It was a sunny day, with a comfortable temperature and refreshing breeze. For most, this day
was to be enjoyed to its fullest.
But for some, it was a day of remembrance. For today was the day Belka fell, all those years ago.
There was a memorial near the Saint Church headquarters, a carefully maintained and honored
site with a single obsidian slab at its center. Etched into the volcanic glass and filled with gold was
an epitaph dedicated to the millions of lives lost in the Saint Kaiser’s name. From the knights of
ancient Belka to the warriors of today, to all her subjects past and present, this cenotaph was
meant to remember them when no one else could.
That is why, today, a single man was in front of it, laying a handful of cut flowers by the
monument’s base. Alone, he made no sound as he knelt down, his head bowed in respect. Or at
least, he believed he was alone. It was because of this silence that he heard the quiet footsteps of
someone else approaching, a presence that he could easily guess its identity.
“Lady Kaon,” his voice was abnormally loud in this place.
“I figured you’d be here, Noland,” the inspector greeted, a small bouquet of flowers in her hand.
“For… similar reasons, I suppose.”
“Indeed,” the knight murmured, finding it a little hard to say any more. Not that Kaon minded, as
she came up next to him and laid her flowers next to his. She too knelt, mirroring her friend’s
posture as she bowed her head in silence.
How much time passed, then? Ten minutes? An hour? Neither of them knew. Slowly opening her
eyes, Kaon pushed herself up to her feet.
“Hey, I’m going to head back,” she placed a small hand on Noland’s right shoulder. “Call me
when you’re done here. We’ll grab dinner, okay?”
“Yes,” he replied, followed with a nod. “I will.”
It wasn’t the response that Kaon wanted, but it was fine. Today was a… sensitive day, and she
had many years to cope. But Noland? This was probably his first time here. She had done the
same when this memorial was first raised.
So she left, her hands in her pockets as she quietly strolled away. Despite her relaxed outward
appearance, her mind was a storm of memories. How lucky she was that only one day of the
entire year,
those sad thoughts surfaced in her mind…
Damn. She could really go for a drink right now.
---
Noland listened for Kaon’s footsteps to fade away, lost in the quiet ambiance of the monument.
When he had first arrived, his silence was to honor his friends from long ago. With Kaon, they
remembered their service and their king, of their fellow countrymen and their lives. But now, he
was alone once more. A quiet breeze, the gentle sway of trees, there was nothing else here.
Nothing else, but his silent prayer.
Father. Mother. Sisters…
Hello.
It has been… a very long time since we all spoke. I apologize for not coming any sooner; waiting
for a holiday is no excuse to visit family. I wish I had this freedom, back then. I could have come
home far more often. Perhaps, I could have seen little Remilia grow, or helped Cecilia with her
studies. Mother always needed a hand in the kitchen, and Father’s age made fieldwork more
difficult. I wish that I could have visited more frequently, but… it is too late for that.
This new life that I have been granted... it is a gift that I am far from deserving, but I am thankful
for it. Would you believe that the Saint Kaiser, Olivier, lives once more? She is but a child,
innocent and free from the yokes of monarchy, yet I can see little things that remind me of her. I
now stand by her side once more, but this time, I fight for more than just king and country.
I fight for family now, something I should have done years ago. Instead, I brought shame to our
family and ruined our names. In an instant, I destroyed everything we had all built together… I
cannot even ask for forgiveness from any of you. It is a shame that I will forever carry, a reminder
of my sins and regrets.
…
I must sound incredibly stupid. I half expect Cecilia to clout me in the head with her book and
chide me. Wallowing in this self-pity is not me, is it? No… I just… I just want to see you all
once more.
What I would give up just to see your smiling faces again, to chat with Mother as Father returns
from the fields, dirtied but smiling broadly; to drink tea with Cecilia and speak of her school and
her studies, of her new experiences; to hold little Remilia in my arms and hug her and tell her that
everything is all right…! I want to wipe the tears away from her eyes and prove that she has
nothing to fear, that her big brother is here and will always be! I want… I want to save her from
the darkness that I left her in...
Is it so much to ask? To embrace my family just one more time?
