The War that World Forgot:
Echo of the Sin, called 'Love'.
━─━────༺༻────━─━
The Next Day…
The three dark figures stood atop a hill, silently watching the column of knights retreat from Greenhill Village. The dawn light did nothing to soften their silhouettes.
"Do you plan to keep his existence a secret?" Zen asked, gesturing subtly toward the presence behind them.
"What benefit is there in being discovered with an old pup in tow?" G6 replied, her voice flat.
"I told you to show some respect, Reise," Daunt's voice grumbled from behind them, a whisper on the wind only they could hear.
"Then I suppose we should consider this task void," Edmund noted, adjusting his cloak.
"Why are they traveling on foot, anyway? Their very presence makes me want to puke," G6 commented, annoyed that the Knights' slow departure was delaying their own movement.
"Animals add significant weight to the teleportation devices; it is more efficient for them to march," Zen answered.
"Then even the tools in this world are useless. What is the point of that shit if it cannot even handle a few horses?" G6 grumbled.
"If only a single direct descendant of House Sertiz had remained..." Zen murmured, his gaze drifting toward the horizon.
"What was that?" G6 asked, her interest suddenly piqued by the mention of a lost magic.
"Well, you see, there was House Sertiz. Long ago, the entire direct lineage perished in a… convenient fire that razed their manor to ashes. It was a tragedy of unknown causes. They were the ones who pioneered teleportation tools, based on the theories of their unique family affinity: Spatial Magic."
"However, unlike other elemental affinities, Spatial magic is notoriously difficult to manifest outside the main bloodline. When the main family died, a tertiary branch house assumed the title… despite possessing no Spatial affinity whatsoever." His expression darkened. "The incident is a court taboo. Many believe it was foul play. The new 'Marquess' was promptly elevated from the lower to the middle court, largely by presenting research and theses authored by the true Marquess Sertiz. A lack of evidence buried the case."
"Hmm. Sounds like typical bullshit," G6 said, appearing unimpressed by the political drama.
"Indeed. A tiresome narrative. I have heard its like before," Daunt chimed in, his tone dripping with ancient boredom.
Edmund and Zen exchanged a glance. The similarity between master and familiar in their cynicism was becoming unnerving.
"There is a persistent hearsay that the heir might still be alive somewhere, since his was the only body never recovered," Zen added. "But the relatives insist a two-year-old could only have been turned to ash in such a blaze. That was fourteen years ago."
"How exactly does a Spatial affinity holder function?" G6 asked, ignoring the tragedy and focusing on the utility.
"Limitless transport. That is why they were so vital to the Kingdom. The original Marquess Sertiz was once the head of the High Court," Zen replied.
"Hmm. It would be entertaining if that kid were still alive," G6 said, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "I am certain many power-hungry vultures would come after a lad like that."
She paused, a slow, predatory grin spreading across her face—the same grin she wore whenever she targeted a new 'pawn.'
"I may not be 'power-hungry' in the traditional sense... but I am down bad for convenience," she added. "And having a personal teleporter sounds like a dream."
The two men felt a familiar chill run down their spines as they looked at her. G6 wasn't interested in justice for a lost heir; she was looking for a way to never have to ride a horse again.
-<><><>-
After waiting nearly an hour for the knights' dust to settle, the trio mounted their horses and set off at a punishing pace, Daunt loping beside them as a streak of silver and shadow. Just before the capital gates, they halted. With a flash of light, Daunt dissolved into the intricate lines of G6's tattoo, as promised.
They arrived at the capital gates as the sun bled into the horizon.
Now, they stood before Liam's desk.
"So… the task is void?" Liam asked, skepticism plain in his tone.
"As it turns out, the reported wolf disturbance had already vanished by the time we arrived," Edmund lied smoothly, his voice a perfect mask of disappointment.
"Is that so? Then, I shall trust your word," Liam replied. He knew better than to press these three. "Take these fifty silver coins as compensation for your wasted time." He slid the heavy leather pouch across the counter.
