Chapter 156: The flower that bloomed with death (1)

Yalta suddenly stabbed his chest and covered his mouth.

“Uugh…”

Graham collapsed, sensing death.

“I didn’t want to kill Sir Graham… I told you to set fire, damn it…”

Yalta closed his eyes, ruffling his hair while muttering to himself.

It was evident that, once that monologue ended, Yalta would end up taking his own life completely.

Graham blinked. He thought he would see his life flash before his eyes before dying, but it wasn’t like that.

On the contrary, he felt calm. That’s why, when someone suddenly appeared in the air, Graham wasn’t surprised.

It was a young man with salmon-colored hair. He had seen him a couple of times from afar—the Archmage Inariel.

He didn’t know why he had appeared there.

While Yalta kept his eyes closed, Inariel looked at him with a grim expression and waved his staff.

The wind blew. And thus, Graham’s time stopped.

When he blinked again, he was no longer in his tent, but lying in a forest under the rain.

And in front of him, instead of Inariel, was the third prince of Briol.

“Prince…”

He opened his mouth.

He thought he wouldn’t be able to speak, since his chest was pierced, but to his relief, he could.

The third prince approached and knelt on one knee.

“Inariel brought you here, Sir Graham. And I killed Yalta.”

“Ah…”

Graham gave a faint smile. Killing Yalta… It was clear that this prince was no mere mortal.

Even on the brink of death, Graham felt proud of him.

It was strange. He didn’t know where those feelings came from.

Why did he feel drawn to that third prince? Why did he want him to succeed?

Was it because the prince had the qualities of a true knight, something rare?

At that moment, a vision crossed his mind. There were flames everywhere.

He was walking inside the burning palace.

At first, he didn’t know where he was, but soon realized it was Briol.

He intercepted someone fleeing.

They crossed swords. Although the enemy’s body was covered in wounds and seemed unable to move, he resisted fiercely.

The determination in his sword was so immense that even Graham had difficulty containing him.

But in the end, he brought him down.

Leaning against a wall, the man looked up.

Black hair. Black eyes.

It was the unmistakable symbol of the royal family of Briol.

Then Graham recognized the blood-soaked face.

‘Sir Graham,’ he said.

‘Could you spare my life?’

At that moment, Graham felt ashamed.

The image he saw in the other’s eyes, and his own reflection in the young man’s black pupils, were far too different. He was an unjust invader; the other, a knight fighting to the end.

With a bitter smile, the young man said.

‘I can’t die here.’

Graham opened his mouth… but closed it again.

And he thought. If he had been in his place, he probably would have just accepted death.

But that man, even begging for his life from the enemy, wanted to live.

For him, duty wasn’t something one could abandon by choice.

Graham closed his eyes, deep in thought. He didn’t know what punishment awaited him for that decision, but he was sure it wouldn’t be a pleasant future.

And still, he didn’t want to kill him.

That’s why, without a word, he stepped aside.

The young man looked at him with an indescribable expression. He seemed to smile faintly.

He stood up and, limping, walked away.

‘Thank you.’

Those were his last words.

With the palace flames as a backdrop, he vanished with a painful gait to some unknown place.

That had happened.

He didn’t know when, where, or exactly how. He only knew that that young man, now, was looking at him with the same expression as back then.

“Prince…”

“Sir Graham.”

“What you told me that time… I thought it was just a story.”

Before going to Joachim, Graham had met with the third prince to talk.

At that time, the prince approached and whispered in his ear.

‘Sir Graham, actually, that day you saved me. The day the palace fell, when you were chasing me, you seemed to pity me and, after hesitating a moment, cleared the way. So you could say you owe me your life.’

He thought it was a made-up tale.

But it was something that truly happened, at some time and place.

“I remembered it.”

The third prince’s eyes opened in surprise.

Graham wanted to laugh. He wanted to laugh out loud, in laughter. But his dying body could barely emit a soft sigh.

They had called him trash, a pathetic being.

But everything the prince had said… was wrong. He hadn’t gotten anything right.

The third prince was someone who didn’t know himself.

Graham burst into laughter with trembling shoulders. Blood spilled from his mouth.

“Enough already, Sir Graham. Why are you laughing like that all of a sudden?”

Graham felt relieved. As if he had finally let go of a burden.

But he also felt sorrow.

What he had carried with him wouldn’t disappear, but would become an even heavier burden that would fall on the prince’s shoulders.

But he trusted that he would make it.

“Prince… I’ll be watching you. I hope you manage to set everything right… as you wish…”

His consciousness began to fade.

Graham tried, for the last time, to fix his gaze on the face of the third prince of Briol, Yuri Briol.

Those black eyes didn’t waver, just like in the past.

Graham felt at peace.

“The best thing I did in my whole life…”

His eyelids grew heavy. Finally, darkness completely covered his vision.

And in the midst of that darkness, Graham smiled with serenity.

“Was saving him that day.”

Those were his last words.

Graham Heartfall, the model of what a knight should be.

His heart stopped beating.

***

Yuri remained silent for a long while, staring at Graham’s lifeless head that had fallen.

He didn’t know exactly why, but just before dying, Graham had recalled things from his past life.

Perhaps it really was a genuine memory… or maybe it was his brain, already useless in the face of imminent death, recreating with hallucinations the stories Yuri himself had once told him.

He couldn’t be sure. But it brought him comfort.

And at the same time, he felt an even heavier burden on his shoulders.

Yuri wiped his tears as he looked at Graham’s body, who had closed his eyes in complete serenity.

“Inariel.”

He called out to Inariel, and the elf, who was at some distance, walked over.