Yet… these hands will hold nothing.
…
How can it be, that a knight of the Saint Kaiser still mourns for his lost family after so many years?
What would you say if you saw me now? Scold me, hold me, or cry by my side. Anything!
Anything to dispel this silence… Dear gods, I want to hear you again…
Father. Mother. Sisters…
I miss you so much.
Goodbye. I love you all.
I will come back soon.
With silent grace, Noland stood and gazed at the obsidian monolith.
He took a breath, and then he stepped away.
Spoiler for Extra?:
Unexpectedly, he heard a woman gasp. She stood by the memorial’s archway, a bundle of
flowers cradled gently in her arms. She was petite, lithe and graceful with dark hair tied down
into twin ponytails that trailed down her back. Hazel eyes Dressed in a shimmering white
summer dress, she had a wide-brimmed hat that seemed to glow in the sunlight.
“Oh, excuse me. I didn’t expect someone else to be here,” the newcomer said a little breathily.
“No, I should say sorry. I failed to be attentive,” Noland bowed in apology. “I was paying my
respects to the fallen.”
“Oh, are you a Knight?”
“I…” he hesitated for a brief moment, before nodding. “Yes. I am a Knight.”
“Really? That’s amazing!” she had a bright look of awe on her face. “My eldest brother was a
Knight. He was one of the best, and we were all so proud of him!”
Noland noticed that one word stuck out, “Were?”
“Yes…” her cheer suddenly calmed, her tone becoming subdued. “He died a long time ago.”
Noland mentally berated himself for being a fool. Why else would she be here? “I am sorry.
That was very rude of me to ask.”
“No, its okay,” she replied with a shake of her head. “As I said, it was a long time ago. He died
in the line of duty, fighting for what he believed to be right. But… everyone else calls him a
backstabber. We couldn’t believe that he’d do such a thing, that he had betrayed his allies and
friends. It was such a shock to hear it… and an even greater one when we were told he died.
Mother and father had passed away, then, so all that is left of our family is myself and my older
sister. He left us alone…”
For a moment, Noland was silent. How strange, how terrifying, to hear that there was another
like him. What an odd coincidence that history be repeated once more, the crime of treason
laying waste to a close-knit family. He could sympathize with them, and with the poor soul of
their brother. Did he have a grave? Or was he to be remembered only as the scum of history, to
be reviled and hated so as long as his name is known?
“Do you… do you hate him for that?” he asked with strange gentleness. Somehow, the answer
he got was both surprising and expected.
“What sort of sister would hate her brother?” the girl had a wistful smile. “Even if the world
hated him, we would still love him unconditionally. No, we knew that he did it for a reason, and
for whatever it was, he could not be blamed for it. He had done so much for us, given us
everything he could and all the time he could spare. Our lives were dreams come true because
of his hard work… How could a wonderful person like that deceive his friends?”
Her words sent a haunting tremor down his spine, pangs of jealousy tugging at his mind. His own
desire to hear such reassurance choked him as tears threatened to stain his eyewraps, desperation
barely held back by his will. How he wished those kind words were meant for him…
It took all his will just to make his response sound normal. “He sounds like an amazing brother.”
“He was wonderful and kind. I miss him terribly…” she hugged the bouquet closer to her chest.
“These flowers are meant for him. Elder sister and I, we are the only ones that honor him. She
couldn’t make it today, so I had to come alone.”
Noland was silent once more as the girl approached the memorial and laid the bouquet next to
the other flowers. She clasped her hands together with a bowed head and whispered a quiet
prayer, too quiet for the knight to hear. Several minutes of this hallowed stillness passed before
the girl stood back up.
“Thank you for listening, Sir Knight. It isn’t often that I get to talk to others about my brother,
especially on a day like this.”
“Not at all. He must have been a great person to deserve this faith.”
“You’re too kind,” the girl bowed to him. “Unfortunately, I must be off. Dinner is my
responsibility today. Be well, sir Knight!”
“And you,” he gave her a gentle smile and a small wave. “Ah, wait a moment, please. I never
got your name…”
She smiled brilliantly, “My friends call me Remi!”