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Chapter 41 - Recollection: Twilight of Stige - Part 1
It's been almost a month since Kyrie-chan and Joanna left the capital. If they're safe, it's about time for them to return.
"Hey, Aniki! Instead of making a sour face and groaning, help with the household chores!"
"If I do it, the workload will only increase, you know...?"
"Ugh!"
I tried to act cool, but she gave me a disdainful look like she's seeing a pig. My little sister, Strah, used to say, "I love my big brother!" back in the day...
"You're not helping with the Resistance either. It's mutual."
"Yeah, yeah, don't nag me. The only girl here is Belle... Aniki also visits often, so it's all guys and it's getting stifling. I wish Kirie and the others would come back soon."
As for me, being in a space filled with girls was uncomfortable...
Right now, we're causing trouble at Raid's tool shop. Including the other lodger, none of us should show our faces in public, so we're living a life going back and forth between the underground and our living space. I hadn't seen the sun for a long time...
In here, I was just like a useless statue, and the "princess" was mostly hiding underground, but Strah actively helps with housework and cooking. It seemed that Raid is grateful for her. But I wished she would also help the Resistance, and with her considerable strength, she could become an asset for us.
(Stige's downfall was ten years ago... It was when she was just beginning to understand things.)
Ten years ago, I was 16 years old, and my big brother was 22. And Strah was 4 years old. She had no memories or attachments from that time. It must be just another person's story for her.
Back then, I trained with my big brother and Cain-san, sweating every day... Yes, it was a hot summer day. One day, after finishing training, I went to the beach with Raid...
"Balge, you're spacing out again. Are you planning a strategy or something?"
Raid's voice brought me back to reality just when I started digging up old memories.
"Yeah, Raid. Is everything okay at the shop?"
"Just taking a break. So, what kind of plan are you thinking of this time?"
My lifelong best friend sat across from me. His light green hair and glasses have remained the same since childhood.
"Nah, I was just reminiscing... The day Stige’s destruction began."
"...Ah, I remember, that was when we returned from the sea. We were attacked by the Kingdom of Deltirad."
Some things remain unchanged, while others change. That coastal landscape was probably still the same even now. But my homeland by the seaside, it no longer exists anywhere.
But compared to Kyrie-chan, who lost everything, I guess I was better off. But it's true that on that day, at that moment, I was thrust into the depths of despair. I swore in my heart that I would definitely kill Brutogyu and reclaim my homeland.
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Stige Kingdom was a small country located on the eastern coast of the continent. It was a peaceful and laid-back country where time passed leisurely. Even if a noble's son played by the seaside, no one would mind.
That day, I went fishing with my best friend Raid by the sea. Raid was the son of the chief butler serving the Littner family, and we had been playing together since we were kids. He was the complete opposite of me, who was bad at physical activities and focused only on studying, but we strangely got along well.
When we returned to the mansion with a basket full of fish, in the entrance hall were Father in armor, my big brother, and Cain-san. Mother and the servants were seeing them off.
"Balge, you're back..."
When Mother saw me, her face became extremely pale, filled with desperation. I had never seen such an expression before. Father was calm, but at that moment, he must have already made up his mind.
"Balge, listen calmly, both you and Raid. The Kingdom of Deltirad has attacked Stige out of the blue, without any declaration of war."
At that time, I only thought of it as something big happened. Looking back now, I could understand how messed up Brutogyu was. That bastard couldn't even be bothered to come up with a proper excuse for the attack. War is just one diplomatic tool, nothing more.
Unlike me, Raid probably understood the gravity of the situation. He listened to his father with a pale face.
"We will lead the troops to the frontlines from now on. The enemy is a large army, but we'll do what we can."
At that time, the Kingdom of Deltirad had already become a powerful force, having swallowed about half of the countries. There was no chance for a small country like Stige. Yet, Father didn't show any signs of anxiety and headed towards the battlefield. He patted my head lightly and said, "I'm counting on you to take care of Strah."
With four-year-old Strah in my arms, my big brother and the others left the mansion. The last image I saw of my Father was a man full of energy, disappearing from my sight.
