Gabriel's shock couldn't be any more valid. When he was first able to think for himself he had always asked about his father and mother only to be told that he wasn't ready to know about them. When he was six, his grandfather took him out to the desert for some reason that the him from back then could not understand.
"Child," his grandfather began with a sombre voice that seemed to hold all the vicissitudes of time within it. "Before you can even learn about your father you must first be able to defend yourself." As the 103 year old Great General finished speaking, a huge tremor shook the whole area around the two.
And as if to answer the Great General's words, a giant beast pierced through the sands and into the air before them. A beast so large that it seemed that it could squash the entire August estate just by laying down on it. Pale yellow scales covered the entirety of the giant beast while emerald green reptilian eyes glared at the old general. Six powerful limbs supported the giant lizard as it's large serpentine body began to circle around the terrified Gabriel and the impassive Seamus.
"Child," Seamus began once again. "Fear is normal when faced with a being stronger than you. But what if this beast had the answer to where your mother and father are, what would you do?"
Gabriel could do little more the draw shaky breaths as the enormous pressure emitted by the giant lizard fell upon him.
"Would you fight or would you run?" Seamus said with gusto and strength as he waved his hand causing the unbearable pressure on Gabriel to dissipate. "Answer me boy!"
Still short of breath, Gabriel gasped two words that moment. "K-kill it!" And when though he was short of breath he still was forceful and full of determination.
"Good!" Seamus laughed as lifted his hand towards the giant lizard before them. "You can learn about your parents when you can do this as well!"
With his outstretched hand aimed at the lizard he slowly began to clench his fingers to make a fist. Sensing a dangerous aura from the old man before it, the Sand Dragon began to thrash and writhe in agony. Five giant craters appeared in the pale scales of the Sand Dragon. No matter how it thrashed it made little difference under the magical grasp it was in.
Seamus snorted a lightly as his aura flared briefly before his hand closed into a fist at last. The result of his fist was a mangled corpse of a giant lesser dragon. Leaving little time for Gabriel to comprehend what he just witnessed, Seamus snapped his fingers and a bolt of yellow flashed from the corpse and into his hand. It was a large crystal about the size of a human torso, though Seamus held like it was nothing but a small pearl.
"This will be for you once you can wield mana like I did." Chuckled the old man as he patted his grandson's shoulders and led him back to the August estate.
Coming back from the flashback of his sixth year, Gabriel smiled as he realised something important. If his grandfather could crush a lesser dragon like a bug, what could his father do? And if he could absorb the mana inside that Sand Dragon's pearl, what would happen to his mana reserves? Then another thought came to mind, maybe father's gift is just as good if not better than the pearl.
"Please help me grandmother, I want to see what father has left me!" Gabriel asked with a determination that had not resurfaced since his encounter with the lesser dragon.
A smile danced across the eyes of his grandmother as she ushered him back to the main hall to eat some food. Youth even in the most level headed child was irresistible. By the time the grandchild and grandparent duo arrived the servants were already finished clearing the table from breakfast. Thus the kitchen staff quickly whipped up a light meal for them.
After they finished eating, Gwenyth brought Gabriel to the office of his grandfather. Without any announcement she pushed open the twin doors of the office. Seamus sat with his head in what could only be called a mess of papers, at his desk.
"Oi! Ya old fart, give your grandson his father's stuff already, you wouldn't even let me see what that unfilial son of mine left behind." Gwenyth demanded as she saw her husband working on what she deemed to be military or official nonsense.
"Aiyah, what did I ever do to be stuck with you after all these years?" Complained Seamus only to be answered with a sandal coming flying at his face. "Gods be damned woman! I swear would it kill you to act your damn age?"
Even with the progress Gabriel made in his training, he still couldn't figure out how his invincible grandfather suddenly became a feeble old man in the hands of his grandmother. He could see that his grandfather's ears had been wrenched 180° by his grandmother's vice grip.
"Dearest husband why don't you give little Gabriel what he deserves before we finish our little talk here?"
"Ow ow ow ow ow! Fine take it! It's in the liquor room!" Howled the Great General of the Southern Protectorate.
"Thanks grandfather!" Gabriel yelled as he took off as fast as his body could take him. Tearing down the halls towards the place where his eldest uncle and grandfather spent the most time.
After Gabriel left, the mood in the office instantly became as heavy as mercury.
"You know his body is nearly at the second stage?" Gwenyth quietly asked.
"How would I know that It only took him three years to develop this much? Plus why are you still twisting my GOD DAMN EAR!" Roared Seamus as he suffered the excruciating pain of having his ear wrenched. Despite what many would like to think, even with Seamus' vast strength his wife was in no way inferior to him.
"Will what Marcel left be of any use to him at the rate he is growing?" Gwenyth asked as she ignored the later part of what Seamus said.
"I'll be damned if it isn't useful for him. There was enough in there to make me jealous."
Gwenyth seemingly took solace in her husband's words as she released him. Before Seamus could attempt to rub his ear, his wife had thrown herself into his arms. Feeling her shivers and hearing the muffled sobs coming from her, he sighed before holding her tightly.
"Marcel isn't weak enough to be done in by those old monsters from little Lily's clan. And I'm sure she is fine even more so than him. Do you really think the son you raised would let his wife ever suffer a loss?" Consoled Seamus as he tried to comfort his wife.