"His last words...."
The shocking revelations caused a deep puzzlement to everyone present there. Kakui wasn't the type of person to say things like this.
"You are lying, big brother wasn't the type of person to push his responsibilities on anyone, let us his loved kid."
Riaz held Milize tightly in her arms as the little girl had her tight. She was now scared of the things happening so suddenly around her.
"He didn't force it upon her, he gave her a choice."
"A choice?"
"She can either leave this rebellion behind and leave in peace out there or-"
Foal moved closer to Riaz and Milize, and after reaching a distance, he kneeled on his knee and moved his hands towards Milize.
"- You could fight for your dead father, respect his wishes and lead people behind you. Your age doesn't matter, Both I and your father see something in you. That's why he is letting you choose you, but what do you want?"
"What do I want?"
Proposed with the question, Milize's mind was filled with thoughts, the time she had enjoyed her time with her father and all the times he would talk about peace and happiness.
"Will you take my hand or will you leave?"
"Hey, you can't just give a little girl big choices like that. She isn't grown enough to learn things like this, You are just pushing your own decision on her."
Foal looked up with a notorious smile as he looked at Riaz and began speaking,
"Okay, we will go your way. The door is open for Milize to enter, It's your call, take her with you, tell her what should she do. Teach her as an adult but to me, it seems like she has already."
"What?"
Everybody looked directly at Milize, her face was as stoic as it could be, but her eye told that Foal was telling the truth.
Milize's eyes had no hints of doubt she was ready to take the role, she was prepared to bear the burden, something another kid her age could never understand.
"Follow me and I praise you for remembering our promise about helping me save your father. You will truly save his legacy."
No one said a word anymore, both of them walked ahead into the room of secrets, the point of no return.
Milize walked into another room, and the atmosphere completely changed.
The room was white and clean, had tables and was very well maintained. It had well-maintained equipment but in the centre lay a body.
"It that?"
In a queering voice, Milize asked, to clear her doubt.
"Yes, but I have a surprise gift for you."
"But you said-"
"He is alive."
"??!!!"
She was started by the fact and ran immediately to confirm it.
"Father?"
She looked at the body of the man, she loved the most. The lie of his death was now broken and moved her to tears. She held his hand, putting it above her head.
"Are you ok?"
As she moved his hand over her head gently patting it over her head, she asked the innocent question but to her request, there was no reply.
"Father?! Father?!"
"He won't be waking up."
"Why?"
"He lost too much blood; it took my doctors their best to save him but this is the best we can do. He can wake up at any moment but we have no control over when he will wake up."
"..."
At the moment she could not do anything, she picked up his hand and held it tightly, hoping one day he would wake up and live his life normally.
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But that day never came, Milize grew her understanding, skills, and technique, improved her tactics and faced the growing world around her.
Her most considerable success was winning the central city during the falling apart of the rebels, she secured her land while lading against the biggest people of Rebellion, facing her teacher Foal in a heated debate about the Divisions of kingdoms.
It was not easy for her to come this far, she was pressured, teased, unappreciated, neglected and underestimated. Still, whenever she returned to the room to visit her Father, she would bring herself the courage to move forward.
The present day was no different. She was sitting beside the bed on a chair, telling stories like it was a regular night. This thing had healed her heart for decades but today was different.
"I think I like that Shin guy, he stays with the soldiers, he is a goof sometimes but when he gets serious but he looks great. I hope he is ok...."
Tears were falling from Milize's eyes, she was losing the war at the moment. At the moment, she was just trying to run away from the reality that she was about to lose to Yuuka and soon she would be captured.
She was not able to protect Shin, the person who she came to like, not be on good terms with her sister and not being able to defend her capital by being away hiding somewhere.
"I don't know what should I do. I don't think I can do anything but it isn't my fault!"
In a crying and sad voice, Milize began to speak her heart.
She never told her mind to anyone, not even her father, she never complained and never tried to look weak but today was different.
She wanted to look weak and act like someone normal going through problems and being able to discuss their issues with their loved ones, but the reality was Milize had no loved ones. She was pushing her loved ones away from her as she did to Anju.
The girl's tears were worth a lot as they showed that she had stayed strong until she could.
Those tears showed the true worth of the person she became.
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Volume 2 ends.