Prologue

Ch. 0 - Prologue (Rake)

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The Sea of Flames.

The blinding white brightness that illuminates the deep darkness of the moonless evening.

The sounds… of people.

Sounds of their screams, their cries.

Swords, clashing into one another.

Bodies, falling to the floor one after another.

Blood, spraying on the ground non-stop.

No dignity, heartless, despair.

This… is hell.

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.

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"Khaaahhh!!!"

The sound of a man waking up from his nightmares was heard loudly.

The bedroom was large and enclosed, but the voice still managed to leak outside. The window was not shut tightly, allowing the voice exit and the sunlight from the outside enter. The white trays were not tied down, and waves around heavily due to the harsh wind.

As the man slowly lifted his body up from his bed, he realized many things.

He is currently in his bedroom, in his king-sized bed, covered by the large white blanket. His entire naked well-built body is sweating profusely, as if he just went through a rigorous training. His hand was lifted, and held on dearly to his yellow blonde hair, all while his head is trying to process many things.

"CHIRP!!"

The sound of a bird can be heard coming from the opened window, and the man turned his red colored eyes to it. He saw a glimpse of the bird's shadow, standing curiously on his opened window, peeking inside.

"CHIRP!! CHIRP!!"

It was just a simple bird.

"CHIRP!!-- CHIRP!!-- CHI--"

But the man's mind was not in the right condition.

"KHAAKK!!!"

A crow.

His entire vision turned darker. As the light gradually turns red, his mind allows his soul to fall even deeper into the nightmare.

His ears began to grow sharper, and sounds started to grow louder and louder into his ears.

The sounds of screams. Explosions, swords clashing onto one another.

The sound of children crying.

"Ghhhkkkk!!!!!"

BAKK!!!

The man smacked both of his ears so that he would listen to no more of that, and shut his eyes as hard as he could. He tried clearing his mind from all of it. But even after shutting his eyes, even after closing his ears…

He can still hear it.

After all, the voices did not come from the outside.

It came from deep, within his brilliant cursed mind.

The voices of children calling out to their dead parents.

The sound of metals hitting one another.

The sound of flames burning everything.

And the laughs of men who enjoy it all.

…

Everything… was hell.

Placed on the right side of the bed, is a single sheathed longsword, capable of killing even the largest monsters with one hit. 

The man turned his gaze into the sheathed blade, and began moving his right hand very slowly, trying to reach it. His hand vibrates and continuously drops sweat as it reaches out.

Until finally, he arrived on the handle.

ZRINGG!!!!!

He unsheathed the blade.

He lifted the handle upwards.

He pointed the tip downwards…

Straight towards his stomach.

BAARRR!!!!!!

"Young master!!!!!"

Immediately, the man woke up.

His eyes were opened wide, and his breathing began to grow calmer. He noticed that the blade was pointing towards his stomach, and how his own hands were actually holding them.

The door slammed open, and a person shouted. The bird flew away as the cause, and also woke the man up from his nightmares.

The man lowered the blade and placed it above his knees, and he turned to the old maid who smacked the door open.

"Where… am I?"

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.

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Rake Ignicius.

First born of the Ignicius blood, son of Grand-Duke Ignicius.

Also known as "The Paladin Hero".

At the age of five, he awakened the ability to use magic. At the age of seven, he mastered his magic element and became a capable fighter, rivalling any professional knight. At the age of ten, he became a magician far more superior than the kingdom's arch-mage.

At the young age of fifteen, he became the kingdom's most powerful hero.

Alongside ten others, he was chosen to be the hero of the kingdom to fight against a powerful opponent. He was the youngest, and yet he ranked number one in terms of strength, intelligence, abilities, everything.

His young age was feared, but the true source of his fame is in his talents.

