Published at 22nd of January 2020 4:50 pm

Volume 4, Prologue II: —But Let’s Try to Forget it Someday

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Without realizing… there were some who became aware of the fact that the world was wrapped in darkness.

They didn’t want to realize it. Because they knew that they wouldn’t be able to turn back anymore if they did. They knew that they’d never be able to sigh in relief again if they understood the depths of its darkness. They’d realize that continuing on this path would lead to extreme sadness. They’d know that the world be filled with many more sad things. Things sadder than they’d ever known before. Things that hurt more than they’d ever hurt before.

They didn’t want that.

No one wanted that, and yet…

And yet he advanced towards that sad choice.

It was painful. It was something he didn’t want.

He wanted to run. Yes. Things would become easier if he just ran away, right?

If he just threw everything away and ran for it, things would get easier, wouldn’t they?

But…

---

Sion was sitting in the throne listening to Claugh and Froaude’s report.

He looked to Froaude. “So you set a trap for Duke Staelied and the nobles who followed him…”

Froaude nodded. “I killed nearly every one of his prominent followers,” he said easily.

Sion’s face scrunched up a bit at that. Staelied’s anti-monarchy party was not made up of just a couple nobles. There were tons of them. And yet this man said he’d killed them all. He set a trap for all those unarmed people and killed them all.

He didn’t even try to talk it out with them. He purged them… even though there may have been nobles among them who weren’t completely convinced of their anti-monarchy convictions… Froaude killed them all the same.

It was a massacre.

Sion grimaced as if he himself was feeling pained.

“Did you still want to have mercy on their lives, despite having come so far?” Froaude asked.

“Aah?” Claugh said from beside him. “Hearing that’d make anyone feel sick. You went crazy on them all on your own and went around killin’ them all on your own… don’t you feel anything about that? Don’t you feel anything when you kill another human being?”

“I kill when it’s necessary,” Froaude said easily. “There is nothing one should do over guilt regarding necessity. Also, I believe that His Majesty is the same.”

“Wha… don’t fuck with me. There’s no way Sion’s⁠—”

“It’s fine, Claugh. This isn’t the time for that. I’m grimacing about the situation. The head of the anti-monarchy faction, Duke Staelied, died… and not by our hands. By someone else’s. I’d vaguely realized what was happening. I knew that there was a noble mastermind acting behind Staelied. But…”

Sion stopped there, his eyes narrowing.

Froaude nodded. “Yes. Duke Staelied’s killer was not of this country. That noble is linked with foreign powers.”

“Foreign as in where?” Claugh asked. “You were right there with him and you didn’t even ask?”

“I was unable to figure it out, though I did try as much as I could given the situation… He was quite the formidable opponent…”

“And in the end you let him get away, so there was no point in any of it,” Claugh said, his distaste evident.

“I swear,” Froaude said, then continued without hesitation. “I am pained that I allowed him to get away. However, if you had arrived a bit faster…”

“Huh? Augh, hey, it’s not my fault!”

“…It was a joke,” Froaude said, smiling faintly.

What a conversation…

Claugh was surprised, but soon his expression turned to one of exasperation. “Y-your jokes like… really don’t sound like joking… and they’re questionable and in poor taste… but more importantly, where d’you think that guy was from?”

“…That is quite difficult,” Froaude said. “Farther north than even Runa… Casella… there are many countries that think of invading others. And of them, the most influential is of course… the country that attacked and is destroying Stohl and expanding rapidly—”

“Gastark,” Sion interrupted. “They’re the ones with the most pressing need to check the state of other countries.”

“Ah,” Claugh said. “Then I’ll…”

Sion looked annoyed at what he meant to say. “There’s no way I’m going to let you go. You’re our country’s marshal, you know. Do you think I’d send a marshal out scouting?”

“Is that bad or something? Then I’ll stop being a marshal since it’s a pain anyway and have Miller do it instead, so c’mon. Let me go. It’s just plain weird that I’m a marshal instead of him in the first place. Anyway, I’ll get started on the switching process right now—”

“Miller already turned down the promotion to marshal,” Sion interrupted.

“Huh? Really? So that’s why you made me a marshal?”

