Endless Memoir - Seraph Wedd (read a book .TXT) 📗

dream. She was also the wife of the late hero 60 years ago. All my questions were answered clearly and satisfactorily.

“I got no more questions.”

That’s all that I said. Doctor Tessa nodded knowingly with a small grin.

After that, the girl group chatted with Doctor Tessa for a while. Then, they headed towards the bonfire upon when I decided to return to their house.

Passing through the lively celebration, I directly went to the tree-house and slowly climbed the stairs. Even after reaching the front door of the girls’ house, the lively atmosphere isn’t toning down at all.

I entered without much thought and was immediately greeted by the dimly lit interior of the room.

With accustomed movements, I picked an unused luminescence scroll from under the wooden drawer and immediately applied mana to it. Of course, I also reactivated the stationary luminescence tools on each corner of the room.

After the room regained a suitable degree of lighting, I sat down on a chair with a plop.

“… Haaaaaa…”

After relaxing my body, a relieved sigh left my mouth. I can’t really help it as the fatigue of the whole affair during the day and the shock from earlier was taking its toll.

I leaned deeply on the chair, letting my tired body to stretch out for a bit.

“……”

Without knowing it, I already was pointed towards a path to follow. I cannot help but give a smirk towards the cunning of the goddess that made this perfect chain of ‘coincidences’ occur.

“… The last thing that I would need would only be a strong motivation and I’m sure to set down this pre-determined path…”

No matter how they pass the problem to me, I wouldn’t just voluntarily place myself in danger. The promised reward of the goddess was somewhat precious to me but still, it’s not worth risking my live over.

“However, it’s true that I need to strengthen my guards a bit…”

No matter what conclusion I had reached, strengthening myself and my allies would take priority. Even if we are just to stay inside the village, we cannot disregard the threat of another demon invasion. I heard that it was considered a miracle to only lose less than a hundred villagers in this attack.

Still, I can’t rule out the possibility of having no casualties if we were only a bit faster…

“… Mary, Nina and even Blaire acted as if unaffected by it in front of me… But several villagers showed signs of grief towards the loss of an acquaintance’s life.”

Given the kindness of the three, there’s no way that they were unaffected by those deaths. Which meant that they were forcing themselves in reality.

“To make a girl unnecessarily give consideration towards me… I’ve fallen quite far.”

I felt pathetic. That was the truth. However, there’s nothing to gain even if I delve on self-blame. Instead, I should focus my attention on more practical things.

Therefore, only one conclusion comes to mind.

“… I need to make much stronger weapons and tools…”

It was a course of action in line of all the possibilities I would face. Whether I stay, march to fight, or support the main fighting force, it was necessary to improve my current set of equipment.

“And to do that…”

I need to read.

I took out the magic pouch from my belongings stacked on one side of the room. Then, I poured its contents on the floor.

The variety of books, from simple magic circle guides to complicated tactical books, scattered like a landslide in front of me. This made me ponder on which one to pick. However, since I already have set my priorities clear, I picked up four books that caught my attention.

[Magic Tools and Spell Engraving]

[Guide to the Gates of Advanced Magic]

[General Purpose Magic Circles: Extended and Extrapolated]

[Introduction to Mythic Level Enchanting]

These four.

Thus, with my resolve renewed, I started reading in preparation for the future…

But it wasn’t that long before my resolve was forcefully changed for me.

Time remaining: 15 days before the fateful encounter.

Intermission 2: Princess Camille and the Royal Decree

Heroes.

Existences that are far beyond common sense.

Possessing strength that surpasses a thousand men.

Possessing wits that surpasses their generation.

Blessed by the gods through their oracles.

This is what the existences called “Heroes” are.

That’s what was taught to every single living human of this world.

Not a single being knows nothing about heroes.

I, too, am no exception.

“Princess, it is time.”

A somewhat rough voice came from the other side of the door after a soft knock.

I closed the book I was reading and tidied myself in front of the mirror. Wavy long blonde hair, willful sky blue eyes, small pink lips surrounded by porcelain white skin. There’s nothing wrong with my visage.

I gracefully walked towards the door where two maids opened it gently. On the other side, a tall man wearing a full body armor was kneeling on one knee. His right arm was placed on his left chest, a sign of courtesy towards royalty.

His semi-long black hair was left alone giving him a wild feel. When matched with his short stubble and his obsidian eyes, he really look like a fine gentleman in his twenties.

“Stand, Bermond.”

I gave a command to him as a royalty would. In response to my words, he bowed lightly and stood up. The knight, Bermond Griel Bloodpact, was the acting war marshal of the kingdom’s cavalry and a master of both the lance and sword.

Despite his age not having passed thirties, he was already considered as the strongest knight in the whole kingdom. As to why a strong knight like him was kneeling in front of me, it was because he was acting as my personal guard.

“Princess Camille, his Majesty the King is already waiting for your arrival.”

