(F/N's POV)
After that first day of training with Gustaf, I kept up a regular training regiment with the boy, waking him up early in the morning to train. We began with simple physical training, then later tried some more magic. Since he was still only a child, he had some difficulty with the magic, but he did his best and I saw some improvement over time.
At the same time I kept my promise to his sister, Jericho. Whenever I sent Gustaf off on a task, I taught her a few things, mostly just some simple swordplay. I hoped that one day she could use magic like her brother, but she has not yet manifested any magical abilities.
Occasionally Jericho would interrupt our training and as always Gustaf would send her away. This only made her more determined to prove herself when I secretly trained her.
As always, whenever the Sins were sent out on quests, I would tag along, although recently I became more attached to the kingdom and stayed behind. I acted as the shield for the kingdom while the Sins were away. It also gave me more free time to train with Gustaf and even Gilthunder on occasion.
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It was the middle of the day and it everyone was celebrating the kingdom's founding. There were fireworks and the town was full of merriment. I was planning on meeting up with the Sins later and sharing a few drinks with Ban and Meliodas to celebrate the occasion. Although we would probably be drinking tonight whether or not there was a celebration. The group just got back from their mission, but I did not accompany them on this one.
For now, I was with Gustaf. I asked him if he'd rather check out the festivities, but he insisted on getting more training in. As always, we met in the field and we were using our ice swords. By now, Gustaf had gotten used to the cold of the swords and could swing it at me with no struggles. When he was really involved in the fight he hardly paid the cold any attention. I swung my sword at him and he managed to parry it. I swung again and he rolled forward to dodge and thrust his sword at me, aiming at my chest. I managed to move fast enough to block the attack with my sword before his attack landed. After that I backed off and we took a break. I wiped the sweat from my brow.
F/N: "Nicely done. If you were fighting a normal man, you probably would've landed that attack."
Gustaf: "Yeah, you being a hybrid gives an unfair advantage. I had you that time."
I walked up to him and put my hand on top of his head and ruffled his hair.
F/N: "You sure did, kid. Now, let's take a break and grab some food. There's a celebration going on. We might as well get something out of it."
Gustaf: "Right."
I snapped my fingers and our swords turned to snow. We made it to the local tavern and ended up having a decent meal. I ended up walking Gustaf home, telling him to take the rest of the day off from training. As we continued on the path to his home, the city shook and I could hear attacks in the distance.
Gustaf: "Master, what's going on?"
F/N: "I don't know. Stay here. I'm going to look."
I leaped on top of the roof of a nearby building and looked towards where the noise was coming from. It was the old castle on the outskirts of the city. There was a ton of commotion. I thought this was strange, considering that I'm pretty sure the Sins were summoned there. I jumped back down to the street below.
Gustaf: "What did you see?"
F/N: "There's something happening by the old castle. I'm going over there. Get inside and stay there. It may be dangerous out here. Go now!"
Gustaf: "Yes, sir."
He ran over to his home and went inside. I began to sprint through the streets on my way to the old castle.
I don't know what's going on, but I will. Guys, I hope you're okay.
By the time I got there, things were quiet again. At the base of the caslte, I found dozens of holy knight corpses. Something wiped them out in an instant. Some guards approached the scene nearby.
F/N: "You there, what happened here?"
They stopped.
Guard #1: "Sir F/N. Didn't you hear. It was the Seven Deadly Sins."
F/N: "What? What are you talking about? They just got back from a mission. How could this happen?"
Guard #2: "They were inside the old castle. They seemed to have fled the capital after they butchered the Grand Master."
F/N: "What the hell are you talking about? Where is the body?"
Guard #2: "Inside the old castle."
I turned away from them and ran into the castle to see for myself, passing a few more guards on my way up. I reached the doorway to the meeting room and that's where I found Grand Master Zaratras' mangled corpse, skewered by multiple spears. I was shocked by the corpse and nearly dropped to my knees. Surely the Sins could not have done this. It didn't look like their handiwork and what motivation could they possibly have to do this. I just wish I knew where they went. I heard a commotion from behind me, back in the hallway. I turned to look and it was Gilthunder standing at the entrance of the room with some other guards.
Guard: "Don't look kid. This isn't something you should see."
The two guards held him and tears formed in his eyes. I turned to face him and knelt down in front of him and put my hands on his shoulders. I moved my body in an attempt to block the view he had of his father's body.
F/N: "Gil, look at me. Don't focus on that. Let's leave this place."
I saw him clench his fist in anger.
Gilthunder: "W-who did this? Who killed my father?"
F/N: "W-we don't know yet. Everything happened so fast. We will find out, I swear to you."
Guard: "Sir F/N. It was the Seven Deadly Sins. They killed all those knights too."
F/N: "It's still too early, soldier. We don't know all the facts. We must regroup now and formulate a plan of action. If it was the Sins, I will track them down personally."
---
With that, I took Gil back to the palace and let him go to Margaret. Meanwhile, I went to find the remaining holy knights, specifically Dreyfus and Hendrickson. I eventually found them in the palace halls.
