Chapter 191: Overlord of Crimson Domain [2]
The following morning, our new lives began.
The Rebel Army didn't treat children as soldiers. At least, not immediately.
Instead, they separated everyone according to age and talent.
My younger brother was taken to another group, one filled with children around his age.
Before leaving, he grabbed my sleeve tightly.
"Brother..."
I crouched down and smiled.
"I'll come see you whenever I can."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
Only then did he reluctantly let go.
An instructor with a scar stretching across his face stepped in front of us.
"Listen carefully."
"The Empire believes strength belongs only to those born with noble blood."
He drew his sword in a single smooth motion.
"We'll prove them wrong."
That day, training began.
Every morning before dawn, we ran through the forest carrying heavy logs.
By noon, we practiced swordsmanship until our palms bled.
At night, we learned history, military tactics, and the truth behind the Empire.
The Empire called us rebels.
The rebels called themselves the last hope of freedom.
As for me...
I didn't care who was right.
I only remembered one thing.
The Empire had burned my home.
That was enough.
...
Months became years.
Spring covered the hidden valley with wildflowers before giving way to blazing summers. Crimson leaves drifted through the air each autumn, only to be buried beneath winter's snow a few months later.
Before I realized it, the child who once struggled to carry firewood had become someone who carried a steel sword with ease.
The wooden practice sword in my hands was replaced by polished steel.
The skinny child slowly grew taller.
Stronger.
Faster.
One afternoon during sparring practice, my instructor suddenly raised his hand.
"Enough."
The clang of swords ceased as everyone turned toward us.
He stared at me for several moments.
"You've only trained for three years?"
"Yes."
The instructor remained silent before nodding.
"...You're gifted."
I didn't understand what he meant until later.
Apparently, not everyone learned swordsmanship at the same speed.
While others struggled to master basic techniques, I naturally understood them after watching them only once or twice.
By the time I turned thirteen, I had already surpassed most trainees.
By fifteen, I was defeating veteran soldiers.
At seventeen...
People had begun calling me one of the Rebel Army's greatest young talents.
Some even whispered that I possessed the potential to reach the Principle Realm, the realm where the strongest knights stood.
Although I hadn't reached that level yet, I could already exchange several blows against its experts before being defeated.
For someone my age...
That was almost unheard of.
Whenever I stepped onto the training grounds, conversations would gradually fade. Steel rang across the valley from sunrise until sunset as countless trainees chased after strength.
Some watched me with admiration, others with envy.
I ignored them all.
Every swing of my sword was aimed at ghosts from the past.
Strength wasn't my goal.
Revenge was.
...
Unlike me, my younger brother chose a different path.
He lacked my talent with the sword but possessed an extraordinary affinity for magic.
The elders often praised him for his intelligence.
Whenever we met, he would grin proudly.
"Brother!"
"I learned another spell!"
He would excitedly demonstrate tiny fireballs or floating lights, laughing whenever I pretended to act surprised.
I'd pat his head.
"You'll surpass me one day."
"No."
He shook his head stubbornly.
"I'll fight beside you."
Those words stayed with me.
Through all those years...
He became my only remaining family.
The only person I couldn't bear to lose.
...
Ten years passed in the blink of an eye.
One evening, an elder summoned me.
Inside the stone chamber stood several leaders of the Rebel Army.
The black-robed man who had saved us years ago was among them.
His hair had turned noticeably gray.
"You've grown."
I bowed respectfully.
"You called for me?"
The elder nodded.
"You've completed every assignment we've given you."
"Your swordsmanship is among the finest of your generation."
"It is time."
I looked up.
"My first mission?"
"Yes."
He placed a sealed scroll onto the table.
"Your mission is to infiltrate the Empire."
My heartbeat quickened.
Finally.
After ten years...
The opportunity had arrived.
The elder continued.
"This is not an assassination mission."
"You are not expected to kill anyone."
"You will join the Imperial Army as an ordinary recruit."
"You will rise through their ranks."
"Earn their trust."
"Build your reputation."
"One day..."
"You'll stand close enough to strike at the Empire from within."
"Even if it takes decades."
I clenched my fists.
"I understand."
The elder smiled faintly.
"Patience is the sharpest blade."
...
That night, my younger brother found me packing.
"So..."
"You're leaving."
I nodded.
"For a while."
He forced a smile.
"When you become a famous Imperial Knight..."
"I won't recognize you anymore."
I laughed.
"You'll always be my little brother."
