CHAPTER 8

THE STRONGEST KNIGHT OF THE PAST

  Rudolf had initially believed that Samwell could control his tongue, but that notion fell by the wayside. It was not information that Hans needed to know, and he shook his head in disappointment while glancing at the child. Hans had been convinced that if the topic was Rudolf, he would have fought for Sierra without hesitation, but he was not prepared for it to be a well-known incident. He understood who Samson took after, but their outcomes were vastly different. Rudolf emerged victorious, while Samson met his demise.

  Sierra was lost in thought and did not seem to be paying attention to the conversation. Samson was not simply an adopted son to her; he was everything. He was the last memory of her deceased sister, her nephew whom she had raised as her own, and discussing his death was not something she wished to do.

  Rudolf picked up on her emotions and wanted to shift the conversation, but Hans was not particularly tactful when he was curious. In the midst of comprehending all of this, a thought struck Hans, and he directed another question to Samwell.

"If he was your brother, doesn't that make him Grimgar royalty? How did he become the king of Parv?" he asked, seeking clarification.

Samwell responded without hesitation,

Lady Arahan, Samson's mother, was my father's second wife and the sole princess of Parv. Her father and the king, before he passed away, summoned his only descendant, Samson, and crowned him as the new king.

Hans was taken aback and asked to confirm,

And people just accepted it?

Samwell chuckled before responding,

Opposing him was not a healthy choice. Whoever spoke against him lost their heads. He ruled with absolute tyranny.

"So, he was a bad king, after all?" asked Hans.

"No, on the contrary, Parv flourished in his reign. It was a short golden age for the regressing nation. According to rumours, they still follow his policies for governance without any question. A book called Mandate recorded his laws and future plans for running the nation," explained Samwell.

"So, did Parv recover after the war?" inquired Hans.

"We don't know how much Parv progressed since it is an isolated country, but I am sure..." Samwell began to say before Rudolf interrupted.

Spare the kid from politics, Samwell.

Samwell looked embarrassed and said,

Ah, yes. It's not something a kid should worry about.

However, Hans was not deterred and asked again,

Why is it isolated?

Samwell glanced at Rudolf, and the old man understood that Hans was eager to learn about the recent world events in his pretend class. The child was naturally curious, but today, he seemed to be obsessed with Samson and Parv.

  Samwell thought the child would ask about the world or Concordia, where they would move in two years, but all he asked about was Samson. Seeing no objections from Rudolf, the future king continued, "After the war, Concordia intervened, and various peace treaties were signed. Parv paid a hefty price as war reparations to Clandor, and Grimgar claimed the body of their fallen prince, but no one found his artefacts."

Hans nodded, giving the impression that he understood,

So they closed their borders, to prevent further attacks, right?

"Yes," replied Samwell.

Hans was intrigued by the idea of a nation completely cut off from the rest of the world.

"But what is stopping others from making a move? They just closed the borders. It's not like you can't access the lands, right?" He asked Samwell, hoping to learn more.

Samwell's response was awkward. "Actually, we can't," he said.

There is a corrosive fog surrounding the nation that eats up anything that tries to penetrate it. Many warlocks and warlords have fallen victim to it in the past, and even beasts cannot survive its corrosive nature.

Hans nodded, impressed. "So it's a perfect defensive shield," he said.

"No," replied Samwell.

It's perfect imprisonment. They can't come out either.

Hans was puzzled.

Why such aggressive measures? Did they become very weak after defeat?

Samwell stumbled over his words for a moment, "Aggressive measures?" he repeated, the words did not suit a child's tongue. He responded,

No, it was because they feared retribution from the world. They were without their protector who was fond of making enemies here and there.

  Samson was a man of unwavering strength and pride. He refused to bow down to anyone, and his attitude rubbed many people the wrong way. Envy and jealousy festered in the hearts of those who resented him, but they knew better than to act against him. However, when Samson fell from power, his enemies saw an opportunity for retaliation. They sought to destroy his land and erase his legacy.

  Recalling his brother's actions, Samwell warned Hans of the danger of associating with the Elves. Samson had killed many of them during the war, and they would seek revenge by using Hans as a target. Hans expressed his concern, questioning why he should return to Concordia if he was already marked for revenge. Samwell reassured him, confident that if he followed his instructions and remained cautious, he would be safe. When Hans asked what these instructions were, Samwell gave a simple yet crucial piece of advice:

"Do not leave Concordia."

  Hans let out a deep sigh, frustration creeping up within him. His new life seems like some sort of imprisonment to him. He made peace with the situation but there was something else he was interested in now. He couldn't help but ask, "That book, 'Mandate,' can I get a copy of it?"

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Samwell looked at him incredulously before turning to Rudolf, who replied with a snarky comment, "Just answer the brat. He eats books for breakfast." The remark hinted at Hans's insatiable appetite for reading.

  Samwell shook his head, a frown etched across his face. "It's not possible, at least not for me," he said, disappointment evident in his voice. "After losing the body of their king to Grimgar, those extremists prevented anything related to him from leaving their country. That book was protected on a whole other level. Even glancing at it was not allowed to others."

  But the notion of a book that no one else could see only intrigued Hans further. He made a mental note to add reading this forbidden book to his list of things to do when he eventually visited Genas.