"Great. You actually possess a conscience," G6 commented dryly, leaning her back against a nearby pillar.
"Hehe. Of course, G6... thank you for... nothing, I suppose," Liam said, scratching the back of his head with a nervous chuckle.
"Should we take a moment to rest?" Edmund suggested, looking at his companions.
G6 offered a curt nod and led the way toward a table in the furthest, darkest corner of the hall, Zen and Edmund trailing behind.
"Oh... hey! Take off those goddamn cloaks, you freaks!" a drunk adventurer bellowed from a nearby table.
The trio ignored the jab, but the drunkard wasn't finished. He stood up, stumbling toward them, and reached out to yank down Zen's hood.
Before his hand could touch the fabric, Zen's fingers clamped around the man's wrist like a steel vice. A suffocating, murderous aura flooded the immediate area.
"Get lost," Zen said, his voice a low, vibrating growl of lethal intent.
The drunk man paled, his sobriety returning in a flash of primal fear.
"Hey, hey! Let them be, man! Just drink!" one of his colleagues interjected, quickly scrambling to pull the terrified man away. "Forgive him! He's had far too much to drink!"
Zen didn't respond, releasing the man's wrist and sitting down in silence. G6 watched the scene with her arms crossed, her expression hidden behind her shades, though she looked as if she had been hoping for a bit more entertainment.
"I'll have a beer," G6 stated.
"Me too," Zen added.
"Then I suppose that order is directed at me," Edmund sighed. "Fine. I shall go and fetch the drinks."
As Edmund stepped toward the bar, the guild's heavy doors chimed and swung open. The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly as two men in polished silver armor entered.
Vice Captain Cortez and Lieutenant Libert.
Without needing a word of command, G6 and Zen leaned back into the shadows.
"How may I assist the Imperial Guard?" Liam asked, his voice gaining a cautious edge.
"We are here to inquire if any tasks were recently issued regarding Greenhill Village," Libert asked.
"Ah, there was! But the adventurers dispatched there just returned; the task was voided," Liam answered.
"Why so?" Cortez pressed, his eyes scanning the room.
Liam's mind raced. Don't tell me those three caused trouble for the Imperial Knights? "They reported that the wolves had already disappeared. I trust their assessment; they are capable regulars," Liam said. "Did they cause some manner of trouble?"
"'They'? How many were there?" Cortez asked, his tactical mind at work.
"Eh... five?" Liam lied, throwing the count off to protect his best earners.
"There were only three, right?" Libert whispered to Cortez.
"I see. Thank you for your time," Cortez said. He signaled to Libert, and they turned to depart.
"Why is the Captain so obsessed with them, anyway?" Libert whined as they walked toward the door. "It's just some mysterious adventurers."
Just before exiting, Cortez's gaze swept the room one last time. His eyes fell for a split second on the two figures in the far corner. G6 sat perfectly still, her posture so unnervingly straight that it felt as though she were staring directly through his soul from behind her dark lenses.
Cortez lingered for a heartbeat too long, a sense of recognition tugging at his mind, before he finally turned and followed Libert into the night.
"Well, they are proving to be quite the persistent pests," Zen murmured, watching the door where the Knights had exited.
"I was unaware they had become so attached to us," Edmund noted, returning to the table and setting down three frothing beers.
"They likely lost their 'wings' the moment they saw us end those trash in a minute, especially after they struggled so pathetically," G6 said, a ghost of a smirk playing on her lips. "The whisper of their own inadequacy makes them uneasy. It's fun to watch."
No, Zen thought, taking a slow sip of his beer while watching her. It isn't just that. You are simply far more calculative... and far more dangerous than anyone realizes, Lady Reise.
-<><><>-
"So, what is our next move?" Zen asked, wiping the foam from his lip.
"How do you bypass the Palace gates, Zero?" G6 asked, her mind already calculating their re-entry.
"By climbing," Zen replied simply.
