《Children of the Rune – Winterer》


 Volume 1 - Prologue

    O you who passes the winter.


    The winter may be very, very long


    With no end in sight.


    After beating back the frost and snow


    And preserving through winds and tears,


    May become the sun¡¯s warm rays and shine down upon your corpse.


    So, sharpen your heart like the cold of steel


    And brace yourself against a millennium-long winter.


    You must survive.

 Volume 1 - CH 1.1

    CHAPTER 1: BLEEDING


    ¡°There is a ghost in Lake Emera that eats young children.¡±


    There was a dead lake at the end of the field. It was a swamp covered by rotten weeds that were all tangled up together like a witch¡¯s long locks. The weeds covered the swamp so thoroughly that the sun¡¯s rays could not touch it even during the height of day. His nanny had said that he could go anywhere except for Lake Emera.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you mustn¡¯t go anywhere near Lake Emera. Not even when it¡¯s bright out! The ghost with shining red eyes is always looking for children to eat.¡± When he didn¡¯t reply, his nanny loudly continued, ¡°Goodness, are you even listening, Young Master? You can even see it from the manor after nightfall. When I was your age, I used to see it all the time whenever the weather was stormy, Young Master!¡±


    Boris, the youngest son of House Jinneman, was dubious, but he decided to believe his nanny¡¯s tale for now. He had never seen the red eyes that his nanny spoke of no matter how many times he had slipped out of the manor and peered into the darkness on stormy nights. However, he couldn¡¯t conclude that his nanny was lying either because other people¡ªthe servants in particular¡ªhad told him that the story was real.


    It would have been nicer if the ghost of the lake was the only cloud of darkness that hung over the manor. He could have let himself dwell on the tale if it were.


    Boris was twelve this year. His mother had passed away when he was young, but other than that, his childhood had been peaceful for as far as he could remember. He had never witnessed anything dreadful enough to give him nightmares. Yet, there were undeniably dark clouds hanging over the manor. They were heavy enough to stifle the delicate child. Boris was neither young nor foolish enough not to notice them.


    ¡°That¡¯s not something you need to worry about, Little Boris.¡±


    Boris looked up at the sky when he felt Yevgnen, his older brother, patting his head. Yevgnen was standing with his back to the sky. His cerulean eyes reminded Boris of the dress their mother was wearing in her portrait. Boris¡¯ eyes, on the other hand, were ashen blue¡ªthe color of a rainy sky.


    The brothers were standing in the middle of the Longorde Fields, which was a part of Jinneman territory. Overgrown needlegrass covered the fields from horizon to horizon. There were many such fields at the foot of the Katuna Mountains, which surrounded the Shell Peninsula, where the climate was cold.


    Boris¡¯ head was buried between the grasses as he lied down in the late summer field. Something was buzzing around him and tickling his nose¡ªwas it a bug? What bothered him more, however, was his older brother¡¯s smile. His brother¡¯s smile was exceptionally bright today.


    Why am I feeling like this? I really don¡¯t need to be. Seriously.


    After all, Yevgnen was always smiling. He was always pulling his little brother, who was shy and didn¡¯t smile often, by the hand and dragging him off to somewhere. No matter where they went, however, he always did his best to only show his little brother things that were fun, amusing, and bright. He was the type of older brother who would laugh louder with joy, unable to help himself, in the rare instances where his little brother burst into laughter.


    Boris¡¯ older brother was tall and handsome. He was also the best swordsmen out of all the young men from their neighboring territories, and he was also their father¡¯s pride and joy.


    He was the one and only person whom Boris trusted with all his heart¡ªYevgnen Jinneman.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s spar. You promised!¡±


    Boris nodded back and jumped up. His hair, long enough to reach his shoulders, fluttered behind him.


    Yevgnen liked to tussle his little brother¡¯s hair. He had already managed to turn Boris¡¯ hair into a crow¡¯s nest in the short time it had taken to hand him a wooden sword. Instead of grumbling like a petulant child, however, Boris simply smirked.


    ¡°Shoo, shoo! Don¡¯t lay your eggs in my little brother¡¯s hair!¡± Yevgnen said while shooing away imaginary birds.


    Boris played along and looked behind him. His older brother took the opportunity to jab him lightly in the flank with his own wooden sword. By the time Boris turned back around, however, Yevgnen had already placed a fair amount of distance between the two of them. He was still smiling as he assume a lithe defensive stance.


    Boris suddenly felt something strange.


    He chased after his older brother¡¯s wooden sword, trying to hit it, only to twist his ankle and fall heavily on his knee. He quickly tackled his brother when Yevgnen came to see if he was hurt, and then the two of them wrestled each other in the grass while giggling¡ªyet that strange feeling never dissipated. Boris experienced this strange feeling every now and again. It was almost instinctual, not something he could evoke at will, but sometimes, that strange feeling would grow stronger and turn into a premonition of sorts.


    Boris was a young child who didn¡¯t know the first thing about swordsmanship, and Yevgnen was a young man who had been training with the sword for years. They were nowhere near close enough in skill level to be sparring together. It was just that Boris liked swinging around a wooden sword, so Yevgnen humored him under the pretext of helping him improve his reflexes as they wrestled around the fields together. Their father wanted Yevgnen to take his sword training more seriously instead of horsing around with his brother all the time. The kind-hearted young man, however, preferred to spend his time laughing with his little brother than improving his swordsmanship.


    Their father, Yulkan Jinneman, did not pay much attention to Boris. After all, Boris was just a young child. He also thought that Yevgnen only loved his little brother because he was still immature and at an age where he tended to let his emotions get the better of him. Yulkan Jinneman did not believe in loving one¡¯s brothers. As far as he was concerned, a man was considered lucky if his brother didn¡¯t creep up behind him in the dead of night like a thief and bring a knife to his throat.


    Yevgnen was Yulkan¡¯s firstborn son. He was the one and only person whom Yulkan trusted. He not only trusted Yevgnen¡ªhe had high expectations for Yevgnen too. That was why he firmly believed that Yevgnen must be absolutely obedient to him. It was simply that Yevgnen was still too young to fully understand everything. He would surely come to understand what it was that his father expected of him once he was a little older.


    Smack!


    The sound of wood hitting wood echoed across the field. The two brothers¡¯ wooden swords had connected for the first time in a while. Yevgnen feigned surprise and took a few steps back. He wanted his little brother to take the offensive and close in on him.


    Boris ran after his brother quickly¡ªhe didn¡¯t trip this time. His wooden sword, which he was holding just as his brother had taught him, was a little unsteady in his hands because it was a little heavy for him, but his stance was fine otherwise. He swung his sword to the left and tried to hit his brother¡¯s shoulder. Yevgnen dodged deftly to the side just before Boris¡¯ attack landed.


    Boris refused to yield and closed in on his brother once more. In so doing, however, he had inadvertently crossed over a certein threshold that his brother had taught him about previously. His brother¡¯s wooden sword was homing in toward his neck. There was no time for him to dodge.


    ¡°Whoa!¡±


    Yevgnen was astonished. He couldn¡¯t help but react on instinct, perhaps because his little brother was simply that talented. But all swords had pointed ends even if they were wooden training swords. A red welt appeared across Boris¡¯ neck, which began beading up with blood.


    ¡°Oh shoot!¡±


    Yevgnen tossed his wooden sword aside and wrapped his hands around his startled little brother¡¯s cheeks. Then, he checked the wound while patting Boris on the back with one hand. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t look too bad. The beads of blood grew bigger until they finally trailed down Boris¡¯ neck. Yevgnen wiped the blood away with his sleeve before taking out his handkerchief and pressing it against the wound. He could feel his little brother¡¯s heartbeat fluttering like a tiny bird.


    ¡°Were you surprised? I¡¯m sorry, I really am. I made a mistake. I won¡¯t do it again.¡±


    Of course Boris was surprised. The wooden sword had come toward him so fast that he had momentarily forgotten that it was his own brother who was wielding it. Boris had panicked, thinking that someone was suddenly trying to kill him.


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    Then, the two brothers suddenly heard someone calling for them. Someone from the manor was running over.


    ¡°Young Master Yevgnen! Young Master Boris!¡±


    It was one of the servants who were in charge of looking after Boris. Yevgnen was glad to see him. It was about time to return home anyway. He took Boris by the hand. But then, he realized that something was off about the servant¡¯s attitude. The servant was waving his arms as if he were telling the brothers not to go home.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    The servant finally made it to where the brothers were. He was out of breath and ashen-faced.


    ¡°You mustn¡¯t return to the manor, Young Masters! Something terrible is afoot!¡±


    Yevgnen waited patiently for the servant to continue instead of pressing for an answer. He wasn¡¯t too worried. After all, he knew that the servants tended to make much ado about nothing. Boris, on the other hand, did see cause for concern. He had been feeling on edge all morning. He could sense that something was about to happen.


    ¡°Vlado Jinneman¡­ He¡¯s back!¡±


    Yevgnen¡¯s face froze stiff. He squeezed Boris¡¯ hand lest his little brother got worried. He didn¡¯t realize that his own hand had immediately gone cold.


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    Boris didn¡¯t quite understand what the servant was trying to say. He also didn¡¯t feel any chills running down his spine¡ªthe kind he usually felt whenever his vague premonitions suddenly became more concrete. And so, as if the matter didn¡¯t really have anything to do with him, he slowly asked, ¡°Uncle Vlado¡­ is back?¡±


    A rain-laden breeze suddenly gushed over the brothers¡¯ heads. The wind¡¯s feathers of water fell onto them.


    The golden retriever that had been lying by the door suddenly jumped up and began growling. She was big, but she was normally so calm that she barely reacted even when the young Boris leaned against her and began fooling around. That calmness was nowhere to be found anymore. The dog was nervous, and her hackles were raised as she barked.


    ¡°Hah, what a rascal! You don¡¯t even recognize me anymore. Stupid dog.¡±


    The man who spoke was tall and slender, and he had noticeably long arms. His face was tanned, likely by the southern sun. Yet, it almost looked as if he had been stained by the darkness itself as he stood in front of the cloudy window. His yellowish eyes were set deeply in fine wrinkles. They looked like citrine gems that had been embedded in crocodile leather.


    The man looked ready to kick the dog as he stomped and yelled, ¡°Get lost! Shoo!¡±


    The dog continued barking furiously, but she was well-trained and did not bite without her master¡¯s orders.


    Tap tap. A pair of footsteps echoed from the sitting room and promptly stopped in its tracks. Deep wrinkles formed around the crocodile-eyed man¡¯s mouth as he smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s been too long, Lord Brother Yulkan.¡±


    ¡°Shh! Quiet down, Mallory.¡±


    Yulkan Jinneman quieted his dog first. Then, he turned frigidly to his younger brother. He hadn¡¯t seen his younger brother in years.


    Hmm¡­ Yulkan smiled. Both he and his brother had grown older since the last time they¡¯d met. They both looked like they had lived as least twice as fiercely than most.


    ¡°So you were still alive after all, Vlado.¡±


    ¡°Oh? It is just me, or is that disappointment I hear?¡±


    Their conversation held no meaning. After all, there was no reason for them to force themselves to keep to etiquette simply because they were brothers anymore. Their parents had passed away two years ago.


    I could¡¯ve killed the bastard the last time we met if only they¡¯d passed away a little sooner, Yulkan thought to himself. He knew that his younger brother was likely thinking the same thing. It made him all the warier.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since the last time we met. Won¡¯t you at least offer me a seat?¡±


    ¡°Have a seat, then.¡±


    The two brothers sat down on opposite ends of the table. Neither of them let their guards down.


    Rumble¡­ It was thundering outside, but it wasn¡¯t raining just yet.


    Yulkan suddenly wondered if Yevgnen was home yet. Then again, the servants had been frightened out of their wits as soon as his damned younger brother had stepped through the front door. Surely, at least one of them would have gone to find his sons. He had told them over and over again that Yevgnen was to take over as the head of the household should anything happen to himself. The servants and soldiers should have found Yevgnen by now. Surely, they were keeping Yevgnen safe and following the young man¡¯s orders.


    Vlado Jinneman, my one and only little brother. What are you scheming? Why have you come all this way just to die?


    ¡°Will you give me something to drink, Lord Brother? I was on horseback all day long. I¡¯m so thirsty I could die.¡±


    Slowly, Yulkan replied, ¡°Very well, then. Do you want some black beer?¡±


    ¡°Haha, my tastes have changed after living in the countryside for so long. I¡¯ll just have some ginger ale.¡±


    Vlado had never liked non-alcoholic drinks like ginger ale. Yulkan acquiesced and signaled to a maid to bring the drinks, but he knew exactly what Vlado was up to. Both brothers had always known that Vlado would return someday. There was no guarantee that Yulkan hadn¡¯t poisoned Vlado¡¯s favorite drink in preparation for this day.


    The left corner of Yulkan¡¯s lips curled up into a smirk. He knew that his brother, whose hair was beginning to grey, was making the same exact expression.


    Indeed, they undoubtedly had the same blood running through their veins. But they had also been at odds for over a decade now. There would be no compromise reached between them. It had been five years since Yulkan had driven his younger brother away from home. What kinds of cards had Valdo picked up that he had come all the way back here on his own two feet?


    The brothers brought their respective glasses of ginger ale to their lips. Even the way they moved was eerily similar.


    ¡°Must I ask you why you¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°I might as well spare you the effort and just tell you,¡± Vlado replied while curling the right corner of his lips into a smirk like he was Yulkan¡¯s reflection. He continued, ¡°You¡¯ve heard of Elector Khan, yes? I know that you¡¯re not deaf to the news from Ron, Lord Brother. I¡¯ve decided to support him, and¡ª¡±


    Hmph, Yulkan snorted.


    ¡°Get lost if you¡¯re only here to spout nonsense. Find somewhere else to stay.¡±


    Vlado suddenly stopped smiling. His yellowish eyes were glistening.


    ¡°This place doesn¡¯t belong only to you. Y¡¯know that, right? Or have ya forgotten that our parents passed down Longorde to both of us equally?¡±


    Vlado slipped back into his former speech mannerisms in his rage. Yulkan glowered back at him icily.


    ¡°Have you forgotten exactly how you ended up losing your rights to the territory? Yenishka must be rolling in her grave to see you back here today.¡±


    Vlado chewed his lips as he replied, ¡°What makes ya think that I¡¯m the one who killed the girl?¡±


    Yulkan suddenly felt something surging up his throat and slammed his glass down against the table. Grey drops of liquid splattered across the table¡¯s surface.


    ¡°She was always terrified of Lake Emera ever since she was a young child. Just listening to the tales about the lake was enough to make her quiver in fear. Why would she go to the lake alone if it weren¡¯t for the prank you played on her?!¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Yeni was still alive when she came back from the lake! It was you who had her killed without botherin¡¯ to try an¡¯ treat her after she went mad, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°How dare you try to justify your actions?!¡±


    Yulkan splashed the rest of his ale at Vlado¡¯s face.


    Valdo wiped the ale away with his sleeve as the droplets traveled down his wrinkles. His smile was warped as he quietly said, ¡°Hmph¡­ Alrighty, then. I wasn¡¯t plannin¡¯ to ask for yer opinion to begin with. Has there ever been anyone of Jinneman blood who¡¯s ever switched political parties before findin¡¯ a blade at their throat? Haha, our parents couldn¡¯t stop either of their sons from joinin¡¯ different political parties, and even Yeni ended up joinin¡¯ the Flame Anvil Party because of the man who would¡¯ve been her husband.¡±


    Vlado cackled quietly before he continued, ¡°Ya think Aunt Janine¡¯s any different? Ain¡¯t she spearheading the March Senate and stirrin¡¯ things up like crazy? Hahaha¡ªand do ya really think yer own sons are gonna be any different from the rest of us? Yer brats might abandon ¡®Kacha,¡¯ whom ya worship like some kinda god, and decide to join a completely different party. Like the Advance Party, for example! It wouldn¡¯t surprise me!¡±


    Yulkan¡¯s eyes were blazing with fury. They glistened in the darkness. Darkness had fallen early in the sitting room due to the weather, yet not a single candle had been lighted.


    But Vlado wasn¡¯t done. ¡°Pft¡ªthat¡¯s five political parties in just one household. Five! Or is it four now since our parents are dead?¡±


    Yulkan decided that he was done responding. Quietly, he said, ¡°Get out.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave.¡± Vlado jumped up to his feet. He was still smirking as he jabbed a long finger in his older brother¡¯s direction. ¡°Yer gonna regret this, y¡¯know that? This is the last olive branch I¡¯m ever gonna extend to ya. Don¡¯t ever forget that. It¡¯s the very last one. I was plannin¡¯ to wipe our past clean away and forgive ya for everything ya did if ya just handed over the Winterbottom Kit. What do ya say? Wanna think it over one last time?¡±


    In response, Yulkan spat out, ¡°It¡¯ll never fall into your hands for as long as I still have my head.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, thanks for pointin¡¯ it out. I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡± Vlado¡¯s wrinkles deepened once more as he grinned. He had expected Yulkan¡¯s answer. He narrowed his eyes and took a moment to enjoy the dark shadow that had fallen over Yulkan¡¯s visage. Then, he continued, ¡°Even a blind man can see that Lord Elector Khan will win the presidency. Do ya really think that now¡¯s a good time to stay rooted in this peninsula instead of joinin¡¯ hadns with him? Besides, ¡®Kacha¡¯ is the person that Elector Khan hates the most. Do ya really think yer gonna manage to get yerself outa this one, Brother? Yer gonna be dead meat as soon as the election¡¯s over. Ya should¡¯ve just played nice and pretended that yer younger bro managed to persuade ya while I was bein¡¯ generous. But that wouldn¡¯t be the Jinneman way now, would it?¡±


    ¡°I told you to leave!¡±


    Yulkan knew exactly what Vlado was saying. After all, it was old news.


    Elector Khan, whom his younger brother served, had already been promised support from over half of the fifteen electorates. There were only three electors who opposed him, including Elector Katsya, whom Vlado was calling ¡®Kacha¡¯ in a demeaning manner. The others did not support Elector Khan openly, but neither did they seem willing to go against the flow.


    The election was already lost. Yulkan knew this too. But everyone in House Jinneman¡ªno, everyone in the Republic of Travachess who had any amount of renowned blood running in their veins¡ªheld as tightly to their political beliefs as they did to life itself. In fact, it was widely established that people were often willing to cling to their political beliefs even if it meant their deaths. House Jinneman was particularly infamous for this. The electorate knew this too, and various electors had done their best to win them over. Perhaps that was why there was so much bad blood between the two brothers.


    Just when had it happened? Since when had the entire nation so blindly thrown herself into her political beliefs and political parties when not everyone could afford even a single piece of bread? Had it started when Travachess had become a republic?


    No, Travachess wasn¡¯t even a true republic. It was nothing more than a monarchy of another name but with hundreds of different political parties that pitted parents against children, brothers against brothers, and friends against friends.


    Even still, Yulkan could not bend his will. The people of Travachess had always considered turning one¡¯s back on the master one served to be an everlasting stain on one¡¯s honor. There had only been eight political parties when the republic had been founded. Yet, this was the very reason why the original eight political parties had splintered into several hundred. They had been unable to stop themselves from splintering apart after all the bitter infighting and assassinations. Yulkan knew this. But even still, he had not been able to join the same political party as his parents, take his own younger brother¡¯s hand, or welcome his little sister¡¯s fianc¨¦ with open arms.


    It wasn¡¯t uncommon in Travachess for entire houses to collapse because its members had been fractured into different political parties. Electors and electorate candidates always did their best to pull anyone from a house with even a little bit of renown to their name over to their side. After all, they would be able to secure a vote if their target then proceeded to exterminate the rest of their bloodline and take over their house.


    No one cared even if it meant driving brothers against sisters, turning husbands and wives into enemies, or pitting mothers against sons in the process. After all, being born as a citizen of Travachess meant that nothing else mattered so long as one¡¯s own party gained political power!


    Vlado, who intended to leave without saying goodbye, was smirking until the very end.


    ¡°House Jinneman never would¡¯ve been passed down to a second son if only ya decided to hear me out. What a shame. Hold tight to everything and do yer best to survive until I come back to take it all from ya.¡±


    The doors slammed shut.


    Yulkan was alone in the sitting room now. He was as still as a stone statue. But he was also a man who had survived the maelstrom of war. He had witnessed the political parties of Travachess massacring each other time and time again. His younger brother¡¯s claim of having visited in order to ¡®reconcile¡¯ had been utter bullshit. Vlado¡¯s true purpose had always been to declare war.


    And, Vlado had come to ask for the Winterbottom Kit? That was preposterous! Vlado knew best that Yulkan would never simply hand it over.


    Naturally, Valdo probably hadn¡¯t come alone either. There was probably an army waiting outside to assault the manor, and Vlado had probably taken some sort of defensive measures to protect himself long before he had walked inside. Vlado had likely prepared many other things too, though he probably also knew that it had all been for naught. Vlado had grown up in this manor too, but now it was nothing more than his enemy¡¯s base. And he wasn¡¯t one to simply walk into his enemy¡¯s base unprepared. After all, he, too, was old enough to have fought his fair share of political battles and tasted his fair share of blood.


    ¡°Tulk.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master?¡± responded a voice from behind the sitting room curtains.


    ¡°It¡¯s war.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I shall prepare accordingly.¡±


    The presence of the man who had been standing behind the curtains vanished. There was a secret passage behind them that led outside. Yulkan took a moment to look down at the scattered droplets of ale and the two glasses sitting side by side on the table before getting up. Then, he pushed open the tall windows and looked down. He saw Vlado climbing up his horse, as well as two other sons of bitches bringing their own horses over. Once the three of them were on their horses, they kicked the spurs and began racing toward the fields that the brothers had spent their childhood in together.

 Volume 1 - CH 1.2

    Yevgnen was in a hurry. He declined the servant¡¯s offer to take care of his little brother and picked Boris up before dashing back to the manor. It began pouring as soon as he reached the front door.


    ¡°Where is Father?¡±


    ¡°He is on the second floor.¡±


    He had seen Uncle Vlado¡¯s horse disappearing off to the other side of the fields just moments ago. Yevgnen put down his brother, who had stiffened up, and asked, ¡°Has Butler Tulk come down yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s already in the military training grounds.¡±


    Yevgnen nodded back.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s no need for me to go there myself. Let¡¯s go to our rooms, Boris.¡±


    They didn¡¯t even have the time to change out of their muddy shoes. They left a trail of dead grass and mud all over the once-clean floors and carpet.


    Yevgnen threw the door to his bedchambers open and ran inside. Once both he and Boris were inside, he spun around and locked the door tightly behind them. Then, he sat Boris down on his bed and immediately went over to his wardrobe. He took out his neatly folded clothes and tossed them unceremoniously to the floor.


    He then pulled a key out of his pocket as soon as he found what he was looking for¡ªa small box with steel hinges. He unlocked the box and flipped the lid open only to reveal yet another black key that was about as thick as two fingers were wide.


    ¡°Boris, go to your room and put on the brigandine armor that Father gave you. And don¡¯t forget to bring your sword and boots with you when you come back. You understand what you need to do, right?¡±


    Yevgnen could tell that his little brother was staring at the clothes that he had strewn about the floor, but there was nothing else he could say to comfort him. Boris climbed up to his feet and made his way to his room, which was connected to Yevgnen¡¯s.


    Yevgnen quickly got to work doing what he needed to do while Boris got armored up with the help of his nanny, who had come running after them. He pushed aside the heavy fireplace and ripped off the wooden plank that had been camouflaged as a part of the wall. Then, he fished around the fake wall until he finally found the keyhole to the hidden steel safe he had been looking for. He rammed the large black key inside and turned it as hard as he could. The safe opened with an audible clunk.


    Boris saw two sacred relics laid out over the mess on his older brother¡¯s bed when he came back.


    The brothers shared a moment of silence. Then, Boris finally said, ¡°Snowguard¡­¡±


    The silver-white chains of the piece of armor lying on the bed were blinding, as if they had been crafted from snow crystals. They looked more enchanting the closer he looked. Boris reached out and touched the armor. It felt cold to the touch at first¡­ and then it was warm.


    It really was warm. Snowguard had many magical enchantments. The most famous among them was the mysterious power to absorb heat and extinguish it. That was why it was widely known as the armor of snow that could not be melted down even by the hottest of flames. It was one of House Jinneman¡¯s treasures, originally obtained by Yevgnen¡¯s and Boris¡¯ great-grandfather.


    Yevgnen picked up where Boris had trailed off. ¡°And Winterer.¡±


    It was a sword befitting of its name¡ª¡®one who passes the winter.¡¯ It had been forged from a strange metal smelted from the cold itself, and it was shaped like a single ray of light. It was a white sword that was as slender in figure as the noble coldness it seemed to exude. Its hilt, which fit snug against its undecorated white scabbard, was long enough to be grabbed with two hands with room to spare. It was a bastard sword, and could be wielded with either one or both hands.


    Snowguard and Winterer. Together, they were known as the Winterbottom Kit.


    Countless knights and soldiers had spilled blood in the struggle to obtain the Winterbottom Kit in the past. Anyone who had ever held a sword was familiar with the rumors of the magical Kit and coveted it. It was infamous.


    It was said that Boris¡¯ great-grandfather had slain ninety-nine foes in order to get his hands on Snowguard. It was also said that the previous owner of Snowguard had been a lord of a foreign land. It was likely that the rumored previous owner had many guards and soldiers protecting him. Perhaps even more than ninety-nine.


    It would then take Boris¡¯ grandfather another thirty years to obtain Winterer. He had probably killed no fewer men than his father in order to achieve that feat.


    Moreover, simply obtaining the full Winterbottom Kit was only half the story. The news that someone had collected the full Kit had stirred up a frenzy. There had even been a rumor claiming that whomever possessed the full Kit would become stronger than any other. It hadn¡¯t been long until that rumor had become twisted little by little until it started to claim, ¡®one must possess the Winterbottom Kit in order to become the greatest swordsman.¡¯


    Many people had sought out Boris¡¯ grandfather in order to take the treasures from him in a duel. Boris¡¯ grandfather¡¯s secret to safeguarding the treasures had been simple. He had simply refused all duels. Countless people had challenged him to a fair fight, even going so far as to allow him to arm himself with the Winterbottom Kit for the duel, where the Kit would go to the victor. Boris¡¯ grandfather had barely even scoffed at them. And anyone who tried to steal the Kit had been easily dealt with by House Jinneman¡¯s soldiers.


    House Jinneman had been one of the most powerful houses in Travachess at the time. That was why there had been no way to take the Winterbottom Kit from the house expect through a one-on-one duel. Put another way, the Winterbottom Kit amounted to nothing more than an exceptional set of arms. The noble houses of Travachess were tangled together in a tangled web of politics. None of the larger houses were willing or foolish enough to wage a small ¡®war¡¯ over a single sword and a single piece of armor. Especially since that war would not end unless one of the houses involved was completely annihilated.


    The rumors had eventually died down after several decades had passed.


    Ultimately, Boris¡¯ grandfather had never donned the Winterbottom Kit in public despite having worked so painstakingly to obtain it. In so doing, he had stopped the greedy from coveting the Kit from its very source. In fact, he had succeeded so thoroughly that the prevailing opinion was that the Kit had ¡®long since been stolen¡¯ from House Jinneman.


    Yet, the Winterbottom Kit had been safely stowed away inside the Jinneman manor all this time. It belonged in the hands of both sons of the house, as dictated by tradition.


    Boris¡¯ grandfather had not wanted his sons to fight each other over the Winterbottom Kit. That was why he had left one half of the Kit to each brother in his will in hopes that it would bring them together. Yet, Yulkan had driven Vlado out of the household. Naturally, he had stripped Vlado of his rights to the Kit as well. And Vlado was not hesitant even in the slightest in his want to recover what he believed was rightfully his.


    Yulkan had also borne two sons. However, his opinions differed from that of his father¡¯s. He believed that the Winterbottom Kit was only powerful when it was whole. In which case, there was no benefit in splitting it. It was only natural that he had passed both halves of the Kit down to his firstborn son, who was his heir apparent. Yevgnen was eight years older than Boris, who was only twelve. Yulkan firmly believed that Boris would never be able to go against his elder brother due to the age difference between them.


    Yevgnen¡¯s opinions, however, also differed from that of his father¡¯s.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to borrow your sword for a bit, Boris.¡±


    For some unknown reason, Winterer, the sword of winter, was incredibly light for its size. That being said, however, it was still too heavy to be wielded by a twelve-year-old.


    Boris quietly looked up at his brother.


    Yulkan had passed the Winterbottom Kit down to Yevgnen earlier that year, when Yevgnen turned twenty. Yevgnen had called Boris to his room that very same night. Then, he had shown Boris the two relics and had asked his little brother which one he liked better.


    Boris hadn¡¯t given it much thought before replying that the sword looked cooler than the heavy armor set. But then, Yevgnen had promised to give him the sword once he was old enough to wield it. Boris had been shocked, but Yevgnen had only smiled gently as if he hadn¡¯t just dropped a bombshell on him.


    Boris had constantly wondered whether Yevgnen had actually meant what he had said. Yet, Yevgnen had repeatedly told him, ¡°Winterer is yours,¡± whenever he had the chance ever since. Boris had started believing him before long.


    His older brother was once again repeating his promise today. And once again, Boris realized that he still didn¡¯t truly believe that the renowned blade was actually his.


    Boris was old enough to know what war meant. The unwritten law in the Republic of Travachess stated that no third party was liable for the aftermath of war between houses. It didn¡¯t matter no many how many people died tonight. The only people who would shed tears over them were the people who were already here.


    Boris was young, which meant that he was not considered a military asset. It made more sense for his brother to wield the sword. Besides, he loved his brother. Yevgnen was his family.


    Boris nodded back. ¡°It¡¯s yours, Brother.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll be sure to give it back to you without fail after the war¡¯s over. And I won¡¯t even borrow it if you don¡¯t want me to.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to give it back to me. It¡¯s yours.¡±


    ¡°Boris,¡± Yevgnen said as he held Winterer by the scabbard and held its hilt toward Boris. Boris grabbed it after a moment of hesitation. As soon as his older brother let go, however, his arm plummeted and the sword thudded loudly against the floor. Yevgnen instructed, ¡°Try holding it up.¡±


    Boris tried to do as his brother said, but the sword was too heavy for him to support with just one arm. He was only just barely able to point its tip back up by holding it in both hands. Even then, his elbows were trembling and the tip of the blade was drawing unsteady circles in the air. Yevgnen reached out and held up the sword by its scabbard once more just as Boris thought that his arms were about to give out. His shoulders sagged as the strength left his arms.


    ¡°See? You can wield it too,¡± Yevgnen said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about¡ª¡±


    But Yevgnen did not let his little brother continue. He stooped down and brought their faces closer together. Then, he whispered, ¡°And you¡¯ll only get better at wielding it. I know you¡¯re going to be awesome. You¡¯re a warrior, after all. Just like what your name suggests.¡±


    Boris¡¯ name meant ¡®warrior.¡¯ But what Boris cared about more in the moment was how nice his brother¡¯s warm breath felt¡­


    And then, that strange feeling sent another chill down the back of his neck. He didn¡¯t like what it suggested.


    An eerie silence filled the manor. The two hundred-or-so men that his father commanded were guarding the manor¡¯s perimeter. House Jinneman had once commanded over a thousand soldiers back in its heyday, but this was all that was left. The house had peaked during the time of Boris¡¯ grandfather, who had brought back Winterer.


    Boris and Yevgnen were on the second floor, in front of the stairs that led down to the backyard. There was no reason for either of them to join the frontlines. After all, it was their father¡¯s presence that would booster the soldier¡¯s morale, not theirs. That being said, however, neither could they simply hide away. Not even Boris, despite his age. After all, they still had Jinneman blood running through their veins.


    Boris could see the soldiers lined up like dark stakes from the window. They were the second line. The first line was so far ahead that they could not be seen from the manor.


    The Jinneman manor had been renovated several times, but it was still not the best location to wage defensive warfare. Simply put, the war was as good as lost as soon as the enemy managed to step foot inside the manor. Their enemies would plunder and pillage anything and everything they could get their hands on, from common household goods to valuable antiques. It didn¡¯t matter even if they won the actual battle at that point. It would be difficult to wash away the humiliation of having their manor ransacked. Any house whose manor had been ransacked was considered to have lost the war, even if they had, by some stroke of luck, managed to end the battle in a draw.


    Multiple wars between houses were waged every year. They sometimes became the talk of town if a renowned house was involved, but normally, they were simply written off as a simple quarrel between the involved parties. Yet, it wasn¡¯t uncommon for every last person of the defeated house to be massacred. Even the young children.


    Despite everything, however, all houses of Travachess with black blood between them settled their differences through warfare. It also wasn¡¯t uncommon for siblings who had been driven out of their houses to come back and wage war, like what was happening to House Jinneman. In Travachess, it was as common for people to leave their households due to differing political opinions as it was for star-crossed couples to elope in the middle of the night.


    Yevgnen¡¯s gaze was glued on the window. Boris, however, turned toward the stairs. He couldn¡¯t hear anything, but there were probably at least a dozen or so soldiers standing guard at the foot of the stairs. They intended to die before the Jinneman brothers even if it was the last thing they did.


    ¡°Look over there, Boris,¡± Yevgnen said out of the blue.


    Boris made his way over to the window. The sky was crimson and the clouds were dyed purple. Under them, were countless sparkling lights stretching across the fields that hadn¡¯t been there before. Torches.


    ¡°It¡¯s starting,¡± Yevgnen continued.


    Shock stabbed Boris beneath the ribs. Boris forgot how to breathe for a moment, and then he pursed his lips together.


    They heard the fighting first.


    Whoo, whoaa¡­


    Countless voices crushed together into noises that held no discernable meaning. Boris had thought that it would be too dark to see anything, but the torches surrounded the manor before he knew it. How many people were out there? Five hundred? A thousand?


    Yevgnen bit his lips as he recalled the last thing his father had said to him.


    ¡®Take the Winterbottom Kit and escape from the manor if the tides turn against us. Take the escape route I showed you.¡¯


    His father hadn¡¯t said anything about Boris. Did he simply not care? Yevgnen, however, cared more about Boris than he did about the house¡¯s treasures. He was confident that he could escape under the cover of darkness if he was acting alone.


    There were two things that were stopping Yevgnen from doing just that. First, was the fact that it pained him to leave his father behind. And second, was the fact that he saw it as his responsibility to lead his brother to safety.


    At the same time, however, under no circumstances could he allow the Winterbottom Kit to fall into his uncle¡¯s hands.


    Yevgnen was more skilled than his peers, but he was still only twenty. The sheer weight of everything he had to carry on his shoulders was overwhelming. Yet, he never felt like he had been wronged by his burdens, perhaps due to his upbringing. Instead, he reproached himself for not being strong enough to shoulder everything properly.


    Yevgnen¡¯s thoughts also went to the soldiers who were destined to spill their blood today. They were soldiers of the house. In other words, they were people who would fall under Yevgnen¡¯s care when he succeeded his father as the head of the house. It wasn¡¯t possible to gather so many soldiers under a house spontaneously. Most of the soldiers had sworn fealty to House Jinneman because his father had taken them under his wing when they were younger.


    Yet, he also couldn¡¯t deny that war was the sole reason why the soldiers were there to begin with. It was because of this that they were given preferential treatment over and nicer lives than the peasants to begin with. They would do their duty today.


    The light of the torches flickered across Boris¡¯ visage. Yevgnen grabbed his sword tighter and thought only of slaying as many enemies as he possibly could. He couldn¡¯t see his uncle. Things would become infinitely easier if only he could take down his uncle in the early stages of the battle. He smiled bitterly.


    Meanwhile, Boris was staring at the painting that was hanging beneath the window. It was a portrait of a women in a white dress with a melancholy smile. She wasn¡¯t their mother. The woman¡¯s eyes were staring directly back at him as if she was trying to tell him something.


    ¡°House Jinneman will change hands today! Hear that?! The house will change hands today!¡± several people yelled loudly in unison.


    Yulkan had lived through dozens of wars like this one in his lifetime. He knew how these things worked. That being said, it still soured his mood considerably to hear his enemies talking about him in that manner.


    ¡°Anyone who lays down their arms and surrenders shall not be held responsible for their crimes! If you would bring House Jinneman back into prominence under a new master, then come forth!¡±


    House Jinneman has been on the decline for years. Anyone who would be swayed by that would have already left the house long ago¡­ Yulkan muttered to himself as he climbed up to his feet. There was no need for him to keep listening to their drivel. It was time to spill blood.


    Is it time to go?


    He took a step forward and roared, ¡°Come forth! How dare you invade Longorde?! How dare you speak such nonsense about the future of House Jinneman?! Come into the light!¡±


    The front yard, surrounded by the torches, looked as crimson as the dusk. Yulkan looking down at it from the terrace on the second floor. This put him within range of his enemies¡¯ crossbows, but his men would begin cowering soon if he did not make an appearance.


    ¡°It¡¯s Yulkan Jinneman! He¡¯s up on the terrace!¡±


    The soldiers drew nearer and raised their torches high. Their crimson glow reflected across Yulkan¡¯s face as he looked down at them and mused. What had happened to the first line? Had it been annihilated? Or had the enemy simply slipped past it?


    The line of the enemies¡¯ torches arched into the distance. There were at least five hundred of them, even if they were pretending to have greater numbers than they actually did.


    Once again, Yulkan shouted, ¡°Raise the fire!¡±


    White fire arose from the feet of the soldiers standing in front of the manor and clashed against the arching line of torches. Not only was it a display of the manor¡¯s magic, but it also had the effect of increasing the stamina of the manor¡¯s forces and boosting their morale. It had been cast by Tulk, the butler.


    ¡°Where are you, you dishonorable man? House Jinneman has stood proud for centuries! Do you really think your ragtag army is capable of felling it?¡±


    What Yulkan heard in the lieu of a reply, however, was the thunderous hissing of a snake. Everyone¡ªthe soldiers, the people still inside the manor, and even Yulkan himself¡ªstopped to look up at the sky. The reddish purple atmosphere trembled, and then a sudden flash of white light illuminated the area.


    Yulkan was the first person who realized what had just happened.


    ¡°Everybody out! Get out of the manor! Second line, hold your position!¡±


    Every last warrior and servant inside the manor began roaring¡ªor were they screaming? Contrary to his own orders, Yulkan raced inside. There was only one thing in his mind.


