Today is the Royal Oath Day. It's a date that rolls around once in every ten years, like a wandering star.
So, the last Oath Day was when I was still an infant, who couldn't tell a King from a normal knight. But today, I'm gonna see them.
"Jimmy, come on! Move it! I thought you were the one who wanted to see the parade the most?" my father shouted from the front door.
Yep, we live in the Homanburg City, the Capital city, the beating heart of the Regulus Nation, where both the Royal palace and The central church are located.
They are separated by about ten kilometers of long distance —a road that is usually a chaotic mess of merchants, carts and chariots.
But not today.
The parade that I am About to go watch is the grand lineup of none other than the king, royal members and royal soldiers, going to the church.
Today, By the royal decree, the entire road which connects the church with the Royal palace, is left empty. No carriages, no wheelbarrows, not even a stray dog. No vehicles or anything else is allowed until the Royals return to the palace.
The two sides of That very same road are packed today with commoners, thousands upon thousands of people like us. Commoners who are excited to see the parade.
I mean, who wouldn't, Right ?
We are about to see the King. The man who doesn't just rule over a nation but an entire Race.
I have never been outside The Capital City walls but I have heard that, Homanburg City alone is already super big and the entire nation is thousands of times bigger than this.
And yet, this man reins over all of it.
And not just him but also his family. They are the people who rule this country alongside him and will later take on his mantle as the new king someday!
And if the royals weren't enough, there are the Knights, The iron-clad wall of the Empire.
'Stats Window'
I blinked, and the translucent blue screen flickered into existence before my eyes. this is my stats window that I'd unlocked about two years ago, and I still check it every morning like a morning prayer.
[[LEVEL: 2
NAME: JIMMY
RACE: HUMAN
IDENTITY: COMMONER]
TITLE: NONE
TRAIT: NONE
SKILLS: [WOOD CUTTING (BEGINNER)] [COOKING (BEGINNER)] [SWORDSMANSHIP (BEGINNER)] [HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT (BEGINNER)] [READ AND WRITE]]
I have been practicing swordsmanship for the last three years, under the guidance of my Dad who is a former adventurer.
He's the reason I have my [Swordsmanship] at all, even if it is just 'Beginner'.
Come to think of it....
"Hey, Dad!" I called out, frantically pulling my best shirt over my head.
"What is it now?" he asked, his grunting voice echoing as he tightened his heavy leather belt
"Why did you quit, Dad? Being an adventurer, I mean." I asked.
This is something I've been wondering about for a while, but always forget to ask, usually my mind drifting away during the exhaustion of practice swings.
Dad went silent. He stood there for a few seconds, his hands resting on his belt, before answering "I just felt like quitting. That's all there is to it"
"Liar!" I shot back. "You brag about being a D-Rank adventurer every time we train! You were too passionate to just 'feel like' just quitting."
"Yeah, yeah. You got me, kid." Dad looked at me, then threw his hands up in a gesture of mock surrender and he looked at the ceiling.
or maybe through it, toward the room upstairs where Mom and my little sister were likely doing their own thing.
"You see, being an adventurer is not that ..easy."
"So, what was it? Were you just scared?" I poked at him, my curiosity getting the better of my manners. "I mean, weren't you making good money out of it ?"
POW!
"Ow!" I squeaked, clutching my head as Dad's heavy palm connected with my scalp in a lightning-fast smack.
"Calling your old man a coward.... You've got guts kid!"
"Then why did you hit me ?!" I groaned, rubbing the spot that was definitely starting to swell.
"Think of that as a 'love hit' from me. A man must bear the consequences of his actions. My hit was the consequence of you running your damn mouth"
"Whatever! but since you hit me that means I was right, wasn't I ?" I said while rubbing my head.
Why does it feel a bit swollen like a small potato. It's my imagination, right ?
Sign...
He took a seat as he said "No, you are wrong, Jimmy. and It's not about the money."
"Then, what is it about ?" I asked.
He gave a slight smile, poured some water in his glass "being an adventurer might sound fun but it's truly not all about fun"
He took a sip from his glass "You have to risk your life for it. For adventurers, except the low ranking ones, risking their life is not a question of 'If' they have to. But rather 'when' do they have to."
"...Really ?" I never really thought much about it.
"Yes, And as for the money... No amount of money is worth risking your life over, unless and until you really really need money. Especially if you have a real reason to keep breathing—then the risk starts to look like a bad bargain, kid."
"....and you fall in that category ? you found that Reason ?"
"Yes. I do," He looked me, straight at my eyes, his expression fiercer than I'd ever seen it during training. "...My reason is you guys"
"I don't Understand"
were we really worth enough for him to throw out his dream ?
I mean, I know we definitely wouldn't know how to deal with it if something really did happen to him and I and mother would definitely be very sad but...
Did he do it because he doesn't want us to be sad ?
was 'being a dad' really worth throwing away the thrill of the adventures? The glory of the D-Rank Adventurer?
"Haha! Look at that face!" Dad let out a loud, hearty laugh, reaching over to ruffle my hair with the same hand that had just smacked me. "Even if you don't get it now, a day will eventually come when you grow up and realize exactly what I mean. When you find something you'd rather protect than conquer, you'll understand."
"Hmph! Whatever! I am gonna be an adventurer in a few years! I will climb even higher than you!" I declared my dream with pride.