Extra Chapter: Through Millenia of History
"I gave you my word and we will fulfill it. It was I, who in my people's need to have a place to call home, brought danger to this version of the world that could've never been found nor intruded upon by those beings who sow, reap and devour chaos. Through all of this world's history, we shall await the day when the war you have started… will finally be ended."
-Cecilia Chronia, Matriarch of House Cecilia
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It has been one hundred and twenty years since the day when almost all of humanity was erased from the face of the world by the great war waged between the Spirits of Caelestia and Chaos-Babel.
The Northern continent, home to the people of the Guardian Spirits Law and Love and watched over by the Spirits of Caelestia, both current and former, has been bathed in a sea of blood and destroyed absolutely by judgement served to it by its enraged Guardian Spirit.
The tower of Babel… the man-made mountain from where all of mankind not reached by Caelestia's watchful gaze wrought all kinds of evils for its satisfaction and entertainment, was erased not only from the face of the world but also to the memories of those who are of this world.
In the end, it was only I and my family, who do not belong to this world, who can remember the horrors left by that war… a terrible thing to be handed with, but in the end, is this not what my promise entailed?
Even so, I regret not that decision. It is clear to me that sooner or later, I will have to repent for my mistake of thinking that the curse that flows deep in my family's accursed fate will not affect the innocent people of the worlds that we try to inhabit and integrate into… in the end, this is simply what must be done.
"Mama! Lookie-lookie! The farmers are bringing their grain to the temple!"
"Yes, sweetie… I can see it clearly. They must be paying their taxes to the king and the priests."
"Ehehe! I wish next year would have bountiful harvests too."
"That depends on the two rivers, my son… and if they will be able to resist the attacks of the barbarians."
In the end, I and my children who would inherit my promise shall fulfill it. Not for the sake of us repenting for my mistake, not for the sake of our family' survival, not for the sake of adding this world to the places that we can finally call home… but because to fulfill one's promise, is what makes us deserving of our venerable names.
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My father used to say that we are people who do not belong to this world. That beyond even the furthest reaches of the bright stars, our families live, trying to find their own abodes where we can finally find peace and rest.
"O great king of the kingdom of everlasting sun! We have come to seek your wisdom!"
I often wondered if he meant that we are the ones who truly have the divine-like origins that these kings and emperors claim to have had… and after a while I have confirmed that indeed, we are they that these people claim to be.
Still, my family's directive clearly holds that we are not to intervene with the fate of this world. If the tales of our great matriarch, Cecilia Chronia, is to be believed, our mere arrival and integration into this world has already irreversibly changed its fate and eventual end. Unless truly necessary, we shouldn't interfere with this world's "laws".
"Scribe Al-Aharon Chronia!"
"Yes, my liege!"
"Let it be written for all of the kingdom to hear and remember that these barbarians have desecrated our name and honor and with it, has brought desolation upon themselves!"
"W-W-Wait, O great Pharaoh! We are not-"
"Woe unto you! Return from whence you have come and fear the arrival of my army! For you deserve not my wisdom nor my mercy!"
Perhaps it was for the better that this is how it has been done… after all, at present, I know more than anyone else that if this world wishes for its own destruction, it shall be wrought by the very same people who wishes for it.
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There will come a time, as my mother used to say, when the hardships that we face will end and we can return to our rightful place among our brethren.
If only such a time would come quicker… I would be the first to leave this rotten world where these never ending wars of conquest seems to always be the only solution in the minds of these warmongering rulers.
"General Darian Chronia! They are on our tail and demanding our surrender!"
"Tch! The usual! Give them what they deserve while we escape back to Persepolis!"
"Alright! Turn on your saddles and feed them your arrows!"
"""Yes, sir! For Parthia!"""
Still, I must remain vigilant to what our ancient promise have entailed to our family. Though I have long lost my faith that the rulers of this world will ever come to have peace, I still believe that there is a way for even just I and my family to live without fearing for our lives.
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Even as an outsider, I do not have enough words to describe the valor that these men showed even in the face of certain death. Though I do not agree with their beliefs in being merciless warriors, in enslaving those around them or their proclivity towards the same sex and those who are yet of age, I have nothing to say about their willingness to stand against those that they declare to be against them.
