Virion Von Santos Sol.
That is my name. My title. Of prestige and grandeur.
The Santos Sol or the [ Sun Saints ], are an aristocratic family of the kingdom of Paura. Known for our golden blonde hair reminiscent of the sun and our excellent spiritual mana talents, we were a family of spellcasters who served the king.
Such was our identity.
Until a single mistake was committed by one of our own. And all things then came undone.
Thus, the Sols were now on the decline. We had been stripped of all the resources we once monopolised and none of our territories was ours any longer. Only our surname was left for us to wield, for the greatest of us had all been executed.
We... had been made into an example.
And now, it was up to my generation to revive it. That was why I was sent out, to study at one of the greatest schools in the known world, all the way out within the Great Plains.
Aethercaller University.
I just... didn't expect the difficulties that came with travelling towards it. Beasts, natural disasters, and bandits. The bane of every common traveller.
I also did not expect to lose nearly all of my companions to one untimely bandit raid.
"Haaaah," I sighed helplessly.
I allowed myself to breathe. The cold mountain air of the night coddled me with its gusts and breezes. The air in my lungs was fresh, untainted by the stench of human lifestyles.
"Sylfie..." I placed a hand on my dear friend's forehead, and she looked back at me with a weak smile. I met her aquamarine gaze as I brushed off a strand of light brown hair from her face.
"I... I'll be alright, oh great young master Virion... I'm resilient you know? So stop sighing. It doesn't suit you." Sylfie tried to raise her hand to grasp at my own, but she could barely lift her arm. Luckily, she still had her playfulness to her, which was a relief.
I needed her positivity now, more than ever.
"Alright, as you wish, my dear friend," I smiled back at Sylfie, "Now close your eyes. You need to rest."
"Aha~ Alright," Sylfie did as I asked her to and closed her eyes, "You should rest too. Your injuries are almost as bad as mine."
"I will, I will," I replied before watching as Sylfie instantly drifted into a world of dreams. Her breathing became rhythmic in the span of a few seconds.
Was the makeshift mattress really that comfortable? I couldn't help but wonder. I walked towards the person lying next to her and put a hand on the man's shoulder.
"Gunther," I nodded, "Any discomforts I can help with, perhaps?"
"Haha, well, young master, I would love it if you could get me a mug of beer. Just a bit of my favourite drink would do nicely as a source of comfort." Gunther smiled a wide smile.
This man here was one of my guards. A strong knight with sharp senses, Gunther used to train under my father's guidance. It was only when my father perished in a race for a certain resource did Gunther come under my rule.
Gunther was a good man. Just like Seth, who was chivalrous and rather heroic, Gunther had a strong sense of justice and integrity.
Although he was quite the drinker, everything else about him shone like the pure light of day.
"A beer?" I laughed, "Maybe when we get to town, my knight. It'll be on me."
Gunther's smile grew upon hearing my words. If he wasn't injured, I was sure that he would've been pumping his fist. "That's a promise right, young master?"
"It's a promise. Now rest before Miss Hailey reverts her healing on you for talking too much."
Gunther nodded and proceeded to breathe. He was likely trying to use physical mana to continuously monitor the state he was in. Although he had yet to fully grasp regeneration techniques, mana breathing was an important prerequisite for both mana regeneration and self-healing.
I turned around after completing my small task of checking up on the injured. I was happy they were alive, but I couldn't shake off the sorrows of losing sixteen people I considered friends. I walked over to the ruins of our bus and stared blankly at its black, burnt frame.
"That wizard scum!" I cursed with gritted teeth.
I could imagine why the situation turned out like this. That bandit wizard was a vile, vile traitor. They wanted the death of their comrades and using us was the perfect scenario.
That fireball was still a vivid image in my mind.
"If I even catch a glimpse of that bastard's cloak I—"
"Young master?" A voice suddenly called out to me. I had to cut my curses short.
"Kuhum," I cleared my throat and turned around, "Seth? What brings you here?"
"I just wanted to check up on the young master," Seth replied. A voice that was as firm and resounding as ever. This guard of mine was one of the few who was unscathed despite the battle and subsequent explosion.
"Then you have done so," I sighed and gestured for Seth to leave, "Please, I need some time alone."
"Very well, young master," Seth bowed and backed away.
Seeing that I was alone once more, I looked up at the night sky where thirteen moons danced with each other in a tide-calling performance. We were going to camp here, near what remained of our vehicle.
As I looked up, tears formed at the corners of my eyes.
"Why?" I asked shakily. "Why them, and why all at once?"
My emotions had a firm grasp on me. I knew that bottling it in would only be bad for my heart.
So I allowed myself to cry.
Even if only a little.
But once the dam broke, my tears came falling like a waterfall. Once I started, I couldn't stop. I fell to my knees as I cried silently in the darkness of the night.
I cried until my eyes grew dry.