There’s nobody in this kingdom who didn’t know about the monster that appears once every several decades. These monsters started appearing a hundred years ago. Usually, they appeared in Ein Forest, south of Morlev duchy. The lord of Morlev duchy is Duke Archibald Conrad, from the house of Conrad. He’s a middle-aged man with white hair and a gentle face, yet has a sharp intuition and is blessed with a great ability to judge an individual.
As a Duke, Archibald Conrad has a large territory under his rule and a large army under his command. His oldest son, Elric, currently leads Duke Conrad’s army at the frontline. He’s known as a humble leader, brave, but still inexperienced. It’s not a wrong thing to say he’s still innocent. His hands are still “clean”. Elric is around 23 years old, which is still pretty young as a human.
Nevertheless, Elric assigned to take hold of one of Duke Conrad’s strongholds, the Hadrian Fort. This fort is one of the most solid forts in the whole Morlev Duchy. It’s reasonable since Hadrian fort is also the closest fort to the Ein Forest.
The forest is been labeled as cursed and nobody is allowed to enter without the king’s permission. The reason behind it is the appearance of the monster. It said the monster is very frightening. It possesses two or three times human strength. The body is covered by dark brown fur, two meters tall, and its head is similar to boar. It seems it’s a fusion between a bear and a boar. What makes it lethal is not only that it has a long fang in its mouth, but it also has long concave claws in both of its hands. These claws are extremely sharp. It’s able to cut a human body in a single slash. That’s why people named the monster as Beastcleaver.
These Beastcleaver monsters appear in hundreds and sometimes even in thousands. They eat meat but human are rarely eaten by them. Their skin is pretty tough, so unless you were able to slash its head alone, you gonna need more than one man to stand against it. Arrows are pretty much useless unless from a ballista. The best way to counter these monsters is using a long spear that can penetrate their bodies from a safe distance. And if you dare enough, you can use cavalry to charge at them in the open field. That’s if they appear on the open field. It’s not that rare for them to suddenly come in hordes at the open field, but mostly they’re just coming from all over the places one after another. And then, after some time, they would stop appearing for one or two decades.
Some theories suggest that the hordes stop coming because their numbers simply reduced too much and wouldn’t have to raid human settlements to fill their stomach. This theory further suggests that inside the Ein Forest, there’s some kind of nest or a place where they stay and reproduce. Some nobles who believed in this theory insisted sending an army to subjugate the monster’s nest and end this monster’s existence. Some other nobles suggest taking a more rational and safer approach by sending scouts first. But these suggestions were never made to be implemented because the king never approve them.
The reason for disapproval from the king is because there’s another theory coming up.
The other theory is very simple. The forest is cursed, and should never be disturbed for any reason. Anyone who dared to enter the forest will be punished by the kingdom. This theory is proposed by the royal faction since the beginning of the monster’s appearance. Many disbelieve in this theory, especially non-royal bloodlines nobles. But the basis of this theory is not something that can be laughed off as well.
It is written on records that one day after the first Beastcleaver appearance, the king at the time, king William I, summoned the nobles around the kingdom by saying he had found the explanation for the monster’s appearance. When they finally meet up, the king shows a brown and shabby book. It has no titles, nor the writer’s name. Then, the king himself opened the book and read one page loudly.
There will be a time when these creatures come. Thou shall not seek the wrath of their masters. Do not step on their lands, nor shall thee ever alive anymore. Thy Lords, have mercy on your people. Thou shall not fight against their master, nor thee lands will perish. The curse has been put on. Thou shall brace for disturbance, thou allowed surviving. Hundreds and thousands will come, but thou allowed surviving. May their master forgive thee, may thou forgiven.
King William I claim that the book is a grimoire which is kept held in the royal treasure. He never realized the grimoire’s existence until a week before the first appearance of Beastcleaver. At first, he also didn’t believe in what was written in the book. But turns out, it’s real and should never be abandoned.