"Men! Hold your lines!"
"Don't break ranks! Don't break your ranks! Sparta lies behind us!"
As an outsider, I am here not as a warrior of either sides but as someone who is merely watching and recording what has transpired in this conflict. Though I know not if this vast army from the east would triumph over the city-states of this Aegean land or the opposite might be right, what I do know is that as stated by my ancestors who have seen kingdoms and empires rise and fall and oftentimes, even stood beside their rulers or fought in their wars, soon enough the time that was promised to us would come.
"We will fight one last time and with that, we shall finally find solace."
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I know not if my name shall be engraved in history alongside my chosen monarch. But I do know that as someone who pledged fealty to him and his great ambition, it is my happiness to serve him.
"My prince… here it is in all of its glory."
"Ah… finally, I have laid my eyes on the great land of history and wonders."
Embarking on a conquest of an empire far more vast than ours, I once believed that soon, my king would decide that it is for the best that we simply retain the lands that we have conquered back in the Aegean, but after he has shown his mettle in battle, his wits in stratagems and his affability in both diplomacy towards our enemies and the rebels of our conquered lands, I knew that his ambition is no mere dream but a vision that he would soon be able to reach towards.
"Ah! My prince Alexander, have I told you that my family used to serve the pharaoh during the ancient times?"
"The pharaoh, you say? In what way, is it as a soldier or as a courtier?"
"If I remember right, his name is Al-Aharon, the pharaoh's scribe in the royal court. If our family's historical records are right, it is said that he was the one who wrote down the royal edict that wiped out countless native tribes at the west of the Nile river, allowing the succeeding kings to build their pyramids there which they have labeled to be the land of the dead."
"I see… this is of great interest to me. Let us set forth now then! Men, to me!"
Such times of delight would forever be in my heart. That even after he has left this world at such a young age, he will leave a permanent mark in the world for all of eternity.
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The sands of times have flowed towards an era of outward peace yet inward turmoil. In the dome of marble and concrete where men with luxurious togas endlessly debates every minute detail of the republic's affairs, even a lowly and newly elected senator such as I have the right to criticize them as I wish.
"This is unforgiveable! We need to form a new legion to fight back against Carthage!"
"But we can't draw out more men out of the populace! The autumn harvest is at hand, we can't leave the farms unattended, or we would all starve!"
"Carthago delenda est! CARTHAGO DELENDA EST!!!"
"In Jupiter's name, can someone make that old coot shut up?!"
"The Senator is right! We need more money to fund the war! Raise the taxes! Raise the taxes!"
"You imbecile! What more can we draw out of the people?!"
At times like this, I just wish that the ground would devour this country so that I would be freed from the fate of being among the ones who has to lead it.
"Silence! Silence!!! There is no end for these squabbles if we do it like this! We must make our vote now!"
"Right!"
"Well said, Consul Lucius! Gentlemen, we must make our vote now starting from the newest of the senators. Senator Marcius Chronia, what is your opinion about this war? Which side would you vote on?"
With my opinion being demanded, I stood from my seat and after heaving a sigh, gave out the words I knew they should hear.
"…Gentlemen, I believe that I cannot stress enough the importance of the decision that we will make here for the sake of our country. Though I have complicated feelings regarding the rumors that this feud against the Carthaginians is somehow a personal war of some legionary officer whose name I would not speak to respect their honor, I know that this is a battle that goes beyond and may end up spelling either the doom or glory of our nation…"
I looked around the chamber and at the faces of the men who listened intently to my words. I knew that by being completely honest, I have caught their attention and they have opened their mind to my opinions and suggestions.
"As such, I believe that we must fight to preserve our nation's stability and our way of life. As distasteful as it may sound, I will end my speech with these words… The Mediterranean is far too small of a puddle for two great powers to inhabit it!"
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At the onset of a conflict that divided our great nation, I believe that I have not crossed the Rubicon for the petty powerplay between these two men who have the same thirst for glory.
"I implore you, Julius… please don't fall for that woman's conniving words."
