"It wouldn't be a bad idea, Father always says you should enjoy it while it still works, because afterwards, even the Nebulaether won't be able to bring you back what you lost"
"So the old man is giving you those advices, huh? I'll have to talk to him seriously"
"How is he doing?"
"The person sent by Uncle Dorian is excellent, but we're just prolonging the inevitable"
"I'm going to see him"
Alden tried to turn around and leave, but the woman didn't allow him to move. The young woman appeared delicate but possessed great physical strength. Besides, it was difficult for Alden to go against her, so he didn't put much effort into it and enjoyed the embrace a bit stronger than usual.
"He's asleep, that's why I'm here and it wouldn't be convenient to wake him now, but you'll be able to see him tomorrow. He said he wanted to talk to the three of us when he woke up"
"So, Father also knows that he only has a few days left. His name is Sina, right? Can we make her stay longer?"
"It wouldn't be appropriate; she's one of the most important researchers in Várnalok. Uncle Dorian has already done enough by sending her to help us"
"Tch* He's king only thanks to my father, and yet he remains petty. If he decided to help us proactively, Havengard would not be in the current situation"
"If you want to blame someone, blame father. The war left them severely wounded and yet his ambition drove him to emigrate to these land. Do you forget why mother died?"
“......”
The king's wife died giving birth to their third child. Alden grew up hearing how wonderful his mother, whom he never got to know, was; which left a deep impression on the boy. Even though no one blamed him for his death, he blamed himself. Sometimes, he wondered if his mother would have been able to do what was so difficult for him.
"It's okay, it wasn't your fault; neither father, older brother or I blame you for it. That was also her decision"
Despite the words he was hearing, Alden still questioned his mother's decision. The stories he had heard spoke of a very intelligent and capable woman, but he wondered, if she truly was as they described, then why did she choose to die so that he could be born? After all, considering the greater good, Wouldn't it have been better for everyone if she had stayed alive instead of passing her burden onto a child who questions his own existence?.
"How much time does he have left?"
"With Sina's help, I think we can extend his life until next month. But if she leaves... a week would be lucky"
“.....”
Alden didn't know how to feel. At times, he had these moments where he wasn't sure whether to feel sad about his father's impending death or angry for leaving all the problems to them.
The old man never thought about fixing the problems; he just calmed them down and set them aside, hoping everything would resolve itself when the land of gold appeared. A stupidity in the young man's opinion.
"Older brother told me what he did. He also asked me to convince you to support him"
"I don't understand his insistence on handing over our home to those damn scavengers. All they care about are the riches the city can produce. I don't have any skills like you or brother, but I know what will happen to the citizens if we surrender the city"
"He says we can negotiate a vassalage and that way we would only have to pay a tax, but we would still rule Havengard"
"Three countries plus those who are pulling the strings behind the scenes. How much money do you think will be enough? How long do you think the city could hold out if its resources are drained in that way? We are the weaker party, Isolde, so we can only accept whatever unreasonable demands they have"
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A wry smile is drawn on Isolde's beautiful face. She knows that even though they seem to be on opposite paths, her two brothers are looking for the best possible future for Havengard. However, they are equally stubborn like their father, to the extent that it seems they are enemies.
'Why didn't your children inherit your good qualities, mother?'
"It's okay, stop thinking about it for a moment or you'll age prematurely. Come, let me help you relieve that stress"
"I'm not in the mood right now, I have a lot of things to think about"
"I have to go back to taking care of father, so I don't have much time. Besides your body is more honest than your words, you just need to relax, I'll take care of it"
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Draven walked through the bustling streets of the city, nostalgically recalling the days when this place was nothing but darkness; back then, tents and their own bodies were all that protected them from the beasts. A silent tear slid down his cheek; he knows there is no salvation, that in one way or another, the city, the kingdom is already doomed.
Like most people who participated in the war, he was an ordinary person, a merchant who owned a humble weapons shop in the small town of Casta in the kingdom of Eldor. Normally, war is an opportunity for merchants like him to earn some gold, but with the city destroyed and the hurried march to conquer new lands, the rulers confiscated all supplies without paying a single coin.
At that moment, he, like other merchants, chose to hide their possessions in hopes of being able to resume their businesses once the war ended. His body was weak, prone to illness and he had a family to care for, so when the country was gathering personnel, he decisively refused to join. But his son did not share the same view; he was young and vigorous. The promise of gaining riches clouded his judgment and going against his father's will, he joined the army.
The parents tried to convince their son to give up the idea, but the young man possessed an incredible healing ability. He believed he could make a name for himself easily and didn't want to miss this crucial opportunity for his future, so despite his father's pleas and his mother's tears, he refused to give in. Dejected, Draven made the decision to join the army; he was their only son, and he didn't want to lose him. Besides, it was the only way to calm his wife.
The war turned out to be chaotic and the young man, far from being able to show the heroism he desired, was subjected to fighting during the day and treating the dying at night. He knew he was still alive thanks to his father's help; indeed, he regretted his decision deeply, but it was already too late. Rumor had it among the fighters that deserters were being killed, after all, the young man was not the only one who regretted joining the fight.
The young man felt guilty; his father's health was deteriorating, and despite his good healing abilities, it was impossible to treat him properly in an environment where all that was around were corpses. At that moment, where all he could see in his future was waiting for death, Lysander appeared to give the young man a last ray of hope.
For Draven, Lysander's appearance was also a lifeline.
Despite his poor health, he had forced his body to participate on the front lines to cover his son's back, but he knew he had already exceeded his own limits. However, what tormented him was not dying, but leaving his son alone on the battlefield. Fortunately, the role that Lysander assigned to Ceppian was in the rear, where his medical skills could shine.
There wasn't much the man could do; participating on the front lines meant seeking death, and he couldn't help the wounded like his son, so with his greatest concern raised, Draven withdrew from the battlefield. However, he had enough supplies to arm a few, so as a gesture of gratitude, he donated all his goods to the new army.
A decision he has regretted every day of his life.
Ceppian was a faithful admirer of Lysander, so when the latter made the decision to leave the newly founded Várnalok, he didn't hesitate and followed in his footsteps. However, he wasn't the only one; in fact, a large crowd felt the same as Ceppian, although Draven wasn't one of them.
As if the past was repeating itself, faced with his firstborn's senseless decision, once again he tried to convince him to give up, since it was a better idea to settle in Varnalok. After all, Ceppian had made great contributions to the victory, so riches and lands had been given to them. But the young man was determined to repay his debt to Lysander and refused to give in.
Draven only wanted to spend his last years in peace; he refused to believe in such an uncertain future. To him, migrating at that time and under those conditions was absolute madness, so the possibility of letting his son depart alone crossed his mind. However, his wife thought differently, fter all, he was their only son. Thus, Draven had no choice but to follow Ceppian's footsteps and protect his back.
During the harsh journey they were subjected to, several of their companions died from the same strange disease. Ceppian investigated the disease and discovered that only those who had participated in the war were getting sick. Worried, the young man examined the bodies of everyone and discovered that something was eating the vitality of the people, including himself and Lysander.
But his father did not suffer from this. In fact, after a brief investigation, Ceppian discovered that people who had withdrawn before the last conflict, like his father, were not sick. He also found out that the disease became more intense if the individual used their skills or abilities.
It was not a disease, it was a curse.
A curse that the world imposed on them because of the greed and blood that was spilled. A curse that reminded them of the value of life, imposing on them the fear of losing it. From now on, if they did not want to shorten their lives, they would have to live, fearful that even breathing a little harder could reduce their vitality. That was the conclusion Ceppian came to.