(Michael POV)
I was soon begging mom to let me stay, since they probably know what it was and now they're sending me a way.
"Please mom" i soon activated my cute eyes mode,and showing a begging face.
"I need to know what it was,they probably know,you also probably know,and Grandma definitely knows,so please let me stay!"
"Sorry,but no dear," Mom said, completely unmoved by my pleading.
I tried to wiggle free, but-
Damn.
She's STRONG.
I forgot Mom's family line,is The Valentini bloodline,Descendant from northern Italian knights.
Which apparently meant she had the grip strength of someone who could probably wrestle a bear and win.
Curse my tiny child body.
If I were full-grown I could at least
No, actually, she'd probably still be stronger.
Mom's terrifying in term of strength how the hell dad is able to handle her ?
She then carried me into the guest room, set me on the bed, and before I could even think about escaping, she wrapped the blanket around me.
Tight.
Really tight.
Like a caterpillar becoming a cocoon.
"There we go," she said cheerfully, tucking the edges under the mattress. "Snug."
I tested the wrapping.
I can't move my arms.
Or my legs.
I'm trapped.
She burrito-wrapped me.
WITH KNIGHT STRENGTH.
"Mom-!?"
"Goodnight, tesoro mio," she said sweetly, kissing my forehead. "Sleep well."
"But!"
"Sleep."
She smiled, turned off the light, and closed the door.
*Click*
I heard the click of the lock.
She LOCKED the DAMN door.
In case I escaped.
Which I can't.
Because I'm WRAPPED LIKE A cocoon.
Which isn't it overkill to lock the door as well,considering she already wrapped me up and make me unable to move.
I lay there in the darkness, staring at the ceiling, completely immobilized.
Damn Her wrapping technique is really strong,i hate this.
I need answers and I'm stuck in a blanket prison.
I sighed and resigned myself to my fate.
Fine,i'll probably ask Grandma or dad tomorrow when he's drunk though thinking about it dad seemed to never get drunk.
And the chance of grandma would tell me about it is also low.
Sighed I'll just sleep then.
Assuming I survive the night without losing circulation to my limbs. (That's a joke)
-------------
Downstairs
(Giulia's POV)
I walked back down the stairs, pausing at the bottom to lock the guest room door from the outside with the spare key.
Just in case.
My son is clever for his age.
Too clever sometimes. I still remember him somehow getting those ice cream from the freezer.
If he managed to escape the blanket wrap,which I doubt,he'd definitely try to eavesdrop.
Better safe than sorry.
I pocketed the key and returned to the dining room.
Edward and Vivienne were waiting at the table. Edgar had also finished the dishes and was drying his hands, clearly listening even though he was in the kitchen.
I sat down, folding my hands on the table.
"So," I said, getting straight to the point,
"was the thing Michael saw...?"
"Yup," Edward said, turning to look at me. "And I think Mom and I both know what it was."
Vivienne nodded slowly, her expression serious.
"A Sacred Gear" she said.
"But not just any Sacred Gear."
She paused, letting the weight of that sink in.
"One of the Thirteen Longinus."
I felt my breath catch.
A Longinus.
One of the thirteen strongest Sacred Gears in existence.
And my five-year-old son just casually encountered one at the park.
"Based on Michael's description," Vivienne continued, "the manifestation of being an ice construct, six eyes, thorns, feminine form matches the recorded appearances of Absolute Demise"
Edgar walked in from the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe.
I swallowed. "I didn't expect my son to meet a girl who's a Longinus wielder. Those are... they're incredibly rare, aren't they?"
Edward nodded grimly. "It's rare for even a trained magician to encounter a Sacred Gear user in the wild, let alone a Longinus wielder. Most Sacred Gear users get scooped up by different factions, Grigori or thr fallen angels for example has been scooping up a huge amount of users, the Devils as you know are enslaving them before anyone else even knows they exist."
"And the ones who don't get recruited..." Vivienne added quietly, "often face ostracism,and persecution. Their powers mark them as different and dangerous."
"Especially Longinus wielders," Edgar said. "and the fact them being basically poached or kidnapped by everyone. Devils want to turn them to slaves. Fallen Angels want to use or kill them. And normal humans..." He shook his head with a heavy voice" Normal humans fear them and discriminate against them often killing them out of fear of the unknown"
I felt a knot tighten in my chest.
That poor girl
Lavinia.
She's only nine.
And she's carrying one of the most powerful weapons in existence.
And considering what Edward father said, she probably face a lot of problems.
"Not to mention most sacred gear users don't even fully understand what they have," Edward said. "Of course that information is pretry much locked up by the factions keeping it for themselves. Even among magicians, detailed knowledge about Sacred Gears is... limited."
