A long time ago a healthy baby boy was born in the noble household of Agatha, this boy was named Loreine and the only successor of the Agatha nobility because his mother died after giving him birth, ever since he was a kid he was very fond of the heroic tales of their nations, the Roses Knight Republic, the tales of heroic knights who slayed countless dragons that razed villages and purges of vile magic who spread darkness, in the name of justice. Thanks to his father who told him this stories and the books that he read he then he inspired to be a knight and serve the nation. He was proud of his own country at the very young age that he will even argue with adults when he hears them complaining about their country.
In pursue of knighthood he approached his father and told him he wanted to be a knight, his father of course was delighted and immediately hired a sword instructor even though he was still young. After only months of training, his master was surprised at the speed of his developments, he could easily grasp a basic technique after a day of training and master it in a month, his battle sense was on par with veterans, after seeing this his master told to his father that he was a sword prodigy and suggest to send him to the Republic’s Knight Academy in which he could hone and master the style of swords on his coming age and without a doubt his father readily agreed, when he heard of this good news from both of his father and instructor he vigorously trained himself for the next years.
After the day of his coming age and the first day of his young man years, a 15 years old. He went to Republic’s Knight Academy in the capital of Roses Kingdom, Azure. In there he was given both written and physical exam, but on his case like a few others who already knew basic swordsmanship or other weaponry, they were given another test for it. Of course he passed it, instead starting of as a trainee, he was moved to a scholar rank, he only showed the basic techniques so he could follow his master’s plan for him, his master told him that It will be better to start at the bottom were he could show his worth as a knight and swordsman at the same time revised and re-mastered his stances. Everything went just as planned. He caught many eyes of the people of the academy, in only a year he manage to be given the highest academic rank as a senior free scholar, the next year he finally became an initiate to train his sword, with his mind completely trained and understand the principle of swordsmanship from his scholar days he could now easily learn the styles and stances just by seeing them performed and he himself will analyse it in complete detail. At this point he was already known throughout the whole academy as the prodigy and the youngest initiated, even his fellow initiates knew he was sword genius. The next year he became the youngest of the 10 savant of the academy, the savant itself consist of only older adults who was around 20 years older than him who even used to serve as knights.
During these years he met many friends, foes, and rivals alike and was even was blessed with a lover.
His savant year was extremely hard for him as he didn’t made any progress at all and reached the bottleneck of learning swordsmanship, he feared he was going to be stuck as a savant, in resort lowered his pride and asked the other savants for guidance, they simple said to him that some things can’t be learn by studying. He couldn’t understand what they meant but someone cleared it for him.
It was the master of the academy, a legendary figure of the Great Wars, he’s Jeanne the Silver Roses Knight, his greatest feet the Battle of Eden were he slayed thousands of thousands of enemies.
Jeanne's side story
Spoiler :
Jeanne along with his fellow Silver Roses Knights was given an order of no retreat and no surrender on the Castle of Eden against the invaders siege. Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months, slowly their moral and munitions even food supply decreases. A week later the turning point happened, the Knight Commander of Silver Roses was slain when the invaders manage to climb up the walls, the knight commander himself continued to fight even all the wounds he had, he fall next to the vice commander and repeated the orders of the Republic. This cause panic amongst the order but those who were near the Knight Commander were more resolute than ever, this includes Jeanne. After seeing the knight commander’s honourable knight’s death, all those who were near him is ready themselves to face death with no fear.
After a few weeks, Jeanne caught a wind of instigators planning to open the gates to surrender. Jeanne thought they were blinded by fear and turned into brainless men. He told this to the commanding officer, the vice commander, he ordered him to deal with it along with the loyal men. Jeanne along with the men who witnessed the Knight Commander, captured the instigators, of course they fought but they were overpowered by Jeanne and his fellow loyals. This caused confusion in the order but was soon cleared up by the vice commander by shaming the instigators and removing their ranks. The vice commander then explained how they basically are selling us to death, “who would think they would let us go after slaying countless of their men?” a lot of the knights thought. Jeanne who was given the honour of punishing them then proposed to attach white flags on the leader and throw them all of ledge. This was not the vice commander expected of Jeanne, since treason is punishable by death according to martial law.
