Chapter 183: The Peace Coup (Part 2)

Erissen's perspective - Morning, Fourth of July - Veta

Alright, what I should say for now? This was the first time I would watch a military parade beside Raptu, but we have been waiting on the streets of Burav town for hours but didn't see it occur yet, quite impatient. Today was supposed to be my school day but I was on my second-semester exam and the last exams would occur in the afternoon, to be more detailed, they would occur on the 2nd-afternoon bell.

Because I would have to do the exams in the afternoon so I was very free in the morning and till this time, but now was the 12th bell already, we would be late if we wait for more. Right in the morning, as I went out of my house with the purpose to study with Raptu in the tea shop, there was a letter which was placed inside my house's letter box and I found it.

It was a small invitation letter that had the content of a small military parade in Veta which was held by a new Warsaw Lord - Shizuka Hatano, who newly owned Spera region. Everything was fine until I realized that it was very weird since Veta was owned by Lord Rigen - the one who I very respected and admired when he helped me and my mom to change our lives, so sad when he forgot us.

But it was weird when Veta was under John Rigen's control but his Advisor was the one to hold the entire military parade of this region. Maybe John was a silent man so he didn't want to reveal himself among the people so he asked Lord Hatano to hold the parade instead, so that was what I thought logically.

According to the invitation letter, today was the 4th day of the third Summer, 1173 - which was told to be the national day of John's homeland, that was why the military parade would occur right in today. Because this day was the national day of Lord Rigen's homeland so the people in these regions including Veta, Stansa and Spera would have a rest day, they were quite happy.

Two rest days in the year including Warsaw national day too, I was thinking about asking my mom to have a day off to watch the parade with me but she refused since she was very indulgent in her job. Maybe I should have studied well instead of standing here to see the parade, my mom was working very hard to bring me a better future but I was lazying to skip it away...sigh!

"Yawnnnnnnnn! Huh...still not occurred yet?" - Sis Raptu made a very long yawn as she opened her eyes after a few minutes of sleeping while standing, quite cute!

"Still not occur, sis." - I was now reading a book about literature subject, I would have to make a literature exam and another one but that subject had been well prepared

"Hmmmm...do you see it hot?" - Raptu asked me when both of us were standing on the streets and in the middle of the crowds for hours, this time was noon so it was very hot

"Don't worry, sis Raptu! I'm fine."

"That's so?" - Raptu asked me while staring at my face, it was sweating a bit

"Ahhhhh, let's go home, guys." - I heard complaints from the people who were trying to wait till the parade occur but some of them had lost their patience so they left the scene

"Yeah, let's go home and drink some." - The adults besides me talked to each other and then walked away too

Now the scene was cleared a bit for me to watch, it was very crowded in the previous hours, which made the Peacekeeper police have to form their lines to manage the situation. Well, though the crowd had been reduced but the Peacekeeper police were still forming their formations around the lines of people to secure things, they were working seriously.

"Yawn...we will get out of here a few minutes later if the parade does not occur, is that alright, Eris?" - Raptu asked me while leaning toward me

"Alright, sis."

"Oh...long time no see Shera, what do you think if we visit her after this?"

"Nod!"

I later looked around the area and realized that my sight was a bit clear from watching the scene, people used to stand there a lot which made me could not see anything, so lucky. The Peacekeeper police were still forming their tight formations with blue metal shields being lined on the ground, the shields were quite spectacular when having symbols of a silver eagle in the middle of the shields.

While standing beside Raptu, I saw her pull out a book that was hidden under her collar, my fox big sister would have the last exams today too, as same as my time. This fox girl was reading the book and didn't care about things around her anymore, maybe she was bored to see nothing was interesting here for us to watch.

"What are you doing, sis?" - Suddenly, Raptu came close to cover my body out of the heat of the sunlit while reading the book

"Eris, you liar...it's hot this but you keep rejecting." - She later smiled at me

Woah, I did not notice at first but now when I concentrated, I could see that Raptu had a very colossal height, she was taller than John Rigen. Honestly, if this big sister was a man then I would fall on her, both of us had a very good relationship as if we were sisters though I only consider Raptu as my good friend, that's all.

