Axe of the Oath

Chapter 1

“Young Masteeerr, Yoouung Maasteeerrr~”

The voice of a teary young man echoed throughout the dusk-filled town, passing through the narrow alleyway into the main street, and dispersing into the crowds before fading into a muffled whimper. A few passersby stopped to see where the voice came from, but could only catch a glimpse of a fluttering green cape on the corner before it moved on to the next street.

The old ladies going out to the balcony to take in their laundry, the elderly farmers setting up their stands on the street—almost everyone in the town hoped the young man would be able to find his “Young Master”. Although it was not a voice they recognized, hearing what seemed like cries of lament was not a comfortable feeling.

Before long, the sun began to set on the fortress walls surrounding this grand city, Gregminster, Imperial Capital of the Scarlet Moon Empire, and the lights of the local restaurants, inns, and pubs lit up the city. Between the people crowding around modest dining tables, and the people chugging down their liquor at the pubs, the young man running around town drawing empathy and curiosity from everyone became the talk of the town…

The young man’s voice stopped when he entered the park in the center of town. But that was not because he had found the “Young Master”. Rather, he was suddenly cut short by a sharp voice resounding through the night air.

“Hey, Gremio!!”

This young man who had been running around town stopped in his tracks in surprise, swaying his green mantle and tied-up blond hair as he turned around. From the direction of the fountain located in the center of the park, a short-haired woman donning a grey chestplate pounced on Gremio like a nimble beast.

“Gremio, have you found him yet?! Where’s the Young Master?!”

Clutched by his collar with strength almost unnatural for a woman, Gremio could barely move.

“U-Ugh, Cleo, I can’t breathe…”

But this woman named Cleo persisted in laying down the blame.

“Damn it, answer me already! Have you found the Young Master yet? Master Teo is preparing to head out already, you know?!”

“I, I can’t… find...”

“Did you try his friends? The castle guards?”

“Y-Yea… I’ve checked… everywhere…”

Cleo released him.

“I went running around the whole city looking for him, but…he’s nowhere to be found.”

Gremio listlessly lowered his shoulders. As he looked down, drops of sweat poured down his blond hair onto his cheeks. Cleo’s palms grew wet from grabbing onto Gremio’s sweat-stained collar.

Still giving Gremio a menacing look, Cleo relaxed her tone.

“Gremio… I’m sure you already know, but Master Teo leaves the Young Master in your care just for times like this, when he has to leave the capital for military affairs. Look, I know you’re doing your best, but if you can’t do your job right at times like these, you’ve got to admit, you’re pretty useless.”

“Yes… I-I’m really sorry. But I just can’t find the Young Master anywhere,” uttered Gremio as his eyes continued to wander around the park in search of the Young Master: the dark-haired boy in red garments, the son of the Scarlet Moon Empire’s General Teo. But he saw no one with red clothing or dark hair in the moonlit park.

Nearly three months had passed since Gremio took on the role of Tir’s caretaker. Gremio once lived with his parents near the border between the Scarlet Moon Empire and the City-States of Jowston. It was at the age of nine when his family got dragged into a border dispute resulting in the loss of his parents. After that, he wandered various lands for seven years. Facing severe hardships at the Karkas Desert, he was saved by General Teo who happened to be heading north on a mission at the time.

Taking a good look at Gremio and taking his personality into consideration, Teo figured he’d be a better fit as a caretaker rather than a warrior. Teo asked Gremio how he would like living in the capital from that point on—with the only condition being that Gremio take care of his son in return.

Teo had lost his wife four years ago. He now lived with his still young son. Every time he headed out to the frontlines, he would have acquaintances look after Tir; but Teo felt bad for his son—always leaving him in someone else’s care—so he had been looking for a personal attendant.

Teo spared nothing in saving Gremio’s life despite knowing nothing about him. Now he was asking Gremio to watch over his son. Moved by Teo’s kindness, Gremio became Tir’s attendant and devoted his life to Teo, bringing along the axe his beloved father used as a lumberjack to make ends meet.

Gremio wanted to repay Teo’s kindness; but moreover, looking after Tir was a reward in itself. Whenever Gremio called out to him, Tir’s fluffy face would break into a smile, his eyes lighting up whenever Gremio made him stew—the recipe for which he learned from his mother.

But this evening, things changed all too sudden. Tir grew restless upon hearing of the orders his father received to lead the upcoming sortie. As Gremio focused his attention on the housework, Tir disappeared from the mansion.

“Young maaasteeeer!”

Gremio’s sorrowful voice continued to echo through the crowds as they grew sparse. Could it be that Tir was kidnapped? Perhaps he had fallen into the castle moat?

“Gremio, there’s no time left. This sortie call came way too suddenly, not leaving us enough time to deploy the main castle guard. Master Teo says we have to leave soon with only the Armored Cavalry stationed outside the castle and Lord Ain Gide’s troops. Anyway, let’s head back to the mansion for now. We’ll just have to report the situation as is to Master Teo,” asserted Cleo.

“Ok… you’re right…”

Gremio couldn’t help but follow orders. If he could, he wanted to continue searching around the town some more, but given Master Teo’s imminent departure, reporting to Master Teo had to take priority. Gremio headed towards the mansion with Cleo.

Cleo coming down so hard on Gremio should have come as no surprise. A girl she may have been, but Teo took her under his command for her martial skills. Only a year Gremio’s elder and full of energy at the age of 17, she fulfilled her role on the battlefield aside Teo splendidly. In comparison, Gremio failed to do his simple job when it mattered most.

In front of the mansion, Teo and Cleo’s horses were tied to the elm tree. In front of the horses was the covered wagon that Gremio loaded their belongings onto earlier. As Cleo had mentioned, preparations for departure were already underway.

Cleo took a quick glance back to Gremio before heading in. As if facing the death penalty, Gremio went in after her.

“Master Teo, we’re back.”

Cleo spoke in a dreary tone as the armored Teo showed up with heavy footsteps.

“So, have you found Tir yet?”

Teo Mcdohl, a general serving under the Scarlet Moon Emperor Barbarossa Rugner. He was 31 years old: the age that excess body weight tends to begin accumulating on the battle-worn. Draped in a yellow cape over the silver armor outlining his tall, muscular build, Teo wore an anxious expression as he inquired about his son’s whereabouts.

Gremio would hide in a hole now if there was one. Having been entrusted with the Young Master, Gremio had no excuse for what had happened.

Poked in the shoulder by Cleo, Gremio had no choice but to speak up.
“U-Umm… Master Teo…, I’m really sorry. I looked all over town, but I couldn’t find him anywhere…”

“It can’t be helped. As young as he might be, he’s still a man. No need to worry so much, is there? It’s just a shame I can’t see him before heading out.”

Looking into the distant darkness, Teo continued.

“You may have already heard, Gremio, but lake pirates made a sudden landing in the Gouran region and began terrorizing the villagers. Furthermore, His Highness has already headed towards the Kunan region to pray for a good harvest. If we allow those lake pirates to do as they please, they will be a hindrance to His Highness’ return. I’ve been asked by the Judiciary himself to take care of the problem. Seeing as our enemies are mere thieves with no organization, I doubt they’ll pose much of a threat, but…” Teo cut his thoughts short.

Gremio could no longer raise his head. Even for the most respectable Teo of the Five Great Generals, there was no guarantee that he would come back alive each time he went out to battle. It was only natural to want to see his son before heading out to war.

Cleo raised her head to speak.

“But just where could the Young Master possibly be? Gremio, when was the last time you saw the Young Master?”

“Ahh, yes, after lunch, I put him in bed for his afternoon nap and then began packing the luggage onto the carriage. After that, I went to peek in his room and…”

“And he was gone, eh…,” snarled Teo in a low voice.

“Yes… the red clothes hung on the wall were gone, so I thought maybe he went out to play, but…”

“Maybe he was having so much fun he forgot to come back?” reasoned Cleo.

“Ah-choo!”

A child’s sneeze could be heard from the front.

“N-No way!”

Gremio ran towards the entrance. But children were nowhere to be seen.

“No, that was definitely…”

Cleo, who showed up next on the road, looked around suspiciously. From behind them, Teo had just appeared at the entrance and called out to both of them.

“Cleo, Gremio…”

As the two turned around, Teo pointed to the carriage lingering next to the elm tree. Gremio silently approached the carriage only to find something moving about restlessly under the hood. Not only that, but the sleeves of a young boy’s red clothes were sticking out.

“Y… Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Young Maaasteeeeeeerr!!”

Relieved, yet shocked at the same time, Gremio cried out in an elated voice. The sleeves were quickly withdrawn. At the same time, a young man’s sneeze resonated under the hood.

It was difficult getting Tir down from the carriage. The moment Gremio pushed away the hood and carried Tir under his arm, Tir went into a violent outburst.

“NO! NO! I’m going with father! If father’s going, I’m going too!”

Still feeling apologetic towards Master Teo, Gremio desperately held on to Tir’s body.

“Y-Young Master… I know how you feel, but Master Teo is leaving to take care of lake pirates. It’s going be dangerous, so please stay with me…”

“NO! Let go of me, Gremio!!”

“But…ugh?!”

Tir’s heel landed on the pit of Gremio’s stomach. Although lacking in punch, getting hit in a vital spot still hurt quite a bit. Gremio cowered in pain.

Tir crawled out from Gremio’s hands and back in under the hood. “I’m going with dad no matter what!” still throwing a tantrum, Tir began to sniffle.

“Y…Young Master…”

Tir must have been sulking as he paid no heed to Gremio. Teo spoke gently to Tir…

“Tir. Stop being being so selfish. I too feel bad for not being able to spend more time with you. But as Gremio said, I’m going out to the battlefield. If anything should happen to you, how am I to go on? What should I say to your mother who entrusted you in my care? So please, Tir…”

Approaching the carriage and removing the hood, Teo continued as his eyes met with Tir’s…

“Listen to Gremio, and be good. Don’t worry, I’ll be back.”

Petting Tir’s head with his large hands, Teo smiled as if to relieve his teary-eyed son.

“Now, now, Tir, I know I always say this, but crying isn’t something men do. Wipe those tears off. It’s ok, I’ll be back for you, no matter what…”

“Ok, father…”

Wiping his tears with his tiny palms, Tir finally got off the carriage.

Thanks to Teo’s persuasion, Gremio was finally able to see off Teo and Cleo. Ashamed for having troubled Teo, Gremio felt the need to say a thing or two to Tir. But seeing Tir see off Teo with moist eyes, Gremio no longer felt the need to do so. After calming down a bit to prepare dinner, Gremio still could not stop worrying about Tir.

Gremio was quite shocked to see Tir crying out “NO! NO! I’m going with father!” Three months had passed since Gremio became Tir’s caretaker. Tir was naughty at times, but a kind, obedient child at heart. And that was, of course, not Gremio, but Teo’s influence, as was made clear in the incident just now.

Tir changed the moment he discovered his father would be leaving. Where did this Tir, having just turned six, muster up such patience, to learn to hide in the cramped, tiny space inside the carriage, without being seen by anyone to boot.

Having lost his mother at a young age, perhaps it was only natural for Tir to not want to leave his father’s side. Gremio understood his feelings all too well. While stirring the stew, Gremio reminisced about his own parents.

Gremio’s father, always so kind and gentle, almost seemed like a different person when he fought so ferociously against the City-State soldiers. His mother, paying no heed to the fact that she was already drenched in a pool of her own blood, did everything in her power to protect Gremio from their assailants. But his parents who loved him so much and protected him so were no longer in this world. Their warm smiles, their comforting presence—Gremio would never experience them again.

It was no wonder Tir wanted to be by his father’s side. Gremio was hit by a sudden urge to cheer him up. Yet, at the same time, Gremio could not shake off the sense of solitude he felt just thinking of how Tir was ready to leave him behind. But of course, there was no way around that.

