"I'll take it!" The voice called out as everyone turned towards the source of the voice, some out of disbelief and some out of curiosity.

Standing by the doorway was a young boy of about ten years old. He had a skinny and pale appearance giving the impression that the young boy did not venture out in the sun often. The young boy had a rather cute appearance and would be considered adorable to many if not for his arrogant outlook towards others. Judging from the boy's outfit, Nimel and his friends could discern that he was a rich noble. At a step behind the boy was a man wearing a suit of leather armor with a large broadsword holstered behind his back. The man had a calm complexion and his sharp eyes observed the store's surroundings as if to check for anything suspicious. One look and people can see that the man must be the boy's bodyguard.

"Ah, if it isn't Young Master Bredon. What can I do for you today?" The shop owner rushed towards the young boy and gave a small bow.

"I want that potion." Bredon replied as he pointed at the 2x potion in Stent's hands.

"Now hold on a minute! Stent saw that first!" Nimel rushed forward, moving Stent behind him. As the older of the two, he felt that it was his obligation to protect his younger roommate.

The guard standing behind Bredon, having judged the attitude of the young red-haired boy as presumptuous, dashed towards Nimel faster than the eye could see. And with a swift swipe, the man smashed Nimel to the side, barreling him into a wall and causing many potions on display racks to fall and break on top of Nimel. Such display of power marked the man to be no less than the Warrior Stage. The guard did not give a second glance towards the dazed young boy and proceeded to glare at Stent. With a thrust of his arm, he fiercely pushed Stent back before he could say anything, causing the large boy to drop the potion in his hands. Gasps were heard from the two girls who watched unmoving with surprise. Immediately after his push, the guard swiftly caught the falling potion and immediately withdrew to his young master's side. The guard gave a small bow as he presented the 2x potion to Young Master Bredon.

The ten-year old glance at the potion with a satisfactory nod and flicked a pouch full of silver coins to the shopkeeper. "That's for the potion and any damages."

"Thank you, thank you Young Master Bredon." The shop owner smiled as she grasped the pouch tightly.

Just as the two were about to leave, Nimel staggered up and cried out, "Wait! How can you be so rude? Apologize to us!"

These words caused the pre-teen to stop in his tracks. The boy slowly turned towards Nimel and glared at the young red-haired boy, a sneer crawled out from his originally calm expression. "A mere Creek class dared to tell me what to do?! You must be tired of living?"

As if on cue, the guard by his side moved again. With a powerful lunge, the guard rammed into Nimel, knocking him to the ground once again. But now, the force of the impact sent poor Nimel spiraling into unconsciousness. The guard was just about to kick the unconscious boy when someone blocked his path and a streak of blue zigzagged towards him, causing him to jump back. It was Dora. She had rushed in front of her collapsed brother and shot out a Lightning spell at the guard. Even though the guard jumped back to avoid the attack, he miscalculated the range of the attack. The spell struck the guard, causing him to spasm. Now, normally, if this spell was to hit a normal person, they would be paralyzed for a few hours. But, for a Warrior, the effect would only last for a few seconds.

Immediately after the effects wore off, the guard angrily raised his hand to slap the young girl when Bredon suddenly ordered him to stop. Dora, who had her head slightly turned to the side and her eyes closed, had expected a blow. However, there was no impact or pain. Curious of the situation, she slowly opened her eyes to peek. Standing before her was the snobbish noble who was sizing her up and down, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

"And who are you?" Bredon asked.

"T-That is none of y-your business!" Dora spluttered, a slight blush of anger and fright tinged her cheeks.

The young master gazed at the blushing young girl and couldn't help but feel a slight tingling sensation tugging at his heart. What an adorable girl! Interesting! With a sniff, Bredon turned around and exited the shop. His guard glared once more at the four children before following after him. A distance away, next to a horse-drawn carriage, Young Master Bredon stopped and held his right hand close to his mouth. A shadowy man suddenly appeared behind the boy. The man dressed in all black with a black wooden mask covering the entirety of his face. He walked closer and leaned forward, pressing his ear near the boy's hand.

"Find out who those four are and whether or not they have any powerful connections." Bredon replied without looking at the man.

"Yes young master." The shadowy man bowed. With not a word more, the man quietly disappeared.

Bredon climbed on the carriage along with his guard and signaled for the driver to start. With a snap of his whip, the driver urged the two horses to move, drawing the carriage away from the market. Meanwhile at the shop, Tanya knelt by Nimel's side, her hands hovering above Nimel's bruised chest. A greenish blue glow emitted from her hands and spread over the unconscious boy's wound. After a few minutes, Nimel stirred and his eyes fluttered open. Dazed, he struggled to sit up. He looked around and saw Tanya tiredly wiping away sweat from her brow. Putting two and two together, Nimel knew that it was Tanya who had healed him. Gratitude overflowed in him and he was just about to thank Tanya when his sister rammed into him, knocking him back down.

"Kugh! Easy Dora, that hurts." Nimel winced as he pushed Dora to the side.

Stent approached him with an open hand and helped pull him to his feet. When Nimel asked what had happened to the rude boy, Dora told him of the events that occurred while he was out cold. After understanding the situation, Nimel told his friends that they should quickly buy their supplies and head back home. Both he and Stent were hurt and it would be dangerous if they had met with a similar situation again. Everyone seemed to agree to Nimel's proposal and thus, they left the shop. The four soon found and bought their daily necessities. With no time to waste, they returned to their school. By the school gates, Nimel edged towards Tanya and quickly gave her a word of thanks for healing him before the boys and the girls separated to head to their dorms.

..........

In one of the many privately owned housings in Creekspire, a blond-haired boy sat by a long table and was busy cutting a large slice of steak. Suddenly, a shadow flickered and a masked figure stepped out from within.

"Speak!" The blond boy calmly voiced as he continued to cut his steak into bite-sized pieces.

"Young Master Bredon, I have investigated the four children you had met earlier today at the market. The two red-haired children are Nimel and Dora Dragonfire of the Dragonfire family. They are twins. The boy is a Fire-Affinity Novice 4th Stage in the Creek class while the girl is a Lightning-Affinity Novice 3rd Stage in the River class. They are both six years old."

"Dragonfire family? Aren't they a branch family of the Dragon Clan?"

"That is correct."

"Will there be any problems?"

"No, as long as they are not part of the main family, then there are no problems. You won't incur the wrath of the Dragon Clan."

"Then, that's good...what about the other two?"

"The large boy is called Stent O'Rian, the second son of a famous blacksmith in the West Market. He is an Earth-Affinity Novice 3rd Stage. He belongs in the Creek class. The blue haired girl is Tanya Moonscreek of the Moonscreek family. She is a Water-Affinity Novice 2nd Stage. She belongs in the Stream class. They are both also six years old."

"Moonscreek family? Never heard of them."

"They're a small family with no major backing. Young Master does not need to worry about them."

"Anything else?"

"No young master."

"Then, you may leave."

"Yes young master." With another flicker of shadows, the man disappeared.

Bredon sat on his chair, processing the information. Then, a smile played about his lips. Dora! What a cute name! Bredon took a bite of steak and chuckled to himself.