Soldiers of the Alaric Empire threw another party to commemorate the brave and bold—living and dead. For a mega annum, this custom never changed. At the big roundtable, Rubio became the party king again, even saying the same things before when Haruto stepped in.

On another table nearby, Rosette tried her best not to get sloshed when dared to participate in a drinking contest. With the second empty mug, her cheeks reddened to their peak. It revealed Rosette’s tolerance: next to nothing. “So… shameful…. Drowsiness—is a disgrace—to a warrior’s—code….” She hiccupped four more times before drinking her third.

On yet another table, Haruto enjoyed himself as well—cheering with the soldiers. He was never nearly as drunk as Rubio; his tolerance was more solid than steel. As they partied harder, an unexpected greeting came. Haruto’s eyes widened when turning around. It was Adel—the emperor—walking to the camp’s center slowly. Everyone stopped partying; his son Rubio passed out, ranting against fruits and vegetables once more.

The two generals and their men stood by, waiting for an important command. However, the emperor did something even more unexpected. He took a nearby mug, drank it, and held it high, “Make our ancestors proud, my brethren! The sweetness of mead never sours! The Gods willed it!”

With that, everyone cheered their voices and mugs. As they did, Adel walked to Haruto, holding his right shoulder, “Come, my son. I seek importance with you.”

They went inside a tent.

The emperor sat on a chair, showing an intimate smile. “Words could never express how much gratitude I for you. All I can say now is that I solemnly thank thee for rising victorious against that traitor Feuer.”

“B-But sir… it was Rubio that won.” Haruto moved his chair closer.

Adel shook his head, “I’ve not called you here to talk about victories, my son…. You held back the enemy long enough with Rosette—and gave my son the will to defeat the enemy. That is what truly mattered. I’ve also called you here for other things….”

“What would that be?”

“Do you know of our motto?”

“Yes… Live for and by the family, isn’t it?” Haruto’s eyes squinted.

“Indeed… but at one time, it was not this way. We once lived near other families, and we dearly loved them like we were of blood. But then the true barbarism came. When the supposed ‘City of Gods’ Coelestis insisted we merge.

“It threatened our livelihood—and then the family we always loved abandoned us. ‘Prosperity Triangle’ they call themselves now. For what power we had left—could not sustain our own family anymore. They lost so much of their fertile soil to them.”

“W-What happened next?” Haruto sweated a bit.

Adel sighed, gesturing his hand, “They came for our prosperity. We could not trade an ear of wheat for honey—nor a sack of barley for water. When plagues poured over our fields—we neared extinction.”

“So… we’re at war for revenge? Should I hate them? I don’t think I can.” Haruto stood up, shaking his head.

Adel chuckled and sighed again, eyes closing briefly. “You misheard me, my son…. Would I hate a boy born in the bed of a Coelestian household? No…” he shook his head again, “…I would love him forever if he were at my doorstep. I shall even love his family if I ever meet them. You see, Haruto—we bear hatred only for ones who acted upon the true barbarism. Ones who worked within the machine.”

As the emperor stood up, he held Haruto’s right shoulder. It felt so familiar to him. The emperor’s eyes matched his father’s; no sign of deception, but true dedication to his beliefs.

“Haruto… when we say live by and for the family—we mean for all. We were very foolish to view them as different. And now we shall think like that no longer. With every land we settle on—they shall become our family. Once the treachery and barbarism are banished, we will become the new light of our beautiful nation. Pantaiyanilam….”

Before Adel walked out of the tent, Haruto turned to him one last time, “But sir… What of the slaves? Family, are they not?”

For a brief moment, Adel did not respond. He sighed yet again. “Indeed they are… but tougher love is always necessary.”

Haruto was annoyed a bit by everything the emperor said. He found multiple hypocrisies over his complacency on slavery, and his talks about family did not resonate with him. Back at the palace in his new bedroom, a sleepless night occurred. Through hours, Haruto had doubts about seeing others as “family.” He even imagined how it would feel like to be a part of them—but it was fruitless—always leaving him confused as he moved around his bed.

Haruto stared blankly at the ceiling. “I’m sorry, Adel… but I don’t know any of them. Even with Rubio and Rosette. They’re only like friends to me….” He tried closing his eyes again for the night.

When tomorrow came, Haruto kneeled and asked Adel for a break from joining the current campaign; the emperor nodded. With that, Haruto spent most of his hours going around the empire. Like his two best friends, he was considered a hero by all, greeted with smiles and hellos everywhere he went.

Haruto settled at the cozy cottage of the Hochsterberg residence. Rosette’s mother told him how her daughter’s personality never changed much. “She is a young lady, yes… but a strong and brave one, she always was. The weak to her were like injured fledglings off their nests.” she sipped her tea.