“Yeah. Miller turned me down, so you’re the only one left to fill the spot.”

“Hey, wait a minute… does that mean I coulda turned it down too?”

“Stop right there. It’s too late now.”

“Th-that’s not fair, Sion! Why’s Miller get to turn it down and I can’t!”

Sion smiled wryly. “Well, I guess you would get mad about that. But if I made Miller marshal now, do you know what’d happen? You’d get demoted to lieutenant general…”

Claugh turned on his heel and broke out in a run in an instant. “I won’t forget that, Sion! I’m going to Miller right now to persuade him, and then I’m going right to Gastark!”

With that, he flew out the door…

Sion watched him go, astonished, then sighed. “He really hates paperwork enough to stop being a marshal…”

“Certainly I believe that leading on site is a role that suits His Excellency Marshal Klom as opposed to doing paperwork… but I personally do not believe that Colonel Miller is a good choice. He is a bit too serious.”

Sion narrowed his eyes at Froaude. “Hoh. So you want Claugh to keep being a marshal, do you? Or do you think someone else should… such as yourself?”

Froaude shook his head. “No, I am not suited to the role of marshal. I was thinking the former.”

“…For Claugh to stay marshal?”

“Yes. You understand my reasoning already, do you not, Your Majesty? From here on it is necessary that Roland has a charming man like Claugh Klom, top of our military, lead it. People mysteriously flock to follow him. Of course he does not compare to you, but… he is someone with a great deal of danger and kindness coexisting within him, and his flaws capture people’s hearts with ease. To the current Roland, he…”

Froaude looked at Sion’s face and stopped for a moment before continuing.

“…No, the last part is unnecessary. Your Majesty appears tired. What do you think of resting a bit? Whether Claugh Klom or Rahel Miller is the general, the country cannot move without you… so please, take care of yourself. I will take my leave, pardon the intrusion…”

With that, he left.

Sion did not call out after him.

He just thought about Froaude’s words. They alone swirled about in his head.

“He is someone with a great deal of danger and kindness coexisting within him, and his flaws capture people’s hearts with ease. To the current Roland, he…”

He’d stopped there. But Sion already understood everything that he meant to say.

“To the current Roland, he is someone necessary should we be wrapped up in another war, or unable to win a war.”

Sion grimaced.

Rather than a man with excellent control of the military like Miller, someone brimming with charm like Claugh was preferable. Claugh could delude his soldiers into believing that any situation, no matter how disadvantageous it may be, was winnable. He could delude soldiers into thinking that they’d be okay as long as they followed him.

And so they’d lay down their lives for Claugh’s sake, for the country’s sake.

They needed Claugh’s charm to make people lay their lives down for them.

If he could make them believe they’d fight another country and survive, then of course he was necessary.

Roland was not the largest country on the continent. There were stronger, wealthier, and larger countries. To win against them… they had to use every method, no matter how underhanded.

They had to set traps - make alliances, betray their allies…

Even so, it wasn’t enough. They had to brainwash their soldiers. Make them believe in throwing their lives away.

“…I’m beat,” Sion mumbled.

There wasn’t enough time.

If he had some more time, he could straighten out the country’s foundation and become properly able to oppose other countries, but…

Reality, cruel as it was, didn’t stop for anyone.

Everything… the peace that spread before his very eyes… was just a fabrication. He’d realize that.

The world was wrapped in darkness. He’d realize that.

He didn’t want to.

Because he knew that once he did he couldn’t go back to how things were.

He realized that crushing sadness waited on the path he was on. Sadness worse that what he’d already felt. Pain worse than what he’d already felt.

Nobody would want that.

Nobody wanted it, and yet…

When faced with a choice, he turned towards sadness.

If he didn’t want to die, he’d have to kill.

If he didn’t want to die, he’d have to destroy countries.

If he didn’t want to be stolen from, he’d have to steal…

Steal. Steal.

It was painful. Horribly so.

He hated it… and he wanted to run away.

Would he be able to relax if he ran from it all? Would things be easier then?

Where would he even run to?

Where would he run?

His mind wandered to a far away time… one before he’d been so worried.

