Book 1 Covers

Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War ~ Sigurd’s Story

Book 1

By Ginichiro Suzuki

A Famitsu Game Bunko book

(Inside flap)

Ginichiro Suzuki
Ginichiro Suzuki was born in Tokyo in 1934. Since becoming an editor, he has primarily
worked on simulation game designs. After establishing the company Shoukikaku, he
designed the card game “Monster Maker.” He later wrote a fantasy novel series
featuring the Monster Maker characters. He also translated the book “Through
Dungeons Deep: A Fantasy Gamer’s Handbook” by Robert Plamondon.

Illustrations by Rika Suzuki

The tale of Genealogy of the Holy War is about to unfold!

In the year 757 of the Gran Calendar, Jugdral’s largest and central country, Grannvale,
is invaded by Isacchian barbarians from the east, who subjugate the trade city of Darna.
Soon after, Prince Sigurd of the Duchy of Chalphy is attacked by Verdanian bandits. He
gets sucked even further into the war when he decides to save Princess Aideen of the
Duchy of Yngvi…

This book depicts the story of the parent’s generation, who find their true loves, beget
children, and live their lives to the fullest, even in the middle of this harsh war!

(Inside flap)

Books by Ginichiro Suzuki:

Magic Master: The Red-Haired Witch

Magic Master: The Dark Knights

Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War

Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War ~ Sigurd’s Story, Book 1

Title Page
Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War ~ Sigurd’s Story
Book 1
“This is the Book of Naga. It contains the power to oppose Loptous. Please take it.” The
girl handed the Holy Book of Light over to Heim. The jewel embedded in the cover
sparkled in the light. (from page 33)
Map of Jugdral
 Chara
cter Introductions
Sigurd: The protagonist of this story and the prince of the Chalphy, a duchy of The Kingdom of
Grannvale. He is also the inheritor to the Holy Sword Tyrfing. Though he dislikes war, he still
finds himself getting caught up in it.
Quan: The king of The Kingdom of Leonster and inheritor to the Earth Lance Gáe Bolg. He is
Sigurd’s brother-in-law. The two have been friends since their days at the Royal Academy.
Ethlyn: Quan’s wife and Sigurd’s younger sister. She is a tomboy and part of Sigurd’s army.
She rushes to his aid alongside her husband.
Ayra: The princess of Isaach. She takes her brother, King Mariccle’s, son, Shannan, and escapes
to Verdane.

Deirdre: The inheritor to the Book of Naga. Due to the unfortunate fate of her birth, she is kept
hidden in the Spirit Forest until she meets Sigurd. They fall in love at first sight, and she joins his
army.
Aideen: A princess of Yngvi, a duchy of The Kingdom of Grannvale. She has a twin sister who
has been lost since their childhood.
Jamke: The third prince of the Kingdom of Verdane. He is infatuated with Aideen, who
convinces him to betray his country and join Sigurd’s army.
Oifey: Fourteen-year-old grandson of the famous tactician Lord Sesar. He was working for
Sigurd as a squire, but when they left Chalphy to fight, he did so as Sigurd's advisor.
Eldigan: The Lord of Nordion, a kingdom of The Dominion of Agustria, and inheritor to the
Demon Sword Mystletainn. He has a strong sense of justice and became close friends with
Sigurd and Quan while at the Royal Academy.
Lachesis: The princess of Nordion and Eldigan’s younger sister. She thinks highly of her brother
and has no interest in other men.
Table of Contents

Prologue: Loptous 13

Chapter 1: High Priest Bragi 17

Chapter 2: Duke Arvis of Velthomer 29

Chapter 3: The Military Campaign in Isaach 50

Chapter 4: The Battle in Yngvi 70

Chapter 5: The Battle in Verdane 94

Trigger Warnings:
Chapter 2, Part 3 & Chapter 4, Part 2: rape mention

Prologue: Loptous
The sound of approaching footsteps awoke the Earth Dragon from his slumber.
The light of the intruder’s torch was much closer than the footsteps had made him think
it was.

'I would have heard such a noise from much further away when I was younger.'

Long ago, he would awaken in a bad mood if he hadn't gotten enough sleep, but in his
old age, his bad moods were much more frequent.

'A single person, unarmed.' The Earth Dragon thought. He stayed completely still, like a
rock. 'Why has he come here?'

The person approaching him was a human male, who was now so close that the Earth
Dragon would only have to take a step forward to attack and kill him.

The human seemed to have finally noticed the Earth Dragon, as he stopped moving and
raised his torch.

He was a young man wearing a robe with a hood. He himself did not look out of the
ordinary, but it was the first time the Earth Dragon had ever seen a human wearing such
a dark red garment.

'His robe was dyed with a special color. Has he come from a different continent?' The
Earth Dragon suddenly took interest in the human, but instead of taking a step towards
him, he searched the man's heart.

He first sensed overwhelming hope and ambition. When he lifted his head, opened his
golden eyes, and stared straight at the human, he sensed surprise and fear, then
reverence…

"Why have you come here?" He asked in the human tongue. He didn't speak much
more loudly than usual, yet the vibrations that emitted from his long, thick throat still
caused the air within the cave to shake.

He sensed fear, then joy…

"I knew it! The legends were true!" The human said, almost unable to contain his joy. He
fell to his knees and bowed. "My name is Galle. I am a bishop. I come from a continent
called Jugdral."

The Earth Dragon said nothing, instead only staring down at him. 'If he is just here to
talk, then I'll let him. I'll decide whether or not I will kill him after he has spoken.'

"I was interested in the legends of the Ancient Dragons from other continents. After
researching them, I concluded that they were not just made-up stories, but about true
events. So I crossed the ocean and came to Archanea. …And it looks like I was right."
The earth dragon sensed ambition, hope, unease…

"I know that you and your kind created a magnificent civilization. I… I…"

The earth dragon sensed hesitation, then unwavering ambition.

A light shone in the human's eyes. "I wish for your knowledge. And, if it is possible, for
your powers as well. According to the legends, if one drinks the fresh blood of a dragon,
then he will obtain great power and immortality. If that is true… and I believe it is… then
I want your blood. I will give you anything in exchange. Please, give me power." Galle
bowed once more.

The Earth Dragon did not answer, nor did he even twitch.

He sensed unease, hope, unease…

Though his expression did not falter, on the inside, he was laughing. He laughed and
laughed until he could laugh no more.

The only thing that could make an Earth Dragon laugh was irony.

And this human before him, Galle, was the definition of irony.

He appeared intelligent for a human, but still made the very human error of assuming he
could immediately have whatever he wished for.

Moreover, he did not know that there were two dragon tribes, the Divine Dragons, and
the Earth Dragons. If he wanted power, then he should have gone to the Divine
Dragons, as the Earth Dragons despised humanity.

The dragon tribes were aging and facing extinction. The Divine Dragon queen, Naga,
argued that it was their fate to die out, and that they should entrust the next era to the
humans.

However, the Earth Dragons thought of humans as insects. All the human species had
in their favor was their youth. The Earth Dragons envied that youth, and as such
despised the humans. And so, they opposed Naga's orders, and were trying to wipe out
the humans.

Although the Divine Dragons wished to leave the next era to the humans, they also
cautiously avoided coming in direct contact with them. So it was only natural that a
human coming from another continent to search for dragons would find one of the Earth
Tribe. That was yet another bit of irony.

'I wonder what this human would think if I reached out and stabbed my claw into his
chest?' The idea was very tempting to the Earth Dragon. 'What would he think as I
probed his heart and killed him? Would it make him laugh? Then I would be the one to
drink HIS gushing blood!'

But an Earth Dragon's thoughts progress many times faster than a human’s, and so it
only took him a second to come up with an even more ironic solution. 'No, I will give this
human my blood. And I'll not only that, but also seal my power and will into a
dragonstone.'

Then what would happen?

The human would take on the will of the dragonstone - meaning he would take on the
will of the Earth Dragon himself.

He would probably return to his continent and start a church that worshiped the Earth
Dragon. The church would grow, and before long, become its own nation. Then, the
humans would obey a god that thought of them as insects and wanted to kill them all.

'Nothing would make me laugh harder.'

Next, the Earth Dragon's thoughts moved to his old age.

He had actually only chosen this underground cave very recently, when he had decided
to go to sleep. Before he knew it, he found himself thinking that he would die here. In
other words, if he died in his sleep, the cave would double as a fitting place to call his
grave.

'But if I give this human my blood, even if this body rotted away, my will would live on
inside of him. Then, I could laugh even more.'

"I will grant you your wish." The Earth Dragon changed to his human form as he spoke.

"Really, you will? Th-Thank you."

The Earth Dragon sensed unexpected luck, unbridled joy, and comforting surprise...

He cut the tip of his thumb. Red blood trickled out and formed a small droplet. "Suck my
finger."

The human put the Earth Dragon’s thumb in his mouth and sucked the blood off. First
one drop, then two…

"That is enough. You only need one drop."

The human looked up at the Earth Dragon. He was disappointed, but pulled away.

The Earth Dragon's words were no lie.

The human’s gastric juices did not break down the blood, rather, it was absorbed into
his stomach walls and entered his blood vessels. It began to consume his human blood
with aggressive force and multiply. Within a few years, the blood within the human’s
entire body would be the same as that of the Earth Dragon’s. His genetic code would
also change, and if he sired any children, they too would have the blood of the Earth
Dragon.

Next, the Earth Dragon handed a black dragonstone over to the human. "My power is
sealed inside of this stone. With it, you can become a king or even a god. Only you and
the first of your descendants in each generation will be able to wield it. Those
descendants will be your successors."

The human bowed once again, this time so low that his head touched the floor.

The Earth Dragon sensed gratefulness, joy, and ambition…

However, he chose not to say anything about his will, which he had also sealed inside
of the stone. 'It matters not if I tell him. He will figure it out on his own someday.'

Past the ambition within the human, he could now sense his own will, and the
destruction, death, and fear that it was filled with.

'If the difference in power between humans and dragons is this great, then why must we
go extinct? Why must we pass on the future on to these creatures, these insects, that
have nothing going for them but their youth? What kind of ironic outcome is this?'

The Earth Dragon - Loptous - burst out laughing.

The human looked at him in shock, having no idea why he laughing.

Chapter 1: High Priest Bragi

Part 1

In the year 447 of the Gran Calendar, the Gran Republic, located in the center of the Jugdral, was
overthrown after a reign that lasted over 200 years. The Loptrian Empire rose to power in its
place.
Archbishop Galle, the founder of the Loptr Church, was crowned its first emperor.

In his youth, Galle had ventured across the seas and traveled the world. When he returned to
Jugdral, he possessed a mysterious power.

Three years later, a diamond-shaped red mark appeared on his forehead. Its shape was too
perfect and its color too vibrant to be a normal birthmark or wrinkle. And even when he washed
his face, it did not come off.

He said it was the symbol that proved his body was the host of the god Loptous. He then went on
to found the Loptr Church and give himself the title of archbishop. People soon realized just how
powerful Loptous was.

Many of the youth were dissatisfied with the republic's ochlocracy, and were drawn to that
power, causing the church to become very large very quickly.

The radical youths plotted to overthrow the republic, wishing to establish a nation ruled by
Loptous' ideology.

To achieve that goal, they created a rebel army. Galle chose its twelve most promising members
and granted them the ability to wield dark magic. He named them the Twelve Deadlords. They
became the core of the army.

Soon after, the Loptrian Empire was born, and the radicals' dream was realized. However,
Loptous was not a god who had come to save humanity. All of the power shifted into Emperor
Galle's hands, and it became clear that Loptous' true nature was that of a dark god.

The majority of the common people did not accept those who converted to the Loptr Church,
calling them heretics, the most offensive term one could use to refer to a person. When the
republic was in power, heretics had been forced to become slaves and treated even worse than
livestock.

The following year, the empire swiftly carried out "The Great Purge," killing over 100,000
people. In the Gran Year 452, a large group of children were burned to death as sacrifices to
Loptous. This tragedy became known as "The Sorrow of Miletos." And in the next year, tens of
thousands of people were killed in the "Massacre of Edda."

The people came to see Loptous as a calamity that only brought fear, death, and destruction.
They hated the empire, they hated the Loptr Church, and they hated the emperor. However, the
empire and the church’s oppression was so great that no one tried to rebel. The people didn’t
think that they could succeed, and even if anyone did entertain the idea, they would be found and
captured before they could try.

The first recorded rebellion did not occur until one hundred years after the empire had been
established.
The emperor's younger brother, the Holy Knight Maera, preached a new doctrine, and tried to
reform the Loptr Church. He claimed that Loptous was not the only god, rather, that he was but
one high ranking god among the many that the people of the Gran Republic had worshipped.
Maera aimed to balance the harmony between the gods and end discrimination within the
empire.

The emperor at that time, Galle III, did not give any response to Maera's teachings. The priests
that opposed discrimination noticed this this, and supported the new doctrine, quickly forming a
reformist sect. While they’d always had the same ideas as Maera, they only felt that they could
speak out after he began preaching.

The reformists and the conservatives debated the relationship between Loptous and the old gods,
but did not reach a conclusion.

In the Gran Year 535, a group of imperial soldiers started a riot at a reformist gathering. Maera
and the other reformist leaders were arrested on suspicion of plotting a rebellion, and were found
guilty in a private trial. Maera hand his family was executed, while the other leaders were put in
jail. The remaining members were exiled, and the reformist sect ceased to exist.

But this did not mean that Maera’s teachings were forgotten.

While there were no records left within the empire or the Loptr Church, the exiled priests formed
a sect called the “Hidden Maera Sect,” with factions in every area of Jugdral.

There were even members within the priesthood of the Loptr Church. They saved as many
children as they possibly could from becoming sacrifices and sent them to the Hidden Maera
Sect’s secret village.

Even High Priest Bragi of the Twelve Crusaders was one of the children they saved.

Every few years, the village of Agustria was required to provide sacrifices for the empire. The
village leaders would gather together and choose the sacrifices from a lottery that included all
children aged five to seven.

The people were told that the children were not sacrifices, rather, that they would serve the gods
at the temple in the imperial capital, Belhalla. However, everyone knew the truth. And the
village leaders claimed that the lottery was fair, but it was often the children of poor families that
were chosen.

When Bragi was six, the village was asked to provide five sacrifices. Bragi was smart and kind,
but his family was poor, so he was one of the five chosen.

Bragi and the other children were ushered into a carriage bound for Belhalla.
They rode with the Loptrian priests' children so that they had someone to talk to and would not
be frightened.

Three days after the carriage left the village, they stopped to have dinner at an inn. Afterwards,
Bragi suddenly came down with a fever.

A priest gave him some medicine and had him sleep in a different room from the other children.

When morning came, his fever was much lower, but he felt like he was tied up, and couldn't
move. A guard came to tell him it was time for breakfast, but instead panicked and called in a
priest.

The priest checked his pulse and said, "He has already gone to be with Loptous."

And covered his face with a blanket.

‘No I haven’t! I'm still alive!’ Bragi tried to scream, but nothing came out of his throat.

"My my, what a shame." The soldier said with a sigh. "But he's probably happier this way."

"Children pass away during the trip to the capital all the time. I'll write an explanation of what
happened."

"Please do. It'll prove that he didn't run off."

After some time passed, Bragi heard the priest's voice again. "Innkeeper, this boy has already
gone to be with Loptous. We must continue our journey, so please bury him for us."

"Understood. I'll give him a proper burial."

'No, I don't want to die!' He tried to say, however, just like before, he had no voice, and couldn't
even lift a single finger.

About an hour later, he felt someone lower the blanket. "Poor thing, you must have been so
lonely!" It was the innkeeper. She opened his mouth and poured a strange liquid into it.

Once he had swallowed it, he could move again. He shook his hands and feet and said, "I'm
alive, ma'am! I'm alive!"

"I know. You won't die. You've been chosen."

"I've been chosen?"

"That priest thought it would be a shame for you to become a sacrifice. So he spared your life.
He's no longer here, but be sure to thank him in your heart."
"He saved me?"

"Yes he did, young man. You musn't forget. Your life was spared, so one day, you must spare
someone else's." She said before opening a small coffin. "I’m going to perform your funeral
soon, so I want you to get inside of that closet and stay quiet. You are not to come out, no matter
what. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am." Bragi answered.

The innkeeper put a bag about the same size and weight of a six-year-old child in the coffin and
lifted it.

Bragi didn't make even a single peep while inside of the closet. When funeral was over and the
innkeeper came back to open the door, he was still in the same position he had been in when had
she left.

"Good boy! No wonder you were chosen. It's all over now. You've already died and been buried
in the ground once, so you will never die again."

Part 2

Bragi was taken to a small island north of Augustria, where the the Hidden Maera Sect's base
was located. The priests living there raised him.

They noticed how smart, sensitive, and kind he was, so they began to teach him healing magic
when he was twelve. He mastered it very quickly, and at twenty, he could cast the most difficult
healing spell they had on the island.

In Gran Year 609, liberation armies rose up in every region of Jugdral.

They were not unified under a single leader, nor did they communicate with each other. Galle
VII's reign had simply become so oppressive that the people everywhere could no longer endure
it.

However, the imperial army moved so quickly that it seemed as if they had predicted the
rebellion.

Nearly all of the liberation armies were individually wiped out before they could unite and wage
a full-scale war. They fled from the imperial army's pursuit, forcing them to enter the Aed
Desert, the most barren of all Jugdral's lands.
Bragi had joined the Augustrian liberation army, and was one of its most valuable members. The
harsh battle made his healing abilities stand out all the more.

Augustria’s liberation army was also surrounded by the imperial army and fled, and before they
knew it, they too were in the Aed Desert. Bragi was still among their ranks.

However, there were no safe places, even in the desert.

The imperial army had followed them, and was ready to take out their enemies in one final blow.
The Battle at Fort Darna had begun, and no matter how hard the liberation armies fought, their
numbers were dwindling quickly.

Bragi healed everyone nonstop, yet warriors were dying all around him. ‘We probably won’t
stand a chance against their next attack.’ He thought.

Thick clouds hung overhead that were so dark it appeared to be evening, even though it was
midday. Saint Heim, who had taken charge and was giving orders to the liberation armies, began
to speak to the remaining warriors.

“We’ve fought as hard as we can. We’ve tried to overthrow the empire’s oppressive regime, and
exhausted all our options. Still, we must believe, everyone! Our dreams will live on in the hearts
of those who come after us. It may be another one hundred years before another rebellion rises
up, and they may be defeated just as easily, even if they fight as hard as we have. But all power
has its limits! One day, the empire will fall! Believe in this hope, and fight to the very last! Make
this battle go down in history!”

Though they were tired, the warriors all nodded in agreement at Heim’s passionate speech.

He faced them and raised his staff into the air.

They raised their weapons and gave a mighty battle cry in return.

Then, a gust of wind blew through the fort. The clouds parted, and a light poured forth from the
hole in the sky and into the fort.

Everyone looked up.

The sun blinded them all for a moment, and when they could see again, twelve people they had
never seen before were standing in the light. Among them were men and women of all ages, and
even children. None of them had been there even a few seconds before.

“Who are you?” Heim asked them.

“We have come to grant you our powers and weapons.” An old man answered.
A young girl walked up to Heim. "My name is Naga. Saint Heim, I will give you my powers and
the ability to wield light magic. First, drink my blood." She sliced open her thumb and held it out
in front of his face.

He did as she said. He had never seen these people before, nor had they explained who they
were, but he and the other warriors could sense that they were beings much more powerful than
humans.

“This is the Book of Naga. It contains the power to oppose Loptous. Please take it.” The girl
handed the Holy Light Tome over to Heim. The jewel embedded in the cover sparkled in the
light.

Next, one of the young men walked up to Ced, offered his blood, and handed him the Holy Wind
Tome, Forseti.

The strangers, one-by-one, continued to give their blood and mysterious weapons to the warriors.

Baldr received the Holy Blade, Tyrfing,

Od received the Divine Sword, Balmung,
Dáinn received the Heavens Lance, Gungnir,
Njörun received the Earth Lance, Gáe Bolg,
Ulir received the Holy Bow, Yewfelle,
Thrud received the Holy Thunder Tome, Mjölnir,
Fjalar received the Holy Fire Tome, Valflame,
Hezul received the Demon Sword, Mystletainn,
and Neir received the Holy Axe, Helswath.

Finally, an old man walked up to Bragi and said, "Bragi, my name is Valkyrie. This staff controls
life and fortune. First, drink my blood."

Bragi sucked the blood from the old man's finger, and felt power and warmth course through his
body.

"That should be enough."

He pulled away, and the old man handed him a staff with a white gem set atop it.

"This staff is not for defeating your enemies, but for correcting what should not happen. It can
even bring a person back to life, if you believe that they should not have died. However, if you
undo an event that has already happened, like death, then the staff might break. Therefore, it is
best to correct wrongs that have yet to happen - in other words, it is important to use this staff to
guide yourself and others down the right path. If you are unsure of what to do, then pray to the
gem. It should show you the truth. Out of all the people we have chosen, you play a very special
part, Bragi. You must be the conscience of the Crusaders."

"I understand. I will do as you say." Bragi answered.

The old man stepped back, and the young girl came forward again. "We believe in you,
Crusaders. Please fight for the people.”

The twelve warriors - now the Twelve Crusaders - felt their fatigue vanish, and the injured were
suddenly healed. They raised their new weapons and cheered once more. The rest of the army
joined in the cheer as well, but this time, there wasn't even a hint of hesitation in their voices. To
the imperial soldiers surrounding them, it sounded like there was one thousand people in the fort.

Meanwhile, the strangers started to become transparent, and slowly vanished.

The Twelve Crusaders felt like they were dreaming, but the weapons in their hands reassured
them that they weren't.

Heim raised the Book of Naga and faced everyone. "Everyone, look at this tome!"

The gem embedded in the cover was still sparkling, and reminded them of the event that had just
occurred.

"There's no questioning that we were just visited by gods! They came to save us… No, not just
us, but all of the people in this world! There is only one thing we can do now. We must believe
in these gods, and fight! We will not wait, but march right out of here and face our enemies!
Open the gate!"

The warriors followed his order and marched outside of the fort. The eleven Crusaders with
weapons made up the front line, Bragi stood in the middle, and everyone else was in the back.

