Chapter 2: Misfortunes

Ｊ口ち卄ㄩ丹: The protagonist's story will continue in a few chapters, because it's necessary to read this first.

Year 215 of the Immortal God. (A couple of days earlier)

Kadian Helkar's Point of View

From Kadian to Dominic

It's been half a year since my brother Boris's coronation and betrayal, and I still can't understand why you decided to stay and investigate there, Dominic.

Right now, we're camping in the desert, a day away from Wesry, in Allister. We had to stop due to Irisha's condition. Upon investigating, it seems they've found our trail because the locals say many men from Clifland have arrived in the neighboring cities. To be honest, I don't think it'll be long before they find our camp.

But Dominic, here's the reason I'm writing this letter. If I survive what's coming, I'll hide in the south of the Kingdom of Flok for a few decades. I'll be there until my Legacy grows and can take care of itself.

I'll write you another letter if everything goes well in 10 years. Until then, take care of your family. I don't think Boris will stay idle.

Attention: Kadian Helkar

Will this be our end? No, I can't allow it. I'll do whatever it takes to keep my family safe. I told myself in an attempt to boost my morale.

After a while of reflecting on the letter I wrote, I replicated Dominic's mana and passed it through a fine golden thread. It's not exact, but this will do.

Folding the letter in half, I placed it inside a special envelope, which I then sealed with mana to prevent anyone from opening it.

Alright, now I need to give it to Poly. I thought as I approached the small bird that had been with me these past years.

"You're as healthy as ever," I said, petting it.

"Lord Kadian, did you call for me?" said my servant Kurt from behind the fabric door of my tent. "Yes, Kurt, come in, I want to talk to you."

Obeying, he entered silently and stood in front of me, then gave a small bow out of respect.

"Take a seat," I said, raising my right hand while creating a chair with earth magic behind him.

"You shouldn't have bothered, Lord Kadian," he said as he sat down. "It's no trouble. I called you to discuss what I found outside Wesry," I said before explaining our difficult situation.

"I understand... so it's likely they'll find us," said Kurt nervously after hearing my words.

"That's right, which is why I'll ask you this one last time," I said, looking directly into his eyes. "Are you sure you still want to accompany me on this journey?"

Kurt remained silent for a few seconds before responding to the last chance I gave him to escape all this.

"Lord Kadian, you should know by now, I've been with you since you were born, and I can assure you that my loyalty will always be with you, even if it means my death."

Kurt... I thought, smiling slightly. I appreciate your loyalty, but still... to the extent of putting your entire family at risk... If we manage to survive the upcoming battle, I'll make sure your family is never in danger again. I promised myself.

Kurt Rainhard had been my servant for over 110 years, which made him precious to me, like a brother. Despite being from the Rainhard family, who had served the Helkar for thousands of years, I treated him as an equal.

"I'm glad to hear that," I said, not bothering to hide my happiness at his words. "So tell me, Kurt, how is your family?" I asked while tucking the letter into Poly's back.

"My whole family is well, Lord Kadian. Only my daughter Zoe is worried, but that's normal for someone her age," he said with a hint of apology.

He's right, for someone like Zoe who is only 16, all of this must be very tough. I thought to myself. But at least I'm comforted knowing his wife Aria supports them.

Our small camp consisted of three tents. One was mine, where we kept all the plans and things we might need. The other was for my wife, as she was in delicate health due to her pregnancy. The last one was for Kurt and his family.

"True, but putting those topics aside, we'll take turns keeping watch to prevent those bastards from catching us by surprise," I said, looking at him for a moment before continuing my message to Dominic.

"I understand, Lord Kadian. In that case, I volunteer to keep watch today, so please get some rest," Kurt responded, standing up immediately.

"Alright… but remember, if you see or feel anything suspicious, come inform me right away," I said, signaling for him to leave.

Kurt bowed and left the tent, leaving me with Poly again. After changing my clothes, I went out with my bird to send her off.

"Poly, make sure this letter gets to Dominic," I said, looking at my bird without expecting her to understand me.