Until now, the descendants of King William I still uphold this so-called “grimoire” words. And most nobles just believe these monsters so-called Beastcleaver are just natural living creatures. Whatever the cause, the fact that almost no one did anything to stop it is the unfortunate truth.
And the person who got to take care of this is Duke Conrad. As a matter of fact, there are three lands that border with Ein Forest. Which are Morlev, Brevis, and Arcus. But the House Of Conrad who rule the Morlev duchy was tasked to lead the repelling of the Beastcleaver since the beginning of their appearance. As the leader of the task, the previous Duke from the house of Conrad proposes a collaboration with the lord who borders Ein Forest. Long story short, the agreement was made. Under the name of “The Treaty Of Three Houses”, each House was promised to give aid for every aspect including the Beastcleaver, whether it’s money or manpower to each other in need.
The house of Conrad is serving the royal family for centuries. Their ancestors are a part of the royal family, and the descendants of the House of Conrad are acting as the sword and shield for the royal family. Their loyalty to the royal family is second to none. That’s why King William I entrusted the House Of Conrad to lead the task.
To return the favor, a right to own a lot of mines and low taxation was given. The lands of Morlev duchy have become prosperous for centuries, and of course, the House Of Conrad has a decent amount of wealth. Morlev duchy has numerous impregnable forts and is currently the most powerful house among the other nobles in the kingdom. It is safe to say that the hordes of Beastcleaver are not much of a problem since Duke Conrad taking charge of repelling them.
For now, the kingdom only taking action on repelling them when they come. But no action was taken to prevent them from coming or studying more about them.
And now, the one who’s taking charge in the frontline is Duke Conrad’s eldest son, Elric.
Right now in fort Hadrian, the darkness of night has covered its whole. Some soldiers are sleeping, some are taking guards, and some just gather to chat. Elric is still waking up. He had just finished his supper sometime ago and intended to join the guards or take patrols. He did it not just to kill time but also to create a new habit for himself. He’s still quite stiff about lifestyle and didn’t possess a simple lifestyle like his brother, Alan. Elric usually goes to bed not long after taking supper and wake up early. But he knew his lifestyle isn’t suited for this kind of situation.
It’s been 10 years since Beastcleaver show their appearance, and he knew they could come anytime this year. According to the records, sometimes they showed up at night. And it was inexcusable if he couldn’t deal with it just because he was sleeping. For that reason, Elric intended that he was going to train himself to be able to withstand a lack of sleep.
And so, Alan put up his armor. A full plate armor that covers his whole body. He brought his sword and lit up a torch. He walked to the outer wall and joined the guards. There, he met someone he knew. A female soldier named Elly, whom he knew since he take command of this fort. Elly didn’t bring any sword, but she holds a bow and put a dagger in her waist. That’s because her position is an archer. She’s also one of the leaders in the archer corps. She greeted Elric soon as she saw him.
“Good evening, lord Conrad”
“Good evening Elly”
“Is everything all right my Lord?”
“Don’t worry, I had nothing in particular. I just wanted to see everyone’s condition”
“You’re so kind, my Lord. But everything is fine. And I think you should take a rest”
Elric smiled a little.
“I just finished my supper. And I can’t let my eyes shut after that. Looks like I just can’t sleep right now”
That’s a lie, Elric thought to himself.
“Is it our accommodation didn’t comfortable enough for you, my Lord?” Elly’s eyes showed some concern.
“No no, that’s not what I meant. It’s just somehow I can’t sleep right now. So rather than just doing nothing, it’s better to take my patrol”
“I see, but I still think you should take a rest while there’s a time my Lord”
“Well, that’s true. But for tonight, just consider it as practice for upcoming days when I can’t put my guard down even for seconds”
Elly stared at Elric with surprised looks for a split second, but then she smiled.