"How tall are you, sis Raptu?" - I slowly put the book inside my school bag and then asked Raptu about her height

"Uhhh...according to the human's measurement system...1, 92 to 1,93 meters, maybe." - That much high?

"Hey, hey, hey! They are coming out, guys! The parade is about to come, get here and see!" - While being impressed with Raptu's height, I heard shouts from the people

After hearing the sounds, both of us swung our eyes around the streets to see the gathered soldiers who were about to make the parade but the scene was later covered with crowds, could not see anything. Sigh...I came here today with the purpose to see the parade and then visit Princess, go to school to do the exams and then going home to wait for the results, but...I missed the scene.

"Hey, hey! Do not cross the line, immediately have the order in this ceremony, people!" - The Peacekeeper police were forming their metal shields to prevent the energetic people from crossing the line

Some people seemed to be losing control when they have to watch the parade from far views so they tended to approach closer. But the police had stopped them from doing that, this parade was supposed to occur in the morning but now it was about to occur this late for some reason.

"The troops seem quite large, maybe more than 2.000...but they are preparing, not performing yet." - Raptu said to me when she was staring at the right side of the streets which areas have been covered by crowds of people, sigh!

"I cannot see anything, sis! I'm short." - Well, my height was normal compared to the Veta natives but they were crowding too much, even hustling and tiptoeing so I could not see anything, sigh!

Maybe I was wrong, not just Veta people but the natives from Stansa and Spera were also gathering in this place to watch the parade, though the crowds had reduced after hours without seeing the parade to occur. Should I ask Raptu to let me stay on her shoulders? I wondered, I hope she won't mind doing that for me, because I was curious about what she was witnessing too.

"Please lower your heads a bit, I cannot see anything...sigh!" - I asked the people forward me, trying to ask them to lower their heads a bit to let me see things but that was useless

"Ummmm...do you need a hand, Eris?" - I heard Raptu's voice, let's hope that she would not mind if I ask her to help me

"I want to see the parade too, sis! But the people are covering my sight."

"Alright, alright."

"Eh?" - I was a bit surprised when Raptu used her green gloved hands to lift me and then put myself on her shoulders, this fox sister's bones must be very strong to carry me, I love it!

"Now see anything, Eris?" - Raptu asked me when I was on her shoulders, my vision was very bright now and I was looking around to see what I was seeing

"The sight is very good but I'm to see what I can find, sis Raptu."

I leaned my eyes to the right side of the streets and saw a bit from far away, hundreds of soldiers who wore all green on that side and they were forming their lines or something. Those troops were quite large, the direction they came from must be from the Capital city, I could see many horses and big carriages over too, they must be the things that escorted these troops here, wow!

"I can see troops, sis! They are quite impressive!"

"Hehe, waiting for hours just to see this scene, I hope you enjoy that, Eris."

I kept pointing my eyes to the soldiers but later changed the direction to somewhere else with the purpose to find something more interesting to show Raptu, let's see. Ohhh! I could see in the middle of the crowds of people who were seeing the parade had a group of men who were sitting on the ground with dishes around them, they were lifting the cups to do something.

Don't tell me...these guys drinking while seeing the parade? How free they were, maybe they had changed to drink while waiting for this long military parade, how funny. I never expected to see a scene like this so I was chuckling when Raptu was bewildered to see my funny expression, must tell her to make her laugh, hahahaha!

"Sis, I saw some drink guys over there! So funny, hahaha." - I pointed my finger in the direction of the drinkers to let Raptu know

"Hahaha! Chuckles! Chuckles!" - Raptu also looked at the scene and then laughed like me, these guys were so free to drink

"Chuckles...this reminds me of the scenes when I was still in my homeland, that place is terrible, only drinking and drinking."

"Eh?" - What do you mean, sis?

"Please tell me further, sis."

"Well, my homeland people love to drink, even men and women, our places are only jungles and alcohol."

"As I could remember, when I was 8, I accidentally sat on the table alongside my parents, they were drinking alongside their neighbors."

"Sigh...then my parents be like: Hey, my daughter! Let's have a good drink, when we are at this table, we are all equal on the drink, drink hard to show you're a strong woman!"