"Is the wall not protected by the same barrier as the gate?" G6 questioned.
"No. The walls are considered high enough to be a barrier in themselves. Did you know the outer walls of the Palace are deemed impenetrable?" Zen asked with a hint of a challenge.
"Hmm. Then how exactly do you scale a 'giant, impenetrable' wall?"
"A precise combination of strength and speed via physical enhancement magic. You focus the mana into your feet with perfect coordination," Zen explained. "I have mastered the physical enhancement arts; it is only my innate affinity that remains a work in progress."
G6 turned her gaze to her butler. "Can you perform this as well, Edmund?"
"Yes, Captain," Edmund replied without hesitation.
"Tsk. Then why did you not utilize this skill all the time before?" G6's voice held a sharp edge of irritation.
"I apologize, Captain. Previously, my primary concern was your safety and the risk of exposure. But things are different now," Edmund said, lowering his voice as he leaned in. "We can utilize the walls as our new 'gate.'"
G6 looked out the window, watching the city lights flicker as the darkness deepened. "It is late enough. Let's move."
"We shall return home through the back door [palace walls]," Zen said, draining his beer to the last drop.
_________
A kilometer away from the heavy iron gates of the Palace, the trio halted under the sprawling shadow of an ancient oak tree. Edmund let out a sharp, low whistle. Within moments, a stableman emerged from the darkness. He took the reins of the three horses without a word, disappearing back into the trees as if he were never there.
The three cloaked figures immediately took off, running under the dense forest canopy. They moved with a predatory grace, looking more like seasoned intruders than returning residents. When they reached the end of the treeline, the massive, sheer stone of the Palace walls loomed over them like a silent titan.
Zen offered a sharp nod. From the highest branch of a tree overlooking the perimeter, he leaped. With a surge of mana, he struck the vertical stone, his feet sticking for a heartbeat before he vaulted upward again, clearing the battlement with ease.
Edmund followed, his movement a mirror of Zen's—disciplined, quiet, and powerful.
G6 was the last. She activated Reaper's Ascent, her body becoming a blur of dark motion as she defied gravity, her cloak snapping in the wind as she soared over the stone lip.
They landed silently within the Palace gardens, immediately melting into the shadows of the utility department's landscaping. They moved like ghosts across the grounds, avoiding patrols with practiced ease until they reached the window of their private chambers.
One by one, they vaulted through the casement into the familiar, dim interior of the room. G6 pulled back her hood and removed her shades, her grey eyes reflecting the moonlight.
"Now," she said, a cold sense of satisfaction in her voice. "This feels more like me."
-<><>-
They parted and entered their respective rooms. G6 removed the Quicksilver Band. In a shimmer, her practical outing clothes vanished, replaced by her familiar training gear.
Her tattoo pulsed with a faint blue light, with a surge of cold air, Daunt materialized in the center of the room.
"Reise, your hair is... different. And your eyes. So this is your true appearance without those dark lenses," Daunt observed, tilting his great head.
"I said: tell me about the All-Seers," G6 repeated, her voice dropping an octave.
"Very well," Daunt sighed, settling his massive form onto the rug. "I have lived for two millennia, and though I have never met them in the flesh, they are the architects of this world. I was born from their divine resonance, I was specifically blessed by the God of War, the Goddess of Death, the God of Prosperity, and the God of Fate."
"Continue," G6 commanded.
"There are many more in their pantheon, worshipped by different kingdoms and peoples. They never directly intervene in the mortal realm." Daunt's gaze drifted to the window, where the full moon hung like a pale coin. "Until, in a distant age, they bestowed their first blessings upon the four great kingdoms. The West, Einston, received the Blessing of Prosperity. The East, the Holy Kingdom, was blessed with Lumina, the purest divine light. The North, Elora, gained the Power of the Spirit King. And the South, Vester, was imbued with an indomitable Warrior's Aura."
He turned his piercing eyes back to G6. "Do you believe these divine gods were simply being generous?"