“As your subordinate, I won’t allow you to be under that circumstance, my Lord”
“Anything could happen in battle, Elly”
“Yes my Lord. But please, your safety is the priority for us”
“Ah don’t think too much about that. It won’t be an achievement if I didn’t manage to save my people”
Elly began to think that she got a rather troublesome commander. Yet, she’s quite amused that Elric had this kind of way of thinking.
“You’re a very kind commander, my Lord. And I’m glad about that. But please also consider the circumstance where there’s no commander to lead the army. We could be in disarray if you chose to die by yourself, my Lord”
“Don’t worry. I’m not as strong as my brother, but I can defend myself pretty well”
That’s not the point, Elly swallowed back her words and chose not to speak them out.
“By the way, how is the situation? Is there any sign of Beastcleaver?” Elric decides to change the topic immediately.
“Everything seems well. Nothing out of particular since morning”
“That’s good to hear. But beware of everything and don’t let your guard down. They may be coming this time”
“Rest assured, my Lord. Even if they came at this moment, we can repel them with ease”
“I knew that, but anything can happen in warfare”.
Elly put up a slight smile upon hearing this.
“Forgive my rudeness, but you’re too stiff my Lord. I understand you’re intending to warn us for a good reason, but we have been trained to never let our guard down in every moment. So please, rest assured and leave this to your subordinates”.
“No no, I can’t leave everything to my subordinates. It’s a commander’s job to lead his soldiers in front, not sit idle in the back. It would be a great shame not just for the house of Conrad, but also for my pride as well”.
Listening to Elric’s opinion, she knew that Elric’s intentions are genuine. But she also thinks that he’s naïve and too stiff, so he abandoned his own safety.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
And with that thinking, she replied to Elric’s opinion.
“I honestly agreed with your opinion about a leader’s duty, my Lord. But a commander’s safety is also the responsibility of his subordinates. A leader should do everything at his disposal to finish the order. While his subordinates, should obey their leaders and do everything to execute it. A leader would be responsible for the result, while the subordinates are responsible for the process. If the leader got mixed up with the process, how are the subordinates going to execute and be responsible for the process? If the leader got killed, who’s going responsible for the battle result? It was the subordinates who were going to take the punishment for letting the leader be killed, and the punishment wouldn’t be soft”
Hearing this, Elric showed a surprised expression. But what makes him surprised, is not what Elly would think.
“Soldiers would be punished for surviving? That’s stupid. I wouldn’t want to fight for a country that punished its soldiers for surviving. I wouldn’t let that happen in this place”.
Well, he got a point, Elly’s muttered to herself. She didn’t mean about the punishment, but she was thinking about the guilt of the subordinates who failed to protect their leader. She’s also thinking it would be impossible for Duke Conrad for punishing his soldiers just because they survived without their leader.
“But I agree about the way you explain your point about the chain of command, Elly. But just for this time, let me join you so I can understand how it feels to be on the frontline. I wouldn’t let myself in danger recklessly” Elric put up a smile after saying this.
It’s not even a frontline yet, she said to herself.
“I understand. Well, if you said so, I would obey your command, lord Conrad”
“Good, now continue your guard. I’ll check the other post”
“Yes, my Lord. Please be safe”
My goodness, it will be troublesome if those monsters appeared now, Elly thought. She didn’t hate Elric’s naivety, rather it was amusing. She just hoped Elric would never abandon his way of thinking after some time. And so, Elly continues the watch until morning.
While Elly continues her watch, Elric finally goes to bed after spending time at another place. He joined guards at the gate, and then went to the stable to check the horse’s condition, the lounge, and the arsenal. Elric is satisfied after seeing his soldiers are in a good shape. The supply is enough for a year, horses are healthy, and no lacks of weaponry. But deep inside, he’s got rather bored. It’s been several weeks since he’s been in charge of this fort. But nothing seems going to happen. All he could do is trying to deepen the bonds between himself and the residents of this stronghold. It’s not hard to gain their trust because people already trust the House of Conrads.
