Rose's Past (Rose)

Nine years ago, in a secluded forest;

My father and I were practicing sword fighting while the sun shone high in the sky. Birds sang happily in the trees and the sound of a nearby river flowed gently. My mother was at home preparing my favorite meal.

After I was born, my father moved us to this forest for our safety. I knew our origins and identity, but it didn't matter as long as we were together and happy.

Despite our safety, my father continued to teach me sword fighting for protection. It was my favorite weapon among others. After training, we went home for dinner. My father smiled at me from across the table and praised my progress.

"You did very well today, Rose. You're improving every day," he said.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes. In fact, I think you're ready for your first kill," he replied.

My mother approached us with concern. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked.

"Don't worry," my father reassured her. "She's talented and it's still light outside. What do you think, Rose?"

I answered with excitement. "Yes, Dad. I'm ready."

I took a sword, a bow, and some arrows and followed my father deeper into the forest. My goal was to impress my family with my hunting skills and make them proud. In our family, hunting was kind of a tradition.

After walking for a while, I spotted deer tracks on the ground. "Good job," my father said. "Follow the tracks quietly. I'll stay behind and watch."

I followed the tracks but found no deer. Suddenly, I heard growling from the bushes. The growling grew louder and closer, so I aimed my bow at the bushes. A wounded black wolf limped out, growling and approaching me. I didn't know what to do in this situation.

My father appeared in front of me. "Don't worry," he said. "The wolf is just scared because it's wounded. Lower your bow." I did as my father said and watched him calmly.

My father approached the wolf slowly. At first, it growled but soon lost energy due to its wound. My father carried the wolf home on his back to heal its wound.

"Dad, why are we helping this wolf?" I asked.

"Because it's good to help those in need," he replied. "As your grandfather King Einar said, if you help others, you will be helped in return."

"Is this what it means to be a king?" I asked.

After bandaging the unconscious wolf's leg, my father knelt down and looked at me. "Yes, my daughter," he said. "Being a king is not just about power. To be a just king, you must help all people regardless of who they are. Only then will you be worthy."

"Can I have the power of a king without being powerful?" I asked.

"Of course," he replied. "As long as you want it and fight for it."

I was impressed by my father's words and realized that this was how I could impress them. "I promise, Father. I'll be a just queen," I said.

"That's my girl," he said. "Now go and get some herbs, will you?"

"Yes," I replied.

As I approached our house, I saw a stranger leaving it. I hid behind a tree, remembering my father's warning. The stranger disappeared like a ghost. I ran home in fear but it was too late. My parents were dead on the floor and the black wolf was gone.

After the incident, the paladins of the third kingdom found me and brought me to my uncle, the third king. I was in shock for a long time until my uncle and aunt spoke to me. They loved and cared for me like their own daughter.

My great-uncle told me that I meant a lot to them and that they were proud of me. But I wanted to know why this had happened to my family. "Why did they do this, uncle?" I asked.

My uncle took a deep breath. "Don't look for logic in what bad people do," he said. "Sometimes they do it just because they want to."

As I despaired, my great-uncle continued. "The easiest thing in this world is to be bad. The hardest thing is to get justice."

"How do I get justice?" I asked.

"By resisting them," he replied. "Only then can you show them the truth."

My decision was final. In one sentence, I told my great-uncle what I wanted to do. "Then I want to be as strong as the paladins and fight back."

My great-uncle liked the determination in my eyes. Knowing that my father had trained me for a long time, he was ready to give me a chance. So that I could fight back, even if it was difficult.

I was determined to make my parents proud, no matter how challenging the training was. I devoted my mornings and evenings to studying and training to become a paladin at court.

As time passed, I learned something new every day. When I had proven myself, my great-uncle rewarded me with a magical sword that could grow vines and had a hilt shaped like a rose.

Despite growing stronger and more skilled, I struggled to make progress against the epics on my own. Just when I had lost hope, Ryuu and others appeared.

At that moment, I realized that there were still people fighting in this world, just as I had once aspired to do.

I persuaded my great-uncle to let me join Ryuu's team. We had many adventures together, but it was Ryuu who truly impressed me.

When I discovered that Miron, a descendant of wolves, had killed my parents, I harbored hatred for all wolf lineage, including Alpha Prime. However, Ryuu helped me overcome my hatred and restored my trust in the entire wolf lineage.

Whenever I saw him, I felt a sense of happiness and I was certain that he felt the same way about me.

Although I was angry with him after the incident, like everyone else, I wanted to put an end to the dominance of the epics.