"I'm sure you'll be able to find him with this trace of Dominic's mana," I continued, tying the golden thread to one of her legs.

Imbuing my mana into her body, I gave the order for her to go and follow the mana trail from the thread.

"I hope we meet again someday," I said sadly as I watched my little bird ascend into the sky until she finally disappeared among the clouds.

Damn it! This whole situation is Boris's fault. I thought, clenching my fists in anger. I swear, when I see him again… I'll kill him.

After cursing for a few minutes, I calmed down and decided to check on my wife.

Irisha, my wife, was miraculously pregnant, so our future child became a priority over many things.

Looks like fighting will be inevitable…. I thought as I walked to my wife's tent.

Kurt Rainhard's Point of View

Lord Kadian, an admirable person, ambitious in power and knowledge, but also a bit naive and inexperienced. He thought Boris's men wouldn't find us, that we could easily cross to the Centrar continent, but he was wrong.

"Sh*t!" I cursed after confirming the dozens of men approaching from afar.

It's worse than we thought. I quickly realized, setting aside my frustration and anger as I rushed back to the camp.

It had only been a day and a half since Lord Kadian returned from Wesry. How the hell did they find us so fast!? I thought as I ran at full speed.

Despite the early hour, I found Lord Kadian training a few meters from his tent. As I approached, he turned to see me, and after seeing my face, he ordered us to move into his tent before I could say a word.

"How much time do we have?" he asked immediately once we entered the tent.

"There are two groups. The first consists of several scouts and mercenaries; they'll arrive in about an hour and a half. The other group will arrive an hour after that."

Lord Kadian didn't bother to hide his frustration upon learning that the battle was imminent.

"Tell me. How many are there, and what are their Ranks?" he asked, sounding worried.

"I sensed 122 men, 100 of Advanced Rank, 17 of Expert Rank, 2 of Legend Rank, and… and in the second group, 3 of Semi-God Rank." "Damn it!" Lord Kadian shouted in anger upon hearing the last part.

"Talk to your family, Kurt. We'll meet in half an hour," he said, signaling with his hand for me to leave.

"As you command, Lord Kadian," I responded immediately before leaving his tent.

Once outside, I let out a slight sigh from the various thoughts of frustration, anger, and worry flooding my mind.

Why!? Why did they have to find us today of all days!? Why is everything going wrong, damn it!? I demanded of the air as my wife's words echoed in my head. Why did they have to come just hours before Lady Irisha's delivery...

After several moments of rage, I managed to regain my composure. The best thing... the best thing would be to accept it and tell my wife. I just hope she takes it well.

As I approached our tent, I could hear some shouting from my daughter, which stopped once I entered. "-owe them nothing! If we keep going like thi—"

When our eyes met, she moved to the side, trying to hide her clear anger. This girl is not helping…

"We need to talk," I said, looking at my wife, who was still disheveled from the early hour.

"What's wrong, Kurt? Is something the matter?" she asked with concern, noticing my mood.

"Yes, Aria, Boris's men have finally found us." "See! I told you if we stayed with them, they'd find us!!" Zoe shouted at the top of her lungs upon hearing my words.

"Zoe!" Aria shouted, pulling our daughter's arm. "I will not tolerate more rebellion. You don't know how much we owe Lord Kadian and his family."

"But still… if we stay with them, we'll die!" Zoe said before breaking free from my wife's grasp, creating a brief silence in the tent.

"Daughter, I won't let that happen. I'll do everything I can to prevent it," I said sincerely.

She looked at me for a few seconds before leaving the tent, angry and silent.

I know she's only 16, but still, she's so stubborn sometimes. I thought, annoyed.

Aria, after a long sigh, began to fix her hair while thinking about what to say.

"Kurt, how many are there?" she asked after a minute of silence.

"122, mostly Advanced Rank, two of Legend Rank, and… and three of Semi-God Rank."

Understanding the danger approaching us, Irisha just stared at me for a second before continuing to fix her hair. "...I see."