"…"
"I know that she didn't bait you with her natural beauty alone. She is a wise ruler and I see no wrong in you choosing to take her by her word alone… but I want you to remember that in the end, you are Julius of Rome… not Julius of Ptolemaic Egypt."
I know not if history will remember me as the man who reasoned with this great man before he fell for the wiles of that woman… but one thing that I am sure of is that no matter what would be written about me, I have done enough to at least bring the world to a better fate without interfering in it.
"I apologize, Clavius… You have been a loyal follower, but I shall fail you once again."
"…Julius."
"Leave. I will do this my own way and will deal with whatever comes next."
In the end, my country will come under a new kind of rule… and my dear friend will face treachery at the hands of the people that he trusted the most.
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"My emperor… I bring desirable news from the south."
"Speak, Artemius. Theodora and I will lend our ears to your wise words."
Though the western empire may have slowly rotted with infighting and barbarian attacks, our empire would remain strong and united under the leadership of our dear emperor and empress.
"The trading routes through the Mediterranean has been solidified. With our ambassadors' wisdom in handling the negotiations with the neighboring kingdoms, I predict that we have none to worry about the future for a long time."
"I have heard and understood. I desire this improvement in our empire's good!"
Little did I know that just like how the west fell, we would also fall to the wiles of corruption and infighting.
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Even amidst the rule of savage, war-like and Paganic rulers and conquerors… The so-called "speakers of God's word" who hide their true selves under the guise of religious cleanliness… The widespread ignorance of the masses… and even the unending waves of monsters that creep out of the seal that Spirit Law made to imprison our great enemy, we stand to guard ourselves from all of them.
"The united Germanic tribes would soon attack us. The inquisitor sent by the church has also warned us to convert and come under the jurisdiction of the ecclesiarchy. The village that we have been trading with for food has turned our merchants away in fear of our "witchcraft" and…"
"And?"
"I'm afraid that the last seal set by Matriarch Cecilia before she was taken to our "homeland" will soon break with the flood of Malignances in the mausoleum."
"…"
"Lady Seliah… I believe that we have to take our sides now before our entire clan is-"
"We will not, Anthony. You need not to fear for anything."
"M-My lady…?"
"I made a promise to protect and preserve our family… I intend to keep that promise."
My name is Seliah Cecilia Chronia… and even to the last drop of my blood and my last draw of breath, this world and the chaos from which all of its evils are sourced will not break nor change our promises to Spirit Law.
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"Argh!"
"'H-Help! It's spreading… the black blotches are spreading!"
When facing an indomitable monstrosity such as a plague, most will fall and die while some would rise and survive.
"Move along, Louis. We cannot remain in this place any longer because of the plague."
"B-But elder sister Adelia, these people are terribly ill! We can cure them and-"
"Shush! Obey my words! These people deserve everything that they are having now!"
"-!!!"
"To drive us to almost extinction… these people…! These monsters!"
"S-Sister…"
I don't care about humanity… but we have a promise to fulfill and our own continued existence to prioritize. I have that one responsibility and I will fulfill it.
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Because of the wiles of the forces affected by chaos, we would be driven to the point where we almost ceased to exist. For centuries, we would be in the shadows… recovering our strength and remaining vigilant on our promise that has lasted for many millennia.
With the re-discovery of a great continent beyond the sea, we would inhabit there, remaining a community of no less than a hundred people and seeking nothing but to bid our time till the right moment comes to fulfill our promise.
However, we soon faced off against the very same beings of chaos that once sook our extinction from the face of this world in order for it to fully take the world for itself.
"Even in the new continent… these monsters are still behind us."
"Right. Take out your swords!"
"""Yes, sir!"""
"Let's do this, Harry."
"Right behind you, Johny."
Though their names wouldn't be valiantly recorded in the historical records of the family after they failed to avoid the birth to a new nation through a bloody war, the twins would at least be remembered as the ones who set up the route that would one day free the people who would be bound to enrich the people who owned them.
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While mankind must fight to decide if freedom is to be given to everyone regardless of what and who they are, they who inherited the promise of the matriarch would fight for the freedom and safety of the world.
"The president and the congress are keen on fighting the south to enact emancipation. The President already sent letters to our towns, requesting that our men be allowed to enter the Union army as military officers."
