SirRFI

The young man broke the silence while he was adding wood to the bonfire:

"Why are you here, kid?"
"Kid? Be careful, old man."
"Old... Did you just call me an old man?! For your information, I am just 20 years old."
"As if I believe you! And I am not a kid!"
"Well, you surely are a scoundrel."
"What's that?!"
"Alright, alright, calm down. But tell me, what are you doing in a place like this that is filled with Fomors?"
"Huh? If you want to know, you better tell me your story first."
"Alright, you lady. Let's see. I am traveling in hopes of joining the Royal Army."
"The Royal Army?"
"That's right."
"Shouldn't you be heading to Rocheste then?"
"I already did, but they didn't let me inside, claiming that I was too weak..."
"... So?"
"So, I gathered some information, and it turns out that there is a mercenary group by the name of Crimson Blades near Colhen. I have also learned that if I gain enough experience with this mercenary bad, I will be able to join the Royal Army in Rocheste in the future. And with that, I am heading to Colhen."
"Colhen, you say..."
"So, that's my story. Now, care to share yours?"
"... I seek strong people."
"Strong, huh? Why?"
"Because, I have to reclaim what was taking away from me."
"How about I join you then? I am stronger than I look."

The girl grinned at him and stood up.

"... I have to go."
"Oh? Take care then."
"Thanks for everything."

She started to walk away, but then stopped and turned around.

"I am Lynn. What's your name?"
"Lynn? My name is Lann."
"Farewell, Lann. If you are as strong as you think, I am sure we will meet again."
"Haha, sure, until next time."

Lann waved at her with a smile.

The harmony of birds chirping stuck in her ears as she walked away from the camp, toward the rising sun.

I admired how beautiful my sister looked while she was fixing her hair in front of the mirror.
After having finished, she turned around and asked me:

"Are we beautiful ?" She asked gleefully.
"Yes... Yes we are, dear." I replied.

"So... how do these flowers look?"
"They are the most beautiful things in the world!" I answered cheerfully.

She looked at me with a smile; her skin seemed to glow under the morning sunlight.

When I was a little girl, I was very weak.
People used to tell me that I wouldn't live long, and when my mom heard about it, she decided I need to learn how to defend myself with a spear.
From the countless hours of training, my health improved...
And I even became a bit of a troublemaker, for which my mother blamed herself.

My instructor was a captain of the cavalry, renowned as the best around at his craft.
Actually, he was only one or two years older than my sister... which explains why she used to dress up when visiting my training sessions.

I saw how my sister always smiled at him, and how he returned her smile.
People often said "They would make such a great couple."

Naturally, I rooted for them with all my heart, hoping that everything would be just fine. But deep inside, we both knew that the day would come where she would have to marry a royal from another country in order to secure the future of our kingdom.

The day of her marriage arrived and my sister knew that she wouldn't be able to return.
She wept and wept.

"Why don't you just run away?" I asked her.

She just shook her head and whispered: "Somethings are just not meant to be."

And just like that, my sister got married to a man she did not love, for reasons I did not understand back then.

I heard the groom came from an empire with far more advanced military and much bigger land.
I guess that was why my sister had to agree to the marriage, to protect our country.

After she finished packing, she looked at me with a smile.

Why are you smiling? Why...?

A few years passed, and my sister returned to the castle.
She looked very frail and hollow. Lung disease must have taken its toll on her during those years.
Only a dew days after her return, she passed away. It was the saddest day of my life.

My spear instructor, the man she was truly in love with, stayed with us until she passed away, but he didn't attend the funeral. I could sympathize; he wanted to protect our family from unnecessary rumors.
According to those who saw him that day, he stood on a hill in silence, staring toward the east.

Nobody ever saw him again after that.

The news about my sister's condition spread before the envoy did.
Some people said that the situation would get better if we begged for forgiveness, some people asked for war as revenge, as they blamed her husband's empire.

There were also people who thought it all happened because of my trainer, and they thought everything would go back to normal once he was executed. And others were certain we would have to pay regardless of whether he were to be cut down or not.

Amidst all the rumors, my mother remained silent and did not take sides. That was, until the Grim Reaper from the east arrived at our doorstep.

The envoy began speaking with my mother, his voice as gray and creepy as his face was.

Mom asked me to go to my room so I couldn't hear what they were talking about.
But, what I did manage to hear over the wall was that the cavalry captain, my instructor, attempted to assassinate the emperor. This was seen as an act of treason for which our kingdom was accountable.
The Reaper also mentioned that offering an ill bride was seen as a sin by the emperor himself and that he was willing to forgive the treason, should another bride be sent.