As soon as the instigators recover from their fall, they ran towards the enemy lines only to be brutally killed. The whole order was watching this scene transpired, they finally understand there was no escape or room for surrender only survival.
Two years have passed, only 4 remained of the knights of Silver Rose and still 3000 thousands of invaders remained. The day before is the death of the vice commander and handful of knights, he was killed by barrages of arrows that was aimed towards Jeanne, his rusty and unmaintained armet was penetrated by an arrow that went straight to his head. Jeanne vowed that he will kill every enemy before he die.
The final day of battle, with only Jeanne and three others were alive, and the enemy decide to move all their remaining forces.
A republic scout who was tasked of collecting information about the invaders on Castle of Eden saw an active siege occurring, he was surprised and rode back to the republic council as fast as he can.
When the scout explained what he saw near Eden Castle the whole council was shocked and immediately scramble the entire reserve of knight orders to reinforce Eden Castle. This wasn’t the Republic’s fault, but was the cause of the invaders continued moving towards the capital from the western defences, they concluded the entire western have fallen to the invaders, they only manage to know it now is because they’re finally regaining footholds in western lines.
The four Silver Roses Knights, who are defending the walls, killed the enemy with every strike. Hours of hours doing this and they get tired, losing energy, and such, one of them finally falls, loud cheers from the enemies roared, and another dies until Jeanne and his last fellow knight is left.
Then the echoes of hope rode amongst the wind, it was the horns of war only belonging to the Republic. Every knight orders were present, The Royal Blue Roses, The Blood Roses, The Golden Roses, and more. The Invaders signals the retreat.
Jeanne who saw this, cried tears of joy inside his helmet, but the battle is not yet over, his fellow knight yelled at him, his voiced was hoarse, when Jeanne look at him he could swear he saw tears as well from the space of his helmet, but then Jeanne saw his last friend looming death. Close behind him was an invader standing from the ground still holding his sword. Jeanne run as fast as he can ignoring all possible dangers that surrounds him while screaming the name of his fellow knight. But alas, he was all too late. The invader stabbed his friend at the back and pulled his sword out, his friend fall on the ground, the invader delivering the killing blow was killed by Jeanne.
Jeanne turned his fellow knight around, removed his own helm that he was wearing all this years and removed his fellow knight’s helm.
Jeanne said to his fellow knight that they won, the dying knight replied by whispering “Glory to the Silver Roses.”
Jeanne cried more but this time it was sadness. “Was it truly glory?” Jeanne thought, but stopped this train of thought because he didn’t want to disrespect all of the sacrifices of his friends made. He told the knight that he doesn’t know what to do without the Silver Roses.
The dying knight asked Jeanne to grab the nearest banner of the Silver Roses and Jeanne did. He grabbed a tattered banner. The dying knight asked him to stand him up and Jeanne did. The dying knight asked Jeanne to wave the banner and Jeanne did. The dying knight screamed with all his remaining strength “Glory to the Silver Roses!” and Jeanne also did. The knight’s arm that was on Jeanne’s shoulder was removed as he falls into the ground, Jeanne cried, he did. Jeanne continued waving the Knight of the Silver Roses banner while screaming the Silver Roses chant, Jeanne now knows what to do. All knight’s eyes were staring at him, all the knights who were present starts yelling the same chant “Glory to the Silver Roses!”, no one could cheer for themselves for winning this battle for they have no rights to do so, no one else but Jeanne and the fallen Silver Roses.
Jeanne continued fighting the invaders as a lone knight representing the Silver Roses, He retired when the invaders were finally kicked out from the country and offered a peace negotiations. Jeanne was given the highest knight’s award and a heroic title along with the entire Silver Roses order. He was immensely rewarded for his actions.
Jeanne didn’t rebuild the Silver Roses order, but instead founded the Republic Knight’s Academy using the banner of the Knights of the Silver Roses as the insignia for the Academy.
Loreine who was approached by the Grandmaster Jeanne gave him an advice, he said the academy can no longer teach him and he should find his own battle. He told Loreine that he should graduate this year and joins a knight’s order.
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At the graduation day, Loreine was in disbelief, he who was the prodigy and a savant of the academy wasn’t recruited by any knight orders while all of the initiates were recruited.
