Sanctum Lumina

Sanctum Lumina: 6

SHIPPO

At the Northsonia barracks—this took place the night before Master Marlé and the others were rescued, inside Commander Lutero's office.

Three consecutive knocks echoed through the four corners of Commander Lutero's office, the leader of the entire Sahonia army.

A cold voice responded, "Come in." The office door creaked open, and a soldier entered. "Commander Lutero." He saluted before continuing.

"Prince Josh is here," the soldier reported. Commander Lutero nodded, and the prince entered. Once the door closed, the prince smiled and saluted as well.

The commander shook his head and chuckled softly.
"What can I do for you, Your Highness?"

Josh frowned slightly and sat down on the sofa.
"Since when have you started calling me Your Highness, Commander? Can we just stick with Josh? It still feels strange."

"My respect for the king is great, and if addressing you as prince is part of his orders, I will gladly comply."

Ten years ago, Josh's home was attacked. At the time, Martin Lutero, then just a platoon leader, found the boy. Discovering Josh's knack for machinery, Martin brought him to the South's laboratory, where the king frequently visited. Josh, with his exceptional inventions, quickly captured the king's attention.

Impressed by the boy's determination, the king made Josh an offer: a comfortable life in exchange for a proposal that could benefit Sahonia in its ongoing war.

A week later, the king returned to the laboratory and immediately asked for Josh. Hesitant and unsure of his proposal, Josh sought Martin's advice.

"Show it to the king," Martin encouraged. "I'm sure he'll be impressed. Just smile and show him you're confident in your work."

"Yes, Chief!" Josh saluted, and Martin ruffled the boy's hair affectionately.

Josh hurried into the king's office in the laboratory and presented his proposal.

"What do you call this machine, and what does it do?" the king asked coldly. Josh, knees trembling, glanced at his papers. Remembering Martin's words, he smiled first before meeting the king's gaze.

He explained every detail of his invention. It felt like a formal conference, as if pitching a product to a panel, except only the king was present. Josh's intelligence was evident in how he delivered and detailed his proposed machine.

"This is what I call the Aeroment: a flying machine designed for large-scale battles. That's all, my king."

The king nodded thoughtfully, his expression unreadable to Josh. Was he convinced?

"There's one thing I want to clarify, Josh. The materials for this proposal are hard to find and may take years to gather. If I approve this, can you fulfill your promise to build this machine as described? Are you 100% committed to this project?"

This time, Josh met the king's gaze with a serious expression instead of a smile.

"Yes, my king. I will do everything to bring this project to life."

"Why are you doing this? What motivates you, Josh?"

"I'm doing this to end our country's unending war, my king. I don't want to lose anyone else—not now, not ever. With this project, I begin my vow: to protect Sahonia from its enemies."

Thus began Josh's journey, from the first flight of the Aeroment seven years ago to building larger versions and finally his latest creation—the Mother Aeroment. True to his promise, the king honored Josh's hard work, granting him a life of comfort and naming him a prince.

Back in Commander Lutero's office, the prince sighed.
"It seems I can't change your decision, Commander."

Suddenly, the office door opened, and the king entered. Both men stood and bowed.

"Your Majesty—" Martin began, but the king interrupted.

"Martin! Josh is close to completing the Mother Aeroment. Once that's done, he'll have another project lined up—this time, involving our soldiers."

The king turned to Josh, signaling him to continue.
"Yes, Commander, that's what I was about to tell you earlier. But I wanted the king to introduce it."

The king chuckled softly. "What we're saying is that Josh's next project will be a machinery suit for our soldiers. It's a countermeasure against the enemy mages."

Martin grinned and approached Josh.
"I've never regretted bringing you here, Josh. You're making me proud." He placed a hand on Josh's shoulder.

"Not just you, Martin, not just the commander... but the king as well." The king also placed a hand on Josh's other shoulder. "You're making your fathers proud, Josh," the king added.