  Just as the conversation seemed to come to a halt, Ekdamir interjected, his voice soft yet firm. "This is not what I came for," he said, turning his attention to Sierra. "I wanted you to come back and resume your rightful duties. You worked hard to get to that position. Doesn't this choice make that work fruitless?"

"No, elder Ekdamir," Sierra replied with conviction., I am making of my past, so my hard work can never be fruitless. Her words held a sense of determination, hinting at the strength within her.

  Ekdamir remained silent his eyes fixed on the determined woman before him. He knew all too well the stubbornness that lay within her, the indomitable spirit that drove her towards her goals. She was dead set on seeing this thing through to the bitter end. So he had no choice but to give up, despite knowing how difficult this decision would make her life, but as always, walking a floral path was not her style.

But he was not going to abandon his protege. With a gentle smile, he spoke, his voice comforting her,

Though I may not be able to assist you directly, do not hesitate to reach out to me in times of need.

"Thank you, Elder," she replied with gratitude.

  The old priest simply smiled in response, saying nothing more and Samwell heaved a sigh of relief because it seemed that there was no objection to his arrangement. but the thought of what would happen if Indu and Grimgar's deal failed was still a nagging worry because it was not over until it was really over.

  On the other hand, Hans was silent. The reality was finally sinking in him. He got what he wanted, a way to leave this place, but he also got to know that he was different from his gramps and grandma, a non-human. The situation was quite baffling to him. There was no precedent for him on how to live or will he would be like others or not. Thoughts like these are starting to eat him up.

But then, Sierra noticed his distress and pulled him into a comforting embrace, offering words of reassurance. "You're not a worrier, Hans," she said. "Just remember that you're here because Yudwin had a plan for you. You have a purpose, even if you don't know what it is yet."

  Despite his lack of religious leanings, Hans found himself believing in Sierra's words. There was something about the way she spoke that always made him trust in her wisdom. He composed himself and assured her that he was better.

  Seeing him composing quickly, Samwell couldn't help but smile. As he grew more and more attached to the boy, one of the reasons behind it could have been the striking resemblance the child bore to his late brother. However, there was something about Hans that set him apart from Sam. A certain charm, a naivety that was endearing. He was in his thought and suddenly Hans broke the silence again but this time the question was not for him but for the lady caressing him.

Granma, do I have divine mana in me?

His words broke Sierra's reverie, and she let out a light chuckle before responding.

I cannot say for certain. As of now, you have not shown any signs of mana manifestation, and historically only women have been recorded as possessing divine magic.

Hans persisted with another question.

Are you strong like gramps?

This time it was Rudolf who answered, his voice filled with a tinge of regret.

She was, but her powers have not fully returned, yet.

  Hans felt a wave of guilt washes over him, convinced that it was his fault. He looked at Sierra with concern etched on his young face, but she reassured him that her weakening was temporary. Samwell chimed in, diverting the conversation to a lighter note.

When you said you'd ask me questions, I thought you'd inquire about Concordia or Grimgar, Sir Rudolf's birthplace...

With a hint of disinterest in his voice, Hans interrupted Samwell's train of thought.

It looks like you're itching to tell me, so just tell me what Concordia is.

Samwell obliged, his voice taking on a reverent tone as he spoke about the prestigious institution.

It's your grandfather's former school, with centuries of history to its name. It's where he became a knight and taught children like you. He even held the position of Dean of Knights.

Pausing for a moment, Samwell continued, his voice now taking on a more practical tone.

As I've mentioned before, if you follow my arrangement, no one will dare to harm you there. Concordia may remain neutral in most matters, but it won't tolerate anyone messing with its people.

  Seeing the spark of interest in Hans's eyes, Samwell began to elaborate further, mentioning how Rudolf had become the youngest Warlord, the highest rank a knight could achieve, thanks to Concordia's teachings and support. As Hans grew more and more invested in the idea of going to Concordia, Samwell couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. For a child as smart as Hans, it wasn't difficult for a seasoned politician like him to lead him towards a particular path.

Hans asked Samwell, thinning his eyes in doubt,

Elves will be there, right?

"Yes," Samwell replied reassuringly, "but don't worry, so do many professors, along with your grandparents".

Hans was intrigued, but still uncertain, he inquired,

Don't elves consider themselves superior to other beings?

"That's an outdated notion," Samwell clarified. "Elves have become much more peaceful now. In fact, the Elven council used to oppose the idea of Concordia teaching elves. However, after the war destroyed the council, there was no longer anyone left to object."

Hans pondered over the implications of the Elven war for a while before finally breaking the silence.

So the Elven war changed a lot of things…

But before he could continue, Rudolf interjected, dismissing the conversation with an air of authority. "He's dead, end of the story. I don't want to hear any more about that Elven nonsense," he declared, his head hung low in contemplation.

Rudolf repeated himself, this time with more urgency.

You should leave now and stop filling Hans's head with these strange ideas.

  The visitors all took a step back as they sensed an ominous energy emanating from Rudolf. All the things he showed till now were nothing compared to this. His aura was now engulfed in a deep purple light, with sparks of lightning crackling around him. all four could see the doors of death opening before them.

The Knight spoke with a commanding tone

Leave Now.

And the heavens added the aesthetics with a loud bang of thunder, cutting the conversation and marking the end of the guest's meddling in the Edenberg family's business.

***