After officially becoming adventurers, Lilly and I embarked on countless quests, traveling far and wide to distant lands. We faced dangers and uncertainty but always returned to Richard to show we were safe. As the years passed, Lilly rose to become a B-Rank Adventurer, while I reached C-Rank. Her name began to echo throughout the kingdom and neighboring realms, a symbol of hope and unparalleled talent.
Many noblemen proposed to Lilly, drawn by her grace and strength, but she turned them all down. At first, I assumed it was simply because they hindered her path toward adventure and greatness. But one twilight, while we were completing a quest in a foreign land, she surprised me by asking, "Hey, Andrew, why do you think I turned down all those proposals?"
Her question caught me off guard. Admiring the dawn's soft glow, I stammered, "Maybe it's because they'll get between your dreams." Yet, when I looked at her, I saw something unexpected. Her eyes were not filled with happiness but burned with anger. Without warning, she punched me in the stomach and shouted, "Idiot!"
At that moment, I didn't understand why she reacted so harshly. Her fury was inexplicable, but in hindsight, those were some of the most unforgettable times we shared.
Meanwhile, the kingdom's situation was deteriorating with each passing day. News arrived that a rebellion was brewing, by Richard . In a letter, he implored us to return immediately. Alarmed by the revelation, Lilly and I packed our belongings and caught the tram back to our homeland.
After days of arduous travel, we arrived at our town, once vibrant and bustling, now eerily desolate. Hardly a soul was in sight, and the atmosphere was heavy, filled with tension. The air seemed thick with foreboding as though whispering tales of despair and looming war.
This was no ordinary day. The shadows of rebellion loomed large, and our journey had taken a perilous turn. Together, we braced ourselves, for the greatest trial of our lives was yet to come.
The rain began to pour like a relentless curse as we made our way to the smithy, where Richard awaited us, his face etched with worry. The heavy droplets fell around us, each one echoing the growing tension in the air. We sat down at the old wooden table, seeking refuge in the dim warmth of the flickering hearth, cups of tea trembling in our hands.
"How are you? Is everything alright?" Richard's voice broke through the silence, heavy with concern.
"We're fine," Lilly replied, her voice deceptively bright, as if trying to dispel the shadow looming over us. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, as always," Richard said, though his words carried no conviction.
I couldn't hold back my burning questions. "What's going on with this rebellion?"
Lilly's eyes narrowed, clearly irritated by my bluntness. "Andrew, what's wrong with you? After all this time apart, that's the first thing you ask?"
Before tempers could flare, Richard lifted a hand, his tone firm but somber. "Let me tell you the truth," he said. "Our town remains untouched by this chaos, peaceful because of our Lord's relentless efforts. He shields us, sacrifices everything to protect this land and its people. But not everyone is as fortunate."
His voice grew heavier, laden with bitter truth. "In other towns, life is nothing short of hell. Corruption runs rampant, taxes are merciless, and people are treated like expendable pawns. It was inevitable that rebellion would rise. But no one imagined it would happen this soon, and for a reason more horrifying than we could comprehend."
An icy chill ran down my spine. "What reason?" I asked, barely daring to breathe.
"It was an order," Richard declared, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and sorrow. "An order from the highest authority… to annihilate an entire village."
We froze, as if struck by a dagger of disbelief.
"An entire village?" Lilly gasped, her voice cracking in shock. "Is the king insane? How could he issue such a command?"
Richard continued, his eyes heavy with despair, "Far to the north lies a small, broken village under Count Nick's rule. A place where taxes are so exorbitantly cruel that the people barely survive. Their fields wither, their crops fail, and they was not able to pay taxes this time . But instead of aid, the king granted permission to brand them as traitors—to declare them rebels on Count Nick's suggestio."
A suffocating silence engulfed us. The weight of injustice pressed down like a merciless storm.
"You can see what our kingdom has become," Richard murmured. "A land where the weak are crushed by the powerful, where the innocent are sacrificed for control. This was not war. It was a massacre sanctioned by the very throne we swore to protect."
We said nothing. There were no words strong enough to capture the depth of our horror. Only the relentless sound of the rain, the bitter taste of betrayal, and the burning resolve that justice must be reclaimed.
Our path was no longer one of simple adventure. It had turned into a crusade—a rebellion against corruption, a battle for the forgotten, and a fight to awaken the conscience of a crumbling kingdom.
Let me know if you want me to continue the story in this tone or expand it further into the next chapter, adding more action and emotion.
"And you know," Richard began, his voice dripping with bitterness, "our kingdom is also ruled by greed. The same order, that single vile command, was exploited by a depraved man—a bastard count who showed no mercy."
His words cut through the gloom like a blade.
"With that order," he continued, "the count mercilessly massacred everyone in the village. No child, no woman was spared. The man raped the women, slaughtered the men, and not even the innocent children escaped the carnage."
The rain outside began to fall harder, as if mourning the horror that unfolded before us. The air grew colder, darker, but inside, our blood burned with every word. Anger, sorrow, and disbelief coursed through our veins, igniting a flame that would never be extinguished.