Gremio’s empty stomach began to rumble as he stirred the stew using a ladle. After sprinkling the spices onto the stew, Gremio called Tir into the dining room. Gremio placed the utensils in front of a sulking Tir. Filling the bowl with stew, Gremio sat down on the chair next to Tir and spoke to him in a gentle voice.

“Young Master, it’s too bad you sneezed back there. If not for that, you could have gone with Master Teo.”

Tir looked at Gremio with regret.

“I couldn’t help it! The cover was so dusty! My nose would itch every time the wind blew. I tried to hold it in, but…”

“But you know how it is. Teo’s off on an assignment, to deal with the lake pirates. I understand how you feel, but it’s ok! We’re talking about Master Teo here, he’ll be back safe and sound! Anyway, if it makes you feel any better, I made your favorite stew tonight, so eat up!

“I wonder how far along father is right now…”

From the distant look in his eyes, it was hard to tell whether Tir was listening to what Gremio had just said. A sense of loneliness washed over Gremio just knowing that Tir’s mind was elsewhere.

“Well, considering he left only a while ago, even if he continues to move on through the night, he’ll probably only be able to reach Lenankamp by the morning.”

Tir’s mouth was closed shut before he even touched the stew; it was a startling contrast to how he stuffed his mouth with the stuff whenever he was with Teo. Gremio noticed his eyes getting watery, his tiny mouth trembling, ready to burst into tears.

Tir began to sob as he feasted on the stew.

“Y-Y-Y-Young Master. I was really worried too, you know! I was afraid you might have been kidnapped, or maybe even trapped in the moat.”

In a panic, Gremio put his hand on Tir’s shoulder. Tir brushed it away and headed towards his own room. Gremio no longer knew how to deal with such a frustrated, upset Tir.

***

As his rainbow-colored gown fluttered in the spring breeze of the night, the man looked down at Gregminster, spread out below him from the castle balcony. Looking past the city lights, the rows of torches on the distant meadow lit up. They gradually spread south along the meadow.

“Hahaha, you’ve done well, Assam,” said the man in a low voice while looking across the fields of grass now stained in darkness. Behind him stood a chubby man clothed in a clerical robe. He distorted his oily complexion, letting out an eerie laugh.

“Oh, it was nothing. General Teo’s loyalty to Emperor Barbarossa is unparalleled. I was sure Teo would leave the leave the castle without hesitation if we made it seem like lake pirates were blocking His Highness’ path back to the capital.”

“Hmm… But have lake pirates really appeared in the Gouran region? How can you be so sure Teo won’t come back to the capital?”

Assam lowered his head in deference in response.

“No worries, Your Highness. I made sure to send off our messenger to the lake pirates with a hefty amount of potch.”

“Oblivious to it all, Teo is sure to focus on exterminating the lake pirates in the Gouran region. Diverting him will be no problem.”

“And the other generals?”

“No problem there either. Kasim can’t leave the northern region, Millich and Kwanda have gone to Kunan region as Barbarossa’s personal guards. Naval commander Kilawher should be busy fighting the lake pirates we fished out with gold right about now.”

“Well then, Assam…?”

Assam’s dark complexion broke into a wry smile.

“Everything is going just as planned. There remains not a single person in the capital who can interfere with Lord Geil’s ascension to the throne.”

“At long last, the time has come!!”

Mumbling perhaps too excitedly, his wrinkled face broke out into a large grin. A cold light reflected off his gold-rimmed monocle as his white hair and gown fluttered in the spring breeze. Eagle nose and an insatiable double chin, this grandiose man was the uncle of the Scarlet Moon Emperor Barbarossa Rugner, Geil Rugner.

“It’s been too long… But bowing down to that little runt has finally paid off.”

“It’s precisely because you worked so hard to gain Barbarossa’s trust all while hiding your true motives that I’ve been able to pull the strings from within.”

“So Assam, do you think we can finally pay them back for all these years?”

“Will we be able to take the throne that Michelan stole from me by forging father Kranach’s will, and passed on Barbarossa?”

“Yes, the troops are in place, and preparations for the Abdication Trials are set. All we have to do now is to wait for Teo to cross through the Kwaba Fortress. Once we’ve seized Kwaba Fortress, all of Barbarossa’s troops will be outside the Arlus region.”

“Very well. Take this sword. I am leaving it in your hands now. Use this sword to cut down anyone who defies us.

“My pleasure, even if it should cost me my life… When the revolt begins, I propose that everyone loyal to Barbarossa, and all their friends and family, be taken hostage. I can think of quite a few ways to use them.”

“Brilliant plan, Assam. It’s almost a shame to keep you as the Judiciary.”

Geil started walking back into the castle, only to turn around and ask…

“How long will it take for Teo to cross Kwaba?”

“I believe it would take about five days.”

“Five days, you say? In five days, everything shall…”

Fluttering his cape, Geil disappeared into the darkness. Geil’s wicked laugh filled the night air of Gregminster Castle, the Scarlet Moon Empire’s pride.

Chapter 2

Ever since Teo left the mansion, Tir kept to himself: locking himself in his room and refusing to eat anything. When Gremio thought Tir had left the room, it turned out he went off to Teo’s room, yearning for his father’s warmth.

In an attempt to cheer him up, Gremio suggested they go on a picnic or a walk around the town market, but Tir was not in the mood—running off whenever Gremio came into the room.

The situation persisted for three days. Worried about leaving Tir in a state of hunger, Gremio left the food in Tir’s room and would come back relieved to find the plates empty. Yet, Gremio felt restless and irritated with himself for not being able to do anything to console Tir.

Five days after Teo’s departure…

“Young Master…”

Gently turning the doorknob, Gremio quietly snuck into the room. The moonlight pouring in from the window lit up Tir’s fluffy white cheeks. Although Tir snored quietly in his sleep, he still could not forget the pain of being separated from his father, as evidenced by his firm grasp on the edge of the bed sheets. Gremio stood there for a while, watching over the sleeping Tir.

The night passed by very quietly. Tir tossed and turned in his bed; his blanket came off and his rolled-up pajamas exposed his stomach. Drawing a small breath, Gremio straightened Tir’s pajamas and put his blanket back on him. Just then, Tir let out a quiet whimper.

“Mm… Mommy…”

Hearing Tir talk in his sleep struck Gremio with a sense of loneliness; those words revealed a hint as to why Tir would not warm up to him. Tir yearned for his departed mother, and his father who was always out fighting some war. No matter how hard Gremio tried, even if he were to become Tir’s foster parent, there was no room in Tir’s heart for Gremio.

Gremio reflected on his own past: he too did not open himself to anyone when his parents were murdered by soldiers from the City-States of Jowston. Traveling all alone, all those times he camped out in pitch-black forests; haunted by nightmares, waking up countless times in the middle of the night; amidst the infinite darkness, Gremio recalled how he kept chasing after the ones who loved him so.

Tir was blessed to still have his father. But there was no doubt that Tir was now aimlessly wandering through the darkness, just as Gremio had done so many years ago.

“Young Master… It’s ok. Everything will be alright… I’m with you…”

Gremio decided to spend the night in Tir’s room. While he could never take the place of Tir’s parents, he hoped to make Tir feel safe by being near him.

Gremio quietly left the room to get a blanket. Descending the stairs, he headed towards the little room next to the kitchen he slept in every night. Just as he opened the door…

The sound of leaves rustling in the wind…

The sound of footsteps fumbling through the grass could be heard from the corner of the garden. Gremio stopped in his tracks only to find the sound of footsteps surrounding the mansion.

“W-Who could that be…?”

How could thieves possibly be running rampant in this majestic city governed by Barbarossa? Moreover, this was Teo’s mansion; for it to come under attack was unimaginable. Gremio took up the axe he left in the corner just in case something like this should happen, and just as he sprang into the hallway, Gremio heard the sound of clanging metal just outside the main entrance. It was a familiar sound…

It was the same sound the clanging armor of the City-State soldiers made that night— the night Gremio’s parents were slain.

“No, it can’t be…!”

Without even sparing a second to look outside, Gremio ran up the stairs. Tir was already up and looking out the window.

“Young Master”. Gremio cried out in a low voice.

“Someone’s trying to break into the house. They’re probably trying to rob us. It’s dangerous if we stay here. Come with me…”

“But, Gremio…”

Tir gave Gremio a worried look. Gremio nodded with a forced smile and took Tir by the hand. They descended the stairs and headed towards the kitchen, where the back door leading to the alleyway was. Now if they could just make it to the barracks and request assistance...

Just as Gremio placed his hand on the handle of the kitchen door, a loud gong pierced the air. That gong was the cue for everyone patrolling outside to commence their attack.

“Hey! Open up this door!” A few began hacking away at the front door with their axes, while others began shattering the windows with their spears.

Who could it be?! Who would dare break into Master Teo’s mansion?!

Holding on to Tir’s hand tightly, Gremio darted for the back door of the kitchen only to find the handle of the door being hacked away by a soldier.

There was no escape now. They were surrounded by angry shouts and the sound of doors being broken down.

“It’s ok, Young Master, it’s ok…,” chanted Gremio as put his back against the wall with Tir behind him. This was the least Gremio could do to make Tir feel safe.

But there was still a glimmer of hope—the hope that if he could just buy enough time, any soldiers from the barracks who had heard the commotion would come to their aid.

But that glimmer of hope too was shattered the moment the back door of the kitchen was broken open. In came the knaves who also happened to be the Imperial soldiers he expected to come save them.

“Residents of the McDohl House, surrender quietly and we promise to spare your lives.”

Gremio stood in shock as what seemed to be their commander called out to him. The other soldiers came pouring in, spreading out around the mansion. The sounds of glass shattering and furniture being torn apart permeated the air.

“W-W-W-W-What do you think you’re doing? D-D-Do you really think Master Teo’s going to forgive you for ransacking his mansion?!

The soldiers surrounding Gremio held up their torches, and took one look at the trembling Gremio before snorting with laughter as they looked at each other.

“Haha, did he just say ‘Master Teo’? Just wait till this poor little thing finds out what happened to his ‘Master Teo’.”

“P-Poor little thing? What are you talking a—”

Just as Gremio opened his mouth, a soldier drew his sword and pointed its tip at Gremio’s nose. The soldier grinned as Gremio found himself at a loss for words.

“I guess I can tell if you want to know so badly.

“We’re with the Imperial Guard directly under Emperor Geil’s command, and have been ordered to take you traitors captive.”

“T-Traitors? Why!? What makes us traitors!?

“Allow me to continue.”

Among the soldiers came forth a disgustingly condescending voice. Just as Gremio noticed the soldiers suddenly lining up by the door, a short, chubby man with a slightly dark complexion appeared in front of him.

“Dear nobles of the McDohl House, how do you do on this beautiful moonlit night?”

The man clothed in the black clerical robe rolled his eyes as he observed Gremio.

Gremio readied his axe in response to the man’s repugnant attitude.

“W-Who the hell are you?!”

Oh my, I haven’t introduced myself yet, have I? I am Assam, Judiciary of the Scarlet Moon Empire. And you must be Gremio, servant of the McDohl House. And that must be…”

Assam shifted his sight behind Gremio, and continued,

“Tir McDohl, son of the traitor General Teo.”

Startled, Gremio turned to look at Tir. Although Tir’s tiny body was trembling, he held firmly on to Gremio’s leg and gave Assam a menacing stare.

“Just who do you think you are?!”

“Haha, I wouldn’t expect any less from the son of General Teo. Young as you may be, you’ve certainly got guts,” said Assam in a mocking tone.

“If you traitors are going to be so defiant, I’m not sure I can guarantee your lives. You would be doing yourselves a favor by surrendering to us.”

Inspired by Tir’s bravery, Gremio mustered the courage to talk back and glared at Assam.

“Why do you want to take us in so badly?! And there’s no way Master Teo could possibly be a traitor!”

Assam stretched out his arms as if to say “Ugh, do I have to spell out everything?”

