𝔖𝔬, ℑ 𝔊𝔬𝔱 ℜ𝔢𝔦𝔫𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔞𝔱𝔢𝔡

ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 58

"Decaying memories."
~※~
Himeko

Asmodians...

I have always thought that the world was better off without them. That they were just thieves trying to steal some land and kill off humans.

That's what they were to me.

"General, you must leave me..."

Blood.

"Akia..." I trembled. He's gonna die.

Why must it be like this?

"Those monsters," were the words that came out of my mouth the moment I saw how one of them mercilessly killed another one of my men.

At the far side of the battlefield, we met eye to eye. I was wearing my armor, my face hidden under a helmet. But those red eyes. They sent shivers down my spine. Nevertheless, I glared at him, that murderer. I will kill him. No matter what. I will kill him. I will rip off that mask hiding his face and slice off his neck.

"Retreat!"

We retreated back with our wounded with us. It took a toll on the knights until reinforcements arrived.

A few months passed by and I was called back into the Capital.

The Capital of Arcadia, a city touted by some as a beacon of progress and opportunity, held a deceptive allure. To the untrained eye, it appeared as a thriving metropolis with gleaming skyscrapers and bustling streets. But beneath the surface of this facade, a darker reality lurked, hidden from the prying eyes of those who believed in its promise.

The city's underbelly teemed with a clandestine network of crime and corruption, where the powerful preyed upon the weak, and illicit activities thrived in the shadows. Behind the polished veneer of prosperity, the machinery of deception and exploitation whirred relentlessly.

"The place is still the same," hindi ko mapigilang ibuga. Nasa loob kami ng karwahe papuntang palasyo.

"The Empress is doing her best with better legislation."

"Laws aren't enough to make a change," bitter kong dugtong. The nobles will find a way to exploit these laws and at the end of the day, it is the poor who will suffer.

In the depths of its underbelly, unseen by the naive and unsuspecting, nefarious dealings unfolded. Criminal syndicates ruled over territories, engaging in illicit trades, smuggling, and violence, while the law turned a blind eye or found itself compromised by the very forces it sought to combat.

The streets echoed with whispers of power struggles, betrayals, and the seedy undercurrents of human nature. Lives were shattered, dreams extinguished, and the vulnerable exploited for the benefit of the privileged few. The disparity between the haves and have-nots grew ever wider, fueled by greed, ambition, and a hunger for control.

"How are you feeling? I heard the North is getting all chaotic. Are the borders safe?" Regal asked. He's a friend of mine from House Alpheus. His older brother is the Empress' secretary. And their eldest male, the heir.

"The North is in dire state. Anytime, those barbarians will infiltrate the land," napasandal nalamang ako sa inuupuan ko at napapikit. Sumasakit na yung mga mata kong nakatingin sa labas.

"Nagmahal ang mga bilihin?" I asked.

"Yes. However, the Grain Act implemented by your sister is helping the economy and the efforts up there in the North."

I sighed.

"And if worse comes to worst?"

"Abandon the North. That's the most logical thing to do," he says.