Episode 21.

I don't know how much time had passed since the first projectile destroyed the wall and the barns, but the adrenaline that coursed through our bodies made time seem much faster and slower at the same time. After the attack, people began to fatigue as a result of the strong, emotional burden they suffered, slowing their pace and dragging their exhausted feet.

We arrived at the meeting point. I hoped we wouldn't arrive too late and would find more invaders in the place. However, there was no sign of anyone; there were no footprints, marks, or anything to indicate that someone stopped to wait right there not long ago. Everything was so quiet and calm that only the wind could be heard.

Shun hadn't arrived yet; I started to believe that something had happened to him or that he was in serious trouble. The worry made me anxious; I wanted to go back and find him as soon as possible, but it wouldn't be right to leave the group like nothing, even less could I make them wait there forever; they were the priority, and I had to take them to a completely safe place, far from the kingdom. But I couldn't abandon him either...

Max: 『 Mr. Roig, could you do me a favor? I need you lead the group for me. Take them north, towards the frontier. Flee the country and save yourselves. 』

Mr. Roig: 『 Wait a minute, boy, give me a break. Why are you suddenly asking me that? You're not abandoning us, are you? 』

Max: 『 Not at all. It's just that... I agreed to meet Shun here, and he still hasn't shown up, so I have no choice but to wait for him...』

Mr. Roig: 『 And what if he doesn't come? 』

Max: 『 Huh? 』

Mr. Roig: 『 My sister, Ventura's wife, the chef's son, Mr. Jakob and his daughters, even your mother. We are all moving forward, knowing what we leave behind, right? 』

Max: 『 … 』

Mr. Roig: 『 Believe me, I know how distressed you are, but you said it yourself: as painful as it is, we have to keep moving forward... We can't be selfish now. 』

That's true, many left behind all their belongings and their homes, but they also had to leave behind several of their loved ones and some without knowing what became of them in that chaos, including me. They had all lost something so valuable, and no matter how much it hurt, they didn't stop to look back. He was right; I was being very selfish… But…

Max: 『 Yeah, it's true... maybe worrying while others avoid doing it and enduring their pain is very selfish... But it's Shun we're talking about; he's the only one who can escape that hell on his own, and that's what makes me worry… As his older brother, I can't let him do something crazy; without me, he is nothing but a disaster... No matter how perfect he may seem, he can't do things alone, at least not yet... That's why I have to be with him... I must find him. 』

Mr. Roig: 『 …*Sigh* There is no doubt that you're both the same. Chef, untie the horses! 』

Chef Capello: 『 HUH!!? Have you gone mad, Roig?! And why are you giving me orders?! I'm your boss! 』

Mr. Roig: 『 Calm down! Young Max will need them for when his brother arrives! It won't be for long! 』

Max: 『 Are you sure?! You would have to go much slower! 』

Mr. Roig: 『 Don't worry; we will do with those donkeys for the moment. When you catch up with us, we can continue at normal speed… Here…』

He took out of his pocket a kind of opaque black gem with a few shiny edges, which looked like inked quartz. He mentioned that it was a "humarole", a kind of magic stone; capable of instantly creating a dense smoke screen.

Mr. Roig: 『 If things get complicated, use it. All you have to do is shake it and throw it. 』

Max: 『 A−Ah, okay. 』

Mr. Roig: 『 Very well. We will go on ahead... Good luck! 』

I wanted to respond with a "thank you", but my throat was left speechless by the safe and trustworthy way in which he addressed me. The group resumed their journey, and I was left alone with Tzar and Snel.

I waited, waited, and waited for Shun to arrive. I wanted to think that he had only been delayed because he had taken a different path, although my conscience made me suspect otherwise.

("SHUIIIN!!"), a faint metallic sound emanated from inside the forest as if someone was sharpening their tool or something. It was repeated on multiple occasions and with greater volume.

I tied the horses to a log to not lose them while I went into the place and found out what that sound was. I imagined it could be Shun, and maybe he was still fighting. The further I went into the bushes and trees, the clearer it became. Without a doubt, it was the sound of swords clashing.

I rushed over and found three individuals in the middle of combat, although none of them were Shun. However, their armor caught my attention; they were completely different from those of the castle soldiers and the invaders. I cautiously approached under a bush to see precisely.

The man in red armor was fighting with the other two at the same time, blocking all kinds of simultaneous attacks and counterattacking fiercely, giving them great difficulty in approaching and evading him. It was such mastery of that tall individual that it seemed to be that of two people.