“Unfortunately, that impostor Barbarossa Rugner has been deceiving everyone the whole time, and has been officially relinquished of the throne at the Abdication Trials – making everyone that followed Barbarossa a traitor, making the Mcdohl House traitors as well.”

“What?! Then what’s happening here is…”

Gremio turned silent and focused his ears on the commotion outside.

Clashing swords, the screams of men and women, the incessant pulsing of the gong from the direction of the castle—massacre filled the streets.

“Do you understand now? “

Assam rolled his eyes. As he wore a black robe over his dark brown skin, his pale white eyeballs stood out as if floating in mid-air.

“A storm of purge blows across Gregminster, a purge against Barbarossa’s faction carried out by the newly crowned Emperor Geil.”

Although Gremio did not fathom the political affairs surrounding the castle very well, he finally understood the truth behind this attack upon hearing Assam’s disclosure. This so-called Geil waited for Barbarossa to leave the capital to usurp the throne. And his first course of action as the Emperor was to capture Barbarossa’s men.

Gremio took a quick glance at Tir. Being Master Teo’s son, the Young Master could easily be used as a hostage if taken captive. As if being away from Master Teo wasn’t hard enough on him, being taken hostage would be too much—Gremio wasn’t about to let that happen.

“Well, I’m a busy man, so why don’t you just simmer down and let yourselves be purged?

His casual tone ticked Gremio off.

“I refuse!”

“What’s that?”

“I said ‘I refuse!’ Master Teo left the Young Master in my care, and I’ll do anything it takes to protect him.”

The next instant, Tir’s grasp on Gremio’s leg tightened. In turn, Gremio’s grip on his axe tightened from feeling Tir’s warmth.

“It can’t be helped, I guess,” Assam nodded to the soldiers.

“I need them alive.”

Simultaneously, the soldiers to the sides of Assam lunged at Gremio with tremendous force.

“Grr!”

Gremio raised his axe in defense, but was a moment too slow. The soldier on the right feigned a sword draw, only to strike the vulnerable Gremio in the stomach with the handle of his sword.

“Ugh!”

Leaning forward from the pain, Gremio was next struck in the back by the soldier on the left with the hilt of his spear. Gremio groveled in agony. Having little flair for the martial arts, Gremio was no match against the well-trained Imperial Guards.

“Gremio… Gremio!!”

Gremio’s eyes opened wide as he woke up to Tir’s painful cries. The soldiers managed to capture him during the brief interval that Gremio lay unconscious.

“Y-Young Master!!”

Gremio clenched his teeth in anger. Grabbing his axe as he got up, Gremio leapt at the nearest soldier.

“Stop! L-Leave the Young Master alone!”

Gremio’s attacks were easily dodged. A sharp pain ran through his spine as he fell forward. Gremio landed on one hand and managed to regain balance.”

“L-Let the Young Master go!”

Gremio blindly swung his axe around, completely missing his mark. The soldiers beat him to a pulp, leaving him collapsed on the kitchen floor.

“Hmph, you’re more trouble than you’re worth.”

Assam’s dumbfounded voice came from above. Nearly unconscious with his stomach on the ground, Gremio’s head suddenly jerked upward. A soldier was pulling on his hair.

“Gremio, are you ok?! Gremio?!”

Turning his eyes towards the voice from the corner of the kitchen, it became apparent that Tir’s body had already been tied up. Perhaps because the soldiers had handled him so forcefully, Tir’s hands were all bruised red. And his teary eyes were directed at Gremio.

“Young Master…, I’m alright..., Young Master…, I’ll be ok…”

As the nearly unconscious Gremio continued to mumble, a cold sensation rushed through his cheek. Assam put his sword to Gremio’s cheek.

Focused only on saving Tir, Gremio said to Assam,

“Let… the Young Master go. Release him!! I don’t care what you do with me, just let him go!!”

“Hmph, unfortunately for you, Tir is the only one we need. But don’t worry, we’ll let you stay alive because you’ll do as our messenger to Teo.

Assam flashed a smile as he looked down at Gremio.

“Two weeks after we send you off to Teo, our fully-armed central army will head towards Kwaba fortress. Tell Teo we’ll challenge him to a showdown at that time… just don’t forget to add that if he ever wants to see his son again, his famed Armored Cavalry had better have their armor off.

“W-What…?!”

“Teo’s Armored Cavalry have not lost a single battle in the border disputes with the City-States of Jowston. They’re practically invincible and pose the greatest threat to us, which is why we need you to tell him to remove the armor from those strange beasts, the Gal-Horses.

“Y-You coward!!”

Just as Gremio thought he saw something shiny glistening from the corner of his eye, a sharp pain ran across his cheek. Assam withdrew his sword.

“I’ve been granted this sword by Lord Geil. Tell everything I just told you to Teo as if they were direct orders from Lord Geil himself. The scar on your face shall be proof of it.”

“Grr…!!”

One of the soldiers kicked Gremio in the sides. Gremio paid no heed to the pain on his freshly cut cheek and the blood flowing from it—he could only hear Tir’s cries growing ever so distant.


Bound firmly by hand and foot with a gag in his mouth, and wrapped up in a straw mat from the head down, Gremio shook back and forth in the carriage. Still reeling from the pain of being beaten up and the scar on his cheek, and being giving very little to eat, Gremio came close to losing consciousness many times over.

But to Gremio, none of that mattered. He could only think of Tir being taken away by Assam and not being able to do anything about it. Just thinking of what those cruel soldiers might possibly be doing to Tir right now was painful. Unable to remain still, Gremio was seized with the urge to bite away at the rope and return to the capital at once.

Five days after being carried away from the capital, Gremio was at long last unloaded from the carriage. He was carried on someone’s shoulder and thrown on the ground, landing with a thud. This repeated many times over until the straw mat was finally lifted over his head.

“G-Gremio!!”

The person who removed the straw mat raised her voice in surprise. A straw mat-lugging Cleo entered Gremio’s sight. Next was a worried Teo staring intently at Gremio. And surrounding the three of them were a great number of soldiers.

“Gremio, where’s the Young Master?!” asked Cleo as she helped Gremio up.

Gremio looked down at the floor and stayed silent. He could not answer Cleo’s question. Or rather, he preferred not to.

“Answer me, Gremio!! Where’s the Young Master?! Oh no… don’t tell me you’ve left the Young Master behind?!”

Cleo grabbed Gremio by the shoulder and shook him hard. Yet, Gremio did naught but wet the scar on his cheek with his teary eyes.

“You think crying is going to solve anything?! Raise your head! Damn it! Answer me, Gremio!”

“That’s enough, Cleo,” Teo stopped her.

“Judging from the scar on his cheek and his worn-out state, something obviously happened. I’m sure Gremio did his best. You’re being too hard on him.”

Gremio burst into tears, and could no longer bear to not tell Teo everything.

“Master Teo!! Forgive me!!”

Entirely forgetting that his hands were still tied behind his back, Gremio threw himself at Teo’s feet and begged for forgiveness. His forehead made a loud thud as it hit the ground. The tears streaming down his face soaked the ground wet.

“Gremio… We too know that something is amiss at the capital.”

As if to calm Gremio down, Teo spoke in a soft voice.

“We rushed to get back only to be stopped at Kwaba, it’s been taken by Geil’s generals. We’re taking a stand here to keep them from advancing any further. We’ve dispatched a messenger to His Highness and were standing by for orders when you arrived here.”

Teo ordered his troops to untie Gremio. But still prostrated with his face on the floor, Gremio did not move an inch.

“Talk to me, Gremio. Where is Tir?”

“I’m sorry, Master Teo… Tir has been captured by Geil’s troops…”

“What!? Damn it, Gremio!!”

Cleo grabbed him by the shoulders and forced his head up.

“The one who took Tir away was Judiciary Assam. He told me to deliver this message to you. In two weeks, the main force of Geil’s faction will arrive at Kwaba Fortress. He wishes to have a showdown with Master Teo at that time. But under the condition that the Armored Cavalry have their armor removed, otherwise Tir will…”

The soldiers went into an uproar. The general’s son taken hostage, and now being asked to disarm the Armored Cavalry; in other words, the lives of the soldiers in exchange for his son’s.

In a weak voice nearly drowned out by all the ruckus, Gremio continued.

“Master Teo, I am truly sorry… I was unable to protect the Young Master… It’s all my fault…”

The three of them clammed up for a while. Cleo was shaking Gremio’s shoulder with her fists as Teo shut his eyes in solemnness. Ready for any sort of punishment Teo might inflict upon him, Gremio held his tongue waiting for Teo to speak.

Teo placed his hands upon Cleo’s and spoke in a sorrowful voice.

“Cleo, let go of him. It’s not his fault. All responsibility lies with me.”

“B-But why?! Master Teo!!” screamed Cleo as she removed her hands from Gremio’s shoulders.

Gremio too, could not bear to remain silent.

“No!! It’s all my fault for not protecting the Young Master! I have no right to complain even if I am to be beheaded for…”

“No, Gremio. You’re wrong.”

Teo stopped Gremio mid-way. The ensuing words that left Teo’s mouth shocked the both of them.

“Thanks to Gremio, I now know what the enemy has been up to all this time. It was Judiciary Assam who suggested that I deal with these lake pirates. Even though I was entrusted with guarding the castle, I unknowingly fell into the enemy’s trap and left the capital…,” taking a deep breath, Teo continued.

“I was a fool. Having the capital taken by bandits, and forfeiting the lives of the soldiers I left behind in the castle and all the townspeople, I’ll never be able to pay for this grave failure even if it costs me my life…”

“Master Teo…”

Cleo and Gremio could not hide their unrest.

“B-But Master Teo! You took on the sortie request precisely to do Emperor Barbarossa good. And you left your main force behind because you were worried about the castle’s defenses!”

“That’s true… But now that it’s come to this, I have no intention of making any excuses. I was a fool for not being able to see through the enemy’s ruse.”

“Master Teo… then…”

Looking at them alternatingly, Teo quietly opened his mouth.

“Cleo, Gremio, listen well. The war has already begun. Many lives are lost in war. Soldiers, civilians, many are sacrificed. I cannot give special treatment to Tir just because he’s my son. I have to take responsibility for my own mistakes.”

Teo turned to the soldiers behind him and drew his sword. Lifting the sword up high, Teo hailed to his troops at the top of his lungs.

“Brave and valiant soldiers of the Scarlet Moon Empire! In two weeks from now, in this Fortress of Kwaba, we will make a stand! I ask you to fight with me! For His Highness, for our honor, I am ready to give my life in this battle! We shall strike with everything we have!”

The soldiers shouted out excitedly. Struck by Teo’s loyalty in willing to sacrifice his own son in servitude of the Emperor, morale skyrocketed.

To Gremio, Teo’s words struck worse than being given death. But how hard must it have been for Teo who chose to sacrifice his son in order to fulfill his duties? And it was none other than Gremio, having failed to protect Tir, who led Teo upon that path.

Gremio cast his eyes downward, as he could not look Teo straight in the eye.

Gremio stood still as the gentle wind blew across the grassy plains. After Cleo, Teo, and the soldiers returned to their posts, Gremio leaned against the fence surrounding the camp and looked in the direction of where the capital, past Kwaba Fortress, was supposed to be.

Teo told him to focus on recovering from his injuries, but there was no place for Gremio here with everyone getting busy. Besides, he couldn’t keep still anyway with things the way they were.

“Young Master…,” murmured Gremio as he breathed a big sigh.

If Teo is throwing everything into this fight, chances are the Armored Cavalry won’t be removing their armor.

Meaning the Young Master now taken hostage… Tir’s many facial expressions flashed through Gremio’s mind. A smiling Tir with a mouth smeared of stew. Vivid, black hair and shiny eyes, bursting with enthusiasm as he badgered Gremio. But in two weeks, that mouth and those tiny eyes would lose their smile forever.

