Just before sunset, he finally returned to that place.
To Carriel’s eyes, the man he had seen earlier was still standing there faintly, but…
That figure was nothing more than an illusion visible only to Carriel himself.
Or maybe a mirage.
“You know, it’s all an illusion. I’d prefer if no one gets too immersed and confused!”
In the middle of the street, a small boundary was set up, and within it, this suspicious-looking ritual was taking place—a scene that could easily be mistaken for something like a devil-summoning ceremony if mishandled.
Using white powder, a magic circle was drawn on the ground, with a pentagram inside, and at each point, mysterious items were placed.
At the center of it all, an old sword said to have been used by Saint Carriel in his lifetime was carefully laid down on a sack, and they waited a moment.
“Alright!”
The tension hung in the air.
Carriel himself remained calm, but it seemed others felt anticipation beyond what he did.
As Philbar began chanting spells and incantations, entering a prolonged spellcasting session…
The world inside the barrier trembled, intertwining with the darkness of night to create a pale blue spectacle.
Then, the city streets disappeared completely.
The world brightened.
But all that lay before them was nothing but an unremarkable plain.
“This is….”
The baron and the Baroneurer brothers seemed shocked as they looked around, their expressions showing unexpected dismay at the sight.
“Is that…the old Carriella?”
Not far away stood shacks barely worthy of being called a village, with no fences or gates—just a single wooden sign marking the entrance.
A ramshackle slum.
Even that wasn’t in good condition.
In fact, what little remained of the small mountain at the heart of the former medium-sized city of Carriella merely formed the vague outline of a town.
“So, our records were indeed distorted as Carriella expanded. This confirms my suspicions.”
Philbar stated this as if it were commonplace, without much emotion.
“It’s worse than I expected from the records…”
Baron Raia seemed deeply shocked, stroking his beard while groaning.
“There are things that just can’t be conveyed through words.”
Alesia, free of any preconceived notions, took it in stride like Carriel but…
“Are you drawing this correctly? You! Including detailed directions, right?”
Philbar’s anxious nagging. His servants, used to this, continued recording the surroundings in both text and pictures.
“Look over there.”
Luke pointed, where a man on horseback led hundreds of burly men entering the plain.
Their armor was mismatched.
Helmets came in various styles.
The weapons they carried were also all different.
Yet their physiques were anything but ordinary.
Their exposed arms were thicker than a woman’s waist.
Scars and marks covered them like tattoos.
Though dressed primarily in leather—an outfit that might seem primitive by today’s standards—they exuded not just savagery but an oppressive aura.
Like wild beasts or predators, steam-like breaths escaped their mouths into the cold air.
Among them, the large brown-haired man on horseback wore layers of thick leather and a fearsome iron horned helmet.
The helmet itself was etched with countless scars, looking like badges of glory, and its horns were unusually thick and sturdy.
“Were these the Ice Sandy Sea People—the ancestors of Dabas, Vanus, and the Metran Kingdom?”
Though of the same human race, their temperament, language system, and faith differed greatly from those of the continent’s humans. It took hundreds of years for them to become somewhat equal, but even now, their heritage and traditions clashed with the current empire in many ways.
“That guy over there must be one of the distant forefathers of the current Vanus royal family. Though he fell in battle after being tricked by the Fierce King of Dabas, his reputation back then was immense. And the fact that one of his brothers eventually founded the Vanus dynasty is historically significant.”
Philbar began narrating like a historian.
“…I don’t care about that.”
Alesia scratched her ear and replied nonchalantly, causing Philbar’s expression to crumple.
“It’s YOUR history! What do you expect us to do about your apathy?! Aren’t you ashamed before your ancestors?!”
“Well, technically, I’m from the empire…”
“So that’s why we expect MORE from you! Fortress Carriel is the foundation and cornerstone of knighthood and chivalry acknowledged even by them before the empire was established…”
“Enough. It’s not because I don’t know.”
Alesia cut Philbar off.
“In the end, he was deceived, lost troops and support here due to Carriel’s fierce resistance, retreated late to his main camp, and got ambushed and killed. That’s the story, right?”
“You could’ve just said you knew!”
“I can’t feel happy about anyone dying, no matter how heroic the achievement. You know what my job is, right?”
This was why Alesia couldn’t get excited with the Baroneurers or Philbar, despite sharing their mixed feelings of excitement and unease.
“What? Could that person be…?”
Ludhi’s question echoed as a man walked out from the village.
Plain clothes, nothing extraordinary—just the kind of outfit any villager might wear.
Except for the two swords he carried, which were particularly distinctive.
Luke squinted.
“Two swords?”
“According to records, only one survived till the end, so he probably lost one along the way or faced some unavoidable issue. Refining techniques were worse back then, and there’s no record of him ever owning enchanted or blessed weapons.”
Ludhi added to Luke’s query.
“Mr. Ludhi is correct.”
Philbar agreed.
So far, everything seemed normal.
Despite the expectations of those watching, Carriel couldn’t join their ranks or intervene.
What was the reason?
‘I….’
No matter how great that man may be…
Honestly, I don’t really know if he was as great as Father.
Even if he’s considered a saint…
I honestly don’t know if he deserved to be called as holy and remarkable as Mother.