The leader of the imperial army's first troop saw them and laughed.

"So they've come out of the fort…? Oh well, saves us a bunch of trouble!" He turned to his men
to give them his order. "Attack them head-on! Do not show any mercy! Kill every last one of
them!"

But the men to die would be those of the imperial army.

The Crusaders wielding tomes cast fire, wind, and thunder spells.

The remaining Crusaders raised their mysterious weapons towards the enemies that had managed
to dodge the magic attacks. Their swords, lances, and axe tore through the enemy's defenses like
paper, and within the blink of an eye, the Crusaders had eradicated the first troop.

"Keep this formation and push forward, everyone!" At Heim's orders, the Crusaders slowly
began to progress.

The second imperial troop attacked, but met the same fate as the first.
After that, the imperial army did not try to keep up the fight.

They retreated and cleared a path for the liberation army to continue forwards.

This event became known as the "Miracle of Darna."

Part 3

Even with their holy weapons, the imperial army was still a serious threat to the Crusaders.

Because of that, the liberation army chose to travel to each region of the continent and seize them
first. If they tried to attack the capital right away, they would be assaulted from all sides.

However, that meant that they still had a long fight ahead of them.

They first traveled to Leonster, then to Thracia, Miletos, Verdane, Augustria, Silesse, and Isaach
before returning to the Aed Desert. They reached central Judgral and conquered Velthomer, fifty
years after the Miracle of Darna.

All that was left was to take Belhalla.

Not only were they much stronger, but the numbers were also in their favor.

The final battle took place directly in Belhalla. The liberation army cornered the imperial army,
which now only consisted of Galle VII and the soldiers he led directly.

The final fight was fought between Heim and Galle VII.

As the two fought, the image of a white dragon and a black dragon fighting could be seen in the
sky.

In the end, Heim emerged the winner, and the Loptrian Empire immediately fell apart.

Jugdral divided into one central kingdom made up of the old imperial capital and six duchies,
and five surrounding kingdoms. The Twelve Crusaders became the leaders for these new lands.

Saint Heim ruled over Belhalla,

Sage Warrior Fjalar ruled over Velthomer,
Holy Knight Baldr ruled over Chalphy,
Archer Ulir ruled over Yngvi,
Sage Knight Thrud ruled over Friege,
Axe Knight Neir ruled over Dozel,
and High Priest Bragi ruled over Edda.

These seven areas formed the Kingdom of Grannvale, and Heim was crowned its first king.

And in the five other countries,

Black Knight Hezul ruled over the Dominion of Augustria,
Wind Sage Ced ruled over the Kingdom of Silesse,
Sword Saint Od ruled over the Kingdom of Isaach,
Lance Knight Njörun ruled over the Kingdom of Leonster,
and Dragon Knight Dáinn ruled over the Kingdom of Thracia.

Bragi restored order to Edda, then returned to the island north of Agustria where he had been
raised by the Hidden Maera Sect.

When he arrived, he witnessed the aftermath of a terrible tragedy.

'What happened here!?'

He grabbed the Valkyrie Staff and prayed, 'Staff, show me the truth.'

He focused his thoughts, and could soon make out an image of a wriggling shadow from within
the white gem.

As he continued to pray, the gem swelled in size and became transparent. The shadow took shape
and color, and now he could see that it was actually the red uniform of the imperial army. A
large group of soldiers were destroying the temple and massacring the people.

The person carrying out the orders was a priest of the Loptr Church garbed in a green robe.
"These people caused the rebellion! Kill them all, including the women and children!"

Even Bragi, who had fought for fifty years and become used to the harsh realities of war, felt
sick at the sight.

He panicked and stopped praying. The gem returned to its normal size, and the image vanished.

'What was it trying to tell me?' He wondered.

He had peered into the gem countless times before, and always understood the message it wanted
to convey.

It would not only tell him the truth, but also where he should go next. Usually, when it showed
him something that had already happened, it also showed him another scene else afterwards. Yet
this time, it had only chosen to show him a massacre so violent it made him feel ill. It must have
been trying to tell him something.

‘The staff must be telling me to stop persecution. But what kind?’ He thought about it, and
remembered that Loptrian priest hunts were carried out across all of Jugdral.

When the liberation army had overthrown the empire, they also killed Galle’s entire family. This
was because it was possible for Loptous to be reborn through one of Galle’s descendants.

However, by the time that message reached the ears of the common people, it had changed to
claim that Loptous could be reborn through a member of the Loptr Church. Believing that, the
people hunted them down and killed them by burning them alive, even those who had done
nothing wrong.

‘There were good people within the Loptr Church, too, just like the Hidden Maera Sect was full
of good people. It was wrong for them to be persecuted just because of their beliefs. Persecution
is born from resentment and hatred, and creates even more resentment and hatred, which only
leads to even more persecution.’

And so, Bragi created a religious organization that would protect those who had previously been
members of the Loptr Church, and placed its base in his duchy, Edda.

After that, he erected a tower where the Hidden Maera Sect’s base had been, sealed the Valkyrie
Staff within it, and etched the history of Maera and his teachings into the walls.

He sealed away the staff there not only because he wanted the island to become a holy ground,
but for another reason.

‘It is better for a staff like this, with the power to bring back the dead, to normally be sealed
away.’

While fighting, Bragi watched countless allies die before his very eyes. Time and time again, the
thought had crossed his mind to use the staff and bring them back. However, he’d never had the
confidence that it was the right thing to do, and in the end, never used it.

'If I wait for the right time to use this staff, then I probably never will.'

Then what was the meaning behind the staff’s power? After thinking long and hard about it, he
finally came to his own conclusion.

‘Great powers such as this one only have meaning so long as no one uses them.’

He simply didn’t trust himself not to hold back if someone very close to him died, like his wife
or one of his children.

‘I should seal it away, so that I don’t use it rashly.’

ー

As Bragi desired, the island became a holy ground and the tower was named the “Bragi Tower,”
and every year, it was visited by many people on pilgrimages. They would pray to the Valkyrie
Staff and come to know of Maera’s generosity and courage when they read the words etched in
the walls.

However, when compared to the rest of the population, the percentage of people that visited the
tower was actually very low, and the persecution against the Loptr Church's members continued
on just as it had before. Not even converting to another faith saved them, which forced them to
hide throughout Jugdral and live in secrecy.

Two generations later, Loptrian priests found that they could make a living as mages, and
worked in all countries except Silesse.

While Ced was in Silesse, the other two magic-wielding Crusaders had focused their efforts on
Grannvale. Only those who had the Holy Mark could use the Holy Tomes, but other people
borrowed less powerful tomes and staves that the Crusaders invented, and learned how to use
those. For example, nearly every member of Velthomer's royal family learned fire magic.

Since the Crusaders fought together, they could all trust each other, so even those who could not
wield magic themselves found it to be a reliable weapon. However, just two generations later,
things had already changed. Those who could not wield magic feared it as a weapon that could
one day be turned against them.

As a countermeasure, they turned to Loptous' dark magic.

The Loptrian priests pretended to worship the twelve gods of the Crusaders and Jugdral’s
indigenous gods, but still wielded Loptous’ dark magic. Anyone who saw them cast spells knew
what kind of magic it actually was, but the royal courts still hired Loptrian priests as guards,
leading the priests to gradually gain political power.

The priests communicated with each other and traded information, which eventually became the
weapon that they used to gain significant influence over nearly all the royal families across
Judgral.

Chapter 2: Arvis of Velthomer

Part 1
On a cold winter's day when Duke Arvis of Velthomer was seven years old, he waited to
greet his father, Victor, who was returning home quite suddenly from a trip.

When his father arrived, he gasped and froze where he stood.

Victor would normally spread out his arms and smile, waiting for Arvis to run up and hug
him. But today, he walked slowly and with a limp, like someone who was gravely ill.

The sight reminded Arvis of his grandfather just before he had died, and terrified him.

"Welcome home, Father." He said, but Victor simply glanced at him and kept walking.

He saw hate in those eyes.

'Mother isn’t with you?' He tried to ask, but the words got caught in his throat.

Victor climbed up the stairs as if his boots were full of lead.

That night, at dinner, Victor still looked very grim.

He downed glass after glass of wine, and spoke not a word.

Arvis, worried, blurted out, "Father, you shouldn't drink so much!"

It was what his mother, Cigyun, would say, mimicking his voice, whenever Victor drank
too much. Victor would always laugh and respond with, "If your own son is scolding you,
that's when you know you should stop." He wouldn’t drink another drop for the rest of
the night.

But tonight was different. He threw his glass at Arvis.

Arvis barely managed to dodge it. He ran out of the dining room in a panic.

This event scared him and made him realize that something awful must have happened.

He went to his room, looked in the direction of Bahalla, and prayed, 'Please come home
soon, Mother.'

However, she did not return the next day.

ー

Victor spent the entire day locked up in his room.

He came to the dining room to eat dinner, but his clothes were wrinkled and in disarray.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his expression only worsened the more wine he drank.

Arvis debated to himself for some time whether or not he should say the joke again.
Finally, he made up his mind, turned to Victor, and said, "Father, you shouldn't drink so
much!"

Once again, Victor threw his glass.

Since Arvis was expecting it this time, he had no trouble dodging it. Then, he stood up
and started to excuse himself.

With his head bowed, he didn't see his father throw a candlestick. It hit him in the chest.

The impact hurt his feelings much more than his body.

The pain quickly evolved into hatred.

It wasn't like he'd ever loved his father, though, as the man was a womanizer.

He had countless lovers within Velthomer Castle alone, with whom he had many
children. He also had so many lovers among the Belhallian noblewoman that he
probably had children he didn't even know about.

One day, after his mother had returned to the castle, Arvis found her gazing out a
window, crying.
He looked down and saw his father messing around with one of his lovers.

That sight had also hurt his feelings and made him hate his father.

"I'll never forgive him for making you sad, Mother!" Arvis hissed.

His mother did not respond with words, but a hug. Her body felt very big and soft.

He looked into her lavender eyes and asked, "You're so pretty, Mother! Why would he
love anyone else?"

"It's alright, Arvis, because the one he loves most is me."

As he walked to his room, Arvis thought, 'What's made him change so much?'
He thought up countless explanations, but none of them seemed right. The only thing
he knew for sure was that he wanted his mother to come home.

When he got to his room, he wrote her a letter.

'Mother, please come home the moment you get this letter. Something's wrong with
Father.

Arvis'

When he finished it, he inserted it carefully into an envelope, and called for an
attendant.

The moment one of his guards arrived, he ordered, "Please send this to Mother straight
away. She’s in Belhalla."

It was the first order he ever remembered giving to anyone.

The guard stiffened up at Arvis' firm tone, acting as seriously as if he'd received the
order from the king himself. "Yes, my lord. I'll make sure that Lady Cigyun gets it." He
clicked his boots together, then walked out of the room.

'Once Mother comes back, everything will be alright.'

Arvis was also satisfied knowing that his order was going to be carried out just as he
wanted it to be.

Reassured, he slept well that night.

The next day, Arvis awoke to one of his attendants shaking him.

"Wake up, Prince Arvis! Wake up!"

"What is it, Hirsh? What happened?"

"Your father passed away."

"What!?" Arvis snapped awake and frantically dressed himself.

He rushed into Victor’s bedroom and saw Victor’s butler, Oran, and their doctor,
Mendel. "What happened to him? Was it a sudden illness?"

Mendel looked at Oran, who nodded and said, "Prince Arvis, since you are his
successor, I will tell you the truth. The duke drank poison."

"He drank poison?"

"Y-Yes."

The doctor continued the explanation. "Last night, upon retiring into his room, he
continued to drink wine from a glass that also had poison in it."

"He wasn't murdered, was he?"

"Please look at his face. See these red spots? They appear when one has died from
belladonna poisoning, and there are traces of belladonna in his wine glass. It is the
same belladonna that he asked me to bring him. However, there isn't any belladonna in
the wine that is still left in the bottle. His pageboy said that he brought the bottle with the
cork still in it, and that he opened it in front of the duke, then left. And this glass was
already in his room. He took it out of his closet, where he always keeps it, meaning
that… he..."

"I understand. However, my father did not commit suicide."

"But he…"

"He died from a sudden illness. There is such a thing as a sudden illness that can kill
someone, isn't there?"

"It is possible to die very quickly from a heart attack, but…"

"That's what happened, then. He had a heart attack and died. Agreed?" Arvis glared at
Oran and asked.

The butler shivered at his sharp gaze. "If that is what Mendel, as Duke Victor’s doctor,
says, then I have no objections."

"And what do you say, Mendel?"

"If those are your orders, then it is so, Prince Arvis…"

"Those are my orders, then. My father, Duke Victor of Velthomer, died suddenly of a
heart attack. Agreed?”

"Yes, that is correct."

"Let's announce the news. I trust you know who to speak to about doing that, Oran, so I
will leave it to you."

"Yes, Prince Arvis."

“And now that my father is dead, what should I do?”

“As his successor, you will be the chief mourner at his funeral. After that, you must
mourn for a year.”

“What does a chief mourner do?”

“The chief of protocol will give you the details.”

“Then send for him. I’ll be in my room.”

When Arvis left, Mendel breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m shocked. He didn’t even shed a
single tear.”

"It is impressive, in a way. It gives me the confidence that he will make for a fine duke.
But still…"

Velthomer's royal family had the blood of Sage Warrior Fjalar running through their
veins, and inherited the Holy Fire Tome, Valflame. The inheritor's Holy Mark always
appeared as a red, fire-shaped symbol on their right hand's palm.

There were never any problems when the Holy Mark had already appeared on the
inheritor's firstborn. But when they were still a young child and did not have the mark
yet, it would always lead to a fight over who would inherit the duchy.

And Fjalar's Holy Mark had yet to appear on Arvis.

ー
T/N: Notes on character names:
Victor is called ディーン (Dean) in this novel for whatever reason. I assume the author just didn’t know that Arvis’ father’s name is Victor and
came up with his own name.
As for the names of the characters unique to this novel, here’s the original katakana, for reference:
Arvis’ attendant:ヒーリス (Hīrisu)
The doctor: メンデフ(Mendefu)
The butler: オーラン(Ōran)
Part 2

Four days later, Cigyun returned from Belhalla.

She gasped when she saw Arvis.

"Why are you so surprised, Mother?"

"It has been six months since I last saw you, but still, you've changed so much…"

"How so?"

"Well, you aren't that much taller. And now that I've gotten a good look at your face,
that's the same as well. But when I first saw you, you looked like an adult. And not just
any adult, but a very dignified one, like your grandfather did."

Arvis didn't remember his grandfather, but he'd heard many stories of the man, who had
been the duke when he was born. He also liked the large portrait of his grandfather
hung on the wall at the bottom of the stairs.

He'd had bright red hair, a tapered beard, and almond-shaped eyes. Arvis didn't have
the beard of course, but whenever he looked in the mirror, he could see the
resemblance. 'I want to grow a beard like that someday.' He would think.

He took his mother by the hand, led her to a place away from her maid, and whispered,
"Mother, did you know that Father died?"

Her face hardened. "Yes."

"Who told you?"

"When I received your letter, it was delivered with one from your father as well."

"Please forget all about Father's letter." Arvis said decisively.

"Why?"

"Because he came down with a very sudden illness. It was, um, a heart… That's right, it
was a heart attack. Mendel, the doctor, told me directly. If Father's letter said differently,
then he was lying."

"Who came up with that idea? Was it the butler, Oran?"

"No, it was me."

"You did…?" She said with a huge sigh. "I understand. Father died of a heart attack."

"That's right. And it's what I had announced to everyone."

Cigyun suddenly felt her chest become hot. ‘He’s become so considerate in just this
year alone. Everyone, I was so, so wrong. I never should have left the forest... I never
should have tried to defy fate...’ She frantically pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket
and hid her face in it.

Arvis thought that she was simply crying over the death of his father. 'But the person
that made you sad is gone, Mother!' He wanted to say, but couldn’t bring himself to.

Victor's funeral was held ten days later.

Because he had been an inheritor to Valflame, Prince Kurth attended the ceremony.

His coffin was put in the shrine behind the castle, and was kept closed during the entire
ceremony, as his body had already begun to rot. This also meant that no one saw the
red spots on his face.

Afterwards, everyone left Velthomer, except for Prince Kurth, who spent the night in the
villa.

The next morning, he approached Arvis to say goodbye. "If you ever need anything,
please tell me. I will do whatever I can to help you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Arvis said, then realized that his mother was not with them.
He had seen the prince doing his best to comfort her many times, so he thought, 'She
probably wants to thank him.'

"Please wait a minute. I'm going to go get Mother."

"Thank you, but you don’t have to." The prince’s expression darkened. "I don't think she
wants to see me anymore."

Arvis realized at those words that something had happened between them, and that he
shouldn’t try to pry into the matter, so he changed the subject.
"Will I be able to attend the Royal Academy when I'm older?"

"Of course. Come to Belhalla once you've turned fifteen. I'll be your reference, and
they’ll let you in right away. Or, if your Holy Mark appears before then, I'll let you enroll
earlier."

"Really? You think I'll get it?"

"You will. No one else within the Velthomer family has one right now, so you'll get it for
sure."

"I'll be happy if it happens, but I don't know if it will…"

"Of course you'll be the one. The inheritors to the holy weapons are greatly revered at
the Royal Academy, and given special treatment. It is also tradition for all the inheritors
around the same age to form a special club. Of course, they have fun together in their
free time, but they also work together and come to understand their destiny as the
Crusader's descendants. I can't quite put it into words, but since I was one of them, I
can guarantee that it will be fun. I'll be waiting for you to come to Belhalla." Kurth said
and gave Arvis a firm handshake.

That night, at dinner, Arvis noticed that his mother had a very grim expression on her
face.

'She looks just like Father did. What will I do if I lose her too?’

His fears were not just in his head.

The next morning, after they had finished breakfast, she hugged him, and said, "I must
leave now. I worried about you the whole time I was gone, but once I saw your face, I
was reassured. I know that you will become a fine duke of Velthomer."

He realized that she didn't plan on ever coming home. His heart started to pound. 'Don't
go!' He tried to say, but the words got caught in his throat. He knew that if he said them,
he would only add to her suffering. Instead, he continued to scream to himself, 'Don't
go! Please! Don't leave me all alone!’
She cradled his cheek, carefully etching the feeling of his skin in her mind, so that she
would always remember what it felt like to hold her son. Then, she stood up. "Take
care, Arvis."

He watched her walk away, not once taking his eyes off her until she had disappeared.
He felt like he was tied up, and couldn't move.

He was right. She didn't come home.

The next day, the butler handed him a letter. "This is for you. It’s from Lady Cigyun."

He took it and threw it right into the fireplace. He didn't want to know what it said, but
knew that it must have had something to do with what had happened between his
father, his mother, and Prince Kurth.

His mother had been his everything. Though he'd never loved his father, he’d always
wished to meet the man not as family, but the great duke of Velthomer. And while he
may have only just met Prince Kurth, he respected him as well. He didn’t want his
feelings for any of them to be sullied.

The public quickly found out about Lady Cigyun's disappearance, and the debate over
who was to become the next duke of Velthomer was brought up once again.

As Arvis no longer had a guardian, Victor's younger brother, Lord Dalton, called for a
family meeting.

It was highly likely that the meeting would be held, no one would listen to the words of a
seven-year-old, and Dalton would be chosen to become the duke.

Arvis already knew how great it felt to give orders, so he did not intend to give up the
position so easily. He remembered what Prince Kurth had said to him at his father's
funeral.

'If you ever need anything, please tell me.'

He didn't want to ask Prince Kurth for help if he didn't have to. He liked the prince, but
also hated him.
However, he had no one else to turn to.

And so, he wrote a letter.

'Prince Kurth,

My father's successor will be chosen in four days.

Please do whatever you can to support my case.

Arvis'

It took two days to get to Belhalla, and that was only if the messenger changed horses
and didn't stop to rest for very long along the way. It was nearly impossible for the
prince to receive the letter and make it to Velthomer in time for the meeting.

The morning of, the prince still hadn’t shown up.

The meeting started in the afternoon, and ten members of the family were in
attendance.

"Alright everyone, let's begin." Dalton said and stood up. "We all know that there are
other people in the family that are older than I, but I was the closest to Victor, second
only to his young son, Arvis. So please allow me to speak first. Thank you for your
understanding.

“I greatly appreciate you all for coming here today to help Victor’s son, Arvis. I thank you
on his behalf. As you know, my brother died suddenly, and Cigyun also disappeared
suddenly, but we are not here to investigate the cause of these matters. The problem at
hand is that of seven-year-old Arvis, who has lost both of his legal guardians. Velthomer
must participate in the Grannvalian government, but we cannot grant Arvis’ wish and
allow him, a seven-year-old boy without a guardian, to represent us. If he said
something foolish to the king, then it would disgrace our entire family.”

Arvis heard someone snicker. He wasn't sure who it was, but his face turned red with
anger and embarrassment.

"By the way, Prince Arvis. Has your Holy Mark appeared yet?"
Arvis remained silent, so Dalton provoked him further.

"What's the matter, Arvis? Can't answer a simple question?"

"I don't have it yet." He knew that his uncle had an ulterior motive, and was offended.

"Well, you heard the boy. My brother's Holy Mark had already appeared by the time he
was seven. I may have only been five at the time, but I remember that day as if it was
only yesterday. When I saw the firey red mark on his hand, I felt great respect for him.
However, Arvis does not have his yet.

“If he had his Holy Mark, he would be allowed to attend the government meetings, so
long as he stayed quiet. But since he does not, he would be laughed at immediately.
Even he would feel humiliated if that happened, don’t you think?

“And that is why we are here today. We're all family, so I want you to feel free to say
whatever is on your mind.”

When Dalton sat down, the eldest member of the family immediately stood to speak
next. "How about we decide who will discipline him until he comes of age?"

"I think it's more important that we decide who will inherit Velthomer. That's what's been
done in the past when a duke's son was too young and his Holy Mark hadn't appeared
yet." Said Victor's younger sister.

"I mean, we need to address both of these issues, don't we?" Asked one of the fire
mages of the family.