Having done enough pondering, Gremio shook his head to clear his thoughts. The rope and straw mat that had bound him only moments ago came into sight. Underneath them stuck out a stick-like object.

Gremio removed the straw mat to find his axe lying within. Fastened to the handle was a cloth that read “A dull axe for a dull axe wielder, fitting for a cowardly servant of the Mcdohl Family.” Assam’s followers must have tied it and sent it off along with Gremio, in an effort to humiliate Teo. But such trivialities no longer mattered to Gremio.

Taking up the axe and removing the cloth, Gremio recalled the time when the soldiers assaulted the mansion.

At that time, Tir clung to Gremio’s feet as he wielded this axe, and cried out Gremio’s name while being taken away.

That’s because Tir trusted me. He may have been upset about being away from his father, but at that critical moment, he no doubt trusted me—he depended on me.

Just like the way Gremio clung to his mother when the City-States of Jowston invaded a long time ago.

“Young Master…!!”

In Gremio’s mind resurrected Tir’s cries as his own consciousness slowly faded away during the attack. Looking down at the dull shine of the axe, Gremio could sense how his father, who also took this axe to battle, must have felt.

There’s no way I’m losing the Young Master! He’s counting on me!

As if encouraging himself, Gremio nodded as he gripped his axe. Gremio went off to the stables to find himself a horse, and rode off ignoring the calls of the soldiers. Gremio cut through the main entrance of the camp, and set out for Gregminster.

Chapter 3

Upon leaving Teo’s camp, Gremio rode north towards the floodgate at Shasarazade. With Kwaba Fortress already under Geil’s control, Shasarazade was the only remaining route to Gregminster.

Gremio was fortunate enough to find a fisherman by the lake as he followed the path along the length of the fortress. When Gremio pleaded for passage to Gregminster, claiming his parents were caught up in the attack at the capital, the fisherman gladly welcomed him aboard the boat.

Concerned about Gremio, the fishermen told him everything he knew about the state of the capital.

“Everyone’s been talkin’ bout how Geil rallied his soldiers and usurped the throne, you know? Your family’s no doubt goin’ through some tough times there.”

“Yes, that’s exactly why I need to get to the capital…”

“Well, you’d better be careful out there. That Geil’s a dirty one. They say he hired bandits to raze the village and take out the castle guards. Gregminster’s in shambles now with all the burnin’ and lootin’ goin’ on.

“N-No! That can’t be…!”

“Lotsa civilians that had nothing to do with the Empire were slain too. It’s pretty much a barren wasteland now; some are even calling it a hideout for bandits. If anything happens while you’re there, you’d best get the hell outta there as fast as you can.”

Gremio’s heart sank upon listening to the fisherman’s story. But as Tir was a hostage, Assam surely kept him safe somewhere. That thought alone was enough to rouse Gremio into action.

Fortunately, the fisherman was not the bearer of all bad news. He also told Gremio about how Kilawher Shulen’s naval forces were putting up a good fight against the lake pirates. Since the lake pirates could not spare any numbers, the sluice gate was free of guards.

Gremio was able to pass freely into the Arlus region. Shortly after going through the floodgate, Gremio got off the boat, thanked the fisherman, and made his way to the capital.

It was the sixth night after leaving Teo’s camp. Going the sluice gate route took considerably longer than expected, but Gremio finally arrived at Gregminster. Defenses were tight, and it looked like getting through the castle gates was not going to be easy. Gremio recalled what the fisherman had told him, and walked towards the castle pretending to be one of Geil’s hired hands. The guard eyed Gremio suspiciously, but took him for a bandit upon seeing the scar on his cheek and let him pass.

Gremio ran around Gregminster in search of Tir’s whereabouts. Just like the fisherman had said, the entire town was laid to waste by the soldiers and bandits. The neat rows of houses and tidy city streets were a thing of the past. Wooden houses were burned to the ground, while reinforced brick houses had degenerated into massive mountains of bricks.

Gremio implicitly asked the grief-stricken villagers and bandits about Tir, but could not even get a “T” from them. On top of that, the city fell into martial law by nightfall, preventing Gremio from leaving the deserted house he hid himself in.

The first and second days yielded nothing. But on the third night…

Gremio broke martial law and snuck into town. Gremio stood at Teo’s mansion, which he had come back to countless times since returning. Beneath the imposing outward appearance of the mansion lay broken windows and scorched fixtures, not unlike abandoned ruins.

“Grr…”

Gremio bit his lips. Every time he stood in front of this mansion, he was reminded of all the wonderful times he spent with Tir. Those memories kept Gremio’s morale up until now, but with only five days remaining until Teo’s battle, Gremio’s morale turned into uncontrollable panic.

Gazing at Teo’s mansion under the moonlit sky, Gremio confirmed his suspicions. All this searching leading to nothing meant only one thing: the Young Master was taken captive at the castle.

“There no time, I’ve got to get in tonight no matter what!” thought Gremio as he gripped his axe tightly.

“Hey, you there! What do you think you’re doing?!”

Gremio looked towards the soldier who called out to him from the darkness, and sprang to his feet in surprise. Not because he was afraid of breaking martial law, but because the soldier in front of him was the same one who drew his sword at Gremio back at the mansion.

“Y-You’re the Mcdohl Family’s…!”

The moment the soldier called out, Gremio ran off as fast as he could. In addition to the injuries he received back at the mansion still aching, Gremio had not eaten any real food since arriving at Gregminster. The soldier finally caught up to Gremio as he ran into a street scattered with bricks all over.

“What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were taken to Teo’s camp!” yelled the soldier as he grabbed onto the hem of Gremio’s mantle.

Gremio shook off the soldier with the handle of his axe.

“Damn it! Where the hell did you send Tir off to?!

“Ah-ha! So that’s it! You came back for Teo’s little brat, eh? Haha, like I’d tell you.”

“Answer me!!” screamed Gremio, swinging his axe wildly.

“Where?! Where are you keeping Tir? Tell me now or I’ll bash your head in!”

The soldier easily dodged Gremio’s axe.

“You arrogant bastard! You really think you can best me?”

The soldier drew his sword, thought Gremio as he suddenly felt a dull pain run across his arm.

“Ugh!?” shrieked Gremio as he lost grip of his axe, flinging it into the air. Before it reached the ground, the tip of the sword shone brightly under Gremio’s nose.

“Say your prayers, ‘dull axe’! You’re being a real pain in the ass by snooping around, so you’re just gonna have to die here!”

Gremio bit his hind teeth. He couldn’t afford to die yet, not before seeing Tir—even a mere glimpse of him would suffice.

The soldier pointed his sword at Gremio as if to tease him. Gremio took steps backwards before he even realized it and hit the wall in only a few steps. There was no place to run.

The tip of the soldier’s sword vibrated as he gave off a wicked laugh.

“Farewell, kiddo. When I’m done with you, you’re gonna have all eternity to look for that little squirt.

“Whack!”

A loud thumping sound rattled Gremio’s eardrums. Sword in hand, the soldier came down with a mighty crash.

Unsure of what had just happened, Gremio stood puzzled. A voice called from above.

“Psstt! Come up here, quick! But you’re gonna wanna put that guy’s sword back into his scabbard first!”

Gremio looked up to see a 12-13 year old youngster waving at him from the window of the third floor of one of the buildings. Gremio sheathed the soldier’s sword and now realized where the loud thumping sound had come from. Scattered around the caved-in top of the soldier’s helmet were fragments of solid brick. The boy must have targeted the soldier’s head with the brick.

“You’re…”

Gremio paused midway, as the street ahead littered with the sounds of footsteps. Picking up his axe, Gremio scurried into the building and dashed up the stairs, heading towards the room the boy stuck his head out of.

“Whew, that was a close one. But you’re safe now.”

The boy’s voice reverberated across the dilapidated room. The moonlight allowed Gremio a closer look at the small boy, who was so thin his cheekbones were showing, making his large eyes stand out even more. His skin was dark from sunburns, and his aqua blue striped shirt was in tatters.

Not exactly becoming, but the boy was his savior nonetheless. Gremio lowered his head to thank the boy.

“I can’t thank you enough for saving me. But at this rate…”

Gremio hesitated. After all, they left the collapsed soldier lying on the street.

“Shh!” The boy put his finger to his mouth.

The soldiers who just came onto the scene down below were making a ruckus over the collapsed soldier.

Gremio held his breath in the darkness. But no one came into the building. Without even investigating their surroundings, the grumbling soldiers carried off the collapsed soldier.

“W-What’s going on? They walked away without even bothering to figure out why one of their own lay unconscious!“

The boy cheerfully responded to an awestruck Gremio.

“It’s simple. When the head of the bandits was being chased by Barbarossa’s soldiers, he pulled off something that looked just like magic. Whatever he did messed up these buildings pretty bad. As you can probably tell, they could collapse at any moment. There’s nothing strange about a loose brick happening to fall and land on a soldier’s head. Besides, it’s their fault that Gregminster’s come to this. You reap what you sow, as they say.”

“Oh… Well, that makes sense.”

Gremio finally understood why the boy asked him to sheathe the soldier’s sword earlier: it was to make it look like an accident. .

Gremio breathed a sigh of relief as he stroked his chest. The moment he calmed down, his head filled up with thoughts of Tir.

“I really appreciate your rescuing me, but there’s no time left—I’m sorry I have to go now...”

Gremio once again lowered his head to the boy, who looked confused.

“You’re leaving?! But how?! The city’s crawling with Geil’s troops and bandits. You look kinda weak, Mister. You’re just going to creamed again and end up with scars all over your body just like the one on your cheek.”

Gremio was taken aback by such a bare-faced comment. Yet, Gremio replied politely since the boy was his savior nonetheless.

“To tell the truth, I came to the capital in search of someone: a young man like yourself. I don’t even know if he’s alive… No, I’m sure he’s alive and I won’t stop until I find him. So I have to go now…”

“Hmm, I see...”

Unexpectedly, the boy’s cheerful expression suddenly turned sour. A long, deep sigh poured out from his childish mouth.

“I-Is everything ok? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, that’s not it,” replied the boy with a forced smile. He continued with a twisted expression.

“The kid you’re looking for, is he a relative? Let me guess… your little brother?

“Not quite, he’s not a relative. I’ve been entrusted with his care, and my carelessness got him captured.”

The boy breathed a long sigh.

“Is that so? How lucky of him, to have someone trying to rescue him.”

The boy’s eyes filled with tears.

“W-What’s wrong?”

Gremio placed his hands on the shoulders of the trembling boy. He brushed away Gremio’s hand and began to cry with his back to Gremio.

Gremio was of course worried about Tir, but he couldn’t leave this youngster alone either. He once again placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder and spoke softly.

“It looks like you have your share of problems too. Would you like to talk about it?”

The boy began to speak about himself in a teary voice. His name was Age and he lived in this room with his parents. His father served as a mercenary a long time ago; but as far back as the boy could remember, his parents made a living not on the front lines, but as weapons shopkeepers.

On the day of Geil’s revolt, bandits came barging into this room to plunder from them. Age, his dad, and his mom all desperately fought back, but eventually fell to the enemy’s blade. The bandits didn’t go so far as to kill off Age, but they took him in as a slave laborer. However, he never forgot the hatred he bore towards the bandits and the Geil Rugner who hired them. Age later managed to slip out and get back to this room. Age quelled his anguish by hurling bricks at soldiers outside who walked past while he contemplated on how best to exact revenge.

“So that’s what happened… It must have been hard on you…”

Gremio could not help but feel sorry for Age. Not only were his circumstances nearly identical to Gremio’s own; but if Gremio were to leave him alone, there was no telling what the soldiers might do to him if this brick-throwing business came to light.

“Age, there’s no telling what’ll happen from here on out… But once I’ve accomplished what I set out to do, I promise I’ll come back for you… And when this war is over, I’ll introduce you to General Teo, he should be able to find you a job.”