F/N: "Dreyfus, Hendrickson."
Dreyfus: "F/N. This city is in an uproar. We were looking for you."
Hendrickson: "We were worried you may have been with the Sins."
F/N: "I was training with my pupil when everything went down. What happened exactly?"
Hendrickson: "We heard that the Sins were meant to meet with Grand Master Zaratras, but they seemed to have killed him. We ordered the holy knights to surround the old castle and prevent their escape, but all hell broke loose."
Dreyfus: "The Sins have escaped the kingdom and scattered."
F/N: "B-but how can we know they are responsible for this?"
Hendrickson: "They were the only ones in the castle when Zaratras was killed, then they fled the scene."
Dreyfus: "I must admit, it is a big pill to swallow, that the Seven Deadly Sins, protectors of the kingdom, would do such a thing, but all the evidence we have points in that direction."
Hendrickson: "We must rally our men, attempt to track them down and capture them."
F/N: "I wish to hear the truth from them. They were my comrades. Allow me to attempt to track them down."
Hendrickson: "Very well. We must move now."
The two men began to head down the hall. Before I turned to join them, I placed a hand on Dreyfus's shoulder and he looked at me.
F/N: "Dreyfus...I'm sorry. It was your brother who was killed. We will get to the bottom of this."
Dreyfus: "Thank you, F/N. This must be difficult for you as well. I know you and the Sins were close and now we have no choice but to pursue them."
The three of us continued down the hall with me lagging behind the others. I gathered my gear and set out to search for my friends. I chose to travel in my lightweight leather armor instead of my holy knight armor to move more quickly. While Hendrickson and Dreyfus organized groups of knights to search for the Sins, I was ordered to search independently. I told them I would be quicker moving alone.
---
1 month Later
It was morning and I was sitting by my campfire in the forest. I had just caught some rabbits and cooked them up for breakfast. For an entire month now I was away from the capital on my search for the Sins, my comrades. I still held on to the hope that they did not kill the grand master, but I was unable to find any of them. They all went in different directions. I thought I was on Diane's trail for a while but it eventually went cold. With my understanding of giants I was hoping I could find her, but no such luck.
To be honest, I had no idea what I would do if I caught up to one of them. I didn't want to fight them and since I am by myself, I don't think they would fight me. I just wanted to know what they saw that day. Maybe they saw the true killer.
I pondered all of this as I ate and was starring at my now dying fire. It was then that I heard the snapping of a few twigs. I jumped up and summoned my hammer from the ground into my hand. A guard emerged from the brush with his hands up.
Guard: "Woah, woah, sir. I come as a messenger. You are sir F/N, are you not?"
I lowered my guard.
F/N: "I am. What is your message."
Guard: "The Grand Masters Dreyfus and Hendrickson have ordered you to return to the kingdom and give up your search for the Sins."
F/N: "Why is that. It's only been a month. I need to find them."
The guard seemed a bit frightened at my tone of voice.
Guard: "Sorry, sir. I'm just the messenger. Here's the letter they gave me if that helps."
I took it from his hand and read it over. It said exactly what the guard had told me.
F/N: "So they went and named themselves the grand masters. Has there ever even been 2 grand masters at the same time. I guess nothing can be done about it. Very well, lead on."
Guard: "I have a horse for each of us back on the road."
He led me back to the road and we mounted our horses and road back in the direction of Liones. The journey back to Liones took significantly less time than the time it took to track. After a few days, we arrived in the capital. As we road through the town, I passed Gustaf's home. He must have noticed it was me, so he came out of the house and called to me as we passed by.
Gustaf: "Master! You're back?"
I stopped the horse and the guard escorting me did the same.
Guard: "We really must be going."
F/N: "Relax. This will only take a minute."
Gustaf ran up next to me on my horse.
Gustaf: "You were gone for so long. I was wondering where you went."
F/N: "I was away looking for the Seven Deadly Sins. Sorry I didn't say anything. It all happened so fast."
Gustaf: "Is it true that they killed the grand master? I know they were your friends, but that's what everyone says."
F/N: "I'm not sure kid. I was hoping to ask them myself, but I never found any of them. I have to get going now. I'll try to meet with you again soon."
Gustaf: "Okay master. Good luck."
We continued onwards towards the castle and the guard escorted me to a meeting room where I found Dreyfus and Hendrickson. The guard left the room, leaving the three of us alone.
Dreyfus: "Oh, F/N. You received our summoning."
F/N: "Yes, I did. But why was I summoned. I was still on the trail."
Hendrickson: "That's precisely why we wanted to meet with you. It has already been a month since the Sins escaped and we have yet to find any of them. Even you could not find them."
F/N: "If you give me more time, I'm sure I can find them. Surely their have been witnesses or reports on their whereabouts."
Dreyfus: "I'm afraid not. Rumors, but whenever we followed up on them, the trail was cold. I'm afraid at the current moment, it just isn't worth our resources to track them down. F/N, you are one of our most powerful knights, especially now that the Sins have abandoned us. We need you here to defend the kingdom, not on the search."