    There was one other person who had realized that the manor was in danger. He had noticed roughly around the same time that Yulkan had. Yevgnen picked up his brother and jumped down the stairs just in time to meet his father.


    Yulkan¡¯s face was pale, and his features crumpled into a scowl as he yelled, ¡°Yevgnen! Hurry and¡­¡±


    He saw that Yevgnen was holding Boris in his arms just then. Yulkan immediately snatched Boris away. Then, he turned to the brothers, who were dumbstruck because they had no idea what he was doing, and snapped, ¡°Go alone! Boris will stay here with me!¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°How on earth do you intend to slip away with a young child in tow?! Do you not understand what it is that you¡¯re supposed to be protecting right now?! Hurry up and go!¡±, Yulkan shouted back in a rage.


    Yevgnen did not dare object. He watched his father tuck Boris under his arm and vanish into the dark corridor.


    Then, the manor walls began to shake. Rumbleeee¡­


    Yevgnen bit his lips. There was nothing else he could do. He was a son. He had no choice but to obey his father. Yevgnen reached down to his side and gripped Winterer¡¯s hilt firmly as he jumped down the stairs three steps at a time.


    ¡°Dirty bastard¡­¡±


    Yulkan led the soldiers who had been on standby on the second floor and escaped out the manor¡¯s back door. He spun around just as he crossed the backyard fence only to find the head of the gigantic monster that had appeared in the sky clamping its maw around the manor roof.


    There was a flurry of white snow flying around the monster¡¯s head, as if it was a mountain covered in permafrost. All Yulkan could see was the monster¡¯s head, neck, and one foot with hook-shaped claws. The rest of its body was hidden behind pulsating amethyst clouds. Its turquoise eyes glistened as it observed its prey. Parts of its snake-like head were translucent, likely because it hadn¡¯t been fully summoned.


    Yulkan could hear his soldiers talking to themselves as they quaked with fear. There was no doubting it. The monster was a krigal¡ªa summon from a world of ice. There were only three mages in all of Travachess who were capable of summoning it. This was Yulkan¡¯s first time actually seeing one in person.


    It was probably the work of Zongnal, an archmage who served Elector Khan. Who would have thought that the archmage had come all the way out here in the flesh? Was Vlado a high-ranking member of the party? Or did the declining House Jinneman mean something special to the elector?


    The eastern roof of the manor collapsed into itself when the monster released its jaws. Crunch, the rafters crumbled and the pillars broke apart. The manor that House Jinneman had maintained for so many years was being reduced to rubble. But that wasn¡¯t a problem. A broken building could always be fixed.


    Then, however, the krigal shot out venom from its fangs. The venom slaughtered anyone who was still inside manor as it drenched the building¡ªthough that was only natural. It would probably take months just to purify the venom. And if it wasn¡¯t purified in time, then the manor would likely become a deserted ruin that none could step foot inside for at least a few centuries.


    It was unforgivable. Vlado might have needed to drive his brother¡¯s army outside the building, but he should have cherished childhood memories of the manor too. How could he defile the manor like that without so much as an inkling of hesitation?


    Crunch¡­


    Yulkan grinded his teeth and spat out, ¡°I couldn¡¯t call myself a Jinneman if I forgave that bastard.¡±


    Boris looked up at his father. His chest felt strangely cold even as he watched the krigal gnawing away at the roof of his home.


    His mother¡¯s room was on the second floor. Yevgnen often spoke of missing her, but Boris had no recollection of her at all. His brother often said that it smelled like their mother whenever they entered her room, which had been preserved to look exactly the way it had back when she had still been using it.


    But Boris had never been able to smell anything. His mother was nothing but a pale face wearing a blue dress in a painting, as far as he was concerned, and the room only ever smelled like the dried reeds and wildflowers that the maids placed inside it.


    My brother would be sad to see this. Boris had become more anxious after being separated from his older brother. Why had their father separated them?


    Their father had said that it would be impossible for Yevgnen to slip away with a young child in tow. Boris knew¡ªhe was a burden to his brother. Their father had prioritized his eldest son, who was to succeed the house, and the house¡¯s treasures over a useless young child. After all, there was nothing that a young child could do to defend the house¡¯s name even if he happened to survive the war.


    But Boris was anxious not for himself but for his brother. He¡¯d been anxious all day long. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen to Yevgnen today.


    Yulkan paid Boris no mind and turned to Tulk, his butler¡ªno, his mage¡ªand ordered, ¡°Check the status of our first and second lines. How many men do we have left?¡±


    Tulk whipped his long sleeves in the air without a word and conjured an image. A mixture of white and crimson flames were burning the fields that surrounded the manor. House Jinneman¡¯s remaining forces were engaged in battle, but anyone with eyes could tell that the tides were against them. They no longer had the numbers to wage a frontal assault.


    Yulkan fell silent for a moment before saying, ¡°We¡¯ll hit both entrances to the manor. Split our remaining forces in two. Have everyone hide in the long grasses and wait until I give the order.¡±


    Boris was shocked.


    ¡°But Father, the monster¡ª¡±


    Icily, Yulkan spat out, ¡°Half of the thing¡¯s body is still in its original world. It won¡¯t be able to touch anything living in this one.¡±


    Yulkan turned to Tulk and whispered something that Boris couldn¡¯t hear. Tulk nodded curtly and said only two words back. Then, the mage sounded a magical whistle to signal to House Jinneman¡¯s soldiers to begin gathering in the darkness.


    It had taken only but a moment. Yulkan dragged Boris by the hand over to where the soldiers were gathering to the east of the manor and had the boy lay flat on his stomach in the grasses. Tulk, who had gathered the other half of the house¡¯s forces on the western side, sent him a magical signal.


    ¡°Boris, follow after me slowly and,¡± he started. He hesitated for a moment, but he promptly continued, ¡°Turn around and run into the fields once the fighting begins. You¡¯re going to run away from here. Am I understood?¡±


    Boris¡¯ eyes widened in shock, but he regained his composure quickly enough. He would be useless in a fight, but neither would he be able to break through enemy lines and escape altogether. Was his father telling him to stop being a burden on his brother and just die quietly?


    ¡°Where should I go?¡±


    ¡°Toward Lake Emera.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s¡­¡±


    Boris was too shocked to calm himself down this time. After all, Lake Emera was where the red-eyed ghost was!


    Yulkan saw how alarmed his son was and continued, ¡°There is no ghost. How can you call yourself a man of House Jinneman if you believe in all the old wives¡¯ tales the servants tell you? That being said, no one will think to go anywhere near the lake because of all the rumors surrounding it. Stay near the lake and hide. I¡¯ll come to pick you up once all the fighting¡¯s over. Right¡ªwait for me by the three black trees. Do you understand?¡±


    Boris didn¡¯t even have the time to respond before Tulk whispered more magic in Yulkan¡¯s ears. The signal sounded like quiet ticking.


    ¡°Go!¡± Yulkan bellowed as he raised his hand up high. Then, he began dashing forward without looking back at his son even once.


    ¡°Father!¡±


    Was this the end? All Boris could do was watch as his father¡¯s shadow melted into the darkness.


    The otherworldly creature watched from up above as the forces of two brothers who shared the same name clashed mightily against each other. White and crimson flames raged against each other as they blazed.


    Vlado drew Hagrune, the black saber that Elector Khan had bestowed upon him, and used it to slice through any soldiers who charged at him. His guards were defending his rear. All he had to do was keep facing forward. His blade pierced through one soldier¡¯s shoulder before immediately ripping through another¡¯s forehead and stabbing his throat. Then, he spun around and cut off yet another soldier¡¯s hand. Yulkan had been better at Vlado at swordplay when Vlado had left the household years ago. However, there was no guarantee that this was still true today.


    Vlado began looking for his brother from a distance. He didn¡¯t want to encounter Yulkan without any warning. He was planning to observe how Yulkan fought first before ambushing him.


    He didn¡¯t feel guilty about it either. After all, it was due to Yulkan¡¯s schemes that all the blame had been pinned on him, which had resulted in him being driven out of House Jinneman. He was simply planning to repay the favor, albeit belatedly.


    In any case, Yulkan is older than me. Let¡¯s see how much of a fight he can still put up!


    ¡°It¡¯s Yulkan Jinneman! Yulkan Jinneman is here!¡±


    Vlado¡¯s men alerted him when they spotted his brother. He could hear the fight that was taking place to the east of the manor all the way from here. His wrinkled visage broke into a grin. It was finally time to exchange his black blade, Hagrune, with House Jinneman¡¯s silver-white Winterer.


    Yulkan was the opposite of Vlado. He was going out of his way to seek out his younger brother. His sword arm was sharp even though he was in his forties, and he overpowered every opposing enemy soldier who stood in his way.


    If only he could catch his brother now¡­ Yulkan wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until he had run his blade through his brother¡¯s throat. He would finally put an end to his sinful younger brother.


    His wishes came true before long. Vlado wasn¡¯t planning to fight fair and square, just as Yulkan had expected. A crowd of enemy soldiers suddenly charged at him. Yulkan gritted his teeth and began brandishing his sword. He did his best to thin out their numbers, but they seemed to pile upon him endlessly.


    Something felt off. Yulkan realized what it was quickly enough.


    ¡°Long time no see, Lord Brother.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until a moment later that Yulkan felt a burning sensation spreading across his side. It was a testament how surprised he had been to hear his brother¡¯s voice out of nowhere.


    ¡°You! Vlado Jinneman, you bastard!¡±


    Swish!


    The cold and pointed object penetrated Yulkan¡¯s lower chest one again. He felt something surging up his throat.


    ¡°Master!¡± a voice cried desperately in his ear.


    Hmph¡­ Vlado sneered as he turned around. Tulk, the mage posing as a butler, was highly skilled, but he did not know any offensive spells. Vlado wasn¡¯t afraid of him at all.


    ¡°You can die with your beloved master!¡±


    But a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky just then. It was just the weather, but Vlado stopped dead in his tracks in alarm. Had Tulk learned lightning magic?


    Tulk did not let this opportunity slip through his fingers. A cloud of black fog manifested before Vlado¡¯s very eyes.


    This won¡¯t do, Vlado thought to himself as he jumped back. Silently, he called for his own mage.


    The mage, who served Elector Khan alongside Vlado, appeared right behind him. He spread open his arms and performed a wing-shaped mudra, which summoned a sudden squall that pushed the dark fog away.


    But Vlado could only glower in frustration at the spot where his brother had been standing mere moments ago. Both Yulkan and Tulk had disappeared.

 Volume 1 - CH 1.3

    Boris wandered through the grasses alone. He was afraid of two things. The first, was the horror of what was happening at the manor, which he could still sense even if he couldn¡¯t see. The second, was Lake Emera, which was growing ever nearer. The noises were growing distant, and the silence was closing in.


    Suddenly, Boris stopped dead in his tracks. He hesitated for a moment before he resumed walking. But it wasn¡¯t long before he paused again. He felt like something was tugging at his heels.


    He stayed in place for a while before he slowly resumed walking once more.


    The darkness was everywhere. It was so dark that he could barely even tell which way he was going. Boris stopped again when he couldn¡¯t hold back his terror any longer. Then, ever so slowly, he changed course and began trying to circle around the lake.


    He could hear the sound of water. Perhaps he was simply imagining it. He didn¡¯t know if there was a stream that fed into the lake. He would much rather believe that he was hearing things because it was about to rain. He absolutely did not want to think about how the lake was lurking somewhere in the darkness where he could not see it.


    Boris¡¯ surroundings quickly fell silent. Surprisingly, he had actually managed to find his way to the three trees that his father had told him about with only the moonlight to guide him. He didn¡¯t know that he was only a few dozen steps away from the lake that he so feared.


    The trees were quite large. Boris was hopeful that he could hide behind him. The boy wiped his cold sweat away with his sleeve and crouched down where he stood. His shadow stretched in front of him because he was squatting with his back to the moon. His body felt so heavy. His armor was rather simple, but it was still quite heavy for the twelve-year-old boy.


    His father¡­ would probably come to find him later, provided he didn¡¯t die in battle. Yulkan had never shown much affection for Boris, but Boris trusted his father¡¯s sense of parental duty.


    But, what if¡ªjust if¡ªhis father died? Who would know to come find him here then?


    Boris tried to shake his head clear, but then another chill ran down his spine. That wasn¡¯t the real problem. If his father died, then House Jinneman would die with him. Boris would no longer have a home to return to.


    His uncle had tried to kill him once, back when he was very young. Vlado would try to eliminate his nephews once their father was no longer around to protect them. Even Yevgnen¡­


    Just then, a shadow darker than the darkness itself appeared behind Boris out of nowhere. The boy froze up in terror. He couldn¡¯t even scream. He didn¡¯t even dream of turning around. All he could do was keep his eyes wide open and stare as the much bigger shadow slowly swallowed his own.


    Ssss¡­ Ss¡­ Sss.


    Boris heard something that reminded him of a giant insect¡¯s wings, but the noise suddenly stopped. Then, he felt someone grab him by one hand and pick him up. It was only then that his throat finally started working again.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    The boy¡¯s body jerked up about three feet off the earth¡¯s surface and stopped. He desperately combed through the ground with his eyes. He could see something long, like a blade, protruding from above a shadowy blob that he could not identify.


    There was more than one blob. Two, three, four¡­ Were they arms? Those blobs? Were they tentacles, maybe?


    Boris was actually free to move his limbs, but he failed to notice this. He couldn¡¯t move. His entire being had frozen up in fear even though he knew that he might get shredded into tiny pieces any minute now. And¡­


    Pow!


    A bluish streak of light flashed in the darkness. A foul-smelling liquid suddenly fell over Boris¡¯ head. It dribbled all the way down to his feet. The hand that was holding him up grew slack, and Boris found that he could move again.


    Then, he plummeted to the ground. Boris probably would have sprained his ankle if he had simply landed where he was dropped. But Boris had unintentionally learned a lot of things while wrestling with his brother on the many hills in the fields, and he quickly bent his knees and rolled forward.


    Boris scrambled to his feet and whisked around only to see a bizarre corpse sprawled out over the earth. Its skin looked stretched out, like leather that had been left in the water for too long. There was also more of that sticky, smelly liquid that had baptized him out of nowhere pooled beneath it.


    Standing behind the corpse, was a person wielding a glowing sword. The sword was giving off a bluish light, which contrasted sharply against the reddish hue of fire and the black darkness. It was unmistakably Winterer.


    ¡°Boris?! Why on earth are you here?!¡± Yevgnen shouted. There was anger in his voice. He was sweating rivers, and he repeatedly wiped it away with the back of his hand. He pulled his little brother into a bear hug.


    He was sweating so much because he was nervous. While Yevgnen was certainly more skilled than his peers, he lacked actual battle experience. That was why he had sweated so much in the short amount of time it had taken him to rush in when he saw the monster holding up a young boy who looked too much like his own little brother.


    Eventually, the brothers pulled apart, and then they took one more look at the foul liquid that had spread everywhere and shuddered.


    ¡°F-Father told me t-to¡ª¡± Boris tried to reply.


    ¡°Father told you to come here?¡±


    Yevgnen immediately understood what had happened. In all likelihood, their father had sent Boris here for the same reason why he had come here himself. Their uncle would not have considered that they might escape to Lake Emera.


    Lake Emera had always been regarded as an ominous place, but it had become all but taboo ever since their aunt had passed away. There were also monsters here¡ªit wasn¡¯t just a rumor.


    The monster that Yevgnen had just slain was not the first monster he had encountered here. Yevgnen had snuck to the lakeside long ago in an attempt to find the monster that had allegedly killed his aunt. That had when he had learned that monsters were not uncommon near the lake.


    He had also learned that the monsters were not the only things that were here.


    ¡°But why are you here?¡± Boris asked. Boris recalled the last thing that their father had told his brother. Hadn¡¯t he told Yevgnen to go somewhere far away?


    Yevgnen delayed answering by wiping away the liquid from his little brother¡¯s hair. Finally, he quietly replied, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for Father.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Yevgnen peered into Boris¡¯ face and, with more certainty this time, repeated, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for Father. I don¡¯t agree with what he thinks. You, Father, and all the people who¡¯ve defended our house all this time are more important to me than mere treasures.¡±


    ¡°But, didn¡¯t Father say that it¡¯s your duty to keep the Winterbottom Kit safe? Grandfather¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Grandfather put his life on the line to obtain the Kit, and he cast aside his honor to keep it safe. But¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    Yevgnen¡¯s mind was filled with complicated feelings, but he did his best to simplify his thoughts for his brother.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t treasures meant to be used in times like this?¡±


    There was no point in safeguarding a treasure that would never be used. It was only obvious that the Winterbottom Kit¡¯s fame would outlive House Jinneman¡¯s name in the long run. Yevgnen believed that it was more important to act as a member of his house than to be just another name in the treasure¡¯s long list of owners. Why should he care about what happened to the Kit after House Jinneman was gone? It wasn¡¯t even as if anyone could own it forever. After all, no one could ever possibly outlive it.


    ¡°Are you going to go back to where Father is, then?¡±


    Yevgnen shook his head.


    ¡°No. Not right now.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­?¡±


    Yevgnen did not know how to simplify the current situation in terms that his brother could understand. Eventually, he had Boris sit back down while watching the dusk-shrouded lake out of the corner of his eye.


    ¡°We need to wait here until the fighting¡¯s over.¡±


    Boris opened his round little eyes wide.


    ¡°But what if Father passes away while we wait?¡±


    ¡°Father isn¡¯t going to pass away.¡±


    The night breeze was chilly because they were wet. The two brothers huddled close together as the disgusting liquid dried up little by little.


    ¡°It¡¯s not only our greedy uncle that our house is fighting against right now, Boris,¡± Yevgnen said. ¡°There¡¯s also Elector Khan, who¡¯s behind him. Elector Khan lent Uncle Vlado over a thousand soldiers, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s because he¡¯s rewarding Uncle for his service. House Jinneman may be in decline, but even still, we¡¯re not so weak that we can¡¯t deal with a few hundred enemy soldiers. They know this too. So then, why did Elector Khan decide to lend Uncle Vlado so many men? The answer¡¯s obvious. They made some kind of secret deal. But it¡¯s not too hard to figure out what that deal¡¯s about.¡±


    Boris looked at the silver-white armor that his older brother was wearing.


    ¡°Snowguard and Winterer?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and also House Jinneman¡¯s loyalty and cooperation once Uncle takes over. Naturally, their deal would be predicated upon Father¡¯s death.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    Boris realized that their father was in danger. So, why did it seem like his brother was suggesting otherwise?


    The light in Yevgnen¡¯s eyes seemed subdued as he looked back at Boris.


    ¡°Father is probably much more aware of this than I am. He probably knows that we stand no chance of winning in a frontal assault too. Why else would he have told us to escape here? Do you really think that Father¡¯s the type of person to put his life on the line for a fight that he has no chances of winning? He¡¯s not. That¡¯s why he sent you here. And he¡¯s going to join us soon too.¡±


    Their father was the type of person who would prioritize his interests even if it meant sacrificing every last soldier who had sworn fealty to him. Boris was certain of this. Yet, there was still something that he just could not understand.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t know that I was here.¡±


    This was the one thing that Yevgnen couldn¡¯t explain away. Yevgnen was sure that their father also believed Lake Emera to be the only place that was safe from their uncle¡¯s army, just like he did. After all, that was why he had come here to begin with. To regroup with their father.


    It was incredibly unlikely that their uncle would look for them here. But, wasn¡¯t the lake still dangerous? Yevgnen couldn¡¯t comprehend why their father had sent the young boy here. Did their father simply not care whether he found Boris here waiting for him alive or whether Boris died in a stroke of misfortune? Was that really what he¡¯d been thinking?


    Yevgnen smiled awkwardly and replied, ¡°What do you mean I didn¡¯t know? I told you before, remember? I can always sense it whenever you¡¯re in danger.¡±


    Boris was certain that he¡¯d heard his brother yelling, ¡®Why on earth are you here?!¡¯ earlier, but he decided against digging any further. He was aware of how little he was worth in his father¡¯s eyes.


    The shock began to subside little by little as they spoke. Their eyes eventually adjusted to the darkness, but they remained hidden quietly in the shadows. So quietly that no one would notice them even if they walked right past them.


    Boris shuddered when the moonlight shined down upon the monster¡¯s corpse¡ªit reminded him of a splattered egg¡ªand asked, ¡°What was that? Was that the ghost of Lake Emera? Did you get rid of the ghost?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then, there¡¯s still something else out there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Yevgnen was leaning against his sword, and he was quivering so faintly that Boris hadn¡¯t noticed. There was no guarantee that fortune and skill would always both be on his side at the same time. He swore to protect his brother no matter what, but¡­


    Yevgnen licked his dry lips and waited only for his father to arrive.


    Only then, would they finally be able to leave.


    And he prayed that they would not run into the ¡®red-eyed ghost.¡¯


    ¡°You lost them?!¡±


    The manor was sinking deeper into chaos. Things weren¡¯t going the way that Yulkan Jinneman had wanted. House Jinneman¡¯s forces fell apart before the invading army once they lost their commander. There weren¡¯t even a hundred soldiers left now. And only half of them had decided to struggle stubbornly until the bitter end.


    ¡°You mean you couldn¡¯t find them?!¡±


    Vlado Jinneman had summoned Zongnal, the mage, and sent as signal to the scouts waiting around the entire perimeter of House Jinneman¡¯s territory as soon as his older brother had vanished away right before his very eyes.


    Zongnal didn¡¯t like Vlado very much, and he was only participating in the war because Elector Khan had ordered it of him. That being said, it wasn¡¯t as if he particularly disliked Vlado either. Strictly speaking, Zongnal thought that Vlado was in no position to be giving him orders. After all, Zongnal commanded all the mages currently under Elector Khan¡¯s command.


    Still, his master had ordered him to assist Vlado, and it wasn¡¯t as if he could simply disobey his master¡¯s orders.


    The scouts had swiftly cut off all the roads that led out of Jinneman territory as soon as Vlado had given the signal. A considerable amount of time had passed, but they still had yet to find Yulkan Jinneman or his mage, Tulk.


    The two of them had teleported without any preparation, so they couldn¡¯t have gone very far. Besides, each scout was carrying a couple pouches of Hinden¡¯s Powder, which could detect magic once it was scattered into the air. Yulkan and Tulk would be caught immediately if they tried to use an invisibility spell or something of the sort to get past the scouts.


    Vlado was furious, and Zongnal wasn¡¯t exactly happy either. He was already being ordered around by his inferior as it was, and now that very inferior had deemed him useless. His features crumpled into a deep frown. Vlado turned around and scowled at him after hearing the scout¡¯s report. The sight of it made something surge up from within him.


    ¡°Leave it to me,¡± Zongnal said on impulse. ¡°I¡¯ll cast Quireh¡¯s Eighty Eyes for you.¡±


    His tone heavily suggested that he very strongly wanted to add, ¡®I¡¯m about to use an incredibly powerful spell for the likes of you. You should be grateful.¡¯


    Vlado caught on. Instead of getting angry, however, he simply smirked and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Simple spells only had functional names because they had been around for so long, but powerful spells of a known individual¡¯s creation typically also bore their creator¡¯s name. A mage named Dagnes Quireh had famously dedicated his entire life to creating spells that could be used to expand one¡¯s field of vision or to uncover that which was hidden from view. Eighty Eyes was the second-most powerful spell that Quireh had created. It was a scarily precise spell. One that could locate a single needle in a haystack from a full day¡¯s worth of travel away.


    Vlado and his men finished off the remainder of Yulkan¡¯s forces while Zongnal prepared his spell. Yulkan¡¯s soldiers either perished, deserted, or hid. Vlado didn¡¯t stop until none of them were left.


    Eventually, Zongnal finished drawing the magic circle and runes for Quireh¡¯s Eighty Eyes with moonlight-infused chalk. The magic circle was roughly six feet long in diameter. It was filled to the brim with dozens of other overlapping circles, runes, and incantations.


    Zongnal sat down crossed-legged inside the triangle at the center of the magic circle and slowly began performing mudras. The soldiers were standing off to the side so they wouldn¡¯t get in his way, but they couldn¡¯t help but ogle with curiosity. It wasn¡¯t every day that one got the chance to watch an archmage cast such a complicated spell.


    First, he drew a horizontal circle in the air with a finger and then jabbed that finger into the ground.


    Second, he chanted three short syllables while bringing his palms together.


    Third, he slowly raised his joined hands higher.


    A rune, which had had drawn with chalk, burst into flames with every mudra he performed. The magic circle¡¯s insides began glowing after several dozens of runes had burst into flame. Zongnal¡¯s eyes began glowing with a yellowish light beneath his closed eyelids. His final mudra involved covering his eyes with both his hands and then uncovering them. A ring of light arose around him upon its completion, and it expanded outwards in the blink of an eye. It expanded beyond the circumference of the magic circle, past the soldiers, and spread across the vast fields in every direction before it finally disappeared from view.


    They thought it was just a flash of light. That¡¯s how fast it had been. It was already gone by the time they thought that they would feel something coming. Neither Yevgnen nor Boris had any idea what it was.


    They did, however, understand what happened next. The space in front of them suddenly began wavering like water before spitting out two human silhouettes. It almost looked like they had walked out of a mirror.


    ¡°Father!¡± Yevgnen cried out. Then, in a slightly different tone, he continued, ¡°What¡­ What happened?!¡±


    Yulkan was conscious, but he wasn¡¯t able to keep himself steady. Tulk had tried healing him multiple times, but to little avail. Hagrune, the black blade with which Vlado had stabbed him, was imbued with a magical poison that kept wounds from healing. This was why Hagrune was treated as a famed sword despite having such a dull blade.


    Tulk was House Jinneman¡¯s mage and butler, but he had rarely ever spoken with either of Yulkan¡¯s sons. He only ever consulted with Yulkan, his master, about anything, which had led to him giving off a taciturn, or perhaps even insidious, impression.


    Tulk gave Yevgnen, the eldest son of the household, a curt nod out of courtesy before saying, ¡°He was injured.¡±


    ¡°Have you tried using healing spells?¡±


    It was only natural for Yevgnen to be baffled. Tulk didn¡¯t know any offensive spells, but he was exceptional when it came to healing and support spells.


    Tulk shook his head. His face betrayed no emotion.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t work.¡±


    Boris walked up to his father. Yulkan, who was leaning heavily against Tulk, looked between his sons without a word. His face stiffened up.


    ¡°Why are you still here, Lord Yevgnen?¡± Tulk asked in Yulkan¡¯s stead.


    Yevnen bit his lip, but he didn¡¯t reply. He knew best that nothing he said would get through to his father.


    Tulk glanced back at his master before turning back to Yevgnen and posing the question that Yulkan had wanted to ask. It was almost as if he could read his master¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Has anything odd happened while you were here, Young Master?¡±


    ¡°We were attacked by a strange monster. But Brother killed it. With Winterer.¡± It was Boris who answered. He had noticed that Yevgnen was about to be scolded and had quickly redirected the conversation to show off Yevgnen¡¯s accomplishments. He continued, ¡°I would¡¯ve died if it weren¡¯t for him.¡±


    Tulk looked behind the two brothers and turned his gaze to the corpse¡ªit looked like a leather pouch now¡ªand the pool of mucus under it. He didn¡¯t appear very interested, however.


    ¡°Was there anything else? Like a spell, for example¡­¡±


    ¡°There was a bright flash of light coming from the manor just now, but it disappeared as quickly as it came,¡± Yevgnen replied. He didn¡¯t know if any of this information was actually useful. But then, he saw Tulk, who was normally expressionless, suddenly turn as pale as a sheet. He panicked and hurriedly asked, ¡°What was it? Is it something bad?¡±


    Yevgnen subconsciously grabbed Boris¡¯ hand tight. Meanwhile, Tulk turned to his master and said, ¡°I believe that may have been something from the Quireh¡¯s Eyes family of spells, Master. The strongest spell that Zongnal knows how to cast from that family is Eighty Eyes. If the young masters saw the flash of light, then that means they¡¯ve already been found. You and I were in the middle of teleporting, however, so I¡¯m not sure how the spell would have recorded our location.¡±


    Even Boris understood what Tulk was saying this time. Yevgnen bit his lip and asked, ¡°Then, what do we do now?¡±


    Tulk put Yulkan down and tried casting another healing spell in the lieu of a reply. He did this simply by chanting two runes¡ªhe didn¡¯t need to do anything too intricate to cast the spell.


    Boris¡¯ eyes were wide open, as if he was trying to spot a single droplet of water in the middle of the rain, by the time Tulk finally responded.


    ¡°We pray for luck.¡±


    Yevgnen understood what Tulk had meant. Simply put, there was no hope for them.

 Volume 1 - CH 1.4

    Truly, his brother was no fool.


    Vlado¡¯s lips twisted into a grin. He had thought that he knew his brother well, but he acknowledged that there was a depth to his brother that he could have never anticipated.


    It was almost surprising, how strong Yulkan was. Yulkan was so strong that he had steadfastly defended House Jinneman all this time despite the house¡¯s decline. The decline wasn¡¯t Yulkan¡¯s fault either. House Jinneman was only on the decline because the greater house that it served¡ªthat is, Elector Katsya¡ªwas meeting its downfall and taking House Jinneman down with it. House Jinneman was doomed to fall unless the greater house it served somehow made a comeback.


    When Vlado said that Yulkan was ¡®strong,¡¯ he was referring to the fact that his brother refused to find another greater house to serve despite the circumstances.


    Vlado understood best that betraying the house one served and swearing loyalty to another house was a vulgar thing to do. How could he not? Vlado himself had betrayed the elector he had originally served before Elector Khan, and that was precisely why he¡¯d had to endure so many insults and do so much dirty work before he had finally earned Elector Khan¡¯s confidence. It had been such a painful season of his life that he couldn¡¯t help but look back and wonder if it might have been easier to simply die quietly with the house he had originally served.


    Yet, House Jinneman was another story. How easy would it be for the slowly declining house to simply change the ¡®object of its loyalty¡¯ if it meant it could immediately change its fortune? The house could flourish again. All Yulkan needed to do was sell his soul.


    But Yulkan had persevered. He had staunchly refused to bend his values.


    And that was precisely why Vlado could not underestimate his brother.


    ¡°Lake Emera, eh..?¡±


    Vlado chewed on the name as he rode with hundreds of his soldiers until it finally fell from his lips. He had forgotten how chilling the name sounded. A shiver passed through his lips.


    Lake Emera had long since been the target of the people of Longorde¡¯s nightmares. It was also a place of taboo, as far as Yulkan and Vlado were concerned.


    Vlado could almost see that horrific sight again right before his eyes. The way that the kind and lovely Yenishka had started tearing her clothes and running rampage like a rabid animal with red eyes.


    Vlado shuddered. He couldn¡¯t stop himself. He knew he had no reason to shudder, but he couldn¡¯t help himself. His younger sister had died still young and beautiful. On the other hand, he was growing ever older. He was no longer the weak and ugly older brother who used to sneak up on his sister and cover her eyes.


    Yulkan and Vlado had quarreled over the smallest things even when they were younger. The one and only person both brothers had ever cherished together, however, was Yenishka. She had been a lovely girl with golden eyes who loved reed flowers and bird feathers, a mischievous little thing who had once fallen asleep inside a wardrobe while hiding from her brothers in order to cause them grief and make them look for her, and their little sister, who had grown up as fresh and heartily as a green apple.


    That was precisely why the brothers would never be able to forgive one another. Yenishka had been tricked into looking for her fianc¨¦ by Lake Emera by one brother, and she had ultimately been killed at the other brother¡¯s hand. She was a flower who had been robbed of her chance to blossom. She had loved babies so much, yet she had never been able to have one of her own.


    ¡®It was your fault.¡¯


    Vlado couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡ªwhich one of them would their little sister blame if she ever came back to life?


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived!¡±


    Vlado raised his hand and signaled his soldiers to stop. Then, he had them form a semicircle around the lake and begin their search. The bowmen stayed back on standby with their arrowed nocked.


    Vlado was going to kill his brother. And for whom? It didn¡¯t matter. He had been forced to live through humiliation for so long because of his brother, and he was going to kill his brother.


    ¡°Over here! I see footprints!¡±


    Lake Emera had become a swamp long ago, and its banks were very muddy. Normally, people left behind footprints when they trekked through mud. However, if his brother was here, then Tulk was also here, and Tulk would not have left behind any footprints for pursuers to find.


    Accordingly, that meant that only his two nephews were here. Vlado was certain of this.


    ¡°Tighten the circle and keep searching!¡±


    Vlado had neither a wife nor children. Yevgnen and Boris were his only nephews. If one of them had been a girl, and if that girl had resembled Yenishka even in the slightest, then perhaps Vlado may have reconsidered. But his nephews had not taken after dear Yeni at all. Neither boy had inherited Yeni¡¯s golden hair or eyes.


    Vlado harbored no sympathy for those boys¡­ The fine wrinkles around his yellowy eyes squirmed as if they were resonating with his emotions. He would draw Yulkan out with their screams. He would make his brother show himself by murdering his sons!


    The soldiers tightened their net around the lake¡¯s northern, eastern, and western banks. The southern back was nothing but a large bog. Eventually, the rumored lake finally entered their field of vision. There were numerous dead trees surrounding the lake. Some of them were black, and others were white. All of them were masquerading as life that had long since been lost. Many things had died in and around the lake, and many more things were still dying. A milky white grease seemed to cover the entire area¡­


    The lake looked exactly the same way it did in his memories. Vlado asked a mage to create some light so that he could see his intended destination. So that he could see clearly this place that he would never visit again.


    Flash!


    A brilliant light as bright as day flickered, not unlike the will-o-wisps that the lake often spat out. It was so bright that he could clearly see every last bug flying around a forty foot radius around him. Hundreds of eyes began their search for any signs of movement.


    ¡°I¡¯ll reward one thousand elso to the first person who finds them!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t long before he finally heard something. However, it wasn¡¯t the sound that he had been hoping to hear. Nor did it come from just one person.


    Then, another round of screams sundered the air.


    ¡°It is time. Please go.¡±


    There was neither tremble nor agitation in Tulk¡¯s voice. He sounded so calm that he could have simply been saying that they should start heading to bed because it was late. Yevgnen was quivering ever so slightly as he turned toward the mage-cum-butler. He had never gotten accustomed to having the man around. And now, he would never get the chance to.


    A light, one that spelt absolute disaster for them, illuminated their surroundings a moment later.


    ¡°May fortune be with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    Tulk¡¯s expressionless visage changed ever so subtly. Instead of asking Yevgnen why, however, he simply shook his head and reiterated, ¡°Please go. That is your father¡¯s will.¡±


    ¡°I have my own will, just as my father has his. And my father is more important to me than some quaint weapon.¡±


    Yulkan shifted his head slightly to the side to look over at his son. They glared daggers at each other in silence.


    His father didn¡¯t say anything, so Yevgnen continued, ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can say that will change my mind.¡±


    As ever, Tulk was able to read his master¡¯s mind just by looking at the light in Yulkan¡¯s eyes. In his master¡¯s stead, he quietly replied,


    ¡°Please do not attach any ¡®meaning¡¯ to a hopeless cause.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t that exactly what you did, Father? I¡¯m referring to Elector Katsya,¡± Yevgnen said while still looking directly back at his father. After all, Tulk was serving only as Yulkan¡¯s translator. ¡°Has any scion of House Jinneman ever withdrawn the ¡®meaning¡¯ of their cause simply because it was hopeless? Besides, the very reason why we defend good weapons zealously is so that we can all stay together during our darkest hour, no?¡±


    Yulkan didn¡¯t respond. Boris looked between his father¡¯s fiery eyes and his brother¡¯s determined ones. He was too young to join his conversation, but he was still old enough to vaguely understand what was happening.


    Yevgnen kept his eyes glued on his father as he called out to Boris.


    ¡°Boris.¡±


    Boris took a step closer to his older brother. Yevgnen took him by the wrist and asked, ¡°You understand, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Boris wanted to declare that he was also a scion of House Jinneman who would not bend his will. He also wanted to assert that he cared about his brother just like how his brother cared about their father. He wanted to tell them that he did not want to live in a world without his father or his brother.


    Yet, none of that ever made it past his lips. The heavy atmosphere had glued his mouth shut.


    ¡°We can still choose to die together. Let¡¯s consider it an honor, Boris.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like Yevgnen to say something like that. Yevgnen would never have said something like that in any other situation. The older brother that Boris knew would never even consider dying as an option if there was any way to survive.


    Yevgnen was saying this because he could not see any way to keep his little brother alive.


    Yevgnen forced himself to smile at Boris, unable to say anything more. Boris stared back at him. It struck him once again, just how blue Yevgnen¡¯s eyes were. It wasn¡¯t as if the color of Yevgnen¡¯s eyes had changed. So, why did they keep catching Boris¡¯ attention?


    Not¡­ It wasn¡¯t his eyes. Boris finally understood why he had been feeling so strange ever since he had been rolling around the fields laughing with his brother earlier during the day.


    It was his brother¡¯s smile. Something about Yevgnen¡¯s smile felt different today. It reminded Boris of their dead mother inside the portrait.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Yevgnen said as he stood up. He felt like his blood was boiling. Tulk helped Yulkan up too.


    Yevgnen had assumed that Tulk had nothing more to say, but to his surprise, the butler said to him, ¡°The two of you should follow us slowly. And please stay back until you¡¯ve watched me die.¡±


    Yevgnen fell silent. It had been seven years ago, if memory served, that Tulk had entered House Jinneman¡¯s service as a butler. He had been more like a shadow than a person back then. A shadow that lingered behind after the actual body had passed by.


    Put another way, Tulk¡¯s presence had always been so faint that he could easily be mistaken for a shadow. He had always acted only to assist his father in accomplishing his wishes or in his father¡¯s stead.


    Shadows did not have any personality or emotions of their own. But neither, apparently, did he. Tulk was willing to die not only for his father, but also for his little brother and himself, yet he could not even feel the slightest hint of camaraderie for the butler.


    ¡°Over there!¡± Yevgnen thought he heard someone shout. He couldn¡¯t confirm it, however, because words were quickly buried under the screams of dozens of men. Yevgnen and his family did not have the chance to grasp what was happening around them before proceeding closer to the swamp.


    Shhh¡­ Boom!


    A series of flashing lights and earth-shaking explosions continued around them. Then, Yevgnen came to a sudden realization. It didn¡¯t make sense to use those kinds of offensive spells against an isolated and injured party of four. In other words, there was something else here that his uncle was fighting.


    And they would likely encounter that something sooner rather than later.