Age’s eyes opened wide as he looked up at Gremio surprisingly.

“D-Did you say General Teo?!”

“Yes. I’m an attendant to General Teo… You can call me Gremio... So what do you say, Age? Can you stop with the brick tossing and just sit st—”

“No, wait!”

As if he forgot that he had been crying up until now, Age wrinkled his eyebrows and walked about the room as if trying to recall something.”

“Is something wrong?” asked a concerned Gremio.

Age stopped moving and looked up at Gremio.

“Teo’s son’s name—What did you say it was again?”

“T…, It’s Young Master Tir.”

“Tir! That’s it!” Age’s face suddenly lit up.

“You serve General Teo, so you must be looking for Tir! If it’s Tir you’re looking for, I can tell you where to find him!”

“W-W-What! W-W-Where is he? Young Master! YOUNG MASTER!!!”

Both belated and surprised, Gremio involuntarily clutched Age’s shoulders, shaking violently.

“Tell me! Fast! There’s no time! Teo’s battle is coming up! If I don’t get rescue Tir until then, he’s going to be killed.”

“Hmm… Teo’s battle, eh? I should’ve guessed…”

Age gave off a mischievous grin.

“Please! Just tell me where he is!”

“Sure, I’ll tell you where he is… on one condition…”

“C-Condition?”

Gremio’s eyes opened wide in surprise, he had no choice but to comply.

“Ok! Anything you say! Just tell me already!”

Age took Gremio’s response as consent to grow bold.

“First, I need you to tell me what General Teo is up against.”

“Huh…?”

“Tir’s being held hostage, right? Hey, I at least know that much. So, what terms did that bastard Geil set for General Teo?

“W-Well…”

Gremio was at a loss for words. What could possibly be going through Age’s mind?

“So you’re not gonna tell me, huh? Fine. I’ll just keep throwing bricks here until I get captured and killed. Oooh, poor me!”

“N-N-No, I mean, umm…”

Clearly, Gremio had lost the dispute. Age was obviously a bright kid, as he had proven earlier by making the unconscious soldier’s mishap look like an accident. And surely, he had a plan in mind for what was to come.

Gremio made up his mind and told Age everything. In five days from now, Geil’s forces would challenge Master Teo to a showdown at Kwaba Fortress. During the battle, Teo’s Armored Cavalry would have to do battle with all their armor removed if Tir’s life was to be spared.

“Damn cowards. On top of that, there’s hardly any time left!

Age bit his teeth in vexation as Gremio finished recalling the events. Looking at Gremio with a stern face, he spoke in a strong tone.

“I get the gist of it. Well, here are my terms. I you agree to them, I promise to tell you where Tir is.

Before he knew it, Age spoke as if he was Gremio’s superior. Gremio responded humbly.

“Y-Yes. Please.”

“I’ve only one condition. Let me join in on Tir’s rescue.”

“Age, why would you…?”

Demonstrating extraordinary vigor for someone of his size, Age responded flatly.

“Isn’t it obvious? I wanna get back at ‘em for what they did to my old man and mom. If we save Tir, General Teo won’t have to hold back in smashing them to pieces.”

“Age…”

Gremio looked at Age with wide open eyes, while Age looked back with determined eyes.

“So what’ll it be? We’re running out of time, you know.”

Age pressured him to make a decision.

“Tir’s not in Gregminster. If we don’t leave here fast, we won’t make it on time.”

“H-How do you know that…?”

“The other day, I overheard the bandit leader talking with Geil’s troops. Tir’s too valuable of a hostage to lose, so they’re moving him to another town.”

“So that’s what’s happening!”

Gremio visualized Tir, tied-up, being carried off in a shaky carriage.

“Alright, Age. I’ll take you along.”

“Awesome! You won’t regret it!”

Bursting with excitement, Age went across the room to open the door.

“I’m gonna go snatch a horse from the bandits. In the meanwhile, you can hide in the shadows over there. Wait for me, Gremio.”

“O-Ok, I got it..”

While Gremio was still taken aback by Age’s overly strong tone of voice, Age left the room and descended the stairs. His footsteps turned distant and eventually faded away as he ran down the street. Gremio’s heart now lay with Tir.

Gremio went out into the street and hid himself for about half an hour before wondering if this enigmatic boy, Age, would ever show up.

Would Age really come back for him? Gremio couldn’t deny the possibility that Age was only trying to draw information from him to report back to the bandits. Yet, Gremio wanted to believe in him—in the determined eyes he showed. Could it be that they caught him trying to make off with their horses?

Just as Gremio began to fret over Age’s whereabouts, he could hear the distant clatter of hoofs and angry bellows of men.

“Age…!!”

True to his promise, Age came riding back on the street with two horses as Gremio’s heart fluttered with anticipation. Age called out to him from a distance.

“I did it!! The bandits are after me!”

“What?!”

Gremio looked closer to find a group of bandits chasing after Age, who once again called out to him.

“Gremio, jump on the horse! We’re breaking through the main gate.”

“I got it!”

Age rapidly approached on the right horse, with a vacant horse to his left. As Gremio headed towards the left side of the street, Age held up the reins of the vacant horse to signal that it was for Gremio. The pounding of hooves echoed across the street. Gremio was a nervous wreck as he waited for his chance. If he messed up here, he wouldn’t be getting off easy.

“We’re going! Gremio, run!”

Gremio darted across the street as Age directed. The horse slowed down a bit to get next to Gremio. He kicked off the ground the moment he grabbed onto the saddle.

“Alright! Here we go!”

Right after Age’s shouting, Gremio got into position on the horse.

“Nice. You know… You could become a circus performer!”

“But… Age?!” screamed Gremio as he grabbed onto the reins.”

“What are we going to do about the castle gate? Aren’t there guards stationed there?”

“Ha, you think I know? Whatever happens happens, buddy.”

Age’s blunt response made Gremio feel uneasy. The castle gate came into sight. The guards must have heard the sounds of the hooves as 10 or so of them were blocking the castle gate.

“Who the hell are you?! Where do you think you’re going?!”

The screams of the soldiers came from straight ahead. Yet, neither Age nor Gremio stopped their horses.

“Stop! I said ‘stop’!”

The second time the soldier screamed, Age glanced towards Gremio’s direction.

“Don’t stop! We’re cutting right through them!”

Age stuffed his hand into his pocket and took out a reddish slip of paper.

“That’s…?”

“Quiet!”

Using his thighs to hold in the horse’s stomach, he clasped the slip of paper with both hands and closed his eyes all while the horse continued galloping toward the castle gates. With only a 100 or so steps remaining…

“Oh great power contained within this scroll, unleash your strength!”

Blazing flames spew forth from the scroll and attacked the castle guards. The flames poured down like arrows on the soldiers, and the castle surroundings went up in a sea of flames before their very eyes.

“W-Wow!”

Watching the burning castle doors brought a grin to Age’s face.

“Serves you right! How did you like the bandit leader’s trump card?!”

Age whipped his horse and leapt towards the burning castle gates, with Gremio following suit. As soon as they passed through, the pavilion above came crashing down.

They stopped their horses to turn around after running for a bit. The collapsed pavilion blocked off the entrance completely. By now, the bandits pursuing Age had surely given up their chase.

“Well, I must say…you really surprised me back there,” Gremio urged his horse toward Age.

“You called it a scroll, right? What exactly was that?”

“Actually, I’m not too sure myself,” replied Age in an unsure tone.

“Hmm, I told you about the magic-like power that the bandit leader used, right?”

“Yea, around your house, you said.”

“At the time, I was already taken captive, and saw their leader use the scroll for the first time. All I did was mimic the way he used it. It seemed like he acquired it from some other region—a place where they regularly make those mysterious scrolls.”

“I see… It possesses really strong magical power, I can see why the bandits would use it as their trump card.”

“Yep…,” mumbled the downcast Age.

“But that scroll was the only one I could swipe, so we’re gonna have to rely on ourselves now to save Tir.”

“I’m looking forward to—“

Age stuck out his tongue, showing his backpack to Gremio.

“Just kidding! We might not have any more scrolls, but I snatched a bunch of other things from their tool box; I wasn’t sure what we might need, so I just pocketed whatever I could find. I’m sure it’ll come in handy somehow,” said Age as he laughed dryly.

Gremio found this character, Age, to be quite a strange one. Was his bold fearlessness inherited from his father? If so, his father must have been quite the mercenary.

“Ok now, let’s get going.”

Age rode out with Gremio right behind him.

Gremio yelled out in a considerably cheerier voice.

“So Age, you still haven’t told me where the Young Master is.”

Age yelled back under the moonlit night.

“Sarady! It’ll take three days even by horse, which is why we’ve gotta go now!”

Chapter 4

After passing through Mt. Tigerwolf and tredging along the basin for two and a half days, they finally arrived at Sarady.

The two stumbled upon a most unusual sight. Despite Sarady being a small hilltop village built upon a mountainous region, people crowded the streets. Even with the long rows of simple houses taken into account, this was far too many people. The families sitting on the dust-filled streets, the middle-aged men plopped down on the ground with their torn backpacks—everyone gazed at the afternoon sky with lifeless eyes.

According to the info Age gathered, most of the miserable lot came here seeking refuge from Geil’s political upheaval. They stayed in Lenankamp for a while, but had to migrate here when Geil’s influence extended to Lenankamp.

“Hmm… Well, I guess we’re not the only ones with problems.”

“That’s exactly why we’ve got to stick it through!” remarked Age with a glint in his eye.

“If we can save Tir, General Teo will be able to fight. And with Geil’s forces crushed, everyone will be saved.”

Age was absolutely right. They walked around some more to gather info. It seemed like Sarady was still free from Geil’s influence, as information gathering went considerably smoother than in Gregminster.

“Actually, Geil’s soldiers were here just a while ago,” answered the item shopkeeper.

“I’ve been hearing all about ‘em, but those rotten bastards really are something else. They tried walking off with my wares when they came around here. I can’t tell you if they’ve got a kid with ‘em, but they should be at the inn right now.”

Gremio wasted no time bolting towards the inn.

“Umm, excuse me!!” gasped a panting Gremio.

A beautiful woman came out from the back room to the front desk. Petite-frame, white-skinned, short red hair, blue eyes, a penetrating gaze; at a glance, she looked to be a beautiful woman in her 40s. This beautiful lady, donning a stained apron above her crimson red dress, appeared to be the proprietress of the inn.

“What is it? If it’s a room you want, you’re outta luck. We’re not taking any guests right now,” answered the proprietress with a scowl.

“…Eh? Why’s that?”

The proprietress signaled towards the room to the side of the entrance with her chin. The sound of broken dishes and raunchy laughs came from inside the room.

Gremio immediately understood the situation. No guests were allowed to stay the night because the inn was under the occupation of Geil’s troops. But Age and Gremio’s objective was not to spend the night here.

“No, that’s not quite it. Actually, we’re…”

Gremio was cut short by a soldier opening the door. Gremio was flustered as there was no way he could reveal that he was looking for a kid the soldiers very likely took captive.

“Uh huh?”

The proprietress did not look very pleased with Gremio, Even the rotten-breathed soldier approached Gremio with “Who the hell are you?”

“Oh no, it’s nothing really.” Age quick-wittedly changed the subject.

“We were hoping there’d be something to eat here. You see, we came a long way to get here and we’re starving.”

“Hmm, I see.”

She continued after the soldier returned to the room.

“With things the way they are, don’t be expectin’ anything fancy now. Why don’t you wait at the table by the window there.”

Apparently bitter at the rowdy soldiers, she pointed towards the table by the narrow lobby before disappearing into the back room.

Thankful for the proprietress’ kindness, Gremio put down his belongings and sat down with Age. After all, ever since leaving Gregminster, they had been living on the rations Age pilfered from the bandits. It was only natural for them to be so excited to finally feast on a decent meal.

