[["Galleo! Why can't you let go of your pride for once?! It's your mother were talking about here!" Marianne angrily shouted at Galleo.
"You're telling me to humiliate myself as a lowly mercenary?" Galleo huffed.
"Galleo, you know some Earth Magic right? Please, my husband. If you want to get enough money for us, for your mother's treatment. Venicia's paying good money for Magicians against Brune. We need that money, you know that..." Marianne pleaded.
"If you really needed money why don't you start selling weapons in the Smithy, huh?! You're the one who won't let go of petty pride!" Galleo angrily huffed once more.
"I can't believe you said that..." Marianne couldn't retort against Galleo's words.
"Fighting in a war, selling weapons, what difference does it make?" Galleo didn't let his point go.
"Throughout our marriage, I have supported and encouraged you, I have been frugal with every coin we had so you can do your experiments and build your machines! But I will not dirty my father's legacy by selling dirty murder weapons" *Bang* Marianne ran away in grief as she shut the door close behind her.
"Haa..." Galleo sighed in guilt. He knew what Marriane meant when told him to work for Venicia's Army. As an Earth-Based Magician, he would've probably been put on defense duty and not on the actual battlefield.
It was a safe and reliable way to earn good money, but his pride as a Scholar didn't want him to work as a mercenary.
"Mother... Mama, are you ok?... I might join Venicia's defensive to earn some money for your" Galleo visited his mother to tell her his decision.
"No. My disease can't be treated anymore... It's too late. Instead, continue your project! That Elektric Batterie you talked about just might get noticed this time. Make me proud, my son!" *Cough Cough* Galleo's mother encouraged him as she feebly coughed.
"I don't know mother... This is my fifth time. Maybe I... I wasn't as talented as I thought..." Galleo confessed the pessimism that formed inside him as time went on, and age started to strengthen its grip on his dreams.
"Nonsense my son! I'm sure you'll do it this time! You always do, don't you? My cheeky boy"
"M-Mama!" Galleo once again felt motivated when he heard his mother's words and began once more to work.
*Tang tang tang* *Clang clang clang* Galleo worked the forge while his wife was behind him, pouting.
"Hey... I was wrong. I shouldn't have said those words" Galleo asked forgiveness while his working the forge.
*Sigh* "I'm sorry too... I shouldn't have forced you to do something you didn't want to" Marianne sighed as she gave Galleo a back hug.
Galleo wanted to tell her she didn't do anything wrong, and that it was just him being stubborn. But his pride still came between him and being honest with her.
Galleo greatly regretted this...
[If only I could go back] Galleo constantly thought every day.
Galleo worked hard every day and made constant changes to the project he was going to present in the next Philosopher Entrance. This was his fifth Entrance already, and he wanted to make sure he was at least recognized as a Candidate. Then he would finally get the chance to work as a Junior Scribe at the Philosopher's Tower and maybe get the recognition he deserved, finally bringing honor to his Teacher Sisario.
"A jog that produces small amounts of lightning..." The Philosophers weren't impressed.
"Yes! I call it an Elektric Copper Batterie! It can continuously produce small amounts of lightning as long as you pour vinegar here! Or even wine! You can use it to stick goldplate on silver" Galleo enthusiastically explained.
Sadly it didn't impress the Philosophers, not one bit. They were even slightly disappointed as the complex machine was useless compared to Galleo's past exhibitions.
And just like that, thanks to the ignorant prejudice of a bunch of Scholars, Galleo couldn't even make his mother proud during her final days...
Intense regret and despair consumed Galleo as he repeated his mistake with Sisario. Maybe he wouldn't have made it if not for the support of his loving wife and precious daughter...
"Shhh, don't cry...It's alright, everything will be ok" Marianne comforted Galleo during one of his emotional breakdowns. But sadly, Galleo's life never did become ok...
*Cough cough cough* "Is that you Galleo?" Marianne weakly asked as she reached out her hands towards the noise.
"It's me, honey. I've brought your the medicine"
"..." Marianne was silent for a while before she continued:
"Let me touch your face..."
Galleo came closer to his now blind wife. Three years after his mother died, his wife suddenly contracted another rare disease just like his wife, and now she was crippled and blinded by the disease.
Due to this and the financial problems they were having. Galleo was forced to throw away his pride and worked for the Venician Defense against Brune who was currently in the process of Annexing Venicia. He even worked on the dangerous frontline just to pay for his daughter's education and wife's medication. But the medicine was still not showing any results.
He was just here temporarily during his day off from the army to buy the medicine for his ill wife. Luckily, as an Earth Magician, he wasn't needed 24/7 on the battlefield.
"I'm here, Marianne..." Galleo let his wife touch his war-roughened face. [ Why? Why must it be you?!...] Galleo cursed Fate that mercilessly blinded his wife.
"I'm sorry you had to go through this" Marianne sighed. She knew the sacrifices Galleo made just to get her medicine.
"It's alright, life as an army mage wasn't as bad as I thought" Galleo joked.
But his time in the army abruptly came to an end when news that Venicia had signed the Vassalage Treaty with Brune, making Venicia a new province of Brune, part of the eastern territories.
As he marched home, already devastated by the news of their loss in the war and the raised taxes they were about to experience due to the Vassalage Treaty, Galleo was met with even more devastating news when he returned home.
"Papa!" Iliria ran up to him as she hugged him tightly...
"Mama, she... she didn't make it"