He spoke fluently in a deep baritone voice while still looking downwards. I shrugged my shoulders in response and started walking down the hallway. Our pace wasn’t fast enough to be called running but it also wasn’t as leisurely as walking.

At the end of the long corridor, a large imposing double-doors full of relief and engraving came to view. The two guards standing at both sides of the door stood in attention upon seeing me approach.

The large door silently swung open with not as much as a squeak. What greeted me was a long red carpet about two spans wide set from the entrance up to just below a slightly elevated throne. Dozens of fully armored knights stood in attention on both sides of the carpet.

Nobles of different ranks could be seen on the other side of the wall of knights. Various expressions were seen from their faces.

[The third princess, Camille Quaser Kabir has arrived!]

A loud voice that cannot be determined whether male or female announced my arrival. In respect, I walked down the red carpet up to just about far enough to the throne where my voice could be heard. Bermond who was behind me kneeled down a slight distance away.

I too kneeled down in the presence of the King, my father, himself, despite wearing a bubbly and frilly dress.

“At ease.”

My father said in a voice that doesn’t show his age. I bowed lightly and stood up, keeping my head lowered until allowed to.

“Raise your head.”

“Thank you for your kindness.”

I followed as he said and raised my lowered head. However, I kept my sight towards the throne instead of towards my father. Staring at the eyes of the king himself can be punished with death on worst cases.

The solemn silence permeated the whole throne room. I patiently waited upon his next words while anticipating what he’s about to say.

“Camille.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

I can feel his powerful gaze upon me turning sharper by the minute. Then, he finally spoke.

“In accordance to the laws of the kingdom, I hereby decree that you are now an Oracle of the Goddess of War Helen before you are a princess. Do as the Gods’ will.”

“I thank you for your kindness, your Majesty.”

I replied just as I practiced, not giving out what I was feeling inside. His majesty nodded in affirmation towards my answer.

“Marshal Bermond Griel Bloodpact. I hereby raise your rank to General and assign you the mission of protecting Camille. Protect her with your life.”

“As you wish. This life is yours to take, your majesty.”

Bermond replied humbly while still kneeling. The king nodded, satisfied with his answer.

“In three days, the whole kingdom will celebrate this occasion. I’m expecting your attendance as the Oracle of the Goddess of War, Camille.”

“I will not fail your expectations, your majesty.”

I bowed my head once more.

“Very well, you are dismissed.”

At his cue, we both nodded and slowly went out of the throne room.

***

“Is this really fine?”

Bermond suddenly asked.

“… I’m fine. And this is way much better.”

I said without lifting my head from the book I was reading. Having read my intentions, he tried voicing them.

“You mean how you are now away from the power struggle? Even if you are the sixth in line, there are still many nobles pushing for you as a queen you know? Are you really fine with betraying their expectations?”

Irritation suddenly welled inside me. “Expectations”? Don’t tell me something like that. I closed the book I was reading forcefully. Then, I glared at the squarish face of the man in front of me.

“I don’t care if they expect something from me or if I have betrayed that expectation. I am not an Idol that will do nothing but be worshipped. I am who I am and will do what I want to do. Nobody have the rights to command me on what to do. And more so now.”

I put up my most intimidating face but still, this man was unperturbed. My bloodlust probably felt just like a cool breeze to him who have waltzed through over a dozen of battlefields full of the stench of death.

“You may be safe for now. But where you are headed to have much higher threat to your life you know? Also, if you gain too much merits as an Oracle, you may get targeted again by the prince’s factions. It may be much worse than before even.”

He voiced his worries once more. However, it didn’t even manage to shake my decision by an inch.

“I told you, I don’t care. If my life is at danger here or there, then rather than staying still and waiting for it, I prefer fighting through all of it. There’s never been a choice between standing still and moving forward for me as standing still isn’t even an option.”

To my willful answer, Bermond let out a long sigh.

I bet being my personal guard for almost 5 years finally made him to know my quirks. And one of those was that once I decided to do something, I neither fall back nor falter until I achieved it.

I sympathize with his hardships but it was his job so I have literally no say to the matter.

After a short silence, determining that there’s nothing left to say, I returned to the book I was reading.

However, at that moment, a knock came from the door.

“Camille, it is me.”

A low pitched feminine voice echoed from the other side of the door. I signaled towards Bermond and he quickly opened the door.

There stood a female knight. Her long straight blonde hair, similar to mine, was tied into a ponytail so as to not hinder her movements. Her emerald green eyes stared straight towards me.

“Aneue!”

I quickly rand and jumped to her embrace. As expected of a knight, she managed to catch me without even staggering.

This female knight was the commander of the Royal Order of Knights and consequently the first princess of the kingdom, and my half-sister, Evergreen Melody Kabir. As the first princess, she was one who once possessed the strongest backers next to the crown prince but once she decided to be a knight, all