Worried about her opinion, I gathered enough courage to ask her more directly. "Love, what do you think?"

"That it will be difficult," she replied immediately.

Huh? What the heck does that mean? Is she agreeing or not? I thought, unable to tell if she was worried or angry since her face showed no emotion.

"You're right," I said after pushing aside some unnecessary thoughts.

"Lord Kadian is stronger than an average Semi-God Rank, and I could barely fight one, but still, there are three of them…." I said with some frustration at the end.

"Don't worry, dear. I know I won't be much help, but this time I want to fight alongside you," she said gently before showing a smile in an attempt to calm me.

"What!?" Despite her sweet efforts, she managed to keep me from getting more nervous than I already was.

"What the heck are you saying!?" I said, raising my voice unintentionally. "As you heard, Kurt. And before you say anything, I'm aware that I'm the weakest among us, but I still know I can be of help," she said, looking me in the eyes.

"You're not going. I can't allow it, Aria, you could get hurt—" "Kurt, they'll need all the help they can get, and you know that," she said, cutting off my words.

Damn it! What do I do? I don't want to put her in danger, but she's right…

"Fine, you'll come with us, but you'll follow every order we give you. Understood?" I said, looking her in the eyes. "Yes, love!" she responded happily before giving me a tight hug and then a kiss.

Still thoughtful about my decision, we started getting ready for the upcoming battle.

...

"May we come in, Lord Kadian?" I asked from outside the tent. "Come in, I'm just finishing the strategy," Lord Kadian responded in a much calmer voice.

"Understood." As we entered, we saw Lady Irisha lying on her bed against one of the tent walls. She looks better than last time; it seems Aria is doing a good job.

On the other side of the tent, Lord Kadian was examining a map with his back to us.

"Ahiseo Kurt, Ahiseo Aria," Lady Irisha greeted us warmly as we entered. "Ahiseo Lady Irisha. Are you feeling better?" I asked, moving to the center of the tent with my wife.

"Yes, today I'm more stable than the previous days," she replied with a smile. "Kurt," Lord Kadian said, cutting off our exchange.

"Are you sure about involving your wife in this?" "Yes, Lord Kadian, I spoke with her and we decided to fight together for the sake of the Helkar family," I responded with determination.

He looked at us curiously and after examining us for a second, he turned his gaze back to the map. "I respect your determination, so let's start planning the massacre of those scum," he continued with a slight smile on his face.

°°°

The plan against the first group was simple but effective. Aria would cast a powerful spell to force the enemies to scatter, trying to reduce their numbers in the process. Lord Kadian would go to the front to exterminate as many people as possible, while I would stay in the middle to cover my wife against those who would try to go after her.

"But my Lord, there's something I don't understand. Will we have enough time to finish them off before the Semi-Gods arrive?" I asked, doubtful about Lord Kadian's plan.

"No, that's why our job is to take out the strongest ones from the first group, leaving Aria to finish off the rest," he said, looking at my wife. "While the two of us will fight the three Semi-Gods in this location," he said, pointing to a part of the map.

"Alright…" I nodded, another doubt in my mind after hearing his words. "Then, for the second group, the strategy will be as follows. Kurt, in the middle of the battle, you will take one of them to a distant place, so I can fight the other two alone."

Damn it! I was afraid he'd ask me something like this. "It will be necessary if we want to win, because if the two of us fight them, I won't be able to protect you as I should, and if you die, I'll die too," he said, looking me in the eyes.

"But my Lord, fighting one alone would be…" I said nervously at the mere thought of fighting such an enemy.

"Don't worry, Kurt. I'm not asking you to win the fight, just to hold out until I finish killing the other two and come to support you," he said, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"Alright, Lord Kadian, I'll hold one of them off until you finish your fight," I said after a few seconds of silence.

"Good, then by the time that happens, Aria will have finished, so assuming I'm very tired or maybe injured, she'll support us from a distance."

What? He wants Aria to join that fight? I thought, worried. If she comes, she'll be in great dang— "Don't worry about me, Kurt, really, I've improved a lot since the last time you saw me fight. It won't be a problem for me to go support you," she said, seeing my face full of doubts.

