"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household."
• Matthew 10:34-36
________________________________________
How many years has it been since he first took these children under his care? Or so did the old man think to himself as he fixed the scattered books of his dusty shelves... It had been a while since he last pulled out a story from these archives, as the 2 teenagers who lived with him no longer needed any bedtime stories to sleep.
Olitio and Phoebe... Several years ago, these brats were nothing more than tiny little things who couldn't even read; now however, these 2 runts had matured into responsible individuals who could already live their own independent lives. Oh, how he missed those days when he used to tell them bedtime stories so they could sleep soundly...
"Grandfather... It's bedtime. We'll finish up what you're doing. You shouldn't be moving around too much, y'know?"
"Yeah... You're an old man already. You should just leave these kinds of things to us."
Olitio would gently put his hand on the old man's shoulder, as his younger sister Phoebe would gently urge him to take a rest... Ah, they were even taller than him now, and although it was something the old man couldn't help but be proud of, he couldn't help but wonder if time was beginning to pass by too quickly yet again...
By now though, the old man had lived in these far-flung, isolated areas of the Xathran Continent for countless decades; in truth, he was originally a travelling scholar who hailed from the east, a wise man so dedicated to setting his eyes upon the beauty of existence, that he willingly chose to depart from the comforts of his homeland to explore the world and witness the very annals of its history, or at least, whatever he could manage to document with his journals.
He remembered those days of old, back when the Xathran Continent was completely riddled with monsters: approximately 150 or so years ago, back when its people were led by a mighty king and his powerful wife, who drove away the beasts of old and established the current empire that dominated this continent... It was such a shame that the king had been corrupted by some unforeseen tragedy, one that forced his own beloved to forever leave and isolate herself in order to save herself from her twisted loved one.
He had seen many things transpire in the wide, open lands of Xathra, and it was all in due thanks to the deal he made with the supreme leader of his homeland; to completely fulfill his wanderlust and not perish from age amidst his long, tiresome journeys, he was offered an elixir of preserving-youth, a magnificent concoction made with the finest of alchemical solutions, one that would allow him to extend his lifespan by hundreds of decades with only the smallest of sips.
In exchange for being allowed to drink its divine waters, he was supposed to have provided them information about the current state of the Xathran Continent and its people, to find the perfect opportunity for them to come and swoop in to take over and expand their eastern reign...
Unfortunately though, that was all in the past now, for although he had observed countless events in Xathra's history that proved most interesting, there was one thing more beautiful than the rest that forever changed his life– those 2 brats, who were, back then, merely miniscule pipsqueeks who lost their homes to a raiding party of vicious bandits...
By the time he arrived there amidst his travels, their home had already been completely pillaged and set ablaze, and they were the only remaining survivors of the terrible onslaught on their village: of course, not finding it within his heart to leave them to die, the old man would take them in as his own, and they would eventually become the 2 tall adolescents who were currently beside him.
"Hmm... I suppose you're right, you 2..." the old man said with a sigh. "Go and clean up the shelves then... I'll be having my good night's rest."
By now, even though the memory of the deal still ran fresh within his mind, the old man couldn't find it in him to fulfill his end of the deal; to accomplish what he came here for would be similar to betraying these 2 brats who completely trusted him, as there was no way that his people back home would ever approve of him taking in these 2 into his care, especially since those eastern bastards were incredibly prejudiced towards the people outside the domain of their lands.
And so did the old man choose to settle down and raise the 2 youngsters he now called his own; for the very first time, there was something more important to him than the beauty of exploring every corner of the world, and he would gladly give up his life for the sake of the ones he was fond of.
There was also one more reason as to why he had chosen to settle down in this corner of the world, though it was a reason that remained completely unknown to his 2 adopted grandchildren...
The Divine Historian... Yes, that was his name back in the east, or at least, what he could still remember from his long-lived past: a prestigious scholar of the Eastern Empire, whose supreme ruler had managed to unite their 4 warring states into a single, imperial banner of glory: now, the Divine Historian was merely a family-man who chose to leave both his past and desires behind, and no amount of persuasion would sway him otherwise.
