"Huh? Ghart? Are you talking about me?" I asked, in confusion. "Who else would we be talking about?" Niahl asked me, with a dumbfounded face.
We looked at each other, as we tilted our heads to the side, in confusion.
I took a deep breath in and out. "I get the very point that you are having a great misunderstanding about me!!" I shouted.
"Ed's Ghart-sama…" My friends mumbled. "Like I said, it is a misunderstanding!" I retorted, as I looked at them. "Plus, what is the reason for you to believe that I am Ghart?" I asked.
Somehow, I'm getting déjà vu with this…
"That is something I can't easily say" Niahl mumbled, as he looked down. "Why?" I asked. He remained silent, and looked at me.
No… it is not me that he is looking at. It is them…
I looked at Gino and the others. "Well, I can ask that anytime. Second, how did you even learn of the fact that I was targeted by someo--" I was suddenly interrupted.
A blue butterfly flickered, in front of me.
"Eh?" I jolted, as I saw it. "What is wrong?" Niahl asked, as he stood up quickly. "You can't see it?" I asked.
Niahl mumbled, "See what?"
"A butterfly" I answered, as the butterfly went behind me and I turned to follow it with my eyes. "Butterfly..? What are you talking about?" Niahl asked.
The butterfly disappeared, right in front of me. I mumbled, "It's gone"
"Eh?" Niahl mumbled. I turned to look at Niahl and the others. "It suddenly disappe—" before I could even finish my sentence, I was interrupted by a sudden large explosion.
I mumbled as I turned, "Eh?"
Before my eyes were a scene I didn't wish to see or even imagine, even for a few seconds or minutes.
Had I always wondered if this day would come? Yes I did, it was out of worry since everything had gone too well.
Never would I expect that this kind of tragedy awaits me.
"Father!" I shouted, as I started running towards the Emerald palace which had smoke coming out. "Wait, Ed!" Gino called out to me, as they chased over me.
No…
No.
No!
Please, be safe. Father! Elicia, Seria, Everyone! I don't want this!
No!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Everything has an end. Whether it is a good thing or a bad thing, it will meet its end. A great example of that is a human's life.
We can't control it. Because it is not on the top of our small palms, but is on the top of God's palms.
If someone dies, we can only grieve, regret and cry. That's how weak we are.
But we can at least…" Somehow, I remembered the words Dad used to tell me when I was a kid, back on my past life.
Come on, don't jinx me like that, my mind!
Smoldered into ashes, the palace I once spend my life trying to have a normal life, had begun to sink into the deeps of my memories.
Without any sign of anyone surviving, the palace had been torn apart.
I fell down onto my knees. Tears kept on flowing out from my eyes. My body won't stop shivering.
This is it… This is the thing I had fear of. It has come to tear me apart. It has come to break me inside…
I clenched my fists with anger, as I panted heavily. "No!!!!!!!" I wailed.
The others came soon. "Ed, look out!!" Reina called out to me. As I turned to look at her, I was suddenly hit by arrows.
"Eh?" I mumbled, as I touched my ribs. When I look at my hand, blood was seen.
I mumbled, "It hurts…" before collapsing down the ground. "Ed!" They shouted, like echoes yet without any more reflection.
…
"Are you seriously listening?" The usual black-haired boy asked. I gasped, and turned to look at him. "Of course! About the fishes, right..?" I smiled.
He slightly glared at me. "You're not listening, I get it" He sighed. He changed his vision to the girl picking flowers behind us who were fishing.
"What's wrong?" I asked. "Hmm? Nothing, I guess" He smiled, as he looked at me before looking up at the sky.
That smile of him looked so sad, as if he was like…
Like me.
…
I opened my eyes slowly.
"Ghar…I mean, Ed-kun" Niahl stuttered. "Like I said, I am Edward Finn von Collins. Not Ghart, Niahl…" I sat up.
He nodded. "I know, Ghar…I mean Ed-kun" He said. "Sheesh, what a bad habit you caught there… Where are we?" I asked.
"Inside my ship, we carried you here as soon as we realized that the archers have left" Niahl stated.
I looked down at my ribs, which was covered with bandages. "I see, like Father said you weren't really enemies. But I need you to explain yourself" I looked at him with a stern face.
"Ok, it will be a long story, but hear me out" he stated.
Niahl then repeated the things Qhuial told us earlier, and gave a few addition to it.
It seems like the reason why they thought I am Ghart, is because a spy of them that oversees the events in the academy saw me talking with Elia… I mean Exelia, the Goddess of Light.