Suddenly, the butler entered the room. "Prince Kurth has come to participate in the
meeting."

"What? Prince Kurth? Why is he here?" Dalton asked, but Kurth entered the room
before the butler could answer. "Greetings. Prince Kurth. I welcome you to our castle,
but regret to inform you that this is a personal meeting between the members of the
Velthomer family."

"I understand, Lord Dalton. I have no intention of meddling in your family's affairs. And
that's why I'm not here as the prince of Grannvale, but merely as Prince Arvis' guardian.
I think that qualifies me as able to attend this meeting."
"You're his guardian? Who decided that?"

"Both Lady Cigyun and Arvis himself requested it." The prince said simply. "There is
precedence for a member of Granvallian royalty to be chosen as a guardian of a duke's
son, so I do not think that it would be inconvenient at all for me to become Arvis'
guardian."

"Y-You are correct, Your Majesty. It would be an honor to him. He’s still too young to
answer even simple questions for himself, so I thank you on his behalf…"

"I understand, and accept your gratitude. So, what have you discussed so far?"

“I expressed concern over who would discipline Arvis until he became an adult. But if
you are now his guardian, then that is no longer an issue.” The old man said.

And with that, the results of the meeting were mostly decided.

“I have already become Arvis’ guardian, and if all of you, as the members of the
Velthomerian family, agree to that, then I don’t believe there are any problems with it.
Does anyone have anything else to say?” Prince Kurth asked.

They went on to decide that Arvis would inherit Velthomer, with Prince Kurth as his
guardian. Valflame would be entrusted to the prince, and he would hold onto it until the
Holy Mark appeared on a member of the family. If that person was someone other than
Arvis, then they would all hold another meeting over who would inherit Velthomer.

After all of the details were ironed out, the meeting was adjourned.

T/N: Note on original character names:

Victor’s brother is ドール (Dōru) in the Japanese.
Part 3

As the new Duke of Velthomer, Arvis' first order banished all of his father's lovers from
the castle.

He only allowed one to remain, and that was his mother's personal maid. She was a
plain woman from a poor family, but had a kind heart, and had devoted herself to
serving Cigyun.

She only ever had one encounter with Victor. One night, he'd gotten drunk, and raped
her. He had no interest in pursuing her, but she became pregnant. When he found out,
he assaulted her both verbally and physically before trying to force her to leave the
castle.

However, Cigyun defended her, and demanded she be treated as equal to Victor's other
lovers. She did it not only to support her loyal maid, but also to punish him for his
actions.
Even though her social status had changed, the maid continued to serve Cigyun. On the
night of a full moon, she gave birth to a baby boy with a full head of the signature bright
red hair of the Velthomer family.

She gave Cigyun the honor of naming him. Cigyun chose Azelle.

Soon after, Arvis lowered the status of all his other half-brothers and half-sisters from
noble to servant. Most people objected to this decision, but he didn't care.

While he had the dignity to leave it be for the post part, he did hold it against them
sometimes. His glare became one that struck so much fear within everyone in the castle
that they shivered at the sight of him. Only the head butler was immune.

The day he turned twelve, Arvis noticed that a small red mark had appeared on the
palm of his hand.

He was sure that it was a Holy Mark, but didn't tell anyone.

Each day, it grew bigger and more vivid in color. As it changed, he grew more and more
confident about what it was.

A month later, it was deep red and shaped like a burning fire.

He finally decided to announce the news, and wrote about it to Prince Kurth as well.

He then went to Belhalla, received the Valflame tome from Prince Kurth, and
matriculated into the Royal Academy.

To his disappointment, there were no other people with holy blood that were the same
age as him. And the other students were all older, so he couldn't become friends with
them. He instead spent his time at the academy devoted to his passions.

One day, he was in the library, engrossed in books about the wars that had been waged
across Jugdral.

He took a particular interest in the war between the Loptr Church and the Twelve
Crusaders.
'The Holy Weapons may have been gifted to us by gods, but that does not mean that
their powers are absolute.' He thought. 'The final battle came down to Saint Heim and
Naga’s magic against the emperor and Loptous’ magic. Both men may have had magic
granted to them by gods, but in the end, it was Heim and Naga's magic that won. So if
two other Crusaders fought, that battle would also result in one side winning, and the
other side losing. Meaning that the Holy Weapons’ power is not absolute. No matter
how strong the weapon, if the enemy’s army is better, then it is impossible to win. So
what factors do decide who emerges victorious, then?’

He concluded that the victor was usually the side that had invested more into their
soldiers. That didn’t mean that the larger army would always win. The quality of the
soldier’s weapons, morale, supplies, and training all had to be factored in.

‘And even that is not all. If one has invested more in their soldiers than the enemy, then
everyone still must communicate properly. No matter the army’s numbers, if they
cannot communicate, then the soldiers will look like they are playing a child’s game.
The larger an army becomes, the stronger their communication system must be.’

He noticed that the war against the Loptyrian Empire and the Twelve Crusaders was a
great example of this. The Crusaders only became the side with the greater numbers
just before the final battle.

'The imperial army was split up, and only had a small force deployed where they
thought the battle would take place. On the other hand, the Twelve Crusaders and their
army moved as one unit. If the imperial army had utilized a better communication
system, then they could have gathered all their soldiers together, and would have won
for sure.'

Up until that point, his classes at the Royal Academy had only focused on one-on-one
combat practice, and he had not studied at all about communication with one's allies.

Because he was younger and much weaker, he always lost in combat practice. 'But I
will always fight as hard as I can until the very end.' He vowed.

When he was thirteen, he wrote to Prince Kurt about the importance of communication.

The prince became very interested in the topic, and made it a new field of study at the
academy.
At fourteen, Arvis invented a new semaphore communication system. The plans
suggested for towers to be built four kilometers apart. Their purpose was to send coded
signals made up of different colors and arrangements of semaphores.

"With this semaphore system, if an enemy ever invaded, we could alert the entire
country in record time." He explained to Prince Kurt.

The prince decided to test the idea first, and ordered for two towers to be built, one in
Belhalla, and the other in Velthomer.

The test was a huge success. A message that would have taken a messenger on
horseback two days to convey was sent in only two hours. As a result, Prince Kurt
ordered towers to be built in every duchy, and it was estimated that the entire country
would be connected to the system within a few years.

Arvis went on to graduate just before he turned fifteen years old, the age at which a
typical student would have enrolled.

'Looks like Prince Sigurd of Chalphy, Prince Eldigan of Agustria's Nordion, and Prince
Quan of Leonster are going to start attending next year.' He thought to himself after the
ceremony.

Afterwards, his coming-of-age ceremony was held at Velthomer Castle.

At Prince Kurt's request, the event was even more lavish than usual.

He praised Arvis' high grades at the academy, and though it had only been a title to
begin with, relinquished his position as Arvis' guardian. Finally, he dubbed Arvis the new
commander of the Rotenritter.

"This is the first time in the history of Grannvale that a fifteen year old has been given
the title of commander. Please continue to devote yourself to serving our great country."
Prince Kurth said and handed Arvis a certificate that proved his new status.

That night, while tipsy from indulging in the celebratory wine, he felt like he was the king
of the world.
He returned to his room and immediately started to fall asleep, but then reawoke
because something suddenly felt off.

He looked up to see a black stain on the wall.

It grew larger and larger, until it looked like a huge shadow.

Though he was surprised, he was not afraid. 'If anything tries to hurt me, Valflame will
take care of it in an instant.'

The shadow continued to darken in color and take on a human form, until it finally
vanished, and an actual person appeared in its place. He wore a wine red robe, had a
high, hooked nose, and large eyes that bulged out of his face.

"Who are you!?" Arvis asked him.

"My name is Manfroy. I am a bishop of the Loptr Church." The man said, his voice
echoing throughout all four corners of the room.
Chapter 3: The Military Campaign in Isaach
Part 1

The city of Darna, where the Twelve Crusaders had received their powers, was now the
central trade port between Grannvale and Leonster.

Like all of the other cities in the Miletos Region, Darna governed itself, and was not part
of any country, although it was allies with, and under the protection of, Grannvale.

In the Year 756 of the Gran Calendar, Darna was attacked by the Isaachian Army.

The moment Grannvale received the news, they deployed Velthomer's army, led by
General Aida, to investigate.

But by the time the army arrived in the city, it had already been conquered and seized.

Aida remained to write and send a report back to Grannvale.

King Azmur summoned all of the dukes to the imperial capital, Belhalla, to hold a
meeting and decide how to deal with Isaach.

However, King Azmur was very ill, and organized for Prince Kurt, who had already
taken over his political duties, to attend the meeting in his place.

There was a downside to sending Prince Kurt, though: an anti-prince group existed
within the court, led by the prime minister, Duke Reptor. Its members refused to agree
to anything he proposed.
Reptor was the duke of House Friege and inheritor to the thunder tome Mjölnir, but he
was very narrow-minded and cruel. The prince did not trust him, and primarily turned to
Duke Byron of Chalphy and Duke Ring of Yngvi for advice.

'The cause lies in the fact that the members of the court cannot get along with each
other.’ Priest Claud of Edda, the overseer of the meeting, thought. 'Prince Kurt may be a
prodigy, but he's also an idealist, and hates compromise far too much. Between Dukes
Byron and Reptor, Byron is certainly the more trustworthy person, but I wish he would
try to think from Reptor's perspective more often.'

Reptor, afraid for his position, had persuaded Lombard of Dozel to his side.

While the pro- and anti-prince groups argued with each other at the meetings, Duke
Arvis of Velthomer, as the commander of the Rotenritter, had a tendency to refrain from
saying anything political.

High Priest Claud of Edda also did not place himself on either side. 'Duke Arvis is a
smart man. He might not say much, but he still has a way of skillfully controlling the
atmosphere at a meeting. He isn't affiliated with either the pro- or anti-Prince Kurt
groups, either, so he's probably always thinking of something big.'

While Claud and Arvis were the same in that they did not align with either of the groups,
they actually thought very differently.

Claud did not feel that he was a person who could take action, and hated himself for it.
'A person who cannot act also cannot assert themself. All they can do is be careful not
to start an argument within the court.’

King Azmur announced the start of the meeting, then said that he would be entrusting
Prince Kurt to fill his place, and left.

Duke Reptor, as the prime minister, had the honor of opening the discussion, and
started off strong by proposing war.

"This is not just the problem of one small desert city. This is also a problem of
Grannvale and its dignity." Reptor wrinkled his forehead and said while looking around
at everyone.

'He sounds like he's trying to teach the truth to a bunch of children that don't know
anything.' Claude thought.
"If we leave Isaach be, then it is likely that the surrounding countries will see it as a sign
of weakness in Grannvale, and commit similar acts. We should organize a large army
and subjugate Isaach immediately."

Next, Duke Ring of Yngvi spoke. Yngvi was the home of Archer Ulir's descendants,
however, Duke Ring did not wield the Holy Bow Yewfelle, and it was not clear who
would be its next inheritor. "If we continue to do nothing, then Duke Reptor's words will
become reality. However, I am not so sure about suddenly sending in a large army. We
should first be diplomatic and negotiate with them, as the report was not clear about
whether or not the attack was the Isaachian king's idea. Furthermore, getting a huge
army across the desert would be extremely expensive."

The moment Duke Ring finished his statement, Duke Lombard, inheritor to the Holy Axe
Helswath, stood up. "The other countries would not view the negotiations as such. They
would think we are doing nothing. We should do what the prime minister said and send
an army right away so that Grannvale does not lose its dignity. Duke Ring mentioned
the expense, but we can take back all of the money and resources we spend once we
subjugate Isaach and it becomes our vassal. Prince Kurt, please understand that this is
the decision we must make."

‘That idea is aggressive and decisive. He probably wants to become Isaach's king if we
subjugate it.’ Claud thought, seeing right through to Lombard's true intentions.

"I object." Duke Byron said. "Lombard stated that the other countries would not see the
negotiations as such, but in the long term, I do not think that would be the case. At first,
it would indeed be difficult for them to see things that way, so we should conduct the
negotiations in secret. But in time, the other countries would understand that the
negotiations are indeed negotiations. And besides, how would the other countries react
if we subjugated Isaach? They would think we have a lust for conquest, and that would
devastate our alliances with them. I believe we must first send an envoy, and see what
we should do from there."

With two for and two against, Prince Kurt and Duke Arvis felt pressured to give their
statements.

Arvia stood up, and said softly, "As I have always explained at these meetings, I am the
commander of Grannvale's most powerful brigade, the Rotenritter, and I wish to refrain
from making political statements. In this case, particularly because it involves the
possibility of utilizing military force, I will not express my opinion, and will go along with
whatever conclusion we come to at this meeting."
He paused, took a deep breath, and changed to a strong tone. "However, if we do
decide to use military force, then that will involve me, so I want to express my opinion
on that matter. And that is, if we organize an army, we must combine all our forces.
Isaach has long been revered for its military's might. Once the war has started, if it is
allowed to drag on, then the other countries will look down on Grannvale. But if we
attack with all our strength and claim a swift victory, then we will impress them.

“At best, this outcome would strengthen our alliances with Augustria and Verdane, and
secure us a good future. There are no downsides to combining our forces. I will honor
whatever decision is made at this meeting. However, if all of you do decide to send an
army, then I want you to take my word into consideration at that time.” Arvis finished his
statement with a slight bow, then sat back down.

'That was a stunning speech, but what was he trying to say?' Claud wondered. 'Was he
simply asserting his authority as a military leader, or was there some other meaning to
his words?’

"Father Claud, what are your thoughts?"

Claud nervously stood up at Prince Kurt’s sudden question. 'I must show my timid,
good-natured side if I am to avoid starting an argument.’

"Everyone has made excellent points. If we don't do anything, then the other countries
will look down on us. I agree with Duke Reptor and Duke Lombard on that point. If
someone punches me, then naturally, no matter the reason, I want to punch back.
However, as a member of the clergy, it is against my beliefs, and I am often made fun of
for it."

He heard Lombard snicker in response to that statement.

"But, I also agree with Duke Byron. If we deploy an army right away, then the other
countries will be wary of us. Duke Ring's point about the expense was also very
important. And as the High Priest of Edda, I'd like to bring up another point to consider -
that the people think of war as a great calamity. After considering all of these points, I
conclude that we should negotiate, but within a set time limit. We could, for example,
demand that Isaach tell us who was responsible for the attack by the date we specify.
Depending upon how things go, we would then choose whether or not to tell our allies
that we are negotiating. That way, if we decide to go to war, we could then request
reinforcements from them, and they would not look down on us, or so I think. What are
your opinions on this, everyone?"
Claud supported the prince’s side, but because his mind had wavered so much, his
statement didn’t come out like that. It merely sounded like a plan that combined
everyone’s opinions.

"I like it! This way, we address everyone's points." Prince Kurt's words came out of his
mouth like a relieved sigh.

And with that, the discussion was as good as done. The rest of the meeting would be
devoted to deciding who would be sent to negotiate, how long the time limit would be,
and all of the other details.

Claud knew Lombard was glaring at him. He returned the look with a small smile that
said, 'C'mon, don’t you know that you're gonna get what you want anyway?'

'He's such an idiot.' Lombard cursed Claud in his mind. 'He doesn't know anything, yet
he has the nerve to make a face like that.'

Part 2
Meanwhile, the Isaachian court was facing its own crisis, because King Mananan knew nothing
about the attack on Darna until after it had happened.

And he knew that Grannvale wouldn't overlook an assault on one of its allied cities.

He ordered Trent, the leader of Rivough, to come to the castle and explain himself.

However, Trent, afraid for his safety, did not respond.

And so, King Mananan, leading his large army, marched to Rivough, and surrounded the castle.

But the castle gates were shut tight, and its defenses fortified.

Mananan rode up to the castle gate on his horse by himself, and yelled, "I have not come to
fight, only to get an explanation from your leader! However, if he does not answer me, and you
keep these gates shut, then I will have no choice but to attack! Please, listen to me! I will wait
three days. Anyone who leaves during that time will be spared, no matter their crimes. After
that, I will kill everyone left, even the women and children. Think carefully before you accuse me
of bluffing. Is it worth sacrificing the lives of your innocent families? Even if it's just the women
and children, get out of the castle!"

He was within their bowmen's range, but none of them tried to attack him.

That night, the gate opened, and a group of women and children walked out. Though the king’s
army had enough space to invade, not one person moved.

On the morning of the second day, Mananan rode up to the castle again, this time with one of
the women.

After he repeated his conditions, she said, "This is Ete! I’m safe, and so are the others, just like
King Mananan promised. Please trust him."

That night, the castle gate opened again, and a large group of men came forward to surrender.

On the morning of the third day, Mananan rode up to the castle yet again, this time with one of
the men.

"Today is the last day! You no longer have enough men to defend yourselves when we attack! I
swear to you again that anyone who leaves by the end of the day tomorrow will be safe, no
matter their crimes! But at sunrise, I will kill every last person left inside!" While he was
speaking, Mananan noticed a man appear atop the castle wall, and draw an arrow.

'That's him! That's Trent!' He realized, but still did not move, and continued to speak. "Everyone,
think carefully! What are you really going to die for? Is it for your family? Your country? Your
honor? Or is it for the greed and whims of your leader?"

Trent shot an arrow shot straight at the gap between his eyes.

In the blink of an eye, Mananan unsheathed Balmung, the Holy Sword of Isaach's royal family.
The arrow hit the blade, split into two pieces, and dropped to the ground."Did you see that,
everyone? This is the power of Balmung! Do not throw your lives away so easily!" He said,
turned his horse around, and returned to his army.

That day, from noon onwards, several men came out and surrendered, one-by-one.

Mananan asked one of them how many people were left inside, and he said that it was only
Trent, his family, and a few mages.

That evening, he approached the castle yet again, and said, "Trent! Come out and listen to me!"

He waited for a moment, and just as he was about to repeat himself, Trent appeared atop the
castle wall.

"What is it, King Mananan!?"

"Trent, you too are a respected leader of Isaach. I have no interest in tarnishing your family's
reputation. Leave this castle tonight. I swear it on Crusader Od's legacy that I will spare your
lives."

There was a long pause before Trent responded. "I thank you, King Mananan. Please take care
of my family."

The castle gate opened, and about twenty people, a mix of men and women, stepped out.

Mananan took everyone back to where his army was stationed. Afterwards, he had Mariccle
confirm who exactly was among the group. Trent, his wife, and his three children were missing.

The next day, Mananan led his soldiers up to the castle entrance, and opened the gate.

Upon walking inside, he saw Trent lying dead in front of the main building, with a sword sticking
out of his chest. The corpses of his wife and three children were inside the building.
There was no questioning that it was a murder-suicide case.

"Find the mages." Mananan ordered, his expression grim.

However, the mages were nowhere to be found.

He found Trent's advisor, and asked about them.

The advisor said there had been three in total, and they'd begun working for Trent roughly one
year ago.

However, he and the others in the castle hadn't seen them much, so he didn't know any details.

"They weren't members of the Loptr Church, were they?" Mananan wondered.

"Now that you mention it, they might have been. I saw one of them carrying a black tome one
day."

"What did Trent say before the attack on Darna?"

"That the mages had received a message from the gods. That if we attacked Darna, it would
eventually lead to Grannvale's downfall."

'The mages must have deceived him.' Mananan thought.

He propped up Trent's body, and, as if the man was still alive, said, "Trent, no matter the reason
for your actions, what you have done has triggered the fall of Isaach. You will pay for your sins
with your life." Then, he sliced Trent's head off.

He wrapped the exposed neck in a cloth, ordered for Trent and his family to be given a proper
burial, and called in the royal family's fortune teller, Gala.

She'd served his father before him, and been with him for twenty-five years, so she was already
very old.

While her body had become old and frail, and her eyes had gone blind, her tongue was still as
sharp as ever.

She entered the room with a guide, turned towards Mananan even though she could not see,
and said, "Hold your horses, I'm comin'. They told me you needed me for something?"

"Yes, I want you to do a divination."

"I was well aware of that. That's all you ever ask me for. I know you don't wanna see this old,
wrinkled face when you don't have to."

"That's not true at all…"

"It's fine. You should know not to take this old bag of bones too seriously. Now give me some
time to get ready." She said, then sat cross-legged on the floor, and pulled out some incense
burners and sticks from her bag.

"Somebody light these incense sticks and put them in the holders, then get out. We're gonna be
talking about Isaach's deepest secrets here."

Once smoke was rising from all of the sticks, her guide left the room.

While the scent from the incense was faint at first, it became stronger and stronger, until it filled
the room.

After some time, Gala's body suddenly began to shake.

The convulsions grew and grew in intensity. Just when it seemed like her body could not take
any more, she stiffened and froze.

"Mananan, you plan to go to Darna and apologize to Grannvale, do you not?" Gala's voice was
deeper, stronger, and clearly that of a man's.

Though he'd witnessed this scene time and time again, that only made it all the stranger to
Mananan. "I do."

"If you go, then you will die."

"Are you telling me not to go?"

There was a long pause. "Even if you don't go, you will die. And not just you. Prince Mariccle
will also die. Many of Isaach's citizens will die. Isaach may fall."

"Will Grannvale attack us?"

"Yes. An army of unfathomable size will attack. They will pillage… destroy… and kill…"

"Is there no way to save Isaach?"

Again, there was a long pause.

"Your grandson Shanan will be the one to do it. If you can prolong his life, he will rebuild
Isaach."

"And how can I make sure he survives?"

"He must leave Isaach."

"Where should he go?"

"…" Gala's expression hardened.

"Answer me! Where should he go!?"

"The… country… of…"

"The country of what!?"

The…country… of…forests… and… lakes…"

"The country of forests and lakes?"

Gala nodded while gasping for air and beginning to shake again.

"Where is that?"

"…"

Mananan grabbed her shoulders in a futile attempt to stop the convulsions. "Tell me!? What
country is it!?"

Gala was clearly trying her best. "V… Ver…" Was all she managed to say before her head
suddenly slumped, and the convulsions stopped.

When Mananan took his hands off of her shoulders, she collapsed on the floor and stopped
moving.

After serving the Isaachian royal family for three generations, she had given her life to warn the
king of Isaach's own end.
Part 3

Mananan did not tell anyone about Gala's predictions.