Not fulfilling his demand would bring great consequences to our kingdom.

Later that night, mother said it was the first time she resented my father for abandoning us.

I could see dark clouds gathering in the sky. The rain was about to pour.

That day, my mother came into my room, holding a sword in her hand.
I knew immediately what it was about; she was going to force me into a marriage with the emperor.
If I were to refuse, she would have to kill me in order to protect our kingdom from that disgrace.

When she saw me, she knew I would never agree to marry him.
Without a word, torn apart between her love towards me and her sense of honor nurtured by antiquated rituals, she swung her sword. Just in the nick of time, I managed to escape her blade with a skill I learned, called Falling Petal.
The blade managed to slice off some of my hair, and as the hairs fell onto the floor, she said:

"My daughter, the princess is dead. It is your turn to go now..."

She left the room without looking back.

To this day, I remember those last words that came from under her breath while she was leaving the room:

"I'm glad I taught you the Falling Petal."

Mother then proceeded to evacuate the remaining townsfolk. Leaving my hair on the floor, I followed them, hearing the sounds of the enemy soldiers approaching.

My journey has seemed endless, but my hair grew back quickly.

I will always remember the story that I left behind.

I must become stronger in order to save my people, forge an army, and reclaim our kingdom.

My name is Lynn.
I am the Princess of the Lost Kingdom.

Could only think that it was strange.
How he had known the address of the son after being sold as a slave
How to avoid death, and not be sold as a slave.

Could only think that it was strange.


The child cried and cried.
But the child had a task.

To Rocheste.
And ajussi’s sword… to deliver ajussi’s message.

The child hugged the dual swords.
The cold metal touched the child’s skin.

-

“…who are you?”

The boy’s eyes were wary.
Though it was the clothes of a chamberlain, the plump cheeked boy in the silk clothes had the same rye color as that of Kaar.

The child wordlessly handed the two swords. It was the swords rusted by the blood.
The boy stepped back in fear upon seeing the swords.

“What is this?”
“It’s your father’s.”

The boy should have known that inheriting the sword meant that the father no longer existed in the world.
But the boy didn’t receive it.

“It doesn’t matter what you say, so go back.”
“… this sword, you’re not going to take it?”
“Throw it away, does it matter?”
“But it’s your father’s honor.”
“Honor! Father was a knight who coveted a lord’s position and was deposed. He’s an insurgent!”
“But…”
“Throw it away. Would a trash like you have any idea what kind of life I had because of my father? Getting kicked by people as I begged, scrounging for food in garbage. If the kid next to me froze to death, I stole his clothes and spent the winter that way. And you’re telling me honor? Pride? What use are they?”

“But there’s a truth you don’t know.”
“I don’t want to hear it!”

The child was at a loss for words.

“I don’t want to hear it… not even curious. And I don’t need to know. I’ve already… forgotten about that old man.”
“What do you…”

“Greta, what is it?”

It must have been noisy as a madame came out and asked.
With a beautiful golden hair and a dog in her arms, she looked young for her age.

“Ah, it’s nothing. Please go inside since it’s cold. I’ll follow soon.”
“Oh, who is this bum-like child?”
“He’s a beggar. You do not have to worry about it.”
“Hmm… Okay, got it. Hurry up and come inside?”

The woman glimpsed at the child and went inside.
The child asked the boy.

“…Greta?”
“…”
“Your name… you threw it away?”
“…yeah. Name. Family. And memory. So please leave.”

Greta said that he abandoned his name.

Then what about Kaar ajussi.
He gave his life for me..
What will happen to his final wish?

“My son,
Lethita is a name given to first son, symbolizing our family’s name.
So my son,
Though our family name has collapsed and I ended my life as a slave
Become a knight and revive our family name and honor.
That is my, and our family’s final pride.”

For the second time, the child hugged the swords in his arms.

Son who was abandoned by the father,
Father who was abandoned by the son…

The child dropped his head with a bitter smile.
After a while, the child raised his head and his face held a lingering expression of bittersweet secret.

I will become a knight.
From now on, my name is Lethita.

Plink!

“Excuse me miss, you dropped this”

Lethita yelled after the woman who had dropped the earring.

“Oh my, thank you”

Smiling through her eyes, the woman turned and thanked him.
Her full lips were charming.

“A beautiful woman such as yourself is always welcome”

“Huff huff” (sound made when blowing dust off an object)

“But is this.. an earring? There is some kind of blood contained inside.. a bit unique?”

“… hmm?”


The woman offered a peculiar smile as she received the earring and continued on her way.

For a moment, Lethita stood in place and stared after where the woman disappeared - as if it was unfortunate.
Soon, he himself disappeared within the crowd.