"Dzo dzo dzo dzo dzo! I later took some cups and drank with those old till overnight...what a terrible nightmare, I'm glad I came to live here."

"Dzo?" - What a strange word that Raptu said while telling me her story

"You can consider that word as "cheer", it's a word my homeland people use to call while drinking."

"My place is terrible, that's why I moved to Warsaw because this Kingdom looks better than my homeland, I love to live here forever."

"I want to come to see your homeland someday, sis Raptu...that place looks interesting." - I never had a tour overseas but only lived in Jager and then rushed to Warsaw, I love to have some adventures

"Ahhhhhhh, no! You would get an illness if you go to my homeland, don't get there."

"Why?"

"That place has a tropical climate, not temperate like this place, I love this kind of weather...not too hot but very cool, only a bit fine with the winter." - While telling me, I patted Raptu's head, she was quite cute!

"What's tropical climate, sis?"

"Well, it's the climate which has the kind of hot and rainy weather in a year, my homeland is full of green forests, our lives are very wild compared to this better place."

"Ummm...but what is the danger I would face if I come to your homeland, sis?"

"The weather is very intense, Eris! It's hot, combining with the various types of diseases, animals, insects and our backward lifestyle, you would have an illness sooner or later."

"So that's the reason you rarely go outside of the school, sis Raptu? Because you're scared that you would spread your homeland's diseases to this place?" - Maybe that was why this fox girl wore this green cloak and covered her head while coming out here

"No...that's not the reason, Eris! I just...uhhh, rarely go outside because people would roast me if they see my beast appearance."

"Most of the humans are still considering us as their slaves though we gained our independence from them nearly 700 years ago, that's the reason."

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"Sorry to hear about that, sis Raptu."

"You don't have any faults, Eris! Don't apologize...anyway, my dad knows a powerful person in the government, I can ask him to let you have permission to visit my homeland if you like."

"Thanks for your generosity, sis...but I refuse." - After replying to Raptu, I looked at the soldiers from far away once again and noticed that the parade was still very long to occur

"Are you tired of letting me sit on your shoulders, sis?"

"No...our beast people are naturally good at physical so my bones are very strong, they won't break or be injured easily so keep riding me, Eris."

"I only see you tall and very in shape, sis! But never thought that you would be that strong..." - Both of us were like sisters, if Raptu was a man then I would surely fall on her

"Let me show you, Eris." - Raptu slowly put me down and then lifted the sleeves and showed me her big right forearm whose skin was full of brown furs

"Hehehehe, I don't want to brag but if you are willing to see, hehe." - Raptu later squeezed her furs forearm tightly while swiping around the furs to expose her covered skin

"Woah!" - I was quite surprised and excited when seeing Raptu's big forearm was thick and full of veins when she squeezed it tightly, how powerful she was...I love it!

"Ahem! If you like to go out with me during this autumn vacation then I would teach you about fighting, Eris." - Raptu later pulled down the sleeves to hide her forearm

"Women humans are naturally weak so I want you to be able to protect yourself when I'm not with you, is that alright?"

"Nod!"

"People, the parade is about to begin, please be patient and watch!" - The Peacekeeper police who were guarding the streets asked the civilians to be ordered to see the incoming parade

"Alright...maybe the parade is about to come, let's see it, Eris." - Raptu later looked in the direction of the green troops while lifting me to her shoulders

"Be patient! People, have the order!" - I heard some Peacekeeper police asking the people to be ordered to watch the parade because some of them were hustling to see the scene

It took the police more than a minute to order the situation, when everyone was very silent, I heard loud and powerful footsteps coming near me. As I pointed my eyes to forward the road, I saw a woman with long black haired marching in the middle of the soldiers whose uniforms were dyed in jungle features, they were quite serious and fierce.

The soldiers kept marching in a straight line until they walked across me so that I could see them precisely, all the attention was pointing to these soldiers, the number was big. Some people were hustling or trying to reach the marching soldiers but were all stopped by the police when they were forming their metal shields to prevent the crowds from coming closer.

"Wow, what a good scene to see." - Raptu was focusing on looking at the marching soldiers, she loved to see that scene, me too

The number of troops in this parade line must be about 500 or more, soldiers were all fiercely looking and armed good as if this parade was some kind of military propaganda. The woman who was leading the troops passed me, her face seemed very familiar, I remembered that I met her somewhere but could not remember her precisely.