    Vlado¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he pushed his soldiers aside and cut his way forward. Technically speaking, there was very little pushing involved on his part. Most of his men were ignoring orders and running about in confusion at this point.


    Vlado, on the other hand, maintained his composure even as he stared down at the swamp right in front of him. There was only one reason for the chaos, and he knew exactly what it was. He would probably see it soon.


    He would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t afraid. Still, however, he wanted to stare the damned thing straight in the eyes. The crimson eyes of the ghost that had snatched away his angelic Yeni.


    Tulk looked down at Yulkan, whom he was carrying over his arm, once they had finally reached the swamp. He smiled at Yulkan faintly, asking his master if he was ready. Yulkan did not reply. He was wounded so badly that it was difficult for him to speak, but he could have still said something if he had truly wanted to. Yet, all he did was straighten himself out and draw his sword without a word.


    Now that he was facing the lake at last, Yulkan groaned, ¡°Indeed, at last¡­¡±


    Lake Emera was an eternally bottomless pit. Withering trees were tottering on the other side of the fence of damp shrubbery that surrounded it. He walked closer toward the interior of the lake one step at a time. A foul stench, the rancor of death, assaulted his nose. Heaps of rotting corpses were piled inside the lake all the way down to the hell below.


    ¡°Yeni¡­¡±


    Yulkan¡¯s voice was quiet at first as he called her name. Was she inside there somewhere? How far down was she? The monster¡¯s claws were said to ravage both the body and mind. Being branded by it marked one¡¯s end. Souls that were taken by the ghost were forever trapped in a place where they would never find respite¡­


    Neither Yulkan nor Vlado had come to watch when Yeni¡¯s corpse had been laid to rest at the lake.


    ¡°Yeni!¡± a lower-pitched yet clearer voice shouted from the other side.


    Perhaps the two brothers hadn¡¯t wanted to face each other in their heart of hearts. But it was far too late to seek forgiveness now. Their little sister had been the kindest person they had ever known, and even her kindhearted soul had probably rotten into malice by now.


    Their sister would not forgive them. And now, it was time for the brothers to settle their age-old grudges!


    Yulkan drew strength from the mysterious force that seemed to be pouring out from somewhere deep within him as he gripped his sword and began walking. He made his way toward the dark forest that surrounded the swamp. Vlado¡¯s soldiers never stopped their screaming. Vlado¡¯s voice, which he had heard just once earlier, disappeared in their midst.


    ¡°A-a-ahh!¡±


    ¡°Save me¡­ Please!¡±


    It had been a while since Yulkan had last laid his eyes on the lake¡ªno, the swamp. The swamp was over half-filled with a certain waste product that continued to overflow from its bottom. Corpses.


    This was the secret of Longorde. Some knew about it, and others would never know. Whenever someone died or committed murder and wanted to keep that death a secret, it was the lake¡¯s job to take the cold corpses and decompose them until they became compost out of sight and out of mind. One, ten, and then twenty years passed as the lake continued to do its job¡­ Until eventually, everyone had forgotten that Lake Emera was called such because it had once boasted clear, emeraldine waters.


    ¡°It was the grudges of those who died unjustly that turned the lake¡¯s waters rotten.¡±


    The brothers had found each other at last. Vlado sounded much more excited this time around. He continued, ¡°Well? Shall we start looking for Yeni¡¯s golden hair in that pile of corpses?¡±


    Tulk cast a spell to protect his master¡¯s body. Vlado grinned toothily as a translucent membrane encased his older brother¡¯s body. Yulkan was pallid, and his wound hadn¡¯t closed up yet either.


    ¡°Shall we work together to send those resentful corpses back down to the bottom of the lake?¡±


    Zongnal was standing behind Vlado. He had summoned fire in both hands and was busy burning away the corpses and monsters that were coming up from the swamp. Monsters, not unsimilar to the one that had attacked Boris earlier, crackled and spewed filthy liquid everywhere each time they were burned.


    ¡°Or shall we measure the depth of the grudges we have against each other until Red-Eyes decides to show itself?¡±


    Vlado swung up Hagrune, his black blade, in an arc as he prepared a thrust. He was the picture of composure. Most of his soldiers had already fled. Corpses continued to overflow from the blackened surface of the swamp and watched over the brothers with their hollowed eyes. Yulkan¡¯s blade trembled for only a moment before it fell steady.


    A chill¡ªor was it a fever?¡ªran down Yevgnen¡¯s back as he stared at the greenish mud and the rotting corpses that filled the swamp. He could see the soldiers who were still running about in terror. They didn¡¯t seem to register him or Boris at all.


    He could also see his uncle, who was glowering at his father across the lake, drawing his sword. The tension in the air was so palpable that Yevgnen thought it might actually snap. All because of something that hadn¡¯t even appeared yet.


    When would the ghost come? When would the red-eyed ghost that grew stronger by eating corpses finally decide to show itself?


    Boris, who was standing back-to-back with his older brother, ruminated over just how powerless he was. The only thing he was capable of doing right now was to stand behind his brother and take a hit on his brother¡¯s behalf. He decided to make it his duty to do exactly just that, and he poured every last drop of his focus into making sure he could carry it out. After all, he agreed with his father. If it was possible for just one person from their house to survive today, then that someone should be his brother.


    Boris glanced back at his brother only to find that Yevgnen was grasping Winterer so hard that his wrists were quivering. Then, Boris saw that Snowguard, which Yevgnen was wearing, was glowing faintly silver. Yevgnen himself didn¡¯t seem to have noticed it yet.


    Was something coming toward them?


    The wind howled. Quietly, Boris started, ¡°Snowguard, it¡¯s¡­¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long before Yevgnen saw it too. The armor glowed brighter and brighter until it finally shone with a blinding resplendence. The light was strong enough to illuminate Yevgnen¡¯s cheeks. He could guess why the armor was glowing. It had sensed the scent of death.


    Howlllll¡­


    He could hear it. Not actually, but¡­ yes, he could hear it. It wasn¡¯t exactly a sound, but that was the only way he knew how to describe it.


    Something was approaching them from the other side of the swamp. It was wreathed in black flames and had glowing red eyes¡­


    Just as Yevgnen glared at the ghost through the darkness, Boris felt himself get rooted to the spot as a chilling voice filtered not into his ears but directly into his head. He couldn¡¯t move a single muscle even though the terrifying ghost was coming closer.


    What a lovely child you are, hehehe.

 Volume 1 - CH 2.1

    CHAPTER 2: PARTING


    Boris woke up in a grassy field.


    It was bright. The sun was up. His face stung, perhaps because he¡¯d been out in the sunlight for a little too long. He was holding a sword, but he had nothing else. There was no one around him. Boris sat up and looked around only to realize that everything about his surroundings looked completely unfamiliar.


    Where was he?


    He quickly recalled what had happened last night. He remembered standing back-to-back with his brother. He also remembered breathing so hard that he could feel his chin getting hot.


    What had happened next?


    The rest of his memories were fragmented, as if someone had taken a spoon and swirled everything together. He wasn¡¯t used to not being able to remember things, and it bewildered him. Had he passed out? He felt like he had seen something terrifying, but¡­


    ¡°Boris! Are you awake?¡±


    Boris startled and jumped up to his feet. He saw Yevgnen walking over to him while holding a wooden bucket filled with water.


    ¡°¡­Brother?¡± Boris asked hesitantly. The word had barely fallen from his lips.


    Yevgnen handed his disconcerted little brother the bucket and grinned.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me. Unless you have other brothers that I didn¡¯t know about, that is.¡±


    Boris stared up at Yevgnen¡¯s face in a blank daze. It didn¡¯t even cross his mind to take a drink. Tears suddenly began pouring out from his eyes, though he didn¡¯t quite know why.


    Puzzled, Yevgnen asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you hurt?¡± He brought his hand up to Boris¡¯ forehead to check for a fever.


    Boris dropped the bucket and hugged Yevgnen tight. Before Yevgnen could say any more, he said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ I-I¡¯m just really glad¡­¡±


    Boris didn¡¯t know why he was acting like this. It probably had something to do with what had happened last night, but he couldn¡¯t remember the most important thing that had happened. The rest of his memories were just fine, so why was it just that one piece that was missing?


    Yevgnen patted Boris¡¯ back in silence. Then, he got down to his knees so that their eyes were level. He caressed Boris¡¯ cheek as he asked, ¡°Jeez, you were really shocked, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    They picked up the bucket and trekked back to the spring once Boris had calmed down. It wasn¡¯t very far. The spring was small, but it was it was well-maintained and surrounded by a barrier of round rocks. Perhaps someone was taking care of it. There was a stake placed next to the spring with the broken end of the rope that had once been tied to the bucket, which Yevgnen had cut earlier.


    The brothers retied the bucket to the stake once they had drunk their fill of water. Boris surveyed his surroundings. They were surrounded by grassy fields in every direction. It wasn¡¯t too different from Longorde.


    ¡°Anyway, where are we?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in the Hatta Plateau, which is House Guirem territory. We¡¯re a little north of Longorde. You¡¯ve heard of the Hatta Plateau before, right?¡±


    Yevgnen was smiling awkwardly. Boris tilted his head quizzically to the side.


    ¡°How did we travel so far overnight?¡±


    Yevgnen pointed toward the trees behind the spring. Boris saw that there was a horse tied to one of them. He was bewildered anew when he realized that they had been travelling on horseback all night long. How had he not woken up while riding the horse? Had he really been unconscious for that long?


    There were a myriad of questions that he wanted to ask. Yevgnen seemed cheerful, however, and everything seemed so peaceful. Boris didn¡¯t even dream that he¡¯d get a negative response when he asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Father?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Yevgnen opened his mouth to reply, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Then, he saw Boris¡¯ eyes widening and scrambled to say, ¡°Er, well¡­ He¡¯s not here. He went somewhere else. With Tulk, the butler. But I don¡¯t know where they went exactly. We got separated in the midst of all the confusion¡­ and I just ran.¡±


    ¡°Then, how are we going to find him?¡±


    ¡°Sir Tulk will contact us through magic.¡±


    Boris simply nodded back. I see.


    ¡°Then, is it going to be just us two until we hear from him? Does that mean we can go home? Then¡­ what¡¯s happened to Uncle Vlado?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to go home¡­¡± Yevgnen said. His voice trailed off at the end.


    Boris nodded back knowingly. He had only been five the first time he had experienced just how truly frightening their uncle was. He had been playing in the front yard that day when Vlado had suddenly visited alone. Vlado had picked the young Boris up, carried the boy under arm, and walked up to the well. Their uncle had grinned while pretending to drop Boris in the well when their father had come to greet him.


    Boris hadn¡¯t been afraid at first. After all, Vlado had been smiling, and Boris had thought that they were simply playing a game. He had even been giggling along. Yet, their uncle hadn¡¯t stopped playing that ¡®game¡¯ even as the dark well had started to frighten the young boy.


    Boris didn¡¯t remember how Yulkan had driven Vlado away later that day. All he remembered was that the two of them had discussed something complicated while standing on opposite sides of the well.


    ¡°Should we go to our great aunt¡¯s?¡± Yevgnen proposed out of the blue. Boris blinked. They only had one great aunt, but Boris had never met her before. She was their father¡¯s aunt, but she was no better than a distant stranger to Boris because she was not in the same political party as their father.


    Did Yevgnen know her better?


    ¡°To Great Aunt Janine¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯ll probably be in Elmer. Senator Schmullen of the March Senate is the mayor there. It¡¯ll take some time for us to get to Elmer, but it¡¯s not too far away.¡±


    ¡°Will Great Aunt Janine be happy to see us?¡±


    Yevgnen¡¯s hair tickled his shoulders as he tilted his head from side to side. Then, he smiled bitterly and replied, ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure. But Father, he¡­ We don¡¯t really have anywhere else to go until he comes to find us. The March Senate isn¡¯t a political rival to Father¡¯s political party. Oh, and I guess we do have an alternative¡­¡±


    ¡°An alternative?¡±


    Yevgnen shrugged while looking like he was talking about the most troublesome thing in the world as he replied, ¡°Elector Katsya.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Boris didn¡¯t have anything more to say. That was simply the extent of his thoughts regarding Elector Katsya, the nobleman whom their father served. Yevgnen had visited the elector a few times with their father. Boris, however, had never met the man and only perceived him as someone scary who made him uncomfortable. Besides, he had heard a lot of bad things about Elector Katsya as of late. It was unlikely that the elector would be very hospitable to the brothers now that things had come to this.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just not go anywhere?¡±


    Yevgnen was taken aback. He hadn¡¯t expected his little brother to suggest this.


    ¡°Why do you ask? Is it because you don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be happy to see us?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s that too, but¡­ We could always just pretend to be commoners for a bit instead of asking strangers to take us in. Besides, didn¡¯t you say that Father was going to come looking for us soon? We¡¯d only have to wait until then, and¡­¡±


    Yevgnen looked both depressed and frustrated as he looked down at his little brother. He wanted to avoid responding if he could. Alas, he could not.


    ¡°Living as a commoner isn¡¯t as easy as you think it is, Boris. You and I have lived our whole lives in the manor, where the servants were always waiting on us. Neither of us are familiar with how commoners live. We also don¡¯t have that much money. You¡¯re probably too young to really get it, but it¡¯s extremely hard to live as a commoner if you don¡¯t have money.¡± Yevgnen smiled bitterly again before continuing, ¡°Uncle Vlado occupied the manor. He won¡¯t be able to come after us for a while because he probably has a lot of things to take care of first. But he¡¯ll come after us eventually since we have the Winterbottom Kit. And he¡¯s not even the only threat out there.¡±


    Boris was listening to what his brother was saying, but he still didn¡¯t fully comprehend the gravity of the situation. After all, he still had a trustworthy older brother to rely on. What reason did he have to be afraid? Besides, their father would come find them soon too.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be okay. It¡¯ll only be for a bit anyway. Father will scold me for not being worthy of the Jinneman name if I can¡¯t put up with even that much,¡± Boris said while smiling sunnily. He wanted to reassure his brother. He didn¡¯t want to cause his brother worry.


    In the end, Yevgnen had no choice but to say, ¡°I guess it might not even really matter where we end up going. Let¡¯s head over to the nearest village for now. We can take some time before deciding what to do from there.¡±


    It was just about dinnertime when they finally found the nearest village. The brothers took an inventory of their wealth along the way. For starters, they could not take Yevgnen¡¯s armaments, the Winterbottom Kit, into account. After all, the Kit was something that they had to keep safe.


    Next, were the gold coins inside the leather pouch the Yevgnen had prepared before escaping the manor. He had ten gold elso coins, which were worth 100 elso each, and thirty gold goblun coins, which was were worth 100 goblun each. A goblun was worth approximately half an elso. It wasn¡¯t exactly a small sum of money. They should easily be able to live off it for at least a month even if they weren¡¯t being frugal.


    Finally, they also had some goods that they could pawn for money if necessary. Neither of them were wearing anything expensive, but Yevgnen was carrying a small hand mirror with a sapphire-inlaid cover. It was a keepsake from their mother.


    Boris, on the other hand, had nothing. The only things he had found after rummaging through his pockets were two pieces of dried bread that his nanny had given him to eat since he would probably miss dinner. The brothers gnawed at the bread merrily as they entered the village.


    They didn¡¯t know what the village was called because neither of them were familiar with the geography. Though, to be honest, they honestly didn¡¯t care all that much either. Boris was excited. This felt like the start of a new adventure.


    The village was rather large. They had already travelled through the fields for some time before arriving at the village entrance, but the roads leading deeper inside seemed to stretch just as long. They gave the guards standing at the entrance to the village normal, commoner names¡ªthey did not disclose their house or station¡ªas they made their way inside.


    The only other time that Boris had ever seen such busy streets had been in Kaznan Village, a village in Longorde, on market day. It wasn¡¯t market day today, but the streets were just as busy as the streets he remembered. All kinds of people lived here. Boris tried his best not to look around everywhere like a country bumpkin, but he couldn¡¯t help that he failed miserably.


    ¡°Excuse me, where¡¯s the nearest inn around these parts?¡±


    A street peddler informed them that the inn was a two-story building with a tall roof. The entrance to the inn was crowded by travelling groups with multiple horses and people who had come to the village in carriages. Just getting inside the building was a battle. The brothers, who were sharing just one horse together, were the inn¡¯s least impressive customers.


    ¡°Come on in!¡±


    Boris was startled by the booming voice, but it had been directed not at him or Yevgnen but at the party of four men behind them. The party cut in front of the brothers and crowded around the counter while bickering amongst themselves before eventually ordering two rooms.


    ¡°Does it cost a lot of money to borrow a room for the night?¡± Boris asked Yevgnen.


    Regrettably, Yevgnen didn¡¯t really know either. He had travelled before, but he had always stayed at nicer inns, and he had always been accompanied by servants and attendants who had taken care of all the monetary matters for him. He had never been up to the counter himself. House Jinneman was traditionally a house of warriors. They viewed money as something dirty and rarely touched the stuff, which was nothing to say about actively bargaining down prices.


    ¡°One room, please.¡±


    The waitress at the counter brought over one of the many keys hanging from the wall without quoting a price. Yevgnen grew hesitant. He was only carrying gold coins, and he was truly unfamiliar with handling money.


    The waitress stared at his face with a strange look in her eyes. Yevgnen realized that she was wondering why he was taking so long to pay.


    ¡°How much will it be?¡±


    ¡°Ten elso,¡± the waitress said as her lips twitched into an awkward smile. Yevgnen handed her a gold goblun, which was worth about 50 elso. The waitress responded by saying, ¡°Gosh, you¡¯re carrying a lot of money for such a young man.¡±


    Yevgnen took the change of silver coins the waitress handed back to him an turned around to walk away, only to be stopped by the giggling waitress.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat dinner? And what about breakfast tomorrow morning?¡±


    Yevgnen stopped dead in his tracks. Then, he handed the waitress a few of the silver coins to pay for the meals.


    ¡°You¡¯re not even going to order what you want?¡± the waitress asked just as Yevgnen was about to turn around again. She wasn¡¯t even trying to hide her contempt this time.


    Yevgnen and Boris had only ever eaten whatever the servants had prepared for them back at the manor. They had no idea what they were supposed to order at the inn. Yevgnen did his best to keep his face from flushing bright red as he replied, ¡°We¡¯ll be fine with anything so long as it¡¯s edible.¡±


    ¡°Oh my. And here I thought you young gentlemen were going to be picky eaters.¡±


    The other waitresses near the counter began giggling too. But not because they found the situation funny. They were sneering at the brothers openly. It irked Yevgnen a little, but he exercised restraint and made his way over to a table. It only took Boris one look at his brother¡¯s face to understand what was going on. He, too, decided that it was for the best to just stay quiet for now.


    It wasn¡¯t long before their food was ready. Unfortunately, the food only served to make the situation worse.


    ¡°This should be ¡®edible¡¯ enough for you, right?¡± said another waitress as she placed a wide dish in front of the brothers. She was about Yevgnen¡¯s age. Boris peered into the dish.


    He thought it was soup or stew at first, but then he realized that something was squirming inside. He jumped back into his chair as he startled, making his chair screech against the floor. Several people began guffawing behind him.


    Yevgnen was quiet as he peered into the dish too. Ten, twenty¡­ Dozens of white maggots the size of his pinky were squirming inside the clear porridge. It was disgusting. The mere sight of it was enough to make him feel queasy.


    ¡°Oi, hurry up and dig in already. At least have a taste even if you aren¡¯t hungry. We went out of our way to make you the house special, you know?¡±


    ¡°Guess you¡¯re just not hungry, eh? But times are rough right now. You can¡¯t just go around wasting food.¡±


    ¡°Looks like the young gentlemen don¡¯t know how to eat. Want me to spoon-feed you?¡±


    Boris looked up and saw that all the ruffians, who had been chatting amongst each other as they stood around the inn, were snickering at them. He couldn¡¯t understand why they were laughing. Why was everyone being so mean to them? What had they done wrong? Did everyone have a grudge against them or something? But he was certain that they¡¯d never even met before¡­


    Yevgnen slowly got up from his seat. He did not draw Winterer. Instead, he glowered back at everyone who was sneering at them with his cerulean eyes. A few of the ruffians flinched when Yevgnen¡¯s gaze landed on them, but most of them didn¡¯t seem to care.


    ¡°Will someone kindly show us how we¡¯re meant to eat this?¡± When he wasn¡¯t returned a reply, Yevgnen continued, ¡°By which I mean you should demonstrate it by eating a mouthful yourself.¡±


    Silence fell. Eventually, someone broke it be snickering and saying, ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s hungry enough to take someone else¡¯s food.¡±


    It had happened in but an instant. Everyone doubted their own eyes for a moment. Yevgnen had grabbed the man who had spoken, dragged him over, and pinned him against the table in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Kgh¡­ The hell?!¡±


    Calmly, Yevgnen said to him, ¡°I¡¯m inviting you to dine with us at our table. Please, help yourself and dig in.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Yevgnen pressed down against the back of the man¡¯s neck so that he couldn¡¯t lift his head off the table and grabbed a spoon. His audience opened their eyes wide in shock. Then, Yevgnen plunged his spoon into the dish of maggots.


    ¡°Argh¡­ No¡­¡±


    The man hadn¡¯t imagined even in his wildest dreams that Yevgnen, a slender young man with a pretty face, could be so strong. Yevgnen was only pinning him down with one hand, but he couldn¡¯t escape no matter how hard he struggled. Yevgnen scooped up a spoonful of maggots and brought it toward the man¡¯s mouth. There were three maggot wriggling in the spoon.


    ¡°H-have mercy! I was wrong! I was wrong, okay?!¡± the man yelled in a sudden show of servility.


    Yevgnen bought the spoon all the way in front of the man¡¯s lips. The man was sweating profusely as he clamped his mouth shut and continued shaking his head. He couldn¡¯t move anything else. The maggots were wriggling right in front of his nose.


    ¡°Brother!¡± Boris yelled.


    Yevgnen froze. Every last customer inside the inn had fallen deathly silent.


    ¡°Be grateful that I¡¯m not iron-blooded enough to force maggots down someone¡¯s throat,¡± Yevgnen said as he put the spoon back down. He was not the kind of person who would have gone through with his threat even if Boris hadn¡¯t called out to him. Nor did he intend to put on airs to hide that fact.


    The man staggered away as soon as he was freed from Yevgnen¡¯s grasp. He looked furious as he rubbed the back of his neck while exchanging quick glances with a few different people. The people he exchanged looks with nodded back, and then the situation quickly turned on its head.


    ¡°Get them!¡±


    Six or seven men jumped over the tables and charged straight for the brothers. Yevgnen was taken aback by the sudden situation and quickly tried to shield his little brother, but he was a bit slow to react. He would have been able to control the situation immediately if he had drawn his sword instead, but now he would have to slay several people to achieve the same effect.


    Yevgnen picked up his chair and swung it at the first man who approached him, and then he threw it at the second. Both men collapsed. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t strong enough to fend off the rest. Three men came flying at him from behind. One of them struck him squarely on the waist.


    But Yevgnen made no noise. Boris ran up to his older brother and clung to him. The men pushed the brothers to the floor and began kicking and stomping on them.


    ¡°Be grateful? Bullshit!¡±


    ¡°Tch. Would you look at the mouth on this nobody?¡±


    ¡°The son of a bitch needs to get his mug messed up before he finally gets it!¡±


    Yevgnen shielded Boris with his body and took most of the beating alone. The parts of him that were being protected by Snowguard were fine, but the rest on him was not. His clothes were ripped up. The men¡¯s boots also tore his flesh and drew blood.


    The man that Yevgnen had forgiven earlier was the most violent. He was smiling hideously¡ªwas the kicking not enough to quell his rage?¡ªas he shouted, ¡°Serves you right! What was that about inviting me to eat again? Sure, then. Why don¡¯t you show everyone just how hospitable you really are and throw us a grand old feast or something?!¡±


    The man then lifted Yevgnen up by the collar. His crew ran over and held Yevgnen up while bending his arms behind his back. Then, one of the other man picked Boris up, carried the boy under his arm, and pushed him down over the table.


    The blood drained from Boris¡¯ face when he saw yet another man picking up a spoon.


    ¡°One big spoonful¡­ Gotta give you a nice, big serving, right?¡±


    The man dipped the spoon into the dish. Seven maggots were wriggling on top of it when he scooped it back out. Yellowish porridge and a couple of maggots fell off the side of the spoon.


    The man brought the spoon closer to Boris¡¯ mouth. Boris struggled for all he was worth, but to no avail. The man who was holding him down was strong. He couldn¡¯t even say no. He knew that the other man would shove the bug-infested spoon down his throat as soon as he opened his mouth.


    Yevgnen shook off one of the men who were holding his arms and screamed, ¡°Leave my brother alone! What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing to such a young child?!¡±


    Curiously, one of the men who had been holding his arm asked, ¡°Are you gonna eat it for him, then?¡±


    All the men stopped and turned to stare at Yevgnen as if he was some kind of circus animal. They watched as the young man¡¯s brows furrowed from pain and as he bit his lip and looked back at his little brother. The men hadn¡¯t seriously intended to make Yevgnen eat the maggots in Boris¡¯ stead. They had only wanted to watch him squirm at the thought of having to make a choice.


    Yevgnen, in the meanwhile, was tormented by an agony that the depraved lowlifes could never hope to comprehend. There was only one ray of hope left to him now. And there was only very little he could do for his sake anymore.


    And so, Yevgnen calmly spat out, ¡°Fine. Bring it here.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ what?¡±


    The inn fell silent. The men exchanged looks as they wondered if they had heard correctly. ¡®Is this guy for real?¡¯ they all thought.


    A moment later, one of the men said, ¡°Tch. Let¡¯s drop it. I¡¯ve always hated bastards like him.¡±


    ¡°You just killed the mood. Shit, we were only fucking around.¡±


    The rest of them appeared to share the sentiment. Except for one, that is. It was the man whom Yevgnen had forgiven. His name was Guth.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re all just gonna let the bastard go? You¡¯re gonna make a laughingstock out of all of us! Finish what you started!¡±


    Guth stomped over to his colleague who was still holding the spoon and snatched it from him. Then, he scooped up a fresh spoonful of maggots. He walked over to Yevgnen and glared at the young man with malice in his eyes. His gang was always harassing unfamiliar faces to the area and had made the harassment their pastime. However, he especially despised people like Yevgnen¡ªhis pretty face, his polite speech, his handsome outfit, and his wealth¡­


    Was the young man a noble or something? Guth believed that nobles should just stay holed up in their manors and keep quiet. What reason did a noble have for coming all the way to this grimy inn?


    What he loathed most, however, was the calmness in Yevgnen¡¯s eyes. The young man¡¯s eyes seemed to be saying, ¡®I¡¯m already familiar with how people like you act. People of your stock don¡¯t know any better.¡¯ Guth hated the composure in Yevgnen¡¯s mien. Guth and his peers were always seeking for bastards like Yevgnen to be shocked and fall into despair before sinking down in resignation.


    ¡°Well? Open wide.¡±


    Yevgnen didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°What? Are you gonna change your mind?¡±


    Still, Yevgnen didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll just have to give it to your brother.¡±


    Yevgnen spoke up the moment that Guth turned around with much gusto. Despite Guth¡¯s hopes, however, Yevgnen¡¯s voice remained unshaken as he said, ¡°Enough.¡±


    This fucking annoying asshole.


    Guth reached out abruptly and grabbed Yevgnen¡¯s chin with his left hand. He forced the young man¡¯s mouth open and crammed the spoon inside.


    ¡°Hnngh¡­¡±


    Even Guth himself had to look away for a moment. He only looked at Yevgnen after he had pulled the spoon back only to be shocked speechless by what he saw.


    Yevgnen¡¯s jaw was moving as he slowly chewed what was inside his mouth. Then, with a small sneer, he swallowed. Cleanly.


    ¡°W-what¡­ What in the¡­?¡±


    The man who had still been holding Yevgnen¡¯s arm loosened his grip in alarm. Yevgnen could have shaken him off and spat out the maggots if he had so wished. Yet, he had not.


    Slowly, Yevgnen pulled his arm free and walked up to Guth one step at a time. Guth saw him reach for the sword hanging at his waist. Frigidly, Yevgnen said, ¡°I formally challenge you to a duel. I am Yevgnen Jinneman, the firstborn son of Yulkan Jinneman, the Lord of Longorde. State your name.¡±


    No one dared to lay another finger on Yevgnen. The men anxiously stole glances at the sword at Yevgnen¡¯s waist. It was no run-of-the-mill blade. The scabbard was simple and undecorated, but it seemed to be shining faintly white in a way that they couldn¡¯t quite explain.


    More importantly, however, he was allegedly the son of a lord! That spelled trouble for Guth regardless of whether he won or lost!


    Guth shuffled backward with replying. Everyone in the inn was staring at him. Unlike Yevgnen, who was a traveler, Guth was the village gangster. He would lose face if he submitted to Yevgnen now. Not only would he get kicked out of his gang, but he¡¯d also become the laughingstock of town. He would lose his place amongst the villagers.


    ¡°I¡¯m Guth¡­ Filone.¡±


    Yevgnen didn¡¯t react. Instead, he shot a glance at the man who was still holding Boris up. That was all it took to make the man put his little brother down. Yevgnen beckoned Boris to come closer and kept him close.


    ¡°Naturally, I am going to kill you,¡± Yevgnen said as if he was simply commenting on the weather. The blood drained from Guth¡¯s face. Yevgnen continued, ¡°There is only one way for you to make me change my mind, and that is for you to concede defeat and prostrate yourself before I kill you during our duel. I¡¯ll allow you keep your life if you do. But in return¡­¡±


    Then, he pointed at the dish sitting on the table with his left hand and finished, ¡°I will feed you every last drop of what¡¯s left inside that dish. I swear this on my house¡¯s name.¡±


    There was no way for Guth to get out of this. His breathing grew ragged as he looked to his colleagues for help, but they all avoided his gaze.


    Yevgnen turned to the arrogant waitress at the counter and asked, ¡°May we use the backyard?¡±


    Yevgnen was an amateur when it came to travelling. He had very obviously not known what he was doing as he asked for a room and paid for it. But things were different now. He had learned the art of swordplay and dueling ever since he was a child. This was his way of life. There wasn¡¯t a drop of hesitation in him now that he had sworn upon his house¡¯s name.


    The waitress seemed to have lost her sharp tongue. All she could do was nod back in silence.


    Yevgnen scanned the inn until he spotted a group of merchants who seemed to have nothing to do with Guth and his gang. He walked up to them and asked them to serve as witnesses. They didn¡¯t decline, for they had also succumbed to Yevgnen¡¯s sheer force of will. According to Travachess custom, killing someone during a duel was not a crime as long as two people had witnessed the duel¡ªone person for each side.


    Then, Yevgnen made his way outside with Boris and the witnesses in tow. A crowd of curious onlookers followed after them. It took some time before Guth and his crew also stepped outside. They did not dare run away.

 Volume 1 - CH 2.2

    Guth could not hide his dread as he stood facing Yevgnen. His shoulders were quivering noticeably and without pause. Guth was holding a sword in his hand too, but he didn¡¯t look like he was very accustomed to wielding it. In contrast, Yevgnen stood with blade in hand with practiced grace.


    Boris has seen his big brother dueling with the other young men in Jinneman territory before. Naturally, that hadn¡¯t involved killing anyone. Their duels had essentially been little more than spars, and the victor was decided as soon as one party managed to injure the other. Boris knew that Yevgnen had dueled someone for real before too.


    Yet, he had never actually seen any of his brother¡¯s duels. The light in Yevgnen¡¯s eyes was not as warm as it usually was. Boris could tell as much even from several feet away.


    ¡°Draw your sword,¡± Yevgnen said.


    Yevgnen¡¯s hand moved as soon as Guth had drawn his blade. Everyone watching, including the witnesses, was shocked as soon as Winterer was freed from its scabbard.


    People began whispering amongst themselves.


    ¡°Look at that blade. That¡¯s no ordinary sword.¡±


    ¡°What is that? Has anyone ever heard of a sword like that?¡±


    The backyard was filled with the sunset¡¯s glow. It kissed the face of every onlooker and made them look like they were drunk. Winterer alone shone with a blinding white light. It pierced the hearts of everyone watching like a shard of ice.


    ¡°I once heard that there was something called the sword of winter,¡± someone muttered.


    The two duelists closed the distance between themselves just then. Blade clashed against blade. Winterer began glowing crimson in the sunset.


    Guth attacked first. He believed that getting in the first strike would give him the advantage, as did every other novice swordsman. He only realized that he had messed up¡ªand badly¡ªafter his sword made contact with Winterer.


    He hadn¡¯t been just imagining how strong Yevgnen was when Yevgnen had pinned him down by the back of his neck. Guth usually let his fists do the talking, and he was known for it in the village. Yet, Yevgnen, who was much younger and slenderer, was significantly stronger.


    Moreover, Winterer was not only enchantingly beautiful but also devilishly sharp. The tip of Guth¡¯s blade was sliced cleanly off, and the top part was flung aside and clattered to the ground. Guth was frightened out of his wits and backtracked as hard as he could.


    It was Yevgnen¡¯s turn next. He homed in on his opponent in two steps, pushed Winterer against Guth¡¯s unsteady blade, and locked their elbows together. The blades locked and slid against each other, and Guth¡¯s sword suddenly began quivering while emitting a metaling noise before letting out resounding clang.


    No one knew what any of that noise signified. After all, that information was something that only someone who had wielded Winterer before was privy to.


    A vein popped out of Guth¡¯s forehead as he blocked two strikes from Winterer to the best of his ability. But that was all that he could manage.


    Crack¡­ Clang!


    ¡°W-what the¡­?!¡±


    Everyone was astonished. Several people momentarily forgot how to speak. Guth¡¯s sword had shattered, quite literally, into a million pieces. Boris saw the broken shards raining down. It wasn¡¯t just one or two large fragments.


    How was it possible for a bonafide metal sword to simply shatter like that?


    What on earth was that white blade that Yevgnen was wielding?


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for Guth to realize what had happened. He prostrated himself flat against the earth and drove his head into the dirt as soon as he saw Yevgnen¡¯s sword closing in on him for a thrust. He brought his hands together above his head and begged, ¡°P-please don¡¯t kill me. Please¡­¡±


    He was no longer in any position to be worried about keeping face. Yevgnen stopped his blade precisely at the back of Guth¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Do you surrender?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, of course. I surrender.¡±


    ¡°You recall the promise you made me, yes?¡± Yevgnen asked frigidly.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    It was dreadful, but it was still better than dying. Guth quivered for a moment before he nodded back.


    ¡°Get up,¡± Yevgnen said in reply.


    The sun set. The people from the inn were using lamps to illuminate the backyard. Yevgnen kept his blade pointed at Guth as they went back inside.


    Boris followed after them. He kept his eyes glued on his brother. He was nervous. Was Yevgnen really going to make Guth eat the rest of the maggots? Normally, Yevgnen would never¡­


    But hadn¡¯t his brother chewed and swallowed the maggots too?


    No one could take their eyes off Winterer. They continued whispering amongst themselves, quietly so Yevgnen couldn¡¯t hear. The blade began gleaming white again, as if it had been freshly cleaned, as soon as it was indoors.


    Guth sat down at the table, and Yevgnen kept his blade pointed at the man¡¯s back. Then, he curtly commanded, ¡°Eat.¡±


    Guth picked up the spoon. His fingers were quivering. Several maggots had crawled out of the dish by then. This meant that there were fewer maggots inside the dish for Guth to eat, but it also made the whole thing look even more nauseating. He hadn¡¯t even started eating yet, but he was already retching.


    ¡°I¡¯ll not repeat myself,¡± Yevgnen said.


    ¡°Brother?¡± Boris called with a tremble in his voice.


    But Yevgnen did not spare even his little brother a single glance. There was no emotion in his face. Right now, he wasn¡¯t the big brother who always smiled cheerfully for Boris.


    Some people looked away. It wasn¡¯t exactly the most pleasant sight. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, no one left the inn outright either.


    Guth dipped the spoon into the dish. His hand was quaking. He was quaking all the way up to his shoulders. The people sitting behind him could tell with just one look. Then, he brought the spoon up to his mouth. Yevgnen did not look away, not even at the bitter end. He didn¡¯t look away even once as Guth ate a few spoonfuls, vomited, ate a few more spoonfuls, and vomited again.


    It was only after Yevgnen had confirmed that Guth, who was completely exhausted, had finally finished eating, thrown the spoon into the dish, vomited violently, and passed out that he finally took Boris with him and left.


    ¡°Brother?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Yevgnen had just sat down on the bed after inspecting the candlewick. He turned around to find Boris crouching on the bed while looking incredibly anxious. His expression mellowed as he continued, ¡°Is something worrying you?¡±


    Boris didn¡¯t respond.


    Yevgnen took off his boots and set them down in a corner of the room. Then, he returned to the bed and began patting Boris on the back.


    ¡°C¡¯mon. You can tell your big brother.¡±


    Boris looked up. His eyes shook, as if in surprise, when he saw the serenity in his brother¡¯s mien.


    Yevgnen realized what Boris was thinking and started, ¡°Boris, you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay,¡± Boris said out of nowhere. He truly meant it. He continued, ¡°I¡¯m really glad you beat that man too. But I¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but think that there was something different about you when you did. I¡¯m not trying to say that what you did was wrong. I know that you had no other choice in that situation. Father would have said that you did well too, if he was here. But¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yevgnen interjected. ¡°No, Boris. You were right. No one else could have seen me as clearly as you did.¡±


    Yevgnen smiled faintly and leaned back against the wall. He ignored Boris¡¯ staring and gazed out the window for a moment before continuing, ¡°You see, Boris, I¡­¡±


    But he trailed off again. Boris joined his brother in looking out the window. The sparkling stars embedded the night sky. It was the same night sky that he had seen through the windows at the manor.


    ¡°You and I were never really the kind of sons that Father wanted us to be. Were we?¡±


    Boris remembered too. Their father had never been opposed to the friendship they shared, but he had also wanted his sons to be stronger and more coldhearted. He had wanted them to never allow themselves to get swept into their affection. It wasn¡¯t strange for him to want this. After all, Yulkan had been locked in conflict with Vlado for a very long time, and he hated Vlado completely.


    The candle flickered, and Yevgnen continued, ¡°You see, I think Father was right. Though I guess it¡¯s far too little, far too late. That¡¯s why I have to tell you this in Father¡¯s stead. Don¡¯t let your heart grow weak in the face of sympathy. You need to be strong¡ªstrong enough to easily withstand and beat back any pain or neglect you may face.¡±


    What are you trying to tell me?


