If a man draws his sword before you, you should kill him. That's how I had to live most of the time, though it was more about survival.
My most faithful companion was always my sword. A clenched hilt leading a sharp blade that cut through any threat.
It went on like this for many years until my strength ran out and my life was cut short. I could only imagine what would happen after death, but I could never expect it.
The darkness of nothingness was followed by light, the light of new life. I found myself in a whole new world, calmer, not as hostile as my previous home had been.
"Mr. Art, your father is calling you to his chambers," a voice came from behind the door of my room, where I spent most of my time reading books.
"I'll be right there," I threw back to the woman's voice.
"No, you will come immediately," the girl standing next to my chamber sounded annoyed.
The locked door began to shake, marking the end of my quiet reading.
This was one of the problems of my new life, ever since I was a child a large number of beautiful girls - maids working for my family - had flocked around me. They kept me from relaxing and enjoying a time in which I didn't have to kill to survive.
Finally everything fell silent, the door stopped shaking and slowly opened, revealing to me the disgruntled face of Aaliyah. This girl was only a few years older than me. But despite her age, she had taken great care of me since she had been assigned to look after me.
"Mr. Art! You're sixteen now, and you're still sitting in your room all the time! I know you like it, but do something to avoid embarrassing your father."
"Stop shouting like that, Alia... My ears are ringing..." I said, putting the book aside.
Though I hated to agree with it, my personal maid was right. Somehow I was not only lucky enough to be reborn, but lucky enough to be part of the royal family of a small state called Hufis. The responsibility of being a prince should have initially encouraged me to work on myself by studying literacy and politics, but I didn't care. For this reason, my quiet, measured life was often attacked by attempts to make me work. And almost all of them I successfully avoided. Almost...
"Let's go now, we cannot keep His Majesty waiting," the maid continued to hurry me, standing at the doorway.
As much as I'd like to, I'll have to go. After Aaliyah appeared, avoiding trouble became more difficult. This girl was a trained soldier, capable of taking me where she needed to go, even if by force.
"Yes, I'm coming, of course," I got up from the table and headed for the exit.
"You're just so eager to hear your father's errand."
"Oh, yes, how did you know that?" I answered with feigned surprise.
Alia only shook her head in disappointment.
"Well, what else did you expect from me?" This time my question was sincere.
She was silent, and followed me to the royal chambers.
Despite my reluctance to be useful to the kingdom or my family, my father still summoned me, giving me simple errands. All my present life I have shown everyone around me that I have no interest in anything but sleeping and resting. It was this behavior that formed the opinion in people's minds that the fourth prince of the Hufis kingdom was a useless and uneducated slacker. On the whole it was so, and I was not the least bit opposed to this state of affairs.
Unfortunately, we reached the right door. I knocked cautiously, entering.
"Art, son, you're here at last," my father said cheerfully.
At this point he was standing in the middle of his chambers, fully dressed in his "royal" clothes. His face turned to me.
As I looked around at my current father, I could rejoice in the fact that I was his son. Everyone in the royal family looked exactly like him, possessing blond hair and a pleasant appearance. Even age and all the hardships of his reign did not betray a single too noticeable wrinkle in my father's face.
"So, what did you want?" I expressed my bewilderment directly and somewhat rudely.
"The thing is..." The man hesitated, which didn't suit the ruler at all.
"What is it? Do you want to give me some kind of terrible assignment?"
"That too, but I'm rather wondering how to persuade you to accept it," he said bluntly.
I chuckled at those words. Even though no substantial help had ever come from me, my family still treated me relatively well.
"So what is it this time?" My words should have forced my father to speak plainly.
"The kingdom of Aspin is under attack by a neighboring state. There is a pact between us whereby we are obligated to send reinforcements," the man's voice now sounded clear and serious.
"But I have nothing to do with it."
"Someone has to lead the soldiers, at least until they arrive in Aspin."
"Does it have to be me?"
I didn't want to go on a long trip, and I didn't want to expose myself to the danger of fighting.
"Aspin is much larger and richer than our kingdom, and if we don't help them, our relations may deteriorate considerably, or else they will owe us. If a member of the Hufis royal family arrives with the troops, no one will be able to say anything against it."
"So, why me? My skills in combat and troop management are nil!"
"Zilskud and Maynard are in training, and Azakiel, as first prince, is busy with some other duties."
I ran my palm across my face as if trying to dismiss the assignment I had been given, but turning away was no longer an option.
"When do I leave?" I asked with a heavy sigh.
