Chapter 127:

Year 2: The First Conflicts - Chapter 2

The Children of Eris


Late at night, as all other members of the castle started getting ready to sleep, five of the summoned heroes gathered in Duncan’s bedroom.

Sat around his room in various places were the other four leaders of the teams.

“Thank you everyone for coming,” Duncan began, placing his elbows on his table. “I know we’re all quite busy, especially now after Dante handed out everyone’s assignments, but I thought it was worth having another meeting between the five of us to discuss everything we’ve learnt so far and our upcoming tasks.”

“Damn. And here I was thinking that it was actually an invite for a secret or-”

“You made that joke last week, Yve,” Kayleigh grumbled.

“Ah, right.” With a cute giggle, Yve sat upright on the bed and smiled. “So? Where abouts is everyone getting sent off to?”

“We’re heading east to a hamlet called Macce.”

“West to a village called Acre.”

“South to a market town - High-house or something, I think.”

“North to some lord’s keep,” Hajime whispered.

“Oh ho, interesting. So, Duncan’s heading east, Kayleigh west, Guy’s going south and Hajime’s going north, while my team are stuck here in the capital.”

“Duncan, the map.”

“Ah, right, sorry.” He quickly unrolled the map of the Kingdom of Rhodes Kayleigh had requested onto the table and everyone quickly gathered around it.

“…No one’s more than fifteen miles away from Rhodes,” Kayleigh observed.

“My team’s definitely not.”

“Not helpful, Yve.”

Yve playfully laughed and stuck out her tongue cutely, an act that did not amuse Kayleigh in the slightest.

“Stephanie said they didn’t want to put us in any real danger or let anyone die, so I guess this was the best solution they could come up with to let us get combat experience whilst minimising the risks,” Kayleigh analysed. “Still, I would’ve liked to see the situation closer to the frontlines.”

“I don’t think they’ll ever let us get that close on these assignments,” Yve said. “But I understand your frustrations. It’s difficult to feel a real sense of urgency when you can’t see what the threat is really like. You don’t think the monarchs are keeping anything from us, do you?”

“Maybe. It’s hard to say for sure, but I think it’s highly unlikely. While I imagine that they are trying to keep us from learning every little detail about the Demon Emperor and his forces, I don’t believe it’s done with malicious or ill intent. It’s done simply to keep our spirits high and not let our souls get crushed by despair.”

“How kind of them, eh?”

With a small hum, Duncan placed five small flags onto the map, each signifying where the teams were to depart to.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, it’s just-”

“Frustrated?”

“A little.”

“Oh! Then, let me-!”

Kayleigh quickly smacked Yve over the back of her head before pushing her over towards the silent Guy and Hajime. “What are you frustrated about? Chelsea?”

“…Yeah.”

With a small smile, Kayleigh stroked the top of Duncan’s head. “Don’t worry - you told us what she said, right? That she’s waiting for you? She’s a veteran knight, she knows what she’s doing and, when we’re ready, we’ll bring her home.”

Duncan smiled. “Yeah, thanks, Kayleigh.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Oh, I meant to ask.” Suddenly, Guy spoke up. “Did any of you hear about the attack in the north?”

“Yeah. Thirty thousand skeletons assaulted the northern border, but there weren’t too many causalities, right?”

Guy nodded. “I don’t know why, but I found it really strange when I heard that.”

“What a coincidence - so did I,” Yve chimed in. “Kayleigh, when you asked King Alexander what the current size of the Free People’s forces were, what number did he say?”

“Just over a million, including reserves, new recruits and city guards.”

“No matter how you look at it, it seems like a pretty pointless attack, right?”

“I thought so too, but I didn’t know what to make of it exactly,” Kayleigh answered. “At first, I wondered if the Demon Emperor had spotted a potential gap in the alliance’s defences and wanted to penetrate it quickly with a strike force, but I later found out from Dante that it was a fort along the line that was attacked.”

“Wait, why would he-?” Duncan tried to ask.

“A probing strike, perhaps, or-”

“A faint or a misdirection.” Yve finished Kayleigh’s thought.

“Yes. Given everything we’ve learnt about the Demon Emperor, the latter two options seem more probable. The Demon Emperor is a cunning, tactical and careful strategist who doesn’t move or attack unless it serves a purpose. I would wager that the Demon Emperor is attempting to gauge the strength of the Free People’s Alliance’s forces like he did the Holy Legion of Themis at the Battle of Black Port.

“Or maybe it’s something even simpler and he simply wanted to see what our side would do in response.”

“What do you mean?” Guy asked.

“If the Free People’s forces collapsed and fell apart at the slightest provocation, then that would be valuable intel. If they repelled him quite easily, then it’d mean he’d have to revise his tactics or reconstitute his army to handle our forces. All the Demon Emperor loses are thirty thousand skeletons for all of that valuable information, while the Free People’s Alliance remains trapped in the west until we’re ready to invade the east.”

“And that could take months or even years,” Yve muttered angrily. “No wonder they’re all so eager to see what we can do.”

“Yeah. Hajime.”

“E-eh? W-w-what, Duncan?”

“S-sorry for making you jump, but you haven’t really said much tonight, so I was wondering if everything’s okay?”

