Chapter 18 Love At First Sight

During the two weeks of idle observations, Leonardo's rivals in business were in full swing with their preparations. The massive amount of funds afforded to them on Leonardo's behest allowed them to fast forward purchases and productions of weapons affordable for the use of humans of considerably stronger build and mortals of low cultivation.

Leonardo had expected this, hence he instructed Pandora with keeping an eye for the incoming shipments after realising the potential behind Jeffery's heavy energy revolver. In the belly of a wide canyon, a few carriages hauled by a group of beasts akin to oversized bulls stopped to offload a dozen or so steel locked boxes.

According to her memory, the people receiving the shipment were Andrew and Mason, the two middle aged men who were involved in the meeting on that fateful evening. They looked excited, hurriedly unlocking the boxes to reveal rows of long energy rifles lined up in 3x2 formations on a bedding of haystacks.

The elaborate silver design riddled with scarlet red intricate inscriptions from the slender long muzzle all the way to the recoil pad tugged at something of the deepest desires in her heart. This type of technology that represented a hybrid of the peak of elven artistic concepts and an expression of human mechanical industry ensnared Pandora into love from first sight.

What followed was the test procedures for the newly developed energy rifles. Thus, Mason who seemed to be more adept as a marksman mounted a prototype in his bosom, slanted the recoil pad over right shoulder as he lined his right eye down the holographic scope of the silver babe.

Taking a deep breath, he aimed at a flying avian approximately two kilometres into the clear sky before silently pulling the trigger. The inscriptions lit up as the equivalent of fifth the energy deposit from a standard energy crystal converted into a silent, barely perceptible bullet of light that was so fast it put the speed of sound to shame before blasting through the avian.

The poor creature flapped its wings a few times before coming to a slow halt. Then, and only then did blood gush out from the thin depression in its chest as a trail of blood and a dead creature raced toward the ground below.

"Hahaha! Amazing! When will the next shipment arrive?" Andrew couldn't contain his excitement after watching Mason's preformande. He laughed, slapped his own thigh, and shouted at the old man in a research lab to the back.

The old man fixed his glasses as he responded, "This technology is still in its infancy stages. The only reason we could provide you with three sets of 3x2 shipments is a signed document from House Venus and House Exodia. I'm afraid you're not qualified for any surplus."

The old man's words annoyed Andrew.

How can he be content with only 18 of these babies? That's barely enough to arm the vanguard of his forces. Still, he couldn't do anything to the head of the military research department from the capital.

Perhaps I should steal some of Mason's shares? Andrew thought to himself, unaware that someone nearby isn't simply thinking of stealing one, she was already standing in close proximity to Mason who remained oblivious to her existence altogether.

Because of her martial intent that complemented her stealth and concealment, Pandora was basically non-existent to these people who weren't even saints yet. She couldn't help getting closer to the beautiful energy rifle for a look.

This piece of art is exactly what she needs at the moment. For once, she felt that it wasn't so bad for her leader to task her with staying behind as she was able to find herself a soulmate.

This was nothing short of love at first sight for Pandora.

Of course, the little curious devil had no idea how far reaching the dominoes effect would be after she stole one of these beauties to herself.

…

Back to the present moment.

Although the sound of bread crashing into the ground was soft, due to the loaf being mostly dry, everyone could hear it. Of course, both Leonardo and Juvia were aware of the kid's presence even before he opened the door, but only now did the nine year old girl notice her big brother's return.

After dropping from Leonardo's strong arm, she rushed at her brother with a wide smile cracking her face into a blissful image of happiness before she plunged into his embrace with an unceasing bout of laughter.

"Hehe," She was still smiling foolishly at her big brother before her little face settled into a solemn facade as she said, "Godfather Leo told me that you were abstaining from eating and drinking for my sake! Is that true?!"

The kid was momentarily dazed with shock. The implications of this statement were grave, since when did these two make it into the settlement of convicts?

Also, they looked clean, far too clean to be natives from the forbidden domain, much less criminals of some heinous acts.

Also, what Godfather? Since when did his sister get a Godfather?

"Leona, do you even know what a Godfather is?" The kid held onto his little sister's shoulders and asked her in a hushed tone, believing that the other two couldn't hear him.

Leona looked at her big brother as though he was an idiot and replied, "Godfather Leo said a Godfather is someone who provides food and takes care of parentless children. Aren't we parentless, big brother?"

The little girl seemed very casual about the fact she never met or even heard of her parents before. Thus, the idea of having an illusory parent in the form of a Godfather intrigued and excited her. However, she quickly realised they were going off track so she smacked her big brother's cheat while pouting, "Don't dodge my question! What have you been eating? Ugh! Never mind, let big sister Winter take care of you!"

The little girl who shared Leonardo's initials bounced back to her Godfather who was silently watching the show. She jumped into his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck, somehow feeling very comfortable and safe when within close proximity to this young man in particular.

The instincts of children is very strong, and the kid knew better than anyone that his little sister's heart had an exceptional talent for people's intentions, it was like a sixth sense of sorts.

No one knew, not even Leonardo, that this sixth sense of Leona would become the foundation of a powerful psychic martial intent in the future. One can say that under her eyes, no heart could conceal the deepest of its desires.

However, that remains a thing for the distant future when this Goddaughter attains her sainthood. For now, she was nothing more than a child deprived from parental love for the better years of her childhood.

Leonardo looked at the kid with a smile without saying anything, simply observing the wariness in his brown eyes.

At this moment, Juvia walked in with the pot wrapped up in a thick cloth before she sat down on the floor where a mattress was prearranged by Leona and Leonardo. She then smiled faintly at the kid.

"You must be hungry, Kieran."

Almost by divine intervention to expose the little boy who was barely fourteen years old, his stomach growled deeply. Blushing, he ignored his reservations about Juvia's deathly aura since his little sister seemed fine with it, and he quickly approached them.

To the side, Leonardo was deep in thought as he could sense a slumbering potential within both Kieran's and Leona's bodies. He knew that if they cultivated properly, sainthood wouldn't be their limit, but perhaps mid-divinity.

That begs the question as to who are their real parents?

Leonardo has a father suspect in mind after observing the settlement for two weeks, but who could be the mother? As he was in deep thoughts, he noticed two dogs peek their heads through the door, followed by four small heads.

All six pairs of eyes were focused on the meatballs in the soup.

Chuckling lightly, Leonardo placed Leona near the pot before rummaging through the travel sack carried by Juvia. A moment later, he tossed the thigh of a mystical beast to the family of dogs.

The small family rushed into the small hut and began to wolf down the food. However, the two parents only ate a small portion before abstaining from the rest.

Watching this scene, for some reason, Leona's eyes began to water down rivulets of tears. Not knowing what to do, she clung to Kieran's chest while bawling her eyes out.

On this particular night, the small hut felt much warmer to the two siblings. Leonardo and Juvia didn't interrupt the children and merely minded their own business.

Only when Leona realised how drenched Kieran's ragged shirt was did she stop and forcefully sniffed back her snot while apologetically expressing herself, "Sorry, I don't know what happened… Now you might get cold, big brother…"

Kieran shrugged and patted Leona's small head while saying, "I don't remember the last time I saw you crying, letting it out once in a while is good for health, especially for a child like you."

Leona was about to protest but before she could, Leonardo nodded his head in agreement. "He's right, you need to take advantage of having a chest to cry into, because a lot of people would kill for a luxury like that."