A time before he was king…

Ryner was there, and so was Kiefer. Tyle, Tony, and Fahle, too…

It wasn’t like he hadn’t worried then.

But he’d been thinking it even then. Fighting with his friends, laughing together, making up again… what else could he possibly want?

Transient as it was, if this was peace… then he never needed to get revenge on his siblings and become king, right? Not as long as Ryner and the others were there…

He really thought that for a moment.

He recalled how he’d laughed so happily with Ryner and his other friends. He’d been so horribly happy…

“…But… in this world, there’s nowhere left to run away to anymore… Ryner,” Sion whispered, a little sad.

---

The evening sky was red.

A red sky, just like the sky on that day.

It was bright red, like the sky itself had been dyed with blood…

There was a Runan noble’s mansion and a horse-drawn carriage that was far, far too luxurious.

“Mm… so one of the women you attacked became pregnant and died after giving birth, so now you, the father, are fully responsible for the child… what will you do?”

She glanced over at Ryner’s back. He was sleeping peacefully.

But then his eyes opened halfway. “When’d my life get so dramatic?”

“Mhm. You’re a dangerous man who can make women pregnant with just a sigh, after all.”

“Wow, that’s wild… So the drama happens even if all I do is walk around.”

“Mm. Natural disasters happen too, so there’s more than one genre of drama happening.”

“…Amazing, I’m already on the level of a natural disaster…”

Their usual pointless conversation was progressing as always.

Ryner shook his head. “That aside, what should we do with this kid?”

The young boy with black hair with the same Alpha Stigma as Ryner. And just like Ryner, the seal in his eyes sparked fear and loathing in everyone…

The boy had been staring at Ferris wordlessly for some time now.

“…By the way, Ryner,” Ferris said. “How old are you again?”

Ryner tilted his head. “Huh? Why’re you askin’ now? Did I—”

“Just answer me. How old are you?”

Ryner thought about it for a moment. “Nineteen or something? Honestly, I’m not really sure. I don’t have any parents and I don’t have any memories of when I was a little kid. But considering about how big I was when I first started remembering stuff, I think I’m about nineteen. Yeah, about nineteen years old. Why?”

Ferris nodded seriously and looked him over. “Looking at the kid, he’s probably about six. That means you fathered him at the young age of twelve. You already reached the limits of perversion back then…”

“He’s not my kid!”

“Mm? He isn’t? But if you won’t be his father, then who will he call his dad? You both have black hair and the same rare pentagram eyes. He’s clearly your child. You can’t run from it. The husband in a novel I read recently said to the child’s mother, ‘That isn’t my kid! I won’t acknowledge it! You went and had a child with another man!’

“And she replied, ‘This is your child! I don’t love anyone but you, my lord…’

“‘Shut up!’ He said. ‘If I say it’s not my kid, it’s not my kid! If you say it’s mine, then bring me some proof! Proof, woman!’

“‘I, I…’

“‘See! You can’t do it. Now get the fuck out! I’m busy! I don’t got the time to give to a woman like you! Scram, cow!’

“‘Nooooo!! Y-you can hit me, but don’t hit the child! I-I understand, I’ll leave!’

“And so on and so on,” Ferris said. “It didn’t end how I wanted it to and I’m still bitter.”

Ryner just stared. What else could he do after hearing such a long winded story? “Hah… as usual, there are so many stupid parts I have to counter that I’m tired before I even start countering them… What’s up with the ‘scram, cow!’ part, anyway? No one talks like that. Don’t you feel embarrassed actually saying it out loud? Also, I thought the guy was the protagonist at first, but now I’m not so sure. What kind of story is this?”

“Mm. The mother and child live a life of desolate poverty, so the kid has to grow up fast. He get revenge on the lord and grows even more, so I’d say it’s a success stor—”

“Then the son’s obviously the protagonist!”

“Mm? Is he? I thought you, the heinous, inhuman enemy of women was the protago—”

“Where do I even come in… ugh! Conversations with you never go anywhere! Look, even though we’ve gotten pretty far from that mountain we’re probably being followed, and the ones giving chase are probably Magical Knights. The kid’s not exactly conscious right now, and running with him’s a real pain… so what’re we gonna do!? That’s what I want to talk about it. Is it gonna get through to you?”

