4 Liebenheit

The bright and dazzling ray of sunlight painted the sky with an extraordinarily beautiful orange light as it rose from its night-long slumber, bringing a new day onto the beautiful heaven-scape of the small town known as….Liebenheit.

The sun bathed the vast plains and the grassy hills with its light, and the town itself as the glamorous sunlight barged through the windows of Liebenheit's houses.

However, the townsfolk were already awake, but the sunrise did give them the energy they craved and needed, making them feel refreshed after a good night's sleep. They were spread about the town, going on about their daily lives.

The shops were already open as the owner's used their brooms to sweep the dust off of their storefronts, greeting the residents with a friendly smile as they passed by them.

Suddenly, much to everyone's surprise, the townsfolk spotted a white royal horse carriage, decorated with golden embellishments, coming from not so far away.

All of a sudden, all the townsfolk's faces lit up with a joyful smile as they gathered up on both sides of the dirt road, patiently waiting for the carriage to arrive. Some were even carrying flowers in their hands.

As soon as the royal carriage reached the town, the residents began cheering and clapping, genuinely happy for the arrival of whoever it may be. They were throwing flowers at the coach, expressing their sincere happiness.

"Seems like the people of Liebenheit truly admire you, Sir." The coachman stated as he spoke near the tiny window behind him, leading to the interior of the carriage.

"That I see…They are truly an amazing bunch, the exact opposite of what everyone at the Capital says." A familiar voice replied.

The owner of the voice was a blue-eyed young man with brown hair. He was wearing brown pants, a pair of leather boots, and a navy-blue frock coat that was decorated with golden embellishments. It was none other than Wilford.

Sitting right next to him was a blonde-haired young woman wearing an aqua-blue gown that complemented her ocean blue pair of eyes. She was Wilford's wife—Evelyn.

In front of them sat a blue-eyed young girl with long brown hair. She was wearing a blue long skirt and a white blouse. She was Wilford's young daughter—Emilie Krieger.

Right next to Emilie sat a young boy. Just like his mother, he had beautiful blonde hair and a pair of blue eyes. He was wearing a pair of leather shoes, a white linen shirt, and a blue cape. He was Wilford's son—William Krieger.

Wilford gazed at the masses outside of his carriage with a joyful smile on his face. He was fascinated by the people. Not due to their thrilling welcoming, but due to the people themselves.

The townsfolk were mixed. They were composed of humans, demi-humans, and beastmen. Although, the beastmen did have steel collars surrounding their necks, meaning that they were slaves. Nevertheless, they still looked as happy as everyone else. Unlike the beastmen in every single in the capital, the ones in Liebenheit were genuinely happy, and not as miserable as their counterparts.

"Mommy, is this our new home?" Emilie asked in wonder.

"Yes, this is our new home. What do you think of it, Emilie?" Evelyn asked with a calm and soothing voice.

"I love it!" Emilie replied with a cheerful voice.

"Haha, I'm glad you do. What about you, William?" Wilford passed the question.

"…Father…are you serious? You threw away our life in the Capital for this?! This place is nothing like Lebenstort!" William retaliated in frustration.

"Exactly! It's nothing like Lebenstort because it's the exact opposite. Look at how beautiful these massive grassy plains are. The cobblestone streets of the capital can't hold a candle against this natural beauty." Wilford replied with a chuckle and a friendly smile.

"Father, you've brought us to the red province! You've brought us to a country's worth of land where only a few towns reside, and a place where the kingdoms of Traumiery use as military practice!"

"Look at the bright side, there is no kingdom here. We are as free as an eagle."

"Father, be serious for once! Don't you care about us?! Our house, our family, our noble title, and everything that we ever had was left in Lebenstort. You threw away our noble life for the sake of those devilish, worthless creatures. How could you do that?! Do you care about those beastmen more than us?" William argued, fuming with anger as he frowned at Wilford.