He took down a mid-ranking dragon by himself during his first hero mission. He conquered a tier 6 monster hive with just five people in his command, a difficulty that not even the entire kingdom can take down even if they gave their all. He gracefully led the kingdom in the battle against a large-scale monster invasion with minimum damages thanks to his planning. He killed a legendary thousand year old dragon alongside five other people.

Those achievements were done in just three years after he received the hero title.

But those are merely footnotes, compared to the true achievement he just made when he was eighteen.

An achievement… he made only two nights ago.

"Congratulations, sir Paladin hero!!!"

"Sir Hero!! Great job taking all of them down!!!"

"You are really strong!! Those wretched Ethels never stood a chance!!!"

The praises continuously come from all across the main southern street. People, doing their own businesses and taking care of their lives. They have heard of the news, and they have learned of the achievement.

They stopped what they were doing with their lives and immediately praised the Great Paladin Hero when they saw him walking casually on the street.

So young… so handsome… and so strong.

Who doesn't love the hero?

But the face worn by the hero was not what they were expecting.

"Hmm… does he look kinda… gloomy?"

"Yeah. Maybe he lost someone in the battle?"

Conversations began to rise on the shop owners and the buyers surrounding the road. They all were confused as to why the hero is staring downwards, not turning to the praises at all, not paying attention to his surroundings at all.

The hero… is in bewilderment.

His memory has returned, and he is relieving those events that happened merely two nights ago.

How he infiltrated the enemy's lines…

How he takes down their defenses…

How he led the kingdom into a war…

And how he allowed the kingdom's soldiers to enter.

It was vague, but he remembered that much. 

He truly became a war hero, and he will definitely get lots of praises and prizes due to that. It was such an important event for the kingdom, such a good deed for the people.

And yet, why is his mind conflicting this… badly?

It was such a good deed for his people.

And yet, why does everything feel wrong?

"Yo!"

A hand landed on the hero's metal shoulder. The hand doesn't seem to be covered in metal, meaning the person was not wearing armor.

He recognized the voice, but what he didn't understand was why the person was not wearing armor.

"How's your morning, Rake?"

The cheerful voice spoke once again, and this time, the hero turned his face to see.

As expected, it was blood red hair. The same annoying punchable face wearing a smile so wide his teeth might as well blind the entire world. His hair was messy and curly, completely adding points to how punchable his face is.

Rake turned his body towards the red haired guy some more, and with confusion, he asked what was on his mind.

"Why are you not wearing armor?"

Hearing the cold stiff question, the red haired guy lifted his hand away from the metal shoulder. He placed his hands on his hips, judging the armored hero with as much judgement-stare as possible.

"Bad morning, huh…? No coffee? Or was it the annoying butler?"

Rake ignored that question and continued asking the annoying guy.

"Jack. We are meeting the kingdom council. Where is your armor?"

The red haired guy, Jack, shrugged the top of his head as he turned away to answer the question… awkwardly.

"I, uh… haven't cleaned it yet."

Hearing that, the paladin hero facepalmed.

"Hey, hey! That's fine. I'm sure the chief can lend me some of his armor, right?"

Jack lifted his hands up and answered dumbly, but Rake knew better. In fact, Jack also should have known better.

"Will you even fit into his armor…?"

"Ugh… well…"

Rake let out a very long sigh. He lifted his hand up, showing a very expensive metal-diamond bracelet that was hidden under his gloves with multiple gems decorating the middle parts.

The gems of the bracelet glowed brightly, and all of a sudden, a whole set of armor appeared out of thin air into the ground.

CLANK!!!!

CLANNKK!!!!

Jack can only step away panicking when the full set of white armor fell to the floor so nonchalantly. Everyone else who were watching from the street also turned surprised seeing the armor falling to the ground from a chest's height. 

It was such beautiful armor too…

"D-DUDE!!!--"

"You can wear my set for now. We can't afford to look bad in front of the king."

"But that armor is--Is clean!! The road, it's--What is wrong with you!?"

"What's wrong with you for not cleaning your gear before such an important day? Now, hurry up, we have to meet up with the others first."