The faces of the two men fighting together seemed familiar to me, but before I could confirm it, a female voice appeared behind them.

Lidia: 『 Father! 』

The young girl and the man in golden armor had a short argument at a very bad time. Both were shouting at each other and demanding that the other pay attention. However, the man lowered his guard, his companion received a blow that destabilized him, and he fell to the ground, leaving a free window for the man in red armor.

Sgt. Rask: 『 ARGUS!! 』

I watched the brutal scene of the man being severed from his shoulder to his hip. Blood shot out of his body, and he fell suddenly to the ground. An immense amount of the red liquid kept gushing out from the huge groove in his broken armor, spreading everywhere and forming an extensive crimson lake beneath him.

Lidia: 『 FATHEEEEER!!! 』

I looked at his face at ground level and realized that it was the king. The girl immediately came to help him and try to heal him with mana; she could not be anyone other than Lidia, who seemed highly worried and exasperated to help him.

Sergeant Rask: 『 YOU BASTARD!! 』

On the other side was Sergeant Rask, with his unmistakable platinum hair and worn armor. He quickly got up and fought furiously against the red-armored man again.

The king's condition was worsening very quickly; he was coughing up a lot of blood and choking on it. The damage was extremely large and extensive, almost completely puncturing all the organs in his torso. Not even mana could seal that kind of wound. Even so, Lidia gave her best and tried to do it at all costs. But the bleeding was very difficult to control.

Rask had complications in retaining the tall man, whom I still did not know. He received several thrusts and began to lose speed. He contained a strong blow that unbalanced him and opened his defense. The man repeated the same movement as with the king, and, to his surprise, he was unable to cut him.

I found my brother. Shun appeared at the last minute to stop the attack and save his instructor. He endured the blow with pain and effort, trying to repel the enemy's strange red sword with one hand on the hilt and the other on the blade, pushing as much as he could.

The sergeant quickly composed himself and attacked the man again and again alongside Shun. They attacked incessantly and didn't give space. However, the heavy blows of his opponent demanded a lot from the young swordsman and the veteran soldier.

While they resisted the heavy attacks, one more person appeared and, like Lidia, approached the king with great distress.

Veronica: 『 My lord!! 』

It was my mother, with a makeshift bandage on her arm and her face covered in scratches. Seeing her in that state made me feel uneasy and worried, but at the same time, calm and relieved because I also knew that she was alive.

Lidia and my mother continued trying to stop the king's bleeding, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't achieve anything. Lidia's arms were beginning to feel heavy, and her frown expressed the pain she felt in her limbs. She was spending the little mana she had left, running the risk of running out of energy and fainting at any moment.

King Van Laar: 『 COUGH, COUGH, COUGH! 』

Veronica: 『 My lord! 』

King Van Laar: 『 Veronica, get- Cough, cough!..., get Lidia out of here. Hide her… with Roef– COUGH, COUGH, COUGH! 』

Veronica: 『 Roef?! B−But, my lord, I don't know where he is! He disappeared years ago! 』

King Van Laar: 『 COUGH, COUGH, COUGH, COUGH…!! A−Anton... He's in Anton..., on the frontier... to...to the right− COUGH, COUGH, COUGH! 』

Veronica: 『 Right? 』

The poor man seemed to be becoming delirious and saying things without meaning. The blood in his lungs made him speak more slowly and his face lost color.

King Van Laar: 『 COUGH, COUGH, COUGH…! L−Li−dia, that's enough−』

Lidia: 『 No, I can't leave you!! *Sob* I− I'll show you what I'm capable of! How much I have improved! I will show you that I'm no longer a child! I will save you! I'm not giving up!! 』

Lidia's hands began to tremble, small sparks of mana barely came out of her fingers, and her head wobbled slightly. She was beginning to get dizzy and felt tingling in her arms. No matter how much she forced it, her body couldn't release anymore; she had reached her limit.

King Van Laar: 『 …Ah, what a fool I was… It's true… oh, how much you've grown… you are beautiful… Forgive me… for everything…, for being so blind… Live… and be… free… 』

Lidia: 『 *Sob* D−D−Dad...? Dad…?! Dad, wake up, please!! DAD!! DAAAAAD!!! 』

The king had died. It was the first and last time that Lidia felt the warmth of his hand on her cheek. Both damsels shed tears over the lifeless body of their majesty, who took his last breath to bid farewell to his daughter.

