Equipped: Armory of Legends

Chapter 5: Marylyn Cross and Oscar Black

Seasons change, the snow melts and flowers bloom, time passed and another year greets the people of Etterra. Early morning in the Cross family county, 4 year old Adrian is running towards his parents room.

Knocking on the door politely,

“It’s me, the eldest son of the Cross family”

“Come in” a sweet voice replied cheerfully

Entering the room, Adrian saw a few servants preparing breakfast, his father at the edge of the bed looking anxious while holding the woman’s hand, and the said women, his mother Amanda whose belly is pregnant.

Yes, she’s pregnant. Adrian noticed the signs since his parents prepared his own room last year, the free time he got until he rarely met his mother and the obviously expanding belly. Adrian did not care and play dumb like a normal child.

He is also very excited to get a little sibling. He always wanted to be a big brother. In his past life, he is a little brother. He hates being the younger one in his past life. His sister is annoying but she was always been with him along his childhood.

Reminiscing about his big sister made his eye a bit teary but he uses his sleeves to wipe it off. He don’t want to look strange during breakfast. Sadly, it was noticed.

“What’s wrong eldest brother? Why are you crying? Are you sad that you can’t have mommy’s milk anymore?” Amanda tease him while letting out a smirk.

“No, that’s not it. It is just the spring pollen got in to my eyes and I stop drinking mom’s milk 2 years ago” Adrian retort her while feeling embarrass reminding of those dark days.

“Fufu… your little sibling will be born in the spring season. It is to be expected next week. You need to man up against pollen. Your little sibling’s birthday is in spring, what is a little sibling birthday without the eldest attending.” Amanda chuckled and gave him a reminder while patting Adrian’s head.

After the maids finish setting up and serving breakfast on a makeshift on bed table, they left the room.  When Adrian is about to start eating, he saw his father staring into the distance. Amanda notice this and call him back to earth.

“DARLING!” After calling several times Amanda finally get a response.

“Huh.. What? Yes?” Malcom blurted out

“Darling, please don’t worry so much. I will be with you. So please sit down with us and have breakfast or Adrian keep growing up without you even notice.” Amanda spoke kindly while inviting her husband to the table.

“Uhh… yes, I’ll be joining. Adrian here’s an advice from your dad while you are growing up, don’t make an impossible promise or you will suffer from it. Thank you, Amanda. I hope it would not be too complicated.” Malcom spoke after easing his tension form his wife words.

Adrian is puzzled by the sudden advice. He did not mind it but still take the advice to heart.

“Yes dad.” Adrian replied while quickly finishing breakfast.

After finishing breakfast, he went straight to the library to continue studying. He picked out advance topics such as elemental theory, Etterra history & legends, mana theory and nobility studies.

Managing to breeze through basic knowledge is all thanks to his experiences from his past life.

With Ralph’s help, Adrian managed to gain understanding quickly especially in nobility studies. To him, nobility studies is the most burdensome subject to learn because it does not help him towards his goals but he had to pull through.

Months of knowledge gathering, over a thousand of parchment used, Adrian manage to collect and compile them all and turn it into his own books. He titled those books weirdly like “Monsterpedia” and “Algebra”. Tittles that can only found in modern vocabulary.

Those books are now stored on the shelves of his room. Ralph only assists Adrian on the process. He saw the book tittles but shrug it off assuming it’s just children’s gibberish.

A week then passed, the Cross mansion is busy on helping with the preparation of the upcoming baby.

On the second week of a new year spring, another cry of a baby is heard throughout the Cross family mansion halls.

“Congratulations count and countess, it is a healthy baby girl.” Said the same old maid servant that help deliver Adrian when he was a baby.

“Haah… haah… thank… haah… you…” Amanda thanked the maid servant while gasping for breath. Although it’s only her second pregnancy, she did not shed a single tear during the process but she had to admit it is still so tiresome and painful. She reached out so the maid servant can hand her the baby.

“Sob… Amanda you did it again. Thank you for making our family bigger” Malcom cried a bit. He was very happy to had another child and it is a daughter too but at the same time he is sad on what’s to come.

Amanda managed to calm down the crying baby and put her to a deep sleep in her arms.