Alas though, as the old man slowly made his way to the door of his bedroom, a sound would come from his abode's sole front door, a strange noise that one normally wouldn't hear at such a dark time of midnight...
KNOCK... KNOCK... KNOCK...
"... Who could that be?"
"Grandfather, are you expecting visitors at this time of day?"
The old man's eyes narrowed in suspicion as he stared at the front door. "... No, no I'm not, Phoebe..."
Who could it even be at this time of the night? Nobody should've even been aware of where they were, and it was practically impossible for any traveller to stumble upon his home, as it was located in an unknown, isolated farland where no explorer would even dare venture to... Just who exactly was this individual who had arrived at his doorstep? Or perhaps individuals…
Regardless though, the old man had no choice but to check who these unknown visitors were, though of course, he would first make sure that the safety of his 2 grandchildren would be prioritized, just in case– fortunately, any line of sight into their home had been shut due to the curtains of his windows being closed, and if it had indeed been danger that had come knocking on his door, then he could at least make sure that it would only be him who would suffer the consequences.
KNOCK... KNOCK... KNOCK...
"... Olitio, Phoebe... Go and hide in the bedroom for now. Keep yourselves quiet until I say it's safe."
Almost immediately, the 2 siblings would quietly protest against the old man's orders.
"H-Hold on, Grandfather... Don't you think you're overthinking it? They even took the time to knock, so they're probably just lost."
"Yeah... Whoever's knocking on the door is probably just some traveller or something, you don't need to be too worried..."
"No... I'm serious this time. I don't know why, but... I have a feeling that the ones knocking on the door will be trouble." the old man answered back; he couldn't tell why exactly, but there was a dreadful feeling in his gut that there was something wrong about the ones knocking on their door. "There isn't even supposed to be anyone in this place, and I doubt they'd come here at such a terrible time."
"But Grandfather..." Phoebe would protest, only for her words to be met with plain refusal.
"Listen to me, just this once, you 2. I did tell you that it's better to be safe than sorry, yes?"
"... A-alright then, grandfather... We'll do as you say."
"Yeah, same goes for me..."
The siblings then quickly scurried off quietly into their bedroom, as the old man steeled his resolve as he walked to the front door; at best, the sudden visitor before him was merely lost, though at worst, it could probably be a stranger with malign intentions at heart...
There was only one way to find out as to who exactly was knocking on the door, and as the old man placed his hands upon its iron knob, he would ready the dagger holstered in his belt, a protective tool he always prepared in the unlikely case of situations like this one.
CRREAAAKKKK...
As he opened the door, what the old man found completely shocked him to his core...
[...]
"It has been a long time since we last met... Divine Historian..."
What met the old man's eyes was no foreign stranger or traveller... An aged, brown-haired warrior adorned in black and blue robes, accompanied by 4 black-robed warriors who stood behind him with their stern, watchful stances: in truth, the strange man was someone who he was well-acquainted with in the past, a man from the east who was known for his incredible prowess in the skills of martial arts.
"... W-Why are you here... 3rd Divine Guardian...?"
He was one of the Eastern Empire's most profound warriors: the 3rd Guardian of the Heavenly Emperor, one of the 4 most glorious warriors who directly served the Eastern Empire's supreme leader, and he was a warrior whose physical prowess and martial skill could only be matched by his fellow guardians in combat...
There was only one reason why he came here, and it was plainly to check up on the hundreds of years' worth of progress the old man had made... Or at least, what he was supposed to have done.
"Divine Historian, you have forsaken your duty of assessing the nations of the Xathran Continent for our conquest. Normally, such treason would have warranted your immediate execution..."
"However, the Divine Emperor still requires all that knowledge you've been storing in your useless head, which is why I need to bring you alive for this matter. On the other hand, though..." the 3rd Guardian said with a cold, silent anger in his voice.
"... You've hidden yourself quite well from us after all these years... Tell me, what is it exactly that drove you to commit such a heinous betrayal of trust?"
