Adventure Awaits! Huzzah! 08

"Sir?"

He, and everyone else, waited for the knight to get up.

The knight didn't. Maybe he had simply lost consciousness? Falling... getting thrown from your horse was indeed dangerous, but surely the guy hadn't broken his neck? There was no way Himmel had just killed a knight, right?

One of the knights put a hand on the hilt of his sword. "The demon brats killed the commander!" N-no! The guy was just having a little nap, that's all!

It would be way too darkly comedic otherwise.

Another knight, one who was very much mounted on a horse, sighed. "Clearly he was an embarrassment. Now, slaughter these children, do not underestimate them, and take the girl." With the ease that he assumed a position as leader, Himmel could only assume he was their second-in-command.

Himmel gritted his teeth. "Shit...!" Could he take down four other knights? Maybe with the unknown strength that he had just awakened, it would be possible...

It certainly wouldn't be easy, however. He had been very lucky when he had managed to grab Slayde by the spear and even more lucky the damned weapon had not broken once it was used to lift an adult man wearing armor.

It was as big a miracle as Alm taking someone's eye with a stick.

Thankfully, he wouldn't have to fight anyone. "You are all embarrassments, raising your hand at children." Mycen arrived on the battlefield, fully clad in armor and spear in hand.

The second-in-command gasped. "Mycen!?" Himmel did say a knight of great renown lived in the village.

Alm's eyes widened. "Grandpa! You're finally here!" He could tell the boy would be bragging to his grandfather about how he had protected his friends.

Mycen nodded. "I am, Alm, and you all shouldn't be. Run back to the village, now!" He had never sounded as authoritative as he did now.

And yet Alm didn't listen. "N-no way!" It was understandable to a certain extent. He simply didn't want his elderly grandfather fighting against four other knights alone.

Himmel, however, could give less of a fuck, Mycen was the expert here. "Not now, Alm, we gotta go!" He took the boy's hand, while being careful with his newfound strength. "Your grandfather can handle it!"

He did not wait to hear Alm's response, instead, he took off running. Everyone else following behind him.



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The next moments were a blur. Himmel ran to the village as promised, but more specifically, he took the brats to his own house. Kris was a fighter after all, so if even more cavalry came, he would know what to do.

Sadly, this also meant that his guardian had the job of comforting many poor kids. "Alm, I am sure Mycen will be alright. He is a legend for a reason." Even as he spoke that, Kris was clearly considering going to aid the old man.

But he couldn't, because it would mean leaving children behind.

Alm looked down. "But...!" He shook his head. "Yeah, you're right. Grandpa is going to turn those guys into minced meat!" If he could wound one, his warrior of a grandpa could kill four!

As one would expect from him, Alm was the first one to recover.

Now, however... Kris looked at the other children.

Some of them, like Gray and Tobin, had already recomposed themselves more or less. However, Celica, Faye, and poor Kliff were still panicking, with the latter two hugging Himmel while crying, as if their lives depended on it.

Himmel was trying to awkwardly comfort them. "Everyone, it's going to be alright... Nobody is going to get hurt..." Besides the knights.

Faye's entire body was trembling. "P-please protect me, Himmel..." But there was nothing to protect her from!

Kliff nodded. "Y-yeah..." The poor little fella was crying, but the threat was pretty much over.

Himmel sighed. "Sure, I'll protect you two..." He looked at his guardian. "And so will Kris, right?" It was clear his adoptive father was completely and utterly lost in this situation.

He may have raised Himmel, but the boy was actually a reincarnated adult who almost never complained and rarely disobeyed orders. Much less panicked like this. And so, the man simply did not know what to do in a situation like this one.

But he took the opportunity that was given to him. "Of course I will. I am certain Mycen will succeed, but should any of those craven men threaten children in my sight, I shall cut them down."

The hold over his sword tightened as he muttered to himself. "Even if I don't know what knights are even doing here..." That was indeed weird.

There was no way Rigelian Knights had gotten this far, and besides, the border could not be trespassed. Which meant they were Zofian Knights. But why would Zofian knights be looking for Celica and calling her a princess?

Gray spoke up, now that he was calmer. "They were looking to rest up at the village, mister... b-but then they met us and... threatened my sisters." He was a mature boy, he knew what the knights wanted to do.

He continued. "So Alm stepped up to them and even hurt one of them. After a while, Himmel, Celica, and Faye showed up too." And Epona! "But the knight started being weird with Celica and tried to kill Alm..."

Kris's face was overtaken by a scowl. "These aren't knights, these are common brigands...!" From what Himmel knew of this world's history... and his own, there was very little difference between the two.

"So, I assume that is when Mycen showed up?" Oh, it was time to talk about that.

"N-no..." Gray sounded both awed and scared as he talked about it. "Himmel threw a ball of fire at the knight! And then when that wasn't enough, he lifted the knight from his horse and threw him to the ground... the knight didn't get up."