He punched my shoulder lightly.
"I'm fifteen now."
"I'm not little."
"Sure."
We both laughed.
Before dawn, he suddenly embraced me.
"I'll wait for you."
"I know."
"You have to come back."
"I will."
It was a simple promise.
One I truly believed I could keep.
...
As the morning sun rose over the Forbidden Forest, I mounted my horse and looked back one last time.
Golden rays filtered through the ancient trees, breaking apart into countless beams as they pierced the thick canopy overhead.
Hidden beneath layers of illusion magic, the valley remained invisible to the outside world. What had once been a place of fear had quietly become home.
The black-robed man stood at the entrance.
"Remember."
"From this moment onward..."
"You are no longer a rebel."
"You are an Imperial soldier."
I nodded.
Without another word...
I rode away.
For the first time in ten years...
I left the Forbidden Forest.
...
Joining the Imperial Army proved easier than expected.
The Empire was constantly recruiting because wars against neighboring kingdoms never truly ended.
The military camp stretched across the plains like a small city. Endless rows of white tents stood beneath crimson banners bearing the Empire's golden crest. Knights trained in disciplined formations while mages practiced spells inside glowing magic circles, their chants filling the air.
After demonstrating my swordsmanship, I was accepted immediately as a rookie knight.
Life inside the Imperial camp wasn't much different from the rebel base.
Training.
Patrols.
Military discipline.
The only difference...
The banners above the camp bore the golden crest of the Empire.
Every time I looked at them, flames filled my memories.
Mother's smile.
Our burning home.
The graves.
I swallowed my hatred.
Not yet.
I couldn't afford to make a mistake.
My mission had only begun.
If everything went according to plan...
In ten years...
Maybe twenty...
I would stand close enough to the Imperial throne to destroy it from within.
That thought alone kept me moving.
...
One month later...
The usually disciplined camp buzzed with excitement.
Groups of soldiers gathered between the tents, laughing loudly as news spread from one regiment to another. Some raised mugs in celebration despite the early hour, while officers smiled instead of stopping them.
"Did you hear?"
"The Crown Prince personally led the expedition."
"They found them."
"The rebels are finished."
Curious, I approached another knight.
"What happened?"
He laughed loudly.
"You've been living under a rock?"
"Our glorious Crown Prince discovered the rebels' headquarters inside the Forbidden Forest."
My heart skipped.
"...What?"
"The Imperial Knights, battle mages, and three Pinnacle Realm commanders attacked together."
"They completely wiped them out."
"No survivors."
"They say the forest itself burned for three days."
My ears rang.
No...
No...
That's impossible.
The formations...
The hidden valley...
How could they have found it?
Someone beside him added proudly,
"The Crown Prince is a genius."
"He even recovered several rebel documents."
"They're saying the rebellion has officially ended."
Ended...
The words echoed endlessly inside my mind.
Then...
A single thought surfaced.
My brother.
He was still there.
He...
He hadn't left.
I stumbled backward.
"No..."
The knight frowned.
"Are you alright?"
I couldn't hear him anymore.
The world blurred.
My knees struck the cold stone beneath my feet.
The cheers around me became distant, fading into meaningless noise. Faces blurred together until they became nothing more than shadows. Above them, the sky remained bright and cloudless.
Yet my world had turned dark.
Mother...
Brother...
Ten years ago...
Mother had asked me to take him away from the village.
If I hadn't...
He would have died beside her.
I thought I had saved him.
I thought...
At least one person remained.
Now...
He was gone too.
My chest tightened until I could barely breathe.
The people around me continued celebrating.
They cheered.
They praised the Crown Prince.
They called it the Empire's greatest victory.
Each word stabbed deeper than any sword.
I lowered my head.
My hands trembled uncontrollably.
The promise I had made before leaving echoed in my ears.
"I'll wait for you."
"You have to come back."
"I will."
A promise...
I could never fulfill.
Tears quietly fell onto the stone floor.
For a long time...
I remained there.
Unable to think.
Unable to move.
Unable to understand.
The only word that escaped my lips was barely louder than a whisper.
"...Why?"
First...
My mother.
And now...
My younger brother.
Why?
Why was it that every time I left someone behind...
The world took them away from me?
Was this truly nothing more than a coincidence...
Or had fate decided long ago...
That everyone I loved was destined to disappear?
That day...
Without realizing it...
A seed of hatred took root within my heart.
A hatred that would one day shake the entire continent.