I've been busy with some homework from school
at last I can post the fourth chapterr \(^_^)/
Yay!
Thanks for tivanenk whose pr-ing this chapter!
seriously, thank you \(> v <)/
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I'm three and a half now.
I have my mother braiding my hair with flowers and dressing me up in my best dress because, today, our village is celebrating the warrior ceremony.
My brother is participating today.
The participants will divided into 3 people per group and they will hunt inside the forest for 3 hours. Each prey that is caught will be judged by the village elder. The stronger your prey, the more points you get.
I can see my brother in the same group as Esta. He's waving and running towards me with huge smile on his face
"You're adorable as always Rune! Just wait and see! I will reach the first place in today warrior ceremony!"(Eden)
Esta is glaring brother....
Should I give him a cheer?
"Um.... good luck brother.....I love you?"(Rune)
I give him a kiss on the cheek.
"UOOOOOHHHH!"(Eden)
!? Is that a battle cry?! That surprised me.
"I will win! For Rune's sake! Just watch me!"(Eden)
My brother looks pumped up now. I can see Esta twisting her spear... w-wait! It's crooked! The spear is bent-... no, she just breaks it. It has literally just split into two.
"All participants! Please gather around!"(Village Chief)
The village chief begins to explain the rules. It's a very long-lasting tradition of beastmen so there some who are already know the rules. Cheating is forbidden. As beastmen are blessed with sharp noses, we can smell whose prey is whose and the level of freshness from your prey. Once you are caught cheating, there will be a big penalty waiting for you.
It's starting.
"In position! Ready!........ Set!.......GO!"(village chief)
Every group moves nimbly the moment they enter the forest.
They're beastmen after all, so they are blessed with high agility and speed.
I can see that my brother's group moves faster than any other's.
He's gonna rank the first in this warrior ceremony. In fact, he's gonna reach the highest point in our village history.
It's not because I believe in him or anything. It's because I know the result.
'The Ectria'
It's the game title that I have used to play back in junior high school. It's a really good game. I remember myself playing that game for many months only to reach the good end. It's a pretty hard game, with 8 playable main characters.
To unlock every character, you must play trough the story. The first character you played is the first prince of Darajuu Kingdom.
It all starts from the rebellion of the prime minister, [Ranbert Dergon]. Upon learning Ranbert's plan to take over the kingdom, the young prince runs from his castle after he sees his parents murdered. The prime minister fakes the royal family's death as the throne falls into his hands. Meanwhile, the prince stays low profile, whilst he trains under his remaining loyal knight.
He plans to raise his own army to defeat the prime minister. As he travels and gains allies, many would join him. Many people detest the prime minister's monarchy as it's full of corruption, and has a high tax and slavery. There are some nobles who actually support the prince in secret - some even from different continents or royalty from different kingdoms.
As you play the game, some stories can only be unlocked once you play some part of the game with different character. And two of the eight characters happen to be [Eden Rectival] and [Esta Revanna]. To be able to unlock the secret skill, you must deepen your friendship between the playable characters. And I know the reason why they join the prince from each character.
While [Esta Revanna]'s reason is because of [Eden Rectival], my brother's reason is to take revenge......
.....to take revenge for my death.
After the prime minister takes over the kingdom, slavery becomes a very big business. He gets 'extra' income from this back business of his.
Usually, selling slaves without slave's mark is prohibited. Slave marks only can given to people who have been sold by their own family, people with huge debt, and war prisoners. But then it becomes legal to kidnap children, branding them with slave marks and selling them on the black market with out proper documents. A slave mark is a magical contract which force the slaves to obey their contractor's command.
And I... no, I mean [Rune] is kidnapped by those slave traders and dies.
I remember when I played that game. [Eden Rectival] tells me his story.
His sister, who is only four years old at that time, is kidnapped while she's gathering wild berries.
The village dispatches the rescue team to trace the kidnapper, and the trail leads to their hideout on the border of human continent. Their village is located near the border, but they still need 3 weeks to reach the kidnapper's hideout.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
When they get there, the hide out is already engulfed in flames and turns into ashes. Eden tries to save his sister, but it is too late, when he sees only debris in the hideout. He searches for his little sister, but what he finds is his little sister's bracelet and a pile of corpses. He then learns that those kidnappers are part of one of the prime minister businesses to earn 'extra' income.