Lidia: 『 *Sob*… Max…? 』

Max: 『 ... I'm sorry, Lidia. 』

I came out of my hiding place to offer my worthless condolences to the devastated Lidia. I couldn't look her in the face; I felt so sorry for not having dared to intervene. Things were just going wrong for us, and we were unable to reverse it. Our efforts were beginning to be useless.

Shun and Rask realized that the king's soul had departed from this world, but they couldn't be distracted, or else they would end up the same way. In a switching attack, they managed to wound him and destroy the shoulder pads and armguards of his armor, it seemed that they were beginning to have the advantage over him. However…

King Narek: 『 Enough! 』

The man stepped back, and his red sword began to glow with a yellow light that covered it all. He extended it forward, aiming at Shun and Rask, who were going directly toward him, and lighting glimpsed on the blade that suddenly shot towards the two at full speed, abruptly pushing them to a few meters next to us. Electricity coursed through their stunned bodies, preventing them from moving a finger.

Lidia: 『 *Whisper* No more! 』

The large man in red armor approached us slowly and menacingly with his electrified sword. My mother stood up in front of the man to cover us all.

Max: 『 Mom, no!! 』

King Narek: 『 I've played enough. 』

Lidia: 『 *Sob* Please, no more! 』

He raised his sword, and from nowhere, a torrential light emanated from the blade that would cast a powerful lightning bolt on my mother, who was determined to protect us. I jumped to push her away, but I wouldn't make it in time. With an angry expression, the man abruptly lowered his weapon, and a few centimeters from piercing Mom's body, a strong flash went off.

Lidia: 『 I SAID, NO MOREEEEEEE!!! 』

Lidia let out a powerful scream from which an incredible whirlwind was released in which leaves, branches, and stones flew; anything that the tremendous force could drag.

The lighting of the red sword returned to its wielder, sending him flying backward and being stunned and unconscious for the moment.

The relentless gusts of wind pushed us to the ground. My mother crawled across the ground and reached Lidia, holding her with her good arm and trying to calm her down.

Veronica: 『 Lidia!! Please, calm down! 』

She kept crying and screaming, so she couldn't hear her. She held her tighter and gently comforted her over and over until she listened.

Verónica: 『 Calm down, Lidia, calm down. I know how much it hurts. I feel that way too. But don't worry; I'm here with you... I'm here. Don't worry, it's over... it's over. 』

She poured all her tears onto mom's chest until she was out of breath. The aggressive gale ceased until it disappeared. Lidia was completely exhausted and fainted.

The paralysis in Shun and Rask's bodies disappeared, and both were able to get up, although very sore and bewildered by what had happened.

Shun: 『 What was that? 』

Max: 『 Shun. 』

Shun: 『 Hey, Max. (*Groan*). I thought you would be ahead at the intersection. 』

Max: 『 I heard the sound of the swords, that's why I came. It's a shame I didn't arrive in time to be of more help. 』

It was inevitable not to see the king's bloody body. The loss of the kingdom's leader meant a complete defeat against the invaders. Now, our country was doomed to disappear.

Sergeant Rask: 『 Veronica, are you alright? 』

Veronica: 『 Yes, I'm fine. 』

Sgt. Rask: 『 What about the princess? 』

Veronica: 『 She's asleep. She just needs to get some rest. 』

Sgt. Rask: 『 Good... Max, Shun, what happened in the castle after the attack? 』

Max: 『 They reached the military academy and the colony. We evacuated the civilians, but... there were a few casualties. 』

Sgt. Rask: 『 … I see… And where are the residents now? 』

Max: 『 Heading towards the frontier, Mr. Roig is leading them. There are two horses with which we can reach them. 』

Sgt. Rask: 『 Great... Veronica, you know what you have to do: look for Roef and take the princess to him; he is the only one who can keep her safe. 』

Veronica: 『 I understand... But the queen... 』

Shun: 『 Ah, that's right! 』

Sgt. Rask: 『 She came with you? 』

Veronica: 『 Yes, along with all the palace maids. They were supposed to go to the intersection to meet Max before us. 』

I was surprised to hear that. Even though I waited there for a long time before entering the forest, I didn't notice any other presence nearby, and I don't think I overlooked a group of almost 20 women either.

Sgt. Rask: 『 Max, did you see anyone while you were coming here? 』

Max: 『 No, sir, no one. 』

What a problem that had arisen. It was critical to find the queen; if she stayed alive, she represented the kingdom's last hope of prevailing. But it was just as important to keep Lydia and the population safe. Someone had to search for the queen while another directed the people out of the reach of the enemy troops.