To think that there are people who still remember her. Hmm, wait just how did they knew she was Exelia.
"That is complicated and is confidential" Niahl stated.
It felt like Niahl was still hiding many things from me, but I didn't try to pry more into it.
And as exchange, more or less I thought it was proper, I told Niahl everything that happened to me so far.
"A demon in the Empire and the serenade..?" Niahl mumbled, and I nodded. "How come, if I am right the Cathedral has burnt that thing" Niahl said.
I spoke, "But they didn't" he looked down. "There are also those cells down the Empire which caught my mind" I mumbled.
"Is there a possibility that it is the Cathedral the one that is targeting me?" I asked. "There is, but we can't just say it out of spurt" Niahl stated.
Niahl mumbled. "Since, the Cathedral has exactly the same power as the Emperor, doing so might just backfire at…us…" with the last words said in a different tone.
"How about the Commander of knights..?" I asked, but stopped as soon as I saw Niahl mumble something to his self.
He mumbled, "If the Emperor happened to die, the Prime Minister would take rule for a while.
But if they acknowledge that there is no one that can inherit the throne, the Cathedral will assign a person they think is suitable to be the Emperor.
That means even if they call the Emperor, Bishop and the Commander of Knights as People with equal terms.
If the Emperor died, the Bishop will control the Empire leaving the Commander of Knights with no power" Niahl mumbled.
After a minute of silent, as if Niahl managed to line out his thoughts. "I just concluded our enemy to one, Ed" He said, as he suddenly called me without any honorifics.
…
The next day, Niahl explained his thoughts to us.
About how the Cathedral will be the first in line to rule the Empire, with the death of the Emperor and is a great proof of their assassination to the Imperial Family.
"I guess they really did well…
Since, no one would ever suspect them for killing the Emperor. Plus, they get to have someone they can control to rule the Empire. How greedy of them to do so, though" Qhuial stated.
Niahl stated, "But, it's not like everything is already done for. We still have hope, don't we?" He looked at us siblings. "It might be a little hope, but it can turn big soon"
"But even so our enemies aren't all of them adults? It's something we can't go against" Anna said.
Niahl smirked. "Don't you guys have us? Two heads are better than one. I'm sure we can do it, don't you worry!" He stated. "I agree with you Niahl!" Gino nodded. Niahl fist bump with him.
They are already getting along…
"But, even so, we need strength. Like, Ed said our foes have possibly made the demons their allies. So we need the force to fight those" Niahl said.
Had I said such thing?
"But, how can we find that strength?" Kirt asked. "That's easy, cause it is spreaded out the whole world" Niahl smirked.
We exclaimed, "HUH?!"
"Don't you kids know it? The 7 Sacred weapons" He said, pointing at us. "The weapons the 7 holy knights used to fight the seven deadly demons?" Russell asked.
Niahl flicked his fingers, "Yep, that! We're going to find those!"
"Don't joke around us, don't you realize how much large this world is! Plus, we all know it is just fairy tale, right?" Forth complained.
Niahl smirked. "Are you well aware where the Ether we're using now is coming from?" Niahl asked. "No…" We shook our heads.
"It came from the sacred weapons' orb. As long as the sacred weapons are here in this world we can use Ether and live for 100 to 300 years..! " Niahl said.
Forth gasped, "Then if we took those, wouldn't the human realm die?"
"Non, non" Niahl shook his head. "Like I've said, as long as they are here we can use Ether and live for 100 to 300 years"
He continued. "If they are activated, maybe 100 years isn't a dream" The others looked at him with indescribable faces.
"Can you guarantee that we can find them all?" I asked. "Of course, I happen to have one in Polyteleia. With one in sight, the others are a piece of cake to find" He said.
I nodded, "Alright"
"Hmm, are you ready for a once in a lifetime adventure?" Niahl said. "Of course!" I answered, and Niahl looked at the others.
Gino shrugged his shoulder, "If Ed's going then I'll go!" Forth tilted his glasses. "No isn't an option" He stated.
"It seems fun enough to keep me awake for a long time" Kirt yawned. Russell smiled in agreement behind him.
Reina fluttered her hair, "I'll go too" Anna went behind her and nodded with a cute serious face.
"Puu!" Lux spoke.
Things might have moved fast, but we got no choice but to follow its flow. I had made my decision.
If the Cathedral is really our enemies, like what Niahl have said they are doing it for power, that is somewhat for certain.
But, then… for what reason are they targeting me?
I need to know it. I need to know why everything… all of this had happened. To know that, I will even adventure up to the end of the world!