"Now, this is what I expected from my son!" My father smiled broadly, raised his hand and pointed a finger at me.
"When?!" my words sounded impatient and irritated.
"Today preferably," he was serious again, "Aspin is in a great deal of trouble, all the allied kingdoms are sending them reinforcements while there is still a chance, but who knows what will happen if even one of the groups is a little late.
"I hear you…"
My reluctance to go to Aspin must have been reflected on my face, because my father smiled embarrassedly, but didn't say anything.
"Alia," I shouted, calling for the maid.
"Yes, young Master."
"P…" I sighed heavily, "pack my things for the journey.
The girl smiled wickedly, nodded, and quickly sprinted out of my father's chambers. Apparently she enjoyed the moments when I was forced to work.
"Father, I don't have to do battle, do I?"
"Oh, no, Art, no one would ever think of putting you in charge of something like that," the man laughed and twitched his arm as if he were waving me off.
"Of course," I tilted my head slightly to the side.
"Hey, why," my father poked me on the shoulder, "you've always been so smart and sensible, not even studying with your brothers, and now you're offended by my stupid joke?"
"Well, I am offended! So I will not participate in the battle, even if asked. I will go home at once."
"Оf cour..." My father had no time to finish his sentence when there was a knock at the door.
One of the servants entered the room hurriedly, bowing and saying:
"Your Majesty, a man has arrived at your command."
"Bring him in," my father's voice became malleable and imperious.
It happened every time he had someone from outside our family, or the closest servants like Aaliyah, near him. It was as if my father had gone into king mode, not showing the emotions that he showed to those closest to him.
The servant nodded obediently, hurrying out of the chambers.
"All right," the man, who looked so much like me, gently touched my hair, "now go, and good luck on your journey.
"Of course."
When I'd finished talking, I left the room, walking leisurely toward my room. In all my sixteen years here, this was the hardest assignment I'd ever had. At the very least, the difficulty was the length of the journey. This world was not much farther advanced than mine, with the use of sled animals and carts as well, rarely carriages. However, because of the quieter nature of life, the potential for the development of technology here seemed to me much greater.
As I walked through the manicured corridors, I kept thinking about my father's errand. Was there even the slightest chance of avoiding it? Going back to all the bloodshed and fighting... That was the last thing I wanted.
As I entered my room, Aliyah stood before me, a suitcase full of things in her hands.
"Oh, Mr. Art, there you are. I've packed your things, we can go."
Looking at this active girl, I could only nervously grin at her insistence.
"All right, Alia, let's go."
***
A week later we arrived at the rear of Aspin. The city's small stone walls towered over the desolate plains. It was quiet here, though the signs of battle gave signs of what had happened.
Not long ago, I was informed, Allied reinforcements had formed a general army and attacked the enemy from the rear, forcing them to retreat from the city walls to regroup their forces. It's about time we arrived...
I'd better hurry up and show myself to all the bigwigs, then get out of here.
As we drove into the city, we saw an unpleasant scene: streets filled with soldiers, many of whom were wounded. Just looking at all these people and their facial expressions, it was clear that Aspin was not in a pleasant situation.
"What a horror," Alia, sitting next to me, said.
"This is war," I answered her words as I continued to look out the carriage window.
"How can you stay calm seeing such a picture!" the girl was sincerely surprised.
"It is to be expected, when my father told me where he is sending us."
"You're right, but... Are you quite all right? You have not been in a battle before or seen a wounded or a fallen soldier…"
"It's okay, Alia, if you're so worried, let's just go home soon."
"Okay…"
Our carriage continued to pass through the streets, rapidly approaching King Aspin's castle, Kroen.
I had met him before, when I had visited this kingdom with my family, and then when Croen himself had visited us. This man was a little older than my father, but outwardly he could have been a dozen years older than he really was. He treated me quite respectfully, especially in comparison to the other rulers visiting Hufis.
When we arrived at the site, we were greeted by a small band of knights. Each of them looked quite different from the ones we had seen in the city. These men were perfectly clean and healthy, as if no war had ever taken place.
"King Kroen has been awaiting your arrival, so allow me to escort you!" shouted one of them as he stepped forward.
"Of course, come quickly."
I took a step, jumping out of the carriage.
"Alia, hurry up there."
"Y-yes Sir."
The knight watched in surprise as the girl grabbed all of our things, and then shifted his gaze to my hand, with which I was showing him to start moving. He took the hint, turning around and making his way into the building, where the king was already waiting for us. Aliyah followed us hurriedly, barely holding on to all our belongings.