Rake suddenly turned around and walked away, leaving the extremely confused Jack with a pack of armor on the ground.

As they walked, more and more people praised the heroes for their achievements. Their praises vary, from how amazing their strengths are, to how awesome they look.

Jack shows his smiles to the people as he tries his best to wear the armor while walking. In front of him, Rake shows no emotion whatsoever.

Jack noticed this, and he began hurrying up with the armor-wearing and walked right next to Rake.

"Dude. At least wave your hand to them."

Jack said not too loudly to Rake, because he doesn't want the people to hear. But Rake is not in the mood to socialize.

He shook his head, and focused on staring downwards.

Noticing the heavy silence coming from his friend, Jack can only mumble away.

"Totally bad morning, huh…?"

The two began their walk in silence towards the center of the capital.

The great church, as well as being the middle castle, is the building known to many as the White Cathedral. Home to various important people and a place for many important events.

The king and the royal family, the center of the military, and the great church. This place is easily the most important spot in the entire kingdom.

As they walked, Rake spoke not a single word and simply lost himself in his thoughts. Meanwhile, Jack is doing all the socializing he possibly can with his waving hands and a smile bright enough it can blind the entire world.

While Jack is waving his hand, he notices the old man standing at the side of the road, rather close to the center where they are walking. The old man is standing with the help of a stick, and it does look like he is more than a hundred years old.

Feeling pity, Jack quickly rushed in to talk with the old man.

"Hello there, old man! You really shouldn't be standing in the middle of the road for long, since it can be dangerous when it's crowd-"

"Fools… you are all fools…"

Hearing the old man mumbled, even Rake was taken aback. The two looked very surprised, and they stopped their walk to listen to the old man.

The old man was very old, and he had closed his eyes previously. But the moment he opened his eyes, everyone who saw it felt fear.

How the old man was so old and so fragile, yet the raging flame in his eyes was burning so heavily not minding his age at all. Jack, Rake, everyone on the street around them knows that the old man's rage was so unbearable.

The old man took a very deep breath which was not supposed to be normal for a hundred year old person, and he spoke loudly to the two shocked heroes.

"Do you realize what you just did!?"

The old man shouted fearsomely to the two young heroes. Everyone on the street was taken aback, but not as much as the two heroes.

"Do you even realize how big of a sin you just committed!?"

The old man shouted loudly and angrily. Everyone who was on the street finally had enough, and did not want to annoy the heroes any further than this.

Three adult market owners that were on the location began rushing in. Two of them tackled the old man and began lifting him up to bring him away. The last market owner bowed very deeply to the young heroes, and apologized on behalf of the old man.

"P-Please forgive the old man!! He was just being old… and you know old people!! They say some random things…"

Hearing the market owner apologizing, Jack immediately lifted his hands up.

"Please, it's fine, it's fine!! I know that not everyone can accept that fact, so don't worry! We get it!!

Right, Rake?"

Jack turned to the paladin hero, but he immediately turned confused.

"… Rake?"

Jack, the market owner, everyone on the street at that moment, all turned their confused gazes towards the paladin hero.

Wondering, why he is staring downwards.

Wondering, why his eyes are open so wide.

Wondering…

why he is biting his lips until it bled heavily.

A week ago, a mission was issued for the hero by the kingdom's highest ruler, the Great King of Ardjestyn kingdom.

To infiltrate an enemy kingdom. A kingdom, owned by another race known as Ethelen. The Velborn Kingdom.

To infiltrate, and to take down the defenses of their capital.

To open the entrance as wide as possible, allowing a siege of the army to enter.

To commit genocide.

This is the story of a guilty hero, known for nothing but his powers, achievements, and sins.

How he fights against his guilts, the lonely pain from his chest, and the sins of his days as a hero.

How he found the sole survivor of the very people he massacred.

And how he protected her.

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End of Prologue.

To Be Continued on Chapter I