"The Church especially has a huge amount of information about sacred gear making them have an advantage in term of knowledge of sacred gear,but considering they often or not shoot themselves in the foot causing themselves to lose the advantage" Edgar said, his tone turning bitter. "They ostracize Sacred Gear users they consider 'pagan' even though God created the damn things,and even Killing people who are trying to live their life"
Vivienne sighed. "The Church's reputation hasn't improved much in a thousand years. Their actions then and now..." She shook her head. "Still the same. Whether from during the medieval era to modern time,the church is sadly the church"
Silence fell over the table.
Then Edward spoke.
"So... what are we going to do?"
Vivienne looked at me. I looked back.
We both knew what needed to be done.
" I think we should protect her," I said firmly.
"Agreed," Vivienne said. "A child with an awakened Sacred Gear especially a Longinus is a prime target. And with Edward, you, and Michael only here for a few days, possibly a week..."
"We need to make sure she's safe," I finished.
Edgar nodded. "I can send some people to keep watch. Just in case."
Edward looked at his father. "Really?"
"Always. Afterall it's our duty" Edgar's expression was unreadable. " Though it might be hard for some protecting sacred gear users due to the lack of information in some cases aside from the Church,Heaven probably knows all of them, since God is still making them. The Devils, and the Fallen Angels probably have comprehensive records. But outside of them?"
He shrugged. "Most don't know, considering the Information is fragmented or are guarded. But luckily some have information that no one could imagine they would have" Edgar smiled while talking.
"Like us," Edward said.
Edgar cracked a small smile. "Exactly like us."
Vivienne raised an eyebrow. "You're going to tell them again, aren't you?"
Edgar's smile widened slightly.
"The treasures that was left behind by Knights Templar was vast not just weapon and gold," he said. "Our ancestors the ones who escaped persecution, who fled to Britain, who found refuge here they didn't just bring the templar wealth."
He leaned forward, resting his hands on the back of a chair.
"They also brought their knowledge with them."
Vivienne nodded slowly though she also showed a here we go again expresson.
"Knowledge about Sacred Gears and many things from combat tactics, techniques,to phenomenon."
"Extensive knowledge," Edgar confirmed.
"The Templars had used Sacred Gear users during the Crusades. They also somewhat documented those they encountered and studied them, cataloguing their abilities. And They needed to understand what they were facing."
" While the betrayal of the church might have destroyed the Templar, they managed to evacuate early due to some sympathiser telling them before hand and because of that they had a headstart,with the templar luckily was able to take most of their documents intact " Edgar said.
"Records,observations,encounters with Sacred Gear users dating back centuries. And when they scattered , some Templars arrived in Britain for example, they were greeted warmly,and luckily they found an unlikely allies."
"Magicians," Vivienne said.
"Magicians who'd once been enemies,"
" And with the help of those magician,they were able to continue to live, which those Knowledge was shared in some cases,most were still protected,hidden from those who would misuse it."
Giulia looked at her father-in-law with new respect.
"So you know very much about Absolute Demise capabilities."
"We know about all the Longinus," Edgar said simply. "Not everything,there are obviously gaps, mysteries even we haven't solved. But we know enough."
He looked toward the ceiling toward where Michael was (hopefully) sleeping.
"Enough to know that if my grandson can see a manifestation of Absolute Demise at five years old, without training, without preparation..."
He met Vivienne's eyes.
"Then he's not just talented."
"He's exceptional," Vivienne finished softly.
Edward looked between his parents, then at his wife.
------
Later...
Giulia leaned back in her chair, processing everything.
"Though," she said thoughtfully, "I didn't expect magicians to accept the Templars so readily. Considering their reputation was... well, they were basically monsters against those that weren't Christian. Even Devils feared them back then at least, that's what you told me."
Edgar nodded slowly. "That's true. The Templars were feared for good reason. They were warriors trained to fight supernatural threats Devils, Fallen Angels, possessed humans, rogue spirits. They didn't just pray and hope for the best. They kill with the power of God, and in one record for example a templar knight fought multiple high class devils alone and killed them all ."
He paused, his expression distant.
"And yes, many magicians died at Templar hands. That's in most history books."
"But?" Vivienne prompted.
"But," Edgar continued, "the reality is far murkier than the official records suggest."
He moved to the table and sat down properly, folding his hands.
"The Templars weren't mindless crusaders as you might believe. They were organized they were Intelligent and aren't muscle heads, they're also strategic,i mean making the first bank takes a brain to do it, and they very much understood that ,and they very much also understand that not every magical practitioner was an enemy."
Edward raised an eyebrow. "Wait so your telling me they had worked together with some magicians?"
"When necessary, yes," Edgar confirmed.
