8 My Inner Scream!

"There no need for punishment, now tell me, what do you know about The Fallen Empire?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Thank you. The Fallen Empire is the first empire that capable of uniting the Continent of Aolion in one flag, The Empire accept all race, culture and religion under her flag. Under Your Highness ancestors, empire become prosper, land and people live happily and even monster and demons afraid of it military might. But from time to time, greed start to consume The Empire from inside. Betrayed by his trusted people that he called friend, your grandfather, the 4th King of empire with all of his family assassinated, poisoned, kidnapped and killed in one night. This tragedy is leaded by the Outer Rim Royal Guard Commander, The Traitor, Kimmber Von Hoffmenn"

While Yamiko tell this story, I close my eyes and scream in my head. "What on earth is that story!!!! I never heard any of it. Do I really mess the world history with my character background?!"

"And under his command by taking the capital of the empire, The Grand City of Licttiom, he order his collaborator to kill at politician, soldiers and commanders and also citizen that still loyal to the empire. He burn every library and the historical site of the Royal Family. He also order to wipe all the record of royal family and the great empire. The Cleansing Year they called it, it take a full year to burn all the proof of the existent of the empire royal blood"

Yamiko countinue her story, calm and.... sad? Cmon Yamiko, Its my first time to heard that story. Dont see me like that.

"But you, Your Highness. You survive the tragedy. Your mother, the Queen use the ancient dark magic of time and send you to the future time of Aolion Continent. This dark magic is so powerful and need a great sacrifice in order to initiate it, the Queen sacrifice her soul and manage to send you here, Your Highness. Please Your Highness, raise your head, I'm begging you.. Hiks..Hiks"

Yamiko eyes start to tear up and she crying while knelling in front of me. Her story indeed surprise me, but her tears also surprise me, I never see Yamiko character cries in the game. That tears is a true one, she cry for me. I should not see her as NPC companion, but as a person, as one human soul that have feeling and emotion.

I start to panic seeing her crying in front of me, her cold face and eyes gone, what a lovely face she have, even when she cry. I take one deep breath, walk to her and also kneel to see her face.

"You don't need to cry for me, thank you to tell me the story."

I reach my hand to her face and wipe her tears. She closed her eyes and still sobbing. What a cute and warm soul you have Yamiko. I promise to keep you safe.

This feeling, the feeling of someone that cry and feel sad for you. I never felt it before. In my whole life, I never cry for other, my family doesn't even bother to check me, yet to feel sad for me. I don't need their compassion, there's no need to, I live my life happily and peacefully. But when Yamiko cries, I know she do it for me, her compassion is to pity me, but to cry with me. Even the story that she tell maybe just a data that I create, but for her, it's her reality, and for that I should do what I must, to live the reality she believe, because she believe in me. Right that moment, I starting to see Yamiko as one person, as a woman that cry for me, I feel my affection toward her more than just for NPC.

When her tears and sobbing start to stop, I stand and reach my hand to her, asking her to stand up. I start to talk to her again.

"Thank you for your tears Yamiko, I truly grateful that you here with me. Please stand up and stop crying. It's a waste of your beautiful face to cry"

I said that while smiling and Yamiko grab my hand to stand up. Hearing my words, I can see her face little panicked with my compliment and she add it with her sweet smile. What a gap moe she have. And, I wonder where I learn to speak like this, do I watch to many anime?....Yeah.. Maybe.... Ok, I watch to much, maybe.

"Now Yamiko, it seems you familiar with my past story, but do you also know about the time we are now?"

"My apologize Your Highness, I afraid I don't have any knowledge of Aolion Continent of this time. My knowledge limited only for the story that I tell you and information of the past"

"Is that so, its fine. But do you know about the land and maybe some city location?"

"Yes, I know some city location, but I don't know if the city still same as the past Aolion Continent"

"I see, so you indeed familiar with the land but information you have strong possibility to be inaccurate because of the time passed"

"I'm sorry Your Highness, I cannot be useful for you"

Yamiko start to bowed again, I still don't get used to this.

"Its fine Yamiko, one fresh start adventure sound good for me"

"Thank you Your Highness"

I must start to think about my objective and target. It seems that my character background setting is too much burdensome for a mere mercenary. But I can't do anything to it, I should reconsider it and add this factor.

The best thing to do now it to find human settlement, get some information, supply and think about it in a better place. But I need to finish my experiment with this companion summoning. I still have two slot for them. In this situation, adding number to my party also give great chance to survival.

"Yamiko, if I summon other companion, do they also know about my story like you?"

"Yes Your Highness, all companion that you called here will have same information, regardless are they affiliated with the empire or not."

"Mmm... It will be troublesome if I must explain my situation to them one by one"

In CO, there are more than 1000 companion characters, from variety of ranks, classes and ability. There also companion that not originated from the COMMANDER ONLINE universe, they are from collaboration with other games or series and special event. These companion is extremely rare to get in summon gacha system, especially when the event already ended, but I must consider them can be summoned here. What I afraid is, they still carry the memory of their own universe and maybe confused with this timeline.

What about Yamiko you ask? Why she knows about me... I mean, my tittle and character background. Because Yamiko is originated from the game, although something seems odd, her background story seems mixed with my background. Yamiko indeed a maid from one royal family in the past kingdom in Aolion, I still don't know how this happen, I'll look to other companion background later.

I should tell Yamiko first and let her explain it to my other companion, it will be easier like that. Also I want to test, are companion also obey other companion that have order from me.

"Yamiko, I want you to explain our situation to the other companion. I want you to relay my orders and give report to me"

"Yes Your Highness, I understand"