Of course, they did not forget to eavesdrop on the conversations the soldiers occupying the big room within were having. But nothing fitting Tir’s description came up in their banter. They were more concerned with vulgar topics such as which girl in the village the finest behind belonged to.

At last their food arrived. The two put a pause to their eavesdropping and frantically stuffed their mouths, filling their stomachs.

Although it was a simple pilaf made with leftover ingredients, it was truly delicious.

“Gosh, that was good!”

Age pet his stomach in satisfaction. But as for Gremio, his stomach began to stir in anxiety. With the sun beginning to set and only three days—including today—remaining, they couldn’t afford to sit around waiting for the soldiers to talk about Tir.

Just then, the proprietress came to their table with a sullen face.

“Are you boys done eating yet? I’m sorry to rush you, but I need you to leave now.”

Gremio was troubled by her words. If they were kicked out, they wouldn’t be able to pick up any valuable info from the soldiers.

“B-But why? We appreciate the delicious meal you prepared for us, but to tell us to leave all of a sudden…”

“I’m sure you’ve already noticed, but…we’re not exactly in the best of circumstances here…” uttered the proprietress with a sigh.

“Look, we’ve got some real nasty guests here. They get violent after a few drinks, and it only gets worse when we’re out of drinks. Hell, even the Mt. Tigerwolf Bandits behave better. I’m saying this for your own good. Trust me, you want to get out of here before they come picking on you.”

Gremio did not know how to respond. She spoke in a rough manner, but was genuinely worried about them. Not wanting to force their stay and cause any trouble, Gremio began packing his belongings to leave.

“Oh yea! About—”

Gremio was going to ask about Tir when the proprietress interrupted,

“It’s ok, I’ll give you a discount for the meal. Just give me 300 potch.”

“Umm, ok…”

Gremio panicked at the thought of paying. After all, he was captured back at the mansion in the middle of the night and took nothing but his own axe when he left Teo’s camp, Gremio did not have a single potch on him. He looked nervously at Age who only returned the troubled gaze.

“O-Oh no, Age… Don’t tell me…”

“Hey, I thought you were you gonna pay for the food this whole time…”

The proprietress’ facial expression immediately changed. Her forehead, covered with red hair, twitched.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me! You didn’t come in here expectin’ a free meal now, did ya?”

Her voice packed so much force it was hard to believe it came from such a small, petite woman. They desperately fumbled through their pockets, but all that came out were Age’s treasured slingshot, an insect-bitten acorn, a candy wrapper, and a dirty handkerchief—things of no monetary value.

“I figured you were tired from traveling around and tried to be nice to you, and this is how you pay me back?! God damn it! I oughta tie you up and feed you to the mountain wolves!”

With her sudden change in behavior, Gremio felt as if he was being threatened by Mt. Tigerwolf Bandits. At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before they were turned into wolf feed. Gremio hastily took Age’s backpack off of him and handed it over to the proprietress.

“We’re really sorry! That wasn’t our plan at all! Please, in exchange for the food, take anything from this bag. Anything at all! Please, forgive us!”

“Hmm… Let’s see what you got…”

Glaring at Gremio, the proprietress began rummaging through the backpack. The two silently prayed as they watched their articles being taken out of the bag.

“Two pieces of dried meat… an old, tattered rope… What’s with this stinkin’ leather sack?”

She opened up the bag to take a whiff.

“Heh, these here must be sleep pills… A glove with a gaping hole in it, a signaling whistle, half-used medicine… Damn it, there’s nothing but trash in here. Do you really expect to pay the bill with this garbage? To hell with it!”

The proprietress was furious. Age lowered his head in apology.

“S-Sorry! We didn’t have any real food on the way here, so we walked right in without thinking. We’ll work it off! Gremio’s good at cooking! Please, we’ll do anything!”

“Hmph, good at cooking, eh?” the proprietress refocused her glare at Gremio.

Gremio was afraid they wouldn’t be able to look for Tir if they were bound here; but right now, pacifying the proprietress came first.

“Y-Yes. There’s not much I can make, but I guarantee you my bread and stew are the absolute best!”

“Well then, let’s get you to work.”

The proprietress finally calmed down.

“I was just thinking of making stew tonight. Why don’t you cook us all dinner tonight? Be careful though, Geil’s soldiers can be real picky. Serve them a bad dish and your head might go flying.”

The exchange ended with her heading towards the kitchen. Gremio breathed a deep sigh of relief and turned to look at Age, who stuck his tongue out at Gremio in glee.

Following the proprietress’ orders, Gremio began preparing dinner. Presumably tired from having to deal with the disgustingly ill-mannered soldiers, the proprietress complained of a headache and went off into her room, leaving Gremio alone to work in the kitchen.

In other words, Gremio and Age were left to deal with the soldiers. But the two could not have asked for better circumstances. As Gremio washed the cylindrical pot, he recalled what Age had said a bit earlier.

“Hey, if we work here where all the soldiers are, we might be able to fish out some info on Tir’s whereabouts. And when we do, we’ll just scram.”

Age was right. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as they say.

Gremio had already asked the proprietress about Tir. Impressed with the brisk pace at which Gremio worked, she answered frankly while grasping her head in pain.

“Sorry to say, but I haven’t heard anything about that. Besides, I couldn’t care less about what they were saying.”

Gremio was a tad disappointed, but they still had a way. Age pretended to clean the inn, giving him the perfect excuse to check out each room. Gremio waited for his return.

A loud thumping sound came from the second floor; Age must have been toiling away with the cleaning. Gremio suddenly began scrubbing real hard. By the time he polished it spick-and-span, Age showed up in the kitchen.

“Age! How’d it go?!”

“Something’s fishy…,” Age’s eyes lit up.

“I couldn’t find Tir anywhere, but the biggest room is looking really suspicious.”

“…? What do you mean?”

“That room is actually made up of two smaller rooms, and the door leading to the inner room is being guarded. When I tried to go in, they told me: ‘This room’s ok, just bring me some more booze.’”

“Th-That means!”

Gremio’s heart was racing. Just the thought that Tir might be trapped in that room made it hard to keep still. Gremio threw his aside his scrubbing brush and flew out of the kitchen.”

“You idiot! Gremio!”

Age quickly grasped his arm.

”What the hell are you in such a hurry for?! You need to keep in mind we’re up against Geil’s elite here! Heck, we’re not even sure Tir’s in there. And even if he is, one wrong step could get him killed!”

Age’s screaming stopped Gremio in his tracks.

“I-I’m sorry. You’re right. Everything will have been for naught if we mess up here.”

“That’s right, we need to calm down and think this through… Like I said, Tir might not even be in there.”

“I know, but…”

Gremio breathed a long sigh and suppressed his urge to immediately barge into the room they suspected Tir was being held.

“How are we going to get inside that room? Hmm, there must be a way…”

“Well, first things first. We have to do something about that guard by the door.

Gremio paced about the kitchen with his arms folded. After all, they were going up against Geil’s elite troops. Gremio, in particular, learned the hard way that he was no match for them.

Then, what other options were there? Gremio looked around the kitchen. On the cooking counter were the ingredients for the stew all crammed together, while under it was Age’s backpack. An idea surfaced in Gremio’s head.

“What do you think about this?”

Gremio bent down and whispered into Age’s ear. Age nodded excitedly. Their next course of action was decided as their eyes met and they burst into laughter.

“I apologize for keeping you waiting. Tonight’s dinner is my special stew made with the utmost care.”

By the time the sun could no longer be seen beyond the mountain range surrounding the village of Sarady, Gremio began to put bowls of stew on a large tray and made his way to each room to serve dinner. Age, with lamp and bread basket in hand, followed behind him. While making the rounds, they made sure to observe each soldier carefully. It was as Age had said, all signs pointed to the soldiers being elite troops. Many had scars on their arms and shoulders, but all of them seemed battle-hardened.

Gremio entered the largest room to find a soldier planted on the single-seat sofa in front of the door leading to the inner room. Gremio was hit by a sudden urge to push away the soldier and open the door, but thankfully recalled Age’s warning and desperately restrained himself.

Having finished serving dinner to everyone, the two returned to the kitchen and plopped onto the chairs. The restless Gremio spoke.

“Don’t you think it's about time…?”

“You idiot! Didn’t we just finish serving dinner?! You said it yourself: if we mess up now, this will have all been for nothing!”

“I-I did, didn’t I…?”

As if Age had already made up his mind, he began serving himself stew. Gremio, on the other hand, was so worried about Tir it didn’t seem like anything would pass through his throat.

After some time, Gremio spoke again.

“Isn’t now a good time to—?”

“Not yet.”

And again Gremio closed his mouth. While staring into the flickering lamp, Gremio kept telling his impatient self “Just a little longer, just a little longer...” That was when…

*Crash*

The sound of broken dishes could be heard from the second floor. The two held their breath while maintaining eye contact. But no further sounds came from the second floor. Not even a “Clean this mess up,” or a “Bring us seconds, damn it.”

“Did it work…?!”

Age grabbed the lamp and bolted out of the room, with Gremio right behind him. They ran up the stairs and opened the door to the first room. In the dark room made visible by the lamp, the soldier had dropped his bowl of stew and was giving off a loud snore with each breath.

“W-We did it!”

“Yea, it’s all thanks to your awesome stew. It was so good they probably didn’t even notice the sleep medicine in there.

They closed the door and proceeded down the hallway. Room after room, they checked up on every soldier; as it turned out, they had all dozed off in the same manner.

At last, the two reached the front of the room at the end of the corridor. Age winked at Gremio. This was the suspicious double room where Tir was likely being held. Gremio was so ecstatic his heart nearly burst open.

Age gave a light knock. No response. Age knocked once more. No response indeed.

Age slowly opened the door. It was quite a big room, with three beds and a cozy sofa. Two soldiers on the sofa and another sitting on the sofa in front of the door leading to the inner room. They were, of course, sleeping.

“All right, let’s do this!”

Darting into the room, Age dragged the sofa, along with the soldier sitting on it, away from the inner door. In the meantime, Gremio was containing his raging heartbeat and grabbed the handle of the door.

*Clank*

“What?!”

In an unexpected turn of events, the door was locked.

“Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Young Masteeeeerrrrrrrrr!!!”

Gremio cried out in panic and began banging on the door. A muffled whimper, as if talking through a gag, could be heard from the other side. There was no mistaking it—Tir was inside.

“Young Master! I know you’re in there! It’s me, Gremio! I’m here to save you. It won’t be long now, just hang in there!”

Age rushed to Gremio’s side upon hearing his voice.

“What’s wrong?!”

“T-The door‘s locked!”

“Crap! Now what do we do?!”

“Age, search that soldier for the key. I’m going downstairs to look for duplicates.

Gremio left the room and ran down the stairs. He searched the reception area, but to no avail. Next, he opened the proprietress’ room only to find it completely empty; the proprietress must have gone out a while ago.

“Damn it! I can’t waste any more time here!”

Gremio returned to the kitchen to pick up his axe. He couldn’t afford to wait for the proprietress to come back. He would have to apologize to her later for breaking the door open with an axe.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

Gremio turned around to find a soldier by the entrance, staring at Gremio in alarm. Behind the soldier stood seven thugs resembling bandits scowling at Gremio.


Chapter 5

“You must be…!“

Gremio ran up the stairs as they bellowed after him.

“Age! Did you find the key?!”

“None of them have it here! How about you?”

“No luck here either! More importantly, we have a soldier with a crew of bandits on our tail!”

“What?! What do we do?!”

Rapid footsteps made their way across the hallway. There was no time to break the door, much less look for the key.

“Cripes!”

Not ready to go down without a fight, Age took out a slingshot from his pocket. Gremio stood ready with his axe in front of the door leading to the room where Tir was.

Before long, the soldier made his appearance with the drove of bandits behind him.

“Damn, they have us cornered!”

The soldier let out a crackle upon seeing the desperate Gremio clench his teeth.