The old man's heart quickly sank as he could feel his mind aching with dread; how did these bastards even manage to find him? He had taken the time to hide himself in a place that was far away from even the most remote of settlements, all for the sole purpose of keeping himself concealed and to protect the lives of the 2 children he had taken under his wing...
He couldn't... He mustn't let them find out about those 2 brats... If they did, they would most definitely meet a fate worse than death by the hands of the 3rd Guardian, especially since the old man had willingly chosen to forsake and betray the oath he made all those years ago.
"... I have no excuse. Please, kill or torture me as you wish." the old man quickly got on his knees as he begged. "... Just please... I implore you to-"
"Oh? Those 2 children you so graciously adopted? While I did ask, I'm already aware of their existence, and I plan to kill them as brutally as possible. This is the price for your betrayal. You should be thankful that you get to keep your head intact, only your adopted children will be taking the blame for your sins... At least for now." the 3rd Guardian replied as he raised his voice a bit with his next few words.
"Bring them outside, drag them by the hair if they resist."
The door behind the old man would slam open, and from it would come 2 black-robed warriors who forcefully dragged out both Olitio and Phoebe beside him.
"G-Grandfather, help us!"
"Who are these people?! W-Why are they trying to hurt us?!"
How those warriors managed to get inside without being seen was a mystery; regardless however, it was not a thought that drove even the smallest drop of curiosity within the Divine Historian's mind, as everything else had become a nightmare that turned into reality, and all the old man could feel was the heart-sinking despair that completely made his face pale...
"... W-why are you aware of Olitio and Phoebe... How the hell did you find out where I am in the first place...?"
"Well, I have been travelling for a while with these bodyguards of mine, although... I won't bother explaining it too much to a traitor such as yourself. Now choose..." The 3rd Guardian spoke as he brought out his blade from his belt-hanging scabbard.
"Who should I kill first among the 2 of them? The boy, or the girl? Choose now, or I'll cut off both of their limbs first and make them suffer as painfully as possible."
Such brutality... As expected of one of the Heavenly Emperor's Guardians... It was clear that there was no way out of this, and the only option he had was to either accept what was already happening... Or to fight against the odds by himself and take down that monster, though this choice was a completely irrational thought that crossed his already-panicking mind...
Unfortunately, the latter was the one that his instinct had chosen, and he would of course fail immediately due to the massive gap of physical power between them.
"... Well? Come now, we don't have all night for this... Perhaps you wish to see them suffer longer?"
"... I... I won't..." the old man muttered under his breath as his grip on the dagger gradually tightened.
"Hm? What exactly are you trying to say?"
"... I-I won't... I won't let you kill them... You bastard!"
In a blind, reckless sense of desperation, the Divine Historian ran towards the 3rd Guardian as he brought out his only weapon, however, it would all eventually prove to be futile: as the old man drew his dagger out and rushed towards the 3rd Guardian, his sudden attack would be met by a single blow, a swift, upward cut that sliced off the arm that carried his weapon, and almost immediately, blood began spurting from his gaping wound as the old man halted his charge towards the seasoned martial artist and fell onto his knees in severe pain.
SLAASSHHHH!!!
"Such foolishness. And here I thought you were the wiser one between the both of us..." the 3rd Guardian mocked as he rid the blood on his sword with an unaimed swing into the air. "For your defiance, I will worsen your punishment: I will have both of those brats skinned alive, and I will make you watch every moment of it. How does that sound?"
This couldn't be... There was nothing he could do... Such a terrible thing was about to happen to him, and all the old man could do was watch now: he was merely a scholar in the first place, and he never had the ability to put up a fight against even the 3rd Guardian's weakest subordinates...
"D-don't you dare do this, you bastard!" the old man desperately screamed. "Punish me, not them, for my sins! They have nothing to do with my crimes!"
Hearing this, the 3rd Guardian merely scoffed. "It does not matter. The moment you chose this path of betrayal was the moment you risked the lives of those you cared about, you should've been well aware of this already. Now then..."
The 2 warriors holding firmly onto the siblings would take out their knives, and it was the beginning of the dark retribution they were about to unleash upon the poor souls.
"Begin with their faces, you 2. Make their cries of pain teach this fool a valuable lesson."