In the morning, Elric received a letter from his father. It said they have a guest that he cannot miss and he needed to come back soon. Although he wondered who the guest is, he obediently follow his father’s instructions.
In the late afternoon, he went to the city of Magna Viridis, the largest and central government in Morlev duchy. It takes three and a half days by horse to go to Magna Viridis from fort Hadrian. But thanks to the trained horses and some shortcuts, Elric and his bodyguards managed to arrive in less than two days.
When he arrived at his father’s mansion, he was welcomed by servants who immediately took care of his belongings, while the guards lead the horses to the stable. The bodyguards just went with the guards. Elric walks into his father’s office. He knock on the door, and he heard a voice saying “come in”, and then he open it. He expected the guest is also here, so he prepared his manner. But turns out, the only one in the office is just his father, Duke Archibald Conrad. The Duke lifted his head after writing something on the paper, ad saw his son standing in front of him.
“My goodness Elric, you should take a rest first. You’ll get old faster than me if you didn’t”
“That doesn’t matter. You said yourself in the letter that I have to come here as soon as possible”
“My my you’re stiff as always Elric” he sighed. And then continue, “Well it doesn’t matter anyways. I’m glad you arrived safely. Go take some rest first, you look tired. Let’s take care of this again tomorrow”
“Wait, but the guest might be waiting too long isn’t it?”
“Nah don’t bother about it. It’s his fault anyway to come here uninvited”
“What? Who is this guest anyway?”
“Lord Bellou of Brevis. You know him right?”
“Lord Bellou, he’s a Count right?”
“Correct”
“Although he ranks below us, he’s still a high noble. You should mention it in the letter, Father”
“For what? In the first place, I don’t like him”
“Oh for god sake, that’s not a reason for not mentioning important details!”
Duke Archibald is grinning, his teasing worked.
“Hahaha! Oh, Elric, you are easy to be teased. Don’t worry, I lied. I received a letter from Lord Bellou, but it’s not him who came here as a guest. He’s a Baron, Lord Karel from Parvus”
Elric, who was already annoyed enough, sighed deeply. Although a Baron is a much lower class than him, it’s still impolite to take a light of another noble.
“Well, that didn’t make any difference. A noble is still a noble, we should treat them with respect, father”
“I know I know, that’s why we still give him hospitality. He said he wants to have a discussion with me about the border with Ein forest, and I think you should attend as well”
“Why?”
“Because you’re the one who leads in the frontline”
“But it’s been only weeks since I’ve taken charge of my stronghold!”
“No problem, take it easy. Anyways, even right now, you’re more knowledgeable about the situation in the frontline than me. Have confidence in yourself Elric”
“It’s not about confidence but it’s about the accuracy of information. What will happen if I’m giving the wrong information?”
“Relax Elric, have confidence in yourself. Besides, I’m joining too. Just leave what seems vague in your understanding to me and just say what you know”
Duke Archibald calmed his son who acknowledge his inexperience indirectly. The Duke already anticipated this, because he knows Elric’s attitude. Nevertheless, he didn’t regret his decision to send Elric to take charge in fort Hadrian.
Elric put his head down, and couldn’t say anything to rebut his father. For some reason, he feels relieved. He knew he’s lacking experience, but he’s not stupid.
And so Duke Archibald dismisses him, and he walks out of his father’s office. He took time for meeting his mother and his siblings. After putting off his armor and changing his attire, he joined the diner with the whole family. It’s been a while since they ate at the same table. And the atmosphere is warm. His brother Alan, keep asking about the conditions in his stronghold. And his mother, Duchess Iriane, and his little sister, Viane, listened with full interest.
“So brother, when you will be back to Hadrian?” Alan asked Elric.
“Soon, right after the discussion with Lord Karel is over”
“Right. Say, brother, you’re the one in charge of fort Hadrian right?”
