Prolugue - A child?

"Flora, watch out behind you!"

The shout from the side made me turn my head in the direction the voice had come from.

As I turned around, I saw a man holding a long sword rushing towards me. The blade was stained with dried blood, clearly showing signs of extensive use.

"Die, you dogs of the Lumindoria!"

I quickly raised my own sword to block the attack.

Clang~

The sound of metal blades clashing rang out sharply.

As I regained my composure, I quickly deflected the opponent's sword to the side and lunged forward, pushing him away with a strong thrust.

The man staggered back several steps before collapsing to the ground, and soon after, his body was impaled from behind by another man dressed in white armor.

Seeing that the immediate danger had passed, I expressed my gratitude.

"Thank you, brother!"

"Stay focused! This is a battlefield; losing your composure is not an option!"

"I understand!"

My brother and I exchanged a brief conversation before we both turned our attention back to the battle in front of us.

Amidst the chaotic and tumultuous war on the green field, the clashing of metal echoed repeatedly. The cries of pain from those shedding blood on this battlefield were deeply sorrowful.

"Flora! Vincent! You two, retreat to the rear. The enemy is about to surround us."

"Go and prevent them from cutting off our escape route!"

A middle-aged man in armor, wielding a giant hammer, shouted orders to my brother and me from the front lines.

"Understood!" / "Understood!"

Upon receiving the order, both my brother and I immediately responded.

We began moving to the rear, but the enemies encircling us seemed to realize what we were trying to do. They pressed the attack relentlessly.

"Brother! We need to hurry!"

I turned to speak to my brother in a panic, as the enemies were closing in without pause, and I was starting to feel overwhelmed.

But just as I turned...

Shink~

In a split second, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach.

The enemy's sword had pierced my side.

My senses heightened, and I swiftly swung my sword at the enemy who had stabbed me with all my might.

Slash~

My blade cut through the enemy's head.

"Flora!"

I couldn't even hold my wound as the enemies ahead, not afraid by the sight of their comrade being decapitated, pressed the attack even harder.

"Everyone! Scatter and retreat!"

The order was shouted across the battlefield once more.

It was the voice of our leader, the middle-aged man.

Realizing the dire situation, our leader gave the order to retreat, and with that, he slammed his giant hammer into the ground, creating a large cloud of dust.

Seeing an opportunity, I retreated until I was beside my brother.

"I'm sorry, brother... I messed up the plan."

"Forget it! Just survive this first!"

My brother spoke in a firm tone.

I knew he wasn't angry at me, but the tense situation made his voice stern.

"I'll clear the way. Stay close behind me."

He said before his sword began to glow with a bright blue aura.

It was 'Aura.'

Aura was something every swordsman dreamed of. It was a sign of a swordsman's immense talent and hard work.

A swordsman with Aura could strike down dozens of enemies with a single swing.

"Follow me! Hurry!"

My brother swung his sword forward, holding off the enemies like an impenetrable wall.

Seeing the Aura on my brother's sword, the enemies backed away, allowing us to push through them.

The path we took led us to the edge of a forest.

The forest was a good option for escaping and hiding, so we didn't hesitate to run into it.

The enemies, realizing we were retreating into the forest where it would be difficult to pursue us, hurried to stop us.

But with my brother's superior sword skills, clearing the way and holding off the enemies, we soon made it into the forest. We began to escape, using the trees to obscure the enemies' line of sight.

We spent hours fleeing from the enemies until we finally shook them off, though it wouldn't be long before they found us again.

Despite knowing this, my body could no longer move.

The wound in my abdomen kept bleeding.

"..."

My brother looked at me with a calm expression.

I understood what it meant.

"Go on without me."

I spoke softly, knowing the condition of my body.

I could no longer move.

Upon hearing this, my brother's expression remained stoic before he spoke.

"...Understood."

After saying that, he turned and ran.

As I leaned against a tree, I watched his figure grow smaller and smaller with indifference.

"This is no different than being sent to die."

I muttered to myself.

This war against the barbarians was hopeless. The enemy had thousands of troops, while we only had ten. It was nothing short of a death sentence.

"Oh... Goddess Aphrodite, please protect my brother and my fellow soldiers."

I murmured a prayer to the goddess I worshiped before my vision began to blur.

But amidst my blurry vision, a small figure appeared before me.

'A child?'