Was this truly the end that fate had in store for him? Did he perhaps deserve this after the betrayal he committed against the divine majesty he was supposed to serve?
He would gladly accept any price to save these 2... He couldn't accept them losing their lives, much less meeting a horrible end that they completely didn't deserve: even if he had to damn his soul to oblivion, the old man would gladly do anything for the sake of his adopted grandchildren, as any price would be worth it to him in the end by this point.
... Thankfully, however, a strange, unlikely miracle would save the 3 of them from their supposedly impending doom...
[...]
BANG! BANG!
Loud sounds came out of nowhere while echoing throughout their surroundings, and simultaneously, multiple beams of light flashed before their eyes and struck both the men behind the 3rd Guardian as well as the ones holding onto the young siblings, reducing their heads into bloody mists as their bodies slumped lifelessly onto the cold, bloodied ground.
"... What the hell was that...?"
The 3rd Guardian's now-headless warriors fell without a fight, and their deaths allowed the siblings to flee from their impending torture– what were those things that killed them exactly? Could it be that the Divine Historian had someone who was secretly protecting him all this time?
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Before the beams of light struck 3rd Guardian, he had already instinctively chosen to move rapidly as soon as he witnessed the death of his men...
It was an impossible sight, as those soldiers he brought with him were some of the best warriors of his homeland: they were members of the Shadow Legion that did the dirtiest of works for the Divine Emperor, and while they were still vastly weaker than the 3rd Guardian in every aspect, their skills alone were already notable enough to warrant a cause for concern the moment they met their immediate demises.
Surprise, and eventually, anger and rage, began flooding his mind as the sudden threat appeared from behind him, though currently, the only thing he could do right now was to move as quickly as he could in order to avoid meeting the same fate as those 2...
[Divine Shadows- Martial Skill: Perfect Copies]
The 3rd Guardian harnessed his mana, or rather, his internal energy, into his raised free-hand, and from the shadows began forming a vast number of nigh-perfect copies of himself: it was a skill that allowed him to combat an entire army despite usually travelling with only a handful of subordinates, as not only did the clones possess the same level of skill and strength as him, but they could also think for themselves and act accordingly with the original's goals.
"All of you, spread yourselves out and move in that direction!" the 3rd Guardian hastily ordered to his clones. "Find out who killed those subordinates of mine at once!"
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
A portion of the clones instantly met their demise and faded away into nothingness, as more beams of light fell upon their location like an endless rain. Granted though, the amount of copies he had summoned was plenty enough for them to not run out immediately, and the 3rd Guardian sought to use this advantage to stall for time and find the source of the attacks.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
'Those bastards... The moment I find them, I'll rip them apart with my blade...!'
The attacks were coming from too far away, and as a result the 3rd Guardian was constantly being forced to use his copies as mere meatshields; he had barely even managed to cover a few yards from his original position, and yet the clones he summoned were already beginning to run out too quickly...
"... Huh? Another attack...?"
This time, a different form of attack came within their vicinity, and it was a multitude of solid projectiles that emitted fire as they propelled themselves towards his direction. They were far slower than the beams of light though, and this would allow the 3rd Guardian and his copies to parry the attacks with their blades before they could reach them.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
BOOOMMMM!!!!
"!!!"
Unfortunately, the 3rd Guardian and his clones could only cut down half of the speeding projectiles, as suddenly, the remaining half would erupt into a series of both blinding and deafening lights the moment they came close to them: it was a powerful attack that made quick work of the clones, and the 3rd Guardian himself was instantly left to fend for himself as he fell onto the earth beneath him due to the constant bombardment of nerve-wracking pain on his body.
"AAARRGHHHHH!!! You damn cowards...!"
The resulting, intense light brutally overwhelmed his senses, and the 3rd Guardian was forced to remain on the ground as he used his hands to cover his eyes, a useless attempt to get rid of the incredible pain he was feeling... Because of his temporary helplessness, however, he would be left completely helpless against the faraway attackers who had finally decided to approach him after their successful neutralization attempt...
...
...