"William, our noble title and our luxurious manor weren't the reasons that made us a happy family. In fact, it made us less happy. But now…now we have a fresh start. We're no longer bound by stupid titles, ridiculous etiquette, and insanely harsh responsibilities. Besides, look at these people. Their happiness is a source of happiness in itself. Even the beastmen and demi-humans are smiling in joy." Wilford spoke in a calm and collected voice as he tried to convince William.

"Father, I do not care about these monsters as you do, or any of our family does. I want our normal life back. I want my friends back. I want my old room back… I want uncle Julius back." William held his head down as he spoke in a calmer tone.

"William…you know I can't do that—" Before he can finish his statement, Wilford was interrupted.

"I know, I know! This life is so unfair. Why did I have to be punished for what you did?! Why did I have to be your son in the first place?! Why did life have to be so unfair to me and make me a Krieger? I...I hate this." William spoke in a defeated tone while gripping his shirt, a single tear racing down his cheek in the process.

William felt a gentle pat on his head as he was still looking down. He then heard a soothing voice speak to him, which left him speechless.

"You have the full right to be mad at your father, William. But, he's doing this for the future of all of Traumiery. He's doing his best to make you feel proud. So, please give him this chance to show you how better our life can become." Evelyn comforted her son with a calming voice.

"Sir, we have arrived." the coachman declared before the horse carriage made a stop.

As the coachman opened the door of the horse carriage, the Krieger family was met with an unexpected sight that startled all of them. They were standing in front of an all-white manor that had a cobblestone walk that led to the entrance, with trees on both sides of it.

The manor was vast and looked very similar to the one Wilford used to live in before, albeit this one is smaller in size. Nevertheless, it looked identical to the one before.

The family was then suddenly greeted by an elderly man wearing a simple brown jacket. He had a smile that stretched from ear to ear as he extended his hand towards Wilford for a handshake.

"Lord Wilford, it is truly an honor to meet you and your lovely family. I am the mayor of Liebenheit, Hans Kant." The old man kindly introduced himself as he smiled at the family.

"It is an honor to meet you too, Sir Kant. These here are my wife, Evelyn. My daughter, Emilie. And my son, William. Also, I think you might have been informed about this, but I no longer have the title of noble. So, you can refrain from calling me, Lord. It's unnecessary." Wilford kindly replied.

"I was informed about that, Sir. But, it's out of respect, not a necessity. But, if it bothers you, I will stop." Kant calmly replied.

"Thank you. Anyways, is this your house, Mr.Kant?"

"Oh, this is actually your house, Wilford. The people of Liebenheit discussed it with each other and agreed to honor your arrival with a house befitting of a man like you."

"But, why did they do that? Haven't they heard about what happened?"

"We all have. Actually, almost everyone across all of Traumiery knows about the 'Speech of Unity.' Especially here in Liebenheit. In here, everyone sees you as a hero. After all, you were the only one in history who what they craved to hear for over four centuries."

Wilford didn't say anything as he continued his walk towards the house entrance with Kant and his family. He was too dumbfounded by what he heard, yet he was immeasurably happy. He simply smiled and continued his way.

As they reached the large double doors of the house entrance, Kant swung the doors open to reveal an equally vast interior to this large house. However, what caught Wilford's attention, was the sight of multiple humans, demi-humans, and beastmen standing in three even lines, all wearing servant outfits as they bowed their heads in respect to the Krieger family.

"Welcome to your new home, my lord." They all said in unison as they kept their heads down.

"Mr.Kant, who are these people?" Wilford asked in confusion.

"After we heard that you'll be coming here, many young humans, demi-humans, and beastmen volunteered to be servants for your family, to show their true appreciation to their unsung hero." Kant replied.

Wilford eyed the servants and took a few steps forward before he stopped, standing precisely in the middle of the main hall. He then spoke in a loud and clear voice to all the servants that were there.

"Everyone, you have my sincerest gratitude for volunteering by your own will to serve me, it truly makes me happy knowing that there are other people who share the same views as I do. However, I want you all to serve me under one condition, especially you beastmen. Do not be my slaves, but be my friends." Wilford declared as all beastmen rose up in confusion.