“How about it? It should be perfect to use as a slave.”

The man searched as the father held him out.
Two arms, two legs. After searching the child briefly, the man dropped a gold coin into the father’s hand.

“Is this all?”
“Girl, two. Boy, one.”
“… It would’ve been better if it were a girl.”


The father’s final words spun around the child’s ear.
The child was now barely 11.

-

It was said that the child’s father was once a famous gladiator.
Meeting the child’s mother was also around at that time.

But after losing a leg, the father lost himself in the life of alcohol
And after the mother left, he even found himself gambling.
Yet, the child always thought that by hanging on for a little bit longer, everything would go back to the way it was.

It only hurts for a moment right now..
It’ll be okay when the pain heals…
The child continued to believe that even until the father sold his treasured gladiator sword.

And finally today,
The father sold the child.

-

The man dragged the child into a corner of a room.
There were other kids there, and what appeared to be stolen goods were carelessly stacked in another.

Immediately, a familiar item entered the gaze of the child. As if he popped, the child sprung and picked up the item.

It was the father’s sword.

Upon seeing the child’s behavior, the man smirked as if it was absurd.
His expression changed. Manners had to be corrected from the beginning.

As an aura of thirst for blood emanated from the man, the children around him cowered back.
But the child instinctively drew the sword and swung.

Caught by surprise, the man was unable to avoid the attack. Crimson blood dripped from his cheek.

“Bastard!?”

The man struck the child’s face with his fist.
The child fell before a scream could utter from his throat.

“Dammit…. But it’s the son of a gladiator.”

The man wiped the blood from his cheek.
A grin spread across his face as if he had a great idea.

“This kid, could make some money.”

Game for the nobles.

Combatants risk their lives and fight until the last man is standing. Gladiator competition.

There was no age restriction for those who wanted to apply for the competition.
But it was no use for a child to compete in the competition for adults
So a normal child would not apply.

Yet, when a parent needed the money, there were instances when a child was sold.
And, there was an unspoken agreement to trade them during a gladiator competition.

A form of offering was considered a show of decency during the competition.

-

The one who grouped with the child was a man with a hair color of rye going by the name ‘Kaar.’
He had been sold as a slave from the north, across the sea.
And it was said that he had a son about the same age as the child.

Perhaps it was this reason, he liked the child.
And the child liked him.

Whenever he had the time, he would teach the child some of his swordsmanship.
However, the child’s maturing muscles were not ready to handle two swords freely.

Yet, the child ardently practiced his technique.
As he was learning the skills, it was as if he were being trained by his father at his home
And he could forget that he had to risk his life and fight.

-

What would happen if an offering refused to be an offering.

Kaar and the child gradually gained popularity.
Their movements were in sync, as if father and son. The people liked them.

However, there were those who became gradually darkened to that notion.
The offerings were merely scapegoats, they weren’t meant to be heroes.

“If the snake that’s put in for fun is poisonous, fangs should be yanked.”

In secret, gold moved to and fro.

A face marked by a long scar swayed by the waving flame of the candle light.

-

“What are you doing here?”

The child asked Kaar who had come outside alone.

“Huh? Ah, it’s nothing.”

Kaar’s eye shook.

But the child was oblivious. Rather, it was merely because of tomorrow’s competition.
Focused on that thought, he was also unable to notice the lurking shadow that disappeared under the dark column.

-

Before the competition began,
The different look on Kaar’s usual appearance prompted the child to ask.

“Are you okay? Are you worried that it’s the finals?”

For a while, Kaar looked at the child and finally, spoke.

“Can you make a promise with me?”

Kaar handed a piece of paper to the child.
On it, someone’s address was written down.

“If you go here, my son will be there. His name is Lethita.”
“Lethita?”
“Yes. It means one who defeats the wind and solitude.”

Kaar paused for a moment before speaking again.

“Could you find my son after the competition? It would be nice if you could meet him and deliver my message.”
“I promise.”
“Yes. Thanks.”

Kaar patted the child’s head and smiled.
The child liked that smile and beamed as well.

-

The competition was set as 2 person 2 group match.
The opposing team attacked with ferocity immediately when the match began.

Although the child had become faster with previous experiences
To face off adults, especially for finals, was grueling.

The child barely parried the sword coming to his side and looked toward Kaar.
Had it been a usual fight, Kaar would have unleashed a powerful attack and acted as a firm shield behind the child.

But something was wrong.

Kaar was looking at the child with a grin.
The swords held in both hands were feebly aimed towards the ground.

Then, the edge of the enemy’s sword drew a white line across his back.


“Ajussi!!!” (Mister basically)