    ¡°If only I could look after you and take care of you for a long, long time¡­ Then, I would¡¯ve protected you always so that you could live with a warm heart and young eyes, just like now.¡±


    Why are you talking like you¡¯re about to go away?


    ¡°But I can¡¯t be by your side forever. No¡ªeven if I could, I shouldn¡¯t. You have your own path to walk. But you need to get so much stronger if you¡¯re going to find it by yourself. You need to be so much tougher.¡±


    Boris could see Yevgnen¡¯s eyes¡ªthe same shade of cerulean as their mother¡¯s¡ªgrow moist with tears. Yevgnen arduously pushed through the conversation he had never wanted to have and poured strength into every last word.


    ¡°Boris, if you can¡¯t become a rock, then become a clam. Close yourself off tightly so that no one can open you up and see how tender you really are inside. It¡¯s okay to shed tears in private when no one¡¯s watching. No one can blame you when you¡¯re alone.¡±


    Boris was confused. He had no idea why his brother was saying all of this out of the blue. He knew without a doubt that Yevgnen was only saying this out of love for his little brother. But that wasn¡¯t all there was to it. This was too sudden. This conversation hadn¡¯t been started naturally as most were.


    ¡°I wish I¡¯d realized sooner that the world wouldn¡¯t let you just be a good little boy. If only I did¡­¡±


    Boris could hear the regret in Yevgnen¡¯s voice. He sounded like he was wishing for the impossible. Like there was a reason why he had no choice but to wish for the impossible. Like a baby bird who had suddenly lost its nest in the morning and was hoping to learn how to fly by that very same evening.


    ¡°Is that the kind of person you¡¯ve decided to be?¡± Boris asked after a long stretch of silence.


    Yevgnen stared elsewhere for some time with things still left unsaid before finally replying, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Boris decided to think that his brother had thought he had grown timid now that their house had fallen and was simply trying to comfort him. That¡¯s why he nodded back vigorously. He wanted to comfort his brother too. What they had suffered today was something that they would never have experienced if they had been able to live in the Longorde manor for the rest of their lives. He had seen another side of his brother today, but that was nothing strange. This wasn¡¯t their territory. There were no soldiers who would protect them here. Everyone around them was either a stranger or an enemy.


    Boris began undressing in preparation for bed, but Yevgnen shook his head and stopped him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take your armor off, Boris.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Bitterly, Yevgnen replied, ¡°Become some of the other guests might come after us. I¡¯ll take watch, so you go on ahead and get some sleep first. I¡¯ll wake you up at dawn.¡±


    Then, Yevgnen quietly blew out the candle.


    Boris thought that he was dreaming at first. He realized that he wasn¡¯t, however, as his sleepiness gradually ebbed away. He could see his big brother sitting on the floor while holding Winterer upright against the floorboards. Yevgnen was leaning against the bed with his head facing down. Boris had woken up because he thought that he had heard something.


    That something was his big brother weeping quietly. Yevgnen was barely making any noise at all. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t even because of the noise that Boris had woken up in the first place. But then, what had wakened him?


    The silence filling the dark room told Boris that something serious was tormenting Yevgnen. The silence was deafening and threatened to crush the boy¡¯s chest. He felt like his heart might explode. He felt it was the sorrowful silence itself that had wakened him.


    Should I have said something?


    But Boris couldn¡¯t bring himself to say anything. A tear trailed down his temple. He didn¡¯t know why, but he continued to shed tears in silence.


    Why?


    Ahh, just why?


    Boris and Yevgnen left the village and headed back to the fields the next day.


    They only had one horse, and Boris rode it most of the time. Yevgnen walked next to him while holding the reins and talking about all sorts of things, but he neither regaled Boris with the old tales that he had always recited back when they had still be living in the manor nor entertained Boris with funny gossip about the recent events that had happened in their territory.


    Boris asked Yevgnen questions without hesitation, like he always did, whenever they came across a tree or a flower he had never seen before, but the only thing his brother told him in reply was the plant¡¯s name. He did not supplement his reply with the beautiful legends or fables surrounding the plant like he had used to.


    ¡°Hey, did you forget all the stories you used to know, Brother?¡± Boris asked.


    Yevgnen smiled only with his lips as he replied, ¡°I guess I did.¡±


    Boris could tell that Yevgnen¡¯s smile wasn¡¯t genuine.


    They were unable to make it to the next town over before dinnertime. They had made sure to ask for detailed instructions on how to get there before leaving the previous village, but they had still ended up taking a wrong turn somewhere.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re going to have to camp out tonight.¡±


    The brothers found a suitable place to set up camp before it got any darker. Then, they gathered dried grasses and tree branches and got a fire going.


    Yevgnen was accustomed to camping because he¡¯d been out several days at a time on hunting trips with other young men from the Jinneman territory before. He tied the horse to a shrub close by because there weren¡¯t any suitable trees.


    The fire reminded Boris of the torches that had surrounded the manor. The shadows cast by the shrubs dance as the fire flickered. He didn¡¯t notice anything at first.


    But then, Yevgnen quietly said, ¡°Get your sword ready, Boris.¡±


    Boris became seized with tension and the hairs on his body stood at end. Yevgnen nonchalantly tossed another branch into the fire before taking up Winterer and climbing up to his feet.


    ¡°Do you really feel the need to hide when your whole gang¡¯s here?¡±


    Later, Boris would always remember three things whenever he thought about Yevgnen. The first, was the vivid blue of Yevgnen¡¯s eyes when he had suggested that they should die together at Lake Emera. The second, was the sight of Yevgnen¡¯s back as he stared into the campfire with Winterer in hand.


    And the last¡­


    ¡°Arrogant brat.¡±


    Boris was frozen in place as he clutched his short sword. Slowly, Yevgnen drew Winterer. It¡¯s elegant blade was still resplendent even in the darkness, illuminated only by the fire. It was like a crack of light splintering the shadows.


    ¡°Surround them!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t long before Boris spotted them too. Over twenty men had surrounded the brothers and their fire. They were all armed with swords or something of the like. Yevgnen spotted a familiar face in the crowd and frigidly asked, ¡°You have a lot of guards protecting you today, Guth.¡±


    He was being intentionally provocative, but all Guth did was frown. Instead, it was the others who in their outrage cried out, ¡°Who the fuck said we¡¯re here to help that asshole?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, guess you haven¡¯t grasped the situation just yet.¡±


    Their enemies encircled them as they got ready for a fight. The brothers could hear their horse running away after their enemies had freed it. The fire was casting whimsical shadows everywhere.


    Yevgnen quickly turned his gaze to the man who looked like the leader of the gang and asked, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Boris stood up too. He stood back-to-back with his brother with the fire in between them. He had never wielded anything other than a wooden training sword before, but he didn¡¯t want their enemies to see him as a young child who didn¡¯t know how to fight. Besides, his posture was actually quite good.


    One of the men took a step closer to the campfire and said, ¡°Your sword. That¡¯s Winterer, ain¡¯t it?¡±


    I knew it¡­ Yevgnen bit his lip and tightened his grip on his sword. It had been a mistake to announce his name before the duel.  Yet, Yevgnen Jinneman did not believe it was proper to kill someone without even telling them his name. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t understand how dangerous it was to identify himself like that. However, he believed that it was something that must be done before engaging in an honorable duel.


    ¡°We can send you both along on your merry way if you just hand it over without making a fuss.¡±


    The gang leader was a tall man with black sideburns. He had a booming voice, and two scars were visible on his exposed chest. They looked like they had been made by swords. He was sure to be strong if he had been able to get this many others to follow him.


    The gang leader continued, ¡°Your little brother¡¯s a bit too young to die, don¡¯tcha think?¡±


    It was impossible for anyone to fend off twenty opponents at once and survive to tell the tale. That being said, Yevgnen had absolutely no intention of handing over the sword without a fight.


    But what about Boris?


    Just then, Yevgnen heard Boris say, ¡°Being twelve doesn¡¯t make me too young to see reason.¡±


    ¡°Oho? What¡¯cha trying to say, kid?¡± the man with black sideburns asked. He seemed to think that Boris intended to surrender the sword.


    Contrary to the gang leader¡¯s expectations, Boris glared back at him and firmly responded, ¡°I¡¯m trying to say that I know when it¡¯s time to die.¡±


    There was no longer a need for words. The first enemy struck. Winterer flashed horizontally as Yevgnen brandished it, and droplets of blood splattered into the darkness.


    ¡°Watch yourselves!¡±


    A sword closed in from Yevgnen¡¯s left, slid under Winterer¡¯s blade, and tore open the back of Yevgnen¡¯s hand. Yevgnen clashed against a curved knife, pushed back a longsword, and kicked away yet another blade. He thrust Winterer forward when he found an opening and pierced someone through the forehead. A warm liquid traveled down Winterer¡¯s blade.


    Boris tried his hardest to see in the dark. He flinched and tried to step back when he saw something that looked like rope coming closer, but he freaked out when he accidentally stepped on a burning branch and began swinging his sword with reckless abandon. He could feel the rope being cut apart as it snapped audibly. He was biting his lip so hard that he was bleeding, but he was too anxious to notice.


    Someone tried to swing a flail at Yevgnen¡¯s head but only managed to get its chain wrapped up around Winterer¡¯s blade. Yevgnen grasped his sword tight once more, and that strange ringing noise resounded once more. The chain exploded into pieces, and some of those pieces tumbled into the campfire. The burning branches were scattered and sent embers flying everywhere.


    ¡°Hmph, so that must be Winterer¡¯s rumored skill¡ªFrozen Break.¡±


    Frozen Break was the name that had been given to one of the spells that Winterer was imbued with. The spell itself was called Cryogenic Explosion. It was a legendary skill that made anything touching the sword¡¯s blade drop so low in temperature that it shattered. However, only a few people knew that it could only be used in tandem with Snowguard.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite some skills you¡¯ve got there! But let¡¯s see how well you fight when you kid brother has himself a hole through the stomach.¡±


    Three men surrounded Boris and closed in on him.


    The brothers¡¯ enemies could see their every movement because of the fire. In contrast, the men could stay hidden in the darkness while enjoying a clear view of their targets.


    Yevgnen was aware of this too, but he knew that Boris would get captured without being able to put up a fight if he leapt into the shadows, where their enemies were, alone. This was why he wasn¡¯t able to break through the men¡¯s encirclement and even out the scales.


    To make matters worse, Yevgnen and Boris were too close to the fire for their eyes to adapt to the darkness. They couldn¡¯t keep track of their enemies. That was why Yevgnen wasn¡¯t able to react in time when a blade was thrust in between them. Its wielder had been pretending to attack Boris, but it had only been a feint. He ended up stabbing Yevgnen in the flank instead.


    Crunch¡­


    A strange noise echoed. The sword dragged across Snowguard¡¯s chainmail when it made contact and began vibrating inexplicably. The man who had been wielding it dropped it in alarm when the vibrations reached his hand. The shock had run all the way up his shoulders and made his entire arm go numb.


    The light in the man with the black sideburn¡¯s eyes changed.


    ¡°Shit, does he have the armor too?¡± he asked. The news about what had happened to House Jinneman hadn¡¯t spread yet. The men couldn¡¯t fathom what both sons of the renowned house were doing all the way out here. They had simply started burning up with greed when they realized that the house¡¯s infamous treasure was right before their very eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try me on for a change?¡±


    Yevgnen finally found himself facing off against the man with the sideburns. Once, twice¡ªboth of them realized that their opponent was highly skilled as they clashed. But Yevgnen was a young man who was lacking experience, whereas his opponent had been living off his sword for decades. The man pretended to be pushed back as he slowly lured Yevgnen forward.


    It was difficult to fall back again in a fight after you¡¯d already started moving forward. After all, missing the beat in the middle of the fight meant that you could suddenly find yourself being forced on the defensive.


    The man with the sideburns was aware of Winterer¡¯s skill, so he made sure to avoid being in contact with the blade for too long and carefully attacked only when he saw openings he could take advantage of. Yevgnen wanted to pray with every half-step he was forced to take. He knew that it wouldn¡¯t be easy to suppress the gang leader. Not with his level of skill, at least. One mistake on his part, and everything would suddenly come crashing to an end.


    Creak¡­ Clang!


    The two opponents¡¯ swords locked against each other briefly before the man with the sideburns quickly pulled his sword away from avoid Winterer¡¯s Frozen Break. Yevgnen seized the resulting opening.


    ¡°Haah!¡±


    But just as he thought he¡¯d finally won¡­ Something peculiar happened mere moments before Winterer could pierce through the man¡¯s throat. The man¡¯s body had suddenly gone slack and crumpled to the ground. Yevgnen¡¯s sword hadn¡¯t even touched him yet, but he had collapsed without so much as letting out a scream.

 Volume 1 - CH 2.3

    Guth could not hide his dread as he stood facing Yevgnen. His shoulders were quivering noticeably and without pause. Guth was holding a sword in his hand too, but he didn¡¯t look like he was very accustomed to wielding it. In contrast, Yevgnen stood with blade in hand with practiced grace.


    Boris has seen his big brother dueling with the other young men in Jinneman territory before. Naturally, that hadn¡¯t involved killing anyone. Their duels had essentially been little more than spars, and the victor was decided as soon as one party managed to injure the other. Boris knew that Yevgnen had dueled someone for real before too.


    Yet, he had never actually seen any of his brother¡¯s duels. The light in Yevgnen¡¯s eyes was not as warm as it usually was. Boris could tell as much even from several feet away.


    ¡°Draw your sword,¡± Yevgnen said.


    Yevgnen¡¯s hand moved as soon as Guth had drawn his blade. Everyone watching, including the witnesses, was shocked as soon as Winterer was freed from its scabbard.


    People began whispering amongst themselves.


    ¡°Look at that blade. That¡¯s no ordinary sword.¡±


    ¡°What is that? Has anyone ever heard of a sword like that?¡±


    The backyard was filled with the sunset¡¯s glow. It kissed the face of every onlooker and made them look like they were drunk. Winterer alone shone with a blinding white light. It pierced the hearts of everyone watching like a shard of ice.


    ¡°I once heard that there was something called the Sword of Winter,¡± someone muttered.


    The two duelists closed the distance between themselves just then. Blade clashed against blade. Winterer began glowing crimson in the sunset.


    Guth attacked first. He believed that getting in the first strike would give him the advantage, as did every other novice swordsman. He only realized that he had messed up¡ªand badly¡ªafter his sword made contact with Winterer.


    He hadn¡¯t been just imagining how strong Yevgnen was when Yevgnen had pinned him down by the back of his neck. Guth usually let his fists do the talking, and he was known for it in the village. Yet, Yevgnen, who was much younger and slenderer, was significantly stronger.


    Moreover, Winterer was not only enchantingly beautiful but also devilishly sharp. The tip of Guth¡¯s blade was sliced cleanly off, and the top part was flung aside and clattered to the ground. Guth was frightened out of his wits and backtracked as hard as he could.


    It was Yevgnen¡¯s turn next. He homed in on his opponent in two steps, pushed Winterer against Guth¡¯s unsteady blade, and locked their elbows together. The blades locked and slid against each other, and Guth¡¯s sword suddenly began quivering while emitting a metaling noise before letting out resounding clang.


    No one knew what any of that noise signified. After all, that information was something that only someone who had wielded Winterer before was privy to.


    A vein popped out of Guth¡¯s forehead as he blocked two strikes from Winterer to the best of his ability. But that was all that he could manage.


    Crack¡­ Clang!


    ¡°W-what the¡­?!¡±


    Everyone was astonished. Several people momentarily forgot how to speak. Guth¡¯s sword had shattered, quite literally, into a million pieces. Boris saw the broken shards raining down. It wasn¡¯t just one or two large fragments.


    How was it possible for a bonafide metal sword to simply shatter like that?


    What on earth was that white blade that Yevgnen was wielding?


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for Guth to realize what had happened. He prostrated himself flat against the earth and drove his head into the dirt as soon as he saw Yevgnen¡¯s sword closing in on him for a thrust. He brought his hands together above his head and begged, ¡°P-please don¡¯t kill me. Please¡­¡±


    He was no longer in any position to be worried about keeping face. Yevgnen stopped his blade precisely at the back of Guth¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Do you surrender?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, of course. I surrender.¡±


    ¡°You recall the promise you made me, yes?¡± Yevgnen asked frigidly.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    It was dreadful, but it was still better than dying. Guth quivered for a moment before he nodded back.


    ¡°Get up,¡± Yevgnen said in reply.


    The sun set. The people from the inn were using lamps to illuminate the backyard. Yevgnen kept his blade pointed at Guth as they went back inside.


    Boris followed after them. He kept his eyes glued on his brother. He was nervous. Was Yevgnen really going to make Guth eat the rest of the maggots? Normally, Yevgnen would never¡­


    But hadn¡¯t his brother chewed and swallowed the maggots too?


    No one could take their eyes off Winterer. They continued whispering amongst themselves, quietly so Yevgnen couldn¡¯t hear. The blade began gleaming white again, as if it had been freshly cleaned, as soon as it was indoors.


    Guth sat down at the table, and Yevgnen kept his blade pointed at the man¡¯s back. Then, he curtly commanded, ¡°Eat.¡±


    Guth picked up the spoon. His fingers were quivering. Several maggots had crawled out of the dish by then. This meant that there were fewer maggots inside the dish for Guth to eat, but it also made the whole thing look even more nauseating. He hadn¡¯t even started eating yet, but he was already retching.


    ¡°I¡¯ll not repeat myself,¡± Yevgnen said.


    ¡°Brother?¡± Boris called with a tremble in his voice.


    But Yevgnen did not spare even his little brother a single glance. There was no emotion in his face. Right now, he wasn¡¯t the big brother who always smiled cheerfully for Boris.


    Some people looked away. It wasn¡¯t exactly the most pleasant sight. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, no one left the inn outright either.


    Guth dipped the spoon into the dish. His hand was quaking. He was quaking all the way up to his shoulders. The people sitting behind him could tell with just one look. Then, he brought the spoon up to his mouth. Yevgnen did not look away, not even at the bitter end. He didn¡¯t look away even once as Guth ate a few spoonfuls, vomited, ate a few more spoonfuls, and vomited again.


    It was only after Yevgnen had confirmed that Guth, who was completely exhausted, had finally finished eating, thrown the spoon into the dish, vomited violently, and passed out that he finally took Boris with him and left.


    ¡°Brother?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Yevgnen had just sat down on the bed after inspecting the candlewick. He turned around to find Boris crouching on the bed while looking incredibly anxious. His expression mellowed as he continued, ¡°Is something worrying you?¡±


    Boris didn¡¯t respond.


    Yevgnen took off his boots and set them down in a corner of the room. Then, he returned to the bed and began patting Boris on the back.


    ¡°C¡¯mon. You can tell your big brother.¡±


    Boris looked up. His eyes shook, as if in surprise, when he saw the serenity in his brother¡¯s mien.


    Yevgnen realized what Boris was thinking and started, ¡°Boris, you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay,¡± Boris said out of nowhere. He truly meant it. He continued, ¡°I¡¯m really glad you beat that man too. But I¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but think that there was something different about you when you did. I¡¯m not trying to say that what you did was wrong. I know that you had no other choice in that situation. Father would have said that you did well too, if he was here. But¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yevgnen interjected. ¡°No, Boris. You were right. No one else could have seen me as clearly as you did.¡±


    Yevgnen smiled faintly and leaned back against the wall. He ignored Boris¡¯ staring and gazed out the window for a moment before continuing, ¡°You see, Boris, I¡­¡±


    But he trailed off again. Boris joined his brother in looking out the window. The sparkling stars embedded the night sky. It was the same night sky that he had seen through the windows at the manor.


    ¡°You and I were never really the kind of sons that Father wanted us to be. Were we?¡±


    Boris remembered too. Their father had never been opposed to the friendship they shared, but he had also wanted his sons to be stronger and more coldhearted. He had wanted them to never allow themselves to get swept into their affection. It wasn¡¯t strange for him to want this. After all, Yulkan had been locked in conflict with Vlado for a very long time, and he hated Vlado completely.


    The candle flickered, and Yevgnen continued, ¡°You see, I think Father was right. Though I guess it¡¯s far too little, far too late. That¡¯s why I have to tell you this in Father¡¯s stead. Don¡¯t let your heart grow weak in the face of sympathy. You need to be strong¡ªstrong enough to easily withstand and beat back any pain or neglect you may face.¡±


    What are you trying to tell me?


    ¡°If only I could look after you and take care of you for a long, long time¡­ Then, I would¡¯ve protected you always so that you could live with a warm heart and young eyes, just like now.¡±


    Why are you talking like you¡¯re about to go away?


    ¡°But I can¡¯t be by your side forever. No¡ªeven if I could, I shouldn¡¯t. You have your own path to walk. But you need to get so much stronger if you¡¯re going to find it by yourself. You need to be so much tougher.¡±


    Boris could see Yevgnen¡¯s eyes¡ªthe same shade of cerulean as their mother¡¯s¡ªgrow moist with tears. Yevgnen arduously pushed through the conversation he had never wanted to have and poured strength into every last word.


    ¡°Boris, if you can¡¯t become a rock, then become a clam. Close yourself off tightly so that no one can open you up and see how tender you really are inside. It¡¯s okay to shed tears in private when no one¡¯s watching. No one can blame you when you¡¯re alone.¡±


    Boris was confused. He had no idea why his brother was saying all of this out of the blue. He knew without a doubt that Yevgnen was only saying this out of love for his little brother. But that wasn¡¯t all there was to it. This was too sudden. This conversation hadn¡¯t been started naturally as most were.


    ¡°I wish I¡¯d realized sooner that the world wouldn¡¯t let you just be a good little boy. If only I did¡­¡±


    Boris could hear the regret in Yevgnen¡¯s voice. He sounded like he was wishing for the impossible. Like there was a reason why he had no choice but to wish for the impossible. Like a baby bird who had suddenly lost its nest in the morning and was hoping to learn how to fly by that very same evening.


    ¡°Is that the kind of person you¡¯ve decided to be?¡± Boris asked after a long stretch of silence.


    Yevgnen stared elsewhere for some time with things still left unsaid before finally replying, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Boris decided to think that his brother had thought he had grown timid now that their house had fallen and was simply trying to comfort him. That¡¯s why he nodded back vigorously. He wanted to comfort his brother too. What they had suffered today was something that they would never have experienced if they had been able to live in the Longorde manor for the rest of their lives. He had seen another side of his brother today, but that was nothing strange. This wasn¡¯t their territory. There were no soldiers who would protect them here. Everyone around them was either a stranger or an enemy.


    Boris began undressing in preparation for bed, but Yevgnen shook his head and stopped him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take your armor off, Boris.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Bitterly, Yevgnen replied, ¡°Become some of the other guests might come after us. I¡¯ll take watch, so you go on ahead and get some sleep first. I¡¯ll wake you up at dawn.¡±


    Then, Yevgnen quietly blew out the candle.


    Boris thought that he was dreaming at first. He realized that he wasn¡¯t, however, as his sleepiness gradually ebbed away. He could see his big brother sitting on the floor while holding Winterer upright against the floorboards. Yevgnen was leaning against the bed with his head facing down. Boris had woken up because he thought that he had heard something.


    That something was his big brother weeping quietly. Yevgnen was barely making any noise at all. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t even because of the noise that Boris had woken up in the first place. But then, what had wakened him?


    The silence filling the dark room told Boris that something serious was tormenting Yevgnen. The silence was deafening and threatened to crush the boy¡¯s chest. He felt like his heart might explode. He felt it was the sorrowful silence itself that had wakened him.


    Should I have said something?


    But Boris couldn¡¯t bring himself to say anything. A tear trailed down his temple. He didn¡¯t know why, but he continued to shed tears in silence.


    Why?


    Ahh, just why?


    Boris and Yevgnen left the village and headed back to the fields the next day.


    They only had one horse, and Boris rode it most of the time. Yevgnen walked next to him while holding the reins and talking about all sorts of things, but he neither regaled Boris with the old tales that he had always recited back when they had still be living in the manor nor entertained Boris with funny gossip about the recent events that had happened in their territory.


    Boris asked Yevgnen questions without hesitation, like he always did, whenever they came across a tree or a flower he had never seen before, but the only thing his brother told him in reply was the plant¡¯s name. He did not supplement his reply with the beautiful legends or fables surrounding the plant like he had used to.


    ¡°Hey, did you forget all the stories you used to know, Brother?¡± Boris asked.


    Yevgnen smiled only with his lips as he replied, ¡°I guess I did.¡±


    Boris could tell that Yevgnen¡¯s smile wasn¡¯t genuine.


    They were unable to make it to the next town over before dinnertime. They had made sure to ask for detailed instructions on how to get there before leaving the previous village, but they had still ended up taking a wrong turn somewhere.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re going to have to camp out tonight.¡±


    The brothers found a suitable place to set up camp before it got any darker. Then, they gathered dried grasses and tree branches and got a fire going.


    Yevgnen was accustomed to camping because he¡¯d been out several days at a time on hunting trips with other young men from the Jinneman territory before. He tied the horse to a shrub close by because there weren¡¯t any suitable trees.


    The fire reminded Boris of the torches that had surrounded the manor. The shadows cast by the shrubs dance as the fire flickered. He didn¡¯t notice anything at first.


    But then, Yevgnen quietly said, ¡°Get your sword ready, Boris.¡±


    Boris became seized with tension and the hairs on his body stood at end. Yevgnen nonchalantly tossed another branch into the fire before taking up Winterer and climbing up to his feet.


    ¡°Do you really feel the need to hide when your whole gang¡¯s here?¡±


    Later, Boris would always remember three things whenever he thought about Yevgnen. The first, was the vivid blue of Yevgnen¡¯s eyes when he had suggested that they should die together at Lake Emera. The second, was the sight of Yevgnen¡¯s back as he stared into the campfire with Winterer in hand.


    And the last¡­


    ¡°Arrogant brat.¡±


    Boris was frozen in place as he clutched his short sword. Slowly, Yevgnen drew Winterer. It¡¯s elegant blade was still resplendent even in the darkness, illuminated only by the fire. It was like a crack of light splintering the shadows.


    ¡°Surround them!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t long before Boris spotted them too. Over twenty men had surrounded the brothers and their fire. They were all armed with swords or something of the like. Yevgnen spotted a familiar face in the crowd and frigidly asked, ¡°You have a lot of guards protecting you today, Guth.¡±


    He was being intentionally provocative, but all Guth did was frown. Instead, it was the others who in their outrage cried out, ¡°Who the fuck said we¡¯re here to help that asshole?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, guess you haven¡¯t grasped the situation just yet.¡±


    Their enemies encircled them as they got ready for a fight. The brothers could hear their horse running away after their enemies had freed it. The fire was casting whimsical shadows everywhere.


    Yevgnen quickly turned his gaze to the man who looked like the leader of the gang and asked, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Boris stood up too. He stood back-to-back with his brother with the fire in between them. He had never wielded anything other than a wooden training sword before, but he didn¡¯t want their enemies to see him as a young child who didn¡¯t know how to fight. Besides, his posture was actually quite good.


    One of the men took a step closer to the campfire and said, ¡°Your sword. That¡¯s Winterer, ain¡¯t it?¡±


    I knew it¡­ Yevgnen bit his lip and tightened his grip on his sword. It had been a mistake to announce his name before the duel.  Yet, Yevgnen Jinneman did not believe it was proper to kill someone without even telling them his name. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t understand how dangerous it was to identify himself like that. However, he believed that it was something that must be done before engaging in an honorable duel.


    ¡°We can send you both along on your merry way if you just hand it over without making a fuss.¡±


    The gang leader was a tall man with black sideburns. He had a booming voice, and two scars were visible on his exposed chest. They looked like they had been made by swords. He was sure to be strong if he had been able to get this many others to follow him.


    The gang leader continued, ¡°Your little brother¡¯s a bit too young to die, don¡¯tcha think?¡±


    It was impossible for anyone to fend off twenty opponents at once and survive to tell the tale. That being said, Yevgnen had absolutely no intention of handing over the sword without a fight.


    But what about Boris?


    Just then, Yevgnen heard Boris say, ¡°Being twelve doesn¡¯t make me too young to see reason.¡±


    ¡°Oho? What¡¯cha trying to say, kid?¡± the man with black sideburns asked. He seemed to think that Boris intended to surrender the sword.


    Contrary to the gang leader¡¯s expectations, Boris glared back at him and firmly responded, ¡°I¡¯m trying to say that I know when it¡¯s time to die.¡±


    There was no longer a need for words. The first enemy struck. Winterer flashed horizontally as Yevgnen brandished it, and droplets of blood splattered into the darkness.


    ¡°Watch yourselves!¡±


    A sword closed in from Yevgnen¡¯s left, slid under Winterer¡¯s blade, and tore open the back of Yevgnen¡¯s hand. Yevgnen clashed against a curved knife, pushed back a longsword, and kicked away yet another blade. He thrust Winterer forward when he found an opening and pierced someone through the forehead. A warm liquid traveled down Winterer¡¯s blade.


    Boris tried his hardest to see in the dark. He flinched and tried to step back when he saw something that looked like rope coming closer, but he freaked out when he accidentally stepped on a burning branch and began swinging his sword with reckless abandon. He could feel the rope being cut apart as it snapped audibly. He was biting his lip so hard that he was bleeding, but he was too anxious to notice.


    Someone tried to swing a flail at Yevgnen¡¯s head but only managed to get its chain wrapped up around Winterer¡¯s blade. Yevgnen grasped his sword tight once more, and that strange ringing noise resounded once more. The chain exploded into pieces, and some of those pieces tumbled into the campfire. The burning branches were scattered and sent embers flying everywhere.


    ¡°Hmph, so that must be Winterer¡¯s rumored skill¡ªFrozen Break.¡±


    Frozen Break was the name that had been given to one of the spells that Winterer was imbued with. The spell itself was called Cryogenic Explosion. It was a legendary skill that made anything touching the sword¡¯s blade drop so low in temperature that it shattered. However, only a few people knew that it could only be used in tandem with Snowguard.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite some skills you¡¯ve got there! But let¡¯s see how well you fight when you kid brother has himself a hole through the stomach.¡±


    Three men surrounded Boris and closed in on him.


    The brothers¡¯ enemies could see their every movement because of the fire. In contrast, the men could stay hidden in the darkness while enjoying a clear view of their targets.


    Yevgnen was aware of this too, but he knew that Boris would get captured without being able to put up a fight if he leapt into the shadows, where their enemies were, alone. This was why he wasn¡¯t able to break through the men¡¯s encirclement and even out the scales.


    To make matters worse, Yevgnen and Boris were too close to the fire for their eyes to adapt to the darkness. They couldn¡¯t keep track of their enemies. That was why Yevgnen wasn¡¯t able to react in time when a blade was thrust in between them. Its wielder had been pretending to attack Boris, but it had only been a feint. He ended up stabbing Yevgnen in the flank instead.


    Crunch¡­


    A strange noise echoed. The sword dragged across Snowguard¡¯s chainmail when it made contact and began vibrating inexplicably. The man who had been wielding it dropped it in alarm when the vibrations reached his hand. The shock had run all the way up his shoulders and made his entire arm go numb.


    The light in the man with the black sideburn¡¯s eyes changed.


    ¡°Shit, does he have the armor too?¡± he asked. The news about what had happened to House Jinneman hadn¡¯t spread yet. The men couldn¡¯t fathom what both sons of the renowned house were doing all the way out here. They had simply started burning up with greed when they realized that the house¡¯s infamous treasure was right before their very eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try me on for a change?¡±


    Yevgnen finally found himself facing off against the man with the sideburns. Once, twice¡ªboth of them realized that their opponent was highly skilled as they clashed. But Yevgnen was a young man who was lacking experience, whereas his opponent had been living off his sword for decades. The man pretended to be pushed back as he slowly lured Yevgnen forward.


    It was difficult to fall back again in a fight after you¡¯d already started moving forward. After all, missing the beat in the middle of the fight meant that you could suddenly find yourself being forced on the defensive.


    The man with the sideburns was aware of Winterer¡¯s skill, so he made sure to avoid being in contact with the blade for too long and carefully attacked only when he saw openings he could take advantage of. Yevgnen wanted to pray with every half-step he was forced to take. He knew that it wouldn¡¯t be easy to suppress the gang leader. Not with his level of skill, at least. One mistake on his part, and everything would suddenly come crashing to an end.


    Creak¡­ Clang!


    The two opponents¡¯ swords locked against each other briefly before the man with the sideburns quickly pulled his sword away from avoid Winterer¡¯s Frozen Break. Yevgnen seized the resulting opening.


    ¡°Haah!¡±


    But just as he thought he¡¯d finally won¡­ Something peculiar happened mere moments before Winterer could pierce through the man¡¯s throat. The man¡¯s body had suddenly gone slack and crumpled to the ground. Yevgnen¡¯s sword hadn¡¯t even touched him yet, but he had collapsed without so much as letting out a scream.

 Volume 1 - CH 2.4

    The brothers found themselves by the village entrance at midnight. Yevgnen had his hands wrapped around Boris¡¯ shoulders. Boris thought his brother¡¯s hands were cold. It wasn¡¯t just his hands. Yevgnen¡¯s entire body felt cold.


    They were waiting on top of the roof of a small farmhouse near the northern entrance to the village. They made no noise, as there were probably people inside the building below them. Boris figured that Yevgnen was cold because the night was chilly.


    Summer was ending, and it was exceptionally chilly tonight. The moon was like a pendant hanging above their heads. The scattered scars were the string that it was hanging from. Had someone lost their necklace?


    Yevgnen found his mark. He pursed his lips in silence.


    This was where things would start getting difficult. He didn¡¯t know how skilled Yanika Goth was, but in any event, she most likely wasn¡¯t as easygoing as she had pretended to be before. He needed to be careful. Extremely careful.


    Yanika appeared beneath the light of the moon. Her footsteps were light, just as they had been on the night they had met, as she walked up to the guards posted that the village entrance and began chatting with them. Then, she nodded, turned around, and gestured to someone behind her. Romabac walked up to her. He was still alive, contrary to Joachim¡¯s prediction.


    This wasn¡¯t going to be easy.


    Yevgnen paid closer attention to Romabac, who wielded a crossbow with poison-laced bolts, than to Yanika, who he was still unsure about. In any event, he didn¡¯t see Wills anywhere. Yanika and Romabac were sitting next to each other under a tree as they chatted. They still seemed to be on friendly terms. Yevgnen couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, but he could see them clearly in the moon¡¯s light.


    He continued to wait. He hadn¡¯t spotted Winterer among Yanika¡¯s belongings yet. There was a sword hanging at her waist, but it wasn¡¯t Winterer¡¯s white scabbard. Yevgnen would need to be blind before he failed to recognize Winterer.


    Just then, Boris tapped his arm and said,


    ¡°Over there.¡±


    The mercenary guild had finally arrived. There were ten of them at first, but more and more continued to show up. One of the mercenaries was as beefy as a giant, one of them was carrying a long and slender weapon, one of them was wearing robes that were dragging along the ground, and one of them was wearing a horned helmet¡­


    Mercenary guilds were common in the barren lands of Lekordable. Each guild ranged from dozens to hundreds of members in size. Some guilds were regarded as elite troops that held political power in Lekordable. Most, however, were hastily formed and just as hastily disbanded. Mercenaries traveled all throughout the continent as long as there was money to be made. The only place they avoided was the infamous Mortal Land.


    The more renowned guilds made lots of money working for nobles or even the royal family. Mercenaries were generally paid very well. They pleased their employers in all kinds of warfare, except for naval warfare, by showcasing their persistent fighting spirit and aggression, their high survival rate, and their unnecessary cruelty.


    There were several dozen members of the guild that had bought Yevgnen and Boris that they could see, but it was entirely possible that this wasn¡¯t their main force. The brothers could not let their guards down.


    Yanika climbed up to her feet and shouted at the mercenaries, ¡°You rang?¡±


    Yevgnen couldn¡¯t be certain because it was too dark to tell for sure, but it looked like there were at least around fifty mercenaries present. Yevgnen had seen Yanika and Romabac take down twenty men on their own previously in an ambush. But their opponents had been mere thugs back then. The mercenaries, in contract, were battle-hardened warriors. It was Yanika and Romabac who would find themselves at the disadvantage if they picked a fight just because their feelings were hurt.


    One of the men stepped forward. He was a head taller than Yanika and his shoulders, which were protected by leather shoulder guards, were as thick and hefty as a horse¡¯s thighs. He wore no helmet over his shining bald head. Someone else lighted two torches. The torches helped Yevgnen and Boris see better.


    The bald man, who looked like he was the mercenaries¡¯ leader, was not wearing any armor. He was only wearing guards around his joints, such as his shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and heels. He was carrying a long spear.


    Yanika stepped forward.


    ¡°Wow. It¡¯s an honor to meet the Golden Spear in the flesh, Guildmaster Deraki,¡± she said with an exaggerated bow.


    Deraki, the guildmaster, didn¡¯t bother returning her facade of courtesy as he bluntly demanded, ¡°I want compensation for our losses.¡±


    Yanika straightened herself out, placed a hand at her waist, and rolled her head. Even Boris could hear her bones cracking.


    ¡°Your losses? What losses?¡±


    ¡°The kids you sold us escaped.¡±


    Guildmaster Deraki¡¯s  baritone voice was so low that it was eerie. Two mercenaries walked up to where their leader was with their hands on the hilt of their blades. They were clearly trying to threaten Yanika. Yanika, however, did not so much as flinch.


    ¡°Oh yeah? But, isn¡¯t that your fault for taking your sweet time collecting them? Or maybe they escaped because the people who were supposed to be keeping an eye on them sucked at their jobs. Either way, the fault¡¯s not mine.¡±


    Before Guildmaster Deraki had the chance to respond, Yanika quickly added, ¡°Regardless, we made a deal like we always do. And we held up our end of our deal. Whatever happened next has nothing to do with us, yeah?¡±


    Evidently, this wasn¡¯t the first time Yanika¡¯s party had kidnapped people and sold them to a mercenary guild. Yevgnen frowned heavily as he continued observing.