"What does a friend mean, sir?" One of the servants replied.

Suddenly, silence fell on the entire hall as Wilford turned around in confusion. He wasn't mad or disappointed, he was only a bit startled by what one of the servants said.

Wilford began searching for the source of that voice, locking eyes with each servant and visually inspecting them before he turned towards the other.

Finally, he reached a young wolf beast boy with snow-white hair and a pair of ocean-blue eyes with the addition of a pair of wolf ears, and a white fluffy tail. He was wearing a butler's outfit and a steel collar. The young wolf boy was looking very nervous as Wilford approached him with a smile.

"You're the one who asked that, right?" He questioned the young servant.

The wolf boy couldn't do anything but nod his head and close his eyes in shame. He wasn't able to face Wilford from the amount of embarrassment he felt.

"That is actually my grandson, sir Wilford. He also volunteered to serve here. Oh, I almost forgot. His name is Lucas." Kant stated.

"Your grandson? Are you a beastmen? And, he has a name?" Wilford jokingly asked.

"Well, it's a bit cruel to not give my grandson a name, isn't it? And, no, I'm not really a beastmen. But, it's a story for another time."

"I understand," Wilford said before he turned towards Lucas. "Lucas, I want you to be my personal butler. You will always be at my side, understand?" Wilford ordered.

"What?! But…why? Why choose me, sir? There are better servants here than me." Lucas asked in confusion.

"Well, you said that you didn't know what the word friend meant, correct? So, what better way to teach you than to actually experience it." Wilford stated, releasing a quick chuckle upon doing so.

"Wilford, sir. A moment please." Kant requested as he tapped Wilford's shoulder, making him turn around, "The people are waiting for your word, sir."

"My word?" Wilford questioned the elderly man.

"The people of Liebenheit admire you so much, Wilford. They would like to hear their hero speak to them in person."

Upon turning around towards the entrance of the house, Wilford was stunned by the enormous number of people scattered around the manor's land. The entire population of Liebenheit was patiently standing, and waiting for Wilford's speech. Waiting for the man they admired so much.

Wilford took a few steps forward, walking out of the house, and stepping onto the front porch. His breathing was erratic, as this moment reminded him of what happened back at the festival. Nonetheless, he took a deep breath and began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, people of Liebenheit. It is an honor to be here today, speaking to all of you wonderful people.

Although, I have officially become an outcast, lost my noble title, and exiled out of my hometown. Yet, you all welcomed me into your town with open arms and built such a magnificent house for me and my family in such a short time.

But, what made me happier than anything else, was the joy that I saw in this beautiful town. I have been to almost every single village, town, and city in Traumiery, but I have never once seen a place where beastmen were happy and treated well despite being slaves.

I truly cannot thank you all enough for doing all of this for me, and for also achieving one of the dreams that I craved ever since I was still a child.

Thus, the only thing I can do is accept your unparalleled kindness with open arms, just like you all accepted me, and devote myself for the sake of this town.

And, on that note, as the first act of kindness, I shall remove the slave collars of my beastmen servants, making them the first-ever group of beastmen to gain their freedom for the past four-hundred years.

In a one thousand mile journey, let this be the first step in creating a wonderful Utopia where all races and species could live in harmony, throwing away all ideas of supremacy and bloodlines in the process.

For this is a land of the people, by the people, for the people. And we shall not give up until we unite all classes and races of our society and become the ideal kingdom that we desired for a long four-hundred years, for we are all proud Traumierans who share the same origins.

We are the people of Traumiery!"

Upon finishing his speech, cheers and applause erupted from the crowd in unison for the young man. At this moment, Wilford knew that there was hope as he smiled back to the people of Liebenheit with his fist raised in the air.

Despite the tragedy that happened with the trial, Wilford's resolve to save his people only grew stronger after he saw his dreams, and his ambitions condensed into the small town of Liebenheit, which he was determined to make bigger, and to make its name echo throughout the land, to reach the final destination in his long journey for unity.

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