“Y-y-yeah, it’s…fine, Duncan. Sorry. Just a little under the weather after all the training we’ve done lately.”

“…Really?”

“Y-yeah.”

***

“You are far too hard on him, Akane.”

“He’s our leader and-!”

“He’s not a disciple of a great warlord, like yourself,” Amen reminded her. He smiled gently and folded his arms. “Akane, until five weeks ago, Hajime was a regular high school student. He attended classes, did his homework, play videogames, read books and imagined what it’d be like to be a hero in a story. The brave hero who slays the dragon and saves the damsel, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready for it to become reality.

“To him who lived his whole life in a peaceful country in a peaceful time, war was a foreign concept to him. Akane, you were born to be a noble lady of Japan, trained in the way of the warrior, of the wife, of the soldier and the strategist from a young age.”

“Don’t speak like I’m ignorant of these facts, Amen.”

“I didn’t intend to. I merely wanted to remind you not to place such high expectations on others like that.”

“My instincts have never been wrong.”

“I never said they weren’t. No doubt, as you believe, Hajime Sakamoto will become a fine young man, a good hero and a strong leader, but he isn’t even twenty years of age yet.”

“I was-”

“Akane.” Amen’s smile turned a little solemnly. “Why do you insist on comparing everyone’s abilities to your own? Hajime is trying his best. Clearly, while he has always wanted a chance to shine and prove himself, he didn’t expect to be thrust into a situation like this. He didn’t grow up in anywhere near such a harsh and strict environment like yourself, so please don’t start negatively commenting on his hard work and effort.”

“I…I just.”

Amen put a hand on her shoulder briefly then took a few steps back. “I understand, but perhaps it would help you if I told you a little about my own circumstances.

“On earth, I was born and raised in the city of Cairo, the capital of Egypt. I was by no means poor or from an unfortunate family, but we were far from wealthy. My parents jobs put enough in our pockets to own a house, go on holiday, study abroad and even save up for my and my sibling’s weddings. However, when I walked the streets, I saw just how little power I truly had first hand.

“I witnessed cruelty, corruption and brutality all caused by those whom controlled vast wealth and had the right connections. They could lie, cheat, steal or even commit murder in broad daylight and no one, and I mean no one, would bat an eye if they pulled the right strings on the puppets they called friends. Their friends, in turn, would come to pull the strings on the offenders, calling in favour for support in elections or some other business.

“Of course, on the surface, all of this was buried under fake bulletins and articles, dismissing claims and finding the government innocent of all charges. I was outraged, furious at such a practice, but ultimately kept my head down for fear of losing it. When I studied abroad in the USA, I learnt that it was not just my homeland that engaged in such practices. All that differed was how many openly spoke out against it.

“No matter where I looked to in the world, all I saw was the rich and powerful playing around however they wanted and all I could do was watch on, powerless, unable to lift a finger to stop them. If I did.” Amen chuckled bitterly. “I would be lucky to keep my head, let alone a finger. I imagine that there must have been warlords in Japan that did similar things, no?”

“…Regrettably, yes,” Akane whispered. “But-!”

“When I was alive, all the countries of the world were no different. Those in power pulled the strings on those of us we call citizens and we can’t help but dance to their tune. A war could break out because a handful of men couldn’t agree on a peaceful solution, and the result?” Amen grunted. “Thousands dead, tens of thousands more displaced and those responsible for starting the fire? Safe and sound, hundreds of miles away from the blaze.

“Egypt was engaged in civil war when I passed away; more accurately, the news broke in the early hours of the evening as my family and I enjoyed a meal. The news was that shocking to me that I choked and died.” Amen laughed. “I wonder if I might be a contender for the Darwin Awards?”

“Dar-win Awards?”

“That’s unimportant.” Amen walked back over to Akane and smiled. “When Harmonia offered me a chance to stand against the tyrants I despised, I accepted instantly. I imagine that Hajime accepted just as quickly once he realised he could make his dreams come true. Give it time, Akane, and I guarantee you that Hajime will prove that you were right about him.”

With a gentle smile, Akane nodded. “Yeah, thank you, Amen.”

“You are most welcome, Akane.”

***

After finishing the last book she’d borrowed from the library, Kayleigh collapsed onto her bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.

Weeks had passed and it still hadn’t settled in.

Death.

Rebirth.

Heroes.

Demons.

Magic.

Monsters.

Lazily, she looked over at her gauntlets, Járngreipr, and sighed.

Two months ago, all I was concerned about was studying for my exams.

Five weeks ago, I was just out shopping with my friends when that bastard hit me with his car.

She smiled thinly and stared back up at the ceiling.

“Life’s really not fair,” she muttered in German.

Kayleigh. She remembered the boy she once had a crush one. What do you want to be when you’re older?

“What did I say to him, back then?” Kayleigh rose from her bed and picked up Járngreipr. She traced her fingertips along the metal, causing several harmless bolts of lightning to flare up and dance around her hand.

A doctor.

For years, Kayleigh had studied to become a doctor.

She had been determined to figure out the cause to his disease before it claimed him, only to lose him three years before her own death.

I’m sorry, I couldn’t do anything for you, but. Kayleigh thought of her two closest friends, Duncan and Hajime, and coldly stared at her Divine Artefact. I won’t lose them, no matter what.

T.K. 月狐
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