“Were you able to say goodbye properly?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“What will you do with the body?”

“Sir Graham…”

Yuri stood up.

“I’ll leave him here.”

“Here?”

“Yes.”

Then he drew the sword that Graham had carried and thrust it into Yalta’s face.

“Let’s do it this way.”

If it became known that he had killed Yalta, his name would end up on the list of the Ten Greats.

And if that happened, the Empire would start suspecting Briol. It wasn’t time for that yet.

“Let’s say Yalta lost his mind, set everything on fire, went mad, and Sir Graham died trying to stop him.”

“Alright.”

Inariel nodded.

“Good idea.”

He waved his staff.

Little by little, the scene of the battle between Yalta and Yuri began to change. Even the corpses of Yalta and Graham were altered, until it all looked like they had fought each other.

“I can’t call you a brat anymore… You killed one of the Ten Greats.”

“I never was a brat to begin with.”

Yuri looked up at the sky.

“When will the rain stop?”

“Who knows…”

Inariel also looked up. The dark clouds still covered the entire sky.

“Graham was someone I cared about a lot too.”

“That happens to anyone.”

“I suppose for him, it’s not bad that the sky cries a bit more.”

Yuri let out a small laugh.

“Yeah. I guess so.”

Both began walking out of the forest. Suddenly, Yuri rested his arm on Inariel’s shoulder.

The height difference was just right to lean on him.

“What are you doing now?”

“I’m exhausted. Have a little compassion.”

Yuri had exceeded his limits, and his whole body was in a miserable state.

Inariel frowned.

“You should feel honored.”

“I will. Ah, right.”

“What now?”

“I have to go get the slime mask…”

“Then go.”

“I can’t move… I’m wrecked…”

“…”

“It would be so nice if someone brought it to me…”

“Tsk…”

***

Several days had passed since the rain had finally extinguished the fire in the forest.

Without a commander, the imperial army was left paralyzed, not knowing what to do. In the end, they simply charged forward without a clear strategy.

With no other option, the imperial soldiers advanced recklessly.

The Alloy brigade took advantage of the terrain to repel them efficiently, but the imperial army, without pause, continued advancing into the forest.

A fierce battle broke out. The casualties were countless.

Among them, new heroes emerged in Joachim.

“Hopper, Hopper!”

“Count Seckernia… there’s nothing more to be done for me…”

“You can’t die like this!”

“Forgive me…”

Jose’s acting was terrible, but Count Seckernia was quite naïve.

“I will give my life for Joachim. Even in death, I’ll continue to protect it. My lord count.”

“Hopper!”

Pretending to be injured, Hopper staggered and charged toward the enemies.

“Yaaaahhh!”

His body disappeared among the imperial ranks, and Count Seckernia burst into tears.

“Hopper…!”

Similar scenes occurred in other parts of the battlefield. The first of the three brothers to fall into danger was Lou, the one with the beautiful long beard.

He had gone deep into enemy territory to prevent more fires, and with his spear pushed back many foes, but eventually, an enemy sword struck him and he fell.

The imperial army surrounded him.

Javid, seeing him, immediately rushed to his rescue.

“Brother Lou!”

He stood beside him and swung his weapon without stopping. But in the end, he too was overwhelmed by the number of enemies.

They were at the edge of the abyss.

“We have to save them!”

“Form a rescue unit and send them now…!”

“Captain!”

Just as the militia was preparing to charge with everything to save them…

A voice rose.

“Everyone, hold your ground!”

It was the eldest of the three brothers, Yubi.

He said.

“If you go, it’ll only be a pointless death!”

“Captain…!”

“Stay calm! Discipline is life! If they broke orders and went in alone, they must face the consequences.”

His voice held immense inner struggle.

Yubi, the eldest of the three brothers, who valued brotherhood above his life, said that, and the militia’s hearts were stirred with emotion.

“But…”

Yubi drew his twin swords and continued.

“I’m different.”

“Captain!”

“I, Yubi, swore with my brothers before God, in our sweet potato field, that even if we weren’t born on the same day, we would die on the same day and at the same hour. So this is my order! From now on, the militia follows the instructions of Knight Gonte!”

“Captain!”

“Whatever happens to us three, none of you must come!”

“This can’t be…!”

“That’s my final order. Survive. It was an honor to fight beside you, comrades.”

And with those words, Yubi charged forward to rescue his brothers.

His twin swords danced like the wind.

“For Joachim!”

With blazing patriotism and unbreakable brotherhood, he plunged into enemy lines.

“Ah…”

Then, fire exploded within the formation of the imperial army where they fought. The three battled to the end, engulfed in flames, and by becoming part of that same fire, they took the enemy with them.

A heroic death.

Hopper, Yubi, Lou, Javid.

Those four who had appeared like a comet to save Joachim, departed for the heavens as suddenly as they had come.

But their sacrifice was not in vain. In the place where they fell, a flower called patriotism bloomed.

“We will never forgive them!”

“We won’t let their sacrifice be in vain!”

“Annihilate the imperial army!”

“Charge!”

The army of Joachim was no longer weak. Moved by the sacrifice of their comrades, they were reborn as a brave force, filled with camaraderie and patriotism.

The fury of the Joachim soldiers swept away the imperial army.

And the next day.

The news shook the entire continent.

— The imperial army was defeated.

— Yalta lost his mind, and Graham died trying to stop him; one of the Ten Greats has fallen.

— Hopper and the three brothers, who rose for Joachim, met a heroic end.

— A statue was erected in the heart of Joachim Castle to commemorate the four heroes.