    Guildmaster Deraki replied, ¡°We never got the goods. That¡¯s the cold, hard truth. I want compensation for our losses.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop being so stub¡ª¡±


    Romabac cut Yanika off just then. There was an obsequious chuckle in his voice as he said, ¡°Gosh, let¡¯s not be too hasty, now. We¡¯ve been business partners for some time, haven¡¯t we¡­? So, Guildmaster Deraki. How exactly do you want us to compensate you? We¡¯ll at least hear you out.¡±


    ¡°You can compensate us in one of two ways. First, you can pay us back twice the amount we paid you. We were busy, but you made a mess of things by making us wait for you. If you don¡¯t want to pay up, then¡­¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    Yanika already looked less than pleased.


    ¡°Then you two can join our guild instead and work off what you owe.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Yanika shouted in a surge of anger. Romabac hurriedly stopped her from continuing. They weren¡¯t in any position to be offending the mercenary guild. Both of them had heard plenty of rumors about how bloodthirsty the guildmaster, Deraki the Golden Spear, was. While Yanika¡ªwhether it was because she had that much faith in her skills or if it was just her temperament¡ªtended to speak without filter, Romabac was better at reading the situation quickly.


    That was why he did his best to mellow his tone as he said, ¡°We¡¯ll obviously compensate you for any losses you suffered. This isn¡¯t the first time we¡¯ve done business with you, right, Golden Spear? But neither Yanika nor I are the type of people to be working for a mercenary guild, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯re already aware. We¡¯re too accustomed to moving by ourselves. We¡¯d only get in your way, Guildmaster, and we¡¯d probably just end up bringing down morale. That being said, I think it¡¯s too much to ask us to pay you twice the original amount when what happened wasn¡¯t even entirely our fault. So, how about this instead? We¡¯ll pay you back the original amount that you paid us.¡±


    The words were barely out of Romabac¡¯s mouth when Guildmaster Deraki shook his head and said, ¡°No can do. Either pay up, or work it off.¡±


    Yanika¡¯s shoulders began quivering with fury. She tried to step forward, but Romabac stopped her again. There were heavy creases in his brow as he tried to come up with an alternative.


    ¡°Then what about 1.5 times the original amount? You¡¯ll be making back half of what you originally paid in less than a day. You won¡¯t find a better deal anywhere else,¡± he proposed.


    ¡°Romabac!¡± Yanika yelled. ¡°What the fucking hell?! Why the hell should we have to pay them?¡±


    ¡°Yani, please¡­¡±


    Unfortunately, Romabac was not successful in persuading Yanika otherwise. Yanika shoved him away before walking up to Guildmaster Deraki and squaring her shoulders.


    Then, she said, ¡°We¡¯ll pay you back the original amount only. Take it and leave.¡±


    ¡°Twice the amount,¡± Guildmaster Deraki repeated himself.


    ¡°What kind of fucking scam is this bullshit?! You¡¯re gonna find yourself in trouble if you keep making light of me!¡± Yanika grumbled to herself for a bit after her initial outburst before she resumed shouting. ¡°Here¡¯s your money, you dirty bastards!¡±


    Then, she pulled out a heavy pouch from her pocket and hurled it to the ground. One of the mercenaries stepped up, opened it, and began counting the coins with some of his colleagues. Not that they needed to.


    That was because Guildmaster Deraki bellowed, ¡°I, the Golden Spear, don¡¯t give a damn about what you lowlives are scheming. If you¡¯re not going to pay up or work for us, then I¡¯ll kill you where you stand.¡±


    Romabac backtracked and readied his crossbow as soon as he felt that things were beginning to get dangerous. Yanika also jumped back, but not before she snapped, ¡°Go ahead and try! Do you think we¡¯ll go down that easily?¡±


    The Golden Spear¡¯s mercenaries promptly spread out and surrounded Yanika and Romabac. The sounds of weapons being unsheathed echoed throughout the area.


    Romabac walked up to Yanika and desperately whispered to her, ¡°Please! Do you really want to die like this?¡±


    Yanika glowered as she spat, ¡°Then do you want to get dragged away and be worked like slaves instead?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t, but¡­ Look. It¡¯s not like we¡¯d have to stick with them forever, right?¡±


    Yanika immediately understood what Romabac was implying. They could simply pretend to work for the mercenary guild for the time being and run away at their earliest opportunity. Considering their skills, it was more than possible for them to fight back a couple of the mercenaries before making their escape. It would wound their pride a little, but that was still better than dying here like dogs.


    ¡°Wait, Guildmaster Deraki! Let me just ask you one thing. You¡¯re not going to make us work for you until we die, are you?¡± Yanika asked with an apparent sudden change of heart.


    Guildmaster Deraki sounded as fearsome as ever as he replied, ¡°I¡¯ll let you go if you do well on your first job.¡±


    The real reason why Guildmaster Deraki, who commanded a guild of over a hundred mercenaries, was going out of his way to get two more people working under him was because of a contractual issue. A certain senator from the Republic of Travachess had requested the guild to bring exactly fifty members to a certain location, but they had lost two people by accident along the way. He had sent word to ask more of his guild members to join him, but he did not think that they would be able to make it on time for the contract. That was why he had tried to buy two more people in order to reach the requisite headcount. Thus, he had purchased Yevgnen and Boris. Boris was useless because he was so young, but it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to find some kind of work for him to do as long as he helped meet the headcount.


    The mercenaries of Lekordable were proud and violent. Not many people wanted to incur their ire over trivial matters.


    ¡°Fine! I don¡¯t know what kind of job it is that you want us to do, but we just have to do it well, right? Shouldn¡¯t be too hard. But don¡¯t you dare go back on your word later.¡±


    It looked like the situation was about to resolve itself. Just then, however, Yevgnen spotted a long hilt jutting out from behind Yanika¡¯s back. He hadn¡¯t been able to see it earlier because it was mostly hidden under her armor. He felt something hot exploding from his chest. He leapt up to his feet and jumped off the roof without another thought.


    ¡°Halt!¡±


    Everyone heard him. It was Yanika who reacted first. She shouted, ¡°The hell? Didn¡¯t you run away?¡±


    Boris jumped down after his big brother on instinct. Yevgnen pointed the sword that he had taken from Joachim at Yanika and roared, ¡°Give me back my sword, you crook!¡±


    Yanika looked happy to see them. Instead of addressing Yevgnen, she turned to Guildmaster Deraki and said, ¡°These are the guys you were looking for. That means we¡¯re done here, right? Oh, and give me back my fucking money.¡±


    Yevgnen was furious. With his sword still pointed at Yanika, he fumed, ¡°Nonsense! What right do you have to sell us? Have you forgotten that slave trade is illegal in Travachess?!¡±


    Snickering off to the side, Romabac cut in, ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. You were weak enough to get yourself sold off in the first place. Just shut up and do as you¡¯re told. Who do you think you are to be preaching at us? Go home to your mommy if you wanna stand there and whine like a brat.¡±


    Boris did not remember what his mother looked like. However, he knew exactly how his brother felt about her. Boris was normally a quiet kid, but he was also fiercely protective of his big brother. He flew into a rage and shouted back, ¡°You kidnapped us while we were sleeping like a bunch of cowards. You call that being strong? Are you proud of yourselves, huh?¡±


    Romabac huffed and retorted, ¡°What are you gonna do about it if I say we are? Did you babies really think that you¡¯d manage to get even a single hit on us in a fight? You were only carrying around that sword because you let it get into your heads after waving a sticking around a few times back at home.¡±


    Yanika cackled and added, ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯ll take real good care of it for you, yeah? This sword¡¯s much too dangerous for you kids. Hahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°The reason you people are cowards,¡± Boris started. Boris was suddenly reminded of how his brother had laughed back inside the shed. He knew that Yevgnen was wringing out every last drop of strength he had in order to protect his little brother. That was why he hated the fact that others were looking down on Yevgnen. Even if it was true that Yevgnen was no match for Yanika¡¯s party because he was young, he had undoubtedly still done everything he could so that he wouldn¡¯t be humiliated while his little brother was watching¡­


    Boris wanted to say that was enough. Maybe being wary and doubtful of everyone just in case they might end up deceiving you like a coward was the smarter thing to do. But that didn¡¯t suit his brother. That just wasn¡¯t the kind of person Yevgnen was.


    Boris continued, ¡°Is that we trusted you, and you used that against us! That¡¯s the whole reason why you decided to approach us to begin with, wasn¡¯t it? To trick us! Saving us from the people who attacked us was just another part of your ruse, wasn¡¯t it? You probably didn¡¯t even kill them for real! You people have no honor! You¡¯re not warriors¡ªyou¡¯re just crooks!¡±


    He had simply spoken whatever had come to mind. He hadn¡¯t even actually contemplated the possibilities that he had brought up at the end. That being said, however, if Romabac truly was skilled enough that he could kill twenty people in an instant with nothing but his crossbow, then why wasn¡¯t he showing off his skills now? The gang from before had gone down in barely a blink of an eye.


    ¡°T-that damned, fucking little brat¡­¡±


    Romabac looked visibly stunned. He stepped back and glowered when Yanika slapped him on the arm.


    Just then, Boris felt someone staring at him. He turned around. His gaze was quickly lost in the sea of mercenaries, but he realized that Guildmaster Deraki was also looking at him. The guildmaster looked different up close. The dense pack of mercenaries looked frightening enough on their own right, but Guildmaster Deraki¡¯s face was scarier. A large scar ran from the guildmaster¡¯s left eye to his temple, and he was also missing his left ear. His sharp and slitted eyes made it feel like he could see around the back of his head just by rolling his eyes.


    It was with those sharpened eyes that Deraki looked back at Boris for a moment before turning his gaze to Yevgnen. No one could tell what he was thinking. Then, completely out of the blue, he said, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re telling different stories.¡±


    Sensing that the tides were turning against her, Yanika yelled back, ¡°What the fuck are you talking about? Let¡¯s get this done and over with already! We¡¯re busy, you know? Just give me back my money!¡±


    Guildmaster Deraki slowly unfolded his arms and replied, ¡°Fight it out amongst yourselves. The winners can capture the losers and sell them. I¡¯ll pay the winners the money they¡¯re owed, and take the lowers with me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Yanika was so enraged that she was at a complete loss for what to do. Yevgnen, on the other hand, quickly grasped the situation. He didn¡¯t know why, but that tough-looking guildmaster had taken his and Boris¡¯ side. It was in his best interest to accept the guildmaster¡¯s goodwill. After all, who knew how long it would last?


    Yevgnen immediately stepped forward and got ready to do battle. He may have loathed Yanika and Romabac, but he was still not the type of person to attack his opponents before they were ready.


    Would he be able to beat Yanika?


    ¡°Fuck you! Don¡¯t blame it on me if I end up selling you a pair of corpses!¡± Yanika screamed shrilly as she made to draw Winterer, which she was carrying on her back. She changed her mind mid-movement, however, and ended up drawing the blade at her hip instead. She wasn¡¯t stupid. She knew that revealing the fact that she had gotten her hands on an amazing weapon would only mean that Guildmaster Deraki might decide to take it for himself.


    Yevgnen and Yanika clashed before anyone officially started their duel.


    Boris watched them in silence. Yanika¡¯s sword was moving so quickly he could barely follow it with his eyes. He saw Yevgnen blocking her first blow with much difficulty. But he only managed to block the first blow. Yanika¡¯s sword stabbed into Yevgnen¡¯s right shoulder and left scratches on his neck and chin in a blink of an eye. She also stabbed him squarely on his right wrist. Then, she deftly stepped back as her eyes glistened before jumping back and resuming her storm-like assault.


    Yevgnen was bleeding quite a bit, but none of his injuries were fatal. However, Yanika¡¯s attacks had managed to break his morale. He was already focusing more on defending than attacking before he knew it. On the other hand, there was a light grin on Yanika¡¯s face. She knew that she was more than enough to handle him.


    Boris was clenching his hands into tight fists as the blood drained from his face. He was anxious. He was so anxious that he could hardly believe that he had actually managed to sense that unfamiliar gaze on him again. He didn¡¯t even realize that he had a talent for it. He turned around to look for the owner of that gaze before he could stop himself.


    However, Yevgnen fell into danger the very moment Boris looked away. He couldn¡¯t help but cry out, ¡°Ack!¡±


    Yevgnen had already known that his defenses had crumbled by the time Yanika¡¯s sword began closing in on his throat. She was already too close for his sword to do him any good now. Even sacrificing an arm couldn¡¯t save him. Was this the end?


    Yevgnen didn¡¯t quite know what he was thinking, but he jumped up with everything he had. Jumping didn¡¯t help him avoid Yanika¡¯s blow. Her sword simply connected with his chest instead of his throat.


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Yanika froze up in alarm. She was so sure that she had stabbed her sword squarely into Yevgnen¡¯s chest, but her sword simply slid across him and pulled her along with it. Both Boris and the mercenaries were also taken by surprise.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Yanika immediately tried to pull away, but she couldn¡¯t. Yevgnen had circled behind her. Instead of attacking her with Joachim¡¯s sword, however, he let it go and grabbed Winterer¡¯s hilt instead. The mercenaries only saw that he had dropped his sword because he had his back to them. They thought that he had dropped it because of the wound he had suffered on his wrist earlier.


    But Yanika knew better.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Yevgnen hadn¡¯t even drawn Winterer yet, but the coldness it exuded froze her in place. She couldn¡¯t move a muscle. There was only one reason why she had lost. She hadn¡¯t known about Snowguard, which Yevgnen was wearing under his clothes. The Winterbottom Kit, which had been temporarily split up, displayed unbelievable power once it was finally whole again. Yevgnen drew Winterer from its sheath and pushed Yanika away. She fell over like a stone statute.


    Yevgnen was breathing heavily. Boris kept his eyes glued on his brother, and he ran over to where Yevgnen was as soon as Yevgnen let go of Yanika. But just then¡­


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Something shaped like an arrow with long white feathers flew past the brothers¡¯ eyes just as they heard Guildmaster Deraki intoning quietly. Someone screamed before its bright afterimage faded.


    ¡°A-argh!¡±


    It was Romabac. It was only then that the brothers finally turned around and realized that he had readied his crossbow and was pointing it at them. But his arms were quivering, as if they were paralyzed.


    It was dark. That was why it took a moment before they realized that there were three daggers planted into Romabac¡¯s arms. They turned back around only to find a new figure standing next to Guildmaster Deraki who hadn¡¯t been there before. They were holding three more daggers, which looked exactly like the ones planted into Romabac¡¯s arms, between their fingers.


    Yevgnen couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. Those daggers had found their mark with extraordinary precision and accuracy. Had they really been thrown by a little girl who looked barely older than ten?


    ¡°Naya,¡± Guildmaster Deraki called out to the girl.


    The girl¡ªNaya¡ªdidn¡¯t respond. Instead, she lowered her gaze for a moment before shooting a glare at Boris. Boris instinctively realized that she was the owner of the gaze he had been feeling on him earlier, though he couldn¡¯t quite explain how he knew that.


    Her long silver braids were eye-catching even in the darkness. She had a turban, a head covering typically worn by those who believed in a specific faith in Lekordable, wrapped around her head. The faded purplish color of her turban suited her amethyst eyes.


    ¡°Capture them,¡± Guildmaster Deraki ordered. A couple mercenaries ran forward and grabbed Yanika¡ªwho still couldn¡¯t budge¡ªby the arms and pulled her up, and a few others made their way to Romabac.


    Romabac hadn¡¯t given up yet and was still aiming his crossbow at the mercenaries despite how badly his arms were trembling. His voice was filled with malice as he shouted, ¡°How could you do this to us?! We were business partners! How could you kick us to the curb like this and side with a couple of brats from gods-know-where?! Are you fucking blind?! Are you being nice to them because they¡¯re just kids? Tch, you goddamned dirty bastards!¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Yevgnen said as he struggled to catch his breath. That being said, he still managed to convey his thoughts articulately. ¡°You were looking down on mothers earlier¡­ But would you be able to go up to your own mother and proudly tell her what a terrible excuse of a human being you are? You¡¯re worse than an insect¡­ You should consider not meeting your mother again while you still yet live, for her sake.¡±


    Romabac¡¯s visage crumpled pathetically. This was the first time in his life that he had failed to murder someone who had insulted him. He had put his faith in Yanika¡ªwas she even still alive?¡ª, but she had proved to be absolutely useless to him. Who knew how long it would be until he finally managed to escape from the mercenaries at this rate? But¡­ fuck! There was no getting out of this now!


    The little girl with braided silver hair stepped forward just then. She walked past Boris and Yevgnen and made her way over to Romabac. Her footsteps were light, she was tiny, and she still had a babyish face, but she carried herself with so much dignity that no one dared to block her path.


    One of the mercenaries who had been handling Romabac turned to her and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to come over here, Nayatrei.¡±


    The girl¡ªNayatrei¡ªdidn¡¯t reply. Her petite lips were pursed tightly shut.


    Then, she suddenly jumped up, landed about two steps ahead, and swiftly spun around. The last thing that Romabac saw was the way she shot herself at him after spinning around. She was no slower than the daggers she had thrown earlier. What happened next was too quick for the naked eye to follow. Nayatrei reached out, and her braided hair danced as it cut through the darkness. She hadn¡¯t hit him, but Romabac nevertheless collapsed before he even had the chance to so much as scream.


    Thud.


    Nayatrei had leapt back in the direction she had originally come from before anyone could stop her. She landed with one knee on the ground and with her left arm over her face, almost like she was a dancer performing in a circus. Even the way she walked had suggested that she was highly skilled in martial arts.


    What just happened?


    Boris only understood what had happened after he had turned his gaze back to Romabac. The crossbow he had been holding and the three daggers that had been pierced into his arms had disappeared. The little girl was apparently an expert at disarming others while being unarmed herself. Boris and Yevgnen had heard that it was possible, but even Yevgnen had never actually seen it being executed in person before.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten cleaner. Well done, Naya.¡±


    Nayatrei climbed up to her feet and gave Guildmaster Deraki a small nod. Then, the guildmaster gestured to the other mercenaries. He didn¡¯t seem to care about Yevgnen and Boris anymore. Not that the brothers had wanted his attention to begin with.


    Nayatrei walked back to the guildmaster. The mercenary who had called out to her before chased after her and patted her on the head. He was a man in his early twenties with his long red hair tied behind his back. Nayatrei looked up at him, but she didn¡¯t say anything. That being said, she didn¡¯t seem offended by the treatment either.


    The mercenary guild left the village shortly thereafter. Nayatrei did not look back at Boris again.

 Volume 1 - CH 2.5

    ¡°they probably made us walk all night to a faraway village on purpose. they wanted to tire us out so we¡¯d let down our guard.¡±


    the brothers were walking aimlessly through the fields. they had lost their horse, and they did not have a destination in mind. there were a lot of grass plains where no crops grew in southern travachess. the soil was certainly arable, though there might be a lot of weeds, but the entire nation was swept up in the madness of politics and her people did not care enough to farm or cultivate the land.


    ¡°you think so?¡± boris responded while nodding back.


    he looked a bit gaunter than he had yesterday. as they had left savanon village, the gatekeeper had informed them that not only were there several other villages close by but that there was also a large city, gwareh, in the neighborhood. this was what the brothers were discussing currently.


    ¡°so many people approach others with the intent of screwing them over,¡± yevgnen said bitterly.


    they were not making their way to another village. they had no money. guildmaster deraki had not given them the money he had promised before the mercenary guild had left. likewise, yevgnen and boris had been too caught up in the fact that they had managed to recover winterer that they had completely forgotten about the money. and the money yevgnen had been carrying with him earlier had also been stolen by yanika when she had stolen winterer from him.


    ¡°they also never questioned why so many people were after us to begin with,¡± boris replied. ¡°they just killed twenty people without bothering to figure out who was in the right and who was in the wrong first. actually, they might not even have killed them at all. but either way, the fact is that they wouldn¡¯t have known whether or not there was a good reason why we were under attack.¡±


    yevgnen patted his little brother¡¯s head and made a mess of his hair like he had always done back at home.


    ¡°you¡¯re a lot smarter than me, boris.¡±


    it was long past dinnertime, but they had nothing to eat. they had bought a piece of bread with the last silver coin that yevgnen had managed to find in his pocket before leaving the village, but they had already eaten it for breakfast and lunch. they really had nothing left now.


    boris had never been this hungry before in his life. but he was more worried about his brother¡¯s mood than he was about his aching stomach. there was no way that his brother was okay with the fact that his little brother was hungry. boris wanted to tell yevgnen that he was okay, but he didn¡¯t think that yevgnen would believe him.


    what was yevgnen thinking about right now?


    ¡°should we take a little break?¡±


    naturally, they would be camping out tonight. the brothers found a nice patch of grass near a big tree and sat down. they didn¡¯t even have a single blanket to wrap themselves up with. nor did they have any flint to start a fire with either, because all of their things had vanished alongside their horse. the two brothers stared out into the open fields in silence. it was dark, and the only thing they could see were the tips of the wet grasses shining beneath the moonlight, but they kept staring for a very long time nevertheless.


    boris didn¡¯t remember falling asleep.


    the first thing he remembered was a terrible nightmare. someone¡¯s cruel hands were strangling him. he couldn¡¯t breathe. he struggled to break free, but to no avail. he squirmed and wriggled with everything he had until finally, he felt something by his feet. he kicked. something got tangled up around his leg before he finally managed to push it away. it was only then that the hands around his throat finally loosened up.


    still unable to discern between dream and reality, boris breathed in and out so hard that his throat hurt. his eyes were still closed. it was only after he felt the chilly breeze kissing his neck where the hands had been that he realized that he was actually awake.


    slowly, he opened his eyes.


    it was dark. the day hadn¡¯t started yet. boris looked around, but nobody was there. then, he looked down at his feet and saw something like cloth by his feet. he tugged at it slowly only to realize that it was yevgnen¡¯s armor. he had probably draped it over boris after boris had fallen asleep.


    boris combed through the darkness once again until he finally found his big brother. his brother was laying a short distance away. but there was something strange about him. yevgnen was sprawled out over the ground, as if he had fallen over after someone had pushed him down. but yevgnen had very good sleeping habits normally.


    boris leapt up to his feet. what if whoever had been trying to choke him earlier had done something to his brother first?


    he walked over to his brother and brought his hand up to yevgnen¡¯s nose. yevgnen¡¯s breathing was ragged, but, thankfully, he was breathing. boris grabbed yevgnen¡¯s hand to wake him up. but yevgnen¡¯s hand was oddly warm. then, he brought his hand up to yevgnen¡¯s face. his brother¡¯s cheeks and forehead were warm too. had he caught a cold after giving his little brother his clothes while they were sleeping outside?


    boris brought over yevgnen¡¯s armor and brushed off the dirt. then, he draped it over his brother and lied down next to yevgnen so that his back was touching him. he hoped that this would be enough to warm his brother up.


    boris fell back asleep quickly. perhaps he was simply worn out.


    the brothers somehow managed to make their way to another village the next day. yevgnen was holding boris¡¯ hand while looking this way and that as they walked the streets. he asked a few people if there was anywhere he could sell objects made of gold.


    yevgnen¡¯s hand still felt warm to the touch. maybe that was why his face looked haggard too. boris asked him repeatedly if he was feeling sick, but yevgnen continued to shake his head no in silence.


    when his little brother¡¯s questioning became persistent, yevgnen forced a smile and said, ¡°it¡¯s nothing. i¡¯m fine.¡±


    they made their way to the newly built house by the main road that people had pointed them to. it was so sparsely furnished that it almost looked empty. there was a ladder leading up to a hole in the ceiling, but the house didn¡¯t seem to contain any rooms otherwise. the only person inside was a man who was dozing off on a chair next to a table that looked like it had originally been a wooden crate.


    ¡°how much can you give us for this?¡± yevgnen asked him. he was pawning off his mother¡¯s heirloom.


    boris was surprised by how little hesitation yevgnen seemed to have as he handed the mirror over. it was something that yevgnen had cherished dearly for a very long time. it had been difficult for him to get ahold of any keepsakes of his mother because their father had not taken kindly to the idea that his sons would lose themselves in her memory.


    the man cracked one eye open to look at the mirror, and then he snapped out of his sleepiness and peered deeply into yevgnen¡¯s face. then, he rubbed his eyes and pulled out a pouch of money that had been hidden inside the wooden crate. he began scrutinizing the sapphire on the mirror¡¯s lid as soon as yevgnen handed him the mirror.


    the mirror was an antique. there were dark rivets on its ivory surface, making it look like it was made from mother-of-pearl, and there was a deep blue sapphire embedded in it. etched onto the inside of the mirror¡¯s cover was yevgnen¡¯s mother¡¯s initials¡ªy. j.


    ¡°this isn¡¯t half bad. i can give you three hundred elso for it. how¡¯s that sound?¡±


    yevgnen knew for a fact that the mirror as worth far more, but he didn¡¯t know how to negotiate. it took him a while before he finally managed to reply, ¡°i¡­ don¡¯t think that¡¯s enough.¡±


    he had never bartered for anything before in his life. he had never even haggled down the price of something when he was the buyer. he couldn¡¯t help but flush in shame. he couldn¡¯t help that asking to raise the price of something he was trying to sell felt disgraceful.


    the man snuck a glance at yevgnen¡¯s reddened face and shrugged.


    ¡°don¡¯t you know the difference between buying something new and buying something used, young man?¡± the man asked grumpily. yevgnen had no idea how he was supposed to respond. the man continued, ¡°you¡¯d have to be a thief to ask for more than three hundred elso for a used good. i¡¯m already giving you a good price, and that¡¯s only because i live all the way out here in the middle of nowhere. anywhere else, and you¡¯d be lucky to get two hundred.¡±


    when yevgnen failed to reply, the man continued, ¡°and only nobles use stuff like this. maybe a tavern wench will decide to buy it from me, or maybe someone will buy it just so they can use the jewel for something else. besides, stuff like this isn¡¯t even popular anymore. the jewel alone might get you a hundred elso or so. you should consider yourself lucky that i¡¯m willing to pay you more for the rest of the mirror.¡±


    yevgnen did not know how to refute the man¡¯s logic. he looked down at boris¡¯ face before he finally lowered his head and said, ¡°i¡¯ll take it, then.¡±


    ¡°brother¡­¡±


    before all this, yevgnen would have refused to sell his mother¡¯s heirloom for three thousand elso, which was nothing to say of a mere three hundred. today, however, he handed the mirror over willingly. he kept his eyes glued on the mirror until the man had finished wrapping it up and putting it away.


    the man even gave them a coin pouch on the house because yevgnen had nothing to carry the three hundred elso in. he would have only needed to carry three coins in total if the man had paid him in gold 100-elso coins, but the man had only paid him in silver. yevgnen stowed his coins away awkwardly before leaving the building.


    boris stared at his big brother¡¯s profile, but he didn¡¯t know what to say. he dithered. yevgnen looked bitter, but boris could plainly see the emotions he was trying to hide underneath.


    boris wanted to say something, but before he could, yevgnen cheerfully said to him, ¡°well, we finally have money again! shall we go and grab something to eat? i¡¯ll buy you anything you want. just say the word.¡±


    boris didn¡¯t reply. not only did he know that they only had three hundred elso, but he also understood painfully well what they¡¯d had to sell in order to obtain that measly three hundred elso. how could he possibly respond?


    it wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t hungry. but his heart felt emptier than did his stomach. it was unbearable. perhaps that was why he had asked yevgnen the question that he had being doing his best to avoid asking.


    ¡°brother¡­ when is father going to contact us?¡±


    yevgnen, who was doing his best to feign cheerfulness, flinched ever so slightly.


    even still, he promptly turned back to his little brother and replied, ¡°ah, well¡­ maybe it¡¯s taking him a  while to get healed up? i guess he doesn¡¯t want to reconvene with us after he¡¯s all better.¡±


    it sounded like yevgnen had prepared his answer far in advance. boris looked up at his brother, but he quickly brought his gaze back down. he had accidentally seen the moisture glistening in his big brother¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°okay¡­¡±


    boris was already looking down, so he pretended to nod back as he replied. yevgnen resumed walking. his right had was clenched tightly around the coin pouch in his pocket.


    they booked a room at the inn for the night.


    their pouch of silver coins had already shrunk noticeably after buying a proper lunch and dinner. boris had wanted to tell yevgnen that he would be fine with just dried bread and water, but he held back because he understood that yevgnen wanted to give his little brother something good to eat.


    the brothers fell asleep in their respective beds. boris began having nightmares again. this time, he felt someone squeezing his chest while shaking him. he began coughing because he couldn¡¯t breathe, and he woke up the moment that his head¡ªwhich he had been shaking wildly¡ªsnapped back.


    ¡°ahhh!¡± he couldn¡¯t stop himself from screaming.


    a black shadow was squeezing his chest. but boris¡¯ terror only lasted as long as his scream did. it was quickly replaced by astonishment once he realized who that shadow was. he knew those arms.


    it was yevgnen.


    ¡°b-brother¡­ why¡­?¡±


    nothing he said seemed to be getting through. yevgnen, whose face boris couldn¡¯t see very well because it was dark, threw his little brother down on top of the bed and planted his fist into boris¡¯ stomach. this was something that the normal yevgnen would never do even if his life was in danger.


    ¡°ugh¡­¡±


    it hurt so much that boris felt his consciousness beginning to fade in and out. he couldn¡¯t even scream. he was utterly helpless, like a branch in the wind, as his big brother tossed him this way and that. his shock overpowered the physical pain.


    why is my brother doing this? just why?


    boris couldn¡¯t fight back even if he had wanted to. after all, he was only twelve. yevgnen was shoving, grabbing, and hitting boris as if he truly intended to murder his own little brother. boris would have already been long dead if yevgnen had been holding a dagger.


    did he lose his mind?


    ¡°brother¡­ yevg¡­nen¡­¡±


    boris¡¯ voice was as wispy as a mosquito¡¯s. yevgnen got up, but then he suddenly stopped in his tracks as if he¡¯d spotted something. then, in his terror, boris remembered that winterer was also there with them in the room.


    ¡°n-no!¡±


    he had cried out not because he was desperate to live but rather because he frantically wanted to keep his brother from the shock that would surely come over him after he realized what he¡¯d accidentally done. boris was battered and bruised at this point, but he miraculously managed to jump up and grab his big brother in a bear hug.


    yevgnen was more than capable of prying boris off and throwing him to a corner of the room if he wanted to. but the bloodlust that had been boiling inside him had abruptly extinguished just then. boris let go when he felt yevgnen falling slack. then, yevgnen staggered two steps over to his bed and collapsed on top of it unconscious.


    was he asleep? boris climbed back up to his feet and carefully made his way over to his brother. yevgnen¡¯s condition was similar to the state that boris had found him in last night too. yevgnen¡¯s face and hands were feverish, and he was breathing heavily.


    boris went back to his own bed. he was alarmed and agitated, he ached all over, and his heart wouldn¡¯t stop pounding. obviously, he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to fall back asleep. something terrible had just happened. something so terrible that it had never come up even in his worst nightmares. his mind was in chaos. he had no idea how to process what had just happened.


    just what kind of secret was yevgnen hiding from him?


    boris was only able to fall back asleep after dawn. yevgnen was already up and ready to head out by the time he woke up again.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong? i tried waking you up so many times. did you have a nightmare or something?¡± he asked as he sat by the edge of boris¡¯ bed and peered into his little brother¡¯s face with worry in his eyes.


    boris didn¡¯t know what to say. he felt his heart thump again as soon as he saw his brother¡¯s face. he was so alarmed that he thought that his heart might jump right out of his chest. then, boris realized that he might be making a face and quickly tried to sit up. but he didn¡¯t get very far before he groaned and collapsed back down onto his bed.


    ¡°ugh¡­¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong? are you hurt?¡±


    boris recalled the silhouette of his big brother he had seen last night as he watched the expression on yevgnen¡¯s face changing into apprehension. what expression had yevgnen been wearing last night? boris didn¡¯t think that any of the faces that he¡¯d ever seen yevgnen making before would suit the way yevgnen had been acting last night.


    ¡°i-it¡¯s nothing. i¡­ i fell off my bed in the middle of the night. that¡¯s all.¡±


    it was a lie that he had made up on the spot. it was only after he had spoken that he realized that he had no way of explaining all the bruises that were covering his body. yevgnen looked flabbergasted.


    ¡°geez, you¡¯ve never fallen off your bed before. you must¡¯ve been exhausted.¡±


    both brothers had good sleeping habits. yevgnen helped boris up. boris¡¯ neck and shoulders hurt¡ªthey felt like they were breaking apart¡ªbut he did his best not to let it show.


    ¡°should we spend another night here?¡± yevgnen asked. ¡°you don¡¯t look too well. are you sure you aren¡¯t sick or anything?¡±


    ¡°what¡­ about you?¡± boris managed to ask.


    ¡°me?¡± yevgnen nonchalantly spread his arms open for boris to see and continued, ¡°i¡¯m as fit as a fiddle. you were asking yesterday too. do i look sick to you?¡±


    or so yevgnen said, but he looked even more haggard than he had yesterday. he really did look ill.


    boris pondered laboriously over what he should say to his brother as he got changed and followed yevgnen down for a late breakfast. in the end, however, he wasn¡¯t able to say anything. something told him that he shouldn¡¯t.


    they ended up spending another night at the inn. boris stayed awake in bed and listened to his brother fall asleep. he waited for a very long time, but he didn¡¯t think that yevgnen was actually sleeping. then, yevgnen got up. he walked around the room barefoot for some time before he started taking deep breaths and stretching out his arms and shoulders. it chilled boris to the bone, though he didn¡¯t quite know why. it took a little while longer before boris realized that his brother didn¡¯t intend to sleep at all.


    a little longer, just a little longer¡­ boris tried to stave away sleep for as long as he could, but he eventually fell asleep. he woke up in the morning. it¡¯d been a while since he¡¯d woken up at a reasonable hour.


    ¡°did you not sleep last night, brother?¡± boris asked in alarm when he saw yevgnen sitting in his bed with bloodshot eyes.


    yevgnen smiled awkwardly and shook his head as he replied, ¡°i did. i just woke up early.¡±


    ¡°you look tired.¡±


    he looked more than tired. yevgnen looked gaunt, as though he had been agonizing over something all night long.


    ¡°anyway, we should get moving today.¡±


    they left the village. they had tacitly agreed to make their way to where their great aunt janine was, but neither of them knew whether they¡¯d actually be able to make it there. actually, they weren¡¯t even certain that they were even going to see her to begin with. they were simply pressing onward, as if their only real goal was to start moving in any direction.


    yevgnen was unstable as he walked. boris pondered for a long time before he finally decided to say something about it.


    it was already lunchtime by the time he finally asked, ¡°father¡¯s not coming to get us, is he?¡±


    ¡°hm?¡±


    yevgnen¡¯s response almost sounded apathetic, especially considering what boris had just asked him. boris looked up at his brother a moment later. it was only then that he realized that yevgnen hadn¡¯t understood a word he¡¯d said.


    yevgnen was never like this. right now, however, it was almost like he was in a blank daze. like his mind was a thousand miles away.


    ¡°oh¡­¡±


    yevgnen finally seemed to have understood what boris had asked him. his eyes began swimming like he was dreaming. it took yet another long while before he finally answered.


    ¡°no¡­ that¡¯s not true¡­¡±


    he sounded like he was replying only because he had to. his attitude now was a complete contrast to how earnestly he had been trying to persuade and deceive his little brother into believing otherwise previously.


    boris stopped walking.


    ¡°be honest with me. i¡¯ll be okay. what happened to father? did our uncle capture him?¡±


    yevgnen stopped too. he pressed against his brows as if he had a headache, and then he slowly sank down to his feet. then, he buried his head in his knees and wrapped his arms around it.


    ¡°just a minute¡­¡±


    summer was passing, and the sky was just as blue as it had been yesterday and the day before. it hadn¡¯t rained since the war had ended. maybe that was why boris could recall the memories of that day so vividly, as if it had only been yesterday. the torches that had surrounded the manor, the terrifying summon, the strange monster he had seen as he had been sitting by the lake all alone, the way his brother had shouted¡­ he could remember it all so vividly.


    that was why it was so strange. he could remember everything else so clearly, but then his memories suddenly became a tangled mess after a certain point. he had tried to recall everything time and time again, but all that he could remember was that his father had gone to face his uncle at the swamp and that he had his brother had been standing back to back until, for some reason, his legs had given out from under him.


    just what on earth had happened?


    a chill ran down his spine and refused to leave whenever he tried to brush off the fright he had felt in his memories¡­ and the dreadful terror. he became so dizzy, like something might happen to his brain, whenever he tried to recall anything else.


    out of nowhere, yevgnen looked up and said, ¡°come here and try holding it, boris.¡±


    yevgnen was holding winterer out to boris. boris was confused as he walked up to his big brother and took the sword.


    then, yevgnen continued, ¡°draw it, and trying swinging it.¡±


    ¡°right now?¡±


    boris was hesitant, but he took two steps back and drew the sword as he was told. it wasn¡¯t easy. he somehow managed to pull the blade out of the scabbard, but he began tipping over as soon as he tried to extend his arms. the sword was still too heavy for him, even though winterer was lighter than the average steel sword because it had been forged from a mysterious material.


    ¡°not yet, huh¡­?¡±


    yevgnen climbed up to his feet and walked up to his little brother. he walked behind boris and supported his arms from behind. boris was finally able to remain upright while holding the sword once yevgnen supported his arms like splints.


    ¡°like this¡­¡± yevgnen said as he gently wrapped his hands around boris¡¯ wrists and slowly swung the sword.


    the resplendent blade that arced in the air like a rainbow, the sunlight glistening at the sword¡¯s pointed tip, the brilliant light burning eternally into his memory¡­


    the warm figure wrapped around him. my big brother.


    boris found himself mumbling something quietly before he knew it.


    don¡¯t go. please don¡¯t go. please don¡¯t leave me here by myself.


    ¡°if only you were a bit bigger,¡± boris heard his big brother whisper quietly. boris wholeheartedly agreed. how nice would it be if he was old enough to actually be able to help his brother instead of being the powerless young child that he was now? if only he was seventeen¡ªsixteen, even.


    winterer¡¯s white blade slashed vainly through the empty air. up, down, and to the side. yevgnen, who was doing everything in his power to give his little brother as much as he possibly could, never took his eyes off the blinding white blade.