“Ha, so that’s how it is. You must be here on orders from Teo. Sneaking in here to take back your precious hostage, eh? Sneaky little bastard, that Teo.”

“You have no right to call him that!”

Gremio would hold back no longer. He cared not what might happen to himself, but now that it had come to this, Tir’s life was also in danger.

“You guys are the real cowards for trying to bring Master Teo down by kidnapping the Young Master!”

“That’s right” You’re the dirty ones!” chimed in Age.

“You pathetic cowards resorted to kidnapping ‘cuz you know you don’t stand a chance General Teo’s Armored Cavalry!”

“Hmph! Say what you will!”

The soldier and the bandits drew their weapons.

“It’s too bad you couldn’t save the little brat. So I see you put sleeping pills in the food… It’s just too bad you didn’t know I was out calling for backup from the bandits at Mt. Tigerwolf.”

“Damn you!” Age’s slingshot-equipped arm trembled in remorse.

“But why would even you need the help of the bandits to begin with!?”

“We didn’t come all the way to this village just to hide the little brat. This place was nothing more than a step on our way to hand the kid over to the Mt. Tigerwolf Bandits. Don’t tell me you thought the Empire actually sent us elite soldiers out here to babysit this kid?

“So that’s how it is…,” Gremio said with regret.

“So, where’s the key?”

“Huh?”

“The key to this room where you locked up the Young Master! Where is it?!”

The bandits burst out laughing. Their repulsive, condescending chuckles filled the room.

“W-What are you laughing at?!”

“Look kiddo, I know what you’re thinking, but do you really you can grab the key from me with those scrawny arms of yours?”

The soldier tugged on the slender chain hanging around his neck. The clank of the key resonated as it brushed against his breastplate.

“Come and get it if you can!”

“Ah, just my luck!”

Gremio pounced at the soldier, who easily evaded it. Before Gremio could regain his balance, he bumped into the bandit standing behind the soldier.

“Sorry, kiddo.”

The bandit held Gremio down by his shoulders. Just then, Gremio suffered a painful blow to the stomach.

Seeing Gremio in pain made the bandit grin.

That kid is gonna make us rich. Geil’s paying us by the day and all we gotta do is babysit him. It’s only until they crush Teo’s battalion of course; so the longer Teo lives, the better our pay.

The bandits cracked up. Gremio was still wheezing from the punch, but he could no longer forgive these bandits for making a fool of Master Teo and the Young Master.

“Argh, to hell with you!”

Gremio held his breath to pull himself up and smashed the bandit’s jaw with the handle of his axe. The bandit fell, turning completely over as he went.

“You sonova!”

A brawl ensued as the other bandits joined in on the fight. Gremio swung his axe while Age maneuvered around. With the aim of a sharpshooter, Age landed acorn after acorn on the foreheads of the bandits charging after Gremio. Gremio followed up with his own attack against the bandits flinching from the acorn. This combination attack proved quite effective.

“…You little snots!”

A few bandits went after Age, but he gracefully evaded them using the bed spring. Even from where Gremio was standing, Age looked to be quite the agile one.

After putting down the third bandit, the enemy decided to change up their tactics. Having trouble against Age’s slingshot, they began to gang up on him.

“Eh?!”

The moment Age jumped onto the bed to evade an attack, another bandit yanked the bed sheets. Losing his balance, Age slipped and fell on the bed.

“Age?!

Gremio immediately jumped in with his axe to parry the attack aimed at Age. In that one instant, Gremio became completely defenseless.

“Argh!”

The sword-swinging bandit managed to slash Gremio’s arm. Taking a boot to his stomach, Gremio fell to the ground. As for Age, a bandit had grabbed him by the neck.

“”Let me go, damn it!”

The soldier swung his sword towards the raging Age. Meanwhile, a bandit’s axe was about to land on the fallen Gremio.

Is…this it? Is this the end?

Just as Gremio closed his eyes and grit his teeth, he suddenly heard two loud clangs in rapid succession. If that was Age, then next was…

But the axe did not come down. What’s more, Age’s squealing could still be heard resonating across the room.

Gremio slowly opened his eyes to be greeted with…

“You two did well.”

A powerful, yet gentle voice fell upon his ears. Gremio opened up his eyes further to see the axe, a few millimeters short of his face, blocked by a rapier.

“Y-You’re…”

It turned out to be the proprietress who blocked the bandit’s axe. Gremio propped himself up in a hurry. The soldier who went after Age now lay on the ground, with his sword stuck on the wall. The loud clanging sounds turned out to be the sound of the proprietress parrying the soldier’s sword and blocking the bandit’s axe.

“You damn wench! Get out of the way if don’t wanna get hurt!”

The bandit who had his axe blocked glared at the proprietress. Not intent on backing down without a fight, she glared back at him with an angry retort.

“Hmph! You pathetic losers can’t even touch me!”

The next moment, she smashed the handle of the bandit’s axe. The bandit lost his balance and toppled over.

“I heard everything you had to say! Cleaning up after Geil, eh? Hah, how the proud Mt. Tigerwolf Bandits have fallen!

She didn’t waste any time swinging her rapier. Her apron stained red as she cut across the arm of the bandit trying to get up. As the other bandits winced, Age took the opportunity to shake off the arm of the bandit grabbing him by the neck and ran behind the proprietress.

“C-Crap!”

Against her incredible swordsmanship and fearlessness, the bandits finally showed some fear. With his weapon at the ready, one of them shouted at the proprietress from across the room.

“Just who the hell are you, damn it?!”

“You guys must have been living in a cave not to know of me. Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of the Ronnets of the Dual Rapiers?!

“R-Ronnets?!”

“Yea, I may run this inn now, but I too was once a Mt. Tigerwolf Bandit. New recruits like yourselves probably don’t know, but I made quite a name for myself as the former night raid squad captain under the leader before the last.

Both Gremio and Age looked at Ronnets in awe. They now understood the cause of her sudden transformation when they lacked the money to pay for their meal.

“B-But Ronnets… Why would you want to save us?” Gremio asked in a low voice.

“Well, I guess I just couldn’t let them kill off my cook—especially not one that makes stew as well you do. Actually, I went out to the doctor for my headache, only to come back to this mess. Looks like I could’ve been back a bit earlier, but I got here just in time.

“But at this rate, your inn…”

“Hah, gimme a break. You’re too much of a nice guy. Building an inn or two is nothing. What’s more, I can’t overlook what these bastards have done here.”

“…Eh?”

“Geil’s lackeys rubbed me the wrong way from the start, but I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it in this little mountain village. This village wouldn’t hold if they sent an entire company here. But I’ve had enough—taking a kid hostage is going too far!”

Ronnets swung her rapier, pointing the tip at the bandits.

“Especially you bandits doing everything Geil wants you to! What the hell happened to the pride of the Mt. Tigerwolf Bandits? Geil might be a rotten bastard, but you guys kissing his ass piss me off even more! I wouldn’t give a damn if you were family; tarnish the name of Tigerwolf and you’re going down!

“Tch, you’re one to talk!” The bandit screamed as he raised his weapon.

“We’ll take the kid by force if we have to! As long he’s with us, the money will come pouring in!”

The bandit grabbed a key from the neck of the unconscious soldier. The four bandits clumped together by the window facing off against Gremio and Age slowly moved along the wall to surround all three of them.

Rapier in hand, Ronnets dashed towards the bandit on the right. Gremio took up his axe, preparing to engage the bandit on the left. Behind them, Age loaded up his slingshot with acorns.

But Gremio could not shake off his anxiety. Even with Ronnets on their side, they were still surrounded by four bandits. Just then…

Ronnets lowered her rapier. She cast her eyes over the bandits and spoke gently.

“It’s over. Do yourselves a favor and drop your weapons.”

“…You sure you have your head on straight?”

“Look outside.”

One bandit turned out to look out the window only to let out a yelp.

“Crap, we’re surrounded!”

Gremio couldn’t see outside from where he was standing, but he noticed the broad daylight pouring in.

“You see? Even if you were to defeat me, there’s no way you’d get out of this village alive. One of the doctor’s trainees is a real gutsy one. After dropping me off here, I had him go around the village getting everyone to come here.

As if in response to her statement, footsteps approached from the hallway and in came a sharp-looking young man. Sword in hand, he looked back and forth between Ronnets and the enraged bandits, and chuckled in amusement.

“Ronnets, it's done. Just like you asked, I got everyone in the village to surround the inn. As soon as I told them you were ready to beat the crap out of Geil’s troops, they gladly joined up. We also have a lot of people here taking refuge from the capital who absolutely detest Geil, and they took up arms on their own.

The young man cast a glance at the bandits and spoke as if to mock them.

“As for new intel, I regret to say that Lenankamp has been completely overrun by Geil’s forces. But the town’s garrison force managed to escape unscathed and are headed here as I speak. They should be here before long and when they do, our numbers will amount to over 300; it doesn’t matter if more bandits or soldiers come, we can fight back.”

All it took was that one remark to remove the bloodlust from their eyes and get their heads drooping as if to acknowledge defeat. Ronnets took advantage of the opportunity.

“You heard that? You pathetic excuses for Mt. Tigerwolf Bandits! Your mischief ends here and now—give it up already! The old me would’ve cut you down right away, but I’ve learned to calm down as a proprietress. I won’t take your lives. ”

“Alright…”

The bandits all dropped their weapons, along with a key strapped to a chain, making a clanging sound as it hit the ground.

“T-That’s—!”

Gremio picked up the key in a hurry. Ronnets gently tapped him on the shoulder.

“You two did great! I never imaged two kids could last this long against Geil’s elite.

“Hey, I’m not a kid!” Age retorted.

“Anyway, if you heard what these guys were saying all along, why didn’t you come rescue us sooner?!”

“Hahaha! Sorry about that. I stuffed my rapiers way in the back of one of the drawers. It took me a while to get them out. Personally, I’m just glad they haven’t gotten rusty yet!”

“Tch, we almost died back there!” Age spoke in a miffed voice.

Gremio, however, was too happy to say anything.

“Go on and open up the door, Gremio. Save Tir with your own hands. You’ve got every right to.”

“O-Ok…”

Gremio ran towards the door. But he couldn’t get his trembling hands to fit the key in the keyhole.”

“Umm, Age?”

“Yea? Why don’t you open up the door already?”

”Uhh, well, my hand won’t stop shaking for some reason… I was able to save the Young Master thanks to you. So please, Age, take the key…”

“Ok, if you say so…”

Looking slightly abashed, Age grabbed the key and effortlessly inserted it into the keyhole, making a clickety sound as he turned the key. Gremio slowly turned the doorknob and opened the door. Inside was a tied-up Tir with a gag in his mouth thrown on the bed.

“Young Master! Yooouung Maassteerr~!!!”

With enough tears to clog his vision, Gremio rushed towards Tir. He undid the ropes and removed the gag, all while his hands continued to tremble.

At that moment, what came out of Tir’s mouth was Gremio’s name—nothing more, nothing less.

The two took some time delighting in their tear-filled reunion. The bandits were hauled away by the young man. Remaining in the room were a few dead bodies, Age and Ronnets, and the re-united Gremio and Tir locked in an embrace, holding each other tightly.

Age called out to Gremio, who had seemed to forget everything.

“Hey, Gremio… It’s great that we were able to save Tir, but…”

Gremio suddenly recalled something important.

“That’s right! We have to let Master Teo know immediately!”

“Exactly! If we don’t get word to General Teo, the Armored Cavalry’s gonna suffer huge casualties!”

“Hmm? What’s this all about?”

Ronnets’ eyes widened in surprise upon hearing Gremio’s explanation of the events leading up to this rescue.

“Why didn’t you mention this sooner?! We’ve gotta send out a messenger fast!”

“Alright, Gremio! I’ll go look for General Teo”

But Age… If I don’t bring the Young Master there, Master Teo will…”

“Ronnets admonished the worried Gremio.