"The spark of rebellion was inevitable," Richard declared. "Seeing how the situation spiraled out of control, the king, in a blind and desperate move, ordered every noble to march to the capital with their armies. All who disobey would be branded rebels."
But that was not all.
Another fire of resistance was quietly rising—forces gathering at the estate of Count Vleck, loyal to the Second Prince.
Shock hit me like a thunderclap. The Second Prince, a figure dismissed by everyone as talentless, worthless in the eyes of the kingdom… now leading a rebellion?
Before I could speak, Richard looked at me, eyes hard. "I know you are surprised. A so-called 'good-for-nothing' is leading a rebellion. But this… this is proof that mana alone does not define one's worth in this world."
His words echoed deep in my mind, breaking the chains of doubt. I had always believed that power was measured by mana, by strength. Now, I understood the lie.
"How are they planning to defeat the king," I murmured, "when he commands so many nobles and warriors of immense power? And moreover there is an Awakned one under the king. "
Richard's eyes gleamed with unwavering conviction. "They fight for something far greater than power. They fight for justice. For the people. For the truth."
And then came the final revelation that shattered our reality.
"There are many towns like ours," Richard said softly, "where people serve the Second Prince. Moreover, two of the awakened are among them, standing shoulder to shoulder with him. People are waking up, Andrew. The tide of change is rising."
I was surprised because there was only one Awakned one in the kingdom who served the king but now two are serving under Second Prince. But before i could answer Lilly asked " Two awakned one " surprised " who are they and how did no one knew about them. " Richard closing his eyes " I don't know how they were able to hide it but i know there identity. " breathing "one of them is the next heir to Estate of Count Vleck, Van Vleck and another one is a commoner named John. "
Silence fell, heavy and profound.
This was no longer a mere rebellion. It was the birth of a revolution.
That revelation struck Lilly and me like a thunderclap.
"There was only one awakened being at that time," Richard continued gravely, "but now two stand for the Second Prince. Two awakened souls hidden in plain sight. How no one knew about them remains a mystery."
Lilly's voice trembled with curiosity and disbelief. "Who are they? How did they hide their power so well?"
Richard's eyes darkened. "One of them is the next heir to the estate of Count Vleck—Van Vleck himself. The other is a commoner named John."
My heart pounded in my chest. The weight of this truth was staggering. The kingdom teetered on the brink of collapse, reshaping itself through pain and despair. The Second Prince—dismissed by all as good-for-nothing—had become the last beacon of hope.
It was a cruel irony. The same people who had scorned him now clung to the fragile promise that he alone could liberate them from tyranny. A kingdom that once scoffed now looked toward him as its salvation.
We sipped our tea in silence, the atmosphere thick with unspoken dread. I helped Richard wash the dishes, while Lilly, unable to contain her curiosity, asked, "You said nobles serving the Second Prince are gathering at the estate of Count Vleck. Does that mean our Lord is going to join them?"
Richard remained silent for a long moment, the tension palpable. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and measured. "Currently, our Lord is hiring soldiers and adventurers. He plans to join the Second Prince's rebellion."
Lilly's eyes sparkled with excitement, her voice trembling as she exclaimed, "Then what are we waiting for, Andrew? Let's go! We're going to fight with the Second Prince and kick the king's tyranny to dust!"
Her resolve was fierce, burning brighter than ever.
But Richard's expression remained solemn. "You're not going anywhere," he said firmly.
"What?" Lilly's voice was sharp, filled with defiance. "But why?"
Richard's gaze pierced through us, as if trying to anchor our souls to reality. "Because this war is not just about power or glory. It's about strategy, sacrifice, and survival. Reckless heroes fall the fastest."
The storm outside mirrored our turmoil—a violent, unstoppable force preparing to reshape our fate.
"Because it's dangerous," Richard said, his voice heavy with worry.
"Then why did you call us back, if we're not going to fight?" Lilly demanded, her frown deepening.
Richard sighed, his eyes betraying a rare vulnerability. "Because I wanted to spend time with you in this tense situation," he confessed.
But Lilly didn't listned to Richard and kept trying to pressure him to let us join the army.
"No means no," Richard annoyed by the tantrum of Lilly said firmly. "I listened to your request Eight year ago. Now, you must listen to me."
Lilly turned to me, her gaze burning with intensity, as though trying to pierce through my resolve and change my mind. I stood firm. "Don't look at me. I am not doing it."
Her voice trembled. "Even you?"
"There's no need for us to fight, Lilly," I replied. "There are already enough people supporting the Second Prince. Besides, many are needed to guard the city while our Lord joins the rebellion."
Her silence was a battle of its own—a desperate struggle between duty and desire.
Eventually, we managed to steer Lilly away from confrontation.
Then came the inevitable day.
Our Lord departed the city to join the Second Prince's army. The air was thick with anticipation, the weight of destiny pressing down on us.
A month passed.
With the Lord's departure, the world seemed to hold its breath.
And then, the rebellion began.
The kingdom's future now teetered on the edge of a sword, driven by the fragile hope of freedom and the courage of those brave enough to defy the tyrant.