He couldn’t understand what was wrong, his entire resume was of a knight’s. But to his surprised he was approached by an unknown order, the man approached him called himself as a member of the Black Roses. It was Loreine’s last chance of getting into a knight’s order, and so he did.
Loreine’s was very happy to join a knight’s order, it was his dream come true, or so he thought at first. Loreine’s death was faked by the Black Roses order as part of the requirements of joining, he was of course was unsettled at the beginning but he had no other choice, he didn’t liked the idea of lying to his father, but in pursue of knighthood, he must.
The Black Roses present themselves as those who purged the corrupt of the Republic’s. They also do covert operation in the nearby countries and many top secret operations. Loreine felt that he was more of an assassin than a knight, it greatly removed his true goals from his sight, always hiding in the shadows, always covering your face, it didn’t felt right, but if it’s for the good of the republic he will serve even if he’s no knight or so he thought again.
After three years of service in Black Roses, a certain incident triggered his doubts for the cause of the order. “Is this really just?” “Is these what’s a knight’s like?” “What have I been doing!?” “This is not right! I’m blindly following something I don’t know.” he thought. He begun secretly investigating all his operations and found all he have been doing is nothing but petty assassinations for the Republic’s Council to control the government and people, he was murdering innocent people in the guise of a knight. He was angered and disgusted by the Council’s actions, but he was angrier to himself for being a fool. They broke every chivalric code that he knows.
He went AWOL as soon as he had the chance, after a few weeks he was branded as a rogue knight and an enemy of the republic in a different name. He had to run all over the country just not to get caught not stopping, not resting. Then news reached him that his father was being executed for treason, when he heard this he immediately head to save his father, he knew this is one of the councils schemes. When he arrived he saw his father being shamed and barraged of rocks coming from the masses. Of course he was angered and run as fast towards the stage to save his father, he unsheathed his weapon, the Zweihander and jumped towards the executioner and cuts him in half. The audience who saw this gruesome sight unfold screamed and ran away in terror.
Loreine cut of his weakened father’s bindings and as he was about to carry him on his back, he was stopped by his father.
“Loreine…. I knew you’re still alive.” Said his father in tired, weakened and painful voice while tears fall from his eyes
“Yes..*sob* Yes father I’m alive.” Loreine cried as he speak
“Let us go father, I’ll carry you on my back.” Loreine said trying to regain composure
“Leave me Loreine… my beloved son, you will not *cough* be able to escape if you carry me, quickly before the Peace Order arrives…”
“Bu-“
“Leave at once Loreine! In the name of household Agatha, I order you as a noble and you as a knight to leave the country! This Republic… is no longer the same *cough* It saddens me that you have to see the lowest of the Knight’s Republic my son. Goodbye Loreine your father is glad to see you alive in his last moment.”
His father touched his face and slowly the remaining life on his eyes was gone.
He cried more but he wasn’t going to dishonour his father’s order, for he is his knight. Loreine run and run trying to escape his pursuers all around the city, until he was finally cornered by the Rosa Peace Knights.
Loreine will not dishonour his father’s wishes even if it’s the causes of deaths of his innocent fellow countrymen, for he is his knight and this is his oath. He drew his sword once armour with no fear in his eyes and resolves of murder, then out of nowhere, black smoke erupted and before he could think of anything he was knocked out.
Loreine is in a wooden cabin looking place when he woke up surrounded by unknown people.
Near the window was a female drow elf vigilantly scanning the outside surroundings. On the kitchen is a huge black furred wolfman wearing nothing but an apron cooking, it was a surreal sight to behold. Next to his bed is another huge being sitting on a stool, it was a bald hairless man.
“Boss the kid is awake.” Said the drow elf.
“Hmmm! Oh! you’re awake, good good.” Said the bald man
He then hand over to me a letter with no seal.
