Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Friend
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-My story's protagonist has always been you.
Whenever I started another tale, just like always, I'd open the thick cover of the book made from gathered parchment, dip my quill in ink, tap it once or twice on the worn desk, and imagine you and me, and our Lije, climbing the hill behind the seaside village.
All the way to that spot with the big ebony tree.
When the sky was dyed entirely in sunset hues, you, Bulki, would snatch Grandfather's tool hammer, swing it like a sword, and charge bravely ahead, while Lije hiked up her skirt and followed behind, giggling. That's the most beautiful scene in my memories.
I always watched from behind.
Once we reached the top, you'd hoist Lije onto your shoulders like a horse, lift her up first onto the sturdy branch, and we'd start our role-playing game. The princess trapped in the castle, or something like that-whatever it was, it began. Then Lije became our sole audience, and we became her whole world.
Since we kids didn't know many stories, we'd sing hymns praising the gods or songs about Heroes slaying Demon Kings and rescuing princesses.
But before any of those stories could even begin...
Bulki, I don't remember why, but whenever I got scared to climb up to the branch where Lije was, you'd hand me your hammer.
Always with that sun-bright smile. And then you'd yield the Hero's role-the protagonist-to me.
Yeah, that's the kind of guy you were.
I still remember it, even now.
***
Iven set down his quill and closed the book.
He rubbed his dim eyes. In that moment, way too much of his frizzy black hair caught on his fingers, so he stepped over to the mirror by the bookshelf to tidy it.
"Should I ask Lije to cut it today?"
Tall and skinny, freckled, with shaggy black hair covering his face in a way that made him look perpetually sickly, Iven coughed once as usual, gathered his book, and headed downstairs.
The wooden stairs creaked under his feet with every step. Iven smiled, glad to hear it.
Because every day, that sound told Lije he was coming down,
"Iven! Can you give me a hand?"
Iven ducked his head before even reaching the bottom of the stairs, looked at Lije, and grinned in that familiar way. Lije beamed back at him just as brightly. Like laughter spreading, the sweet aroma of mushroom stew filled their little cottage.
"Lije, what's for breakfast today?"
"You know, and you still ask. So what're you making for dinner?"
"Your favorite. I'm going fishing today."
"Then I'm coming too!"
Lije, with her snow-white skin and equally beautiful red hair, turned her head and flashed a spirited grin.
Iven's heart soared inwardly, while his mind noted to get his hair cut tomorrow.
"Alright. But in return, while I'm fishing, will you read the book I'm writing by my side? This time it's a bit different..."
"Get out here already!"
Someone kicked the door open with a shout right then.
It was Lije's grandfather, who'd been complaining of back pain since yesterday, saying rain was coming.
Lije's grandfather was the benefactor who'd raised Iven, Lije, and their friend Bulki like his own children, even now that they were twenty.
"Yaaawn... Yeah, yeah, coming. Good morning, Gramps."
Bulki emerged from the corner room on the first floor, stretching with a big yawn.
"Good morning, Bulki."
"Bulki, you need a haircut."
"Cut his first. Before he gets even creepier."
Bulki, with his short blond hair, was pretty well-known in the seaside village for the carpentry he'd learned from Lije's grandfather. Not in a good way, though-for shoddy repairs or slacking off. Still, everyone in the village liked him.
He cut an imposing figure, tall and sturdy, but his screw-loose words and actions always had people chuckling. He was the village's resident oddball by the sea.
Bulki continued with a grin.
"Gramps, where's my toolkit?"
"I always say-taking care of that is your job!"
Bulki flashed another dopey smile at Lije's grandfather, who was hunched over and fuming.
"You're overflowing with energy like that-why pick on me alone?"
"I can hear you, you punk!"
"Yeah, yeah. Lije, skip breakfast 'cause of the stable fence collapse."
"Knew it-here's your lunch!"
A hectic morning in the seaside village. Iven smiled again.
He just had a feeling today would be a good one.
Iven set his book on the small ebony table and packed the lunch.
"I'll grab Gramps's share too and walk him to the stable. Oh, right."