Sgt. Rask: 『 Alright, you three take the princess and catch up to the group. Get them to safety. I will look for the queen and her employees. Was that clear? 』

Veronica: 『 Yes. 』

Max: 『 Yes, sir. 』

Sgt. Rask: 『 Very well… Good luck everyone… Ah, Shun… 』

Shun: 『 Hmm? 』

Before we split up, the sergeant knelt before the body of his king, and, in a whispered prayer, he clasped his hands together to make it look like he was resting. He picked up the sword from him with its sheath and gave it to Shun.

Sgt. Rask: 『 Here, take it. 』

Shun: 『 Huh? A−Are you sure? I don't know if I am−』

Sgt. Rask: 『 It's not for you. 』

I picked up Lidia, and the sergeant pointed his head at her, making Shun understand who the owner of said weapon was. He handed it to him and walked further into the forest, disappearing among the thousands of trees and bushes without saying anything else. 

We jogged towards the intersection and arrived with Tzar and Snel. Again, there was no sign that anyone was nearby or had passed by, no soldiers or maids.

Lidia: 『 *Drowsiness*… Oh…? Where…? 』

Max: 『 She woke up. 』

Shun: 『 Lidia! 』

Veronica: 『 Lidia! Are you alright? 』

Lidia: 『 I think so. 』

Shun: 『 Max, we have to get her up. 』

She still looked somewhat disoriented, but little by little she regained consciousness. We helped her and mother get on the horses. Shun went with Lidia and I with my mother. So we set off, at full speed to catch up with the group.

Max: 『 So, we find this guy and ask him to hide Lidia, and then what?! Where will all the people take refuge?! 』

Shun: 『 We'll have to think about it on the way! Speaking of which, who is this guy, mom?! Do you know where he is?! 』

Verónica: 『 He's an old friend, but he disappeared years ago..., I don't know where he is! 』

Shun: 『 So how do we find him?! 』

Veronica: 『 … 』

Mom remained silent, thinking about how to solve the dilemma. If we discovered the whereabouts of the individual in question, we could keep Lidia safe, but people would have a more difficult time; they needed a new home, a new roof, food, water, and the essentials to live. It would be impossible to put more than 50 people in one man's house. A strategy had to be planned for them to find a new livelihood and start a new life.

Lidia: 『 … Huh?! H−How did I get here?! What happened to the sergeant and−!? 』

Shun: 『 Oh, it seems like you're awake now! Don't worry about him! He will be back soon! The important thing now is to find you a shelter! 』

We were getting closer; the caravan could be seen in the distance. However, something looked wrong, very wrong.

Shun: 『 What the...?! 』

Max: 『 It's not possible!! 』

We once again entered a murky and violent passage. The people were fighting another group of gray soldiers. Somehow, the group had been intercepted. The carts were destroyed and incinerated, and corpses littered the road. It was a sea of flames and blood.

Mr. Roig: 『 KEEP GOINGGGG!!! 』

I heard Mr. Roig's voice, fighting at the front along with the team, all bloody and wounded. He told us not to stop and waved his arm, telling us that, no matter what happens, we should stay on course.

Mr. Roig: 『 DON'T STOP!!! KEEP GOING!!! KEEP GOING!!! 』

Countless soldiers continued to come along the northern route, blocking the passage and forcing us to take the long western route over the bridge that crosses the river. We obeyed Mr. Roig and passed without slowing down, at full gallop, leaving them behind.

Mr. Roig breathed a sigh of relief when he saw us leave. A spearman pierced his body, and he fell abruptly to the ground. The others were overwhelmed and killed. Men, women, children, and elderly. All had died.

Helplessness consumed our minds. We tried so hard; we had promised to save them all, but we failed miserably, all because of our incompetence and inability.

Shun: 『 The whole group… Damn it! 』

Shun gritted his teeth in anger and closed his eyes, taking his eyes off the road. And just at that moment, from among the trees next to the bridge, a horse and his rider emerged, running at full speed and ready to throw his spear at my brother.

Max: 『 SHUN, LOOK OUT!!! 』

When he opened his eyes, the spear was already in the air. If it hit him, it would not only pierce him, but also Lidia. Time became slow. I couldn't think of anything in a single split second. It seemed inevitable to stop the weapon, but I wouldn't let it hurt them. I then committed the most reckless action of my life…, and the last.