Ersia: Raven Dawn

The emperor of Aramia bows slightly and smiles despite the sword at his throat. Then he stepped aside, passing through the petrified young squire. He sees and hears the voice of the people of Rosmayne. The melody of anguish and vengeful air that hurled at him made him relive certain memories of his youth.

"Worry not, Your Majesty, Queen Rosalia. This warm welcome takes me back to my earlier days," Ethelar took a deep breath.

Catalina's eyebrows are furrowed. She only met Ethelar once before, and even then, she couldn't read him at all.

" . . . Squire Jared, lay down your arms and excuse yourself. I will personally attend to our guests."

The young squire who was frozen in place, regains control of his steels. He immediately sheaths his sword back and tries to calm himself down before removing himself. However, the emperor suddenly stops him in his place by grabbing his right shoulder. Everyone holds their breath, waiting to see what happens next, while the queen can only pray for him not to make the scene any more difficult than it already is.

"You are a good knight. You choose to fight even in my presence, and it shall not go unrewarded."

The emperor raised his hand, and his servant immediately came to him. He kneeled and presented him with a sword covered in a plain black cloth bag. Then, the emperor took it and uncovered what lies inside.

"This is my fourth favorite. Its color turns a magnificent violet after cutting a few heads. Do you know?"

It's a long sword made of pure fulvium. The blueish hue at its edge makes the bronze-colored sword famous for its indescribable and bewitching luster. The sword was taught to be lost after The Siege of Argestan, where the previous wielder, War Chief Nokzunak, was slain in battle.

"Eye of Tigrin . . . ."

"It is yours now."

The overwhelming temptation widens the young squire's eyes. Yet, he was reminded of the wickedness that the man before him had committed throughout his life, and barely able to control his thoughts as he took a step back.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. However, I must refuse."

"Why would you reject this gift, young knight? This is a symbol of peace that I, Ethelar Aramid am offering! Why wouldn't you allow us to leave behind the past and step toward a brighter future?!"

The emperor raised his voice as if wanted to be heard by everyone. Murmurs are beginning to swing again amongst the crowd and the young squire is feeling under pressure.

"(And feel free to kill whoever you want, the Aramians or even a fellow Rosmesian with this. I know your steels are restrained by your queen, but this sword? He only answers to you, and you alone.)"

As the emperor whispered to him. He looked left and right in a crippling panic until his eyes met the queen. He silently asked her for her approval, and she gave him a nod.

"Despite my unforgivable impertinence, you gave me such a precious treasure. I am truly honored and humbled. Thank you, Your Majesty."

The commotion eventually toned down after the emperor's unforeseen action. The delegations proceed to the royal palace and the crowd is disbanded. The event gives birth to a schism of opinions among the masses. It becomes a rift with no clear of black and white that surely continues to widen with the passing of time.

Meanwhile, Randia, who was getting himself and Viena away from the crowd, is walking hastily. It was never his plan to enter the capital since he knew how bad of an idea is it, yet he never expected that things could go this bad for them. He notices that there are more guardsmen around. They demand people to pull off their hoods and uncover their faces. The security protocol is getting tighter and tighter, and it's never a piece of good news for those who want to stay undercover.

"Papa, how do you know that old man is the emperor of Aramia?"

"I met him once."

"Wow! Like, in person? Have you ever been there? To Aramia I mean."

"Hm. I'll tell you after we find a place to stay," Randia keeps up his pace.

The day grows darker by the second. The sun is setting and its rays are smothered by the fading horizon. The colorful atmosphere hasn't gone out one bit from the air of Fleurein. Children are still running through the street full of smiles, while the adults are gossiping and debating with each other. That is to be expected given the scale of what happened today.

Randia and Vienna stopped at a tavern. It's been a long time since the last time Viena drank a whole big glass of fresh milk. As he always insisted that she drink some whenever they had the chance since it's good for her grow, Randia wouldn't let the opportunity miss now that they roam around a megapolitan.

"I know right?! The event is still five months away and it was this grand already!"

"Nah, you don't get it, buddy. The real cherry is yet to come."

"Pardon? What are you referring to?"

"Haha. The betting yo! The betting!"

"Ah! Yes! Now we're talking!"

As Viena enjoys her evening milk, she eavesdrops on the conversations of other customers. Though noisy as they may be, she is able to discern if she only focuses her hearing on one talk at a time. Since the people are of various backgrounds, unlike the usual ones that she met during her travel, there are so many terms that she's not familiar with.

"Papa, what is betting?"

"Hm? Oh, it's a kind of game and foolery that people like to do. They are gambling, or wagering money on the outcome of a race, game, or other 'seemingly' unpredictable event."

"Gambling? Wagering?"

"Think of it like taking a guess. Which horse will win the game? Which fighter will knock out the others? If you guess it right, you will get more money and vice versa."

"Wow! That sounds fun!"

". . . It's a monkey business. Betting or gambling is only for fun. People should never gamble with the intention of doubling their money. Most venues are run by con artists, and their methods are always crafty since their life depends on that line of works."

"But it's alright to enjoy ourselves once in a while, right? So it's fine if we do it every now and then, right?"

The tavern master laughs loudly at her remark. His big hand grabbed another jug of milk and poured it into Viena's half-empty glass.

"That's the spirit, little queen! Now, what do you say? Shall we do it then?"

"Oho! What are we betting uncle?!"

"Let's see. If you can chug down two glasses of milk empty in less than ten seconds, I'll throw in this roasted mutton skewer for free! But! If you can't do it, your pop must pay me twice the price of the milk!"

"Alright! Don't go back on your words, okay?!"

"I swear it on my pop's grave!"

The tavern master asked another customer to clink a glass in accordance with the passing second so the time counting will be fair. Then, he flings a coin into the air. As soon as it lands on his hand, the battle begins. Viena takes the glass and rushes it down her throat. She is so excited that she almost chokes herself numerous times. 

"Bwah! I-I did it! That's still nine!"

"Eh! No way! The tenth clink takes longer than the others!"

"What?! No! You said you don't go back on your words! Moreover, it was you who chose the mister to clink the glass, not me! There's no way you can accuse me of cheating!"

The tavern master laughs again.

"Wow. That's an excellent reasoning if I've ever seen one coming from a tot! That's how a wager should be! Even if you win, you must know how to claim your prize properly! Here you go, A finely grilled mutton chop! The specialty of the house!"

"Hehehe. Thank you, Master!"

"My pleasure, little queen! Now you see, this kind of thing can also be called a bet of some sort . . .! Well, there you go, Pop! It seems you've raised quite the gambler herself!" the tavern master tapped on Randia's shoulder cheerfully.

"Eh . . . I'd rather not, really," Randia replied dispiritedly.

Everyone laughed on the occasion, and Viena became popular in an instant. They talked a lot and shared a lot with her. Some even invited her to play with their children or promised to give her a discount had she had the opportunity to visit their shops sometime in the future.

Later that evening, Randia and Viena bid their farewell to the others and continued on their way.