Ferris nodded. “Even if he won’t wake up, you can’t betray him as his fathe—”

“I’m not!”

Ferris ignored his protests. “Anyway, enough of that worthless joke. We don’t have time for it, Ryner.”

“I, I’m going to fucking kiiillll youuuuuu!!!”

He was at the end of his rope, but Ferris ignored him… and disappeared. No, it was more like she moved so quickly that she seemed to disappear.

Ryner heard a voice from within the horse drawn carriage. “Who’re y… gyah!?”

“Whoa!?”

“Help!”

“Uoaaaah!!”

Their screams rose, fell, then disappeared altogether… and then Ferris came out to the driver’s seat of the carriage, just as luxurious as the mansion before it.

“Ryner,” she said. “I’ve coincidentally found a carriage abandoned by the roadside. Wanna ride?”

“Literally every part of that is a lie… You went out of your way to steal someone’s carriage is what you did.”

“Mm. So you don’t want a ride. Very well, keep running with that kid on your back while the Magical Knights chase you forever. I will make way to Ridget Village to receive that girl’s thanks, then hurry on to the capital to buy dango. I won’t worry about how you’re doing. I’ll be off now,” Ferris said, and tugged the horse’s reins as proof.

“Ah, wait, I was joking, just joking,” Ryner said, flustered. “I’m okay with it all, so lemme ride.”

“Mm. Then put that child in the carriage. What if your perversion is contagious? He might catch it if you give him too long of a piggyback ride.”

Ryner put the kid in the carriage’s cabin. “Man, you sure are rude… but yeah, he’s probably tired from being run around like that. That’s why you stole the carriage, right? You’re surprisingly thoughtful.”

Ferris nodded, then waved the hand she held the horse’s whip up. “Now, Silver! Run at full speed to escape the pervert!”

The horse, who may or may not actually be named anything like Silver, neighed once and then sprinted forward.

“Huh, Uh, wait…”

Ryner hadn’t even gotten the boy properly settled in, much less himself, and now the horse was galloping off before he’d boarded, increasing speed with every step…

Ryner shoved the boy all the way in with all his might.

That was all he could do before he heard Ferris use the whip again.

“Onward, Silver!”

“Who the hell is Silver!?” Ryner shouted. By then the horse was already getting away. “Are you seriously gonna make me chase after!?”

Ryner ran to catch up, but the horse was already running at full speed…

“Heheh. Now make a run for it if you don’t want to be left behind,” Ferris said.

Ryner was shaking with anger. “D… don’t fuck with me, Ferris! I’m seriously gonna fucking kill…”

Ryner’s words trailed off. The horse was just getting farther and farther away.

“Shit! I’m seriously gonna kill her later!” Ryner muttered. He broke out in a sprint.

The sky was red.

It was the same red as that day.

When he saw it then, he’d felt that the sunset was so red from the reflection of all the blood spilt from the piles of bodies.

Ryner hated that sky.

Seeing it always gave him a bad feeling. It just brought forth memories that he didn’t like. Memories he didn’t want to have.

So he hated the sunset.

Even so, right now… he was sprinting below that hated sky.

The carriage stopped when it got too far ahead, then started again when he approached it. It was like she was making fun of him.

“Uuuuggghhh!! Fuck! You seriously piss me off! Just wait a minute, Ferris!” Ryner yelled. But somehow, he was smiling.

Incidentally, as the time wore on, Ryner went from “I’m going to kill you!” to “Please, Lady Ferris! Please allow me, pitiful as I am, to ride in your carriage!”

Either way, his yelling echoed across the Runan plains…

---

At that time, there was a lone girl at a checkpoint to enter the northernmost country in Menoris, the Gastark Empire.

She had neat, shoulder-length red hair and willful eyes that drew one in with their charm.

She stared at the land spreading out past the border.

The Gastark Empire.

“Are you here to enter the Gastark Empire as well?” A border officer asked.

“I heard that Gastark is recruiting large numbers of personnel and came to help,” she said.

“Could I have your full name?”

She nodded. “Kiefer Knolles.”

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