1 Those treading on the path of their own choice
An infirm child laid in his hospital room, the only place he had ever experienced since birth. He was born with a rare and deadly disease that required constant care.
The staff all knew him and cared for him as one of their own. Every night one of the nurses would read him a story, trying to give him solace and let him experience the world he never would.
This night was different. The boy was gasping for air and his heart monitor began to behave erratically. The nurse knew what was happening.
The disease had progressed to its final stage, total organ failure. She called the code and the doctors rushed into the room.
Despite their best efforts, the boy's short life was over. But, when the boy thought it was all finally ending, he can now no longer burden his parents.
He was born again, from the womb of a brown-haired woman who held onto him with care, he was ultimately confused as to what was going on.
He'd look down to see hands that were multiple times smaller than the one holding unto him. A woman with glasses then approached them both. He looked upon the glasses to find out that he was an infant.
He cried, but he noticed a cry that he had seldom heard, a cry of joy. After the boy passed out, he was carried on his back by a gallant figure with dark grey hair and a pair of silver eyes.
Many months had passed, and the boy. He was named Arche, and could now crawl around the house.
With his newfound ability, he'd find that there were two bedrooms. One was his and the other one was his parents' room. The room next to his was the toilet, whereas the room next to his parents' was the office.
One night, Arche could not sleep. He noticed the door wasn't shut completely. Knowing that, he crawled outside the door. Upon exit, he noticed that there was a room with its light still turned on. It was the office.
He crawled to the front door only to be discovered by his mother, Sunny. Sunny with her pair of glasses on, approached Arche. She bent down and asked Arche.
"Arche? What are you doing here instead of sleeping?" she asked with a soft smile on her beautiful face.
Arche was flustered. After a moment of quick thinking, he pointed toward the books. Sunny noticed his little fingers and looked back then asked Arche another question.
"The books? Do you want me to read your stories? Hmm… what to do… if I read you a story, will you fall asleep?" she said with her index finger touching her soft lips.
Arche nodded and smiled. Sunny noticed his smile and agreed to read him books.
"Alright, but only because you agreed to sleep afterward," she said with her puffed cheeks.
Sunny later sat down with Arche. That night became a precious memory for Arche. After that night, Sunny would read Arche stories every night until he falls asleep.
Those stories would eventually prove itself be useful. They helped with Arche's talking, writing, and reading.
On one full moon, Arche could not sleep. Even after his mother had read him stories. He wondered why he could not sleep.
Swish
Sounds were coming from across the window.
He opened the glass window to find that it was his father. He was practicing his spear arts with all the powers that his gallant figure holds.
Arche stood from the other side of the window, while Damian, his father was practicing on the other side. Completely engulfed by the moonlight radiated from the full moon.
Damian looked to his right, he noticed a smudge on the corner of his eye. It was Arche. Damian stopped for a moment and walked towards Arche. He picked him up, then sat him down on the backyard bench and whispered to Arche.
"Here, you can sit here. Now, you can watch your father better from here," said Damian with a grin that spans his whole face.
After he had sat down Arche, Damian continued with his beautiful and mesmerizing arts. But Arche had yet to walk. He later fell asleep on the bench, basked in the tranquil moonlight.
Two years had passed. It has now been around three years since Arche arrived in this world. Arche's needs now were far fewer than when he was younger. With that in mind, Sunny could now begin her studies of the management of the city with her father.
Arche's grandfather was very insistent on her learning as soon as possible. But Sunny was stubborn, she compromised with him until Arche was old enough so Damian could takeover.
Whenever Sunny was out of the house, studying with her father. Damian would bring Arche out, he told Arche one of his reasons for doing so.
"Now that your mother is busy, you can learn more things with your father here," said Damian with a cheeky little snicker.
One afternoon, when Damian was out patrolling with Arche. Arche noticed there was a pup being beaten to pulp getting kicked and punched within an alley. He had enough. He was as red as a tomato. He yelled out to the offenders.
"STOP THAT RIGHT THIS INSTANT"
"Who are you to tell us to stop?" asked the fat boy in an imposing manner.
"Who I am is not important. What's important is that you stop kicking that poor thing," replied Arche with his face still full of rage.
"HAHAHAHAHA" the three boys laughed out loud.
"Stop laughing! Or…" Arche paused then looked left and right, Damian wasn't near him.
"Ooh, scary! Or what?" said the lanky one with a tone full of mockery.
