Even If Everyone Hates You - Chapter 8
In a way, it was just the death of a knight, but to the prince, that knight seemed to have been a very precious being.
“Please, Grand Duke! Save us, or at least save Sir Anka if not me…!”
Caught in the chaos and swept into the forest, Prince Reuschers pleaded with Sjoerd to save the fallen old knight, dragging himself to Sjoerd, tears streaming down his face, devoid of any pride.
“Please, Sjoerd. If he makes it out alive, I’ll do anything, so please save Sir Anka…”
The prince clung to him just like when he was a child. Holding the knight in his frozen hands, as if he was the last thing left to him.
That day might not have been the last time the prince lost someone dear.
Sjoerd had since witnessed the death of the prince’s dear ones without intervening.
Prince Reuschers grew up in such a way. Only after losing all those who protected him, who had no abilities of his own, did people start to gather around him. Crown Prince Aster often said he was overly fortunate to see him through such circumstances.
Sjoerd neither abandoned the prince nor helped him. He commanded the knights following him to protect the prince, but he knew well that they alone couldn’t save the old guard knight. And he also knew that this fact would only torment the soul of someone like Prince Reuschers even more.
What tormented Prince Reuschers, Sjoerd might have known better than the Crown Prince. Sjoerd had firsthand experience of how precious those who cared for the prince were to him, growing up lonely in an isolated palace.
There was a time when Sjoerd was the most precious person to the prince.
A wave of discomfort arose. Sjoerd stopped reminiscing and began to write down the events on paper again.
Setting aside Prince Reuschers’ matter for a moment, he proceeded to document the incidents related to Nirah that followed. The things he found strange at the time showed a common pattern when written down on paper.
The range of the Nirah’s activities was expanding.
The Nirah, which can only move under the cover of darkness, revealed themselves throughout the kingdom during winter, the time of year when the days are shortest. This characteristic of the Nirah originated from ancient times, as seen in the founding myth.
In this era of unending twilight, where the sun’s warmth was but a memory, humanity stood on the brink, ensnared by the whims of shadow. The moon, guardian of the night sky, bore witness to this desolation, its heart stirred by the rivers of crimson despair flowing beneath.
Compelled by a duty to the woven fates, the moon heralded a decree to the cosmos, summoning forth its luminous children, the four stars—the heralds of salvation. United in purpose, these celestial sentinels descended, their light a beacon of hope in the pervasive gloom. With a confluence of their ethereal might, they cleaved the darkness that had consumed the sun, liberating its radiant soul from the depths of oblivion.
The sun, reborn from the ashes of its imprisonment, ascended once more, its rays dispersing the shadows that had choked the land. In the aftermath, the remnants of humanity who had endured the night’s tyranny gathered together and founded a kingdom where light would forever reign supreme, a sanctuary bathed in the sun’s eternal glow.
Here, the sun represents the king of Solias, and the Tudur signifies the stars that descended to earth. According to the myth, the Tudur born out of this tale were divided into four families, east, west, south, and north, becoming guardians of the sun.
The behavior pattern of the Nirah, unchanging for ages, had always been the same throughout history.
However, starting from before Sjoerd’s death, the Nirah began to appear from the central part of the kingdom where they had never been seen before, breaking the established rules.
‘The anomalies that have never occurred before are happening more frequently and rapidly.’
While something seemed apparent, yet nothing conclusive at the moment, Sjoerd continued to write down the significant events. After jotting down everything he could remember, he folded the paper and put it away. For now, he needed to understand what had happened to him, so he couldn’t dwell on this alone.
He pulled out a small book from among the many books on the shelves of his study and hid the paper inside. No one except him was supposed to enter his study, but it was just in case.
As he was about to place the book back, he hesitated upon seeing its cover. Titled <The Story of a Little Star>, the book narrated a tale fit for young children about a small star that fell from the night sky and returned to the embrace of the moon that did not give up on it.
His hand, which had paused for a moment, slowly moved to put the book back in its place. Silently observing the thin and small book placed among thick volumes, Sjoerd soon turned around.
It was almost time for the guests to arrive, and there was much he needed to prepare.