Instead, he thought them over that night, and made up his mind on his own. 'If I am
going to die no matter what, then I should do what I wanted to do from the beginning.'

The next morning, he went to Prince Mariccle, and told him that planned to take Trent's
head and go to Darna to apologize.

"But that's too dangerous, Father! Please, allow me to go instead!"

"No, I'm the only one who can do this. As the king and inheritor to our holy weapon, I
have the power to request an audience with Prince Kurt. He is sure to understand. You
must go to Rivough, and guard the city with your life, no matter what may happen."

"What if something happens to you?"

"If something does happen to me, then it means Grannvale will try to conquer Isaach. If
I do not return, then you may request reinforcements from Queen Lahna of Silesse. If,
after all of that, you go to war, then Shanan must flee the country immediately. If what
Gala predicted is true, and we prolong his life, then Isaach will be restored one day."

"Did she say where he should go?"

"With her final words, she said, "the country of forests and lakes," and... "Ver."

"Was she trying to say Verdane, perhaps?"

"Yes, that's probably it. Verdane is called 'the country of forests and lakes.' And it is a
remote, poor country, so I don't think any other country will try to conquer it and make it
their territory. Alright then, Verdane it is. I can't promise that he will survive if he goes
there, but all we can do at this point is trust his lucky stars." Mananan said, then gave
Balmung to Mariccle. "This is the best opportunity for me to hand this over to you. I
intend to return home safe, but even then, you should be the one to rule Isaach from
now on."

Mananan only requested two of his attendants to accompany him on his trip to Darna.

It took them eight days to cross the desert.

Once they could see Darna, Mananan unfurled Isaach's flag. It depicted a white sword
floating diagonally above the ground, which was colored red.

A group of soldiers quickly came out from within the town and ran towards them.

The leader walked up to them. "Hault!" He shouted.

"I am King Mananan of Isaach. I have come to apologize for the attack. I'd like to speak
with Prince Kurt."

"Understood! Please follow us into town."

The soldiers surrounded Mananan and his attendants, then walked them through the
castle gate.

General Aida was waiting for them inside, and behind her was a large number of
Grannvalian soldiers.

"I am King Mananan of Isaach."

The moment he finished his sentence, Aida said, "Arrest these invaders!"

"What!? But I've come to apologize! I wish to speak to Prince Kurt!"

Aida didn't even flinch as she continued to give her cold orders. "We're going to arrest
you. If you resist, then we'll kill you."

Her soldiers unsheathed their swords and surrounded him.

"I won't resist, just please, listen to me! I did not order the attack on Darna! I've brought
the head of the man who did and am here to apologize!"

The soldiers stepped closer and raised their swords.

"I am the king of Isaach and a descendant of Sword Saint Od! Have you any
manners!?"

"Place each of them in a private cell." Aida said before turning her back on him and
walking away.

Mananan was placed in a small underground cell.

Both the walls and floor were made of stone, and there was no bed inside, only a plain
blanket.

The moment the soldiers holding torches walked away, he was surrounded by
darkness.

He felt around for the wall, then laid out the blanket and sat down on it.

'I really am going to die here.' He thought.

Not that Gala's predictions had ever been wrong before.

'All I can do now is maintain my dignity as a warrior.’

When he closed his eyes, he pictured his grandson's face.

Shanan was still only ten years old, yet he already knew well what it meant to be a king.

'But who knows what kind of hardships await him now.' Mananan thought, and felt his
chest suddenly become hot.

He had no idea how much time had passed, but when light returned, it came with bread
and water. He assumed that it was his dinner.

The guard lit a small lamp in the hallway, so he had just enough light to take his meal.

The bread didn't have much flavor.

‘Nothing is set in stone. I cannot give up.' He reassured himself, and ate every last
crumb.

After some time, the guard extinguished the lamp, and he was once again surrounded
by darkness.

He closed his eyes, and tried to fall asleep, still leaning against the wall.

-
He had no idea how long he'd been asleep for, but he awoke to the sound of footsteps
echoing off the stone floor.

A light drew closer.

Aida appeared, leading three soldiers. She wore a simple black uniform without any
ornaments, and a plain cape. The inside of the cape was a vivid scarlet that
complemented her fiery red hair.

Mananan stayed in his sitting position, not budging even an inch. "Did you give Prince
Kurt my message?" He asked quietly.

Aida nodded.

"And what did he say?"

"Kill him."

'You're lying.' He thought, but didn't say. 'After all this, I'm not going to put up a fight.'

Two of the soldiers drew their swords, and walked into the cell.

By the time messengers from Grannvale arrived in Rivough, two weeks had passed.

The Isaachians had already been told of the king's death by one of his attendants.

Prince Mariccle kicked them out for Grannvale's cruelty to the king, knowing full well that
doing so was an act of war.

He then went to his younger sister, Ayra, and told her to take Shanan, flee the country,
and go to Verdane.
"Brother, I have trained my whole life to become a warrior. I want to fight and avenge
father!" Was her response.

He knew that she was being modest, as she was an exceptionally good sword fighter,
even among the other Isaachian soldiers. She was especially famous for her finishing
move, Astra, where she slashed the enemy multiple times in rapid succession.

"I know how you feel, Ayra. But this is what Father wanted. If Shanan survives, then so
will Isaach. However, if he was sent out with an entire guard to protect him, he'd be a
walking target for the Grannvalians. That's why I have to entrust him to the greatest
warrior in our country. Please, you must take him to Verdane." She stared at him with
her large, black eyes before finally nodding.

"I understand. For the sake of our home, I will guard Shanan with my life."
-

Mariccle and Ayra went to Isaach Castle, where they explained everything to Shanan.

"From now on, think of your aunt's words as my own, son. And do whatever it takes to
survive, no matter what happens. You are Isaach's future. Okay?"

Ayra dressed as a mercenary, and gave Shanan clothing fitting for a mercenary's
nephew. They traveled in a half-circle around Isaach, and made it into the Kingdom of
Sliesse without even stopping to rest at Ganeishire Castle.

They continued in a straight line across Silesse. When they reached one of the western
port towns on the coast, they heard the news that a large Grannvalian army was
currently marching across the desert towards Isaach.

Shanan ground his teeth together, and spoke not a word, instead making a vow to
himself. 'One day, I will have my revenge against them!'

From there, they took a boat headed for Madino, Augustria.

About halfway along their journey by sea, two fast-moving ships appeared. One blocked
their boat's path, and the other came up beside them.

On those ships' masts, long, black, triangular flags fluttered in the wind.

"Pirate ships!!" One of the passengers cried out.

Ayra walked to the side of the boat, looked at the pirate ship, and saw a woman
standing in the center of the deck holding a bow.

"Let down your sails!" The captain called out.

"What are we going to do? Fight them?" Ayra asked one of the sailors.

"Heavens, no! That woman is the infamous Brigid! Everyone who dare challenges her
gets an arrow to the heart! It's better to just pay their fee. They'll let us go free if we do."

The pirates let down their sails and stopped moving, then sent out a rowboat.
Once rowboat reached the side of the boat, Brigid called out, "Ahoy, Selen!"

"Ahoy, this is the captain of the Selen!"

"What are you carrying?"

"Some silver trinkets and strong ale!"

"How much is it all worth?"

"Three thousand gold, give or take a few!"

"And how many passengers do you have aboard?"

"Forty-eight!"

"Then the fee is ninety-five gold!"

"Yes Ma'am!"

The captain counted the coins, put them in a leather pouch, and lowered it into the
rowboat with a rope.

Brigid took the pouch and recounted the money.

"Ninety-five gold exactly! There shouldn't be any other ships in these waters, but we'll
follow you to Madino just in case!"

"Thank you kindly, Brigid!"

"What would happen if the captain lied about what's on this ship?" Ayra asked the sailor.

"He would never! The pirates have friends at the dock, and they check everything that
comes through. If he lied, they'd just get their payback on the way home."

"Wow, they would really do that?"

'There are all sorts of things happening in this world.' Ayra thought.

-
Just as Brigid promised, one of the ships followed them to Madino, never once trying to
capture or leave them.

The Dominion of Augustria was a country rich in both resources and culture. It shocked
Shanan, who had just traveled the barren lands of Silesse. In Augustria, there were
multiple large cities, each filled with elaborate buildings. Huge populations of people
lived within them, and the shops were lined with things he had never seen before.

Outside of the cities, farmland stretched on for miles, and well-flattened livestock could
eat as much grass as they pleased.

In every city that they stopped to rest in, they asked around for information about what
was happening in Isaach, but were unable to learn much. To the people of Augustria,
Isaach was a far off land, and they didn't care about what happened there.

Ayra and Shanan were angered by it, but they knew that there was nothing they could
do.

Two weeks later, they reached Verdane.

As they crossed the river that served as the border, the landscape changed completely.

The moment they saw Verdane on the horizon, they understood why it was called the
country of forests and lakes.

Chapter 4: The Battle in Yngvi

Part 1

"Yngvi Castle is in trouble! It was attacked by a huge army from Verdane!" The Cavalier
Noish rushed into Sigurd’s room and yelled.

"What did you say!?"

"We just received a signal from Yngvi Castle requesting for backup!"

"Understood!" Sigurd stood up and said, "Then we must go to their aid right away!"

Nearly all of Grannvale's soldiers had been ordered by Prince Kurt to go fight in Isaach,
so there weren't many left in Chalphy Castle. However, Sigurd didn't care about the
details when it was his childhood friend, Princess Aideen, who was in danger.

'If Yngvi fell, then what would become of Aideen?' He wondered.

Verdane was a remote country located to the southwest of Yngvi. The people there
were considered barbarians.

The army of a civilized nation would treat a princess of Grannvale with respect, even
once they'd taken her as a prisoner of war. However, he couldn't expect the Verdanian
warriors to be so kind.

'But why are they attacking now?' He found this move very strange.

Verdane's King Batu was a very gentle man, and their military's might was weak due to
their strong alliance with Grannvale. He'd never imagined that they'd invade out of
nowhere.

'Why would they do this, despite all the reasons not to?' He started walking briskly out of
the room, then asked Noishe, "And we've already sent a signal to the nearest tower
saying that I'll provide reinforcements?"

"Yes, we did so immediately."

"Good, then I must hurry and gather an army."

'With numbers these small, we'll probably only be able to buy them some time. But I
have to go fight with them, even if I'm by myself.'

"I must save Princess Aideen. Noish, please take care of the castle."

"W-Wait, my lord!" As Sigurd was the tallest of all Grannvale's princes, Noish had to jog
just to keep up with his walking pace. "You couldn't possibly be thinking about going
alone!!"
"While the Verdanians may be barbarians, their army is huge. I don't want to get any of
you involved in a life-threatening battle."

'Not this again!' Noish thought. 'He worries about his knights too much.' While he
appreciated the sentiment, it also gave him a major headache. "Please don't say such a
foolish thing! We're knights! We're always prepared to die in battle. We couldn't live with
ourselves if we allowed our lord to die. You need to think of our pride, and take us with
you! Hey, Alec, you agree with me, don't you!?" He asked one of his fellow Cavaliers,
whom they were just passing by.

"Of course! We'd never forgive you if you left without us at a time like this!"

Sigurd stopped and turned back to look at them. "Thank you."

Though Sigurd had only spoken those two simple words, Alec couldn't possibly miss the
light that shone from within his blue eyes. 'I would give my life for him!'

"Gather everyone in the courtyard."

"Yes sir!"

Only fifty soldiers answered his call.

Sigurd stood atop the entrance to the castle, and began to speak. "You may have heard
this already, but Verdanian barbarians invaded our country, and attacked Yngvi! Yngvi's
army is in the same situation as us, and does not have many soldiers left to defend
themselves. They won't last long against such a large army! Normally, we would defend
our own castle, and wait for reinforcements. However, if we do nothing, it would be the
same as ignoring Yngvi's cry for help. We must rush to their aid! Chances are, we won't
make it out alive, so there's no shame in staying here. We'll depart in fifteen minutes.
Those who are willing to give up their lives for their countrymen, bring your weapons,
and meet me back here!"

When Sigurd was finished, he turned his back on his soldiers, who had begun to
whisper amongst themselves, and entered the castle.

He knew that everyone would go with him, whether he gave them a passionate speech
or a simple order. But he wanted to show respect for each and every soldier's individual
decision to go out and fight a battle where they may die.
-

Fifteen minutes later, when he came back, riding his horse, his soldiers greeted him
with a loud battle cry.

Every single person was already there.

"Thank you!" He shouted out to them. "I will never forget this day for as long as I live!
Thank you again, everyone. Still, I can't bring all of you with me. Your families are here,
so we'll need to leave behind a guard unit to defend them. Now, I'm going to call the
names of everyone who will fight with me. When you hear your name, please step
forward." Sigurd walked between their lines and called out the names. "Noish… Alec…
Alfred…"

He only chose those who were single.

Once those soldiers, totalling at nearly thirty men, had formed separate lines from the
others, the Knight Arden, and his squire, Oifey, walked up to him.

"You based your decision on who has a family and who doesn't, didn't you? I'm still
single, so why didn't you choose me?" Arden asked with his face twisted into a pout.

"Knights are necessary for defense. Should any enemies attack, I want you here to
defend the castle gate. But, when the reinforcements arrive, if they tell you that it's safe
to leave here, then you can go with them. We're going to head directly west, then turn
south in front of the church. Please head southwest with the reinforcements." Sigurd
explained.

There was actually one more reason why Sigurd had chosen to leave Arden behind.
Knights were very slow, and time was of the essence. That was why he only chose
Cavaliers to go with him.

However, he couldn't bring himself to tell Arden that, and decided to keep it a secret.

'It is wise to respect your soldiers’ feelings, but battle is a matter of life and death.
Sometimes, you must be harsh. However, if you do not think of their feelings until then,
you will have failed as a leader.’ The headmaster of the Royal Academy, Jeigan, had
once told him.
'If I don't take how slow Knights are into consideration, then I will have failed as
commanding officer.' That was how Sigurd felt, and why he felt it was necessary for
Arden to stay and guard the castle.

"Yes sir! I'll do my best to defend the castle! And when reinforcements arrive, then I'll
lead them straight to you!"

"Then it's settled! I'm counting on you, Arden!”

"Yes sir! Leave it to me, sir!" Arden grinned and walked over to the castle gate.

"And Oifey, you wanted to say something as well?" Sigurd asked his fidgeting squire.

"Yes sir! I can ride a horse, so please let me go with you!"

Oifey clearly understood why Sigurd had left out Arden. And he knew he knew that
Sigurd was too kind, and even reckless at times.

Oifey was from a different branch of Chalphy's royal family, whose head of the family in
each generation served as the tactician for Chalphy's army, so he’d studied tactics
when he was very young. He was also the only one who believed he could keep
Sigurd's kindness and recklessness in check.

"But you're still just a child." Sigurd said with a stern look on his face.

Oifey was only fourteen years old, so young that he still had a baby face. While his
height matched Arden’s, he was thin and lanky, so he didn't have the strength to wield
heavy weapons.

"But I've already been your squire for two years!"

"You aren't fit for battle yet!"

"Then I won't fight! I'll aid you as an adviser! I studied tactics when I was younger, so
there must be something I can do!"

"…"

He could tell Sigurd was considering it, so he was encouraged to continue pleading his
case. "My grandfather, Sesar, never once lost a battle when he was the tactician of
Chalphy's army! Please, let me come with you!"
"...Okay then, I will. It will be a good experience for you. However, you are not ready to
fight yet. I'm only bringing you along to be my adviser, so don't ever step foot on the
battlefield."

"Thank you!"

"Alright, everyone, move out! Open the castle gate!" Sigurd ordered.

And so, Chaphy's army set out for the battlefield, with Prince Sigurd leading them.

They all knew that they were in for a tough fight.

But none of them, not even their young tactician Oifey, could have guessed that the
entire Jugdralian continent was about to become embroiled in a huge war.

Part 2

Yngvi's royal family were the descendents of the Holy Archer Ulir, so Yngvi's army was
mostly made up of archers. This meant that the soldiers left at the castle were, of
course, mostly archers.

They were very poor at close-range combat, so their strategy was to keep the castle
gate shut tight and rain arrows down on the Verdanian army.

On the other hand, Verdane's geography was mostly made up of forests and lakes, so
their army excelled at fighting in forests, and was entirely comprised of axe-wielding
infantry.

There were many types of axes, and for this battle against Yngvi's archers, their
weapon of choice was hand axes, which were small and ideal for throwing. While hand
axes were inferior to bows in accuracy, when they did land on their target, they did
lethal damage. And unlike bows, there was no need to calculate what angle an axe
would be shot from. If an enemy dodged an axe coming at them from below, they
wouldn't be fast enough to dodge a second axe falling from above.

The Verdanian army dealt considerably more damage than the archers, and whittled
away at the Jungbians' numbers.
Seeing that the number of arrows coming down from the castle walls had diminished,
Verdane's army brought out a huge battering ram.

It was so thick that an adult would barely be able to wrap their arm around it, and the tip
was plated with gold. A large group of Verdanian soldiers hoisted it up using both of
their arms and charged at the castle gate, trying to tear it down with the force of their
attack.

The bow knight Midir was fighting from atop a tower within the castle wall.

The first time the battering ram hit the castle gate, he felt a pain course through his
chest, as if he himself was the one who had taken the hit.

'I must do everything in my power to protect Princess Aideen!' He bit his lip and aimed
an arrow at one of the men holding the battering ram.

It was a direct hit. The enemy fell. However, another one quickly replaced him, and hit
the castle gate again.

"No! Lady Aideen!" Midir shouted.

Aideen was everything to him. He knew full well that she was a princess, and he was a
knight, and they could never be together. But just her existence was enough to fulfill
him.

'What if they manage to tear down the castle gate?'

Normally, there would be soldiers guarding the area behind the gate, but right now,
there was no one left to do so.

'If the barbarians got into the castle, then they would… Princess Aideen, no…' Blood
trickled from his bitten lip. "Princess Aideen!!"

His arrows picked off the enemies one by one, dulling the battering ram's movements.

"What're you doin', there's only one of 'em left!" The Verdanian Army's leader, crown
prince Gandolf, shouted at his men. "Outta the way, I'll take care of 'im!"

Gandolf walked up to the castle wall, paused for a moment to judge the height of the
castle, and put all his strength into throwing an axe upwards.
It spun higher and higher, until it was even higher in the air than the castle wall was tall,
until it suddenly changed direction and started to fall right towards Midir's head.

The moment he realized that it would fall on him, Midir jumped back. He managed to
avoid the brunt of the attack, but the handle hit his shoulder. The force sent him
stumbling backwards, and there was no wall behind him to catch him. In the blink of an
eye, he lost his footing.

As he fell to the ground, he lost consciousness.

The Verdanian Army let out a large battle cry, then resumed hitting the castle wall with
the battering ram over and over again.

Every time the castle gate creaked, they let out another battle cry. Now that there were
no longer any arrows coming down at them, they sounded like they were chanting at a
festival.

Aideen was watching the battle from the main tower's second floor, and saw Midir fall
from atop the castle wall.

'They even got a knight like him… He was so loyal to me…' She wanted to go see if he
was still alive, and heal him if he was, but she couldn't take the risk. 'I must fight by
myself now.'

The gate finally came down, and the Verdanian soldiers flooded the courtyard.

'This is it.' She stepped away from the window and stood in front of her full length mirror.

She knew that for this fight, her only weapons were her class and dignity as a
noblewoman. However, she also had one more weapon, even if she did not realize it -
her beauty as a woman.

Deep down, she was terrified, but that did not show on her face, so she felt at ease. Her
clothing, a white cassock with a hood, enhanced her beauty and dignity all the more.

She took House Yngvi's holy weapon, the Holy Bow Yewfelle, out of her closet. With
Yewfelle in her left hand and a healing staff in her right, she stood in the center of the
room.
A few moments later, two Verdanian soldiers slammed the door open and burst into the
room.

They held up their axes and started patrolling the room, leaving her no openings to
potentially sneak out of. Once they knew there was no one else with weapons present,
they relaxed.

Aideen took advantage of this by scolding them harshly. "Where are your manners!?"

They stiffened up.

"I am Princess Aideen of Yngvi. Bring your leader to me." She glared at the soldier
standing closest to her for one second, and then two…

And won the fight.

"Fine, we'll bring 'im in, alright!?" He grumbled, and they both walked out of the room.

Once they were gone, Aideen breathed a huge sigh. 'Everything comes down to this
meeting. I must do my best.'

She heard a woman scream from one of the other rooms. She feared for the worst - that
the soldiers were raping her maids. 'They must be so scared that they can't fight back.'

She felt disgusted, but there was nothing she could do. No one could have ever
imagined that Grannvale would be invaded.

After she had waited for several minutes, a man with a stern face entered her room. A
number of soldiers followed in after him.

"I was told that there's a high-and-mighty princess in here."

"I am Princess Aideen of Yngvi. Who are you?"

"I'm Prince Gandolf of Verdane. And you're the one who's lost this fight, missy."

"You may have won the battle, but you have not won the war. By order of the treaty
between our countries, I demand you treat me as the royal I am. If you are going to
kidnap me, then take me to King Batu."

Gandolf smirked and walked up to her. "And what if I told you that's a load of bullshit?"
When the stench of his sweaty body hit her nose, she cringed. "What do you think will
happen when the Granvallian army comes home? Grannvale is a huge country full of
mages and multiple people who wield holy weapons. If anything happened to me, my
king would not overlook it." She glared at him.

And he glared right back.

After a long staring contest, Gandolf's gaze was the first to falter.

"I like you." He said in a voice that made it clear he was trying, but struggling, to
maintain his dignity.

'I haven't lost yet.' Aideen thought.

"I'll do what you say, and take you to the king. Then, you're gonna be my wife."

"You cannot forcefully marry a princess."

"In Verdane, the king's orders are absolute."

"Then we will ask your father and see what he says. But in return, you must free my
maids."

"Yeah, 'bout that. I handed 'em over to my men, if you know what I mean. It was the
only way I could keep 'em from killin' 'em. The fun's already begun."

"A man's fun!? Is that what you call it!?"

