A black-haired boy of twelve or thirteen years old was speeding through Albero Street. Wearing a wide mage's robe, he was able to deftly avoid the people coming towards him. He dashed westward along the street. As he passed by the stalls of luxury goods merchants or money changers, he was not at all attracted by them. The setting sun's glow shone in his black eyes.
"Wait for me! Aurelio!" The call from behind failed to make him pause even for a moment.
The one calling out behind Aurelio was another black-haired boy who seemed a year or two older.
He was not as nimble. His steps were repeatedly delayed by the crowd. Seeing Aurelio's figure flickering in and out of sight among the people, he took a deep breath, stopped his tired panting, and called out again, "Wait for me!"
At this moment, a carriage came towards Aurelio. As there was no space for him to move forward, he had to take a step to the right and make way for the carriage. After his left foot landed, he nimbly turned around using his right foot as the pivot and shouted to his companion who had just peeked out from between the people, "It's already late! We must arrive within five minutes! Don't you want to stand in the back row?!"
"But... why must it be this way? There are too many people!"
"This is the shortest way! Hurry up!" As soon as the carriage passed by, he started running again. His companion was once again swallowed up by the tide of people, but he was completely unaware. He ran straight across a bridge and turned two corners before finally reaching his destination—the avenue in front of the west gate of Serencia.
Hundreds and thousands of people had already gathered in front of the city gate. People lined up on both sides of the street, looking towards the gate and waiting for it to open. The victorious soldiers of Serencia were scheduled to enter the city at exactly seven o'clock. At that time, people would pay the highest tribute to these heroes.
Aurelio ran along the side of the street. A childish voice entered his ears: "You are too slow!" He turned and slipped into the line and looked down at the little girl beside him. The girl was only seven or eight years old but was dressed like a noblewoman: wearing a pink brocade dress, from the collar to the hem, it was full of bows and lace decorations; a beige scarf covered her head, almost completely hiding her wine-red curls.
Aurelio replied with a smile, "Sorry, I came out too late."
"These people are so rude, pushing and shoving. I can hardly hold this position anymore! Why are you alone? Where is Valentino?"
"He's sick and can't come. If you're worried, you can go and see him."
"Well, I will. And... what about that person?"
"He's too slow and is lagging behind."
"Don't wait for him." The little girl frowned and said, "These new shoes are a bit too tight and they hurt. Why hasn't it started yet?"
"Hold on a little longer. It will start soon... It's already here!"
With a blast of a horn, the heavy city gate slowly rose, and the army began to enter the city. At the head of the line was General Enzo Corne, the commander of this battle. This young general, only thirty-five years old, had not long ago been widely questioned due to his lack of seniority. But he withstood the pressure from multiple sides and miraculously repelled an enemy dozens of times larger than his own forces.
The general, riding a magnificent horse, was immediately surrounded by deafening cheers as soon as he entered the city gate. Wherever the general went, children would rush out and present him with flower wreaths. There were even a few younger ones who burst into loud cries in front of the cheering crowd because they didn't have time to hand over their wreaths.
Every time the army of Serencia returned victorious, people would give the soldiers such a warm welcome and watch them march through the streets. After this battle where they defeated the coalition forces of three countries including Westrick and preserved every inch of the republic's land, these soldiers deserved such honor even more.
The general received ten flower wreaths one after another. In addition, many soldiers also received wreaths, but no one put them around their necks. They just kept their heads down and had solemn expressions. The atmosphere was a bit different from usual. As some people realized this, the cheers gradually died down. As the procession advanced slowly, the strange atmosphere spread.
Aurelio stood on tiptoe and looked into the front part of the procession, searching for a certain figure, but in the end, he found nothing. Seeing that the general was about to pass in front of him, he boldly took two steps forward and blocked the general's horse. The general hurriedly reined in his horse, and the entire procession came to a halt. After that, the welcoming procession fell into a deathly silence.
Before Aurelio could ask, the general had already dismounted. He lowered his head, stepped forward, and patted the young man on the shoulder. After saying "Sorry," he mounted his horse again. He urged his horse forward and fled like he was avoiding the crowd. The soldiers also quickened their steps and left without a word.
Aurelio's vision darkened. He stood rooted to the spot like a stone statue.
He didn't know how he returned to the academy. That night, he leaned on his bed and stared at the flickering flame on the candle. The orange-red light was reflected in his eyes. His teacher's words of 嘱托 a month ago rang in his ears again: "I will be back soon. The two of you must not neglect your practice while I am away. I will check when I return!"
He closed his eyes and with a pinch of his left thumb and index finger, the flame on the candle was extinguished.
"A month of waiting, and yet this is the result."
"Three years of waiting, and yet this is the result." At the age of fifteen, Aurelio received the black square-shaped crown. Under the gaze of everyone, he put it on his head. This hat made of woolen fabric represented the professorship at the academy. It was by no means heavy, but it almost crushed his back. "How can I bear this... as a successor?" The applause around him was as loud as thunder, and it also made his head spin. "How can I pass it on?"
"Ten years of waiting, and yet this is the result."
Ten years passed in a hurry, just like the flowing river in front of him.
On June 6, 886 of the Second Era, this young black-haired mage was in the army of Serencia. Standing by the ever-flowing Gehr River in the territory of neighboring Westrick, he looked down at the river water dyed orange-red by the afterglow. Everything that happened in Serencia ten years ago appeared before his eyes.
"In ten years, I have not wasted a single day."
When he opened his eyes again, the sun had completely set, and it was almost completely dark all around, just like a room without a lit candle.
"Finn II, the instigator of wanton wars..." Aurelio clenched his left fist tightly, and his knuckles made cracking sounds. "Now, his tyranny has sparked rebellions. It's all his own doing! But why are we still aiding him?"
"But one day, I will make you pay the price."