She must be Lord Hatano from Spera region - the one who was holding the parade, she looked so scary to me when her eyes looked soulless. Beside the black-haired woman from the left to the right were two soldiers who were marching while lifting the metal rods which strapped the flags which seemed to have strange symbols...quite strange but good.

Because the flags were waving fastly in the sky alongside the strong winds so I could see a bit of detail, those flags had dozens of white things that looked like stars or strange flowers on the upper left side of the flags. Also, there were red and white stripe covers around the flags, those flags were not related to any heraldic flag of Warsaw, but looking at the flag made me feel favor it for no reason.

After looking at the flags for seconds, I let them off my sight and focused on the troops around and behind the black-haired woman, they seemed to be foot soldiers mixed with archers by the way they were armed. Those soldiers seemed to be infantry soldiers but were armed with long spears and crossbows, their uniforms were all iron armors dyed into green jungle features.

The soldiers kept marching past me and I later realized that these soldiers were not from Veta but Stansa or Spera or something, didn't know for sure but I thought that. Because I had seen Veta heraldic flag symbol once when I and Raptu reached Veta border gate by coming from the Capital city, Veta flag was called "Marines Corps logo" or something, I remembered that.

In each region when the people come to the border gate, in the middle of the gate wall would hang a very big heraldic flag of the region to identify this region from another one. These soldiers must not be from Veta but maybe from two other regions which were under control of the 2 new Lords, these marching soldiers were about to pass me, must pay more attention to look at them!

I see, another detail here - instead of printing the heraldic symbols on the shields or the armors of soldiers, this Lord woman chose to print them on the flags that the soldiers were strapping to their backs. Anyway, those flags were strapped to the short sticks and those sticks were strapped on the soldiers' backs, these troops including both men and women were very fiercely looking.

The flags which were strapped on the backs of the soldiers had a white background with a very deep red round in the middle of the flags, these symbols were designed quite simply according to my fashion look. The soldiers kept marching with their strong footsteps while raising their right hands to their foreheads to salute us and later slowly vanished from my sight by marching away.

After seeing the first wave of the marching soldiers, I realized that another wave of horse soldiers was marching toward us, people were all silent to look at the scene excitedly. Maybe I would wait until those cavalry soldiers come closer to describe them, because they were still a bit far away...why Raptu was so silent? What she was doing?

"Sis?" - I asked Raptu by looking down to see her face

"z.z.z." - Oh my Goddess, she was sleeping and I didn't know anything, but strangely that she could lift me this far while sleeping standing

"Yawn...ehhhh?" - Raptu later made a long yawn and opened her eyes

I hope that the parade would end soon and we would go to school...or would visit Princess first and then go to school to let Raptu have a nap. This fox big sister smiled at me as she woke up and then looked at the marching cavalries with her sleepy eyes, they were marching across me and looked very powerful on horses.

Still three people marching as the lead soldiers like the previous wave but the middle soldier seemed to be strange, his ears were pointy or something but he walked quite fast and past me so I didn't notice much. Alright, still waving the strange flags as the previous wave but this time these soldiers were riding horses so the flags seemed to have a very powerful look, what else I can tell?

This Spera Lord seemed to love to brag about this military parade when the number of these cavalry soldiers was 3 times larger and more well-armed than the previous wave of infantry soldiers. By looking at how well these soldiers were armed and fed, it must cost very much of money, I personally thought the taxes to perform this parade should be used for some useful things, not this nonsense ceremony.

"If this kind of parade was in my homeland, you would see soldiers riding tigers and leopards, Eris." - Eh? What did you say, sis?

"What did you say earlier, sis?" - The beast soldiers truly ride those dangerous animals, huh?

"z.z.z." - Great...she napped again

I didn't want to disturb Raptu so I let her sleep while keep sitting on her shoulders to watch the parade of the cavalries, they were very well armed as I could see, looked very powerful. These cavalry soldiers were riding horses which seemed to be very in shape, ther horses also were equipped with thick metal armors while the cavalry soldiers were armed as same as the infantry ones.