Iven turned back from the door to tell Lije,
"Lije, if you can snag something from the stable..."
Boom!
A deafening roar, followed by a short but massive tremor.
It came from the door.
Beyond the entrance, a foot like a giant boulder slammed down again, red liquid dripping to leave small bloodstains.
Grandfather... had burst like that.
Dead.
'Imperial Year 253: Outbreak of the Second Demon Invasion.'
Iven couldn't comprehend what surrounded him. His mind filled only with the roar and the shaking, no questions, no understanding.
Thump, thump, thump...
Bulki roared like a beast and charged out the door, while Iven hugged Lije tight and dropped to the floor. What was that just now? As his thoughts finally tangled, cold sweat poured like rain.
"To the stable! Iven! Protect Lije!"
Bulki vanished after those three words from outside.
Iven felt Lije trembling in his arms. Like he was possessed, he panted, pulled her up, and fled through the back door.
Everything Iven saw-the sea and fire-were colliding.
The entire seaside village was ablaze. Iven clutched Lije and ran. As if entranced, he muttered. Bulki was right. To the stable. Ride the horses and escape.
Lije still hadn't snapped out of it. Iven glanced back. Mountain giants, piled like massive boulders, were slowly climbing from the sea onto land. They towered to the clouds, countless enough to fill the ocean.
"Lije, we have to walk. Put some strength into it, Lije. Walk, keep walking."
Villagers caught by the mountain giants burst and vanished like blisters swept in by the waves. Only then did Iven imagine their smiling faces stained with blood and snap to.
"Lije! We have to run! Hurry!"
They barely dodged the corpses and boulders hurled by the giants and reached the stable.
A mountain giant had already raked inside with its brutish hand, leaving it empty.
The ground kept quaking, every visible spot filled with screams. Iven hid Lije behind the trough and wrapped her in his arms.
Lije's teeth finally chattered as she realized death's reality. And he, trembling with her, knew it too.
Bulki must've died under that giant hand. Now they could only hope for an easy death.
But who to pray to?
Boom!
Right then, an even greater explosion erupted from the opposite side of the sea, snuffing out the flames.
"Yerutsa Rahav!"
The sound of hooves pounding earth, iron clashing.
In an instant, the stable roof tore clean off. Iven shielded the debris with his body, then peeked out slightly while holding Lije, checking outside. Warhorses charging aflame, soldiers igniting their battle fervor by unit, cannons toppling mountains, tattered massive flags whipping in the wind.
It was the Empire's Knight Order.
The knights split into squads and scattered; the rear artillery abandoned their guns and raced to the shore. Mages must've come too-the blasts continued, freezing and melting the mountain giants over and over.
But the knights' losses were heavy.
No room for proper combat aiming at armor gaps; some blocked swords with gauntlets or stabbed theirs into the ground as shields.
Others tried wedging blades into rock fissures for cracks, only to be crushed armor and all.
Only after more than ten knights were squashed alongside their protective iron did one mountain giant finally crumble.
The Order's casualties far outweighed the giants', yet their war cries soared unbroken into the sky. They charged toward their deaths, gladly vomiting blood.
Swords shattering on rock, unsure when death would claim them, as if born solely for this step-they dashed madly across the battlefield.
They swung again, for even the tiniest scratch. Insanely.
Yerutsa Rahav.
They kept screaming it, insanely.
Iven watched the Order but sought no hope-only scanned for Bulki.
He tried to shout Bulki's name, but the vibrating blood stench choked even his breath.
"Ah."
Iven's eyes finally found Bulki, bizarrely climbing a mountain giant near the stable, tears of blood streaming down his face.
"You cursed... thing..."
The giant shrugged its shoulder to shake him off; dirt rained down, and Bulki plummeted with it.
"No, don't!"
"Uwaaaah!"
Bulki thrust out his hand with a scream.
In that instant, an unknown light burst from his hand like a supernova. The giant raised its hand, blinded by the holy golden glow.
"That's the Hero's..."
The female knight leading the Order murmured at the brilliant golden flash.
-Yeah, the day you unleashed the Hero's light and truly became this world's protagonist.
-That's when our fates twisted.