Hendrickson: "Besides, what would you do if you found one of them? They were your friends. I'm afraid you are too emotionally invested in this problem. If you were to find one of them, would you bring them back here to us or would you let them escape? We have ordered our men to bring them in dead or alive. I'm afraid they are too dangerous for most of our men. I think only you could bring one back alive, but would you? Would you harm your former friends?"
I clenched my fist. Hendrickson's questions infuriated me. He seemed already convinced that they are guilty and he even doubts my loyalty to the kingdom.
F/N: "If they truly are responsible, yes I would be forced to fight them and I would bring them back. But if they were not involved, I would hunt down the true murderers with all my effort. If the Sins are innocent, the men who are actually responsible will be in for a world of hurt. Framing my friends for such a heinous crime. I would not let that stand!"
Dreyfus: "Calm yourself, F/N. Hendrickson did not mean to push you, but you must admit he has a point. If they are guilty, they could manipulate you to let them go. Regardless, we are dropping the search for now. You are to remain in Liones and protect the kingdom."
F/N: "I understand my responsibilities."
Dreyfus: "Very good. You are dismissed then. Get some rest. I'm sure you are tired from your journey."
I nodded and headed towards the door to leave. As I opened the door I looked back at the two of them.
F/N: "Oh, congratulations of the new position. I hope the chain of command remains strong while there are two grand masters."
With that, I left. By the time I left, it was evening. I was walking down the street, kicking a pebble against the cobblestone as I looked down at my feet, deep in thought. I was at a loss. The family I fought alongside with for years was gone. They weren't dead, but they were wanted criminals who may have done nothing wrong. But the whole kingdom is turned against them. I made my way to a small pond in the city and sat on the stone wall around it, looking at my own reflection.
Someone approached and sat next to me. I looked to my left to see who it was and found a little girl: Jericho.
F/N: "What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be home?"
Jericho: "You were gone for a long time. I thought you were skipping out on training."
F/N: "I've been a little busy."
Jericho: "With those Sins."
F/N: "Yeah."
Jericho: "What are you going to do about it?"
F/N: "I have no clue. I've been ordered to stay here, but how can I after everything."
Jericho: "You seem sad."
F/N: "You could say that. Sad...confused...lost. My minds a mess right now."
Jericho: "Well I know what I like to do if I'm feeling overwhelmed. Train."
She put a wooden sword down next to me and held another in her right hand.
F/N: "You're just using my emotional turmoil to get in some extra training, eh?" I joked with her.
She gave me a toothy grin.
Jericho: "Maybe a little. It will still get your mind off your problems. Besides, you owe me for being gone so long. How am I supposed to prove myself to my brother if you aren't here to train me?"
F/N: "I may not always be here to train you, Jericho."
Jericho: "Well, you're here now, so let's go."
She jumped down off the wall and stood ready to fight.
F/N: "Alright, alright. Have it your way."
I got up and did the same.
---
After training for an hour or so, it began to get dark.
F/N: "Okay, that's enough for now, little lady. It's time you get home."
She began to pout.
Jericho: "No fair. Don't dedicated warriors train well into the night. It's not even dark yet."
F/N: "You may be right, but you're still little and your brother will worry if you aren't home."
Jericho: But, but...I'm not even *yawn* tired."
F/N: "That yawn says otherwise. Come on."
I took the wooden sword out of her hand and gave her a piggyback ride.
Jericho: "Hey, what are you doing?"
F/N: "You're clearly tired, so I'll carry you home because I'm the responsible adult."
I couldn't see, but she was blushing a lot.
Jericho: "Well, whatever. One day I'll be an adult and I'll decide when we're done training."
F/N: "If you say so."
I walked in the direction of her home and Jericho fell asleep on the way. I made it to the house and lightly tapped on the door. Gustaf came out and he was about to give me an earful, but I gestured to him to be quiet because his sister was asleep. He obliged and I carried her upstairs and put her to bed, patting her head as I did. I closed the door and went back downstairs where Gustaf was waiting.
Gustaf: "I was wondering where wandered off to. I was about to go look for her master. And are those my wooden training swords?"
F/N: "Yes, they are. Your sister actually did a nice thing and got my mind off my problems for a while, so ease up on her pal."
Gustaf: "So are you training her. I thought you were my master."
F/N: "I am Gustaf, nothing will change that. But I am just showing her the basics. She has potential, you should give her a chance. Don't worry, I'll train with you soon."
Gustaf: "Fine. Goodnight, master."
F/N: "Goodnight, Gustaf. See you around kid."
I ruffled his hair then went back to the front door and I was back out on the street. I sighed deeply.
What am I gonna do about all this?
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Author's Notes
Sorry its been some time since the last update. School kinda got in the way. At the end of this week, my spring break begins so hopefully I'll have more time to update. I also wasn't quite sure how to tackle this chapter so it took some time to plan it out. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed.
Feel free to comment questions and/or suggestions, as well as if I made any mistakes.
See ya next time!
P.S. Is it just me or is that pout face Jericho makes just too cute