No...I was wrong a bit because these cavalries were armed with the same dyed green color in their armors but their armors seemed to be thicker and the helmets seemed to be covered most of their faces' parts. These cavalries brought long spears and great swords as their weapons, there were also heraldic flags and metal shields being strapped on their backs to distinguish the soldiers from which faction too, so fantastic.

The marching sounds of the horses and soldiers kept sounding loudly on the streets while everyone was looking at them with excited eyes, the parade kept sounding well. After a few minutes of marching, those thousands of cavalries slowly vanished from our eyes by marching past us, everyone was a bit bored when the parade seemed to be ending at this time.

Maybe I would visit Shera a few minutes later, I was a bit hungry...just hope that the food outdoor shops still opening in this Veta though today was this region's holiday...sigh. Wait a minute...I suddenly saw some soldiers coming out from nowhere bringing scarecrows dressed in iron armors, they later put them in front of the streets to let us witness.

The people who were about to dismiss as they thought the parade had ended suddenly returned to the scene to watch, maybe the soldiers were about to perform something. When I wondering about the next performance of the parade, the black-haired woman suddenly walked out from the crowd of people while some soldiers followed behind her, I saw her make a smug smile.

The soldiers followed the woman until they were close to the armored scarecrows, they stopped and raised the long wooden sticks while staring at the scarecrows forward them. People were quite curious about the incoming performance so some of them tiptoed and also hustling with the hope to witness the scene most precisely, they were impatient.

I could see that the soldiers that followed the woman had a max of 10 men, they lined up the horizontal line but with 5 men while the 5 others stayed behind those soldiers. Maybe they were forming the fighting formation but 5 soldiers were on the first line while the others remained on the second line, thinking too much but I could not explain what was this kind of formation...so strange to look at.

"Soldiers from the first line, get ready for firing!" - The black haired woman shouted to order the soldiers to perform something, maybe it was some kind of fighting scene

The soldiers who carried the long wooden sticks fastly lined up in a horizontal line and crouched down while closing the sticks to their shoulders tightly, they were aiming. Or more exactly, they were pointing those sticks at the armored scarecrows as if they were about to shoot those things or something, but these soldiers were not armed with bows or crossbows, how can they shoot with those sticks?

The people were very curious about what the soldiers were doing, they kept pointing the wooden sticks toward the armored scarecrows but didn't do anything further, so strange. According to my thought, these soldiers were waiting for the woman's order to shoot because she was raising her right hand above but didn't lower it.

"Shoot!" - The woman shouted loudly and lowered her hand, she pointed it straight at the armored scarecrows

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!" - Five explosion sounds suddenly sounded, which startled everyone at the ceremony, including the police and I

"Ehhhhhhhhhh!" - Raptu was quite shocked to hear those explosions so she woke up in a panic

"Calm down, sis! Calm down!" - This fox girl was trembling to hear those loud sounds and almost accidentally threw me off the ground but I managed to calm her down

After a few seconds of calming down Raptu, I turned to look at the scene of the performance to see the sources which I considered sounded from those wooden sticks. But in front of me was the dense white smoke that seemed to be popping out from the top of the sticks that the soldiers were holding, they were now staying behind other soldiers for some reason.

"Woaahhh! Those strange weapons destroyed the scarecrows, everyone!" - Some people were pointing to the scarecrows with their surprising looks

Because I was curious so I looked at the scarecrows and was shocked when seeing they had been shredded apart, their wooden limbs were lying on the ground while their bodies were destroyed heavily, quite terrible. I was the most impressed with the armors because those things had been pierced with many holes on their surfaces, those sticks must have spurted out something very powerful earlier but I didn't know.

"Soldiers from the second line, ready for firing!" - The black haired woman shouted once again and the soldiers started crouching while pointing the wooden sticks at the scarecrows

"What's wrong, sis?" - While waiting for the next performance, I felt Raptu shaking so I looked down to see her, she was scared or something

"May we leave now, Eris? I don't feel good to watch...those sounds are familiar..." - Raptu spoke with a trembling voice, we should get out of this scene now

"Yeah, as you wish..."

