The Tale of the Teapot Hero’s Revenge Chapter 42 - Recollection: The Sunset of Stige - Part 2

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Chapter 42 - Recollection: The Sunset of Stige - Part 2

 

After killing Raid's father, the soldiers changed their plans. They concluded that Raid and I, dressed nicely, were nobles and decided to capture us. After all, it would be more impactful to execute us in front of the citizens than to kill us on the spot.

"Hey, are these kids really nobles?"

"Heheh... yeah..."

Among those soldiers, there was a collaborator. A dirty-looking man resembling a vagrant. He must have been a Stige citizen, knowing me. Whether he was coerced or lured by money, it didn't matter – both Raid and I were betrayed by that guy.

"Alright, take them away! The kid over there too!"

We were captured and taken away, leaving behind Raid’s father's lifeless body.

"Nii-tan, what will happen to us?"

"Don't worry, everything will be fine..."

I didn't start thrashing around or screamed, thanks to Strah being there. I felt I needed to stay strong, as a testament to my father. Although Strah doesn't remember anything from that time.

While we were walking through the forest, surrounded by 20 soldiers, I thought I caught a glimpse of my brother in the bushes. It might have been my imagination. Still, I wanted to make sure, so I quietly spoke to Raid.

"...There's a possibility that I'm mistaken, but there's also a possibility that they're waiting for the right moment to attack."

"If that's the case, why aren't they making a move?"

"They've been fighting on the frontlines for a long time. They might be injured, and their numbers might be small. Even if they attack now, their chances of winning are slim. They can't make a move even if they wanted to."

We whispered to each other’s ears, planning a strategy. When I created the Resistance, that was the deciding factor for me to be appointed as the strategist.

Despite having just lost Father... No, maybe that's why. In the midst of sorrow, I was able to stay calm.

"Soldiers, you're taking a detour, you know?"

"What?"

"If you take that path, you can reach the nearby village thirty minutes earlier."

Raid knew where we were. If we turned left at the upcoming fork in the road, it would indeed be a shortcut to the village. We could pass through a narrow path squeezed between cliffs.

The local beggar also knew that this way was a shortcut. So the soldiers trusted them and turned left. And just as they reached the narrow valley...

"Uwaaaaahhhhh!!!"

From behind, five soldiers led by my brother and Cain-san charged in.

"What the hell?!"

"It's an ambush! We've been flanked!"

"Don't panic, form ranks!"

"No, the path is too narrow—guahh!"

Cain-san, clad in Renki, swiftly killed the enemies one after another with incredible speed. As for my brother, he swung his large sword horizontally, cleaving the torso of two soldiers at once. The soldiers who were flanked panicked, unable to counterattack, and were killed one after another. In no time, they were wiped out. The beggar-like man took advantage of the chaos and escaped.

...Cain-san didn't use his full strength against Kiyrie-chan. If he had, she would have been killed without being able to put up a fight. It was Cain-san's way of fighting against the kingdom... perhaps. But I digress.

We were saved.

"Aniki!"

"Balge, Strah, you're both safe. Raid, you did well too."

"Yeah, Raid's amazing! It was his plan to lure them here!"

"That's truly remarkable. Maybe he's comparable to a military strategist."

Even though my brother and Cain-san praised him, Raid didn't seem pleased. He just looked at the corpses of the soldiers with cold eyes and quietly said, "I just wanted these guys, who killed my father, to die..."

That's all he muttered softly.

My brother and Cain-san barely managed to escape from the frontlines. The three castles had fallen, the crown prince had been captured, and everyone scattered and fled. The royal army had started hunting down survivors, and it seems we were caught in their net.

"My father got separated... I hope he's safe..."

"Let's believe in him, Gilius-sama. The strength of the formidable swordsman, renowned as the savior of Stige, is not to be underestimated."

"Yeah, you're right... For now, let's head back to Stige. You guys come with us."

"Are you sure about that? We escaped from there, you know?"

"That's precisely why," Raid interrupted.

"Who would think that the nobles and generals who were supposed to be fleeing would voluntarily return to the capital? Besides, the hunters don't know our faces. If we disguise even lightly ourselves, we won't be recognized."

My brother, Raid, and Cain-san seemed to share the same thoughts. Perhaps he got fed up after his father was killed. On that day, Raid was furious in more ways than one.

When we returned to the capital, we were greeted with the news of Stige's unconditional surrender. Flags of the Deltirad army were raised all over the city, and enemy officers freely walked the streets. It was the moment when I truly felt that we had lost.

However, the true despair awaited us beyond that. It was the origin of my hatred, anger, and all the negative emotions directed towards Brutogyu.

"Gilius-sama, take a look at this...!"

Cain-san found a poster on a bulletin board. It was a notice of the execution of the Littner couple. It would take place in front of the royal palace later this evening. It was almost time.

"What the hell is this...?! Cain-san, Brother! We have to help them!"

"How? How can we help...?"

"Well... Raid, do you have any ideas—"

"It's impossible. It says there will be security, and Brutogyu himself will be present. Even if we rush in, we'll just end up as corpses."

Both my brother and Cain-san, as well as Raid, had expressions of resignation. We were forcibly reminded that there was no way Father and Mother could be saved. At the very least, we wanted to see them one last time. So we all went to the front of the royal palace.

We had heard about the cruel method of execution, so we were prepared for it. But if we had known in advance how they would be killed... I wonder how we would have reacted.

"Aghhhhh!! Giiiyyyaaaaaahhhhh!!"

Father and Mother were bound to the pillars in front of us. Fire was ignited under their feet, slowly burning them from the ground up. By the time their toes turned into charcoal, the flames were directly applied to their bodies.

"What is this, what is this..."

Strah sleeping through it was our only solace. Mother screamed in agony, her cries unfamiliar to my ears. Father, engulfed in flames, repeated the word "die" as he burned. Eventually, their skin charred and the nauseating smell of burning flesh filled the air, causing me to vomit everything in my stomach.

After a while, I established the Resistance together with Raid and Cain-san. We gathered the remnants of the destroyed neighboring countries and expanded the organization. My brother concealed his identity and served as a knight in the kingdom, becoming an insider collaborator. The fact that I was able to open a weapon shop in the capital to procure equipment was thanks to my brother's connections.

We spent a long time building our strength, waiting for an opportunity. Finally, we obtained the missing final piece, a righteous cause. Kyrie-chan, who rolled into our lives that day, was truly the goddess of our victory.

The preparations were complete. The sadness, hatred, and anger that were born on that day. The day to strike back at Brutogyu with everything we had was approaching. Wash your head and wait, Brutogyu.

 

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