And then, one month passed. Stige's army built defense lines with three castles made of earth magic and managed to hold on somehow. They coordinated with each other, so if one was attacked, the neighboring castle would launch a counter-attack. That was the plan.
Fortunately, Brutogyu was attacking multiple countries at the same time, and the forces allocated to Stige were only about one-third of their whole army. It was said that it would take three times of the castle’s forces to capture a castle. They didn't have enough troops to attack all three castles simultaneously. So, Deltirad's army seemed to be having a hard time.
...But even if we manage to hold on, what will happen? With Brutogyu sending troops to other countries, those nearby were busy dealing with their own problems. There's no way they have the capacity to send reinforcements to us, and Stige is isolated. Even if we hold on, if there are no reinforcements, there's nothing we can do. The morale of the soldiers was diminishing day by day.
And finally, the day arrived. It was a rainy afternoon, with thick clouds and falling rain. I was in my room, spreading out a map with Raid.
"Hey, Raid. Since you're smart, can't you think of something?"
"What do you mean? Be more specific..."
"I mean a surprising strategy that can turn the tide of the war."
"If it's just 'something,' then someone smarter would have already thought of it..."
"Oh... is that so? I thought you could... but never mind."
Looking back, Raid was really struggling. Well, it's understandable. He knew Stige was already done for.
Not only the sky but even the room started to darken, and just when we were getting gloomy, the door of the room was forcefully opened. It was the chief butler, Raid's father, rushing in with a changed expression.
"I-It's terrible... The defense line has collapsed! Brutogyu's army is attacking!"
In the rain, I carried Strah and, together with Raid and his father, rushed out of the mansion. According to Raid's father, Brutogyu intended to capture the nobles of the destroyed countries and carry out brutal executions in front of the people. They would use the nobles to make a point. What a disgustingly sick bastard.
If we were captured, we would be killed. That's why we desperately ran away. At that moment, I couldn't afford to worry about Father, my big brother, and Cain-san, who were fighting on the frontlines, or Mother, who had been summoned to the castle since morning. I just didn't want to die, so I desperately ran to survive.
We climbed a nearby mountain and hid ourselves. Soon, smoke rose from the direction of Stige's town, indicating that the enemy had arrived.
"Nii-tan, I want to go home..."
"Sorry, Strah. Let's endure not going home for a little longer."
"No, nooo, waaaah..."
That's all I could say to Strah, who was crying.
As we stayed hidden and motionless, we started to have the luxury of worrying about what was happening in the capital, how the villages were faring, and what had happened to the royal family. The more I thought about it, the more anxious I became, so I relied on Raid. I relied on my trusted best friend.
"Hey, Raid. What should we do from now on—"
"Don't ask me! How would I know?!"
That was the first and last time I saw Raid shouting like that. I couldn't say anything more. While consoling Strah, who was surprised and crying, we started walking aimlessly.
After that, how much time passed? It felt like a day, or maybe three days, or even a week. Anyway, we continued walking towards the border until we couldn’t.
"There they are!"
"Don't let them escape!"
We were spotted by about ten enemy soldiers. We desperately tried to escape from the enemy who was trying to kill us with their spears. The fear was so overwhelming that even the martial arts taught to me by Cain-san and my big brother vanished from my mind. It was the first time I truly felt the reality of death. It's a pathetic story, but I was seriously scared shitless.
"Surround them!"
At that moment, they must have given instructions to another unit. The soldiers with spears surrounded us from the direction we were heading. When we tried to turn back, new soldiers with bows appeared from behind and started shooting arrows. Over ten arrows rained down, and at the moment I thought I was going to die...
Thud, thud, thud!
"F-Father?!"
Raid's father protected us. He took all the arrows with his body, shielding the three of us.
"Lord Balge, Lord Strah... Raid... run..."
"U-Uwaaaahhh!! Father, Father!!!"
I couldn't do anything as Raid screamed. I could only stand there, in a daze, watching Raid's father fall and stop moving.
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Thanks for your hard work. I always very much appreciate it
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