Kris's eyes widened, and he focused on Himmel. "Is that true?"

Himmel nodded. "Yeah..." He had killed a man with powers that he didn't even know he had.

Kris took a moment, but eventually... he congratulated him. "Well done. Although we will need to talk about that strength of yours later." Such a simple answer came as shocking to Himmel.

But he put the pieces together of the why fairly quickly.

This wasn't his world. Killing was indeed still frowned upon, especially by one so young, but Himmel had done it to protect his friends, therefore, he had done the right thing. There was not much else to say, really.

And so, Himmel didn't think too hard about it.



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Mycen had won completely, apparently. Wiping out every knight that had dared to threaten his grandchildren.

And so, all the kids were returned back to their homes. They needed the comfort of their parents embraces to get through such a traumatizing day after all. Himmel, however, needed something else. He needed to have a talk with his guardian.

Kris crossed his arms. "Today you became a warrior, Himmel, far sooner than any child should become one." Himmel certainly didn't deny that the medieval world wasn't exactly a kind one.

Thankfully he was no child.

A sigh escaped his guardian's mouth. "And so, before anything else, let me say that you made me proud. Protecting your friends from peril is one of the most honorable actions a man may commit."

Was Himmel now a man? "However, I am sure you must also be wondering where such amazing strength came from..."

Himmel immediately nodded. "I sure am." People did show greater strength when protecting their loved ones, but that was just absurd. "Are you actually going to tell me?" Or was this going to turn into another Kris secret?

Kris closes his eyes, lost in thought. "I will. This is something I planned on telling you once you became older, but I suppose you were always mature for your age anyways."

He opened his eyes once again, new resolve shining upon them. "That strength comes from Holy Blood. Holy Blood, which you possess, for Himmel, you are the one and only son of Sigurd of Chalphy, his heir."

"Hah?" His brain broke.

He had sort of expected something like this, of course. Say, Kris confessing that he was the bastard son of some noble from Jugdral or whatever. Some nobody that was being hidden so the true heirs wouldn't stab him in the cold of the night.

He didn't expect that though. How could he?

As far as the world was concerned, Sigurd of Chalphy was one of the most influential people in history. A conqueror who would be spoken of in the same breath as Napoleon and Alexander the Great back in his world.

Suddenly Himmel felt a strange sort of kinship with Octavius Augustus of all people. How did the man feel once it was declared he was Caesar's heir?

"I understand the confusion, Himmel, but it is true." His guardian certainly did not seem like he was lying. "Some time before his passing, your father entrusted you to me, whom he saw as his own brother. Those were dangerous times, and you needed protection."

"And... before he could see you once again, dastardly Emperor Arvis took your father's life with treachery. He hoped to take yours too." He put a hand on his chin. "That could not be allowed, of course..."

"So I and other allies of your father started raising you in secret. You know what happened then." Kris got in a disagreement, Kris began raising him by himself. "However, Arvis's dogs were relentless, they would hunt you down to the ends of Jugdral, so I took you here. To another continent entirely. So that you could grow up without having to know constant battle."

He let out a sigh of frustration. "I was even forced to adorn myself... and you with fake names. Emperor Arvis would not even let you have your own name."

Himmel scrunched his eyebrows together. "Wait, so my name isn't Himmel!?" He had always known Kris was a fake name, but...!

His guardian confirmed. "Indeed. Know that this must not be spread around for your own safety, but your true name is Seliph Baldos Chalphy." He pointed at himself. "And I am Oifey. I used to be your father's advisor... I was his adopted brother."

Himmel... Seliph... was still very much confused. "That's... this doesn't make any sense!" He was a village boy! Not some second Alm! "Why is Arvis even after us!? What do you mean treachery!?"

Kris hummed. "He is after us because your very existence could tear his little stolen empire apart... furthermore, when I speak of treachery..."

"As you know, Sigurd was accused of conspiring against the royalty of Grannvale. That was not true, it was a simple lie made by those who feared his quick ascension into power." Kris' scowl became even more fierce. "Emperor Arvis sought to give your father refuge, claiming to believe in him."

"But those were all lies. He simply lured your father into a trap and took his life." The Battle of Belhalla was nothing but a massacre by a traitor.

Kris put a hand on Himmel's shoulder. "Your father was a kind and just man, Himmel, not the monster history had proclaimed him to be. He trusted people, he trusted them deeply. It cost him his life against that snake of a man."

Himmel was still, understandably, in shock. "Sigurd of Chalphy was a warmongering conqueror." He could say nothing else.

His guardian shook his head. "No, he was not. He was a hero who fought evil whenever he saw it. Just as you did today... however, those evils he fought were far grander than a simple group of knights."

Himmel didn't buy it. He didn't buy it at all.

The super mega bloodthirsty conqueror being actually super nice and fighting for justice? It sounded like bullshit to him. That is not to say he didn't believe Emperor Arvis wasn't also a piece of shit, but his guardian was definitely wearing rose-tinted glasses. And of course he was, he was Sigurd's brother.