"There are records hidden records specifically, in Templar archive of their alliances,heck even emporary truces. Even mutual aid agreements."
He leaned forward slightly.
"If a magician helped them provide information of enemies, or healing them, or allow them safe passage the Templars would let them go. Sometimes even protected them from Church persecution."
Giulia blinked. "The Church didn't know?"
"The Church didn't know a lot of things,and considering they're somewhat more brain dead than devil and fallen angels sometimes" Edgar said dryly.
"Afterall the Templars operated with a degree of autonomy that made the Vatican nervous,they had their own intelligence networks,and their own priorities."
"And magicians weren't their main target,"
Vivienne said, understanding dawning.
"Exactly." Edgar nodded. "The Muslims during the Crusades while somewhat the main enemies on the battlefield,political and territorial conflicts. But the real threats the Templars hunted?"
He met their eyes.
"Devils,fallen Angels. Anything that preyed on humanity from the shadows. The templar would more often than not charge into hordes of them and slaughter them like the way they deserve "
Edward let out a low whistle. "No wonder the Devils feared them."
"They had reason to," Edgar said. "The Templars developed weapons, tactics, and knowledge specifically designed to combat supernatural entities. They learned weaknesses. Studied behaviors. Catalogued every encounter."
He smiled faintly.
"And they were good at it."
Giulia processed this, then frowned. "Wait. If the Templars were so powerful, so knowledgeable, and had so much wealth... what happened to it all?"
Edgar's expression turned grim.
"That," he said, "is a question many have asked."
He stood and walked to the window, looking out at the dark garden.
"The Templars' wealth in these case" he explained. "Most of it was tied up in land,estates,properties across europe and the Holy Land. They also held debts which most of it's wealth were in massive loans owed to them by kings, nobles, even the Church itself. I mean that's the main reason why they were targeted"
Giulia's eyes widened. "King Philip Afterall..."
"Owed them a fortune," Edgar confirmed.
"As did many other rulers,the Templars were essentially the first international banking system. They financed crusades,loaned money to kingdoms,managed wealth for nobility."
"And when they were betrayed..." Vivienne said slowly.
"All that debt was erased,it wouldn't surprise me some other noble and kingdom conspired the destruction of the templar knight because of that." Edgar finished.
"King Philip arrested the Templars, seized their assets, and declared their debts void. The Church complicit in the persecution did nothing to stop it. Letting them be Executed as traitors to Christ"
He turned back to face them.
"The land was then confiscated distributed among the other chapters. The wealth that remained redistributed,mostly to the Crown and the Church. What couldn't be seized was already hidden or smuggled out by the survivors."
"And that's what made it to Britain," Edward said.
"Some of it," Edgar agreed. "Not the vast estates or the gold reserves. But knowledge, relics,sacred texts,combat manuals,records of Sacred Gear encounters."
He smiled faintly.
"The things that couldn't be measured in coins."
Vivienne nodded thoughtfully. "Still,in my opinion the betrayal of the Templars remains one of the most questionable decisions in Christian history in my case,i still question that to this day" Vivienne had an annoyed look.
She looked at Edgar seriously.
"An organization with vast knowledge of the supernatural. The primary fighting force of Christianity against Devils and Fallen Angels. Destroyed not by the enemies they face,but by the very institutions they served, dying in pain being accused of being devil worshippers, it's very hard to think that the church action pretty much allowed the devil and fallen angels to expand their influence and domain that still exist to this day."
Edgar's expression darkened. "Politics and greed are the worst in this case. King Philip wanted their wealth and escape from the debt he owed to them,Pope Clement meanwhile was a weak and complicit and likely was jealous and greedy man of the knights templar reputation and wealth and sadly the Templars paid the price."
"But," Vivienne added, her tone lighter, "thankfully, most of their knowledge was successfully evacuated before the persecution reached its peak. And the king and pope died being killed."
With Edgar, and Edward nodding and knowing what happened to them.
"Though that makes me wonder on how fast did they move to evacuate all they could " Edward asked.
"The survivors moved fast," Edgar said. "They knew what was coming some had advance warning from sympathetic sources. They smuggled out documents, relics, weapons, and fled."
He gestured around the house.
"And some of that knowledge ended up here. Passed down through families like ours,and hidden."
He glanced toward the stairs,toward where Michael was sleeping.
"But now... things are changing."
Giulia followed his gaze. "Michael."
"Michael," Edgar confirmed. "A boy who accidentally met a Sacred Gear user at five years old. Who learns magic faster than anyone expected. And befriends a Longinus wielder by pure chance."
Vivienne smiled faintly. "Fate has a sense of humor."
" It really does " Edgar smirked.
-----
Later...
Giulia looked at Edgar curiously.