When asked why her daughter hated the royal family, the mother’s eyes and lips frowned. Haruto sweated bullets throughout the story of her husband’s demise, the cover-up, and the death of an older sister. Rosette only had one member left she connected with: her grandfather. As Haruto comforted the sobbing widow, Rosette’s joyful younger sister ran to him. “Let us play, brother! The Gods told me to have fun!” she tugged Haruto’s sleeve lightly.

The mother agreed, drying her eyes with a cloth. “I insist, Haruto…. Fret not about my grieving heart,” she smiled intimately.

Now with permission, Haruto spread his arms and let the little girl hop on his shoulders. At that moment, all he could think of was Yumi—bright smiles every day, even during the darkest times. It finally clicked on him; this was what Adel truly meant.

Haruto’s journey did not stop there, waving goodbye to Rosette’s family. With every home he visited, his newfound philosophy solidified further. They were not of blood—neither did they look alike—but Haruto would love them all forever and would do anything for them.

Through the months, Haruto joined every campaign. The trio was once again unstoppable as they fought Lacusian brigade mages at a naval base. However, only Haruto participated in annexation efforts every time the dust settled. Rubio barely fought against human soldiers, while Rosette only fought if it meant she could defend her men. Haruto found it strange—even when they had been together for years.

After another campaign to occupy a Coelestian jurisdiction, Haruto walked up to his two best friends in the palace. Rubio was generally happy at a window, observing a flock of Aho crows, cawing their signature sounds. Rosette, on the other hand, showed a face of deep concern.

“Are you guys not coming? We’re now integrating new members to our family.” Haruto walked closer.

Rosette sighed, turning her head. “Respect from where it is due, Haruto… but it seems you have been quite blind for what these days give us. Recently—three children had their hearts blown off. ‘Collateral damage,’ they called it. And four mobs have been ‘silenced’ in the last month….”

“Well… that’s just to be expected, right?” Haruto shrugged. “Most have accepted our cause, anyway. If they didn’t—more mobs would ignite and even rebellions! So far, the latter hasn’t happened.” he shook his hand.

Haruto’s words angered Rosette beyond belief, scowling while clutching her cape tightly; made worse when he smiled, as if a bright future awaited them all.

Rosette walked toward him with loud steps and raised her hand—but she restrained and held his shoulder instead, sniffling. “I’ve indeed… known you for following Him…. But if you were to defend this bloodshed anymore—I might as well know nothing of you. And so—I am disappointed….” She punched the same shoulder, walking away with teary eyes.

Holding his shoulder with his other arm, Haruto turned to Rubio. The latter still looked out a window and sighed with a smile. “Do you know what ‘species’ I am, Haruto? I tried looking for answers when I was little—and it all led to one book: the ‘Thralldom Codex.’

“My ilk were once slaves for their strange, red, fiery eyes—and magicless nature—until they found out their inner strength. Afterward, all of Pantaiyanilam conducted efforts to eradicate them from the annals of history.” He walked to Haruto slowly, “I didn’t save Rosette out of chivalry—or even faux chivalry. I connected deeply with her yearn for freedom.

“But with this power of mine—all I feel are chains. As the prince, war itself thrust upon me by force. Every time I’m in the field—I feel the dread of killing any of you by accident. You knew of this.”

Haruto walked closer. “But… this isn’t a war. I thought so too before, but don’t you see it? We are giving everyone a chance to live under our Sun. Our love. We’ll be a family,” he raised his arms, smiling.

Rubio sighed again, eyes lowering, “Haruto… when you see our men murdering other men in the frontlines—that IS a war. You did your part, too. Now I won’t stop you from doing what you want, but where did you get this newfound jingoism? My dad?” he raised an eyebrow.

Rubio’s last words narrowed Haruto’s eyes dramatically and showed him a cutthroat glare. “So what if I got it from him?! You’re his son, and yet you never follow through His cause! Our cause! It’s not just Him who believes in it. Is it so wrong to acknowledge that we have a right to exist?

“We’re not at war with their people—we love them all! They can join us! To be one of us—” Little did Haruto know it was not Rosette who would slap him.

Breathing heavily, Rubio returned the glare tenfold. Even without a word briefly, Haruto could feel his fury. “I can’t believe it…. You’re not my brother at all. You’re not even my friend—or my retainer! You’re just a cog! If you’ve known how I truly felt out there—you would’ve been by my side ages ago! Instead of sucking up to my old man’s fantasies!

“I’m with Rosette on this, Haruto. I’m very, very disappointed in you. And I don’t know—if that means I don’t love you….” Rubio walked down the grand staircase.

Grunting in rage with teeth clenched, Haruto ran to the stairs’ edge, looking down below. “What do you mean by brother?! You just thought about that right now! So who’s fantasizing here, huh?!” Even with his infernal shouting, Rubio did not turn back and exited the palace.

Haruto began breathing heavily as well, wiping his eyes with his forearm. He slammed the door of his bedroom and locked it.

With that, the sorry child’s relationship with the two other children forever strained. From that day forward, the world finally concocted the ultimate misery.