“Yes, I said it already”
“So can I go with you to fort Hadrian?”
Alan drop the question with a composed tone but with determined eyes. Of course, not just Elric, but everyone else was surprised by it.
“What?”
“Alan, what the hell are you thinking?”
“It’s not a time for play, my dear”
Elric, Duke Archibald, and Duchess Iriane asked back at the same time. While Viane was only giving a surprised look.
“I’m not joking. I want to hone my skill in combat ability. Besides, I thought I can learn a lot from my brother” Alan answered. Hearing this, Elric felt a jolt somewhere in his body.
“Nonsense Alan, I’m still inexperienced. If you go with me now, you’ll find more trouble than pleasure” Elric answered while continuing to eat the desert, trying to divert his focus.
“That’s the point! I think the true meaning of learning is when he faced trouble, not from sitting and listening to someone who thinks he knows everything”
“You’re right at some parts, but it’s more convenient if you can learn by listening to someone else mistake rather than your own mistake”
“Well, not for me. I want to learn with my very own eyes. Besides, I believe every command is in your hands, not mine. So if you are serious about what you said before, then it is not my mistake if something turns bad. It’s yours, and I can learn from it”
Alan smirked, thinking he won the argument. On the other hand, Elric struggles to rebut Alan’s argument. He intends to keep away Alan from danger, but it seems if he said it brazenly, it would be the same as insulting Alan’s determination. And so, Elric set up another argument.
“That won’t do, Alan. There’s no guarantee I will survive if the battle occurs. And in the worst case, as the son of the Duke, you’re going to take command and take care of the problem that I’ve caused. You won’t simply just learn from it, you will be the one who has to fix it up at that very moment. Do you think you could avoid that responsibility just because the reason you joined up with me is to learn?”
The smirk that occurs in Alan’s mouth suddenly disappeared. His eyes still had determination, but his mouth couldn’t open to say a single word. Seeing this, Elric continues to give pressure on Alan.
“And I believe if that situation occurs, our soldiers will do everything to protect you. Can you imagine the sight of the soldier who should be fighting to win the battle, turning to fight just to protect you? Even for me, to imagine the sight of seeing soldiers dying in battle is still unpleasant. I wouldn’t be able to bear the guilt if someone died to protect me”
Alan might be not as naïve as Elric, but he shares the same value as him. He’s been taught to protect the people and their lands, and honor every people’s life. The difference between Elric and Alan lies in the amount of courage to make sacrifices. But even so, he wouldn’t be happy to see the soldiers died not for the sake of winning the battle, but for protecting one person. And most of all, he didn’t want to make Elric’s burden increase.
“Stop saying gloomy scenarios casually, Elric” the Duke suddenly talks with an observing eye to both Elric and Alan.
Suddenly the whole room fell silent until the Duke smiled and continue his words.
“But I’m happy to see both of you are caring for each other, even though none of you could say it honestly. Elric’s words are true, Alan. It is a great responsibility as the son of the lord of this land. As much as it irritates you, you cannot run from it. And to be honest, if the situation that Elric describes becomes reality, you wouldn’t be able to handle it. Elric might be not as good as you in terms of combat, but he has a good brain to calculate and execute a strategy to make a battle meaningful. Unlike you who has a brain which only good at fighting. You might be able to defend yourself against dozens of enemies, but you wouldn’t be able to prevent and protect hundreds and thousands of people with your power alone”
Duke Conrad then stops his words for a while and sips a glass of wine. Nobody breaks the silence. Elric pretends to continue finishing his desert while Alan just stares at the Duke with a resigned look. It’s normal to think he eventually couldn’t come with Elric.
But then, the Duke continued his words.
“But you should also consider Alan’s ability, Elric. With your good sense of strategy, you should have a good idea to utilize his potential. You underestimating him too much. I appreciate your cautiousness, but you should be able to assess your side’s combat ability. It’s a good thing to never overestimate your troops, but it doesn’t mean you have to underestimate it as well.”