However grand those heroes might be…
For Carriel personally, they were simply regrettable parents.
“….”
Something strange happened right then.
“Eh?”
The scene began to dissolve like paint washing away in water, smearing chaotically and fading instantly.
“What’s happening―?”
“What―?!”
“How―!”
Voices filled with confusion and bewilderment rang out, echoing distantly.
Just then, a man approached.
“Carriel. Let’s turn this damn world upside down together! Let’s change it!”
The man who aspired to be a knight met his lord.
Sometimes chasing off bandits, other times joining tiny battlefields to build merit, he started gaining fame.
An old woman rubbed her dim eyes and muttered.
“Strange.”
“What’s strange?”
The tattered old woman observed the leather-armored man curiously before saying,
“He had a spouse, but now they’re gone. Did this man take another partner instead of his supposed spouse?”
“Truly a wise elder.”
The man, Carriel, agreed indifferently.
“What? Was it true?”
A companion slapped his shoulder and asked.
“Yeah. All ancient history though.”
It was over ten years ago.
To gain one thing, you must give up another.
To get firewood, you need to chop and break trees.
To gain warmth, you must burn the firewood.
When thirsty, you drink water.
Empty the water jar when necessary.
To grow stronger, I let go of love.
To protect their homeland and their world.
Fortunately, both partners meant more to him than family.
“Hmm, upon inspection, your children shine like stars in an open night sky—so many, truly amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.”
The man beside Carriel seized the opportunity to grin.
“Old lady, maybe your powers are slipping? Why don’t you settle down and spin cloth by the bonfire?”
“Hey! Do you think that’s easy?! How dare you insult me like that?!”
“…”
Watching this exchange, Carriel smiled silently.
“Your words alone are comforting.”
“Hold on! I’m not done yet.”
“More to say?”
The old woman cleared her throat.
“One of those many stars will come to you. I only see what happens; you’ll have to decide how to handle it.”
“…”
“Old woman, then what about my romantic luck? My marriage prospects?”
“A few more years, watch out. Don’t wander into dangerous places and meet a tragic end!”
“That’s practically cursing me!”
Watching the old woman and Carriel’s companion raise their voices, Carriel chuckled softly, thinking, “Guess that’s how it goes.”
“…”
“Look at this!”
With soot-streaked face and worn-out leather clothes, Carriel fiercely confronted a middle-aged man clad in iron armor inside a tent.
“Who dares challenge my authority?! Show some respect!”
“To innocent people who neither resist nor defend themselves! Why attack them?! If you need food, just ask!”
“But they won’t give everything.”
“They need to survive too!”
“They aren’t from our territory. Why should we care?”
“Are they not human then?!”
“Carriel!”
Bang!
The middle-aged man slammed the table with a gloved hand, glaring furiously as he lunged forward.
“Whose warrior are you?! Whose people are you protecting?! Who is your master?!”
“I cannot serve a lord who harms innocents!”
“If they were enemies, I’d do the same to our own territory! Why don’t you understand? Haven’t you seen this countless times already?!”
“I believed you wouldn’t stoop to such measures. That’s why I willingly took up the sword for you…”
“Damn it! I’m losing my mind!”
The middle-aged man kicked the table.
“I didn’t want to do this! But how do you expect me to handle a world like this?! If I don’t resort to evil, my family, my people will starve! Are you criticizing me for this?! Me?!”
“Is there truly no better way?”
“If there is, tell me! I’ll try anything!”
The middle-aged man declared firmly.
“If humanity must be abandoned to protect us, I’ll do it. If I don’t, my enemies will do it anyway. Am I supposed to sit idly by and let them win?!”
“…You’ve changed.”
“No! You just didn’t know my true nature! In this hellish world, only the ruthless survive! God will judge my sins, and history will evaluate me! If not, then the gods who made this wretched world are wrong! Why make us suffer so?! Is this a trial?! They should have given us the strength to endure it!”
He was undoubtedly wise.
Truly compassionate.
Rare in this era, someone who genuinely cared for subordinates regardless of status, willing to share his bread and meat with a child even if he himself went hungry.
…He was such a ruler.
But even he succumbed to the cruelty of reality.
“This is the last kindness I can offer you. If you don’t accept it, at least don’t interfere with my actions.”
“…I can’t allow that.”
“Then what about us coming this far?! Should we return empty-handed?!”
“…Even so, I…”
Returning home with wounds, he saw the village reduced almost to ruins.
“…”
Just as his lord had said.
They thought the same and acted accordingly.
This is the result.
The once-prosperous-if-not-luxurious village was now nothing but ash.
The faces of the remaining few bore sorrow, despair, resignation, and hopelessness.
He wandered aimlessly toward somewhere.
“…”
And he saw it.
Near the forest entrance, the modest log cabin he had helped his friend build, staying awake for nights, was now…
Nothing but a pile of ashes.
Most of it hadn’t burned completely, leaving behind only remnants.
The vegetable patch, the small warehouse—all destroyed.
“…”
Staring blankly around, he noticed two small stone graves under a tree.
He sat there, letting the wind hit him silently for a while.
And as tiny droplets of rain began to fall slowly…
“Uncle, who are you?”
A hoarse voice reached his ears.
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