“Suppose you did bring Tir along: Do you really think you’d be able to ride a horse with the two of you? Would you be able to paddle your way through the high tide of the sea with the two of you? We’re on a time limit here, and Geil could be sending more troops here. Believe me, you’re better off letting Age go in your stead…”

“B-But…”

It was just as Ronnets said. As Gremio turned his eyes to gauge Age’s reaction, Age too did the same in response. No different from the time Gremio first met Age at Gregminster, his eyes showed determination.

“I’ll do it! If doing so results in a crushing blow to Geil’s army, you bet I’m gonna do whatever it takes to get this message to General Teo!

Ronnets chuckled as she tapped Age on the shoulder.

“Well said, Age! You’d better get ready then! I’ll fix you up with the finest steed we have here!

“Thank you, Ronnets. But I have no idea how to steer a boat. So if I’m gonna have to go through the Shasarazade floodgate...”

“Why not just pick out someone from the village who can handle boats? Get on it—there’s no time to waste.”

“I’m counting on you, Age! I’ll bring the Young Master and follow you afterwards!”

“Leave it to me!”

Age bolted out the room, with Ronnets following right behind him.

Before long, Ronnets’ voice could he heard from the streets outside. Gremio approached the window with Tir still in his arms to see a man walk forth from the crowd towards Ronnets and Age. It appeared they had found their sailor. All that was left was to pray Age would get the job done.

“Whew…” Gremio breathed a sigh of relief, and looked up to the moon as it ascended the night sky, as if to offer a prayer. Tir placed his hand on Gremio’s cheek.

“Gremio, are your wounds ok? There’s still blood on your arm. Does it hurt?”

“Oh this? Don’t worry, it’s nothing compared to what you had to go through, Young Master”.

“And…you’ve gotten thinner.”

Gremio felt it strange to hear that coming from Tir; as Tir had also lost weight, quite possibly from being confined here. Even then, he was only worried about Gremio, which made him feel strange, yet happy at the same time.

A disturbing noise filled the room.

“U… Ugh...” Someone was crawling on the floor, all the while making painful groaning noises. Gremio’s feeling of happiness instantly turned into fear and worry. From the silhouette of the bed crawled out the soldier that Ronnets had cut down earlier.

“Damn...you... I’m not… handing over… the kid…”

The soldier raised the sword in his blood-drenched arm and flung it with all his might.

Towards the Tir held snugly in Gremio’s arms.

***

With the warm spring breeze blowing against his skin, Teo stood against the opposing army in front of the Kwaba Fortress. Just as Assam had promised, two weeks had come to pass. It was time for the final battle.

Teo placed the Armored Cavalry in the front, with the standard cavalry right behind them. This was the formation he always used to fend off the Jowston City-State invasions. He had no intention of changing that for this battle.

The messenger Teo sent off to Barbarossa had already returned. Barbarossa did not blame Teo for leaving the capital. He knew well that Teo went to the Gouran region just for him. Barbarossa’s letter informed Teo that he would be building up forces at the Kunan region, and ordered Teo to maintain the front lines at all costs, even if it meant their deaths.

There was one more order: to crush the enemy in this decisive battle.

Teo did not tell Barbarossa about Tir’s kidnapping, as he felt leading his troops to war to be his duty as a general, while Tir’s matter was a private issue.

Taking a good look at the enemy formations across the vast plains, Teo turned to face Cleo who stood right beside him.

“Cleo, have we learned anything about the enemy?

“Y-Yes. Geil’s Commanding General Schmidt commands the main force, a cavalry battalion of 2,000. There’s also Bergen who’s in charge of Kwaba’s defenses; he has another 1,000 cavalry, meaning we’re up against a 3,000 strong.

“3000…”

“While our cavalry only number a 1000…”

“What?!” retorted Teo.

Cleo answered in a panic.

“N-No, I apologize. Counting the Armored Cavalry, we have a total of 1,500 troops.

“Cleo, I know what you’re trying to say,” sighed Teo.

“But I’ve already decided to fight, so enough of that. All there is now is to do our best to carry out His Highness’ orders.

“Y-Yes…”

Hearing Cleo’s response made Teo look down in shame. He advanced his horse towards the front of the formation with Cleo beside him, and surveyed the enemy lines. A mere 3,000 troops was nothing to Teo. On top of that, Schmidt, although a fierce general, was ultimately nothing more than a wild boar who knew only to charge forward. With the Armored Cavalry, breaking their defenses would be a simple task…

Teo tried to play out the battle in his head, making different movements with each platoon and formulating various strategies, but he could not obtain victory no matter how many times he played out the scenario in his head. Whatever orders he gave, the Armored Cavalry in his head would only retreat—with their armor off.

Teo clenched his teeth. Teo had won many battles, but this was the first time something like this happened. Yet he had no choice but to fight—to vindicate his honor, to protect His Highness—is what he kept telling himself, but the memory of his son’s visage, and the mother who entrusted Tir to him would flash across his mind.

“Master Teo…” called a voice from behind. Teo turned around to find his good friend and loyal subordinate, Ain Gide, pulling up his horse next to him.

“Is something the matter? Master Teo of all people couldn’t possibly be at a loss as to what to do now, could you?

“M-Me? At a loss? N-No… Of course not…”

Ain took a long hard look at Teo, and decided to speak his mind.

“Please, Master Teo, I can see right through you. For us soldiers, there’s nothing more misfortunate than blindly following a lost commander who doesn’t even know what he wants. Indecisiveness will only dull our blades. Please make up your mind, Master Teo!”

“Ain… Forgive me… I...”

Despite Teo hanging his head in shame, Ain carried on.

“I fail to see what perplexes you so. Assam’s sole condition is for us to enter battle with the Armored Cavalry’s protective gear off. He never said anything about drawing our swords or striking with our spears. So why not just disarm the Armored Cavalry and place them in the back?”

“But then the cavalry will have to…”

“So Master Teo, you say we cannot fight with the just the cavalry? Ok, allow me to set this straight. You have absolutely no faith in the cavalry, and in I, who lead them. If we fight, we will surely lose. Is that right, Master Teo?!

Teo raised his face and looked into Ain’s eyes. He appreciated the thought: Ain’s consideration for the captive Tir and his effort to stir up Teo.

“Ever since serving you, I’ve run about the battlefield ready to throw down my life at any time. I am not afraid to die for our cause, Master Teo. Please, I ask you to place your faith in me, and to make your decision swiftly.”

Just as Ain ended his statement, a man’s voice echoed from the plains.

“Argh! Traitorous General Teo!”

Teo set his sights on the general standing at the head of the enemy formation. Clad in silver armor with battle axe in hand, the man with the unkempt mustache under the helmet was none other than the enemy’s commanding general, General Schmidt.

“What is this? Why does the Armored Cavalry still have their armor on?! You don’t really give a damn what happens to your son, do you?! As if losing the capital wasn’t enough, now you have to lose your son too?! Useless to your country, and now to your own family. You pathetic excuse for a general!

Teo finally made up his mind.

“I’m counting on you, Ain. I’ll be in the center. Ain, you go to the right, and Cleo, you go to the left. We will not fall back!

“Understood!”

“Leave it to me!”

Ain and Cleo turned their horses around and returned to their own units.

All too suddenly, the left flank of the formation became restless.

“Let me go, damn it! I’ve got nothing for you! My business is with General Teo!”

The young man’s voice pierced through the commotion among the soldiers.

Teo, Ain, and Cleo looked at each other, and nodded in agreement as they ran their horses towards the direction of the voice… Only to find a young man who somehow broke into the formation, and was rushing his horse this way while brushing past all the soldiers.

“Speak! Who are you?!”

Ariving first, Ain called out to him. The young man beamed with excitement.

“Aah, are you General Teo?!”

“No, I am Ain Gide, loyal subordinate of General Teo. State your business with Master Teo!”

“No, not to you! I have to tell General Teo directly! It’s top secret!”

“What?!”

“I’m Teo. Tell me, what’s this top secret info you have for me?”

“Ooh, you’re General Teo?! Yes! I did it, I made it in time!”

“Made it in time?”

The young man first looked at Teo’s face, then at the enemy camp. Age began to speak in a low voice.

“Yes, sir! General Teo, Gremio and I have rescued Tir. So please fight! We must defeat Geil! Tir is safe now! I’m sure he and Gremio are headed here as I speak.

“…Thank the gods!”

The news caused a stir among the soldiers. Teo looked up towards the sky. His chest quivered with joy, he felt the power returning his arms as they held onto the reins. The troops immediately received a huge boost in morale. Teo’s army was once again the strongest force in the Scarlet Moon Empire.

“Gremio, you did well! Now, I won’t have to hold back anymore. I can fight at full strength again! For His Highness, for my son!” thought Teo while still looking at the sky.

Teo drew his sword upwards towards the sky and issued a command to the troops.

“This is it! Everyone, prepare yourselves for the final battle! Give them everything you’ve got! Only victory awaits us!”


A gently burning flame lit up the forest. A dead silence filled the darkness as Gremio looked around, putting more wood into the fire. The sparks of flame dispersed, lighting up the area for a brief moment. Gremio breathed a sigh of relief as he held over the fire the tea kettle that Ronnets gave him upon leaving Sarady.

“Let’s make the Young Master some tea when he wakes up.” Beside the bonfire, wrapped in Gremio’s green mantle was Tir, breathing peacefully as he slept.

At the Sarady Inn, the sword that the soldier threw at them grazed Gremio’s cheek with Tir still in his arms, smashed through the window, and landed in the hallway. That was the last ounce of strength from the soldier, as he no longer budged.

A new scar remained on Gremio’s cheek, but he did not mind. To him, it was proof of victory in the war—a proud reminder of how he fended off Geil’s troops to rescue Tir.

For now, Gremio, along with the young Tir, continued his journey towards Teo’s camp.

Just as Ronnets had told him, he wouldn’t be getting there very fast with Tir beside him. But there was no need to hurry. The news of Teo’s overwhelming victory against Geil’s army at the Kwaba Fortress spread like wildfire in the Arlus region.

Age did his best. While thanking him, Gremio threw another piece of wood into the fire.

“Mmm…”

Tir was turning in Gremio’s mantle. Gremio wondered what he might say next, but looking closely, that was no longer a concern. Tir was fast sleep, with his face buried in Gremio’s green mantle. That was enough for Gremio.

“Young Master…” whispered Gremio in a low voice.

Gremio recalled the days he wandered the wilderness every day in sadness. But things were different now. Gremio had Tir, and Tir had Gremio.

That was enough to calm Gremio down. Entrapped by darkness in his youth, he found himself slowly falling asleep by the bonfire.

This peacefulness, this warmth that the Young Master provides me, I never want to lose it.

Gremio looked at Tir’s face once more. Looking at his peaceful face made it feel like the war was all over. Yet, at the same time, it somehow felt like this was just the beginning.

Gremio took up his axe and looked closely at the edge.

When I get back to Master Teo’s camp, I should train in the martial arts. Then I can continue to protect the Young Master. I swear this on my father’s axe.

Gremio took great care as he carved a message on to the hilt of the axe.

“No matter when, no matter where, I swear to always protect the Young Master.”

Sweet translations, good job. Theres just something i don't get. Going by this story it sounds as though the Succession War lasted a matter of weeks.

Teo is sent out to clear Barbarossa's route back to Gregminster from Kunun of pirates and then five days later Tir is kidnapped and two weeks after that the 'final battle' at Kwaba happens. Where does Barbarossa making Pannu Yakuta his headquaters during this war fit into this timeframe?

I dunno, maybe that was retconned or something? I take it the author's focus here wasn't even the Succession Wars, but rather the beginning of Gremio and Tir's relationship.

It's like how many Suikoden fans say Luca Blight saw his mom raped in front of his very eyes, but that is NOT what happens in his short story which I also translated.