It was hard to look at your nephew and admit that his father was a bloodthirsty monster, but a bloodthirsty monster that had left a ton of shit behind. Shit that Himmel could grab if he was willing to fight a war for it.

Himmel gulped. "And so... what? Do you plan on training me so that I may raise arms against Arvis?" Fuck. That.

He was a village boy who was going to marry a village girl. One that would have the strength to protect his loved ones, but that was it. He was not going to wage war against an empire while shouting lies about birthright simply because his biological father had massacred poor innocent people a few years before some other emperor did.

To his surprise, however, Kris denied it. "That was my intent... at first. But I... cannot force you to raise a sword against someone, Seliph. So I shall do what I have always done, merely give you the tools, what you do with them is up to you."

Himmel tilted his head. "And if I choose to do nothing? What then?"

Kris smiled. "I have faith you won't make that choice, because as you have proven throughout the years I have known you... You are your father's son. Just, kind, responsible, intelligent, talented... and far too bullheaded."

"And even if you don't, my comrades have certainly trained their own heroes. I shall not force my child... Sigurd's child to fight a battle he does not care for." But he was certain Seliph would care for it.

Alas, he was severely mistaken. "I see..." Himmel did not care for this one bit.

Did it suck that his dad had been killed? Yes. Did it suck that he didn't have his own lands or whatever? Yes. Did it suck that some emperor wanted his own head? Yes. That did not mean he would travel a whole continent to try and dethrone someone.

Even if he tried, he would miserably fail anyways.

There was something else he was curious about, though. "And Kris... what of my mother?" Was she some random girl Sigurd fucked?

Oifey paled. "Your mother... is a whole other mess, if I'm being honest." Oh boy. "Her name is Deirdre, and some say she is the most beautiful woman in the world." Welp, maybe the future would be bright then.

Himmel raised an eyebrow. "You talk about her as if she still breathes..."

Oifey clenched his fists. "I do, because she does." She did!? "And yet, nowadays she shares a bed with Arvis and is called his empress." Oh.

"What?" His brain broke for the second time of the day. Or perhaps the third?

"Trust me, Seliph, I am as confused as you. She and your father truly loved each other... and yet, she disappeared for years. We assumed it to be a kidnapping, but... she is now the Empress of Jugdral." Hah.

His father had gotten cucked. Apparently.

There were still so many holes with this though! "Maybe... Arvis is forcing her?" He could see it in his mind. That sounded like the type of thing an asshole emperor would do.

But Oifey's face told a different tale. "That... is most likely not the case. From what I hear, the woman is the happiest wife in all of Jugdral. There is not one party where she does not smile, she has given Arvis his children, and... she has made no attempt to stop the child hunts."

"The what hunts...!?" And there went his mind again.

Oifey's face became filled with disgust. "I did say they were after your head..." His eyes were filled with grief. "No child should hear this, but... I am afraid I must tell you nonetheless. Your own mother seeks your head, Seliph. She cares not about you."

"Oh... okay." It didn't hurt.

Seriously.

It was scary, but that was about it. Sure, if Himmel had been an actual child, he imagined this is the moment where his spirit would be forever shattered, but that was not the case. Sigurd was not his father, Deirdre was not his mother.

In fact, he actually felt a bit happy for the woman. She was raising her own children, ones who were presumably not reincarnations. She was getting to be an actual mother. And as for his father... a mad conqueror deserved no pity, somehow Sigurd was a bigger monster than Himmel himself.

However, Kris probably took his neutral reaction as a bad sign. A very bad one.

So he hugged the boy. "I am so, so sorry, Seliph. You are a wonderful, courageous boy. One who deserves nothing of this. You deserve a father, a mother, and so much more." He didn't even deserve a life.

He had lucked into reincarnation, after all. Still, he awkwardly hugged the man back. "It's fine. I'm fine. Seriously." But the man did not hear him. Or perhaps he didn't believe it.

They stayed hugging for quite a while.

And then an awesome thought struck Himmel. "Hey Kris, is my father's super special sword in that chest?" He wanted that so badly.

"I'm afraid not. I do not know Tyrfing's location." Mila, damn it! "And Himmel, about your mother..."

The boy cut him off. "As I said, I'm fine. I do have a mother after all, her name is Mila. She is the only one I need." There. Now hopefully Kris would stop being so dramatic.

The hug got even tighter.



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It was funny, after all that, Himmel thought himself to be unshakable.

And yet, of all things that could make him sad... "Grandpapa said I will need to leave soon." It would be saying goodbye to a friend. "He killed those bad men, but more will eventually come, so I can't stay for long."

That's right. He wasn't the only brat with a dark backstory in Ram Village. Celica had her own, and differently from his, hers had actually caught up to her.

He would need to say goodbye to his friend soon.