, Jeanne's mom Charlotte, and a few other mothers from the parish.
They were discussing summer vacation plans.
Summer vacation,man it's crazy thinking about it, which two whole months of freedom. Which I'll be honest is mind boggling for me considering the most vacation i had during my entire past life school was a whole month.
I felt a mix of excitement and mild dread in some way.
Now the reason why i'm kind of worried is that Mom might sign me up for some kind of camp.
Like those outdoorsy adventure camps where you're forced to make friendship bracelets and sing songs around a campfire.
Which please understand i somewhat dislike considering due to my adult mind they're a bit less fun,not to mention i dislike singing.
Please, no.
Though realistically, that was unlikely.
Mom knew I preferred staying home and spending time, reading, playing, having fun with Jeanne And now magic training.
Yeah.
I can use the vacation to increase my magical proficiency.
Practice spells. Read Grandma's notes. Maybe experiment with spell creation.
That sounds way better than camp.
Also you might noticed that Sister Griselda and Gabriel weren't here today.
They left.
I'd overheard Mom mention that Sister Griselda had returned to her home country.
Wherever that is.
I still don't know.
And Gabriel went with her, I guess.
Part of me felt a little disappointed. They were nice people.
Gabriel especially.
But they're probably busy with Church stuff.
Dad wasn't here either.
He was on a "business trip."
Or whatever he's actually doing.
Knowing this family, it's probably something supernatural related.
But I'll ask Mom or dad later went he's back.
Jeanne tugged on my sleeve, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"Mikey!"
"Huh?" I was startled by Jeanne.
" You wanna go Swimming !?" she said excitedly. "Later! At the pool in town! "
I blinked, then smiled. "Yeah, sure. I don't mind."
I actually really liked swimming in my past life. Heck i often go swimming every week at the public pool or my granduncle swimming pool. Though after awhile he stopped cleaning it.
Overall swimming is really fun it's good exercise,relaxing,and enjoyable not to mention it doesn't make you super sweaty.
"Yay!" Jeanne bounced on her toes. "It's gonna be so fun!"
"Just don't try to drown me," I said dryly.
She grinned mischievously. "No promises."
Great.
I'll have to be careful, when swimming.
Meanwhile Finally...finally the moms finished their conversation.
The Council of Married Ladies has adjourned,and disbanded for this week.
.
Charlotte walked over, smiling. "Alright, Jeanne. Time to go."
Jeanne nodded and turned to me. "Bye, Mikey! Don't forget our plan to swim later!"
"I won't forget."
"Good!" She hugged me quickly, then ran off to join her mom.
I waved as they left.
Mom walked over, looking content. "Ready to go, tesoro?"
"Yeah."
We headed to the car and climbed in.
As Mom started the engine, I asked, "How long is Dad's trip, anyway?"
Mom glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "Two or three days. Maybe less depends on how things go."
"Is it a business trip?"
She paused for just a moment barely noticeable, but I caught it.
"Something like that," she said lightly.
Translation: Supernatural mission.
Got it.
"Well," I said, "I hope it goes well."
"Me too, sweetheart."
She pulled out of the parking lot, and we headed home.
I leaned back in my seat, staring out the window.
Dad's probably fighting something right now.
Maybe dragons,demons,rogue magicians.
Who knows.
Just... be safe, Dad.
-------
Meanwhile - With Edward who's now somewhere else in France
--------
(Edward's POV)
The forest clearing was chaos.
An evil dragon fifteen meters long, scaled in dark crimson and black, eyes burning with malevolent intelligence thrashed and roared as my team surrounded it.
The dragon was the dragon that was reported by civilians.
Which arriving at the place,i had myself and operatives reduce the area on where the dragon might be.
And eventually we found where it's located via drone.
My operatives were doing their jobs well.
Templar Knight Operative with some being Magicians (yes that sounds weird) begin launching a coordinated spell barrages, keeping the dragon's attention divided. While some other use themselves as bait.
While some armed specialists fired enchanted rounds from cover, each bullet inscribed with runes designed to pierce dragon scales. Which i made myself, they're actually prototype.
Soon several bullets and spells strike the dragon.
But it wasn't enough.
The dragon was strong.
Not a top high class thankfully, but still a serious threat.
And it was way too close to a nearby town barely three kilometers away.
There's a chance it might attack the town without our intervention.
If it breaks through our perimeter...
Civilian casualties,exposure of the supernatural ,will ensue and that will be a complete disaster.
I'm not letting it happened.
I stood on a raised hill overlooking the battlefield, arms crossed, analyzing the situation.
The dragon's favoring its left wing, probably injured from the initial ambush.
Good.
But it's still alive and definitely still couls fight.
One of my operatives a young magician named Laurent got too close.
The dragon's tail whipped around, faster than expected.