When we reached the right hall, the knight bowed, and then cast a strange look at me. My notoriety as a lazy and uneducated prince had reached even him, so why had I been assigned this task...
Unconsciously I covered my face with my hands and sighed.
"Mr. Art, is everything all right?" Alia came closer to me, trying to see my expression hidden behind my brushes.
"I'm fine, a little tired."
"But you only slept in the carriage a short time ago!" As if she were trying to get at me, she said.
"Yes, in the carriage, and I want to sleep in a normal bed."
Without waiting for an answer, I reached for the door, pulling the handle. Inside the large hall, made of polished stone, Kroen was already waiting for us. When he saw me, his frowning face cleared up, as if heavy thoughts were not tormenting his soul.
"Arthur!" He turned slightly in his seat so that he could look directly at me, "How you've grown since the last time we met!
"And you have grown old, I see, Croen."
A light jab came from Aaliyah to my side, denoting the harshness of my words. But Kroen wasn't hurt by my words; he just laughed.
"You haven't changed a bit, you little rascal! Does your father really think you're cunning, greedy, and sent you here to put them to good use?"
"I sincerely hope not."
"You brought reinforcements, and now you're going to leave us?"
"That was the plan. But here's the thing, Kroen, what do you think of Aspin's chances?"
The king's smile faded, returning the same frown that had appeared to me earlier.
"Not great. The enemy army was smaller and weaker than ours, but only at the beginning of the battle. Now they outnumber us by at least two to one."
Kroen stretched out on the cushioned chair he was sitting on.
"But what happened?"
"Sorcerer."
The sorcerer, huh? I've heard of it before. It was the name given to those who had unusual powers, beyond the comprehension of the people of this world. Because of the inexplicability of these powers, they were called witchcraft.
One such soldier could match a hundred or even a thousand with a powerful ability. But to turn the tide of battle in such a way... This sorcerer must possess incredible skills.
I wasn't familiar enough with Kroen, but the current sight of this man caused a heaviness in my chest. In my past life I'd only had to fight for myself, not letting other people get too close, too much of a chance to attack from behind. But things were a little different now. My family and some of the people around me-they became an important part of this life, softening my character. I still didn't care about most of them, but the ones who took me for lazy and tactless deserved better treatment.
"What do you plan to do with him?" I asked a thoughtful Kroen.
"I don't know. The only option is to meet him in battle and defeat him."
"Doesn't sound very good."
The Aspin ruler's face softened.
"I know, but that's all we can do."
" I've been thinking, we're not going back yet," I turned half sideways when I said that, and turned to Aaliyah.
"What?" Both my maid and Kroen asked in surprise.
"As I told Aaliyah, I want to rest in a normal bed. It would be like death to go another week without a good night's sleep."
Kroen laughed.
"Of course, I'll give you rooms. Rest as long as you like. And if you want to go out, tell one of the knights and they'll assign you an escort."
"Fine, then I'd like to get some rest soon."
***
That's how I was allocated a luxurious room with a soft double bed spread over half the room. I only lightly lay down on it as the desire to hurry and leave disappeared, and it was replaced by a rapid overtaking sleepiness, but with it came a lot of thoughts.
Kroen was very kind to me every time we met, and even in a situation where it didn't make much sense. I could not influence the soldiers or undermine Aspin's authority, just a little messenger here for show. And this kingdom was one of Hufis' closest allies, actively supporting him.
Besides, no one was ever clear about the specific purpose of Nerba's attack on Aspin, what if they went further - to my home, to where all the important people of this life were located for me?
I was lost in my thoughts for a while, scrolling through the various outcomes of this war, and not even noticing how I was falling asleep.
"Mr. Art!" Alia's cry brought me to my senses.
I opened my eyes, realizing that the maid was trying her best to wake me up.
"What's the matter?" The thought of an enemy on the move overwhelmed me. If so, it was no longer possible to leave, and even if it were, it would be difficult to achieve.
"It is the middle of the day, and you are still asleep! You said yourself you wanted to go home soon," said the girl in a sulk.
After her words I managed to breathe a sigh of relief and relaxed back on the bed.
"We're going to stay here for a while," I surprised her with the unexpected news.
"But why the sudden change of plans?"
"It's just that the bed is worth protecting," I shrugged, seeing an interesting mixture of emotions in Alice. It was hard to tell if she was surprised, angry, or disappointed. Perhaps she was just trying to comprehend what I'd said, though.
***
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