“Dear Loreine, I know you’re confused right now and have a lot of questions, the people surrounding you will answer them for you, for now read this letter. I’m sorry for not being able to do anything to help you. It wasn’t my intention for you to be recruited by the Black Roses, it was my fault for making you leave the academy. As soon as I heard the news of your death, I was suspicious and made my own investigation, as much as I wanted you to get out of the damned Black Roses I didn’t have any power to do so when our republic is in the hands of vile people constantly monitoring me, I didn’t want to blew my cover. This long peace have turned our leaders into corrupted people, leeching from there own people and hugging the vile sit the corrupted them. You’re a great knight Loreine and have a heart of a hero, if you wish to pursue justice, follow these men, they’re branded as criminals just like you but they fight for a just cause. They could use a honourable knight like you and my deepest apologies again Loreine of Agatha. -Jeanne”
Loreine closed the letter and looked at the big man sitting next to him.
The big man took the letter and shredded it into pieces before burning it on the fireplace. Loreine was shocked at first but it was a logical thing to do.
“Have you made your decision? We don’t have much time for you to think, we must leave as soon as possible” – Bald man asked in a serious tone.
Loreine quickly give him his answer
“I will join you and your cause but there will be terms of agreement that we both must come into understanding.”
This time he didn’t want to be a fool not knowing what he is doing.
“Good, I like the sounds of that. We will discuss it later on when we return.”
The bald man stood up and spoke to the wolfman.
“Ishmar I’m damn hungry be done with it already.”
“It’s not ready yet you pig, can’t you see th-“
“Just shut up and be done with it.”
Loreine who see that they were about argue he interjects.
“Who are you people?”
The trio looked at Loreine and all smiled a proud smile.
“We’re the Circle of Death.”
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Loreine have been working in Cirlce of Death for 2 years now, he liked it better than the Black Roses. He was given every information and detail he needed to know, he is free to investigate in his own accord. Although he was no knight, he fights for the true justice that he lost and now regained.
Loreine sat on a couch staring at the fireplace contemplating what just happened on their recent operation. The baldy known as the Boss apologize to him, the boss explained his outburst was unnecessary and thanked Loreine for saving the band. Loreine was confused and told him that his little hunt for strong people disrupted the plan and asked for his forgiveness. He explained to me that if I hadn’t fought the beastman alone that my entire band would have been killed. Loreine was shocked to think that beastman was that strong, he couldn’t believe it. Right now he’s thinking about that, but he still couldn’t believe he was that strong.
The objective was to capture the “package” that could send the entire Agishirian Kingdom into civil war leaving it vulnerable to the neighboring countries. This will be the worst case of result for the Circle of Death who is most important goal is to maintain peace to prepare for the Monster Lord threats. The Circle of Death is an organization goes back from the reign of great kings when the peace treaty was signed they had to make sure that their descendant and vassals will comply, thus they made a top secret operation known as Circle Of Death.
A beastly voice calling to him stopped this train of thinking
“Yo, Loreine, how’s your hand?”- Ishmar the wolfman said
“It doesn’t hurt anymore.” Loreine said.
“Irene said it was a magical weapon.”
Irene is the drow elf.
“Is that so, no wonder it hurts that bad.” Loreine looking at his wounded palm, just the thought of the pain that he experience made it hurt.
“Yeah, you got your ass handed by a beastman. Harharharhahooooo” He teasingly said
“Leave me alone Ishmar, just the thought of it makes me feel bad.” Loreine said dejectedly
“You should be glad you came out alive, the girl was definitely strong. I know it.” He was very serious when he said this.
“The boss said the same thi- a girl!?”
“Aye, that beastman was a girl. I could tell from the smell.”
“I…I…I got beaten…by a girl?” Loreine felt so low right now.
“Do you know her? You used to have a lot of connections from the beast plains.”
“Not exactly but I know.”- Ishmal who was unsure starts scratching his back.
“Huh? What do you mean, just spill it already Ishmal.”
“Well you see Loreine, amongst the lionkin, there’s only one man who has silver or grey fur…”
“And who would that be?”
“…The White Devil.”
Loreine eyes pops out when he heard this, the White Devil is also known as the Tournament Dominator, a beastman that travels the world and joined almost all tournaments held by different nations and won every single one of them.
The drow elf known as Irene joined to end the conversation
“Hey boys~ the boss is calling us. It’s about the next plan.”
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AN=
I was debating of putting this up this early. Was planning to put it around the end of my first arc, but decided that it might give better perspective and putting it in the end might lost its importance. Hope it's not as out of place as I think. Thanks for reading.
Loreine's backstory more specifically.