"By the way," she asked, "how much do you actually know about Sacred Gears? Their types, their abilities?"
Edgar considered the question, then shrugged casually.
"I can name about a hundred of them. Not including the famous ones."
Everyone stared at him.
"A hundred?" Edward repeated.
"Give or take." Edgar stretched, rolling his shoulders. "Learning from The Templar archives take a copious amount of time and their archives are very extensive. Considering how old they are,and somehow having more knowledge than the church in some cases about something, considering they were frontline soldiers so they face things that they haven't previously encountered, even compared to the church exorcist,the Templar in my opinion are more powerful than the exorcist will ever be "
He yawned.
"But honestly? It's getting late. I'd like to actually sleep at some point before heading back to the main house"
Edward blinked. "Wait, your not staying here tomorrow ?"
"This is just the vacation house Edward , i still have a job to do as the Grandmaster of the Knights Templar back at the main de Montford house"
Edgar said, as if that explained everything.
Edward stared at him. "I still can't believe this is a vacation house and i fucking grew up here " Edward while shaking his head
Edgar shrugged, glancing at Vivienne with a small smile. "Being the son of an old bloodline and being a husband of a descendant of a powerful figure from arthurian legend has its benefits particularly wealth"
Vivienne chuckled warmly. "You married well, dear."
"I did indeed."
Edward deadpanned at his parents, watching their easy affection with a mixture of exasperation and fondness.
I still don't understand how they even met, he thought. Mom's a powerful magician from an old bloodline. Dad's a non-magical templar knight descendant who can't cast a single spell.
And yet they're... this.
Giulia noticed her husband's expression and elbowed him gently. "Edward."
"What? I'm just—"
"Don't be rude to your parents," she said, though she was smiling.
Vivienne turned her attention to Giulia, her expression softening.
"Speaking of lineages," she said, "we shouldn't discount your heritage either, Giulia. You're a descendant of the Medici, after all."
Giulia blinked, surprised. "You know about that?"
"Of course I do." Vivienne smiled. "The Medici may have fallen from their peak, but a famous name is still a famous name. Banking,politic,art. Your ancestors did somewhat shaped Europea nd considering your family did go to war with the pope"
She reached over and patted Giulia's hand.
"I'm proud to have you as my daughter in law. You're the daughter I never had."
Giulia felt warmth bloom in her chest.
"Thank you, Vivienne. That means a lot."
The two women smiled at each other genuine, warm affection passing between them.
Meanwhile, Edward and Edgar exchanged a look, a father and son communicating with eachother by just looking at eachother.
A very specific look.
The look of two men who had just realized they'd been completely sidelined in the family hierarchy,and also the topic of their respective wife.
They nodded to each other in silent, mutual understanding.
With them can reading what the other was thinking.
" We've lost them"
'i have to agree with you on that"
Mom and Giulia are a united front now
We're doomed
Edgar cleared his throat. "Right...Well, I'll be going to to bed first."
"Good idea,i waz planning on to do that too" Edward agreed quickly, standing. "Long day. Should rest."
" Yup" Edward immediately replied.
"Running away?" Vivienne asked, amused.
"No not at all,just very tired" Edgar corrected.
" Uh,huh" Vivienne showed a not convinced face on Edgar argument.
" Cowards," Giulia said fondly looking at her husband"
"Pragmatists," Edward countered.
But they both kissed their respective wives goodnight and made a hasty exit toward the stairs and then immediately entering their bedroom.
* Bang*
Shutting the door immediately.
Vivienne and Giulia watched them go, then looked at each other and laughed.
"Men," Vivienne said, shaking her head.
"They're sometimes hopeless," Giulia agreed.
They sat together for a few more minutes, talking to eachother,and soon join their husbands to bed.
________________
Well this was some lore drop about nearly Michael family,from his family history and about the templar knight.
And with the implications of about events in DxD. With the fact the church stupidly ended their most powerful military against the supernatural,but in the end human greed destroyed the organisation that was loyal to the church.
For information the family knows god and angels exist, but they don't know on God is dead. Though they don't know that the angels are actually somewhat actively involved in the church.
Not to mention i would say God's death was the catalyst that ended the Knights Templar in a way.
Also this chapter was a hard one to write for me for some reason. Also i may have written the church a bit of being villainous in the story but considering they're action it's somewhat justifiable also not to mention the church in DXD was fucking stupid and corrupt considering they somehow think it's ok to experiment children. And not to mention the file about the pope verdict about the templar knight hasn't been found,so in this world the templar are still heretics and blasphemous.
Also does anyone have any ideas about what i could add about the templar knights or the church considering things.
...
...
Ok that's all see ya next time 👋
- AgentByteGOC