"Haaaannnsss, could you hang up the laundry?"

"Yes, mother," Hans replied, albeit begrudgingly. He started putting each piece of clothing up, one by one. It took him roughly 15 minutes to put all the clothing in his family for the week on the clotheslines. 6 pairs of pants, 7 torn-up shirts, and 3 dresses.

Hans' family wasn't rich, but it wasn't too poor either. By nobles' standards though, they would be considered peasants. Hans' parents were both farmers. They bought up cheap, fertile land in the countryside to start farming. They planted florcraus, a wheat-looking plant, corrin, a potato-like vegetable, and melasst, a vegetable resembling a carrot. Over time, they amassed a mild sum of money to be able to make life comfortable for a child. Soon after, Hans was born. Hans had tan skin, black hair, and green eyes. 

Hans was out working on the field when a royal announcement was given to him. It read:

"Royal subjects of King Edelnad,

The Holy Empire is on its way to our kingdom. It is recommended to reinforce your doors and bar your windows. The Holy Empire's soldiers are known to be notoriously aggressive. Please be wary of them. Stay safe.

-Royal Messenger Garth Pnera"

"Hmm. What could this mean?" Hans was unaware of the atrocities the Holy Empire could commit to get their way. 

"It means nothing," Hans' father, Tern, replied. "What could the Holy Empire do to some farm on the outskirts of the kingdom?"

"Still, we should at least reinforce our door," Hans' mother, Marva, rebutted. 

Their door could barely be called a door. If anything, it was a glorified curtain. Reinforcing their door would mean completely barricading their only entryway. 

"Well," Tern pointed out, "we are living far away from the capital, so the Empire's army might overlook us, right?"

"That may be true, but we need precautions anyways," objected Marva.

"Fine, I'll add a few boards here and there."

...

It was dark. Hans and his parents were sleeping, but the sound of shouting and galloping woke them up.

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"Get out if you want a chance to live!" a soldier shouted.

"By the gods, what the hell is going on?!" exclaimed Tern, who had just woken up.

"You peasants will submit to the Empire." This was not a request, but rather an order. "Give up your crops and land or die."

"But this is all we have!" shouted Marva, "We worked our asses off for this farm, our whole lives were dedicated to this place!"

"Then work harder under the Empire's rule and you may have a chance at getting this land back."

"Hans, stay back," whispered Tern.

Clang!

The sound of swords clashing could be heard.

Tern whipped his body around, swinging his saber with all of his might. He slashed the soldier continuously, but the soldier was unphased. Tern stabbed again and again, but couldn't find a single gap in the soldier's defense. 

"I am but a mere soldier in the Empire's army, and yet you are still unable to wound me. How would it end if you were fighting against a knight or a paladin? You got lucky tonight."

"I may be weak, but I must give my all for my wife and son!"

"Father!" Hans screamed.

"Hans, you must stay back!"

The sound of clashing swords could be heard once more.

After a one-sided duel, Tern was nearing his end.

"Is this all?" the soldier sneered, "Nothing up your sleeve? Pathetic."

"One... more... thing..."

Something swirled in Tern's left hand.

"Magic..?"

His saber blazed without flames.

"A-aura?!"

A spear formed in his left hand, and a blazing saber in his right.

"Not just a magic swordsman, but an aura user to boot?!"

Many of the soldiers watching from the sidelines were surprised, taking a defensive position.

"This is my final resort. My son, Hans, please forgive me for leaving you so early..."

"Father!!"

"This is it," sobbed Marva, "I guess I will have to support him from the back like old times."

A bright light shone from Tern's body.

"Marva, what the hell are you doing?! Your body can't handle blessing me anymore!"

"Hans, you must run as far as you can. Your father and I must fight till the end."

"Mother!" cried Hans, "Father!"

"Go now!"

Hans ran with all of his might.

He made it to the edge of the forest. When he looked back, he could see a pillar of flames engulfing his home.

"Mother..! Father..!"

He kept running into the forest, tears flowing down his face. 

His adrenaline ran out, and he suddenly crumbled. 

After getting up, Hans could see an old shrine. He spent about 30 minutes dragging himself across the ground. Once close enough, he could see a sign with scratched-out letters that read "Shrine of O**ith** *h* A*l-****ng".

He dragged himself up the stairs and into the shrine. It was largely abandoned, except for a statue of a man in the lotus position with three eyes on his head and one on each of his six hands. Hans leaned upon the statue's pedestal for support, when suddenly, a voice reached out to him.

"Do you wish to know the truth?"