The MX-15 'Thunderflash' Stun Grenade... In the age of war where it was created, the simple tool had been known as a 'flashbang', a disorientative weapon that could stun targets within its vicinity for a few seconds, allowing its user to quickly swoop in and deal with their disoriented enemies without much resistance. In this case however, this ancient weapon of the past had been used once again in a battlefield where hundreds of years had passed by since its last use.
"Put the collar on him, now! Do it while he's still down!"
To the old man's complete bewilderment, the people who had saved him from what was supposed to be a dreadful fate would finally emerge from the cover of the woods before him; 4 men in strange, grey armour rushed towards the disoriented 3rd Guardian as they carried their peculiar metal staves with both of their hands...
He had never seen these people before, and their strange appearance completely confused the old man and made him unable to ascertain their origins... Where exactly did they come from? And why did they choose to help him in this dire situation of his?
CLANK!
"... Y-You cunning... Do you know who I am, you weak, cowardly shits?!" the 3rd Guardian cursed angrily as he slowly got back to his senses. "You think these little tricks of yours will work on me, the 3rd Divine Guardian of the East?!"
"Shut up, maggot, stop being so noisy." one of the strange men replied bluntly as he slammed the back end of his weapon against the 3rd Guardian's face. "That collar we put on you strips every portion of magick power that you have. You're nothing more than a normal man now, just like the rest of us."
These bastards... How dare they...? It was infuriating enough that they had dared to put this contraption on his neck, but what was even more maddening was that the soldier was telling the truth; the 3rd Guardian couldn't feel his internal energy anymore. It was as if it had all faded away from his body the moment the collar was placed on his neck, and because of this, the lone, eastern warrior was no longer able to utilize most of his powerful martial skills to escape his current predicament.
"... W-Who are you people? Why have you come here all of a sudden...?" amidst the confusing turn of events, the Divine Historian would unintentionally blurt out a question as he stared at the 3rd Guardian being pinned onto the ground.
"Your questions will be answered by our leader shortly. For now, let us tend to the injuries you've sustained..."
One of the soldiers then pulled out a small, syringe-like device, whose contents contained a black-like liquid within its glass framework, as he would then hastily inject its load into the gaping wound where the old man's severed arm once was...
"W-What are you...?!"
"Relax, this is nothing more than medication. You'll be growing your severed arm back in a few moments now, so please bear with the pain for a while."
At first, it felt like fire scorching his open wound, and he could feel thousands of skittering microscopic things moving about within the area he was injected, but soon afterward, the Divine Historian would eventually witness the effects of the serum that had been used on him.
"I-It actually grew back... Certainly, I'm not imagining things right now, correct?"
"Of course. Now then, please stay put while we restrain this bastard more securely..." The soldier closest to him immediately answered his question.
Why do they want him alive in the first place? Why exactly did they save their lives? Such were the questions the old man wanted to ask, though because of the way the soldier responded to him, the old man couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.
"Hmm, how interesting... So you're the man who master wants me to bring to him. Well, your appearance does fit your supposed age, I suppose..."
From the dark space of the woods, a white-haired woman wearing a maid uniform suddenly arrived into the scene with 4 more of those soldiers walking behind her, her crimson eyes calmly observing the situation as they would then shift their sights towards the motionless old man: while her sudden appearance would surprise him for a moment, the Divine Historian couldn't help but become slightly entranced due to how beautiful the woman was.
"Ah, by the way, to answer those questions of yours..." the white-haired maid continued.
"My name is Speranza, an... Ahem, Important figure of the Neugomian Empire, and the men who came here with me are specialized soldiers of the Imperial Army. As for the reason we came here..."
Neugomian Empire? No, this couldn't even be possible... The armour they wore was far different from what their soldiers were equipped with during his visits in the past. Not only that, however, but the fact that the supposed leader of these soldiers was a maid... Was she truly serious with what she was saying?
"You look confused. Well, you probably weren't aware of the recent events since you're staying in these outskirts, so it's perfectly understandable. Although, just to make you aware enough..." the maid said as she paused for a moment. "My master requires your assistance with an important matter, so he wants me to bring you to him as soon as possible."