His expression grew solemn. "No. They gave their blessings for the first time, for a singular purpose: to halt the Great Wave."
"The Great Wave?"
"The uprising of the Outcasts. The revolt of humans tainted by demonic—more accurately, devilish—lineage." Daunt's voice dropped. "They hailed from the heart of the four kingdoms…"
"The Charnel Land," G6 filled in.
"Precisely. It was once a kingdom called 'The All-Domain,' where all species coexisted. Monsters. Demons. Humans. Then, five hundred years before the blessings, it began with a human woman from the North Kingdom who fell in love with a demon prince. A violation of universal law. The All-Seers remained silent but sent a single message to the couple: 'You must bear the consequence.' Generations passed. The 'Outcasts'—humans tainted by demonic blood—multiplied. Shunned by all four kingdoms and eventually unwelcome even in the All-Domain, they were seen as sin incarnate, a living disgrace."
Daunt's form seemed to grow heavier with the memory. "Hatred festered. Anger consumed them. They asked, 'What is wrong? What is wrong with loving someone different?' Anchored by black magic and righteous fury, they revolted, seeking vengeance for themselves and their ancestors. And freedom."
G6 remained silent, a statue of attentive ice.
"The All-Seers foresaw this. They knew blood would one day drown the world. But why? Why did they not intervene from the beginning? Are gods not meant to be merciful?" Daunt's majestic face fell, etched with a profound, ancient sorrow. "These questions tormented we divine beasts as we witnessed the five kingdoms bathe in blood. Then, the voice of a messenger echoed to us: 'So that these beings will remember the cost of failing to bear the consequence.' The blessings were not gifts. They were weapons forged to annihilate those who dared defy cosmic law."
Hmm. The consequence is endless prejudice, their freedom was taken away. And the cost of not being able to bear it, is… death. Genocide. Destruction. G6's thoughts as she listens.
"We could do nothing. We could not aid them. We can only watch. The war dragged on for five hundred years." Daunt's voice grew hollow. "Finally, the All-Seers acted. They converged their power into a single, perfect mortal vessel, who led the final, cataclysmic charge that pushed the Outcasts, monsters, and demons back into the All-Domain. The four kingdoms 'won.' They sealed the borders and scrubbed the name from history, renaming it the 'Charnel Land.' The All-Seers restored order by erasing the memory of the war from the survivors. This was one thousand years ago. And as centuries pass, the power of those bestowed blessings weakens and fades. A sign of peace."
"Hmm." G6 finally spoke, her voice dry as bone. "So, is the home of these All-Seers in Hell?" A hint of mockery laced the question.
"HAHAHA!" Daunt's laugh was sharp, without true mirth. "The reason I tell you this, Reise, is because you are a Chosen One. But I am afraid this is all the information I can give. You must now deduce why you were chosen."
G6 leaned back, her grey eyes fixed on the ceiling. The moonlight painted her features in stark monochrome.
"Perhaps," she murmured, the words so quiet they were almost lost, "because we share the same morality."
And so, the Reaper learned the first true history of her new world. Not a tale of heroes and monsters, but a ledger of love punished, of difference purged, and of blessings born from blood. The gilded cage of the palace, the petty games of nobles, the simple hunt for gold and secrets—all of it was revealed as set dressing on a stage built over a mass grave. The curtain had fallen on the prologue.
The next act would not be about survival, but about choice.
And the weapon known as G6 finally knew what she might be meant to destroy.
Daunt said the fading of the blessings was a sign of peace.
No one had yet asked what their return signified.
But the answer was already given.
-End of Season 01.-
[author]
Thank you for your continued readership and support.
I will now commence development of Season 2: The Bloody Season. Updates will resume in due time.
I know Season One moved at a deliberate pace; my aim was to craft a firm foundation. Now that it is laid, the real escalation can begin.
No specific return date is scheduled at this time. For announcements, please standby.
I may or may not be gone for long. I hope you will wait for me to open the journey again.
- moonpsyche [/author]