Raptu later walked away from the crowds of people who watch the parade after putting me down on the ground, she was scared of loud noise, I thought so...or I was wrong. A year ago when my mom and I newly came to Warsaw to change our lives, she made me attend the Keris Imperial Academy and a terrible incident happened shortly after when I was newly studying there.

Thousands of monsters invaded Warsaw and other Kingdoms of the continent, I was at home helping my mom and was about to go to school and faced that nightmare incident. But both of us managed to hide under the beds and the monsters in the area we were living mostly cared about fast killing so they only checked our house carelessly and went away, we were quite lucky.

But not so long after that incident, the school I was studying suddenly got attacked by a killer, she used some kind of powerful magic weapon and killed dozens of students and teachers in the school. Because it occurred during the second-semester exam of the high school classes so I did not in school at that time so I didn't see the attack...but Raptu was there.

Maybe I should go silent for now and keep my fox big sister out of the parade scene as far as possible, those loud sounds had recalled her of those tragic and terrible incidents. Both of us walked out of the crowds while looking for somewhere silent to have our own peace, I slowly grabbed Raptu's palm while walking with her to calm her nerves down.

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Minutes had passed after the end of the parade and now we were walking on the streets while eating meat bread, Raptu was still silent as if she was recalling those terrible incidents. This time was still long for us before going to school to join our last day of the semester exam, I would like to visit Princess before going to school, must meet her fast and go.

"Sorry for being sad, Eris...don't worry, I will be fine soon." - Raptu talked to me while walking with the fresh meat bread, she didn't taste it though eating was her hobby

"Please, sis...if you have any problems, please tell me...maybe I can help you." - I could not eat my bread too when I saw my big sister being sad, must bring her some mood

"Thanks for caring about me, Eris..." - Both of us walked on the streets in which direction to head out of Burav town because we would like to go to Veta castle which was located on the large fields from far away

"I will help you, sis..." - I grabbed Raptu's palm and walked with her on the road

In front of us was a brick building which was called "Veta Hospital" or something - which was opened 5 months ago and was running with the purpose to cure the people freely before asking for payment. Because I was not a native here so I didn't know much about this place, only heard the words from the old people who I accidentally stood with earlier when we were buying bread from a food outdoor shop.

Well, their conversation was about the hospital and they said they didn't have much money to pay for the treatment price but the physicians kept curing them as their duties. Though cannot pay for the treatment but could be treated before paying was a good idea that I had ever seen, I used to be bullied in school and could not take the treatment because "didn't have enough money".

Before meeting this big sister, I was bullied in school a lot but my mom asked me to be patient and endure...though I wanted to resist by beating those bullies many times. Sigh...the past would finally be the past, I must keep going even though this world was about to be shattered into pieces, my life was my own journey...so I must keep living.

Suddenly I saw a figure of a woman standing beside a little girl, they newly came out from the hospital or something, they looked so familiar. As if I had met those people from somewhere but I didn't remember well so I ignored them and kept walking beside Raptu to get out of this town to meet our good friend.

We later walked on the streets until we saw a bunch of Peacekeeper police standing in our path, they were blocking our way because they were stuffing things on the carriages. The things these police were stuffing were the tools for the previous parade, as if this police were about to go out of the town because they were getting on the carriages while waiting for the things to be stuffed fully to ready to go.

When I and Raptu were thinking about changing our direction to head to the castle, I saw in the middle of the Peacekeepers, a policeman come out and strangely approached me slowly as if he was surprised. Because his face was covered with a blue metal helmet so I could not see the face of the policeman, but only saw from his uniform that one of his hands had been lost.

"Eris...is that you?!" - The policeman approached me while expressing as if he was very emotional to see me

"Who...who are you?" - I asked the policeman with my nervous voice

"Hey, do not get closer or you will be hurt, Sir." - Raptu fastly hid me behind her while threatening the policeman

"I am...it's has been so long, Eris!" - The policeman emotionally removed his helmet and I later realized that was....my dad?!

"Papa?!" - I didn't expect to see him, but to know he was still alive made me so happy...but one of his hands had been lost for some reason

"Eris!" - My father approached me faster and I also ran toward him

"I'm so glad to see you here, my daughter..." - My father hugged me tightly as I came to him, I must get him to my mom fastly...the three of us would live in a happy family as I always wanted