The Personal Guard bowed deeply: "I understand, sir."
He turned and left, the soles of his boots tapping on the stone slabs, one by one, growing fainter.
Once more, the corridor returned to silence, leaving Edmund alone, standing where shadows and firelight mingled.
He leaned against the cold stone pillar and slowly exhaled.
At that moment, he bore no armor, no helmet, just a middle-aged man, a father understanding his fate.
He murmured to himself, as if speaking only to his own ears: "This is my only selfish desire."
This was his only selfish desire. For generations, the Edmund Clan had defended the Northern Territory for the Empire, and their bloodline had long since seeped into this icefield.
From grandfather to father, from eldest brother to firstborn son, one cold tombstone after another stood upon the snow-buried hills.
He was unwilling to let his children witness the finale of his family's saga once more.
