It's the usual dream…The dream where the events of my life as Hakuya Soraki, are shown one by one, in a dark place.
From the part where I am abandoned by my parents, betrayed by my one and only little sister, rejected by my first and last love.
Last is the part where I died after getting run over by a truck.
Normally, it ends with this scene. However, the dream continued leaving me hiding my face with my knees that I was hugging, in a dark place.
"Do you wish to go back there?" asked a familiar voice. I raised my head, as I gasped. There was no one.
This voice… it is the same with the hoarse voice I heard that day, when I died.
Is he talking about the place I previously lived in? If that is what he's asking about, then I will easily answer…
"No" I spoke, as I slowly hid my face with my knees again.
I felt a slight touch, on my head. As I looked up, dusts were blown by a gust of wind and the hoarse voice left these words.
"Protect the life, friends, family and yourself that you have now. You won't have any chance like this, anymore"
As the dusts completely disappeared, I blinked. "Protect, huh" I mumbled, before biting my lips.
I couldn't protect them… Dad, Elicia, Seria and everyone… I couldn't protect them…
"..! Ed! Wake up, Ed!" A familiar voice woke me up, while I was shook by that person. "Russell" I mumbled, as I slowly sat down the bed I was laying at.
I looked around, and saw an unfamiliar ceiling.
Ah, right. I am not at the Emerald Palace, anymore. Right now, we are at Niahl's ship. Many things happened and led us to our current situation.
We are now going with Niahl and the members of the Black Knights of Vengeance to their place, at the land of luxury, Polytéleia's far off edge country.
"Bhergone" Russell spoke. "Hmm..?" I mumbled, as I drifted my focus from the book I was reading to him.
Russell smiled at me. "The name of the place we're going to. Bhergone" He stated. "Ah! Niahl said that, didn't he?" I mumbled, as Russell nodded.
The season had changed to winter.
It has already been weeks, since we left the Empire and travelled with Bhergone as our main destination.
Collect every orb of the sacred weapons.
That was the goal Niahl gave us…the path he made for us…for me to walk down and follow as I want.
Niahl told us that the story about the seven knights sealing off the seven great demons of sins is true.
Then, the continents that we see and live at are corpses of the seven great demons of sins.
"Ed" Russell called. I looked up at him, once again. "That book, you always have it with you. Is it something important?" He asked.
I looked at the book, on my hand.
"Yeah" I answered, as I looked at the title of the book. "Seven" Russell mumbled. "Why is it called so?" He asked.
I shrugged, "I don't know"
"Hmm…" Russell mumbled. He gasped, and stood up. "Ah! Ed, look at the sea!" He exclaimed, as he pointed the sea.
I sighed, before standing, "You've been pretty cheerful since we came here, aren't you?"
"Well, the ocean is clear enough to see many fishes, even from here. So, I guess it's normal for me to be this cheerful" He smiled at me. It's too bright…
If he wasn't a "He" this scene had been too similar at those of dating simulator games. I guess, he would pass as a target for those kind of games for girls.
Still, he is right…
Endless blue sky and ocean, both of them were stretching out to nowhere. The sea breeze felt too good, that I was about to forget my shaking feet.
"Ah! Look Ed!" He pulled me, out of a sudden. "Ah!" I unconsciously let out a voice, out of reflex.
I quickly sat back down, without taking a look at the thing he was trying to show me. "Ed?" he mumbled.
"Ah, right. I forgot that you are weak with waving rides, weren't you?" He stated. "You knew it, yet you pulled me up!" I complained. "Like I said, I forgot" he chuckled.
Am I the only one who can see the malice in your smile?
"What do you want to show me?" I asked, as I slowly stood. "Look!" he pointed to a land we can see.
Russell spoke, "Don't you think that "that" is Bhergone?"
"Maybe" I nodded, after taking a better look. "Good thing, then!" Russell smiled. "Eh, why?" I asked.
"With this, you can finally get off the ship and rest at land" He stated. "I don't really know if you're being kind or sarcastic, anymore" I mumbled.
We soon arrived at Polytéleia's far off edge country, Bhergone.
This place kinda reminds me of Orthorn Kingdom, the mood and the smell of beer, instead of knights everyone here are mostly adventurers, though.
Well, more than that…I am very glad that I finally got off the ship, after so many weeks! I clenched my fist, out of joy.
As soon as we got off, Niahl led us to their guild…hmm, guild?
Now that I think about it, Black Knights of Vengeance was a name of guild, wasn't it? I saw it written at my book. For some reason, it was there.
Black Knights of Vengeance is a hybrid guild that formed an alliance with the Doghanik Empire, thousand years ago.
It seems that this alliance broke off, just 5 years before their first leader's death.
At the time of alliance, the name they had was just Black Knights. Nothing is written about who and when was the name changed.
Niahl had already told us about the fact that their guild is a hybrid one, but the other things that were written in this book weren't.
Really, just what the heck is this book?
Niahl led us to their guildhouse. "Edelweiss" that's the name of our guild house" Niahl stated, as he showed us their guild house.
"Edelweiss… a white flower with a floral language of noble courage" Forth spoke, as he tilted his glasses.
Gino mumbled, "It is off to give a hybrid guild such name…"
Hybrid guild stands for a guild that accepts any job offers, after all. Whether it is search, rescue and even assassination, they will accept it.
Gino is right. To give a hybrid guild a name of a flower that means noble courage is really weird. Plus, it is a white flower that symbolizes purity.
"Doesn't it sound cool?" Niahl laughed off, as if he was trying to avoid the topic about their guild.
He looked at their guild house. "It is a name our First King…no, Queen gave" He stated.
First Queen..? If he is talking about the first leader of the guild, shouldn't it be a King? Or is he talking about the first leader, when they had their name changed?
"The Queen had the name of a flower, as well. Iris" Niahl stated. "A flower that represents faith and hope" Forth tilted his glasses, again.
Does he want to act cool?
"Was she your relative?" I asked. "I guess you can say she is, since she adopted me and took care of me, when I was a teen" Niahl stated, as we walked inside the guildhouse.
He added, "Like how I did with Qhuial and Hugo"
"Huh?!" We mumbled, late in reaction. "I picked those two half-dead in the street" Niahl stated.
I thought for sure that they were really related. Since both Qhuial and Hugo looked very much like Niahl, if you exclude Niahl's blonde hair, though.
Normally, only us the Imperial family would have hair the same color as gold would have.
So, I thought he might be a relative. But he didn't have the jewel blue eyes, which is the trademark of the Imperial family. That's why he isn't.
I yawned as I laid my back on the bed, in the room Niahl gave us. Our rooms were near to each other, with a fountain acting as a boundary.
My siblings' rooms were on the same floor, as Hugo and Qhuial's. It seems that both our floor and their floor have 7 rooms on it, so they have 2 empty rooms up there.
"So, I will be living here, from now on" I mumbled, as I looked at the unfamiliar ceiling.
Somehow, after coming to this world, I had gotten used to things, easily. Still…
Still, I can't get used to the fact that I don't have any place to go back at that Empire, anymore.
The home I've stayed my whole life, as Edward Finn von Collins. The family I've spent this life with. All of it are gone.
"I answered Niahl yes, when he suggested the plan to travel around the world and take revenge on the Cathedral.
But that is only because I didn't know what to do, anymore. Once all of these are done, what will be left for me to do?" I mumbled.
Future…I can't see nor imagine it. I just...I just feel too empty inside.
"Don't forget the promise…" I heard a voice echoed in my mind, as soon as I fell asleep. "It is something important, Hakuya" added the voice.