"... W-Why would he need my help? I am merely a scholar who chose to settle down in these woods. What could the one you serve even benefit from me?"
"Well, to put it simply... He needs your experience, or rather, all the knowledge you have about the eastern lands." the maid answered back. "The one who sent me here is the true master of the Neugomian Empire. He wishes to send his forces to the east to conquer their lands, and we'll be needing all the information we can get about them."
"... And that information will be coming from me, correct?"
The maid lightly nodded her head. "Indeed, you are. I'm thankful that you can pick up on things so fast."
The entire thing only further became confusing for the old man... There was no way he could refuse what she came here for, especially since the soldiers accompanying that woman managed to subdue the 3rd Guardian with ease due to their powerful weapons...
Well, as long as the 2 brats under his care remained safe under their watch, then he would gladly comply with whatever demands this woman would make... Or so did the old man think to himself in silence.
"How did you people find out where I am, anyway? You're the second group of people I've encountered who've managed to do this..."
"We have our own sources. With the recent 'improvements' we've made on the Empire, finding you was actually quite the simple task." the white-haired woman stated nonchalantly as she chuckled a bit.
"Now then, I'll need you to come with us. Master wants to meet you in-person after all, and it would be better if this was done as soon as possible." the maid continued. "Don't worry about your grandchildren, they'll temporarily be under my care. I'm quite good with young ones like them, so you don't have to worry about them too much."
With that assurance, most of his hesitation quickly faded away from the old man's heart: while he wasn't certain if she was going to be true to her word, it was obvious that she had no malign intentions at heart, which brought a slight wave of relief into the Divine Historian's nervous thoughts.
Although... Before he would voluntarily comply with what this woman wished for him to do, the old man figured that he had one more thing to do...
"... Before I come with you... May I ask something important? It's about the one you serve..."
If he was going to come with them, then it would be important to ask about the nature of this maid's master, the one who sent her to this place: it was a question born from the old man's sense of curiosity, as well as the necessity for his basis on how he was going to treat him in their meeting later.
"Hm? Go ahead, I don't mind answering your queries."
With that confirmation, the old man wasted no time in posing his question.
"Your master... What kind of man is he exactly?"
"...?"
"Ah, wait, let me rephrase..." the old man would change his question as he noticed the confused expression on the maid's face.
"If you could describe him in one word, what would it be exactly?"
Hearing the simplified question, the white-haired maid would move one of her hands to her chin as she pondered in deep thought for a while; eventually however, after a few seconds of remaining in silence, she would finally say the words that the old man wanted to hear from her.
"... Hmm... Well, I suppose the word would be 'determined'. I've rarely ever seen him giving up, after all, although... This sometimes ends up being a complete pain in the rear for me, to be honest." she said this with a sigh, surprising the old man with the informal way she spoke of her master.
'Determined'... From what he could surmise, then this man was most likely the type to never give up in the face of adversity... Ah, so he was that kind of person, looks like his awaited meeting with him would prove more interesting than what he initially thought...
"Alright, since I've answered your question, let's get going now. Don't worry, our journey won't take too long. Miss Thurien made this really handy invention that makes travelling all too easy for us..."
From the skies, a massive object would suddenly appear before them: its jet-black body of steel, which once blended invisibly within the skies, slowly began to reveal itself as its disguise gradually faded away, eventually revealing the massive, winged, metal-beast that had been above their heads all along.
"... W-what..." the old man stuttered in shock as he witnessed the technological monstrosity. "What the hell... Is that thing..."
The massive, metal beast then slowly descended upon the ground, and from its belly came down a massive door that served as both an entrance and a bridgeway leading to its interior– alas though, the Divine Historian remained completely bewildered by such a massive monstrosity made of metal, as never in his life had he seen something so complicatedly bizarre.
"It's called an 'aircraft', and it'll be facilitating our transport to master's current location." the maid explained. "If that's already shocking you though, you'll definitely be even more surprised with what you'll see after we've arrived."
"... W-what do you mean...?" the old man asked, both curiously and nervously.
"We're going to a... Very special place." she replied. "You'll see soon enough."