"You know what we're gonna do once you're my wife, don’tcha?"

"Hypothetical words have no meaning. Again, I demand you free my maids!"

He paused to think about it, then said, "A'ight, I will, but we gotta wait 'till tomorrow.
They're so crazy once they get started that even I can't stop 'em. Fightin' does that to a
man. Now see you in the mornin', Princess.

"You two better keep good watch over her, ya hear me!?"
The moment he walked out, Aideen turned to the guards and said, "I thank you for
following your orders and guarding me. However, this is my private room. Please leave,
and stand guard by the door."

The guards stared at each other, not sure of what to do at first, but soon figured that if
even the prince had folded to this woman, they should too. They silently obeyed,
walking out of the room and letting the door shut behind them.

Aideen fell to the ground as if she'd been held up by a string, and that string had just
been cut.

She had been able to keep herself safe, and hadn't lost Yewfelle.

'But how long will I have to fight like this for?'

She knew very well that her nobility and dignity would only get her so far. If even one
enemy who did not care about such things came before her, she would lose. She was
especially worried about what might happen if they got drunk and lost their self-restraint.

'Please hurry, Prince Sigurd.'

She recalled a memory of Sigurd riding his horse, his blue hair fluttering in the wind.
She knew that there wouldn't be many soldiers left in Chalphy either, but still, Sigurd
would come to save her for sure.

The problem was not of if, but when.

Her guess was that he would arrive in three, maybe four days.

'I'll handle this brute until then.'

However, events began to unfold in ways that she had not expected.

The next morning, Gandolf walked into her room, and asked, "Ready to head out on our
trip, Princess?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You were here yesterday, weren't you? I'm takin' you to the king. Just like you wanted
me to."

She had made the demand herself, so she couldn't argue against it. "What about my
maids?"

"I'll let you have your way there too. You two get in here and pack, you're comin' too."

The two maids nodded and entered the room.

"There should be one more."

"She died, the poor thing."

The maids burst out crying, but Aideen kept her composure. "I won't move until her
funeral is over."

"As you wish, Princess. We'll make sure she's buried properly. We Verdanians may be
barbarians, but we at least know how to respect the dead. We leave in one hour. If you
tell me then that you ain't ready, then I'll tie a rope around your neck and drag you outta
here myself. Got that?"
She knew that if she refused him any further, she would no longer get what she wanted.

She consoled her crying maids, then got ready for the trip.

When they left, she requested a carriage, but Gandolf denied it.

It seemed that if he compromised any further, then he'd lose all sense of authority.

Once they could no longer see Yngvi Castle, one of the maids looked at Aideen and
asked, "What's going to happen to us?"

"Everything will be alright. Prince Sigurd of Chalphy is coming to rescue us." She said,
then lowered her voice to a whisper. "And if he doesn't, then I'll look for an opportunity
for us to escape. Neither of you have any reason to worry."

She was entirely serious about that.

Part 3

Sigurd and his cavaliers formed a unit and headed west.

They got caught up in several skirmishes with the Verdainian Army along the way, but
the groups they encountered were all very small, so they were able to easily defeat
them all.

'If there's enemies headed towards Chalphy, then Yngvi must have already fallen.' Oifey
thought. 'But their small numbers prove that they did not plan to fight us.'

"Prince Sigurd!" Oifey called out and guided his horse to ride beside Sigurd's.

"What is it, Oifey?"

"Our initial plan was to turn south in front of the church, correct?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"We don't have to go that far. We can turn south in front of that forest just ahead, and
travel down the side road instead. If we do, we can probably avoid running into any
more enemies."

"Why do you think so?"

As Oifey explained his reasoning, Sigurd’s face lit up with surprise. "You really are a
genius, Oifey! Alright, let's go that way!"

They started traveling down the side road, and eventually met up with Noish, who'd
returned to give his report. "There's about fifty enemies coming this way!"

Sigurd looked at Oifey.

"Hide in the forest and wait for them!"

"Okay everyone, get in the forest!"

The enemies soon came into their line of vision, but did not appear to be on guard at all.

"Now! Ambush them!" Sigurd yelled.

His cavaliers dashed out of the forest. The enemies were completely blindsided, and
lost before they could fully realize what had even happened.
"We can't let them get away. If even one survived and went to Yngvi to warn their allies,
it would put us at a huge disadvantage!" Oifey warned Sigurd.

"Understood! After them, everyone! Don't let anyone escape!"

The difference in speed between soldiers on foot and those on horseback was great.
Plus, it was easy to attack an enemy who was running away, as their back was turned
and they couldn't counterattack. Sigurd's army picked off the Verdanians one-by-one
until none were left.

They continued onward, and Yngvi Castle came into view just before sunset.

Sigurd looked at Oifey yet again.

"At this rate, we'll make it by nightfall. If you don't mind the inconvenience, we should
attack at dawn, while they are still asleep." The small tactician whispered.

"Yeah, good idea. They taught us to march at night and attack at dawn at the Royal
Academy." Sigurd nodded and said.

"Alright then, we’ll siege the castle at dawn! And as for now, we’ll continue on for a little
longer, then set up camp for the night."

They did just that, setting up their camp in the forest near the castle. The moment the
eastern horizon started to turn white, they marched to attack.

By the time they reached the castle, the sun had not yet risen, but was high enough in
the sky that it was starting to get bright.

There wasn't even a single person atop the castle wall. Oifey was right. The Verdanian
Army had their guard down at this time of day.

Sigurd gave the signal to ambush.

While the gate had been properly closed, it had yet to be repaired from the damaged
the battering ram had done, so the cavaliers were able to tear it down easily.

"We're under attack!" By the time the surprised guards announced their arrival, Sigurd's
army was already about to enter the castle.
There were only ten soldiers in the garden, and though they tried to fight, they were
quickly cut down.

Meanwhile, the enemies that came pouring out of the main building were all hit by
arrows shot from the castle wall.

The one who had shot the arrows was none other than Midir. The Verdanian Army
thought he'd died when he fell from the tower, but he'd only lost consciousness. Once
night had fallen, he'd woken up and hid in the tower, waiting for help to arrive.

Sigurd chose just ten men, then led them into the main building.

Since the Verdanians had been taken off guard, none of them had any armor on, nor
any weapons nearby.

"Aideen, where are you!? Aideen!?" Sigurd yelled.

"You're too late, Grannvalian scum!"

Sigurd turned towards the source of the voice and saw a huge man walking down the
stairs with a poleaxe.

"Prince Gandolf has already taken her to Verdane! I can only imagine what he's doing to
her right now…" The man laughed.

"Curse you!" Sigurd ran up the stairs.

The enemy turned to face him.

'I'm at a disadvantage, attacking a man with a poleaxe from below!' Sigurd quickly
calculated what he should do next, and that was to feint. "Hyah!" He shouted and made
it look like he was going to stab, but then jumped to the side.

The enemy swung his poleaxe down where Sigurd had been standing just seconds ago.

Sigurd took a step up the stairs to grab the enemy's waist.

The enemy started to freak out. His eyes widened as he looked down at Sigurd, then he
screamed and tumbled head-first down the stairs.
"Aideen, are you here!? Aideen!" Sigurd climbed up to the second floor and checked
each and every room, one by one.

However, he saw no sign of Aideen, nor any of her maids.

'Looks like that man was right, they were taken away to Verdane. I won't let them get
away with this! I'll bring her home, even if I have to invade Verdane!'

By the time Sigurd reached the bottom of the stairs, the battle had already ended.

He asked one of the surrendered enemy soldiers about Aideen, who said that she'd
been taken to Verdane with her maids three days prior.

'If it's been three days, then they must already be crossing the Yung River at the
border.'

This time, they'd surprised the enemy, and only had to fight a small number of men, so
victory had been easy to obtain. However, once they crossed the border into Verdane, if
they didn't recruit more soldiers, there was no way they would make it out alive.

Sigurd suppressed his wish to save Aideen right away, and decided to wait for
reinforcements to arrive.

The first wave of reinforcements was a unit led by Arvis' younger brother, Azelle, and
Lombard's younger son, Lex.

Duke Arvis, as the leader of the Rottenritter, was in charge of guarding the capital, and
not part of the army that went to Isaach.

When Arvis heard of the crisis in Yngvi, he held a briefing for the Rotenritter.

He told them their duty was to defend the king no matter what may happen. Until they
received orders to do otherwise, he would not allow them to abandon their duty by
leaving the capital.

Azelle thought of Arvis like a father, and considered the Rotenritter's orders absolute.
However, he was also secretly in love with Aideen.
He'd met her once, at a ball held at the palace, and only managed to stutter out a bit of
conversation with her, not even getting the chance to dance together. However, that
was all it had taken for her to steal his heart.

That night, he'd kept his eye on her the entire time as she danced with others. But each
and every time she was without a dance partner and waltzing around absentmindedly,
someone else would swoop in and ask her to dance before he could come up to her.

'I'll ask her once this song is over!'

He'd had that thought countless times. However, he'd also been held back by the fear
that she might reject him, and was too scared to ask.

'Surely she isn't interested in a boy like me.'

He didn't think she had intended to send him that message. They were simply the
musings of a boy who had never been to a ball before and knew little about them.

And now, he'd learned that she was in trouble.

He couldn't stand around doing nothing.

'And maybe if I go save her, she'll see me as a royal like her and not a boy.'

His imagination was now running wild. 'I must go! Even if it means defying Brother's
orders!'

Hit by a sudden sense of purpose, he kept his plan a secret from his brother, and left
Belhalla.

On the way, he'd passed through Dozel, and invited his friend Lex to join him.

"Dozel is connected to the semaphore line too, isn't it? You must know by now that
Yngvi was attacked! Prince Sigurd went to help, but he only has a few soldiers with him!
You can't just turn a blind eye to all of this, can you!? I've decided to go with the
reinforcement unit. Please come with me!" Azelle pleaded.

However, Lex knew instantly of his true intentions, as he gushed to Lex about his
feelings for Aideen every time thoughts of her came into his mind. "Sigurd is going to be
at a huge disadvantage up against a large army like that. He'd probably be happy to
have us. However, I am rather curious. I wouldn't mind seeing what happens if I stay out
of it…"

"But then your allies would suffer! Would you really be okay with that?"

"Well, you're as forward as ever. But those aren't your only reasons to go, are they?"

"W-why would you say that all of a sudden!?"

"You're worried about Princess Aideen! I know you have a crush on her!"

"D-Don't be stupid!"

"Aw, you're blushing! It's so cute!!"

"Stop it, Lex! Fine, you can stay here, then! I'll go by myself!"

"Hold your horses, I'm coming too. This is a good chance to show off House Dozel's axe
skills."

Fortunately for Lex, his father was part of the army in Isaach, so he was free to do as he
wanted. Lombard would never let his own son aid supporters of the prince like Yngvi
and Chalphy.

Lex loathed him. He especially had no tolerance for the man's greed, so he probably
would have gone even if Lombard was around. And if Azelle would go so far as to
disobey his brother's orders, then he knew things must be bad.

Along the way, they fought against groups of the Verdanian Army that were pillaging the
villages, until they finally met up with Sigurd.

It was actually the first time Azelle had ever met Sigurd.

As they talked, he was surprised to discover that Sigurd was the total opposite of his
brother.

When Arvis spoke, his wit and intelligence shone brightly, but he felt pressured not to
make mistakes, and would gradually stiffen up. In contrast, Sigurd sought out the good
in others, and made them feel warm and relaxed. Before he knew it, Azelle felt like he
would do anything for Sigurd.
Lex appeared to feel the same way, however, he claimed that he had not come to help
Sigurd, but because Azelle had insisted.

Two days later, Prince Quan of Leonster arrived to help fight, alongside his wife, Ethlyn,
who was also Sigurd's younger sister. With them were some of the troops that Quan
led, along with Arden and the others who had stayed in Chalphy.

Quan came because Leonster had received a request from Granvalle to participate in
the invasion of Isaach. He was chosen to represent his country, and responded by
going to Belhalla, where he had been told to invade Verdane instead.

Ethlyn knew her brother all too well. When she heard that he was going to go fight for
Yngvi, she would have gone even if it meant going alone.

But when Quan learned of what was going on, he too immediately decided to go and
provide reinforcements.

"I'm so sorry, Quan, to get you involved in this fight too. I know I am a member of
Leonster's royal family now, not Chalphy's, but when I think about my brother's reckless
personality, I can't help but worry! I mean, I don't think he's helpless, but there's no one
in Chalphy that can use healing magic! Thank you for helping him."

"You don't have to thank me, Ethlyn. Sigurd has been my close friend since we
attended the Royal Academy together, and now that we are married, he is my brother-
in-law. I wish from the very bottom of my heart to help him."

"Oh, thank you, Quan! Thank you so much!"

When Quan arrived in Chalphy, things were as he'd predicted. Sigurd had already
departed with a small army.

"We've been awaiting your arrival, Prince Quan!" Arden said, his face lit up with glee.
"Now I can finally go out to battle, too! Prince Sigurd headed down this road that travels
west and leads to Yngvi. I was ordered to march with the reinforcements once they
arrived, and head south. I'll lead the way, so please follow me, sir."

Quan's unit had already encountered the Verdanian Army several times. Since the units
of the Verdanian Army did not communicate well with each other, Quan's unit was able
to take them all out.
For the knight-in-training Finn, this was his first battle.

Quan had ordered him to stay by his side always.

"Battles are very different from training. Your life is always at risk. You must take them
seriously, but not too seriously, or else you will never improve. And our enemies are in
the same situation. If one shows any hesitation, do not think. Just attack. Do that, and
victory will be yours."

And the moment Finn saw such an enemy, he did just that.

Finn fought as boldly as he had been instructed to, and quickly came to understand how
to fight a real battle.

Sigurd was surprised by the unexpected reinforcements from Leonster, and thanked
Quan.

"There's no need to thank us, Sigurd. You, Eldigan, and I were all best friends at the
academy, weren't we? We shared our dreams with each other, and vowed to help each
other out if we were ever in trouble. That's why we're here. I'll fight with you until the
very end. I won't allow you to die fighting barbarians."

This was also the first time he'd seen his sister since she and Quan married.

She'd always been the reliable one, ever since they were children. Sigurd and their
father, Byron, were rather messy, so Ethlyn had taken care of House Chalphy ever
since their mother's passing.

"Brother can't clean up any mess on his own, so that's why I came here." She said, but
didn't really mean to be so harsh. The moment she knew that he was safe, tears welled
up in her eyes.

Three days later, Sir Filat came before them, and said he had a message to deliver from
King Azmur.

"Thank you for fighting so valiantly to retake Yngvi, Lord Sigurd. The moment you heard
the news, you gathered a small army, took the enemy by surprise, and claimed an
overwhelming victory. His Majesty was extremely happy to hear of your actions, and
has bestowed upon you the title of Crusader of Grannvale." Filat had always favored
Sigurd, and thought of him like a grandson. He smiled from ear-to-ear as he spoke.

"You praise me too much, Filat. I am just doing as anyone who has sworn loyalty to His
Majesty would do. But while we may have retaken Yngvi, we were unable to save
Princess Aideen of Yngvi. She was kidnapped and taken to Verdane. I plan to invade
Verdane and take her back."

"Oh, how unfortunate! His Majesty has been worried about Princess Aideen as well. He
said that he will allow you to decide what to do about Verdane. In other words, if you
think it necessary, you have his permission to invade."

"I am relieved to hear your words. In that case, we will prepare to fight the Verdanian
Army and save Princess Aideen at once!"

"Please do! There's no way you, as Balder's descendant, can possibly lose to savages!"
Filat said as if it would be no trouble at all.

Sigurd, however, understood well the challenge ahead of him. 'Is he seriously telling me
to figure things out with the small force I'm commanding now? Is that really what King
Azmur is thinking?'
Chapter 5: The Battle in Verdane
Part 1

Sigurd's army began to march towards Verdane.

Their first objective was to seize Evans Castle, located near the border.

They continued moving until they could see the Yung River, where they stopped and
prepared for battle in the cover of the forest in front of the river.

The bridge connecting Verdane and Grannvale was still up, and on the other side of the
river, they could see a large enemy army.

"The Verdanians haven't lowered the bridge, meaning they must be planning to invade
once again. In other words, they have confidence in their army's might. If we are
careless, then we'll probably have to defend against a brutal counterattack." Oifey
explained.

"As our tactician, what strategy do you suggest we take?"

"We should have our knights guard the bridge. Meanwhile, on the riverbank, our mages,
archers, and javelin-wielders should line up and pick off as many of the enemy soldiers
as they can."

Arden was itching for a chance to finally get a chance to shine, and happily marched
ahead.

When the Verdanians saw him, they approached the river, and a battle broke out
around the bridge.
Fire mage Azelle and arch knight Midir lined up on the shore beside Quan and his
cavaliers, who could all wield javelins. They shot their attacks across the river, while the
enemy archers and hand axe-wielding fighters fought back.

The fight continued on all day, yet failed to reach a conclusion.

At sunset, the two armies left watch guards by the bridge, then pulled back.

The fight continued on in the same way the next day.

While Sigurd’s army was indeed chipping away at the enemy defenses, they weren't
getting a chance to go on the offensive, either.

When everyone returned to camp at sunset, Sigurd found Arvis there waiting for him.

"Nice to see you again, Prince Sigurd!"

"Duke Arvis? Why are you here?"

"His Majesty was worried, so he ordered me to check up on you. I've been watching
since this afternoon, and while you are fighting valiantly, you still seem to be struggling."

"Well, the enemy army is rather large…"

'If you'd just send us even a fraction of the Rotenritter's troops, this would be over in an
instant.' Sigurd thought, but kept to himself.

"At least the battle should be decided tomorrow afternoon, assuming you keep up the
same assault you did today. Anyway, this is a gift from His Majesty. Please take it."
Arvis said and handed Sigurd a silver sword.

"What a magnificent blade… Is the king really giving this to me…? It is an honor." He
took the sword and unsheathed it halfway. Even in the dim torch light, he could see just
how well crafted it was. "Duke Arvis, please tell His Majesty that I said thank you from
the very bottom of my heart."

"I will. Oh, and by the way, Sigurd. I heard that my younger brother, Azelle, joined your
army. Is this true?"
"I apologize. I heard that he'd come to me without telling you, yet I didn't even try to tell
him to go home. My army lacks any mages, so he's been a great asset to us. He even
played a huge part in the battle today. Please consider allowing him to fight with us for a
while."

"Hmm… " Arvis paused to think for a few seconds. "If he's safe, then I'll allow it. He may
not be the greatest attacker, but he's good at defending himself. Since he isn’t fully
trained yet, please be careful that he doesn’t get cocky and go out on the front line
alone. He may be my bastard brother, but please look after him.”

"I understand. I will make it my personal responsibility to protect Prince Azelle."

"Remember that you never know what will happen during battle. As a commander, you
shouldn't claim so lightly that you will be personally responsible for your soldiers." Arvis
told him.

And he knew Arvis was right. "I apologize." Sigurd said and bowed his head. "By the
way, would you like me to go get him?"

"No, you don't have to. It would terrify him to see me, and I must be getting back to the
capital. The entire world has fallen into chaos ever since the incident in Darna. It’s just
been one strange incident after another. Now then, I'll be going. May the fortunes of war
be with you."

The next morning, the stalemate continued until noon, when the enemy's movements
began to dull.

"When the bridge is unguarded, that'll be our chance!" Oifey shouted.

Soon after, the opportunity finally struck. Arden's unit took out the last enemy guarding
the bridge, leaving it wide open.

"Now’s our chance! Chaaaarge!" Sigurd yelled, unsheathed his new silver sword from
the king, crossed the bridge, and charged directly into the middle of the Verdanian
Army’s front line.

The sword sliced through their enemies like paper. Sigurd slaughtered them left and
right, leaving a trail of blood behind him. The other cavaliers followed after him,
widening the gap between the enemy lines even further. By the time they were done,
the enemies were split into two separate groups, and they took advantage of that
opening to begin their charge towards the castle.

"After them!"

The castle gate had been left wide open to welcome any retreating Verdanians. Sigurd
took full advantage of the opportunity and rushed inside the castle alongside their
enemies.

The rest was easy. The only soldier who fought bravely was their leader.

Even as Sigurd's horse galloped straight at him, he did not try to run, instead taking the
opportunity to throw his hand axe.

Sigurd continued straight at him without slowing down. At the last second, the enemy
flinched, causing him to loosen his grip on his axe just enough that when he threw it, it
flew past Sigurd's ear.

In the blink of an eye, the silver sword sliced through the man, and he was dead.

For a battle that had lasted three days, Sigurd's army had taken surprisingly little
damage. Considering they'd been up against a large army, and seized a castle at that, it
could be considered a flawless victory.

The downside was that Aideen was not in Evans Castle, either.

When they asked one of the soldiers who'd surrendered about her, he said that Prince
Gandolf had taken her to the Verdanian capital several days ago.

Sigurd wanted to chase after them right away, but knew that he couldn't.

Evans Castle was near the border between Verdane and the Dominion of Agustria. King
Imuka always prioritized maintaining a peaceful relationship with Grannvale, however,
he'd recently passed away. His son, Chagall, who had always made his anti-Grannvale
stance clear, inherited the throne.

And if King Chagall were to take advantage of Grannvale's lack of soldiers, he would
need to pass by Evans Castle. While it was a good thing that Sigurd's army had seized
Evans Castle, it meant that they were stuck and could not move.
To save Aideen and address the very reason he'd started to fight in the first place, he
would have to write a letter requesting for a defense unit to defend Evans, and have one
of his cavaliers take it to Yngvi. Once there, the semaphore line would send the
message to the capital.

But after a week passed, he still had yet to receive a response.

Part 2

One day, to distract himself from his frustrations, Sigurd started a game of chess with
Oifey.
Ethlyn burst into the room half-way through the game. "Brother, a special guest is here
to see you!"

"Really!? Have we finally received word from Belhalla?" Sigurd stood up so suddenly
that he bumped into the table and knocked down all the chess pieces. "Whoops, sorry.
Looks like I lose this round."

"No, actually, you had one more piece than me on the board.” Oifey said, sounding a bit
disappointed.