Malcom leans in to Amanda and give her a kiss on the forehead and ask,

“What should we name her?”

“What about you name her? I give Adrian his name. You should try.” Amanda replied wanting to give Malcom a chance.

Malcom stood silently in deep thought. Suddenly after 6 minutes, he gave a name,

“Marylyn. Marylyn Cross. The name of my late mother who I unable to meet during I was born. Right now, I can meet my daughter that carries the same name” Malcom gives his verdict while shedding some tears.

“That is a beautiful name darling.” Amanda gave a big smile to Malcom while praising him.

“Thank you everyone for your help again. You all can get some rest and please call Adrian to come inside.” Amanda added while dismissing the old maid servant and the helping maids.

After the servants left, Adrian came rushing in ignoring his noble etiquette.

“Mom, Dad, is it a little brother or little sister?” Adrian asked excitedly

“Meet your new little sister, Marylyn” Amanda said while passing the baby to Malcom so he can show the baby to Adrian. Amanda is still very weak and a bit bloodied right now so he doesn’t want Adrian to come close to preserve her mother’s pride.

Malcom held the baby and knelt down so Adrian can get a close look at the sleeping baby wrapped in blanket.

Adrian cress his new baby sister’s head and saw he baby sister’s face show a bit of a smile.

“Did you see that dad? She showed a little smile. That mean she knew I am her big brother. Worry not little sister, as a big brother, I protect you and make you always smile.” Adrian give a sudden deceleration.

The Cross couple gave a big smile when they heard this. Adrian stayed with them until he felt drowsy and made Ralph lift him to bed.

Spring pollen was swept away by the summer humid yet refreshing breeze. It is a month left until Adrian become 5 years old. He strolled down the hallway to go to his baby sister’s room after his mother ask a tailor to get his measurements for his suit for him to wear at his birthday party.

It is a tradition for nobles to throw a huge party when they reach 5 years old as an introduction for the child towards nobility. Nobles usually holds parties on celebrative occasions like 5 year old parties, adulthood parties when child reach 15 years old, and festive gala.

“This is troublesome. Showing off to people is not my early game plan.” Adrian expresses his thoughts while opening the door to his baby sister’s room.

“Marylynnn… Your big brother is coming to play with you.”

‘BOOOMMMMM!!!’

Suddenly a large explosion enough to shake the entire mansion occur at the entrance.

“WAAHHH….” A loud cry of a baby who is 3 months old was heard after that.

Adrian spring into action and climb inside the baby coot to calm down his baby sister.

“What is that? Are we under attack? Damn it… Curse these childish body.” Adrian curse in his thought while still trying to stop Marylyn from crying.

“Oh? What a cute scene. So it must be you two. We finally met.” A man with black hair had a hint of grey hair showing he is old but aged well, suddenly appeared at the door without making a sound. Adrian is shocked but he did not back down.

He places his crying baby sister behind him. The man showed an amused expression when he saw this. Adrian also saw on his left hand he was dragging 2 person one had auburn hair like him the other had white hair.

“Dad, Ralph… Who are you? What do you want?” Adrian asked trying to stall a bit of time hoping for help to come. He kept calm while shielding his crying sister.

“My name is Oscar Black. As I said before, I came for you two.” The man named Oscar knew what the 5 year old child is doing but he don’t mind it. Truthfully, he is amazed with Adrian’s wit and mentality. So he play along with the child a bit.

“You want to take me and my sister? Come at me! What? Scared of a 5 year old?” Adrian taunted Oscar so he gets close to him. He is ready to target a man’s main weak spot. Call it a dirty play but in a battle of a child against an expert, only victory matters.

“BWAHAHAHA… Very well.” Oscar let out a laugh like a senile old man but he proceeds to walk at the two while putting out his arms out wide to the side like he wants a hug.

Getting into his range, Adrian uses the edge of the coot to use as a foot hold to pounce but…

“DADDD!!! STOP IT! RIGHT. THIS. INSTANT!” A loud scream followed by a temperature drop occur

Surprise of the sudden change Adrian who about to take action, slip off from the coot’s edge and fall face first, losing a tooth.