"But even if you say that, Aria, if you go… all this will be very dangerous for you!" I said, letting my final words come out louder than I wanted. "I'm sorry, Kurt and Aria, because of me you have to go through all this…." Lady Irisha said, looking down.

Come on! I cursed inside, seeing her expression change to one of sadness.

"It's not your fault, Lady Irisha. Our family is here to serve you under any circumstances, even if it leads us to death," my wife responded with a smile.

"Yes, I know… thank you both for all your help," she said, returning the smile to my wife.

—COUGH—

Lord Kadian coughed, bringing us back to the conversation. "If there's nothing else to clarify, we leave in 10 minutes. By the way, it would be good for you to talk to your daughter," Lord Kadian said, rolling up and putting away the map.

He's right, it's best to talk to her, after all, we might not see her again. I thought, being realistic about this difficult situation.

After one last bow, I left the tent with my wife. "Love, I want to talk to her first," I said outside the tent. "Understood, in that case, I'll see if we need anything," Aria said as she returned to our tent.

After looking for Zoe for a minute, I found her sitting near the Helkar Family dragons. Seeing her from a distance, I noticed she was sad and thoughtful, moving the sand with her finger from side to side while looking down at the ground.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" I said when I was just a few meters away from her. Hearing my voice, she turned for a moment before returning to her previous position.

"You know I'm not," she responded in a very subdued voice. "Listen, sweetheart, I know you don't like the idea of being chased, but you have to understand th—"

"If only we were being chased and no one would get hurt, it'd be fine!" she said quickly as tears started to fill her face. "But… but now Mom and you could die."

Zoe… I thought as I saw her face full of helplessness. Realizing I wasn't going to say anything, she looked to the side to wipe away her tears while calming her breathing.

"Father," she said firmly after a while. "I want to go with you—" "No," I responded immediately, cutting off any chance of her finishing that sentence.

"I know I won't be much he—" "No." "But Father! I wa—" "No!"

The idea of my daughter being on an almost suicidal mission was something I absolutely wouldn't allow.

Damn it! I can't let her go…. I thought, searching for an excuse.

"Listen, sweetheart," I said, squatting down. "Promise me that no matter what happens, you won't follow us. Today is Lady Irisha's delivery, and if we don't get back from the battle in time, you'll have to help with the birth."

"But Dad…" "If you want to help us in any way, do as I ask. You'll see, everything will be fine," I said, giving her a warm hug.

"…I understand," she answered with disappointment and frustration in her voice.

It bothers me a bit to lie to her, but it's for the best. Although what I told her might come true, if it does, there won't be any problem anyway. After all, Aria trained her for a situation like Lady Irisha's.

"Sweetheart," I said, stroking her head. "You don't have to be anxious about your mother's and my well-being. I swear on my life that I'll do everything possible for us to come out of that battle alive."

Hearing my words, Zoe turned her face to look at me again. "Do you mean it?" she said hopefully.

"Yes, my beloved daughter, and I promise that in five years, everything will be like it used to be," I responded with a smile on my face. "Alright, Dad. If that's the case, good luck out there!"

The look on her face is changing, and that makes me happy. I thought, feeling calmer. But even so, from her tone of voice and expression, it was clear she still had doubts.

As we separated, I started to feel Aria approaching, making me think about the battle again.

"Here comes your mother, so please talk to her too," I said before Zoe nodded at me with a smile.

Then, I smiled at my wife to let her know everything had gone well with our daughter, making her feel more at ease. I'd better go to Lord Kadian to see if I can help him with anything.

After a few minutes, we both came out ready, and when I went to call my wife, I found her giving our daughter a kiss on the forehead.

Seeing me, she spoke a bit more with Zoe, and both quickly came to meet me.

"Good luck!" Zoe finally shouted to bid us farewell as the three of us walked further and further away from the camp.

I hope this was the best decision I could have made. I thought nervously, feeling our enemies in the distance.

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