"Sorry, it’s not someone from Belhalla. But it's someone from Agustria you’ll be happy to
see!"

"Augustria? Oh, is it Eldigan!?"

“He’s waiting in the guest room.”

“I’ll head over there right away.” Sigurd said and rushed over to the guest room.

Alongside Quan, Eldigan had been Sigurd’s friend at the Royal Academy. Though they
were the same age, his father had died young, meaning he'd already inherited the
Nordian throne and Black Knight Hezul's Holy Weapon, the Demon Blade Mystletainn.

Hezul had founded the Kingdom of Augusty, and ruled over the Dominion of Augustria
for generations. However, at one point, his Holy Mark appeared on a member of House
Nordion, and Mystletainn was now passed down through the Nordian royal family.

When Sigurd entered the room, Eldigan greeted him, but then yelled, "Why have you
seized Evans!? Have you really become yet another of Grannvale’s power-hungry dogs,
even after everything we went through at the academy!?”

"H-Hold on, Eldigan! This is all a big misunderstanding!"

"What part of this is a misunderstanding?! Explain yourself!”

'He hasn’t changed one bit since our days at the academy.' Sigurd thought.

Eldigan was the type who couldn’t stand it if even one thing was out of place. Though
he often knew it would hurt him more than it would help him, he’d still push to have
things done his way. As students, they’d nearly dueled on many occasions, but Quan,
with his common sense and empathy, managed to talk them out of it every time.

‘If we’d dueled, Eldigan would have won for sure, so deep down, I think he wanted
someone to intervene...”

"Well, at least take a seat first. Surely you didn't come to fight."

"Maybe I did. Depends on what's going on."

"You are the type to jump on the chance to fight." Sigurd said with a laugh, while
Eldigan finally sat down. "Verdane was the one who started it. You’ve been informed of
that much, right?”

“I have. But now you’re trying to conquer them, aren’t you!? Just like your people are
doing to Isaach!?”

"No, I’m not! Verdane's Prince Gandolf kidnapped Princess Aideen, so we seized Evans
to take her back. However… she wasn't there."

"Really? So this was all a misunderstanding, then. I apologize."

"There's no need to. I knew you'd understand once we talked about it."

"So, what are you planning to do next?"

"If Verdane won't let Aideen go, then we've decided that we have no choice but to fight."

"Really? But you hardly have any soldiers here!"

"That's the problem. This is a secret, but I sent a request for reinforcements to Belhalla.
I have yet to receive a response."

"Yeah, Grannvale has been acting strangely lately. But you need to save Aideen as
quickly as possible."

"I do."

"Alright then, I'll take care of this castle while you're gone. Grannvale may be acting
strangely, but so is Verdane. King Batu, who has always been a gentle and honorable
man, severed our long-standing alliance, which was something he’d always treasured.
“...But I have no right to say anything about what’s going on in other countries when
things have been strange in my very own Augustria ever since Chagall became king.
The moment Elliot of Heirhein hears that Evans is empty, he's sure to try and take it for
himself, so I'll defend the border. Anyone who wants to cross will have to go through me
first, so you can go save Aideen worry-free."

"Thank you! Things are finally looking up for me! We'll leave first thing in the
morning. ...Oh, by the way, Quan is here, too. It's been forever since we last saw each
other, so let's have a drink together."

"What? Quan is here and you didn't tell me? Hurry up and get him in here!"

While they couldn't find anything as fine as Grannvalian wine in Evans Castle's cellar,
once they were drunk, they couldn't tell the difference. Ethlyn joined in soon after, and
the four spent their time reminiscing about the past.

Though they only talked for a few hours, it was the first time they'd been able to have
fun since they started fighting.
The next day, Sigurd received an order from King Azmur.

It said that while he could not send any reinforcements, he advised them to fight until
Verdane surrendered.

Not once did the letter mention Princess Aideen.

Some time earlier...

Once Ayra and Shanan entered Verdane, they started moving towards the capital city,
then stopped to rest at Genoa Castle. The lord of Genoa Castle was King Batu's middle
son, Cimbaeth.

Cimbaeth had his eye on Ayra's sword, and asked her to give him a demonstration of
her skills.

Ayra knew that women weren't allowed to fight in Verdane, so perhaps she had caught
his interest. Or, he could have an ulterior motive, and actually want to make fun of her
for being a woman.

She chose to decline his offer. However, that only made him all the more insistent.

Finally, she gave in, and was pitted against one of Cimbaeth’s fighters.

"In Verdane, we always fight fer real!" The fighter said with a smirk, then swung his axe
around. The more power he put into it, the louder it wooshed through the air. "If yer
gonna surrender, then better do it now, missy."

"There's no stopping you, is there? Alright then, I'll let you have the first shot, so hurry
up and get over here."

He swung his axe down slowly.

Before it could hit her, she swiftly moved out of its path.

"Oh, so you do know a thing or two about fightin'!" The fighter said before speeding up
his movements.
Ayra continued to dodge just as easily as before. "I'm going to go all out now. May I
slice off your head?"

"Just you try!" Her calm voice seemed to have angered him.

She didn’t leave him any openings from which to attack her, causing him to lose all of
his fighting spirit. He couldn’t even follow her movements.

His axe flew through the air, and when he tried to recover, she thrust her sword into his
throat.

"That was stunning." Cimbaeth's tone was changed completely from before. “I pit you
against one of my best, knowing that he could take care not to hurt you, yet you were
the one in complete control the entire time! Ayra, was it? Why don't you stay here for a
while, and teach my men some of your techniques?"

She didn't think she could trust him, but she was starting to run out of the money she'd
taken with her from Isaach. Reluctantly, she decided to accept his offer and stay at
Genoa Castle as a combat instructor.

Verdane's attack on Castle Yngvi happened shortly after that.

Cimbaeth decided that he would go retake Yngvi, and said, “Ayra, how would you like to
do more than just teach, and fight against Grannvale as a mercenary? Grannvale
invaded your country too, after all. You must hate them.”

“Of course I should hate them! But as much as I would like to fight with you, I have a
duty to protect Shanan. I cannot leave him here and go out on the battlefield.”

The moment he heard that, a light shone in Cimbaeth’s eyes. "Really? That's too bad.
But why do ya need to protect Shanan? Ain't he just a regular ol' kid?"

Ayra gasped. 'Damn! I said too much!'

"He's the one and only son of my brother. He's important to me. Is there something
wrong with that?"
"Nothin'.” Cimbaeth said, then grinned. “But things are what they are. I want you to fight
those damn Granvallians with us when they get here. Protecting the castle is the same
as protecting your dear nephew, ain’t it?”

"Well, if you put it that way...”

"Then it's settled. I can count on you, right, my sword instructor?”

From that day forth, Cimbaeth did whatever he could to protect Shanan.

Ayra tried to take Shanan and leave the castle, but now, he was always guarded by
someone else.

'They're using him as a hostage!' Ayra thought. 'I want to fight Grannvale, but if I'm
fighting because Shanan has been taken hostage, then for what reason did we travel all
the way to Verdane?"

Word reached their ears that Sigurd's army was attacking Evans Castle and would soon
seize it.

Once reinforcements arrived from the capital, it was decided that Cimbaeth would leave
to retake Evans.

Before he left, he said to Ayra, “You know what you need to do. Protect the castle with
your life while I’m gone. And if you do anything funny, you can consider the brat as good
as dead.”

His words were clearly a threat.

"Fine. I'll protect the castle. And in return, you better not dare lay a hand on Shanan! If
anything happened to him, I'd follow you to the depths of hell and have your head! Don't
forget!"

"Whoa, so scary! What terrible words to come from such a pretty lady! Not that I’d
expect anything less from one of your skills. I don’t wanna make an enemy outta you!
Don’t you worry your cute little head about that!”

Ayra went to the room where Shanan was locked up.

Shanan saw that she was dressed for battle, and said, "Ayra, what's going on!? Are you
going to fight!?"

"Yes, I am. There's a chance that the Grannvalian Army is coming this way. They are
our greatest enemy, so I'm going to fight them."

"You're lying! I know the real reason why you want to fight! It's to protect me, isn't it!? I'll
be fine! I won't let them do anything to me! So please, don't fight!"

The guard in the room glared at her, a clear message that she should leave.

"Wait for me, Shanan. I'll only be gone for a little bit." Ayra said, then left.

"No, Ayra! Don't go!"

His voice followed her out of the room.

Part 3

Both Sigurd's and Cimbaeth's armies marched onwards until they clashed.

Since it was an unexpected skirmish, neither of them had a strategy. This was a simple
test of power and endurance.
“Attaaaaaack!” Sigurd shouted and charged straight ahead.

Sigurd’s steed, Faran, darted ahead of the other cavaliers, and the two cut through the
enemy line all on their own.

Sigurd had crossed blades with the Verdanians enough by now to know exactly how
they fought. All they did was spin around. They knew nothing about how to defend or
counterattack. So if he could just dodge their first attack, he’d be able to kill them with
just one swing of his silver sword.

Faran had also become accustomed to the Verdanian fighting style, and knew which
way to turn simply from the weight Sigurd put into his thighs.

Sigurd cut down the middle enemy in the front line, then halted his charge to slaughter
the enemies as they came at him, one after the other.

By the time the other cavaliers caught up, there was not a single Verdanian soldier left
willing to attack Sigurd. They were all completely terrified.

'We're going to lose at this rate!' Cimbaeth thought. 'But if I can just defeat him, then I
can turn things around!'

He turned to the warriors next to him and said, "Hey, you three, distract him! While he's
busy with you, I'll take him out with my hand axe!"

The warriors did as they were ordered and rushed towards Sigurd.

While the three of them fought, Cimbaeth ran around towards Sigurd's side and threw
his hand axe.

It would be near impossible for Sigurd to dodge his attack.

However, Sigurd raised his shield immediately, and just barely blocked it.

Sigurd slew the three warriors, then turned Faran and charged at Cimbaeth.

The moment realized Cimbaeth realized the blood-stained Sigurd was staring at him, he
shivered.
Sigurd looked like a crimson-colored monster, and that monster was headed straight at
him.

He tried to run, but his feet were frozen. All his shaking body could do was ready his
axe and watch as the monster inched ever closer to him.

Suddenly, Lex ran up to Cimbaeth’s side, aimed his axe, and swung it down.

Cimbaeth had been so focused on the crimson monster that Lex was able to take him
out in a single blow.

The top of Cimbaeth's head split open, and he died instantly.

"That was an amazing attack, Prince Lex."

Lex smirked at Sigurd’s words. "I was only able to pull it off because he got distracted.
You were the one who put on the best show. Did you learn how to fight like that at the
academy?"

"Yeah, I learned a lot there`."

“Like how the leader should charge ahead into the enemy lines on his own?”

"..."

"Hey, I knew exactly what you were thinking. Take the hit yourself, so you could lessen
the damage done to your allies, even if just a little bit."

"Well, um…"

"That's what you were doing, wasn't it? You don't have to say it. But don’t think I mean
to insult you. I've already decided to follow you anywhere. Even if you lead me to hell
and back."

Sigurd’s army traveled to a nearby village so they could rest and heal the wounded.

During that time, Noish led a small unit to investigate Genoa Castle.

When they returned, Sigurd greeted them. "So, what’s the castle like?"
"There's nothing to say about the castle. It just looked like a fancy fort, and there weren't
many people inside. But there was this one really strong woman…"

"A woman?"

"Yes, she wielded a sword. When we approached the castle to investigate its defenses,
she came out leading the soldiers… Since she was a woman, we underestimated her
powers and she killed two men in the blink of an eye. I apologize for our misjudgement."

"It’s not your fault. My orders were unclear." Sigurd ordered Noish and the other
members of the reconnaissance team to take a break, then turned to Oifey, who was on
standby beside him, and asked, "So, what do you think about all of that?"

"Verdane does not have any female soldiers, and no one wields swords, either. So I
think she is a mercenary from another country. Also, we can tell from the fact that they
came out of the castle to fight, that the castle defenses are not that strong. If they had
confidence in the castle defenses, then they would keep the gate closed tight. This
means it’s likely that either the gate is weak, or there’s a weak point in the castle wall. If
we chose to attack the castle aggressively, we would cause a lot of damage to it, so I
think we should try a decoy strategy this time.”

“A decoy strategy?”

“Yes. We should send a small unit up to the castle again. That will draw out the
swordswoman. Then, the unit will run away.”

“Isn’t that exactly what Noish and the others did?”

“Noish and the others were cavaliers. The swordswoman will know that it’s pointless to
chase people on horseback, and go back into the castle. Therefore, we should send
infantry this time. Well, we could send cavaliers too, but it’s critical they run quickly
enough not to get caught, but slowly enough not to get away. That way, the
swordswoman will come out. The main unit will use that time to attack the castle.”

“You really are the reincarnation of Lord Sesar, Oifey! No, you’re even smarter than
him!”

Oifey blushed at Sigurd’s praise.

-
When she received word that the Grannvalian Army was coming, Ayra climbed atop the
castle wall.

This time, the scout team they’d sent was much larger, and consisted of infantry in
addition to the cavalry. However, the increased numbers were not enough to concern
her, and she was also reassured because there weren’t any armored units.

‘If there’s just this many of them, then we can take them.’ Ayra concluded. ‘I’ll give them
hell, so they’ll give up on attacking Genoa. If I can do that, the soldiers here are sure to
set Shanan free.’

“Attack!” She ordered.

The Verdanian Army shot out of the castle, with Ayra taking the lead.

Since she was waging everything on this one fight, she figured that she didn’t have to
leave many soldiers to defend the castle.

“We will slaughter the Grannvalian cowards here and now!” Ayra shouted and charged
at the enemy lines.

When they saw her slaughter a Grannvalian cavalier in the blink of an eye, her men all
cheered a cheer that morphed into a battle cry, then they followed after her.

She didn’t know whether or not she’d scared the Grannvalians with her show of
strength, but for some reason, they started running away.

“After them! Don’t let them get away!” One of the Verdanian soldiers shouted.

For the Verdanians, who’d suffered defeat after defeat at this point, there was no
greater thrill than the opportunity to be the ones chasing down the enemy.

As a woman, Ayra was shorter than everyone else, and she couldn’t keep up with the
other soldiers’ running speed.

“Keep formation! Stay together!” Ayra shouted, but no one heard her. Knowing there
was nothing else she could do, she ran after them.

The Grannvalians ran as fast as they could, making it impossible to trap them. Any
Verdanian soldiers who managed to catch up were quickly picked off by cavaliers.
However, since the cavaliers kept moving the entire time, they were able to run away as
quickly as they attacked.

“Get back here, everyone!” Ayra shouted as loudly as she could, but her voice could no
longer reach them. And she knew that even if they did hear her, they’d already been
consumed by their lust for battle. They’d no longer listen.

‘I need to do something to save them!’ Ayra continued to run, but her allies were already
being taken out, one by one.

Before she knew it, she was the only one left.

The enemies stopped running, and began to form proper battle lines.

She knew she’d fallen right into their trap.

‘I’ll take out as many of them as I can on my own!’

She stopped running, and waited for them to come at her. However, they didn’t budge
even an inch.

“Mercenaries give up the fight once the castle has fallen. Don’t try to force her to fight
after that.” Ayra had no way of knowing, but that was what Sigurd had ordered the
decoy unit to do before the battle began.

Now that this battle had come to a halt, Ayra returned to her senses.

‘They must have sent another unit to attack the castle! I need to protect Shanan!’

She slowly started to turn around.

Once she’d confirmed that no one would follow her, she made a break for the castle.

‘Stay safe, Shanan. I’m coming.’

Once the Verdanian Army was a good distance from the castle, the smaller, but main
unit, set out to attack Genoa Castle.
Since Verdane had been at peace for a very long time, there were weak points all over
the castle. The castle wall was particularly low in the back, so everyone was easily able
to climb it.

When they realized that the castle had been invaded, the remaining Verdanian soldiers
lost all fighting spirit and surrendered.

Sigurd searched each and every room of the castle for Aideen.

His search led him to one locked door. He tore it down, and inside was not Aideen, but
a boy.

“Who are you?” Sigurd asked.

The boy responded with his own question. “Are you from Grannvale!?”

“I am.”

‘No! Ayra lost!’

Tears welled up in his eyes, but he held them back. He remembered his grandfather,
King Mananan’s, words. ‘A prince of Isaach must never cry before others. You must
always maintain the honor and bravery of a warrior.’

‘If I am to be killed here, then I must die with dignity! I am a prince of Isaach!’

“I am Prince Shanan of Isaach. Go ahead, kill me.”

The man before him raised an eyebrow. “Why would I kill you? ...Oh, because
Grannvale and Isaach are at war. Still, I have no reason to kill a child. Even if you are a
prince of Isaach.”

“But you killed Ayra!” Shanan screamed before bursting into tears.
“Ayra?”

“My aunt! She died so you can get in here!”

“Oh, the swordswoman?”

“Yes! You killed her!”

“No, we didn’t.”

“Liar!”

“At least, I ordered my soldiers not to kill her.”

“But you did kill her!”

“Come with me! If we hurry, we might make it to her before it’s too late!” Sigurd grabbed
Shanan’s hand, rushed out of the main castle building, and put Shanan atop his horse.

“You’ve been working hard, Faran. This is the last ride for today, I promise. I’m counting
on you.”

Faran neighed and ran off at full speed.

Sigurd’s determination taught Shanan for the first time what it truly meant to be a knight.
“Mister, Aunt Ayra pushed herself to fight for my sake. Please don’t kill her!”

“I won’t. But please, don’t call me mister. Makes me feel old.”

“Sorry. What should I call you then?”

“Sigurd is fine. And I’ll call you Shanan.”

When Sigurd finished his sentence, Shanan noticed someone running towards them.
“Oh! That’s Ayra! She’s safe!”

Sigurd ordered Faran to stop in front of Ayra, then waited for her to catch up to them.

She raised her sword between exhausted breaths. “L-Let him go, y-you Granvalian
dog!”
“Wait, Ayra! This person saved me!”

“What!? ...Is that true?”

“It is! Put your sword down, Ayra. You don’t have to fight anymore.”

“Princess Ayra, I am Prince Sigurd of Chalphy. Prince Shanan told me that you didn’t
really want to fight. If that’s true, then you can sheathe your sword. Our countries may
be at war, but I don’t want to fight you. I guarantee Prince Shanan’s safety. I don’t know
what the outcome of this war will be, but I want to see Prince Shanan return home and
claim the throne one day. I promise to do whatever I can to make that happen. So
please, lay down your sword.”

“And what if your king told you to kill him!?”

“I haven’t reported to my king that the prince is with me.”

“Would you!?”

“I’ve only been ordered to fight Verdane.”

Ayra paused to think. “I know you aren’t lying because you brought Shanan to me
alone. However, before I lay down my sword, I want you to do one thing for me. Swear
on your blade that you will protect Shanan with your life.”

Sigurd let Shanan down from his horse, then unsheathed his sword and kissed the
blade. “I, Prince Sigurd of Chalphy, swear to protect Prince Shanan of Issach with my
life.”

“Thank you.” Ayra handed the hilt of her sword to Sigurd.

“In return, I offer you my sword. I, Princess Ayra of Isaach, swear my loyalty to you,
Prince Sigurd of Chalphy.”

“Thank you, Princess Ayra.” Sigurd said and turned her sword around to give it back to
her.

Ayra took her sword and sheathed it. “But understand that this vow is not eternal. Once
Shanan returns to Isaach, if we went to war with Grannvale again, then I would be your
enemy. Are we clear?”
Part 4

Aideen was taken to Marpha Castle, which Gandolf was the lord of.
He really was intent on going to Verdane Castle and asking for his father’s permission
to marry her. However, once word of Genoa Castle's fall reached them, doing so
became impossible.

Between repairing the castle and training the soldiers, there was a mountain of work to
do, and they could not leave.

While Aideen and her maids were forbidden from leaving the castle, in the afternoons,
they were free to do as they wished. The maids stayed in their bedroom, but Aideen
would walk around the castle and chat with those inside.

Among the maids was a young woman who Aideen guessed to be from another
country, as her was purple, a very unusual shade not commonly seen in Verdane nor
Grannvale.

Aideen talked to her, and learned that her name was Deirdre. She was the maiden of
the deep forest between Marpha and Verdane Castles.

Ten days ago, she'd been found by a unit traveling towards Marpha Castle, who’d
kidnapped her and brought her there.

Aideen gasped. “How terrible! Did they do anything to you?”

“If by that you mean whether or not they hurt me, they didn’t.”

“That’s a relief to hear! Ugh, Verdanian men have no shame!”

"They really don’t. But when they tried to touch me, I put them to sleep."

"Oh, you can use magic? So, how did it work? Did they sleep for a long time?"

"Yes, they seemed to be having nice dreams. When they woke up about an hour later, I
pretended to cry. That seemed to satisfy them, as they went away after that.”

Aideen scrunched up her face, but then burst out laughing. "Ugh, men are such simple
creatures! But you know what, Deirdre? I’m in the same boat.”

"What? You were forced to come here too, Lady Aideen?"

"Yes. And you don't have to be formal with me. I've simply been calling you Deirdre,
after all."
Aideen told Deirdre about how she’d been taken from Yngvi.

“Oh no! Did they do anything to you?”

“If by that you mean whether or not they hurt me, they didn’t.”

“Thank goodness.”

Aideen explained how she defended herself.

This time, Deirdre was the one to laugh. "Your magic is stronger than mine."

The two got along so well that they began to chat regularly in their free time.

When evening came and everyone had eaten dinner, Aideen and her maids weren't
allowed to leave their room. After the dishes were returned to the kitchen, someone
always locked the door from the outside.

But if they moved furniture in front of the door or stuck a pole through the handles, then
no one could get in, either.

Gandolf once tried to enter the room, and their blockade kept him from doing so.

"It's me! Open up! I'm the lord of this castle, so you gotta listen to me!" His slurred
speech gave away that he was very drunk.

"A princess of Yngvi would never let a man other than her husband into her room at
night!"

"I'm the man who's gonna be your husband!"

"But you aren't my husband yet. A prince must keep his promises. If you wish to marry
me, then take me to King Batu!"

"Damn you woman!" Gandolf screamed before giving up and walking off.