    ¡°father won¡¯t be coming. he¡¯s gone to somewhere he can never return from. he¡¯s been gone for a long time now. but i¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine since the butler¡¯s there with him too. the butler will always be faithful to father¡¯s wishes even if we aren¡¯t there with them.¡±


    boris listened quietly without saying anything in reply. he was certain he hadn¡¯t known about this until now, but he didn¡¯t feel much of anything in his heart. he felt like yevgnen was merely confirming something that he had already known. he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had already been expecting this.


    no, perhaps he¡¯d actually known all along. his father was dead, and his brother was in pain. perhaps it was simply that something had devoured a portion of his memories and sunken into a silent oblivion. and, just as boris decided to reclaim those memories one by one¡­


    an image suddenly flared to life before his eyes.


    rumble¡­


    it was thundering in his memories of the days gone by. the memories of his final moments in jinneman territory, which he had been repressing, was suddenly revealed to him as though he was peering into them through a crystal ball.


    he could see a pair of gigantic wings.


    yevgnen squeezed boris¡¯ hands when he felt the little brother¡¯s arms beginning to shake. he was trying to hold his little brother in a warm embrace because he thought that boris was shocked to hear about their father¡¯s passing.


    ¡°oh¡­¡±


    the veil was drawn away, and his memories began opening up like a book.


    he remembered a pair of reddish gray wings that reminded him of a curtain of fog spreading open wide. their total wingspan was wider than five grown men were tall. but they weren¡¯t beautiful. the wings looked ghastly, like patches of fleshy membrane with lumps here and there, and the ends were lined with hundreds of razor-sharp talons, like teeth.


    he remembered a voice. it had sounded like someone was dragging a rake across an iron gate. it had seemed to piece not only his ears but also his heart, and it had made his skin and the inside of his nose sting.


    boris dropped winterer. the sword penetrated the earth where the grasses were swaying side to side. yevgnen pulled his little brother into a hug. boris was burning up as he shivered.


    ¡°boris, you¡­¡±


    his nanny had called it a ghost. indeed, it had been just that¡ªsomething that should not have existed in this world, just like the partially-summoned krigal. its wings had seemed to fade in and out of existence, and between those wings, had been its vivid eyes that glistened like flames¡­ oh, boris was so glad that he hadn¡¯t been able to take a proper look at the ghost because its wings had obscured his view.


    ¡°b-brother¡­ t-those¡­ those¡­ those wings¡­¡±


    yevgnen turned his little around so they were face to face. then, he asked, ¡°did you remember?¡±


    everything else came back to boris like a crashing wave now that he had started remembering.


    boris had encountered the ghost of lake emera, which he had always been terrified of, that night. his big brother had jumped forward, grabbed him, and pushed him back. boris had lost his balance and fallen over because yevgnen had pushed him too hard in the heat of the moment. he had looked back up only to see those ginormous wings folding around his brother. the talons at the ends of the ghost¡¯s wings had been glistening like teeth hungry for blood¡­


    boris had tried to run. he had always thought that he would never do anything of the sort, but he had been so terrified that night. he saw himself trying to run away in his memories. he had run all the way to the lake before he knew it, only to find his father collapsed on the ground. had his father left any last words for him?


    yes¡­ he had. run! get away from here! his father had shouted. his voice had seemed to cut through the air.


    boris¡¯ memories flickered out after that. he had probably passed out by then.


    ¡°brother¡­ what happened to you that night. what¡­ happened?¡±


    boris was slowly realizing why his memories of that night were so fragmented. it was because he had witnessed something that he could never accept. something that he¡¯d never wanted had happened that night. something that he¡¯d always been afraid of. he was a coward, so his fragile mind had instinctively tried not to remember the truth.


    yevgnen did not answer him.


    it was cold that night.


    the brothers were sitting opposite of each other as they stared at the flickering flames. they were still in the same exact place where they had stopped earlier during the day. they no longer felt the need to keep traveling. they no longer cared about where they ended up.


    ¡°you should get some sleep,¡± boris said to his brother.


    but yevgnen shook his head no and turned his gaze back to the campfire. he had started its flames using the coins he had obtained by selling his mother¡¯s keepsake.


    after a long while, yevgnen abruptly said, ¡°resume travelling by yourself after you wake up tomorrow morning, boris. we should part ways tonight.¡±


    those words sent more chills down boris¡¯ spine than anything else he had learned or remembered today.


    ¡°i don¡¯t wanna,¡± he quickly shot back while shaking his head furiously.


    ¡°it¡¯s not about what you want,¡± yevgnen replied. ¡°i can¡¯t stay with you anymore. i¡­ don¡¯t have much time left.¡±


    boris stared across the fire and directly back at his big brother¡¯s eyes as he shook his head once again. he shook his head no with everything he had.


    ¡°i don¡¯t want to. i¡¯m going to stay with you until the bitter end.¡±


    sorrow filled yevgnen¡¯s eyes. he prodded at the campfire with the long branch he was holding as he quietly replied, ¡°even if i might end up killing you the next time i have a fit?¡±


    the ghost of lake emera.


    yevgnen had told boris that the ghost had killed their aunt yeni. boris didn¡¯t remember his aunt. the only thing he knew about her was that she had used to live in the manor with them.


    aunt yeni had a room in the manor, and it was always kept clean, just like their mother¡¯s room. boris had snuck into her room once. there, he had found an unfinished painting left behind in the small sitting room that was attached to the bedroom. it was a painting of a young man. boris had been too young at the time to be able to tell how good it was. the man, who had been left behind in a dead woman¡¯s room, had been nothing more than an outline of a face and an elegant chin.


    ¡°aunt yeni was really kind. she was a good person. she used to give me a lot of cookies. mother used to hide the cookies, but aunt yeni would always find them and give them to me if i grabbed her skirt and gave her puppy eyes. she was so tender-hearted that she could never tell anyone no. i cried and clung to her so much when i heard that she would be leaving the manor soon to get married that she locked herself in her chambers and refused to come out. she was afraid that she¡¯d end up turning down her marriage if she saw me crying.¡±


    vlado, their uncle, had pulled a prank on her and told her that her betrothed had gone to lake emera. aunt yeni had believed him and had actually gone to find her fianc¨¦ even though she had always been terrified of the lake. her fianc¨¦ had actually been locked in the manor basement the entire time. not a single hair on his head had been harmed.


    when could the people of travachess finally stop fighting? was it only after their bloodlines were ended, the hearts of their loved ones were soiled, and the curtains had fallen over a bloody conclusion?


    ¡°it was already too late by the time someone found her. but they didn¡¯t find our beloved aunt yeni. the person they found by the lake was a raving madwoman who had ripped off all her clothes. i remember it¡­ mother immediately locked me in my chambers and didn¡¯t let me out when father and his men came back after finding her. i was so worried and curious that i couldn¡¯t stand it. i loved aunt yeni very much, you see. i was worried that she¡¯d gotten hurt after going to the scary lake all by herself, and i was scared that she might have died. that¡¯s why i pushed mother away and went outside. mother chased after me, of course¡­ but she was too late. i¡¯d already seen everything.¡±


    it had taken three soldiers just to hold aunt yeni down. her clothes had been in tatters, revealing the naked figure of the maiden inside, and there had been streaks of blood in her disheveled hair. she had looked terrifying. yevgnen¡¯s aunt had not been able to recognize any of her family, which of course included yevgnen himself. she had simply continued shrieking undecipherably, as though she saw everyone around her as her enemy. it had sounded nothing like the gentle tones that his aunt normally spoke with. her shrieks had reminded him only of a mindless beast.


    ¡°father and uncle fought bitterly that day. it was pretty scary. i don¡¯t think uncle vlado realized that this would ever happen to aunt yeni even in his wildest dreams. he was probably only planning for his men to kidnap her once she was alone. father wasn¡¯t exactly pleased that aunt yeni was marrying into another political party either, and that¡¯s probably why he didn¡¯t do anything about the fact that her betrothed was locked up in the basement. he probably never even imagined that uncle vlado had sent her to lake emera. either way, uncle vlado became a criminal, and his position within the house became weak. father sounded so calm when he said that the only cure for the madness incurred by being attacked by the ghost of lake emera was death.¡±


    house jinneman¡¯s past was being laid out before boris¡¯ eyes. it solidified into his reality. he felt so insanely frustrated as he learned about a truth that he could not possibly accept.


    their father had been the true lord of the house by then. neither their grandmother, who had tried to stop her eldest son in tears, nor their grandfather, who had stepped outside because he could not bear to watch, had been able to stop him. their father had killed aunt yeni. it didn¡¯t matter if he hadn¡¯t actually committed the act with his own hands, but yevgnen knew his father. his father wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would have left it to someone else to end aunt yeni¡¯s life.


    everything had become nothing more than a bad nightmare after the years had passed. but now, it had become his reality once more. the only reason why his own madness had laid dormant for a bit instead of manifesting immediately was because he hadn¡¯t been as badly wounded as aunt yeni had been.


    despite everything, he had tried his best to cling to hope at first. he hadn¡¯t been injured as badly, so maybe he would be okay. or, at the very least, maybe the madness would stay dormant until boris was old enough to survive on his own. he would have offered anything if only he could have at least that much. he would have willingly suffered even the worst humiliation if only he could have that.


    but reality was cruel, and it refused to budge for him.


    ¡°i¡­ i don¡¯t care,¡± boris finally said. he had finished organizing the long story that his brother had told him this afternoon. ¡°i know what you¡¯re thinking right now. but you should know better. do you really think i¡¯ll be able to survive for much longer without you? i remember everything that¡¯s happened because of winterer just over these last couple of days. i¡¯d rather stay with you until the bitter end. i¡¯d rather that you just kill me with your own¡ª¡±


    ¡°boris!¡±


    it had happened in but an instant. yevgnen had jumped up and slapped boris across the face.


    ¡°did you already forget what i told you when we left that warehouse to find winterer?¡± yevgnen continued. ¡°did you forget already? what did i tell you? tell me what i told you!¡±


    yevgnen had never grown this angry at boris before, but boris understood where his anger was coming from.


    ¡°you told me¡­ to survive¡­¡±


    yevgnen was not like his father. he was not the kind of person who was capable of killing his own younger sibling, even if they had lost their mind. yevgnen was the kind of person who would struggle to survive until the people he cherished could keep living, and he was the kind of person who would do everything in his power to find even a fistful of happiness if he could and give it to the people he loved. if yevgnen had been in his father¡¯s shoes, then he would have waited until the bitter end for his little sister to come back to her senses even if it meant having to lock her up in the meanwhile. even if it meant he had to look after her until his dying breath.


    ¡°don¡¯t you dare saying anything about wanting to die ever again,¡± yevgnen said through clenched teeth as he did his best to reign his emotions in. ¡°your life is going to be different from mine. don¡¯t follow anyone¡¯s lead but your own. don¡¯t lend your ears to other people¡¯s circumstances. don¡¯t lend your ears to the words of others¡¯ at all. they¡¯ll only make you weak.¡±


    boris nodded back before he truly understood what yevgnen was saying.


    yevgnen continued, ¡°you need to be really strong¡­ once i¡¯m gone. you won¡¯t have anyone to act as your shield anymore. you won¡¯t have the time to stop under a shade to rest. don¡¯t trust anyone, and don¡¯t ever let your guard down in front of people. it¡¯ll be hard, but¡­ i¡¯m sure it¡¯ll all be worth it in the end because it means that you¡¯ll survive. you need to survive until you¡¯ve finally managed to uncover all the infinite possibilities there are in your life.¡±


    once he was done talking, yevgnen pulled away and sat down somewhere far away from boris. then, he hung his head. boris realized that yevgnen was sad that everything he¡¯d just said to his little brother no longer applied to himself. this, was the third thing that boris would always remember whenever he thought about his big brother.


    boris walked over to his brother and placed a hand on yevgnen¡¯s shoulder. the two of them stayed like that for a very long time.


    yevgnen did not sleep the next day, nor the next day after that.


    his efforts were in vain, however. yevgnen grew weaker by the day, and he started having fits even when he was awake. he had already made boris hold onto winterer. he had even told boris that he could stab him with it if he had another fit as he handed it over. boris had furiously shaken his head no, for yevgnen¡¯s sake. there was no way that he could ever bring himself to stab his own brother.


    eventually, yevgnen realized that he was missing pieces of his memory. he could not remember anything that happened when the madness took over. he would wake up in the morning only to learn that it was already well into the afternoon, and he would start a campfire for the night only to suddenly realize that it was already dawn.


    he was always grateful that his little brother wasn¡¯t in his line of sight whenever there were any gaps in his memory. boris had stopped sleeping with his big brother, and he would quickly go away whenever he sensed that something was wrong. he never went very far.


    yevgnen took off snowguard and gave it to his little brother later that night.


    ¡°you keep it. i don¡¯t need it anymore.¡±


    ¡°but it¡¯s yours.¡±


    boris still refused to accept the fact that his brother was dying.


    ¡°what use does a dead man have for armor?¡± yevgnen replied with a faint smile.


    then, he forced his little brother to wear the piece of armor that had the resplendence of snow and draped a coat over it. it seemed to make yevgnen happy for the first time in a very long while. he was overjoyed by the mere fact that he had been able to give his little brother even one thing that could protect him.


    yevgnen began talking about something he didn¡¯t usually talk about that night. he told boris about their uncle.


    ¡°it¡¯s technically true that uncle vlado murdered father, if you split hairs. but it was actually the monsters in the lake and the red-eyed ghost that killed him. maybe father would have never let the monsters get the better of him if uncle vlado hadn¡¯t injured him first. maybe it would have been uncle vlado who died instead. but in any case, there¡¯s an endless list of people you can point to if you¡¯re trying to find someone to blame. will you make me a promise, boris?¡±


    ¡°what is it?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t ever try to get revenge.¡±


    boris didn¡¯t need to ask who he wasn¡¯t supposed to get his revenge from. he opened his eyes wide in disbelief.


    yevgnen continued, ¡°i can¡¯t explain everything to you, but i¡­ i hope that you, at the very least, will be able to escape from the complicated cycle of grudges that surround our house. they didn¡¯t form in just the span of a couple years. countless families have been torn apart throughout the years because of travachess¡¯ political problems. but things only persisted for so long because people never learned to let go. the cycle wouldn¡¯t have continued for so long if even one side had let go or decided to forgive and forget.¡±


    ¡°but father¡ª¡±


    ¡°father would never say this to you if he was alive,¡± yevgnen interjected. ¡°sometimes, i¡¯m really glad that you¡¯re still so young. you still have so much more to live. you still have so much more to see and experience. so, forget everything that¡¯s happened until now. forgive it. you¡¯ll get chained down to the never-ending cycle of revenge too if you don¡¯t. don¡¯t pass down an inheritance of blood to your future children.¡±


    boris didn¡¯t understand what yevgnen was trying to tell him, but he knew that his brother was already suffering and did not want to go against him. the only thing he wanted was for his brother to get whatever was weighing him down off his chest.


    boris nodded back. yevgnen made the boy promise him over and over again. boris had not understood just how heavy it was to make a promise to a dying man at the time.


    yevgnen did his best not to fall asleep that night too. he had already tried to hurt his little brother during his first fit, which had happened while he was sleeping. how much more damage would he cause if he fell asleep and had another fit now? he was so much weaker now than he had been a few days ago.


    boris had fallen asleep by the fire. yevgnen watched over his little brother with bloodshot eyes as he did his best to stay conscious. but he hadn¡¯t slept in four days. it wasn¡¯t easy to keep himself awake. it had already taken superhuman effort just to stay awake for this long.


    his consciousness was beginning to fade. he could no longer tell the difference between dreams and reality. he somehow managed to stay up for a good part of the not by continuously shaking himself awake, but he could barely recognize right from left anymore.


    he heard a voice filtering into his ear. was he dreaming? was it real? in any case, the warm breath that tickled him felt good.


    ¡°it¡¯s okay. just go to sleep. you can rest. just rest¡­¡±


    yevgnen had fallen asleep while reading on a hill under the warm spring sun once. the wind had been so refreshing¡­ people had been smiling and waving at him in his dream. they had told him to come to them. he had woken up before he could. boris had been tickling the tip of his nose with a leaf.


    this was his recollection of that warm spring day.


    it felt so comfortable. like he was smugly inside a warm blanket. like he was submerging deeper into warm waters. his heart seemed to melt away. and then, yevgnen realized the truth. painful reality could not touch him in his sleep.


    he could tell, with sudden clarity, that his little brother had gone back to bed. his mind cleared up. he could plainly see what it was that he needed to do. there was just one thing left for him to do now. one last thing that he could do for this little brother¡¯s sake.


    it was time.


    boris saw something glowing through the fog of sleep. someone was digging up the earth with nothing but a single sword. it was so bizarre that he figured he must surely be dreaming. his befuddled mind closed his eyes to the strange vision he was seeing.


    even though this would be the very last time that he¡­


    it was already late into the morning by the time boris finally realized that he had not, in fact, been dreaming last night. there was a pit in the ground¡ªthe very same pit that someone had been digging in his dream-¡ªnot too far away. it was much wider than he remembered. there was a small hill of dirt next to it.


    the weather was nice. the skylarks were singing today. the sky was cloudless and as still as a lake, and there was a crisp chill in the air. the boy took a deep breath and surveyed his surroundings.


    he didn¡¯t see his brother anywhere¡­ or winterer for that matter.


    boris jumped to his feet. then, he stopped to think. his thoughts were cycling on repeat. it was time to face the facts now.


    it hurt. he felt like a sharp and pointy needle was stabbing his heart, but there was nothing he could do to assuage the pain. he hurt, like an animal skewered on a spear, as he swallowed the emotions that threatened surge up from his throat. he couldn¡¯t say a word. he could barely even breathe.


    boris forced himself to his feet and slowly walked over to the pit. his big brother was sleeping inside it with his eyes closed. he was resting, just as boris had told him to. he had fallen into a deep slumber from which he would never wake. he looked so peaceful, as if he had fallen asleep while listening to a lullaby.


    there was a gaping wound in the pit of yevgnen¡¯s stomach, right below his chest. darkened blood had dried all around it. but the sword that had caused it was not attached to him. winterer was lying by its lonesome off to one side of the pit.


    it was not easy to stab yourself with a sword as long as winterer. boris felt like he could see it happening right before his very eyes. yevgnen had propped the sword against the ground and thrown himself on top of it, and then he had used the very last dredges of his strength to pull sword out so his little brother wouldn¡¯t see it. yevgnen had likely been digging the pit all night long, and his fingers were split and bruised.


    he had toiled so much so that the boy who survived him would not have to¡­ and the boy he left behind almost resented him for that.


    why? why? you weren¡¯t even able to live your own life¡­


    the boy sat, speechless, in front of the pit for a very, very long time. the breeze kissed his cheeks as the sun climbed high into the sky. entire years seemed to pass him by in mere moments. the boy did not budge, as though he had been turned into stone.


    he did not cry, either.


    the sun reached its zenith and began to climb back down. it wasn¡¯t long before it began painting beautiful colors in the western sky. a long breeze brushed over the fields and swept through the boy¡¯s long hair. it touched the pallid young man in his twenties as well. that young man would stay young forever. he would never age again. the wind kissed his eyelids as it passed by.


    abruptly, boris sprang into motion. he took off his coat, and then he proceeded to take off snowguard, which he had been wearing underneath. then, he climbed down into the pit. he hugged his brother¡¯s corpse upright, and then he draped snowguard over him. the boy was sweating profusely. the strenuous act took up all his strength. but he refused to give up. there seemed to be madness in his eyes as he struggled to put snowguard back on his brother¡¯s body.


    yet, there was also a quiet resolve seeped deep into his features. the likes of which that could never have belonged to a madman.


    eventually, he succeeded in his task. he could no longer see that gaping wound by the time he laid his brother back down. the white armor had become a white shroud.


    the stars were embroidering the sky by the time his hoarse voice finally escaped his lips.


    it¡¯s time for bed now that the long day is over.


    the shooting stars have returned to their mommy star¡¯s side.


    worry not and rest, for i am watching over you


    so that none may wake you, my baby.


    the boy climbed up to his feet and began pushing the hill of dirt into the pit. dirt and pebbles poured down over the young man wearing white armor.


    even if the dark night frightens you, the morning will come soon.


    remember not the hardships of the world and shed not your tears


    for i¡¯ll give you a good night¡¯s kiss and stay by your side.


    the night will pass before you know it as you dream happy dreams.


    dirt was piled higher and higher on top of the face that he would never see again. the grave did not even have a marker. the fields were empty. the brothers had not seen a single soul during the days they had spent here.


    the boy looked around. instead of marking the grave, he chose etch everything he saw here deeply into his heart.


    it was time to leave.


    ¡°good night, my brother.¡±


    it was the late into the night, but boris did not delay. he was no longer a twelve-year-old boy in his heart as he walked away without ever looking back.


    that night was the start of a long and moonless winter.

 Volume 1 - CH 3.1

    chapter 3: blinding


    ¡°goodness! why must i wear what the maids are wearing?!¡±


    ¡°but there is nothing else for you to wear right now, miss.¡±


    the angry young miss¡¯s servants prostrated themselves before her. the young miss was particularly fussy, and the servants were hard-pressed to look after her while traveling in foreign lands. but the master had permitted the young miss to go. who were they to say otherwise?


    something had gone wrong on every single day of their trip thus far. the only silver lining was that they were finally on their way back home.


    ¡°fetch me something else to wear! i¡¯m the daughter of a count! my father will lose face if i walk around wearing something like this!¡±


    she wasn¡¯t necessarily wrong. or she wouldn¡¯t be, if they were still in the count¡¯s estate back home in anomarad. but they were in travachess, a land very far away from the estate. there were no nobles from anomarad here to make snide remarks about the count¡¯s reputation.


    ¡°i understand, miss, but we¡¯re out in the countryside. there isn¡¯t anywhere to buy new dresses here.¡±


    the servants knew how the young miss would respond before she ever said anything.


    ¡°what kind of backwards country is this?!¡±


    evidently, rosenice, the count¡¯s twelve-year-old daughter, thought that all streets were lined with high-end boutiques, like the developed streets of keltica, everywhere she went. she hadn¡¯t even been to keltica, the capital, before. rosenice genuinely believed that she would rather never step foot outside ever again than be caught wearing shabby clothes. to think that such atrocity could happen to her!


    the count¡¯s carriage had made a stop by a lake earlier because last night¡¯s rain had made the roads all muddy. unfortunately, the carriage door hadn¡¯t been closed properly, and the young miss¡¯s chest of dresses had fallen into the water when the door opened on accident. to add insult to injury, this had also happened after rosenice had gotten the dress she had been wearing muddy while taking a quick walk outside.


    willa, the maid who was in charge of attending to rosenice for the duration of the trip, had vowed to find the person responsible for not closing the carriage door all the way and break their wrist. willa was big-boned and had a better physique than most men, so it was very likely that she intended to make good on her threat.


    ¡°you can always decide to keep wearing what you already have on, rose.¡±


    someone had come to save the servants. the count, who had been away to visit a nearby village, had returned with his men. the young miss was fussy and dealing with her was like having to deal with ten children her age, but she was always listened to her father.


    count bellnor doted on his daughter and called her by her nickname¡ªrose. he spoiled her heavily and gave her anything she wanted. the count was also well-respected by his employees because he treated his servants fairly.


    ¡°but this one¡¯s muddy too, daddy¡­¡± rosenice said as she tried to  appeal to her father.


    alas, her efforts were in vain, and she was ultimately forced to accept the dress that willa gave her. the dress belonged to camia, a young maid who was in charge of running small errands. it was still the dress of a maid employed by a count, however, so it wasn¡¯t exactly shabby either.


    rosenice changed into camia¡¯s dress. she was upset because the dress not only failed to come with matching accessories but also only came down to her knees.


    camia was standing next to rosenice, and the two girls were roughly the same age.


    ¡°get lost!¡± rosenice exclaimed as she began venting her frustrations on the other girl. ¡°seeing you sitting next to me just pisses me off even more!¡±


    camia quickly tottered over to the other side of the carriage. she figured that it wasn¡¯t a good idea to be standing near the young miss while wearing the same exact dress as her.


    ¡°you might get your dress muddy again, rose. why don¡¯t you head back inside the carriage?¡±


    the only time rosenice didn¡¯t talk back was when her father was speaking to her. she nodded and opened the carriage door. willa scooped up the young miss, sat her down inside the carriage, and closed the door behind her. it was only after the carriage door had fully closed that she turned around and heaved a sigh.


    there were traveling with three carriages. the count of bellnor had travelled all the way to the republic of travachess in order to visit a distant relative of his wife¡¯s who was a rich and powerful elector. the count needed to maintain diplomatic relations with the republic because travachess was the county¡¯s closest foreign neighbor, discounting tia, which was a colony of anomarad. unfortunately, maintaining good relations with another nation was no easy feat. the political landscape in travachess was unstable, and, while the count had forged a relationship with one of the houses of travachess through marriage, it was always possible that the house could suddenly collapse on day.


    southern anomarad had historically been a producer of grapes, almonds, and truffles¡ªan exquisite food that was said to make even the mouths of gourmets begin watering just by their mere mention. the panozareh mountains bordered southern anomarad to the north, and the two regions situated at either end of the mountain range were called alajong and bellcruz. both regions were blessed with a favorable climate and were famous for their scenic beauty, and both regions also produced southern anomarad¡¯s specialties in abundance.


    bellnor county was situated in bellcruz. many of travachess¡¯ most affluent citizens had a taste for the delicacies that the county produced, and it was the count¡¯s duty to create a trade route for them. anomarad had a king back in her capital city, but the count, who was the lord of the region, had the authority to oversee this important matter.


    hugh, the count¡¯s secretary who had been watching over the party while the count was away, walked up to the count and bowed.


    ¡°is there anything that requires my attention?¡±


    ¡°not at all. have things gone well for you also, master?¡±


    ¡°mm, yes.¡±


    hugh nodded and changed the topic. ¡°i sent a runner ahead of us. it looks like it¡¯ll take us about four days until we reach the tia border. we should be able to find the young miss somewhere she can get some adequate rest once we¡¯ve arrived in tia.¡±


    tia had no reason to antagonize anomarad, so the knights and lords of tia were always very hospitable to the count of bellnor.


    ¡°i see. we¡¯ve been traveling for some time now. i¡¯m sure rose must be exhausted. she¡¯s barely ever left home before this.¡±


    ¡°she¡¯s powered through rather well, when all is said and done. i¡¯m certain the young miss will be kinder to everyone once she¡¯s had the chance to rest.¡±


    hugh was lying through his teeth. rosenice was only ever kind to a select few, and hugh himself was only half-included in that number. he was, however, faithful to his job and did not hesitate to tell the count what he wanted to hear.


    the carriages began moving again once the mud had dried. they planned to arrive at gwareh, the largest city in the area, before evening.  there would not be received by the castellan because the count had no ties to this region, but would still be able to find a few decent inns to stay at. the count intended to console rosenice by getting her something nice to eat. he also wanted to confirm some of the less than reliable information he had obtained.


    ¡°hey, look over there.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s a young kid like that doing all by himself?¡±


    ¡°where did he even get his hands on that?¡±


    gwareh was large, but it was less of a city and more of an estate. the people living there were able to recognize outsiders immediately. there was only a certain number of outsiders allowed inside the city at any given time. the most eye-catching outsiders who had entered the city today were a party of three whole carriages with twelve knights on horseback. the procession belonged to a foreign noble.


    the master of the procession was a handsome man riding an impressive white steed. the people didn¡¯t even need to guess where he was heading. he and his party were likely making their way over to the saffron gate, the nicest inn in gwareh. gwareh, as well as the rest of central travachess, made a lot of money selling saffron, a luxury spice. the most expensive dish at the saffron gate was smoked salmon served over a plate lined with saffron. naturally, it was only served on days when the merchants came to sell smoked salmon in the city.


    ¡°he looks exhausted.¡±


    the people of the city whispered amongst themselves as they ogled the outsider boy who was walking the streets alone. they were puzzled by the fact that the boy looked like he was from a well-to-do household. they would have assumed that he was simply a wandering beggar if he had been shabbily dressed. was he lost?


    more eye-catching than the boy¡¯s appearance, however, was the thing that he was dragging around with him. it was unmistakably a sword.


    the white scabbard sparkled like a rainbow under even the meager lights of the stores that lined the streets. the sword looked too big and too high quality for the young boy to wield. the sword was strapped to the boy¡¯s waist, but it still dragged along the ground because the boy was so small. he knew that he was attracting people¡¯s attention, but there was nothing he could do about it. the sword was too heavy for him to carry.


    it wasn¡¯t only the typical passersby who were staring at the boy. there were plenty of other kinds of people staring at him as he walked the streets.


    camia, the young maid of bellnor county, was also out on the streets in search for a dress boutique at a furious rosenice¡¯s behest. she was walking slowly, using this as an opportunity to explore the city, until she suddenly spotted the boy with the sword dragging behind him.


    he looked so peculiar that camia kept staring at him for a very long time, but she resumed walking once she lost interest. then, she came across a large tailor shop¡ªtoo bad it wasn¡¯t a boutique. she noticed that the boy had stopped in his tracks too, on the other side of the street. he was standing in front of a run-down inn.


    camia had lived in the count¡¯s manor all her life, and she firmly believed that only thugs and ruffians frequented inns as shabby as that one. before she knew what she was doing, she shouted to the boy, ¡°hey! that¡¯s not the kind of place for children to be staying at. it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    the boy moved very, very slowly as he turned around to look back at camia. camia flinched when their eyes finally met.


    she had thought that the boy was around her age, but the light in his eyes made him seem so much older. camia had gotten good at judging these kinds of things after serving others for over twelve whole years.


    the boy¡¯s eyes were hollow. it wasn¡¯t only because he was hungry. it almost looked like there was a shadow cast directly over his eyes. camia did not know this because she was too young to know, but his were the eyes of someone who had survived after witnessing something that should never have been seen.


    ¡°i¡¯ll be fine,¡± the boy replied curtly.


    then, he turned back around and walked inside the inn. camia stood rooted on the spot, baffled, before she came back to her senses and headed inside the tailor shop.


    it had been five days since boris had left his big brother¡¯s side.


    he still had a little bit of the money that yevgnen had obtained by selling their mother¡¯s keepsake left. boris had been made to realize just how much his brother had been doing for him during these last five days. he had already known that yevgnen was doing a lot for him. yet, the stark reality of not having his brother around anymore was so much worse than simply imagining it.


    on the first day, boris had begged the people living in a somewhat secluded area for food and a place to stay so he could conserve money. the woman who lived there had been suspicious of him at first, but then she had given him a bowl of something that reminded him of porridge once she realized that he truly had nowhere else to go. after he had finished wolfing down the porridge, he had gone to the barn and tried to get some sleep, just as the woman had instructed. then, the woman¡¯s husband had come home later that night and had told him to rest easy. he had not asked boris any questions.


    however, boris¡¯ thoughts had kept him up that night. he had been resting with his ear against the wall when he had suddenly heard the woman and her husband talking. boris didn¡¯t look like a beggar, so they had been planning to sell him to people who specialized in finding lost children for a monetary reward from their parents. if those people could not locate the child¡¯s parents, then they would simply sell the children to anomarad, where slavery was legal, or hand them over to a mercenary guild. either way, it wasn¡¯t a bad deal. most of the children ended up being sold into slavery or handed over to a mercenary guild, but anyone who entrusted the children to these people would be able to keep their conscience guilt-free. the woman had sounded very excited when her husband told her about this.


    boris had waited for the woman and her husband to fall asleep before sneaking out of the barn. he had spent the rest of the night walking away from their house.


    even the flapping of large birds had been enough to startle him during these past few days. boris remembered hunting birds during the day and camping out at night with his brother back when they had still been living in the manor. to think that mere birds could startle him now. he remembered being unable to start the campfire no matter how hard he tried. he had done exactly as his brother had demonstrated, but fire had always fizzled out before it had even truly started burning.


    boris had curled into a ball to sleep that night and had resumed walking the next day.


    he had no idea where he was going, not even the faintest clue. winterer, the only thing he had left, seemed to grow heavier by the day. he hadn¡¯t eaten anything all day long. his brother, at least, had been able to hunt small animals like rabbits or forage unattended bird eggs for them to eat, but boris was able to do neither. he had tried picking some berries he spotted along the way¡ªhe didn¡¯t even know what kind they were. they had been so incredibly astringent and sour, but he fortunately hadn¡¯t gotten sick even after eating all of them.


    by some stroke of fortune, boris had come across another village the next day. however, he hadn¡¯t known whether he should find another house to beg at or whether he should go to an inn. ultimately, he¡¯d failed to reach a decision and found himself a secluded spot after buying a piece of bread. the harvest hadn¡¯t started in earnest yet, so the warehouses were still empty.


    unfortunately, they were so empty that there hadn¡¯t even been any straw or hay inside them either. but boris didn¡¯t care. he was used to the cold, hard ground now. boris had ultimately fallen asleep in a corner of a warehouse after nibbling on a few bites of bread.


    he had given up on the idea of making his way to where his great aunt was not because she was too far away but because boris had been born and raised in travachess. he knew that family meant nothing across political party lines. a relative in a different political party was more likely to be a foe than a friend.


    so then, where should he go?


    after taking some time to deliberate, boris realized that he did not have anywhere to go. he concluded that the best he could hope for was to survive while working as an errand boy. neither his station of birth nor his pride mattered to him now. all the cared about was what his brother had asked him to do: to survive.


    he had left the village he had been staying at because he figured that he was more likely to find work in a large city and began heading for the city of gwareh, which yevgnen had mentioned previously in passing. he had finally arrived at the city five days after he had left yevgnen behind.


    ¡°please give me a room.¡±


    tonya, the innkeeper¡¯s eighteen-year-old daughter, was manning the counter. she was perplexed when the tiny boy entered the inn all alone and asked for a room in such an adult-like manner.


    ¡°are you alone?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    the boy was small, but he was not immature. he neither sounded frightened nor hesitant. tonya shrugged to herself and decided that it was none of her business.


    ¡°alright, then. are you okay with a cheap one?¡±


    ¡°yes, please.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯ll be five silver. you can have the room over there next to the kitchen. the bed¡¯s a bit small, but that shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you.¡±


    boris took out five silver coins from his pocket¡ªhe¡¯d counted them ahead of time. he knew now that it wasn¡¯t wise to let everyone see how much money he was carrying.


    he handed the coins to tonya as he quietly said, ¡°um, and¡­¡±


    tonya was a gentle girl. she couldn¡¯t help but grow curious about why such a young boy was traveling all alone. there was extra kindness in her voice as she replied, ¡°can i get you anything else?¡±


    ¡°um, would you, perhaps, know anyone who might¡­ have work for a young child like me? i don¡¯t need to be paid with money. i just need food and a place to sleep¡­ something like that.¡±


    boris wasn¡¯t too different from yevgnen in disposition, so it took him a lot of courage to ask for help. tonya widened her eyes ever so slightly as she studied the boy again.


    ¡°you¡¯re looking for work?¡±


    ¡°yes,¡± boris replied. it was much easier this time.


    ¡°hmm¡­¡±


    boris finally looked tonya in the eyes. then, he mused to himself about how nice it would have been if only he had been her age. tonya looked back at boris. she had been manning the inn counter for several years now, and her intuition told her that the boy before her had not been raised a commoner.


    ¡°you really don¡¯t care about what kind of work it is?¡± she asked.


    boris hadn¡¯t been expecting her to actually give him a proper response, and he tensed up when she did.


    ¡°i don¡¯t. i¡¯ll take whatever i can get.¡±


    ¡°i can¡¯t make any guarantees, but¡­ i remember mr. bunin, the blacksmith, saying that he¡¯s been wanting an assistant. i can try asking him for you. i think the merchants who come to the city every now and again said that they were looking for someone to help run errands too.¡± tonya looked up at the ceiling as she continued, ¡°you¡¯re not half bad to look at either, so i think some of the richer madams in town might take a liking to you and take you in as their attendants too.¡±


    boris looked up at tonya with no discernable emotion in his face before promptly lowering his gaze again. tonya couldn¡¯t help but smile as she looked down at him.


    ¡°anyway, i¡¯ll let you know if i hear anything. so, go and get some rest for now,¡± she said. she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the boy had even eaten dinner yet as she watched him nod back and scurry over to his room.


    ¡°you couldn¡¯t find anything?¡±


    rosenice was the same age as camia, but camia was afraid to look her in the eyes. they were still wearing matching dresses, and the news that camia had brought back had been far from good.


    ¡°then, go and look again!¡± rosenice exclaimed. ¡°it¡¯s such a big city. surely, the nobles here must wear something.¡±


    ¡°but we¡¯re still far into the countryside. the dresses that you like to wear need to be custom ordered, young miss.¡±


    ¡°hmph!¡±


    rosenice plopped down in bed in a fit of anger. someone began knocking on her door just then.


    ¡°rose? it¡¯s your father. can i come in?¡±


    rosenice was young, but her father already treated her like a lady. she could not possibly allow him to see her so disheveled. she quickly jumped up to her feet and straightened out her dress before she replied, ¡°of course, father.¡±


    count bellnor opened the door and stepped inside. draped over his arm was a cute green dress. green was rosenice¡¯s favorite color. not only was the green dress brand new, but it was also quite luxurious.


    ¡°daddy!¡± rosenice cried out in surprise.


    hugh, the count¡¯s secretary, followed the count inside and closed the door behind him.


    ¡°my little lady was upset because she had nothing to wear, so your father went running to the store to buy you a dress. what do you think?¡± asked count bellnor.


    rosenice brought the dress up to her figure as soon as the count handed it to her. then, she beamed sunnily and replied, ¡°i love it!¡±


    ¡°then, hurry along and get changed so we can spend some time outside. you won¡¯t grow up to be a wise lady unless you¡¯ve observed many other cultures.¡±


    ¡°i will!¡±


    rosenice immediately got changed into the wonderful green dress with camia¡¯s help as soon as the count left her room. she blossomed into a smile as soon as she saw her reflection in the mirror. she had bright, lemon-colored hair and sparkling green eyes. even she had to admit that she was alarmingly beautiful. she was in a much happier now, not only because of the new dress but also because her bitter mood from the days prior had cleared completely. camia applauded her beauty too, which only served to lift rosenice¡¯s mood even higher. both girls were in considerably good cheer as they headed downstairs.


    the count had finished preparing his horse and had been waiting for them. he climbed on top of his horse, and then the servants helped rosenice get seated in front of her father.


    curious, rosenice asked the count, ¡°but where did you find this dress, daddy? camia said that a tailor shop was the only thing she could find.¡±


    ¡°i paid the tailor shop a visit too.¡±


    rosenice¡¯s eyes opened wide as she continued asking, ¡°how come were you able to buy a dress when camia couldn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°i offered to buy one of the dresses they were already making for someone in the neighborhood for twice the original price.¡±


    ¡°aha.¡±


    rosenice beamed as she nodded to herself. then, she leaned comfortably back against her father, who was holding the reins.


    the horse began moving. hugh, the secretary, and three other knights trailed after them. they were also on horseback. camia sighed as she watched the horses leave. the young miss was so lucky to have such a wonderful and loving father. her own father was a lousy drunkard who had sold his own daughter off to a noble as soon as she was born. that was why she had left home one day a couple years back and never looked back.