Alan’s eyes were suddenly sparkling after his father said that. While on the other hand, a confused look was shown on Elric’s face.
“So what are you trying to say, father?”
“What I’m trying to say is, both of you should just say what you wanted to say. And stop with that bullshit about wanting to learn and responsibility thing. Maybe, if both of you could say the real reason, both of you could determine the answer”
Then he diverts his gaze to his wife, Duchess Iriane. When their eyes met, she gave him a warm smile, as it says, “I understand”. Alan and Elric seem to hesitate to speak and wait for the other one to speak first.
But in the end, it was Elric who spoke first.
“All right Alan, actually I didn’t mean to underestimate you. I just didn’t have enough confidence to lead an army with you in it. I’m worried that I’ll make a mistake. Losing my soldiers is already something, but losing a brother is definitely devastating. So please wait until I can prove myself”
Elric said it with full sincerity. Alan was listening with an apologetic face.
“It’s all right. After all, father’s words are true. I didn’t mean to learn. I’m just bored here and wish to experience a real battle. I’m sorry for being belligerent, and maybe it was me who underestimate how deadly a real battle is.”
Alan said it with a tone which same as his expression.
And then, silence came again. Both of them already said what they really meant. As it turns out, the solution didn’t come that easy. But the Duke just kept his smile, as if he knew something good is going to happen.
And turns out, he’s right.
“Then why don’t you just become Elric’s bodyguard? You both can protect each other in that way”
Surprisingly, there’s one more voice to be heard. And that voice belongs to Viane. The youngest child, and the only daughter of the Duke.
“I mean, Elric is going to be Enilus right? Every Enilus should have a trusted Sortens. I think Alan could fit that role.”
Viane’s face was bright as the sun. She imagined both of her brothers fighting gallantly, with Elric as the leader figure and Alan standing by his side taking down enemies. The innocent mind about the battlefield, who always thought about a heroic tale in a war. That’s what’s inside Viane’s mind.
“Brilliant idea. With Alan as Elric’s Sortens, we wouldn’t have to worry about Elric being died in the battle right?”
Duke Conrad amplifies her daughter’s statement.
“Dear, right before you scold Elric for being casually said some gloomy things. And now you’re also saying a scenario about our son being died in a cheerful tone”
Duchess Irianne reprimanded her husband. Duke Conrad immediately replies with a panicked face.
“N-No! That’s not what I meant. I mean, we wouldn’t have to worry about Elric’s safety with Alan staying by his side right?”
Seeing a panicked face from her husband, made her laugh came out.
“Hahaha… It seems Elric’s attitude is coming down from you. Don’t worry my dear, I understand. I also liked the idea of Alan becoming Elric’s Sortens”
Seeing his wife laughing, make Duke Conrad a bit irritated yet relieved. “Well, Elric is our son after all,” he thought to himself.
“So that’s it. Your sister and your mother agreed about this. What do you say?”
Elric and Alan looked at each other. Of course, Alan’s eyes were brimming with hope.
“All right, at least I can watch him over if a battle were to happen”
Elric sighed lightly, but a glimpse of a smile was put on his mouth.
“Thank you, brother. I promise I’ll be a good use for you”
“You don’t need to. Just don’t make me regret this decision”
Then both of them smiled, followed by all who were present in that room.
“Very good both of you. Now go to Hadrian Fort and come back alive safely.” The Duke said.
“I can’t promise that. But I promise to make sure Alan came back safely”
“And I promise to make sure you can go back home safely as well” Alan rebuked his brother’s promise.
“Very amusing to see both of you like this, isn’t it dear?”
“Indeed it is. Viane, let’s expect a new great tale from your brothers”
“Of course!” with a bright smile, she nods her head in a childlike manner.
Elric sighed, while Alan nod his head with excitement. The tales of two brothers would just begin.