Reinforcements from Verdane gradually came to the castle. Among them was King
Batu's third son, Prince Jamke.
Unlike King Batu's other sons, Jamke wielded bows.

One day, Aideen noticed him shooting arrows in the courtyard, and she was shocked.
He could easily hit small objects from thirty meters away. 'Even Yngvi's knights cannot
hit a target from so far away!'

When she tried to approach him, she overheard him talking to one of the soldiers. "That
was amazing, Prince Jamke! Keep it up, and you'll have no trouble taking out the
Grannvalians when they get here!"

'So Jamke is the great archer they've been talking about?'

He looked completely different from his brothers. While they had square, fierce faces,
Jamke's was slender. His features were sharp, but he looked very kind.

'Perhaps he has a different mother?' Aideen wondered.

She looked around to make sure that Gandolf wasn't around, then went up to him.
"You're skills are simply breathtaking! Even the knights in my homeland, Yngvi, cannot
compare to you!"

Jamke turned around and saw a beautiful noblewoman. Her eyes shone as she praised
him.

"N-Now surely, there's no way someone who's self taught can compare to the knights of
Yngvi…" He blushed.

'His manner of speaking is totally different, too!’

"I am Princess Aideen of Yngvi. And you are?"

"I-I am Jamke, the third son of King Batu."

"Jamke… it has such a nice ring to it! It makes me think of the late-autumn sky. You
said you were self-taught, right? So what kind of training did you do?"

"I hunted birds and small beasts."

"Can you hit them every time?"

"No, of course not! They move too quickly! Though my accuracy has gotten much better
lately."

"That's amazing!" Aideen smiled, but then sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"I just realized that the Grannvalian soldiers are going to fight against you. It makes me
so sad. If they go after you, then surely you'll be killed."

"But we're at war! It's kill or be killed!"

"Oh war this, war that! It's always about war with you men! Do you know how many
women you've made cry!?"

"I understand that. But…" His face twisted with anger. "You're the ones who started
this!"

"No, we weren't! Verdane attacked Yngvi first! That's why I'm imprisoned here!"

"But wasn't Grannvale plotting to attack Verdane? My father approved of the attack
because he had no other choice!"

"Who told you that?"

"..."

"Grannvale is currently fighting with Isaach, because they attacked Darna, one of our
allied cities!"

"..."

"When Verdane attacked my duchy, we hardly had any soldiers there! Do you really
think we would do that if we were preparing for battle?

"But Grannvale just invaded Verdane!"

"To take me back!" She shouted at him, then quickly walked away without waiting for a
response. 'I don't know what's going to happen next, but that's enough for one day.'

-
The next day, Aideen spent the morning staring out into the courtyard from her room.
Jamke never came out, but just before noon, she saw a boy being locked into the
pillory.

She walked out of her room and went up to him. "What crime did you commit?"

The boy looked up to see where her voice had come from. "I didn't do anything, but the
mean, nasty soldiers put me in here anyway!"

"He's a thief! You can't believe a word he says!" One of the nearby soldiers shouted
over to her.

Aideen looked at him. She guessed he was either thirteen or fourteen, and had a round,
cute face with big eyes. He didn't look like a thief at all.

"Won't you help me, Princess? Please! I'll do whatever you say!"

"Are you from around here?"

It took him a moment to answer. "Yeah, if you need to know anything about this area,
then just ask, and I’ll tell you! So please, get me outta here!"

'He paused to think about what be should say. If he really hadn't done anything, then he
would have replied right away.' Aideen thought. "I'll have a word with Gandolf, but I'm no
more than a prisoner here myself. And besides, everyone knows that you can't trust a
thief's promises."

"No, I swear it! It's true that you can't trust a thief's promise, but a thief's vow is the real
deal. Please!"

"What's your name?"

"Dew."

"It has a very interesting ring to it. It's short, but feels full of lies."

"Forget about that, just help me…!"

"I'll think about it." She said, then began to saunter away.
She thought that he would shower her with obscenities, but he didn't.

"I swear it. I swear it on my life!"

'He just might be useful.' She thought.

When afternoon rolled around, Jamke still hadn't come out to the courtyard, so Aideen
decided to walk around the main building.

She had a feeling that something was up, as he wasn’t out in the open.

She continued further inside, and saw Jamke standing standing inside a room with the
door open, his back facing her.

'I knew it!' She entered the room and called out to him.

"Oh, that was you?"

"I wanted to apologize to you, and I just so happened to see you in here… I went too far
yesterday. Please forgive me."

"I don't think you said too much…"

"Were you thinking about something? If I'm bothering you, then I'll leave you alone…"

"No, you're not a bother… but I have been thinking since our talk. I've been wondering
who said that Grannvale was preparing to attack us…"

"And do you have a lead?"

"Yes. It was a mage named Sandima."

"A mage?" Aideen raised an eyebrow. "I don't trust anyone who calls themself a mage."

"Me neither. But Sandima has very strange powers, so my father trusted him
completely."

"Then you must go clear up any misunderstandings your father has!"

"That's my plan, to go home to Verdane and talk to him. I'm happy that I was able to see
you before I left…"

"So am I. But you won't end the war through talking to your father alone, Prince Jamke.
So I have a request for you."

"What is it?"

"Please set me free, so I can convince Grannvale to stop fighting. If we work together,
we can do it!"

"But how can I get you out of here safely?"

"At nightfall, our room on the second floor is locked from the outside, but no one stands
guard in front of the door. So if you unlocked it, my maids and I could get out of the
castle… Are there any emergency exits?"

"Yes, there are! But what will you do once you're out of the castle? You don't know this
area."

"Please let the boy being kept prisoner in the courtyard free. He can guide us."

Jamke stared straight at her. "Alright. You're stronger than I thought. Can we meet
again once the war is over?"

"Of course, Prince Jamke." Aideen said, staring straight back into his eyes.

The emergency exit was behind the castle. Since it was made to evacuate people if the
castle was ever attacked, one had to jump off a two meter ledge to get out. Meaning
that they could exit through it, but not reenter.

Aideen and the others escaped from the castle in the middle of the night.

First, Jamke jumped down and made sure that the ground was safe. Then, he held out
his arms and waited for Aideen. She turned towards him, and jumped.
The moment he caught her, an intoxicating scent filled his nose.

Next, the two maids jumped, and Dew was the final one to make it out.

Guided by the moonlight, they traveled for about one hour across the plains and made it
out of the castle town.

"This is where I must say goodbye. I will pray for your safety, Princess Aideen."

"And I will do the same for you, Prince Jamke."

"Dew, was it? I'm leaving the rest to you."

"You can count on me! I made a thief's vow with Lady Aideen! I'll get her outta here!"

Jamke saw them off, and didn't move until long after their shadows disappeared into the
darkness.

'I pray that we'll meet again someday, Aideen. We may have only known each other for
two days, but you've already stolen my heart.'
Part 5

Aideen and the others continued on their journey, traveling by night.

They passed through a village, and as the sun was rising, a large forest stretched out
before them.

"Let's see… it'll be faster for us to take the road leadin’ to Genoa Castle, but we'll risk
gettin’ caught if there's a search party out for us. It would be harder for a search party to
catch us in the forest, but it would slow us down. Whadda think we should do?” Dew
asked.

"Running away is what you do best, I presume. What would you do?"

"If I was alone, I'd take the road. But with you ladies, I'd go through the forest, because
ya'll are slower than me and we didn't get that far last night. If the search party is movin'
quick, they'll catch up to us soon.”

"Then let's hurry and enter the forest."

"There ain't any proper paths in the forest. You sure 'bout that?"

"Yes, I am."

The forest didn't have any paths, just like Dew had said, so they had to walk through
underbrush.

It wasn’t long before the maids started complaining. "Lady Aideen! We can't walk
anymore! Please go on without us!"

"What are you saying!? Do you want to get caught by those barbarians and relive what
happened in Yngvi!?"

The maids gasped and started walking again.

Two hours later, Dew said, "They won't be able to find us too fast now that we've made
it this far. Let's take a break."

She wouldn't show it in front of her maids, but Aideen was exhausted, too. When she
paused to think about it, she realized that they'd walked for six hours straight.
When they all found a place to sit and stretch their legs, Aideen took her staff and
healed the cuts on her maids' legs and any other wounds they had.

Early that morning, Gandolf realized that they had escaped, and was furious.

"Who let them go!? Show yourself!!"

"I saw Lord Jamke talking to the princess yesterday…"

"What!? Jamke!? Somebody get him in here!"

Gandolf ordered his men, however, he was nowhere to be found.

"Dammit! He must've done it! After him! After all of them! Don't let them get away! I don't
care if you gotta go through the forest, just bring 'em back here! Whoever catches 'em
can have the maids! No slacking!"

Meanwhile, Sigurd had sent out Alec and Noish on reconnaissance that morning. They
traveled down the roads on the lookout for Verdanian soldiers.

They saw plenty of Verdanian soldiers, but none of them were organized into any units.

"What are they planning?" Noish wondered.

"I have no idea, but you should head back to the castle and give our report. I‘ll stay here
with the others for a little while longer."

"Okay, good luck."

Upon hearing Noish's report, Sigurd asked Oifey, "What is the enemy planning? Maybe
they've come to retake Genoa Castle?"
"I don't know, either. But if they’re scattered around, now's our chance to attack with all
we've got!"

"Then let's move out!"

Sigurd's army quickly left the castle and marched down the streets.

Before long, some Verdanian soldiers appeared, and sure enough, they weren't part of
a unit.

"There's even enemies in the forest! Cavalry, continue down this path. Infantry, spread
out in the forest to avoid being ambushed."

The infantry all followed Oifey's orders and went into the forest.

"All units, move out!" Sigurd ordered, then turned Faran towards the enemies, and
charged.

The enemy vanguard was taken out in the blink of an eye, but the next wave soon
advanced to take their place.

Sigurd's calvary approached them one by one, and advanced slowly while fighting.

At the same time, a battle broke out in the forest as well.

The infantry units put a lot of pressure on the enemy, but as soon as one enemy soldier
was defeated, a new one would show up to take his place.

The battle began just before noon, but even at three-o'clock, it still wasn't clear who
would emerge the winner. The number of wounded in Sigurd's army increased one after
the other, and those who were not hurt gradually began to tire out.

Sigurd returned to the front of the charge, and shouted, "We may be in a tough spot, but
so is our enemy! We just have to push ourselves one last time! We can do this!"

Seeing Sigurd charge straight towards their enemies gave his allies the strength to go
on.

And that was when the crimson monster appeared again.

Wherever Sigurd went, the earth turned red beneath him.

He and his army cut down wave after wave of enemies until suddenly, they turned a
sharp right around the forest. When their field of vision widened, they noticed that there
were no enemies left to fight.

No one could believe their eyes, but they'd done it. They'd defeated a huge group of
Verdanian soldiers.

Everyone burst out into cheers of victory.

The occasional enemy appeared from the forest, now located to their right, but
Verdanians realized that there was nowhere for them to escape to, and they lay down
their weapons every time.

Sigurd's army continued marching onwards until they reached a village from which they
could see Marpha Castle, and stopped to rest.

"Brother, we found Aideen!" Ethlyn called out to Sigurd while her horse galloped up to
him.

"What!? You did!?"

"Yes, Azelle's unit found her in the forest and kept her safe. They are headed this way."

"Really? Thank the gods!"

Some time later, Aideen arrived in the village alongside Azelle and his unit.

"Prince Sigurd, we have brought Princess Aideen here!" Azelle reported proudly.

"Thank you, Azelle. You did well. Aideen’s safety is more important than anything else."

"Thank you for coming to my rescue, Sigurd. I knew you would! Now we can return
home, yes?"

"About that…"

"What's the matter, Sigurd? Can we not go home yet?"

"You see, King Azmur ordered us to continue fighting until we've defeated the
Verdanian king.”

"What!?"

"You should go home, of course. I'll send some of my soldiers with you as your guard,
but I still need to be here to fight."

"Then I'm going to stay here too!"

"But why? You aren't a soldier, so please go home."

"I can use healing magic! I know it will be very helpful. Plus, I made a promise to
someone, that if he set me free, I would convince the Grannvalian soldiers to pull out of
Verdane…"

"Who was it?"

"Prince Jamke of Verdane. He too went to his own king to convince him to stop the
fighting. If you're going to fight until King Batu is defeated, doesn't that mean that you're
going to fight until the very end?"

"Yes, King Azmur ordered us to…"

"I must meet with Prince Jamke and apologize to him, so I refuse to go home."

She turned around to face her maids so quickly that she didn't even give Sigurd time to
respond.

"As you two just heard, I'm going to stay here. However, you are to return home. This is
a direct order from me, so if you do not obey, you will be punished. Sigurd said he will
send a guard to go with you, so you don't have to worry about me leaving you.

"And what about you, Dew? You've already done your job, for which I thank you. We
would have never made it here without you. I only request that you give up thieving for
good. You are free and may go wherever you like. Just don't steal anything ever again,
or else you'll get caught and nothing will have changed."

"Stealin' is a terrible thing and I ain't never done it, even once! But if you insist, then I'll
go. See ya, Aideen! If fortune allows it, let's meet up again someday!" Dew said before
wandering off.
-

Late that night, Jamke reached Verdane Castle.

King Batu had already gone to bed, but since it was an emergency, someone woke him
up so Jamke could speak with him.

"Father, Sandima is deceiving you! Grannvale isn't preparing to fight with us! Please
order a cease-fire!"

"How do you know that?"

"The princess of Yngvi told me so herself. I was able to meet her because Gandolf
kidnapped her."

"This could be a problem."

Jamke whirled around to see Sandima standing behind him. “What could be a
problem!? You keep spouting nonsense to my father and brothers! You’re the one who’s
the problem here!”

"A prince should know better than to speak out of line.”

“I’m just telling the truth! What part of that is speaking out of line!?”

"Let me ask you. Is the princess is in Marpha Castle right now?"

"Well, um..."

"She's not in the castle?"

"I let her go. She should be with the Grannvalian army, convincing them to order a
cease-fire."

"So you're saying that you let her go because she promised she would get Grannvale to
withdraw?"

"Yes. We vowed to stop the fighting."

"You don't think that she lied to you just to get away?"

"No… she would never!"

"Us mages are always relaying necessary information to each other. That is why King
Batu trusts me. Isn't that right, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, everything you have told me so far has been proven correct."

"I've heard that this princess of Yngvi is a very beautiful woman. It is possible that young
Prince Jamke fell in love with her at first sight and believed everything she said, isn’t it,
King Batu?"

"It’s certainly not impossible, yes."

"So this princess you let go told this lie that Grannvale’s army will stop fighting. That’s
what happened, right, Prince Jamke?”

“That’s correct.”

“I have an idea that will solve this fairly. If you think that Grannvale will stop fighting, and
that I am lying, I have no qualms with that. However, if Grannvale attacks Marpha, then
we’ll know that your beautiful little princess was lying. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, it is.”

"So we shall send someone to Marpha Castle, and have them ask them what's going
on. Then, we will know the truth."

However, there was no need to do so.

A messenger from Marpha flew into the room in a panic. "I come with urgent news!
Marpha's unit was defeated, and Gandolf has requested for immediate backup!"

"Jamke, I know your words were simply the naiveté of your youth. However, I will not
excuse your abandonment of your duty. Lead the reinforcements to Marpha Castle
straight away. If you defeat Grannvale, then all will be forgiven.” Batu said.

Jamke could not formulate a response, listening obediently to his father’s words.

'She tricked me!'

Jamke bowed to his father, then stumbled out as if he were sleepwalking.

The next morning, Sandima confirmed that Jamke had indeed gone out to fight, then
returned to his room.

The moment he locked the door, a shadow appeared on the wall.

He turned towards the shadow and bowed his head. "Greetings, Bishop Manfroy."

The shadow took form, and became a man wearing a wine red robe. "How are things?
Going well, I presume?"

"Yes, the fighting is likely to reach Verdane soon. The only snag in our plans is Prince
Sigurd of Chalphy, who has a way of drawing people to him. His army is growing by the
day, and is a slight cause for concern…"

"He’s nothing to worry about. We knew things might go this way. What’s more important
is locating the carrier of Loptous' blood. Did you find Cigyun's daughter?"

"About that… we searched every inch of the Spirit Forest, but still haven't found the
hidden village."

"You fool! Did I go through all the trouble of finding her for nothing!?"

"I-I apologize, Bishop!"

"Our people were in hiding for one hundred years!! They lived deep beneath the Aed
Desert, and many of them were unable to ever leave even once in their entire lives!
Those found were burned alive! We were only able to bear our suffering because we
dreamed of rebuilding the empire. And now, we finally have a chance at making that
dream come true. If we miss our chance, who knows when we may have another! We
must revive our lord, Loptous! So you, Sandima, will find Cigyun's daughter! Even if you
must sacrifice your life!"

"Y-Yes, Bishop Manfroy! I will find her, no matter what it takes…!"

When the kowtowing Sandima raised his head, Manfroy had already vanished.
Part 6

There were actually two houses of Augustria that sent a soldier to keep watch over
Castle Evans.

The first was Eldigan's House Nordion, and the other was House Heirhein.

When Sigurd's army deployed, the two soldiers each returned to their respective lands.

Eldigan received his soldier's report and organized a small unit to go to the Heirheinian
border, ordering them to come back immediately if Heirhein deployed any soldiers of
their own.

Meanwhile, in Heirhein, Prince Elliot also received his soldier's report. He'd very
specifically asked the soldier to count how many soldiers were in Evans Castle, and so
the soldier told him the exact number.

"Amazing! The castle is practically empty! Who knew this Sigurd was such an idiot!?"
He ordered his personal cavalier unit to prepare for battle.

‘So long as Eldigan and Nordion aren't there, we'll hardly even have to put up a fight to
seize Evans Castle! Then, we'll intercept the Grannvalian Army in Verdane, and
slaughter them all!!’

When the sun set, Elliot crossed the Nordion border. He planned to rush through during
the night, before Eldigan even noticed he was there.

Once he and his army were near the castle, they extinguished their torches and moved
so slowly that even the horses' feet were silent. There were no signs of a response from
the castle.

Eventually, they felt they were safe and out of sight, and lit their torches again.

"Ready!? We move at top speed until we reach the Verdanian border! At dawn, we will
cross into Verdane!"

Things all went according to Elliott's plan. As the eastern skies began to turn white, they
could see the border.

Just then, shadows loomed from atop the hill before them. The shadows grew and grew
in size, until they covered the entire hilltop.

"What is that!?" He pointed at one of his cavaliers. "You, go investigate!"

The cavalier steered his horse up the hill.

As his horse galloped closer and closer to the hill, it became clear that the shadows
were those of a cavalry unit. However, since the light was coming from behind him, he
still couldn't tell exactly where the cavalry unit was.

The soldier returned to give his report. "It's Nordion's Cross Knights, Sir!"

"What!? Nordion!?"

"I'm certain it's them. I even saw Lord Eldigan's lion flag!"

"Damn that Eldigan! How dare he get in my way!"

Elliot divided his unit into two lines and slowly marched on.
Once they were closer, he could see with his own eyes that the unit before them was
indeed Nordion's Cross Knights. There was no mistaking the lion symbol on the flag
they flew.

Once he was within earshot of Eldigan, Elliot halted his unit.

A single cavalier broke from Nordion unit and came towards him.

'Eldigan!' Elliot realized and also moved slightly forward.

"Elliot, this is Nordionian territory! Why have you brought your cavalier unit here!?"

Elliot had no response. He was taken aback by the fact that Eldigan had gotten the first
word in.

"Your silence only confirms that you're sneaking around! Have you no honor as a
knight!?" Eldigan laughed at him.

"Curse you! How dare you get in my way!? I'm here to fight Grannvale. Let me through!"

"Sorry, but I am Eldigan of Nordion! I was told not to let anyone pass the border into
Verdane, so I cannot let you through! Leave here quietly, because you wouldn't want to
fight me."

"Have you gone mad, Eldigan!? Are you really siding with Grannvale!?"

"I should ask you the same question! Do you not realize that you are going against our
lord's orders!? The king has always honored our alliance with Grannvale. We must
protect it! To seek war is betrayal!"

"Only you would be foolish enough to support such outdated ideas. The Dominion of
Agustria has already sided with the anti-Grannvalians. It is only a matter of time before
King Chagall declares war!"

"If that is true, then I will argue completely against it! Do you know what would happen if
we went to war with Grannvale!? There would be major casualties on both sides! Even if
we won, we would still lose. Countless people would be wounded or killed. Villages and
towns would burn down to the ground, leaving our lands in ruin. It is our responsibility as
nobility to keep war from ever happening!"
"You’re soft as ever I see, Eldigan, and blind to reality because you went to that
Grannvalian academy! They've invaded Isaach, and are about to attack Verdane! Isn't it
obvious!? Augustria is next!"

"And if that happens, I will defend the border, and not allow a single Grannvalian soldier
to cross."

"Do you really think that's how things will go!? Grannvale is a huge country! You may
wield a Holy Weapon, but that doesn't mean you can fend off a huge army like that.
Now's our chance! We won't get another. I won't tell you that you should fight with me.
I'll go by myself, so get out of my way!"

"Do you ever shut that mouth of yours, Elliot!? I won't say it again! If you want to get to
Evans, then you'll have to go through my Cross Knights!"

Eldigan turned his horse around and returned to his own army.

"Dammit, he's always such a show off!!" Elliot paused to think about what he should do.

Eldigan's Cross Knights were lauded as the best in all of Agustria. He wasn't sure he
could win, but turning back now would make his men think he was giving up.

'We'll fight for a little while, then pull back.'

With that vague plan in mind, he told his soldiers, "Listen up, men! We're going to break
through the Nordion lines, take Eldigan's head as our prize, and march to Evans! Front
line, charge! Rear line, follow up after them!"

The front line obeyed his order, starting their horses at a walk, but quickly speeding up
to a full gallop.

Though Elliot had given an impassioned order that should have inspired a mighty
charge, the front line lacked that power as they moved. It discouraged the second line,
causing their march to progress slowly as well.

Seeing that Elliot's army had begun to move, Eldigan delivered his own order.