    ¡°er, hey¡­ are you busy?¡±


    tonya rebuked herself for forgetting to ask the boy what his name was as she knocked on his door. she figured that he was probably asleep, so she was a bit surprised when he replied immediately and promptly opened the door.


    ¡°come downstairs for a sec. the blacksmith¡¯s here to see you.¡±


    it looked like the boy hadn¡¯t been sleeping at all. tonya asked the boy what his name was as they made their way downstairs together.


    ¡°my name is boris¡­ just boris.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m tonya.¡±


    boris had a feeling that he shouldn¡¯t reveal his surname. tonya didn¡¯t ask him for one either. she led him to one of the tables along the wall. sitting at the table was a tall man in his forties with noticeably muscular arms. he was drinking some beer.


    ¡°this is the boy i was talking about, mr. bunin.¡±


    the man glanced at boris out of the corner of his eye and said, ¡°you¡¯re all skin and bones. think you really got what it takes to do smithy work?¡±


    boris had no idea what ¡®smithy work¡¯ entailed. still, he nodded back vigorously and steeled himself as he replied, ¡°i don¡¯t actually know what kind of work that is.¡±


    ¡°oh?¡±


    the man¡ªbunin¡ªput down his beer and began studying the boy in earnest. then, he said, ¡°at least you¡¯re not a liar. it doesn¡¯t take much to figure out that you¡¯re no commoner. which house are you from? was your house involved in a war recently?¡±


    boris fell silent. the darkness in the boy¡¯s eyes bothered bunin. as a blacksmith, he had forged weapons meant for warfare more than a few times. that was why he knew exactly what war meant. war was when the haves began robbing each other just so they could have more. it was rare for a commoner like bunin to know what exactly war meant because their lives would still continue on regardless of who owned the lands they lived on. travachess had not changed in the slightest even after becoming an alleged people¡¯s nation¡ªa republic. after all, commoners did not have the right to vote for electors or senators.


    ¡°you don¡¯t want to say?¡± bunin finally asked as he peered into boris¡¯ face. the boy was simply standing there without answering. when the boy continued to remain silent, he took another swig of beer and continued, ¡°come to the smithy bright and early tomorrow morning. i¡¯ll give you some work to do, but i¡¯ll chase you out immediately if you¡¯re no good at it.¡±


    boris took bunin at his word, but tonya brightened up visibly. she had known mr. bunin for some time now, so she knew that his words could sounded meaner than he intended. the blacksmith had basically agreed to take the boy in.


    ¡°what are you doing, kid? hurry up and say thank you.¡±


    boris ended up bowing in the heat of the moment, and then tonya dragged him back to his room. she told him to wait there for a bit before heading over to the kitchen and bringing back a big bowl of soup.


    ¡°you haven¡¯t eaten dinner yet, right? have some of this, at least.¡±


    the soup that tanya gave boris was more just a bowl of cloudy water. it was a proper soup, filled with chopped vegetables and pieces of meat. boris stared at tonya for a second before accepting the bowl she was offering and taking a spoonful.


    tonya smirked and said, ¡°you need to get into the habit of saying thank you when you¡¯re grateful, kid.¡±


    she wasn¡¯t trying to scold him. she could tell, from the look in his eyes, that he was immensely grateful.


    ¡°thank you¡­ miss.¡±


    boris sounded a tad embarrassed. then, he pulled out the dried bread he had been carrying in his pocket and dipped it in the soup. tonya smiled in silence as she watched him eat.


    he felt warm once he was done eating. tonya had left with the empty bowl, so boris laid down in bed and fell deep into thought. smithies were places where they forged weapons and farming tools. whatever work the blacksmith had for him would likely be hard and dangerous. but boris wasn¡¯t worried about that. what he was worried about were the lessons he had learned after everything that had happened to him recently.


    was it truly all right to trust these people?


    he had recently met people who had pretended to save his life only to steal his sword and try to sell him off to a mercenary guild. he had recently met people who had kindly offered him a place to sleep while scheming to use him to make a few coins. he had recently met a party of people who had seemed to be close friends and good colleagues but had betrayed each other without batting an eye as soon as things had started getting dangerous.


    miss tonya and mr. bunin looked nice¡­ but what if they were scheming something else, too? recent experience had taught boris that the kinder people appeared, the more likely it was that they were plotting something truly malicious.


    boris pondered to himself for a while longer before getting up, strapping on his sword, and heading out. it was late at night. he snuck past tonya¡¯s gaze¡ªshe was busy manning the counter¡ªand slipped outside. he planned to make sure that there really was a smithy nearby. and, if possible, he also wanted to make sure that the blacksmith was an honest man.


    boris stepped out onto the street only to be almost immediately run over by a horse that had been galloping at full speed. it hadn¡¯t been his fault. the riders had not been checking to make sure that there was no one on the road. instead, it was the people on the streets who had been forced to scatter like ants as they approached.


    ¡°whoa!¡±


    boris curled up into a ball¡ªhe hadn¡¯t had the time to get away. the horse was basically on top of him when it stopped. it wasn¡¯t able to come to a full stop, however, and ended up smacking boris in the side. boris was able to escape by rolling to his side, but the pain wouldn¡¯t go away.


    ¡°what the hell? do you have a death wish? why were you blocking the road?¡±


    but boris hadn¡¯t been blocking the road. boris just barely managed to climb back up to his feet and straighten himself out only to find four riders peering down at him from atop their huffing horses. they were exchanging grins as if they had suddenly found a new and exciting toy to play with.


    ¡°you¡¯re supposed to get down on your knees and beg for forgiveness if you¡¯ve accidently blocked a nobleman¡¯s path. what do you think you¡¯re staring at?¡±


    the riders exuded such overwhelming authority that the passersby had no choice to scatter without saying another word. boris had no idea what to do. he hadn¡¯t grown accustomed to lowering his head yet.


    ¡°i apologize for getting in your way, but¡­ i think that you were in the wrong too for galloping on a busy street.¡±


    ¡°oho?¡±


    ¡°would you listen to that rascal? looks like he¡¯s lost his mind.¡±


    the riders began scoffing. then, one of them said, ¡°why don¡¯t you whip him until he regains his senses, sir?¡±


    ¡°you didn¡¯t even have to ask!¡±


    the rider who was at the forefront of the group raised his whip and brandished it at boris.


    smack!


    he hadn¡¯t had the chance to dodge. the whip struck boris¡¯ back and shoulder and left him with a serious wound. there was no way that a mere child could take something like that and remain on his feet. the riders snickered as boris¡¯ legs gave out from under him. agony wormed its way into boris¡¯ brain as his flesh tore apart. the whip brushed against his face next. blood dribbled down to his mouth.


    ¡°looks like he¡¯s willing to kneel now that you¡¯ve taught him some manners, sir,¡± one of the men said while cackling after watching boris collapse.


    then, another man said, ¡°did it get through that thick skull of yours yet, brat? hurry up and kneel before we end up having to clean up after your corpse.¡±


    tonya stepped outside, wondering what the ruckus was all about. and then, she saw what was happening. she flew into a rage, but she also had no clue what to do. who knew what might happen to her if she tried to make a stand against those well-dressed pieces of trash? after a moment of hesitation, she ran back inside the inn and began yelling.


    ¡°dad! where are you, dad?! mr. bunin! please, come outside and help!¡±


    boris¡¯ ears were buzzing. the world sounded like a beehive. he flushed, not from the pain but from the humiliation of it all. he began eyeing winterer, which was strapped to his side, before he realized what he was doing. if only he was big enough to wield the sword¡­ no¡ªif only yevgnen were here¡­


    but he knew that his wishes were in vain. he used the sword as a cane to stagger back up to his feet. it was difficult to keep himself steady because his legs were shaking so badly, but he didn¡¯t say a word in complaint. he did not protest, but neither did he surrender.


    ¡°what a ferocious little brat,¡± one of the men said as he climbed down from his horse. he was the youngest of the four riders. he then proceeded to grab boris by the collar and shoved the boy against one of the pillars in front of the inn. he shoved boris so hard that the pillar itself shook a little.


    ¡°bastards like you need to be taught a proper lesson. how dare a beggar like you stand up in the presence of a noble, huh?!¡±


    slam! slam!


    the man shoved boris against the pillar two more time, and then he grabbed the boy¡¯s face with his left hand and squeezed. his hand, which was large enough to cover the boy¡¯s face entirely, twisted the boy¡¯s head to the side. just before boris thought his neck might break, the man shoved him against the pillar yet again. boris¡¯ head went blank.


    ¡°have you learned your lesson now?¡±


    boris didn¡¯t reply.


    bunin, the blacksmith, ran outside the inn with tonya and witnessed what was happening. bunin was a man of action instead of words. just before he could jump into the fray, however, someone else called out, ¡°what is the meaning of this?!¡±


    everyone turned to where the new voice had come from. a lot of people had decided to go riding today, apparently. five more horses were standing in the middle of the road. one of them was white. the man riding it was the man who had called out just now. tonya realized that he was the nobleman who had entered the city earlier that evening.


    ¡°who the hell are you?¡± the man who had still holding onto boris asked while turning around.


    two of the men in the count¡¯s party jumped down from their horses and ran toward him. they immediately grabbed the man and pulled him away, and then they helped boris up. boris could not make heads or tails of the situation. he was terribly dizzy from all the hits he had taken to his head. he collapsed in the arms of the count¡¯s men who were helping him.


    ¡°who the fuck are you?¡± demanded the man with the whip.


    sonorously, the count replied, ¡°i may not be from around here, but i will not stand here and look the other way while a bunch of louts like you beat up such a young child. hurry up and scram, unless you wish to learn a bitter lesson yourselves.¡±


    ¡°oh, talking big now, are we?¡±


    it felt like a melee would break out any second now. people began drawing their swords. onlookers slowly inched backward but still stayed behind to spectate. tonya and bunin were helpless to do anything but watch.


    alas, much to the spectators¡¯ disappointment, the ensuing fight was not very entertaining. the louts were no match for the count, who had drawn his own sword and fallen in line with his men. the count was so skilled at swordplay that he had instantaneously managed push two of the louts off their horses while also purposefully refraining from landed a fatal blow. one of the men who had fallen off his horse began spewing curses, but then he quietly crawled over to the side of the road once he realized that his gang was losing badly.


    ¡°get lost, and take your horses with you!¡± the count shouted.


    the louts ran away without another word just as they were told. perhaps they did not want to stay around long enough for the count to begin interrogating them.


    then, the count ordered, ¡°get the boy on one of the horses and ask around for a doctor.¡±


    one of the count¡¯s men nodded back and looked around awkwardly for a moment before walking up to tonya and asking her if there was a doctor nearby.


    somewhat bitterly, tonya replied, ¡°she¡¯s not a doctor, but there¡¯s an old woman who lives over the hill. she¡¯s a pharmacist.¡±


    the count turned his horse around when he saw that the situation was wrapping up nicely and trotted over to where hugh, his secretary, was. rosenice was sitting in hugh¡¯s lap. she had been considerably shocked by the sudden swordfight that had broken out. her eyes were open wide, and she was fidgeting restlessly.


    ¡°it¡¯s all right, rose. everything¡¯s over now. remember what i always told you? a noble has no right to call himself a noble if he sees something unjust and simply allows it to continue. remember this always. with great power comes great responsibility. that is what nobles oblige means.¡±


    rosenice turned to boris, whom one of her father¡¯s knights was holding in his arms. he was only half-conscious. that was why he would never remember the words that had come out of rosenice¡¯s mouth that day.


    ¡°he¡¯s so dirty. i don¡¯t like him!¡±


    alas, the count and his party brought the boy back to their inn against the young miss¡¯s protests.

 Volume 1 - CH 3.2

    ¡°u-ugh¡­¡±


    he opened his eyes to blue salvia flowers. they was the floral decorations of the wallpaper plastered on the wall in front of him. he thought that he was back in the manor at longorde for a moment. that he was, for some reason, lying inside his mother¡¯s normally empty chambers. that he was lying on the bed that he had somehow managed to crawl into and fall asleep in once when he was very young. he had been trying to smell his mother¡¯s scent¡ªthe one that yevgnen had always told him he could smell.


    he was awake now, but one of his eyes was so swollen that he could not open it properly. he had no idea where he was. he did, however, notice one thing immediately.


    ¡°my sword!¡± he shouted as he shot up. someone pushed him back down and placed a cool wet towel over his head.


    ¡°your sword?¡± they asked.


    boris had never heard this voice before. it sounded like it belonged to a woman in her forties.


    ¡°where¡­ am i?¡± boris asked as he tried to sit up again. the woman¡¯s hand pushed him down yet again, and then she proceeded to undo the bandages on his shoulder. boris considered rethinking his evaluation of her. this woman, who was supposedly in her forties, was just as strong as any man.


    ¡°stay still. i¡¯ll answer your questions slowly, one by one.¡±


    boris waited patiently until the woman was finished undoing his bandages, cleaning his wounds, and wrapping new bandages around them. he felt very refreshed after she finished treating him. he cracked open his good eye and peered at her. she was a rather large woman, and she was putting away the dirty bandages and a basin of water. a servant came inside the room and took the bandages and the basin from her, and it was only then that the woman finally turned to look back at boris.


    ¡°where is your home?¡± she asked.


    the image of his mother¡¯s chambers rippled dizzyingly in boris¡¯ mind. he closed his eyes as he replied, ¡°i don¡¯t have one.¡±


    ¡°are you a vagrant? you don¡¯t look like one, though. tell me the truth. i¡¯m not trying to harass you or anything.¡±


    the woman sounded gruff, but she did not sound malevolent either.


    ¡°it¡¯s not like i can go back home even if i wanted to. that¡¯s not too different from not having one at all.¡±


    ¡°hmph. did you run away from home? do you see yourself as the protagonist of a tragedy or something?¡± her question was so absurd that boris was at a loss for how to respond. the woman continued, ¡°you¡¯re not the first rascal i¡¯ve met who¡¯s run away from home. but don¡¯t you know that there¡¯s no place like home? i¡¯ve heard kids like you tell me that they don¡¯t want to go home because their father loves their younger brother or sister more or that they¡¯re too ashamed to go back home because they were mean to their mother in a fit of anger¡­¡±


    boris remained silent.


    ¡°tell me the truth. which house are you from? the clothes you¡¯re wearing were made by a tailor, and the callouses on your hands suggest that you¡¯ve been practicing with the sword. there¡¯s no way that you¡¯re a commoner. am i wrong? the count may have done you a kindness, but you can¡¯t go relying on his kindness forever. hurry up and go back home. misunderstandings are easier to undo than you think.¡±


    boris couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the woman had been reading too many novels lately. she had also said something that he didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°the¡­ count?¡±


    the woman looked back at him perplexedly as she tucked him in.


    ¡°yes, the count. oh, right. there are no counts in travachess, right? the man who saved you is the count of bellnor, a nobleman from anomarad. you do know what a count is, right?¡±


    the doors opened with a thud before boris could answer, and a little girl peeked inside.


    ¡°ms. willa!¡±


    it was camia. boris didn¡¯t recognize her, but camia remembered him. she tiptoed inside and turned to boris.


    ¡°see?¡± she said to him, ¡°i told you to stay away from that inn.¡±


    camia clicked her tongue when she saw how badly swollen boris¡¯ eye was. she did not appear very happy to see him again. she continued, ¡°you should count your lucky stars that my master happened to be passing by. the young miss was really shocked about what happened, though she¡¯s okay now, and¡­ hmm. were you about to go back home?¡±


    boris thought it was only natural for the woman¡ªwilla¡ªto ask him about his home, since she was an adult, but he was a little weirded out to hear a girl around his age ask him the same thing. unlike the woman, however, it sounded like camia fully expected him to say no.


    willa interjected, ¡°of course he was, camia. what makes you think otherwise? our master needs to hurry back home to his lands too.¡±


    camia pretended not to hear what willa had said and remarked, ¡°well, i suppose you¡¯d have to go back if you have a home to go back to.¡±


    willa realized that camia had probably learned something about boris. after all, the girl was always accompanying rosenice. it piqued her interest.


    ¡°did master tell you something, hmm? or did you hear young miss rosenice saying something?¡±


    ¡°well, nothing¡¯s been decided for sure yet.¡±


    ¡°this boy¡­ wait, we don¡¯t even know his name yet. anyway, does the master know where he¡¯s from?¡±


    boris immediately grew nervous and began gauging camia¡¯s reaction. fortunately, camia shook her head no.


    ¡°i don¡¯t know. why would i know that? oh, shoot. i need to head back to the young miss now. i might get scolded if she calls for me and i¡¯m not there.¡± camia smiled at boris as she climbed back up to her feet. then, she added, ¡°see you later.¡±


    winterer was lying underneath boris¡¯ bed. it made him feel a little better to know that it was close by, but he didn¡¯t truly feel comfortable enough to fall asleep until it was in his arms again. he had a wild dream, and it was already evening by the time he finally woke up. he had slept for an entire day straight.


    he recalled the promise he¡¯d made tonya though the haze of his memories. then, he decided that he needed to have a proper talk with the people who had saved him. as if on cue, willa came back to tell him that he should have dinner with the count and his daughter if he was feeling better.


    his swollen eye had healed considerably, and he was able to wear his clothes on top of his bandages without much discomfort. he looked much better as he was brought to the living-cum-dining area attached to the vip room of the inn the count was staying at.


    the count was chatting with rosenice at the table. willa and camia were attending to them.


    ¡°come on in,¡± the count said.


    ¡°come in,¡± rosenice chimed after him. her voice was significantly kindlier than usual.


    there were so many empty chairs at the table that boris wasn¡¯t quite sure where he was supposed to go. thankfully, the count pointed at the empty chair next to rosenice and said, ¡°take a seat over there.¡±


    the servants began serving the food. it was quite a feast, especially considering that there were only three people at the table. a basket of bread slices topped with thin slices of ham and white cheese and a bowl of salad dressed with olive oil were served as appetizers.


    a large loaf of bread was placed at the center of the table. it took a moment for boris to realize what it was for. the count and his daughter were using it for the rather luxurious purpose of wiping off the crumbs from their plates. thin slices of seasoned rabbit meat steamed in an earthenware pot, peppered bellcruz sausages, and thin slices of lamb meat with a purplish hue were served for dinner, paired with some crimson wine.


    boris was so emotionally numb that most things failed to surprise him. that was why he only reacted with a short, ¡°thank you,¡± and began eating after confirming that the count and his daughter had started eating too. omelets were also served a little while later. the count and his daughter exchanged weighted smiles when the omelets were served.


    then, the count began, ¡°this will give you a true taste of bellcruz.¡±


    boris didn¡¯t even know where bellcruz was. regardless, that didn¡¯t stop him for cutting off a piece of an omelet and putting it in his mouth. then, he made a face as he began chewing on something that felt like a thick piece of mushroom. it was weird, though not in a bad way. it was soft and moist and filled his mouth with a distinct yet hard-to-describe flavor.


    rosenice took one good look at the boy¡¯s face and bragged, ¡°truffles. the truffles from our lands are very famous.¡±


    this was boris¡¯ first time ever eating one, but he instantly realized that it was a delicacy. he nodded back at rosenice to thank her for the explanation. camia, who was standing behind rosenice, was trying her best not to smile.


    rosenice continued stealing glances at boris as he ate. to be precise, she was sneaking glimpses at the way he handed his silverware and his dinner etiquette. she began looking more and more relieved as boris continued eating. evidently, she had decided that this strange boy would not be making things awkward for her by doing something stupid anytime soon.


    boris relaxed a little after he was finished eating. this had been his first proper meal in a very long time. he did not, however, let his guard down completely. not even as he tried the fruit tart and tea that was being served for dessert.


    the count was drinking some brandy when he dismissed the maids and finally said, ¡°allow me to introduce myself properly. i am ganymede da bellnor, the count of bellnor. my estate is located in bellcruz, which is in southern anomarad. this child here is rosenice da bellnor, my only daughter and heiress apparent.¡±


    boris was thrown for a loop. the count had introduced himself formally, which meant that it would be improper for him to fail to return the favor. he hesitated, but then he figured that the count was a foreigner anyway and that it wasn¡¯t likely for a foreigner to know much about a relatively small house like house jinneman.


    ¡°my name is boris jinneman,¡± he replied.


    contrary to his expectations, the count then asked, ¡°you¡¯re from house jinneman of longorde?¡±


    boris had no choice but to nod back. he had no room to lie. the count looked puzzled.


    ¡°i heard that house jinneman was a renowned house of warriors from travachess¡­ did something happen to your house?¡±


    unlike the woman who had read way too many novels from earlier, the count was right on his money. boris felt like he had no choice but to tell the count the truth. he summed up what had happened, saying, ¡°my father passed away, and my uncle took over.¡±


    ¡°hmm¡­¡±


    rosenice was unable to connect the dots. if boris¡¯ uncle had taken over the house after his father had passed away, then couldn¡¯t the boy simply have stayed under his uncle¡¯s protection? but then, boris would have said, ¡®my uncle took over after my father passed away.¡¯ however, what he had actually said did not suggest any causality between the two clauses.


    the count, on the other hand, simply nodded back. he visited travachess often, and he understood the republic¡¯s deep-seated political problems. to some extent, at least.


    ¡°i see. did they have different political views?¡±


    boris did not reply. he felt his face flushing red as the count exposed his homeland¡¯s fatal flaw. he was so ashamed of the republic and its never-ending cycle of division and destruction that he hated it. he couldn¡¯t stand it. boris was too young to have solidified his political views. however, he was already a victim of politics even before he¡¯d ever had the chance to learn what it was. he remembered learning that anomarad was a monarchy. did anomarad have these kinds of political problems too?


    ¡°where are you planning to go?¡±


    boris decided to be honest. ¡°i don¡¯t know. i haven¡¯t decided yet. for now, however, a master blacksmith in the city said that he might consider taking me in as his apprentice, so i think i might stay with him for the time being.¡±


    rosenice laughed out loud when she heard boris referring to the blacksmith as a master. evidently, their conversation was entertaining to her. she was delighted by the way it made her feel superior to the boy.


    ¡°i see. in that case, you¡¯d become the assistant to a blacksmith. have you always been interested in smithy work? do you like it?¡±


    of course not. boris shook his head and replied to the count¡¯s first question with a no. to the count¡¯s second question, however, he replied, ¡°i plan to work hard so i can come to like it.¡±


    rosenice, who had been busy laughing until now, suddenly cut in, saying, ¡°didn¡¯t you say that he¡¯s a noble, daddy? why would a noble work for a blacksmith?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s not quite right, rosenice. there is no noble class here in travachess. instead, there are people called electors and senators. their positions have been passed down through blood for a very long time. these electors and senators then elect people to take on the important job of running the country.¡±


    rosenice was learning many things because she was the count¡¯s heiress apparent who stood to inherit his estate. that was why she asked, ¡°then, what about the fiefs? who takes care of them if there are no nobles?¡±


    ¡°they are governed by lords who pass down their titles through blood. however, these lords are not nobles. the lords seek out electors and senators who hold the same views as them and either support or are supported by those electors and senators. the electors and senators need the lords¡¯ support, because it¡¯s the lords who vote them into power. in turn, this means that the lords¡¯ and their houses¡¯ fate depends on the elector or senator they¡¯ve chosen to support. and sometimes, that means that a lordship may change hands.¡±


    the conversation turned away from the blacksmith as the count elucidated at length. boris was amazed by how much the count, a foreigner, knew about his homeland.


    ¡°while this has been true for travachess for a very long time, i need to head over to the blacksmith¡¯s soon,¡± boris said. ¡°i was supposed to pay him a visit this morning, and i don¡¯t think i should keep him waiting for any longer.¡±


    the count looked back at boris quietly and without another word. rosenice, who had been racking her brains after her father had explained travachess politics to her, followed suit.


    just as their gazes were about to make boris feel uncomfortable, the count straightforwardly asked him, ¡°your name was boris jinneman, correct? what do you say about coming to anomarad with us instead of apprenticing yourself to a blacksmith?¡±


    boris was surprised. rosenice also looked similarly surprised. she turned to her father, startled, and asked, ¡°he¡¯s coming with us, daddy? we¡¯re taking him home?¡±


    the count grinned and replied, ¡°that¡¯s for young jinneman here to decide. all i did was make him the offer.¡±


    boris, who had been startled by the sudden proposition, regained his composure as the count and his daughter spoke amongst themselves.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but why?¡± boris promptly asked.


    ¡°you wish to know why? i¡¯ll let you decide, but personally, i¡¯d prefer it if you didn¡¯t know the real reason why i¡¯m asking.¡±


    boris looked down at the table. a moment later, he looked back up and calmly replied, ¡°i want to know.¡±


    just as promptly, the count told him, ¡°it¡¯s simple. i intend to use you.¡±


    boris drew a sharp breath. then, he asked back, ¡°you¡­ intend to use me?¡±


    he had been suspicious of the unfamiliar foreign noble¡¯s unexplainable kindness all this time. he had already decided, without a doubt, that the count intended to use him as soon as the count had offered to take him to anomarad. thus, he had been planning to surmise how exactly the count intended to use him by hearing what the count had to say. he had not, however, expected the count to be so frank with him. it threw him for a loop.


    the count¡¯s eyes glistened with an inexplicable light. boris was too young to fully understand what that light meant.


    ¡°i suppose there¡¯s no reason for me to hold back. very well. i don¡¯t actually have any use for you. i have everything i could ever need or want, and i also have my beloved daughter. i don¡¯t need any more children. it just so happens, however, that i suddenly find myself needing a boy your age. well, i suppose it technically doesn¡¯t have to be a boy. and i also noticed that you own a sword of rather high quality.¡±


    the light in boris¡¯ eyes was not the light of a young child¡¯s. he listened carefully as the count continued, ¡°a long time ago, before rose was even born, i made a certain promise to a friend of mine in front of many other friends. we promised each other that, once we both had children and both of our children reached the age of thirteen, our children would engage in a duel, and loser of that duel would have to accept a request from a winner. years passed, and eventually, rose was born. i forgot all about the promise i made my friend in the meanwhile.¡±


    boris did his best to keep his focus as he realized that this might take a while. his gut instincts tended to grow dull if things dragged on for too long.


    ¡°i heard from that friend again for the first time in a while last year. he has two sons, but unfortunately, his eldest son is mentally retarded. he knows that i have a daughter, so he educated his younger son well and trained him up to be a young swordsman who is uncommonly skilled for his age. it¡¯s obvious what he wants¡ªmy precious rose. he wants to marry off his retarded son to my beloved daughter.¡±


    ¡°oh my goodness!¡± rosenice exclaimed as she dropped her cup in alarm. unfortunately, there were no maids in the room to clean up after the spill. the blood was draining from her face as she grilled her father, ¡°is that true, daddy? i¡¯ll have to get married to a retard?¡±


    the count looked back at his daughter with an earnest look on his face and shook his head.


    ¡°easy, rose. i swear upon my honor that i will never let that happen,¡± the count replied calmly.


    rosenice was somewhat relieved, but she still looked a tad anxious as she turned back to boris.


    boris asked, ¡°does that mean that you want me to duel your friend¡¯s son for you? but, how could i? i¡¯m not your son, count. i don¡¯t have the right to participate in that duel.¡±


    ¡°that won¡¯t be a problem,¡± the count replied. ¡°i can simply say that i¡¯d adopted a son long ago and that he was being raised elsewhere. there are multiple other approaches i could take too, but that¡¯s a problem for me to think about. you won¡¯t need to worry about that. all you need to do is to either accept or decline my offer.¡±


    the count looked boris directly in the eyes, but boris was too bewildered to give an immediate reply. the count saw this and continued, ¡°if you choose to accept, then you will come back with me to my castle in anomarad where you will be treated as if you were my son. of course, you will also need to undergo strict sword training. after all, you will need to defeat a boy who has been training for a long time already in a duel. there¡¯s isn¡¯t much time left. the deadline for the duel is before the flowers wilt next spring, which would be sometime around april or may next year. i will reward you greatly if you happen to win, and i will provide you with enough support that you will be able to live freely on your own afterward.¡±


    ¡°and if i lose?¡±


    there was no emotion in the count¡¯s eyes as he looked back at boris and practically spat out, ¡°you¡¯re already considering defeat as an option? perhaps i misjudged you. in any event, i shan¡¯t punish you for failing to win, though i will be asking you to leave my home quietly and without a fuss. i would also be forced employ some other scheme to keep rose from falling into my friend¡¯s hands. with that being said, i made him a promise in front of many other people. i would prefer to keep my promise and avoid resorting to something shameful if at all possible.¡±


    boris stiffened up. he was still a young child, but the count was offering him a deal as an equal. this wasn¡¯t a choice that boris could make simply to be polite and respond properly to the kindness that the count, and adult, had shown him.


    after all, that was a right only afforded to children who still had guardians to protect them.


    boris couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sad. rosenice had a father who was willing to shield her from harm and negotiate on her behalf, but he had no one. boris had no one to give him counsel and no one to make decisions for him on his behalf. he was nothing but a young child with nowhere to go who suddenly had to negotiate with a foreign noble who had overwhelming power and wealth, yet he had no choice but to think for himself and figure out everything all alone.


    but he stopped moping quickly enough. if he had no one to look after him, then he had to look after himself. he was the only person in his corner. he had to keep his cool.


    ¡°but why me? it was only by a stroke of luck that you happened to show me your kindness, count. you don¡¯t know me or anything about me.¡±


    the count mellowed a little as he responded, ¡°i know that house jinneman has excelled at the sword for generations. you¡¯re probably too young to have received much training yet, but surely you¡¯ve inherited your house¡¯s talent, no? and, if i¡¯m to be honest, it was only after seeing your sword that i thought up of this plan. i thought that, surely, if your house was strong enough to possess such a fine blade, then any scions of that house would have the talent to wield it.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know if i actually possess this talent that you speak of,¡± boris replied coldly.


    ¡°is that so? in that case, we can always have you tested. if you fail the test, then that will simply be that. it would only mean that our contract will terminate a few months earlier than planned.¡±


    the count had a point. he continued, ¡°and there¡¯s another reason why i picked you¡ªit¡¯s because you¡¯re a highborn with nowhere else to go. i could easily procure dozens of common-born boys if i so wished. but none of them would be trained and educated properly from birth like you were. you will be playing the part of my adopted son if you come to anomarad with me. i don¡¯t have the time to teach a commoner proper etiquette or how to carry himself like a noble.¡±


    then, the count concluded his explanation by driving home, ¡°that¡¯s why i¡¯m hoping you won¡¯t end up embarrassing either myself or rose by slipping up.¡±


    it almost sounded like a warning.


    boris fell into thought. he thought about a lot of things until his mind eventually cleared. one of those thoughts related to how he felt like he should be apologizing to tonya and mr. bunin. just yesterday, he hadn¡¯t even known where he would be sleeping that night, much less having the leeway to actually sit down and think about his future, but now he suddenly found himself at a crossroads and faced with a choice.


    a part of him even found this funny. was he really about to start thinking about his future when his life was in shambles? was that even possible?


    anomarad felt so far away to him. not only was it physically far, but the kingdom had never really meant anything to him until now. the new life that the count was offering him was filled with trials and tribulations. he would be rewarded appropriately if he succeeded in challenging them, and he would have no one else to blame but himself if he failed.


    on the other hand, being a blacksmith¡¯s apprentice meant that he would never have to be rocked by the waves of political conflict ever again. he would be able to live a quiet life. the thought was appealing to him, if he had to be honest. so many terrible things had happened to him recently. how nice would it be to be able to live a quiet and peaceful life? he probably wouldn¡¯t have to get hurt ever again if he chose this. no one would ever sacrifice themselves for him ever again.


    boris was only twelve. he was much too young to already be cutting off the possibilities that life had to offer. he was also not the type of person who was drawn to allure of something new or the excitement of travelling to unknown lands. neither of these things appealed to him.


    there was, however, one thing that appealed to him very much. just one:


    leaving travachess.


    he wanted to leave travachess behind. he didn¡¯t want to come back for at least a while.


    ¡°please¡­ take me with you.¡±


    first, he needed to stay away from his uncle, vlado, who was surely going to look for him. second, he also wanted to be free. travachess had murdered both his father and his brother. death was rampant in this land, and that wasn¡¯t going to change anytime soon. boris wanted to put this land behind him.


    he wasn¡¯t planning to forget about his father¡¯s and brother¡¯s demises. but he was afraid. he felt like the shadow of death was always a step behind him here, a shadow that constantly whispered to him that he would meet the same fate as they. it was infuriating. it was frustrating. it was so unfair! was this the only kind of life anyone was capable of living in travachess? he had already lost so much for no reason other than the fact that he¡¯d been born here, like his aunt whom he had never even met, or his beloved older brother, yevgnen jinneman, whom he had loved more than any other since the day he was born.


    boris wanted to leave.


    one day, sometime far in the future, would he be able to look back at this decision and say that it had been the right choice?


    ¡°good call. why don¡¯t you head back and get some rest now¡­?¡± the count trailed off a bit at the end before continuing, ¡°if you¡¯d like, you could also pay the blacksmith a visit and tell him goodbye.¡±


    boris stood up, bowed to the count and his daughter, and made his way outside.

 Volume 1 - CH 3.3

    a backdrop of bluish hills stretched endlessly into the distance. this was anomarad.


    the katuna mountains, which outlined the shell peninsula, determined travachess¡¯ climate and therefore also determined her people¡¯s way of life. they had slipped out of katuna¡¯s moist fingers and into the panozareh mountains, which cut across fertile green lands.


    there were many different fiefs scattered at the foot of the panozareh mountains, which boasted of many springs and valleys. each of them had been blessed by the sunny southern climate. there were two particular fiefs that stood out amongst them, the most beautiful of them all. the first was alajong, the birthplace of white wine with a picturesque river and open pastoral fields. and the second, to its east on the other side of the mountains¡¯ sharp ridges, was bellcruz, the land of truffles, a fief that was said to be hiding a thousand secret scenic views.


    it was always problematic when two things completed for the honor of being known as the best. the people of both territories took a lot of pride in their respective fiefs, and bringing up this particular topic usually ended with no discernable winner. as far as visitors were concerned, however, both fiefs were scenic and a delight to enjoy. the people who lived in these lands were satisfied only after they had seen any visitors gaping in awe as they saw the beautiful views.


    in that sense, boris was a complete failure of a visitor. rosenice had been stealing glances at boris ever since the carriage had entered bellcruz, wondering when the boy would finally look astonished. the boy continued to look indifferently out the window, but not even the faintest shade of shock ever colored his face and not even a single word of praise fell from his lips.


    ¡°tch,¡± rosenice clicked her tongue.


    this was no fun. she might as well have just entertained herself by teasing camia at this rate. she suddenly found herself with a brother now, something that she¡¯d never had before, but he just seemed so¡­ boring.


    ¡°hey. look over here.¡±


    boris turned to look at rosenice with only his eyes. rosenice was sitting as primly as a woman in her twenties while wearing an ivory dress with pink lace at the shoulders, waist, and hem. only camia noticed that the young miss was bored out of her mind.


    ¡°you said you were twelve, right?¡± rosenice asked. ¡°well, i¡¯m twelve too. are you going to be my younger brother, or do i have to be your younger sister?¡±


    she thought that this would be a fun little quarrel to have. surely, the boy would want to be her older brother. then, they would start splitting hairs and bickering over whose birthday came first. if her birthday came later, then she could always pull rank and argue that she was here first and therefore should be the older sister. and then, what if he said that she wasn¡¯t making any sense? in that case, she could simply assert that she was a trueborn daughter of the house while he was just the adopted son!


    contrary to rosenice¡¯s hopes, however, boris curtly replied, ¡°i don¡¯t really care either way. if you want me to address you as my older sister, i can do that.¡±


    ¡°hey, now¡­¡±


    rosenice liked to make a game out of predicting what someone was going to say and refuting every single point they made. unbeknownst to her, the servants and maids usually humored her and tried to answer the way that they knew she wanted them to.


    in any event, boris¡¯ flat answer was no fun at all. rosenice scowled ever so slightly before she resolved herself to push along the conversation in the direction she wished anyway.


    ¡°when¡¯s your birthday? mine¡¯s april 8th.¡±


    ¡°july 12th.¡±


    what? rosenice¡¯s carefully laid plans came crumbling down once again. camia took one look at her young miss and began giggling silently to herself. this wasn¡¯t what rosenice had been hoping for, and her disappointment was written plainly across her face.


    rosenice groaned silently. then, unable to help herself, she continued, ¡°well, i guess it doesn¡¯t really matter, right? it¡¯s not like we¡¯re actually siblings or anything. what is important, though¡­¡±


    then, boris, who had been looking at the beautiful almond trees outside the carriage window, suddenly turned around and interjected, ¡°okay, i get it. i can be your older brother, and you can be my little sister.¡±


    the blood drained from rosenice¡¯s face. it was only then that she finally realized what she¡¯d done.


    ¡°well, i¡­¡±


    ¡°puhahaha¡­¡±


    camia laughed out loud, unable to keep it to herself any longer. naturally, she paid for it immediately as the young miss began pinching her arm.


    count bellnor, who had been riding with his knights, heard the laughter inside the carriage and said to his aide, ¡°it looks like the children are getting along just fine.¡±


    ¡°indeed.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m glad for it.¡±


    the count and his aide had unfortunately misunderstood the situation. regardless, the carriage continued until it eventually crossed a small stone bridge. there were marguerites, the symbol of house bellnor, planted along the parapet. the brook flowed in parallel to the road after they had crossed the bridge, the trees that surrounded the road were beginning to turn autumn colors, and the water glittered gold beneath the rays of the sun. the sunlight danced not only over the brook but also on top of the smooth and thick magnolia leave and the slender laurel leaves. the scent of the forest wafted into the carriage through the window.


