Benedict stepped out of the military headquarters in Corasen and felt exhausted. He settled all the issues he had, and it was nearly nightfall already. But this was unavoidable. Officially, he was the captain of the one of the Aerial Guard squadrons in Fortress Fallinard. Yet, he showed up in General Gordon's convoy and returned to the capital. Anyone would see this as blatant desertion. According to Alzar laws, desertion was punishable by death. Though Grand Nobles had some sway in the decision, he had already deserted once in the past. If it happened again, even the Hawken Household could not save him. Therefore, he worked tirelessly to justify his return to the capital.
Seeing the soldiers celebrate, he sighed. They were given some time off before their next mission. Having survived on the battlefront and returned home, it was a tremendous accomplishment. One need only look at the Battle of the Millennium, where corpses formed mountains, to see how destructive the war was. For these valiant soldiers, they danced, sang, and partied like their last night. Others reunited with their families and cried tears of joy. Of course, there were mourners whose loved ones would never return. They would be lucky if even a single body part was returned to them. The parallels between happiness and sadness was clearly visible.
The knight was somber. He too had his own story. Although what he told Elizabeth was not a lie, it was not everything. How could anything ever be so simple? After Isabella died, Benedict was thoroughly devastated. Like Elizabeth, his world came crashing down and drowned him. Every day was a struggle. Every night was a pain. But he soldiered on. He thought he could become stronger. Yet, he was reminded over and over that the world was cruel and spared no one.
The Battle of the Millennium that spanned an entire province was like a meatgrinder for humans. People kept running in, but not leaving. It was the single largest burial ground in the known world. Death and life walked hand in hand, tempting the hundreds of thousands to their demise. Of course, Benedict was there as well and fought on the frontlines. He stood in the middle of the warzone as limbs, organs, heads, and blood went flying. Corpses were as common as grass. He could remember the screams, the bloodlust, the arrow storms as they filled the air, and the bombardment from thousands of spells. He hacked and slashed at anyone who came close. It was like the end of the world. However, the Battle of the Millennium came second in his mind. The first was undoubtedly the Golden Nightmare!
It happened a year ago, when the northern rebellion reached its climax and took over the capital of the Golden Province. They were infuriated over the lack of leadership in the Alzar Kingdom. After all, Lord Korogin staying as the temporary monarch for so long was truly unprecedented! They feared that the Royal Family would run the kingdom to ruin, so they rose up in arms. As the province was aptly named, the Golden Province was the main source of revenue for the Alzar Kingdom. Capturing it was like starving the kingdom dry, quickly making the situation worse. The rebels wanted to negotiate, but Korogin rejected them outright, sending in the military. Their orders were straightforward: kill anyone who resists.
With Ten Dawn Tengon leading the way, the Ten Dawn activated his largescale destruction spell and directly destroyed the provincial capital's defenses, allowing the army to march in. The rebels tried to repel the threat, but they were merely a ragtag bunch of men with swords. Compared to the battle-hardened soldiers, their lives were reaped without resistance. The city folk, who had secretly helped the rebels enter the city, were outraged and joined in the fight. Yet, much like the rebels, they were slaughtered. Rivers of blood flowed through the streets as bodies stacked up. Pictures flashed in Benedict's mind as he recalled it. He stood in front of a man whose sword was randomly picked up off the ground. His body was shaking, and his eyes were filled with fear. But he stood his ground. His wife and children were behind, cowering in fear. It was then that Benedict realized what he was doing. Killing his own people, was that why he became a knight? There, his fighting spirit thoroughly dissipated.
Afterwards, using his power as a Grand Lord, he forcibly left the army. Naturally, to his father who prided his family's reputation and honor above all else, with his cowardly son fleeing from battle, he was furious. Benedict became a sore spot in the otherwise spotless history of the Hawken Household. His father wanted to kick him out of the family, removing both his surname and his rights, but his brother deeply protested. Only when his brother threatened to leave the family as well, did his father finally relent. So, Benedict lived his dull days at home, doing nothing and seeking nothing. It was a few months ago when his father finally snapped, demanding that he would serve under Commander Christina at Fortress Fallinard. The condition for his return was the title of High Knight of the Realm! This was why Benedict expressed immense shock when Christina suggested giving him this rank. It was nothing but to appease his father!
Despite that, he came home with nothing to show for it! Benedict hesitated, but ultimately decided to go home. His carriage rode across the True Heart Bridge into Algard, before heading to the more remote locations on the island. This was where those Grand Nobility Households decided to take root, owning massive plots of land to develop. Mansions as big as an entire city block in Corasen were erected here, with gardens stretching even over more land. Elaborate art pieces, gorgeous architecture, and neatly maintained greenery were commonplace. Aside from Castle Reinhard, this was undoubtedly the richest place in the Alzar Kingdom!
Benedict alighted after arriving at his own home, which was in no way inferior to its counterparts. The guards recognized the young master and hastily opened the gates as servants came out to greet him. Each of them bowed in silence as Benedict walked by. Standing at the front of the house was the head servant of the Hawken Household. He was an elderly man but kept a straight back and flawless appearance. A trace of ridicule disappeared from his gaze when Benedict came closer.
"Welcome home, young master."
"Is my father home?"
"Sir Roland is not home right now. He is still serving as Prince Ranir's Protector after all." It was a thinly veiled jab. "Would you like me to send a message?"
"No, that's fine," Benedict said immediately, his heart relaxing. "Is anyone else home?"
"No one else is home."
"Is that so…"
He was not surprised. His family was always like this. His father was a Royal Guard, and his mother was the treasurer of an esteemed crafting union. His sisters were spread everywhere, and his brother was a Great Knight of the Realm. How could they have the time to relax like a normal family? That was impossible. Even so, Benedict was disappointed. Servants and guards may number in the hundreds here, but someone close was nonexistent. He stayed for a few hours before heading back to Algard. The Hawken Household was nothing more than an empty building to him.