That's why he will take revenge on the prime minister, the one who leads his sister to her death.
'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'
That's how [Eden Rectival] become the prince's ally.
.........
Aaaaaa! To think that the [Eden Rectival] has been to be my favorite character in the game is actually a huge siscon! What a let down!
In the game, he's the coolest guy with a cool charm! He calmly sets his cool battle strategy with cool and calm manner! He highly values friendship and honor and is strict but also caring to his men and not easily shaken by anything! The perfect knight captain of the Almare kingdom, the strongest man in the beast continent. To think that he was that siscon over there! What a major disappoinment!
I just wanna cry!
......
......
Calm down me!
I'm [Rune] now, the [Eden Rectival]'s little sister and there is no way I'm gonna let myself get killed again!
On contrary, my death plays an important role in the story. I remember how many times [Eden Rectival] has those stupid flashbacks about his sister during the middle of the battle, thinking only to take revenge for her. Back then, I have thought of him as a loving and caring older brother..... I take that all back.... he's just a stupid, big siscon who seeks revenge.
I must think of something. It's only less than a year before my kidnapping incident occurs.
"Twenty eight point!"(Village chief)
The village chief start to counting the hunting result at the finish line.
3 flame rabbit - 12 point
4 Squishy frog - 16 point
It's a weak level monster.
A few minutes later, it's my brother group turn. Everyone is surprised after they see what my brother's group has hunted.
3 flame rabbit - 9 point
2 squishy frog - 8 point
3 eye flower - 12 point
10 silver bear - 20 point
3 metal wolf - 15 pont
64 point, that's the highest point anyone ever reach in our village. Everyone in brother group looks tattered and are covered in wounds, but I can see victorious grin on my brother's face.
"Rune!"(Eden)
He runs towards me with a huge grin.
"Did you hear? My group's point total is the highest!"(Eden)
My brother almost hugs me, but then he stops a step away.
"That was close! I almost dirtied you with blood in my clothes"(Eden)
He looks pretty disappointed for not being able to hug me.
"Brother, you were so cool out there!"(Rune)
I jump to hug him while showing my best smile.
"R-rune!"(Eden)
My brother looks moved and hugs me tightly. For a moment, I can see an illusion of flowers blooming around us.
I've planned something to avoid my death.
If I stay away from the kidnapper incident, then my brother won't join our kingdom military force or ally himself with the prince. On the other hand, I don't wanna die for a second time.
"Oh, I almost forgot."(Eden)
Brother pulls something out of his pocket.
"I made this bracelet from the shiny stone! It's for you!"(Eden)
He put the bracelet to my hand. Ah... this is the bracelet from the story.
"I also made a gift for you, brother!"(Rune)
I have noticed that he made this bracelet two weeks ago and so, I also have prepared a present for him.
My brother's eyes shine brightly as his tail swings like crazy.
" I craft this wooden pendant for you! It has a picture of a flower on it!"(Rune)
"It's so pretty! You're so talented, Rune! Everything you make is magnificent! Although, I don't know what kind of flower this is. It's ..... blue? I've never seen such flower before."(Eden)
"It's called 'Trisalium', brother! We read it from doctor Alba's book! In flower language, it means memories and deep affection. I wanted to commemorate the day you be the best warrior!"(Rune)
All of my creations have to be perfect. Actually, I have crafted that pendant without knowing the flower's meaning. It's just a coincidence that the flower I used as a model has that meaning. Even I have been surprised when I have saw it in doctor Alba's flower book.
"Rune.... I love you sooooo much!"(Eden)
B-brother, I'm being crushed here! He hugs me too tightly!
Esta is looking at me, her neck turns almost 180 degree in inhumane way and her eyes are full of envy.
Scary..... even Neit is scared of her behaviour.
........
My death is only less than a year away..
I really need to think of something.
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Thank you for reading \(^_^)/