"Or… …I'll be forced to fight you!" Arche said with his fist high up in the sky with drops of sweat running through his body.
"Fight us, he says," said the other one while he covered his face, laughing hysterically.
"You guys stay behind, I'll deal with this kid myself," said the fat one with a menacing smile.
The fat boy then walked toward Arche. He was hitting his fist against his palm along the way. The boy's smile got wider and wider as he got closer to Arche.
He lifted his fist high up into the sky. To an extent where Arche couldn't see anything but an eclipse.
[Why is his fist moving slowly?] thought Arche.
In reality, the boy's fist was not moving slowly at all. He swung down with all his might as if a meteor was falling.
Swoosh
Arche dodged his fist. The fat boy was frozen stiff, confused. Yet he was so confident on his fist that it didn't make him falter. He later said.
"You won't be as lucky the second time, you cocky brat-!"
The fat boy swung again with all his might. But at the last second, a hand bigger than Arche's head appeared in front of his face. It made his view pitch black. It was Damian. He had covered Arche's face with darkness then said.
"I think that's enough, don't you think?"
"Huh? Old man, who are you?" asked the tall boy with a mocking tone.
"I'm this boy's father" claimed Damian with closed eyes and a sly smile.
"Huh~? Even if you are this brat's father, you can't tell us what to do," said the fat boy with a pretentious tone.
"Ha~ I knew this'll happen, well~ I brought some people who can," said Damian with a composed look.
"That's impossible, no one can tell us what to d-"
The fat boy's talk was interrupted. When he looked up, he saw shadows of giants. They covered the sunlight. He saw that there were three people that were as imposing as Damian.
They were other adults, three of them to boot. The bearded and muscled man with a bald initiated the talk before the other two had the chance.
"Hey, Magnus. So this is what you've been doing whenever you said you wanted to play with your friends?"
"F-Father, I-I can explain," replied the fat boy with sweat dripping down from his body.
"Enough! You'll get back home with me now!" yelled out his father.
"Okay, father…" reluctantly replied Magnus as he followed his dad away.
"And you! I thought I told you to study at the library. Yet you're here? Abusing animals and people alike? I'm disappointed. Now go to the library and reflect upon yourself," said the tall and lanky adult while pointing his hat down.
"Okay, father. I'm sorry." replied the lanky boy while he headed down the street towards the town's library.
"And you… Do I need to say more? Go home!" said the last adult.
"Okay…" replied the last boy.
Two weeks after that whole fiasco had ended, Arche headed towards the town's library. He went there with the intention to study the geography and topography of this town and its surroundings. In the meantime, he'd also look if there were any other towns nearby his.
When Arche got there, his hazel eyes were greeted by familiar figures who sat down at a table and were reading. It was the three boys he met the other day.
They were peacefully reading books together. Arche ignored them as he wanted nothing more from them.
Arche walked in his direction. He headed to the bookrack where he could find maps. Which should help him study the geography and topography of his town.
From the information he had gathered, his town is located in between 4 other towns. The town of Nirdt, is located North with a slight angle to the west of his town. The Weiss to the West of him. Then the Eintrak to the East. Lastly, the Sultru to the South.
Arche, at that moment, remembered what his mother, Sunny, had said in the past about each of their mayors.
The town of Nirdt is led by the Nirbhao family's head. He was known for his hunting habits and his bold personality.
Their process of electing a mayor is that they are selected based on strength and tenacity. While also having the required intelligence to not make rash decisions.
The town of Weiss is led by a group of four elders and is represented by a singular person. Each of the elders has different jobs. Such as military, economic, religious, and foreign affairs. The requirement needed to have a seat within the elders is to be on top of those four departments.
Whereas the town of Eintrak's mayorship is selected the same way as his. Yet not exactly the same as his. Their way is by blood inheritance, where only the family's male members are to inherit.
There was a single difference in Chen's way of electing. Is that as long as they are competent, they can be selected as the next mayor.
Another fact is that the current mayor of Eintrak is a greedy pig. Known to indulge in worldly matters.
Last, is the town of Sultru. They are led by a magnanimous and kind mayor. At least that's how their citizens view them. And whenever Arche visited Sultru, he'd be kind to him and his family.
But one night. While Arche was in Sultru. He went out into the street with Damian. And he spotted what seemed to be Sultru's mayor. Sneakily heading towards a dark alley.
This mater raised his suspicion. A question of whether he was the mayor of Sultru, or was he just a mere puppet. Doing his every move without his own free will.