    ¡°go first and announce our arrival!¡± hugh ordered. two of the knights began galloping toward the castle.


    there were two other coaches, pulled by two horses each, in addition to the four-horse carriage that rosenice was riding. they were filled to the brim with souvenirs and specialties from travachess that the count had bought. they finally caught their first glimpse of the walls of bellnor castle, covered by a tangle of wisteria vines, once the carriage had turned the last corner.


    the castle had ivory walls and four cylindrical towers, one in each cardinal direction. its conical roofs were dark brown. it boasted a hundred twenty-five rooms, three great halls with high ceilings, and two hundred stables for the horses. simply put, the castle was colossal. it was difficult to find a castle as large as bellnor castle without travelling all the way to the capital. it stood as a testament to the wealth of house bellnor, a major producer of truffles, which were also sometimes called black gold.


    dozens of servants were ready and waiting by the castle gates by the time they arrived. the knights had likely announced their arrival. the lady of the castle was there too, accompanied by two maids by her side. the count climbed down from his horse, and the servants opened the carriage door. rosenice ran to her mother as soon as she had climbed down from the carriage.


    boris climbed down after her. before he had the chance to really take in the castle, however, his eyes were pulled to the countess, who was wearing a slender dress and a green shawl, first. she was speaking with her husband.


    ¡°so that¡¯s the boy¡­?¡±


    the count responded to her quietly, and then the countess turned around and gazed penetratingly at boris. she stared at him so openly that it flustered him a little. fortunately, however, he was spared from the discomfort of having to formally greet her there and then.


    the countess then scolded her daughter for running while wearing a dress. rosenice obediently lowered her head and apologized. she knew that her mother wouldn¡¯t let her get away with her usual antics.


    thus, the count and his party had finally returned to his castle.


    boris¡¯ initial impression of the countess was spot on¡ªshe truly was a difficult person to deal with. not only was she slender, but she also had an exceptionally narrow forehead and thin lips. her voice was stern, and she did not smile very often either. boris could tell that the maids were doing their best to stay on their best behavior in her presence. the only similarity she seemed to share with her recklessly bubbly daughter was their bright, lemon-colored hair.


    one of the servants guided boris into a room, but he was summoned before he had the chance to settle down and rest. he was promptly brought to a spacious and glamorous reception room. the count, the countess, and rosenice were all waiting for him in their loungewear. boris was the only one still wearing outdoor clothes.


    something felt out of place. there wasn¡¯t a single servant or maid present. boris sat down for the time being, but he had no idea what to say. it was awkward. there was tea and cookies on the table, and the tea was starting to cool.


    ¡°my husband sent me word ahead of time, so i¡¯m aware of the gist of why you¡¯re here,¡± the countess started. ¡°you may make yourself comfortable during your stay here. treat the castle like it¡¯s your own home.¡±


    despite the contents of her words, however, there was no kindness in the countess¡¯ voice. it didn¡¯t even seem like she was saying it merely as a formality either. there was simply no emotion present in her speech.


    rosenice grinned and did her best to loosen the mood.


    ¡°i¡¯m going to be the younger sister, mother. i¡¯ve always wanted an older brother.¡±


    ¡°is that so?¡±


    boris could not feel any overwhelming affection in the countess¡¯ voice even though she was addressing her one and only daughter, unlike her husband, whose voice was always honeyed with it whenever he spoke to rosenice. boris could not help but wonder if the countess had been born into a very prominent house prior to her marriage.


    then, the count said, ¡°be mind to address me as your father, and my wife, isabeau, as your mother, during your stay here. you are the youngest son of cambris elgunden, the fallen lord of gvansk in southern travachess. i adopted you when you were five to solidify a relationship between our houses and have been supporting you all this time, but we¡¯ve never met in person before because you were still living with your biological father. your mother passed away when you were young, and you have very little memory of her. you had to move in with me because your biological father unexpectedly passed away earlier this year.¡±


    it felt so strange to hear the count inform him about his fake past like he was simply telling the boy a story. there were parts of the fake past that overlapped with boris¡¯ real past. was that simply a coincidence?


    the count continued, ¡°only the following people know about how we actually met: hugh, my secretary, willa, the maid who nursed you back to health, camia, rosenice¡¯s personal maid, and geribo, delemer, and gromiers, the knights who were with me when i rescued you.¡±


    boris sharpened his focus and committed those names to memory.


    ¡°none of the people i just named know why you¡¯re here or for how long you¡¯ll be staying. the only people who know that are my wife, rosenice, and myself. be sure to stick to the story i just told you if anyone asks you why you¡¯re here.¡±


    rosenice tilted her head from side to side. it looked like she was wondering whether she actually needed to keep this secret. after all, there were too many people who had a vague idea of the truth in order to keep this secret rigorously. meanwhile, boris realized that the count had only said this to caution him against doing anything that might spark some unwanted rumors.


    ¡°can you remember everything i¡¯ve just told you?¡±


    ¡°yes,¡± boris answered quietly.


    then, the countess added, ¡°the boy might forget, so please write it all down for him later.¡±


    ¡°that was always the plan. hugh will have already prepared it by now.¡±


    ¡°good.¡±


    no one touched the cookies or the tea. boris had been expecting it, but he still couldn¡¯t help but rue the fact that he was not actually a part of their family. still, he was fully resolved to play his role faithfully. after all, this was something that he had chosen for himself.


    ¡°please have boris¡¯ chambers prepared for him, dear. let¡¯s keep his room close to rose¡¯s¡ªah, that one should do. the room on the second floor of the tower of moonshine.¡±


    the countess looked a little surprised at first, but she quickly regained herself and replied, ¡°very well. i¡¯ll get the suite ready for him.¡±


    rosenice¡¯s eyes were as wide as saucers as she stared at her parents in turns. on the other hand, boris had no idea what was so special about the suite on the second floor of the tower of moonshine, nor did he particularly care to know.


    the count turned back to boris and said, ¡°i will find you a swordsmanship teacher in a few days. get some rest until then. i¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired from the journey. why don¡¯t you tuck in for the night, and rose can take her older brother on a tour of the castle tomorrow? the castle is quite large, and it¡¯s easy to get lost in.¡±


    boris flinched when he heard the consideration in the count¡¯s words. it had almost sounded like the count had intended to address his daughter instead. even boris¡¯ real father had never paid him such careful attention. the count had likely only been speaking that way out of habit, but boris was so startled that his heart had skipped a beat.


    suddenly, rosenice chimed in and said, ¡°won¡¯t my brother need an attendant, daddy¡ªi mean, father?¡±


    evidently, rosenice minded her words a bit more in her mother¡¯s presence. the countess hadn¡¯t scolded her for it however, though perhaps only because boris was there too. the count smiled and nodded back.


    ¡°you¡¯re taking such good care of your brother already, rose. but you needn¡¯t worry. i haven¡¯t forgotten. i¡¯m planning to gather up the servants and introduce them to boris tomorrow. why don¡¯t we let him pick an attendant then?¡±


    the conversation had more or less wrapped up. the countess rang a bell, and the maid who had been on standby outside the door came in and took away the tea that no one had drank. boris bowed to his new parents one last time before following a servant back to his room.


    the exhaustion hit him all at once after he¡¯d closed the door and was finally alone. his stay in this room was only temporary. he would be moving to the new one tomorrow. yet, even this one was nicer than his chambers back in the jinneman manor.


    did the castle have several rooms like this one that were always kept clean so guests could stay in them at a moment¡¯s notice? the bed was lined with white sheets, a blanket, and an ermine fur duvet for the winter. everything was immaculate, and there was not a wrinkle to be seen anywhere. both the headboard of the bed and the legs of the small bedside table next to it were carved into elegant arcs. the slipcover draped over the chair was decorated with exquisite petit point needlework. three marguerites were embroidered onto it with gold and white thread.


    boris opened the wardrobe to find one set of pajamas and loungewear each inside. he decided to get changed. his outdoor clothes were getting uncomfortable, and he figured that he¡¯d be eating dinner soon anyway. then, he tried to lay down in bed, but he ultimately ended up getting back up and walking circles inside his room because his heart was pounding too hard for him to sit still.


    eventually, the window with storm covers caught his attention. he couldn¡¯t quite explain why, but he was so glad to have spotted it. boris walked up to the window, unlatched it, and swung it wide open. it was only after the breeze rushed in that he realized there was an old, musky smell permeating the room. he pulled the chair up by the window and stared outside it absentmindedly.


    he could see the winding road they had taken on the carriage, the small forest they had passed, and the small brook they had crossed glittering in the distance. the castle gardens were neat and tidy, and the forest beyond them was vividly green. he had crossed the forest by carriage not too long ago, but he already wanted to return. he wanted to take a stroll in the forest sometime if he had the time to spare and he was allowed to wander as he pleased.


    would he be able to find a place that reminded him of the hills he used to wrestle his brother on?


    boris fell into a crestfallen silence.


    of course he wouldn¡¯t. travachess was a place where the overgrown grasses of the fields rippled like waves, but anomarad was not. the natural scenery here in anomarad was much more pastoral, charming, and abundant. but it wasn¡¯t his home. anomarad was beautiful, but it was ultimately unfamiliar to him. it reminded him of rosenice¡ªthe pretty little girl who ultimately had nothing to do with him.


    boris saw the castle¡¯s majestic ramparts stretching out to either side when he looked down. he could see the whole height of the wall even from the second floor. the ramparts looked large and sturdy, though it a different way from what they had looked like from afar. boris couldn¡¯t help but wonder if his window was visible from the forest. perhaps the window was too small to be seen and would simply be lost in the rest of the castle like an unnecessary dot in a painting.


    his impression of bellnor castle was exactly the same as what he thought about the life he was about to live here. he was so small, and the world at large, in which he was helpless to do anything, was so large in comparison. he felt like he was being buried by the overwhelming things around him, and he wondered if he would be able to find a small window where he could hide and catch his breath.


    this land was foreign to him.


    rosenice came to visit him the next morning even before the count had summoned him. her cheeks were flushed, as if she was having great fun.


    ¡°how did you like breakfast, dear brother?¡±


    a maid had brought his breakfast directly to his room. rosenice was smiling bashfully, perhaps because she had never addressed anyone as her dear brother before. it made boris feel a little awkward too, and it took him everything he had to manage to reply, ¡°¡­yeah.¡±


    ¡°daddy said that i should take you on a tour of the castle, remember? i¡¯ll show you your new suite first. and there¡¯s a whole lot more that i need to show you after that too! it¡¯s going to knock your socks off.¡±


    naturally, however, rosenice wouldn¡¯t be rosenice if she was nice all the time.


    ¡°don¡¯t get too distracted and just keep your eyes on me,¡± she said while jutting out her chin. she was cute even still. ¡°that way, i won¡¯t have to worry about you getting lost.¡±


    they followed the trail of flower bud-shaped lights on the ceiling as they made their way down the corridor. the sun¡¯s morning rays filtered in through the line of windows on the wall. the tall windows were not simply holes in the wall shielded by storm covers. they were all made of real glass. the shadows from the windowsills crisscrossed over the carpeted floor like a net as the new siblings walked over them.


    the towers on each of the four corners of the castle didn¡¯t actually feel like towers from the inside because they all connected via the corridors. the tower of moonshine was situated in the south. rosenice ran up to the tall double doors to the tower and opened them. the doors open to reveal a sitting room as grand as the reception room that boris had seen yesterday. the only difference was that the sitting room in the tower was only half as big. the walls were made from a light brown wood with visible grains. there were occasional curves carved into the walls, and each curve was filled with a strip of gold. beneath the chandelier and adorned with dozens of crystals were a tea table, a folding desk, embroidered chairs, and bookshelves packed with heavy books. lined on the floor was a round rug displaying two lilies of different colors.


    until now, boris had yet to express any awe after seeing how beautiful bellcruz and bellnor castle were, but he could not help but be moved at the sight of the tower of moonshine. perhaps it was because this was to be his living quarters. he walked inside and looked around before turning back to rosenice. rosenice had been gauging his reaction, and she flashed a grin when she spotted something she liked.


    just then, camia rushed inside the room and bowed deeply in front of rosenice.


    ¡°i¡¯m so sorry, young miss. i had no idea that you¡¯d left so early, and i was just so busy that i¡­¡±


    house jinneman had employed servants too, but boris had always regarded them as a part of his family. he wasn¡¯t quite sure what to make of it when he saw the two girls, who were similar in age, so clearly drawing the line of master and servant between them. but he also knew that it wasn¡¯t his place to interfere with their relationship.


    fortunately, rosenice was in a good mood today.


    ¡°whatever. i¡¯m going to be with my brother, so you just follow us from far behind.¡±


    then, rosenice opened one of the two doors on the other side of the sitting room. the decorations and furniture inside the new room was incomparably better than that of the room that boris had slept in last night. rosenice took the lead and threw the wardrobe doors open, revealing all kinds of high quality clothes inside. she likely wasn¡¯t doing it purely out of goodwill, but she seemed to be having great fun as she held all kinds of outfits out for boris to see.


    ¡°don¡¯t they all look so cool? your servant will be able to tell you when to wear what after you pick one.¡±


    boris didn¡¯t particular care much for clothes, so he simply nodded back. the bedroom was so large that he could have fit five beds inside it and still have room to spare.


    rosenice tapped her toes¡ªwhich she probably shouldn¡¯t have been doing in a dress¡ªand said, ¡°this is the second best room in the castle after my parents¡¯. i wanted it for myself, but daddy said that it was too big for me. he said that i could have it when i turn fifteen. you won¡¯t be here anymore by then, so i¡¯m sure he¡¯ll let me have it then. so, make sure you keep it clean, you got that, dear brother?¡±


    rosenice seemed to have already gotten comfortable at calling boris her dear brother. yet, boris couldn¡¯t help but feel like something was off as he listened. rosenice was treating him like they were close, but she was so matter-of-factly stating that he would be leaving soon.


    they were close siblings for now, but they would return to being total strangers again by next year.


    the two children left the tower and wandered the rest of the castle until their legs began hurting. rosenice¡¯s tour wasn¡¯t very organized. she showed boris her favorite window, opened up a bunch of guest rooms one by one for boris to see, and she even brought him to the gigantic kitchens. the maids who had been cooking very kindly chased them out.


    the dining hall was quite impressive. there were three tables in the dining hall, and each one was long enough to easily seat at least thirty people. there was also a separate round table that was decorated far better than the rest. however, it didn¡¯t seem like the dining hall was used very often. rosenice told boris that she and her parents typically used a smaller and cozier dining room.


    ¡°was that everything?¡± rosenice asked camia as she tilted her head to the side.


    ¡°you haven¡¯t taken him to the library yet, milady. master will have left to inspect the estate by now, since he¡¯s left it unattended for so long. i believe the library should be empty at this time.¡±


    rosenice clapped her hands together as she nodded back enthusiastically.


    ¡°oh, right! let¡¯s go and see the library together, dear brother. um, the library is a place with a whole lot of books.¡±


    boris knew what a library was. he recalled seeing his father sitting in the library back at home. he had not been able to freely enter the library in the manor back in longorde either if his father was currently occupying it. he remembered how his father would summon tulk, the butler, and issue all kinds of instructions that he had been too young to understand¡­


    it was so strange. boris only remembered his father as being stern and cold, yet he still missed him so dearly. but it was different from how his missed his brother. his father was like a symbol that represented his old life.


    the library was on the third floor. the children opened the doors and walked inside, but something unexpected happened before boris had the chance to appreciate the sea of books within. rosenice suddenly grew angry and stomped up to someone while jabbing her finger at them.


    furiously, she chastised, ¡°lanziee! were you reading my father¡¯s books without permission again?¡±


    there was a boy standing in front of one of the bookshelves. he was clearly one of the servants, judging by his clothes, but he had been reading through a rather thick book. he looked to be around the same age as boris and rosenice. he had sky blue hair, and the pale lines of his forehead were straight. the boy didn¡¯t look like anything else that boris had seen in anomarad thus far. he felt so fundamentally at odds from this land of overflowing abundance.


    the boy gave off a chilly yet clear air about him.


    moreover, the boy was so handsome that he would probably stand out no matter where he went. he calmly closed the book he had been reading. he wasn¡¯t flustered at all as rosenice raged at him.


    then, he looked over rosenice¡¯s shoulder and at boris. boris was startled when their eyes met. the boy¡¯s eyes were a deep red, unless the sunlight was simply playing tricks on him. boris hadn¡¯t even known that it was possible for people to have red eyes. the boy¡¯s ruby eyes were beautiful.


    ¡°how dare you sneak into my father¡¯s library and read his books?!¡±


    rosenice snatched away lanziee¡¯s book before he had the chance to put it back and flung it to the floor. camia jumped, startled, and quickly rushed over to pick it up. she nervously began flattening the book out when she saw that one of its covers had folded over. rosenice, however, did not appear to care one whit about the book she had just so unceremoniously thrown and was busy poking her finger against lanziee¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°know your place! do you want me to tell father and have him throw you out?!¡±


    boris was curious to see what the boy, who exuded elegance despite being a mere servant, had to say for himself.


    contrary to boris¡¯ expectations, however, lanziee simply replied, ¡°my apologies, milady. it was wrong of me.¡±


    then again, what else could lanziee have said in this situation?


    yet, lanziee¡¯s tone was not as submissive as his words suggested. and rosenice, who had been a young miss all her life, was quick to notice. she still looked as disgruntled as ever as she stepped back, but then she shot a glance at boris and said, ¡°i¡¯ll let you off for today since my dear brother¡¯s here with me. but just you wait. i¡¯ll be sure to tell father if i ever catch you at it again!¡±


    lanziee didn¡¯t appear curious at all even though he almost certainly knew that rosenice had no brothers, and he sketched rosenice a bow before exiting the room. camia quickly put the book back on its shelf. it was only then that rosenice started to worry about the book.


    ¡°well¡­ i suppose this should be fine.¡±


    rosenice thought that she knew how to deal with her servants properly and she believed that that she was fairly good at it. however, the servant whom her father had brought back from keltica last year was the only exception. lanziee lowered his head whenever she raised her voice, and he obediently did whatever she told him to do no matter how unreasonable a task it was. yet, she could increasingly tell that, on the inside, lanziee was looking down on her and did not feel as though a little young miss like her deserved his attention. he was obedient to her every word¡ªwhat other choice did he have?¡ª, but his eyes seemed to say that there was nothing rosenice could do about his heart. rosenice hated it.


    being a servant meant that you had to gauge your master¡¯s mood carefully, seeing if there was anything making her sad or incurring her ire, and doing everything in your power to make things better for her. if you were lucky, your master would take notice and praise you, and if they didn¡¯t, well, there was nothing you could do about it. being a servant meant losing on purpose if your master wanted to win and acting the fool if your master wanted to show off how smart she was.


    ¡­or, at the very least, that was the kind of servant that rosenice wanted. they may be of similar age, but rosenice was the young miss and lanziee was a mere servant. thus, she could only see his attitude as a despicable attempt to pretend that they were, in fact, equals.


    and unfortunately for lanziee, he had a weakness: his little sister.

 Volume 1 - CH 3.4

    ¡°we¡¯re done here, right? let¡¯s leave.¡±


    rosenice¡¯s earlier cheer evaporated on the spot, and she frigidly turned around and left the room.


    boris had never been very interested in books to begin with. still, he could not help but think that the library, so jam-packed with books, was better suited for someone like lanziee, who snuck inside to read every volume he could get his hands on one by one, than someone like the count, who only picked out whenever information he needed at the time.


    ¡°this boy here boris da bellnor, whom i adopted as my son seven years ago. he¡¯ll be living with us in the castle from now on, so be sure to treat him as you do rosenice.¡±


    ¡°understood, master,¡± marcu, the old butler, replied on all the servants¡¯ behalf. boris was wary of the old man because he had learned that marcu hailed from travachess, but it didn¡¯t seem like marcu paid him any particular mind.


    all the servants, who had been gathered in the second biggest hall of the castle, turned to stare at boris. the count had placed his hand affectionately on boris¡¯ shoulder. they really did look like father and son. the count had black hair, a stark contrast to his wife and daughter¡¯s brilliant blonde, so he actually did look rather similar to boris, whose hair was gunmetal blue. some of the servants even mistakenly thought that boris was not actually an adoptive son but rather the count¡¯s bastard, born to another woman.


    it made boris a bit uncomfortable to be stared at by so many people¡ªwho knew what they were thinking?¡ª, but he also knew that it wasn¡¯t really that big of a deal. especially not compared to the fine tightrope that he would have to walk from now on. he couldn¡¯t afford to feel intimidated already. he needed to be composed, bold, and cautious.


    ¡°now the, boris. why don¡¯t you pick out an attendant of your liking from the people here? or, if you¡¯d prefer, you can tell me what kind of person you¡¯re looking for and i can pick someone out for you.¡±


    boris didn¡¯t want to have to tiptoe around an older attendant. he was more likely to be able to get away with any mistakes if his attendant was someone his age.


    ¡°i¡¯d like to have someone my age,¡± boris said as he scanned the crowd. then, his gaze suddenly landed on lanziee.


    he didn¡¯t feel any strong need to choose lanziee in particular. lanziee seemed smart, and boris would likely have an easier time deceiving someone who was a little dumber anyway. but he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what kind of person lanziee was. it wasn¡¯t out of goodwill¡ªit was more akin to pure curiosity. lanziee was different from the people of anomarad, but he was also different from boris. the distinction intrigued him.


    the count seemed a little troubled. despite that, he asked, ¡°the boy at the end over there is lanziee. would you like to make him your attendant?¡±


    ¡°yes,¡± boris replied.


    lanziee didn¡¯t pay any particular heed to boris even as boris made his decision. all he did was step forward and sketch a bow when the count gestured at him.


    ¡°i am lanziee rosenkranz, young master.¡±


    boris fully understood why rosenice felt the way she did about lanziee as soon as he heard lanziee¡¯s voice. after all, he felt it too. lanziee was going through the motions of servility, but he did not actually have an ounce of respect for boris at all.


    ¡°you will be attending to boris from now on. be sure to serve him well. looking after boris will be your first and foremost priority moving forward. you may quit all your other duties.¡±


    ¡°yes, master.¡±


    lanziee¡¯s attitude didn¡¯t change even when he was addressing the count. but the count was an adult, so he turned a blind eye to the young attendant¡¯s trivial attitude. the other servants eventually started to disperse, and the count gestured at boris and lanziee to take their leave as well. he apparently had something to discuss with marcu, his butler.


    boris and lanziee made their way into the corridor together. then, lanziee said, ¡°why don¡¯t we head to your chambers, young master? i¡¯ll tell you everything you need to know to have a comfortable stay in the castle.¡±


    this time, his voice was borderline icy. all boris could do was nod back.


    tap, tap, tap, tap.


    they coincidentally ended up walking at the same pace as they made their way to boris¡¯ room. lanziee purposefully slowed down a moment later. boris noticed and intentionally matched lanziee¡¯s pace again, only for lanziee to slow down even more when their footsteps overlapped yet again.


    they repeated this several times over before boris finally blurted out, ¡°i can go first if i¡¯m making you uncomfortable.¡±


    boris took the lead and opened the doors before lanziee had the chance to answer. then, he turned around and watched as lanziee entered behind him. lanziee walked to the center of the gorgeous sitting room after closing the doors behind him, and then he looked directly back at boris and said, ¡°please, take a seat.¡±


    boris sat down, and lanziee also took a seat opposite of him. the two of them stared at each other without a word for a bit.


    finally, boris broke the ice and said, ¡°i¡¯m a little thirsty.¡±


    lanziee stood up. he poured a glass of water from the silver kettle on the tea table and brought it back on a tray. the water splashed a little as he set the glass down in front of boris.


    ¡°please have this.¡±


    it almost felt like they were putting on a puppet show in a toy theater. neither boris nor lanziee could afford to run afoul of the script, so they made the kind of exchange that any master should be having with his servant. boris raised the glass to his lips with perfectly disciplined movements a took a sip of water.


    then, he said, ¡°what were you going to tell me?¡±


    ¡°first, i¡¯d like to tell you about the master and the rest of his family.¡±


    it made boris feel strange to look into lanziee¡¯s ruby eyes.


    ¡°the master goes to inspect his territory about once every ten days, and he goes travelling about every other month,¡± lanziee continued with poise. ¡°he most frequently goes to keltica, but he also sometimes visits neighboring lands with which the county trades with for specialty products. the duration of his travels ranges from about five days on the shorter end to over a month on the longer end.¡±


    evidently, the count travelled away from his estate quite often.


    ¡°when he¡¯s at the castle, the master typically stays in the library during the morning and either spends time with the madam or goes on walks with young miss rosenice in the afternoon. he enjoys hunting, so he sometimes goes away on hunting trips, which can last a couple of days, with some of his knights too. the master is generally a very magnanimous person, but he can also be rather unforgiving if you happen to go against him.¡±


    the utter lack of emotion in lanziee¡¯s explanation struck boris as a little odd. it almost sounded like lanziee was reciting lines that he had memorized from a script. boris didn¡¯t particularly react and waited for lanziee to continue.


    ¡°the madam, on the other hand, rarely leaves the castle. she spends most of her time doing needlework in the salon or writing letters outside if the weather is nice. she¡¯s early to bed and early to rise. the madam is also not in the best health and is prone to falling ill when she¡¯s upset, so you must always be very mindful of her mood.¡±


    boris understood what lanziee was indirectly getting at. in other words, the countess was very strict with the servants. surely, she would be just as strict with boris, who was pretending for be her son for a while.


    ¡°and lastly, as for young miss rosenice¡­¡± lanziee¡¯s voice trailed off. boris recalled what that happened earlier in the morning and grew curious about what lanziee had to say. eventually, lanziee continued, ¡°i¡¯m sure you already know what kind of person she is.¡±


    evidently, lanziee had a knack for getting out of troublesome situations.


    lanziee continued his explanation. he told boris about which of the castle¡¯s many rooms he was likely to frequent most, what each hall was used for, how to use correctly use the things in his own chambers, the characteristics and dispositions of the other servants, the layout of the county, and any special events that were coming up.


    ¡°¡­there will be many visitors from all over the kingdom, including the capital, next month for the madam¡¯s birthday. the most important among them will be the friends and family of house cressanne, because the madam is the daughter of the marquis. the party is scheduled to last for two days, and there will also be a ball in the evening. do you know how to dance, young master?¡±


    boris dithered. he hadn¡¯t been expecting the question. still, not only was there technically no actual noble class in travachess, but all the lords and their houses were wary of each other and constantly at each other¡¯s throats. there were no such things as fun gatherings meant to strengthen friendly ties in travachess. moreover, there had been no lady of the house in house jinneman for quite some time. in other words, boris had never had the chance to learn how to dance.


    that being said, he didn¡¯t want to outright say that he didn¡¯t know how to dance either. as he continued hesitating, lanziee decided, ¡°i¡¯ll take it that you aren¡¯t very skilled at it. i can teach you if you¡¯d like.¡±


    boris was so surprised by that statement that he wasn¡¯t sure how to react. lanziee simply continued his explanation in the meanwhile and informed boris about a couple more things. eventually, he finished his explanation, and the two boys suddenly had nothing else to say to each other.


    boris felt like it would be for the best to start talking about something, but he had no idea what to say. what if he accidentally revealed himself while talking to lanziee recklessly? he considered one topic after another until he suddenly realized that he could simply ask lanziee about himself.


    ¡°what kind of work were you doing here before?¡±


    ¡°most of my duties involved attending to the count.¡±


    ¡°when did you start working at the castle?¡±


    ¡°i first came here last year. i¡¯ve been working for about a year now.¡±


    ¡°where were you before?¡±


    ¡°i used to live in keltica.¡±


    boris was a little surprised. he had never been to keltica before, but he knew that it was incredibly far away. keltica was the capital of anomarad, but it was located very far to the north. what had brought lanziee all the way here from keltica? then, boris remembered that poorer houses sometimes sold their children to work as servants for wealthier houses.


    ¡°are your parents still alive?¡±


    lanziee had no right to refuse to answer boris¡¯ questions. after all, boris was his master now. however, boris only needed to take one look at lanziee¡¯s face to realize that lanziee would have refused to answer had anyone else been asking.


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure. they were alive when we parted ways, but i don¡¯t know if they¡¯re still alive today.¡±


    boris intuited that continuing this particular topic probably wouldn¡¯t be very fun for lanziee. that¡¯s why he fully intended the next question to be his last.


    ¡°so, you¡¯re alone now?¡±


    red, the color of lanziee¡¯s eyes, was supposed to be a warm color, but the boy¡¯s eyes were ever so frigid. the tone of his voice was a notch quieter as he replied, ¡°i have a younger sister. the master has graciously permitted her to live with me here in the castle.¡±


    boris stopped asking any more questions after that because he felt like it would lead to a rather emotional confrontation between them if he continued. besides, it was also time for lunch.


    four days had passed. boris slowly adjusted to life in the castle. he was learning rather quickly too, especially because he was putting his mind to it. he could more or less avoid getting lost in the castle now, and he was also getting more natural at interacting with the servants.


    he was also managing to get along with rosenice, for the most part. her mood tended to swing at the slightest whim, and she was as haughty as a baby peacock, but she wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad child at heart. it was easy enough to keep from sparking her ire as long as you stayed in line. boris had realized early on that his surroundings would get uselessly noisy if he accidentally did something to set her off. rosenice, for her part, was actually rather affectionate with boris, much to the shock and surprise of the maids. perhaps it was because she understood that he was here for her sake. and, most fortunately, boris rarely had any reason to see the countess because she spent most of her time in her chambers.


    boris spent his free time picking through the books in his sitting room. none of them were very entertaining. he was rather nervous. he wanted to start practicing swordplay as quickly as possible because the responsibility of the promise he had made was weighing down on him. unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t been able to start just yet because the count had yet to find him a suitable teacher.


    winterer was wrapped up in a piece of black cloth and safe under his bed. boris tried drawing it once in the middle of the night, but the sword was still too heavy for him. he remembered how easy his brother had made it look. yevgnen seemed so distant now, in more ways than one. boris put the sword back under his bed and did not take it back out again.


    ¡°young master boris?¡± lanziee approached him one day after lunch while he was perusing a rather insipid book. he continued, ¡°may i be permitted to visit my little sister for a moment?¡±


    boris was not the type of person who needed an attendant to be stuck to his hip 24/7. this was also lanziee¡¯s first time making this kind of request from him. boris was about to nod back and freely give his approval, but then something piqued his interest.


    ¡°can i come with you?¡±


    it was fun to watch lanziee¡¯s face be dyed with emotion. he hesitated for an uncharacteristically long time. he almost looked like boris had asked him if he could see the precious treasure that he had been hiding away. he probably would have declined the request if he could. boris wasn¡¯t the kind of person to snitch, but what if, just if, boris happened to tell the count or countess that a mere servant had declined his request? what would happen to him then?


    lanziee continued dithering even though he had probably already run the scenario in his head and come to a conclusion. eventually, however, he finally replied, ¡°¡­very well.¡±


    the two boys began walking to the room where lanziee¡¯s little sister was staying when he suddenly stopped and asked, ¡°would you consider yourself a gentleman, young master?¡±


    ¡°what?¡± boris asked back. he had no idea what the other boy was getting at.


    lanziee went ahead and answered his own question.


    ¡°i will trust that you do.¡±


    the small room they entered was neat and tidy. it was barely half the size of boris¡¯ bedroom in his chambers. there was a small bed off to the side, a desk, and two chairs inside. that was it. one of the chairs had been pulled by the window. there was a little girl sitting in it.


    ¡°lanzmi.¡±


    the little girl responded when she heard her big brother¡¯s voice. her tiny shoulders flinched, and she made the strenuous effort to turn around toward him. lanziee walked over to her and stroked her hair.


    boris was shocked when he saw the little girl¡¯s face. he had thought he was prepared for what he might see. after all, she was lanziee¡¯s little sister. she was slender, pale, and delicate, like a fragile tulip bud that was yet to bloom. yet, none of this was why boris was so shocked.


    there was no emotion on her face. at all. she looked like a soulless wax doll. the faint lines of her eyes and eyelashes seemed to have been sketched onto her, and none of her facial features moved even in the slightest. moreover, her eyes were unfocused. he couldn¡¯t even tell whether or not she was actually looking at her brother.


    ¡°please take a seat over there, young master.¡±


    boris had no choice but to pull the empty chair closer and take a seat. he felt like he had witnessed something that he should not have seen, but it was far too late to say that he wanted to leave. he was sitting about three steps away from the siblings. lanziee crouched down, took his little sister¡¯s hand, and slowly and articulately began talking to her.


    it was difficult to interrupt them. boris felt like they were so far away, too far away to touch, even though they were right there in front of them. lanziee continued caressing his little sister¡¯s hand as he told her about all sorts of things¡ªabout the weather, about what had happened in the castle today, about what he had eaten and how he had entertained himself, and how his day had been. he also told her all about the beautiful things he had seen today. he threw in a couple of questions here and there, but his little sister never responded to them. lanziee seemed to have expected this, however, as he only paused briefly each time before moving on.


    boris sat there awkwardly. he felt like he was peering into someone else¡¯s private life. lanziee quietly continued speaking about everything he had seen, heard, and felt today. it was possible that he was exaggerating parts of his tale, but boris was surprised nevertheless. he had always thought that lanziee was cold and uncaring. he had never imagined that the other boy was constantly seeing beauty in the world around him. lanziee even spoke about boris too, from time to time.


    he only told his lanzmi about good things. he did not tell her about anything that was bad or sad.


    ¡°you look like you¡¯re in a good mood today, lanzmi. your hair¡¯s been growing out too. it¡¯ll be long again in no time at all at this rate. anyway, why don¡¯t you take a nap now? it¡¯s not good for your health to be sitting out in the sun for too long. get some sleep and dream about collecting the rest of the millo azchenas. you said that you found irene and christina last time, right? then, i guess it¡¯s gillian¡¯s turn today.¡±


    millo¡­ what¡­? boris had no clue what on earth lanziee was talking about. it was probably some sort of secret that only lanziee and lanzmi could understand. the kind of secret that a young girl like lanzmi would delight in.


    boris felt like he saw lanzmi nodding back ever so slightly. then, lanziee stood up, picked up his little sister, and carried her to the bed. it probably was no easy feat because lanziee wasn¡¯t that much older than her, but he was able to do it nevertheless because lanzmi was so frail and lightweight. lanziee tucked his little sister into bed and closed the canopy around her.


    finally, he turned to boris and said, ¡°let¡¯s be on our way, young master.¡±


    boris flinched like he had abruptly awoken from a dream before he jumped up and left the room.


    lanzmi was two years younger than lanziee. lanziee worked in the castle, but lanzmi was only taken care of. not only was she lame after having contracted polio when she was younger, but she was also autistic. she would never be able to survive without another¡¯s assistance, which was nothing to say about actually working as a maid.


    lanziee had asked the count to take care of his little sister instead of paying him wages when the count had taken the siblings under his wing. that was how lanziee had ended up attending to the count and how he had been able to secure a room for his little sister. the maids helped him take care of lanzmi.


    lanziee cherished his little sister dearly. he was eternally patient with her even though she never responded no matter what he said to her. he was actually the very reason why rosenice had decided that she wanted an older brother in the first place.


    ¡°have you seen her? ugh, i hate her. she gets on my nerves.¡±


    rosenice was in a poor mood after studying with her private tutor. she had barged into her older brother¡¯s chambers with camia in tow as soon as her lesson was over, and she started complaining without restraint as soon as she realized that lanziee was away on an errand for her father. boris felt terrible for having brought up the topic in the first place because he didn¡¯t have anything else to say to her.


    ¡°why don¡¯t you like her?¡±


    ¡°she¡¯s so dumb! she stared blankly out the window all day long, and she leeches off of everyone else like some kind of retard¡ª¡±


    rosenice suddenly clamped her mouth shut. evidently, she had suddenly reminded herself that she might end up having to marry someone who was mentally retarded too if things went poorly. she shook her head and scowled something fierce as she made her displeasure known.


    she continued, ¡°i can¡¯t stand people like her. i mean, how come she never says anything? it¡¯s not like she doesn¡¯t know how to. it makes me want to slap her whenever i see that blank stare of hers.¡±


    boris was a tad surprised. he had assumed that lanzmi was mute.


    ¡°is she sick? she didn¡¯t look very well.¡±


    ¡°of course she¡¯s sick! she¡¯s sick with laziness! she¡¯s only really ill in her legs. there¡¯s nothing else that¡¯s wrong with her. and yet, she sits in her room and does nothing all day! it¡¯s not like she¡¯s learning or anything either. she doesn¡¯t read or sew. and that older brother of hers hides her away and hates it whenever anyone tries to see her. he treats her like she¡¯s a lump of gold or something!¡±


    said older brother knocked on the door and came in just then. boris grew nervous. would rosenice continue badmouthing the siblings? to his surprise, however, rosenice immediately dropped the conversation.


    then, she purposefully changed the topic and said, ¡°oh, right. daddy said he¡¯s finally found a swordsmanship instructor for you. he told me when i went to see him after breakfast.¡±


    ¡°oh yeah?¡±


    this was good news.


    before boris could get in another word, rosenice continued, ¡°i think he¡¯s supposed to get here sometime in the morning tomorrow! daddy said he¡¯s a bit of an odd man, though, so you might end up having a bit of a hard time with him. his skills are top-notch, but he¡¯s pretty foul-tempered, or something like that.¡±


    ¡°i see¡­¡±


    while there was probably some truth in rosenice¡¯s evaluation, boris did not want to make any judgments before actually meeting his new teacher in person. he remembered what his older brother had said to him once about his two swordsmanship teachers. the master-disciple relationship was a funny thing. someone could be the very best teacher ever to one student while also being the absolute worst teacher ever to another, and vice versa.


    yevgnen¡¯s first teacher had been the absolute worst. the teacher had been a renowned man whom their father can taken great care in selecting, but his personality had clashed horribly with yevgnen¡¯s, and yevgnen¡¯s skills had never improved because he was too busy squabbling with his teacher all the time. his second teacher had not been nearly as famous, but he had gotten along remarkably well with his student. it was all thanks to yevgnen¡¯s second teacher that he had advanced so quickly in his swordsmanship skills.


    it hadn¡¯t taken yevgnen very long before he had surpassed his teacher in terms of skill, as preposterous as it was. and yet, the two of them had remained as master and disciple for a very long time even still. yevgnen had needed no more teachers after parting ways with his second teacher.


    out of the blue, rosenice said, ¡°i¡¯m going to ask daddy to let me learn swordplay too!¡±


    boris didn¡¯t respond. he knew that there was no talking rosenice out of this. that being said, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder just how long she would last, especially with that personality of hers.