"That's expected from him. As someone who witnessed our fights against the Malignances and at some point, fought alongside us in his youth, I doubt that he wouldn't ask us to join the military to sweep through the Confederates quickly."
"What would be our response then, sir Alvin?"
"…We've already done enough by assisting the escaping slaves from the south. If we meddle directly any more than that, we'd just gather unnecessary attention. Decline his request that we join the army but tell him that we would double our efforts in helping the slaves through the border."
"Understood, sir."
"Another thing… have our best spies infiltrate their dockyards and recover the engine that they stole from one of our workshops. If they want to power that crude imitation of our flagship, they will have to do it by their own inventiveness."
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As much as we have wanted to stay in that country where we can hide ourselves, changes in the world and its people brought us to hide instead in a place where there is no one who would even think of looking for us.
"A totally inconspicuous country… this is perfect for our family."
"You're right, Lilian. We just have to reintegrate again."
Soon, we would receive news that after wave upon wave of Malignances attacked our ancestral lands in the west due to the massive amounts of death in the battlefields there, the last seal of Matriarch Cecilia has been broken and our family that are keeping watch of it has all died out.
My family and I are the only ones left in this world and carrying our promise and names.
"We can do it, sweetie. You and I… and our children. We will carry that promise and our great name."
"Thank you, darling. I'm so happy that fate has not torn us apart."
Even in the lowest point of our lives, we will remain strong and able to fulfill our promises.
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Perhaps not even contented with the tragedies and deaths of not even thirty years ago, mankind once again stepped into the bloody abyss of war that conflagrated the world.
"The soldiers are roving around again to hunt for women."
"Should we evade them?"
"Evade them? Don't be absurd, Emil. When did we ever backed away from a fight? Men!"
Ultimately, we are outsiders in this world. But that doesn't mean that we can't associate ourselves with the nation that we currently belong to.
"For our people! For our freedom!"
"""For the motherland!!!"""
Though ultimately, we won't be the ones who would conclude this war, we would at least be the greatest nightmares of the enemies who have desecrated our lands and our people.
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"Fernandez! You look like you went through a wringer!"
"Speak for yourself, Packard. You look like you haven't showered for a while."
Though to us, a war waged for the sake of political ideologies is naught but a meaningless waste, at this time, we were soldiers subject to orders.
"You should try asking for a break and go back to Saigon sometimes. We're the ones who started this war and has the most at stake to finish it."
"Orders are orders, Packard. If anything, you should tell that to the Koreans. Instead of having officers to keep them from deserting, those guys are running their officers ragged trying to hold them back from brutalizing the enemy."
"Oh yeah, those guys. I've read the reports about them and let's just say that they really are very enthusiastic about this."
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Many more years will come and for a while, relative peace enveloped the world.
Although our family grew smaller and smaller because some have left the family completely, not believing any of the stories passed down to us, what little that remained in the main family line was at least able to maintain our oath.
However, that peace was broken after once again, with conflicting interests in economics, military and territory, the countries of the world waged war against each other and this time, brought not only themselves but the entire world into absolute destruction.
"Congratulations, Jonah! You passed the ACES exam!"
"R-Really? Yay!!!"
Still, we remained, only one little family to carry the extremely heavy burden of one day fulfilling our promise.
"Son, come here and listen to me."
"What is it, daddy?"
"You're old enough and are very smart to understand this now. So, I want you to listen carefully to what I am about to narrate to you."
I believe that soon… sooner than anyone would expect, that right time would finally come and we can finally fulfill our promise.
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That right time came… but instead of Jonah who was shaped and trained to handle all of it, it was his son who knew far too little about his family's utter importance in the fate of this world and the restarting of the war that will decide it once and for all.
After one thousand seven hundred and thirteen generations and a timeline that stretches from the very beginning of ascertainable civilization to what may be considered as the bleak dystopian future of the world, the last person and who shall now fulfill the promise stood against all that once flooded the world in chaos, bloodshed and utter suffering.
"It's good to see you again… my dear son."
"Mother…"
"Come sit beside me, sweetie. I have a lot of things to tell you while I still can."
Through centuries and Millenia, the oath that was given... has also been kept.