CRACK.
Laurent was sent flying, crashing into a tree with a sickening thud.
"Laurent!" someone shouted.
I raised my hand. "Medic! Get him out of there!"
Two operatives rushed forward, dragging Laurent to safety.
Damn it.
This is taking too long.
I stepped forward, raising my voice.
"Dragon!" I shouted, my voice cutting through the chaos. "Leave this area immediately, or surrender! Those are your only options!"
The dragon's massive head swiveled toward me.
Its eyes gleamed with malice and amusement.
And then it laughed.
A deep, rumbling, mocking sound that echoed through the forest.
"Hahaha....Surrender?" it sneered, voice like grinding stone and smoke. "To a human? A mortal? You amuse me, little knight."
It spread its wings, flames beginning to gather in its throat.
"I am Vrakthar, spawn of the ancient wyrms! I bow to no man!"
I sighed.
Of course it has a dramatic name.
They always do.
"So," I said coldly, "you've chosen death."
My expression hardened.
Dozens of magic circles materialized behind me layered, spinning, glowing with concentrated magical energy.
But these weren't standard offensive arrays.
These were mine.
Custom-designed,optimized,built from years of experimentation and combat experience. Not to mention it being one of the rejected thesis i had shown at grauzbaurer.
I cracked my knuckles, rolling my shoulders.
"Haven't killed one of you in a while," I muttered. "But let's see if I've gotten rusty."
I thrust both hands forward.
"Elemental Converging Drill"
The magic circles rotated rapidly, and multiple elemental streams fire, lightning, wind, and ice spiraled together, merging into a single devastating helix of destructive energy.
The attack soon shot forward like a drill, tearing through the air with a high-pitched screech.
The dragon roared and raised its wings, as it saw the attack ,and immediately attempted to block or dodge the attack.
But the attack still hit and straight up punched through its defenses.
BOOM
The dragon was sent crashing backward, scales cracking, smoke rising from the impact site.
It snarled, shaking its head, blood dripping from its mouth.
Huh i need to improve that later...
"You... DARE!" The Dragon Roared.
I didn't give it time to recover.
I raised one hand, and a new magic circle appeared this one larger, more complex, with rotating inner rings inscribed with runes of binding and suppression.
"Sanctified Chain Prison."
Holy chains erupted from the circle, wrapping around the dragon's limbs, neck, and wings, pinning it to the ground.
The dragon thrashed violently, fire spilling from its jaws as it tried to break free.
"RELEASE ME, HUMAN!"
I ignored it and began chanting.
words flowed from my lips smooth, practiced, precise.
Another magic circle appeared above the dragon, this one shimmering with golden light.
This was also one of my personal creations.
A hybrid spell combining elemental magic, holy energy, and Gravity compression spell
"Impulsing Light ."
The circle pulsed.
The Dragon soon felt an increase in gravity that is more powerful than he ever felt.
Golden light condensed into a single point above the dragon as the elementary spells also fused into the point.
As it's charges and then dropped on top of him.
CRASH
The compressed attack detonated in a blinding explosion of light and force.
As dozens of silencing and spatial spells appeared through prevent anyone from hearing or seeing what's happening.
The dragon meanwhile screamed.
The ground beneath it cracked and cratered from the sheer pressure.
When the light faded, the dragon lay on the ground, breathing hard, its scales scorched and cracked, blood pooling beneath it.
But it was still alive,and clearly conscious.
And glaring me with hatred.
I walked forward slowly, drawing my sword.
The blade ignited with holy light, burning brighter than before.
"Last chance," I said evenly. "Surrender Or die."
The dragon's eyes burned with defiance.
"I... will never... submit... to humans..."
I raised my sword.
"Then you've made your choice."
_____________
About Jeanne considering it's been somewhat shown that descendants of hero,or people who inherited spirits of hero, or in Siegfried case his baby tube clone have benefits like maybe better physique, abilities, talent,or something special.
So Jeanne in a way is somewhat more physically stronger than Michael currently,also considering she inherited the spirit of Jeanne d'Arc, some benefit she has include good at boosting people morale,fierce,sharp and quick witted,and also has a righteous temper. Though currently some benefits hasn't appeared yet.
And yeah this Jeanne won't joined the hero faction unlike in canon, which is pretty obvious, so her balance breaker might be different.
Also to note Michael actually qualifies as a descendant of a hero due to his ancestry. But the benefits is a bit different compared with Jeanne. And a bit more unique.
Also about the hero thing and actually about hero faction thing i have already some idea about them, which i have some plotline to make for them,not to mention to expand about them.
Also i may have written somewhat a few names of oc for me to make of famous people whether them being a descendants or something like that and will be involved in the story though they will be not joining the hero faction.
See ya in the next chapter 👋
- AgentByteGOC