"All units, move out! Show them the strength of the Cross Knights!" Eldigan's army's
charge had the added bonus of starting at the top of a hill, so their speed far surpassed
that of Elliot's army.
The moment the two armies clashed, half of Elliot's front line fell off their horses.

The second line slowed down even further.

‘Dammit! We've already lost!’

Then he saw Eldigan encroaching upon him, Demon Sword raised high in the sky, with
the blade glittering in the morning light.

"Retreat! Retreat!!" Elliot screamed, his horse having already turned around.

He never looked back, not even once, running and running until he crossed the Nordion
border.

Only half of his unit made it back to Heirhein.

On the other side, Eldigan's army had no deaths, and only five minor injuries.

While the major victory boosted his soldiers’ morale, it left a bad taste in his mouth.

It was his younger half-sister Lachesis' smile that lifted his spirits.

She greeted them upon their triumphant return, waving at them from atop the castle
wall, as she always did.

When Eldigan sat upon his throne, Lachesis came to his side.

"Brother, you safety is what's most important."

"Did you really think I'd lose to the likes of Elliot?"

"Not even once! But still…"

"But still what?" He asked and looked up at her.

While her face looked just like his, her eyes were completely different. He guessed that
they resembled her mother's.

She blushed and looked away. "So, how did it go?"

"Oh, the fight? It was boring."

Lachesis giggled in response. “You always say that, Brother…”

Part 7

Noish returned from his regular scouting duty, and reported, “There are very few
soldiers stationed at Marpha Castle. We got very close to the castle wall, yet no one
tried to attack us.”

Ever since his army had been taken out, Gandolf kept himself locked up in his room.

‘My woman ran away, my men are gone… what the hell is with my luck!?’

After enduring one loss after another, he didn't even talk to the remaining soldiers
stationed at the castle anymore, so they'd completely lost their loyalty to him and did
whatever they pleased.

With that information, Sigurd's army decided to march towards Marpha Castle and
conquer it.

Since Aideen didn't have any offensive capabilities, she traveled slowly with the rear
line.

"Lady Aideen!"

She whirled around to see where the voice had come from, and saw Dew running up to
her. "What is it, Dew? I thought you'd left already."
"I did, well kinda. But then I found somethin' really interestin', and wanted to give it to
you!" He offered her an ornate staff.

"Hm? Is this what I think it is?”

"I just know you'll be able to use it!"

Aideen took it in her hands, and knew immediately what it was when it's power flowed
through her veins. "Oh my, this is a Warp Staff! Do you know what would happen if I
used it on you?"

"..."

"You'd fly to an allied castle in an instant."

"Don't pull my leg, Aideen! No I wouldn't!"

"Of course you would. Anyway, thank you. This staff could be very helpful. Where did
you find it?"

"Where? Um… over there. I betcha it fell from the heavens just for you!"

'You don't just find something like this lying around.' Aideen thought. 'It was probably in
the treasury of one of the local village churches.'

"I know you don't believe in a thief's vow, but they really are true!"

"Well, I suppose…"

"I was gonna go wherever the wind takes me, but I couldn't! All thieves do is lie! I wanna
make a vow for once in my life, and stick to it! They got a big fancy word for that! It's
uh… um… 'mortals!' Yeah! I wanna have 'mortals!'"

"...I think the word you're looking for is 'morals.'"

"Yeah, that's it! 'Morals!' It might make up for all my lies…"

"And you intend to honor that vow?"

"Uh-huh! Whenever I'm havin' trouble, I always find myself comin' straight to you,
Aideen!"
"Is that so? Sounds like more trouble for me than you…"

"I can't help it! I just… want to be around you, for some reason…" As he spoke, his eyes
looked entirely serious.

"I see. Then please stay with me until you feel satisfied that you've made up for all your
past wrongdoings."

Surprise lit up Dew's face. "Yeah! Yup, I sure will! You know, I'm pretty useful. Say, the
army probably needs a lot of money…"

"But you can't steal! We aren't fighting for our own gain!"

"I know that! I'll only take money from guys doin' bad stuff to get it. That’ll make me a
good thief, and I won't be doin' nothin' wrong!"

When Sigurd's army reached Marpha Castle, Sigurd didn't even have to lead his
soldiers into battle, nor unsheathe his sword.

Not one soldier came out to oppose them as they slowly raised the gate and entered the
main building.

Once inside, Sigurd heard a woman scream. "No, don't! Please, let me go!"

He followed the voice and saw two soldiers dragging a young woman into a room.

"Aw, don’t say that! This is the last time, we promise! Just keep us company for a little
while!"

"The fighting is over! I must return home to the forest! Let me go!!"

"Shut up! Keep complaining, and you'll pay for it!"

"Hey, what are you two doing!? Let her go!"

The soldiers whirled around to see a tall cavalier and all his soldiers standing before
them. And they quickly recognized the glittering emblem on the leader's chest: he was a
Crusader of Grannvale.
"Oh shit!" They gasped and ran off in a panic.

"Are you alright, miss?"

"Yes, thank you." She said, then took a good look at the face of the man who'd just
saved her. "Are you, by any chance… Lord Sigurd?"

"Yes, I am, but why do you ask?" He'd never seen her before. She had lavender hair
and eyes that he soon lost himself in.

"There was a woman here named Aideen, who talked about you."

"Aideen talked about me?"

"Yes, she told me about how different you are from other men… and after meeting
you… I know right away that she was right."

"What’s your name?"

She suddenly lost her composure at the question. "I'm sorry. ...I must… return home…"

"Wait, hold on! Surely we can talk for a little while longer, can't we…?"

"I'm sorry… really, truly, I am. But… I'm happy… to have met you." She took one last
look at him, then dashed out of the room.

"Wait, at least tell me why you have to go so soon!" He had to run past all of his men,
slowing him down. By the time he reached the exit to the building, she was already a
speck in the distance.

Shanan approached Sigurd before he could go any further. "Lord Sigurd, the village
elders are here to greet you." Behind him were three elderly people.

The elders walked up to Sigurd and bowed deeply.

"Do you know who that woman was that just ran away?"

They all stared at him, stunned by the sudden question.

"Um… she had light purple hair."

"Oh, yes, her! I heard her say she was returning home to the forest…"

"Yes, her name is Deirdre. She is the maiden of the Spirit Forest." The elder standing
behind the other two said.

"Deirdre…" He said, and recalled her image in his mind. 'She was so beautiful…'

The elder smirked and said. "Oh ho ho, I see you have a weakness for beautiful women
as well, Lord Sigurd! You fell in love with her at first sight, didn't you?"

"Don't tease me like that, Elder. ...But I do wonder where this Spirit Forest is."

"Are you asking me? If so, I'll tell you what I know."

"If it won't be too much trouble for you, then please do."

"The Spirit Forest is a very thick forest located northwest of here. Within it is a hidden
village, and that's where she lives, or so I've heard. No one besides her knows for sure
where it is, so I can't say I know anything else about it."

"I see…"

Upon seeing the disappointment in Sigurd's face, the elder added, "There is a village
that's very close to the edge of the forest. Someone there may be able to tell you more."

"Thank you, sir. ...Oh, I apologize for not introducing myself properly. I am Sigurd,
current leader of the Grannvalian Army in Verdane. I strongly prohibit my soldiers from
pillaging and other improper acts, but if you three need anything, please do not hesitate
to ask."

Jamke ordered his unit to spread out in the forest, then took the lead and traveled down
a small path.

About halfway to Marpha Castle, he spotted a group of several enemies.

He readied an arrow, and shouted, "Leave this country now, Grannvalians!"

The enemies continued to advance, so he shot his arrow. It pierced the enemy leader's
chest, and he fell where he stood. The others all panicked and ran off.

If the Grannvalians had entered the forest, that meant Marpha Castle had already fallen.
Jamke's unit wasn't very big, so he knew he had no chance of winning against an army
that could defeat the large unit at the castle if they fought out in the open.

He was entirely prepared to die.

'However, before I breathe my last, I must show them the true spirit of Verdane, and
take out as many of them as I can by myself!'

He continued along, and soon saw even more enemies. "Leave this country now,
Grannvalians!"

He aimed his bow and shot an arrow at the gap in the enemy's armor near his neck.
This attack caused these enemies to run away as well.

The soldiers that had encountered Jamke returned to Marpha Castle and reported that
an exceptional archer was leading the incoming enemy unit.

"Is it Prince Jamke?" Aideen asked.

"He is an even more exceptional shot than Yngvi's arch knights."

"Then it is him! He left to go convince King Batu to stop the fighting, but it seems he
himself was convinced to start fighting again."

"I'll go." Midir said. "I will avenge Yngvi's honor, and kill him."

"Midir, you can't go."

"Why not!?" Midir asked, enraged.

Deep down, he was jealous of Jamke and whatever had happened between him and
Aideen when he set her free. Even though Midir did not know the details, whenever he
heard the prince's name, he felt the pain of a thousand needles assault his body.
Aideen knew that very well, and was why she looked up at him, and said gently, "Midir,
please understand how I feel. I don't want you to die." She stared him straight in the eye
as she spoke, and couldn't bring herself to say anything beyond that.

“A great shot like you would be at a disadvantage fighting in the middle of a forest,
where you can't move around much. I think it would be better for you to wait outside the
forest." Shanan suggested, trying to break the tension.

Midir reluctantly agreed.

Sigurd's army quickly prepared for battle and left the castle.

Aideen placed herself not in the rear line, but right next to Sigurd.

"It's dangerous up here! Stand back!"

"I know. If you designate someone to talk to Jamke, then I’ll go back to the rear line.”
She promised, but deep down, it was a lie.

'If he knew exactly what I was trying to do, he'd have someone make sure I stayed back
there for good.' She thought.

They marched on until Jamke's unit jumped out from the forest.

Jamke ran towards them, then shouted, "Leave this country now, Grannvalians!"

When she saw him, Aideen sprinted towards him. Because she had done it so
spontaneously, no one could move in time to try and stop her.

"No, Aideen! It's too dangerous!"

At the sight of enemy movement, the Verdanian soldiers raised their weapons.

"Halt! I'll take care of this woman!" Jamke yelled, and aimed an arrow at Aideen.

Sigurd tried to chase after her, but stopped Faran from going any further when he saw
Jamke raise the arrow. He feared that with one wrong move from himself, Jamke would
shoot the arrow.
"You tricked me!" Jamke screamed.

"No, I didn't!" She screamed back even louder, refusing to lose to the volume of his
voice.

"Then why didn't you stop Grannvale!?"

"We received an order from our king! One that I didn't know about before! There's
another man like Sandima in Grannvale, too! I'm sure of it!"

"You expect me to believe that!?"

"If you don't, then go ahead, shoot me straight through the heart." Aideen took one step
forward.

When she saw that he wasn't trying to shoot, she took another step forward.

"I came to apologize to you. And… to stop the fighting between us once more…" She
continued to walk forwards.

"I can't let you trick me this time!" His yelling this time was closer to screeching. His arm
holding the bow string started to shake.

"At the very least, please, let's not fight now." Aideen held back tears, making her voice
quiver. "Why must we kill each other!? We've turned into Sandima's puppets… Why
must so many people die without good reason?"

"..."

"If you fight here, you'll die! I wouldn't be able to take it! If you must fight, then kill me
first. I don't want to see you die.”

Now, they were so close to each other that they didn't have to shout, yet Aideen's voice
still got all the louder.

"If you must fight, then fight Sandima and all of his allies in Valhalla! Please, please stop
fighting! There's already been enough killing!"

Now, there were only a few steps between them.

Jamke tossed his bow aside. "Aideen, I can't kill you." He walked past Aideen's side,
and called out to Sigurd, "Prince Sigurd, if you swear to me that your true enemy is
Sandima and Sandima alone, then I will call a ceasefire!"

"I swear it on my life, Prince Jamke." Sigurd replied. "We have no reason to fight King
Batu. When Sandima is dead, we will stop."

"What about your king's orders?"

"I will report that Sandima was the cause of all of this. If he still orders us to fight, then I
will side with Verdane, and fight Grannvale."

"Alright then, I'm calling a ceasefire. We'll fight Sandima, together." Jamke turned
around to face his unit and said, "You heard him, everyone! I will fight Sandima with
Prince Sigurd. If you dissent, then go home to Verdane. If you intend to fight me, do it
now."

His soldiers gathered around him. "Prince Jamke, we're going with you. We don't like
that Sandima guy either! Let’s kick his ass!"

Part 8

Sigurd and his army said goodbye to everyone in the village they’d just helped, then
traveled to the village near the entrance to the Spirit Forest.

He asked the village elder if he knew where the hidden village in the Spirit Forest was,
and the man said he'd been there once as a child.
"So do you know where it is?"

"Sorry, I was just a child. I got lost in the woods, and ended up in the hidden village.
When I tried to find it again as an adult, I couldn't. My guess is that they only allow
children to enter."

"Can you tell me anything about their maiden?"

"The hidden village's maiden? I don't know if this is true, but I've heard that she's a
descendant of Saint Maira. Because of that, she is strictly forbidden from talking to
anyone outside of the village, so she hardly ever leaves it. And she may be called the
village maiden, but I have no clue what she normally does. As I said, I was a child when
I visited, so I didn't find out who the maiden was then. But I do remember that a
beautiful young woman led me home."

"Did that young woman have light purple hair, by any chance?"

"Ah, yes, she did! She did have light purple hair! I remember being so surprised when I
first saw it. Now it's all coming back to me! I saw a person with that light purple hair one
other time. It was nearly 20 years ago, I believe. She was a woman who stayed for the
night in this village. She said she was returning home from Grannvale to the Spirit
Forest. My grandmother told me that she was pregnant, but as a man, I couldn't really
tell…"

After this second conversation, Sigurd still hadn't really learned anything about Deirdre
specifically, but he felt reassured that he could meet her again.

He followed after his allies into the Spirit Forest. Jamke told him that there was one
small, straight path, but eventually, it branched off into several paths, all of which were
each equally covered in horse's hoofprints.

Sigurd chose the northernmost path, and started to travel down it.

He traveled the path throughout the afternoon, then suddenly, it ended. He had a feeling
he'd chosen the wrong path, and now was the time to turn back. 'If I continue north, I'm
just going to end up coming out the other side of the forest.' He thought, yet still pressed
onwards.

However, the path soon reached an area that was so thick he could not possibly
continue on.
He jumped off Faran, and started to think of a plan about what to do next.

Just then, he saw something appear from the underbrush.

"Deirdre!" He exclaimed, feeling that surely, he must be dreaming. He thought she

would disappear the moment he called her name, but she didn't. "I thought I would
never see you again!"

"The mage in Verdane is a dark priest who can use terrifying dark magic. However, his
spells can only affect the one kilometer distance from where he is standing. If you don't
have a way to counter his magic, then he will kill you, so please, don't go any further!"

"I thank you for telling me this, but I must go. My soldiers have already gone on ahead
of me. I can't be the only one who gets to hide in a safe place."

"So Aideen…"

"Yes."

"This fate really is the one that's coming true…"

"What do you mean, Deirdre?"

"I saw you coming into this forest. And that I would know it would be dangerous for you
to go, so I would decide to come to you and tell you that. But you wouldn’t heed my
warning. I also knew that Aideen would already be stepping into danger at this point.
This… This is my fate."

"..."

"No matter how hard I try to forget about you, I can't! I've been thinking this whole time
about what you meant when you said you want to talk to me more. I knew for a long
time that being kidnapped by Verdanian soldiers and taken to Marpha Castle was one
possible fate, as well, and that's how I would be able to meet you. ...And I will follow this
fate, and go with you."

"You're going to come with me? Why…?"

"I have a Silence Staff. If the wielder's magical power is stronger than that of the
target's, then the wielder can seal away the target's magic. I don't know if I'm stronger
than the dark mage, but I'm going to try silencing him."

"I didn't know you could use magic!"

"It's because I'm the maiden here in the Spirit Forest. Now, please follow me." Deirdre
said, then look the lead. She traveled into the area Sigurd had deemed impassable. It
actually lead to a road they could travel down.

In just a few minutes, they were out of the forest, and Sigurd saw where his allies were
waiting.

Another large forest stretched out in front of Verdane Castle.

They all traveled along the coastline to avoid it.

Finally, they reached their destination, and stopped just before they entered Sandima's
spellcasting range.

"I'm going to cast Silence now. Please go ahead once I am done." Deirdre ordered.

Once she was told that the entire army had heard her, she walked ahead of everyone,
and raised her staff high into the sky.

Magical power gathered in the tip of the staff, then shot out towards Verdane Castle. It
passed over the castle wall and pierced the main building, then finally found its target.

Sandima felt light engulf him. He panicked and tried to cast a dark magic spell, but
nothing happened.

“Dammit! S-Someone has silenced me!”

On Deirdre’s signal, Sigurd’s army charged towards Verdane Castle.

Jamke took the lead, and when he saw the Verdanian Army, shouted, “This is Jamke! I
have come to kill Sandima! He is our only target, so lay down your weapons, and do not
fight us!”

Most of the Verdanian soldiers followed his order.

The castle gate opened from the inside, and Sigurd’s army was able to rush in without
much resistance at all.

Jamke and Sigurd entered side-by-side into the main building.

Sandima stood behind the throne, but King Batu was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is my father!?” Jamke shouted.

“The king has fallen ill, and is resting.”

“And was that your doing!?”

Sandima sneered in response.

Jamke nocked an arrow and pulled back the bowstring.

“Die!” He shot the arrow at Sandima’s forehead.

Jamke didn’t even wait to watch the dark priest fall. He rushed into his father’s bedroom,
and Sigurd followed after him.

The king was lying in his bed.

The color had already drained from his face.

“Father! Father!” Jamke kneeled beside the bed and grabbed his father’s hand.

King Batu seemed to be trying to tell him something, as he heard a sound come from
his throat. Jamke put his ear up to his father’s face.

“You… were right… my son. Sandima… poisoned me…”

“You don’t have to worry about him any longer, Father. I’ve already killed him.”
“I’m happy… to see you… alive… Now… I can die… in peace…”

“Father, please don’t go!”

Batu slowly nodded his head, then put all his strength into raising his hand and waving
Sigurd over.

“King Batu, please reserve your strength.” Sigurd said, then leaned in towards the king’s
face.

“Sandima… was… a member of… the Loptr Church. ...They are… planning…
something. You must… stop them. Please… take care… of Jamke…” He said, then
went silent.

His strength left his body, and he closed his eyes.

“Father, don’t die!” Jamke shouted, just before Batu breathed his last.

Once King Batu’s funeral was over, Sigurd decided that they would return to Evans
Castle. While it was small, its location near both the Grannvallian and Augustrian
borders made it a strategically valuable base of operations.

Sigurd assumed that Jamke would stay in Verdane and inherit the throne, but he
refused to do so.

“There are others like Sandima still out there. Until we have killed them all, I will travel
with you, Prince Sigurd.”

It went without saying that Aideen’s presence in his army also had a large effect on
Jamke’s decision making.

The day before they were set to return to Evans, Sigurd called Deirdre into his room.

“We will leave Verdane tomorrow. You are not one of my soldiers, so I cannot force you
to come with me to Evans, but I want you to. Then, when the war ends in Isaach, and
my father returns home to Chalphy, I will take you to meet him.”
When she saw how serious he was, she knew right away that he was proposing to her.

‘He really is different.’

She was happy, but also remembered the words of the old woman who’d raised her.

‘Your mother, Cigyun, went out into the world, and came home pregnant with you. If you
were to do the same, a terrible calamity would befall upon the world. You can never,
ever leave the Spirit Forest, Deirdre.’

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Do you not want to marry me?” Sigurd looked
worried.

“It’s not that. It’s just, our status is too different.”

“Oh, is that all?” His expression lightened. “Princes don’t have to marry royal women.
Even then, you can use magic! You must be of a good bloodline…”

“No one knows who my father is.”

"I'm not marrying your family. It's you I want."

"I… I…"

"If there's something you want to say, then please, tell me."

"I need to be honest with you. I'm forbidden from talking to men from the outside world."

"Why?"

"Because I was told that a terrible calamity would befall the world if I did."

"And who told you that?"

"The elderly woman who raised me…"

"That's just a superstition." Sigurd said with complete confidence. "She may have taken
it seriously, but I don't believe it. If two people love each other, then they have nothing to
fear. ...And I… I love you, Deirdre."

"I know you do, Sigurd." She said and flew into his chest.
They hugged each other tight, and in that warmth and strength, felt just how true their
love for each other was.
"Um, Sigurd, I have something to ask you." She whispered in his ear, still holding him.

"What is it, Deirdre?"

"I want you to come with me to the Spirit Forest before we go to Evans."

"That's right, I want you to come to Chalphy, so I have to visit your home, too. Let's
head there straight away."

They both mounted Fallon and followed the road along the seashore into the Spirit
Forest.

They tied Faran to a tree just outside the forest's entrance, then went in on their own.

They walked for nearly an hour, and as night began to fall, they arrived at a small lake.

"Here we are." Deirdre said.

"This is the hidden village?" Sigurd frowned. They were in a meadow, but he didn't see
anything that even resembled a house.

"Yes, and no." Deirdre smiled, then added, "You could say that the entire forest is the
hidden village."

"Oh, so that's it."

"Long ago, there were several dozen people living here, so there used to be an area
that looked like a village, but by the time I was old enough to remember anything, there
were only three people left. And now, they are gone too, and I am the only one left."

"You live by yourself? Aren't you lonely?"

"Not at all. ...Not ever since I learned to sense everyone's spirits. Their presence is
particularly strong on this riverbank. That’s why I brought you here. I wanted them to
meet my beloved…”

“Can you sense them now?”

“No, and I wonder why…”

In actuality, all of the spirits in the Spirit Forest were gathered around them, but they
knew that their maiden's heart had been captured by her beloved, and wanted not to
come between them.

"Perhaps they are holding back so we can…"

"Oh, Sigurd…!"

Sigurd and Deirdre held each other tightly and kissed deeply, leading into their bodies
becoming one for the first time.

The spirits watched quietly upon their passionate lovemaking.

Above them, the sun set, and the stars began to dance across the sky.

-End of Fire Emblem Genealogy of the Holy War: Sigurd's Story, Book One-