“Heh, I knew there would be consequences when I left the Holy Order. But after all these years I’d begun to hope that they’d forgotten. Should have known that bastard king wouldn’t let me go that easily.” Mark says with a despairing laugh that hides none of his anger. “Myrr, how would you feel if I had to go away for a while.”

What? What are you talking about?

“Like…on a trip?” I’m in shock. Even though he hasn’t said much, just seeing the two of them like this is terrifying. Romy, who took on a Demon Scout without getting scratched is in pain. Mark, who never takes anything seriously, is acting like he’s giving a press conference on behalf of a major corporation. It doesn’t make any sense. My auntie shakes on the table like a fish out of water that can’t breathe. I don’t want to see her like this ever again.

Never again.

NEVER!

Mark, how can you let your wife cry like this!

What did you DO?!

Your explanation better be satisfactory or I’ll bury you myself!

“A trip? Sort of…ugh, I’ll just say it.” Mark takes a deep breathe. After thinking for a while, he explains, “I’ve never really told you what I used to do before I married Romy, have I, Myrr?”

“No…?” I hesitantly venture to respond.

“Well, it never seemed necessary to tell you. Myrr, in the old days, your uncle used to work for the Kingdom of Gaisha. That is to say, I was a paladin belonging to the Order of Yuel. I was raised in the service of the holy church of the kingdom until I ended up quitting. Can you guess why?”

“Because you loved Auntie Romy?”

“That’s absolutely right!”

“Tch.” Romy grits her teeth but says nothing. My auntie peeks up from the table, still holding Mark’s hand. Her invincible fingers, which can catch my blade without being cut, are so tight that the blood is being squeezed out. They’re turning white. She smiles painfully, trying to put on a brave face, “You wanted to leave the Order before you met me.”

“Well…maybe. Anyways, I left, but the thing is…” Mark sighs, massaging his neck with a hand. “Officially, I never actually left the Order of Yuel. You see, when we enter the Order, we promise to serve his holiness for life. Breaking that vow, is generally punishable by…”

“Death?” I whisper quietly and Mark shakes his head.

“Not quite. But since Yuel raised us, the Order requires a sacrifice to be made if we wish to exit. Since I never paid the price, they still count me amongst their ranks. And now…the King of Gaisha has asked the Order of Yuel to provide warriors for a new Holy War with the Kingdom of Lissel. When they reviewed the roster, my name came up. I’ve been recalled for battle.” My uncle finishes speaking and the horrible silence returns.

“Do you…have to go?” I ask, though I can already see the answer in their faces without looking into the future. Mark nods slowly.

“Yes. I’m afraid I have to.”

“No, you don’t! Stop acting like you need to listen to those old bastards! You can stay here with me!” Romy suddenly bursts out with anger, shaking Mark’s hand until it makes banging noises against the table. Her husband just shakes his head.

“Romy…Dear. You know that failing to answer the call, as an active-duty paladin, is punishable by death. The Order will remember and they will send a squad of Death Knights.”

“Heh, so what!” Romy’s face turns into a snarl and she practically growls, “Let them come! I’d like to see them try to take you from me! Holy Order? Compared to the Rainstopper Sect, they’re just children playing dress up! I’ll kill everyone they send! And then I’ll send their skulls as a message to that bastard king!”

“Romy. No.” Mark’s curt refusal is so out of character that Romy freezes. She just stops midsentence. “You left behind too much to get pulled back in now. Think of Myrr, he’ll get caught up in it for sure. Is that what you want for him? A war as his seventh birthday present?”

“It won’t be a war!” Romy’s eyes promise a horrible death to anyone who tries to break up her home, “It will be a slaughter! I’ll make it quick. Then there won’t be any problems.”

“And when they send more Death Knights to investigate why the first squad didn’t come back? Will you fight the entire Order of Yuel by yourself? And then the Kingdom of Gaisha?” Mark continuously shakes his head. “No…even if you could, I wouldn’t want you to. This is destiny. Yuel always taught us to pay our debts. I still owe the Order for raising me. If they ask me, I will answer the call so that I may leave with my head held high at the end of the war.”

“You, a runaway paladin, with no connections, expect to survive a Holy War? They’ll send you in as part of the vanguard! Into the meatgrinder! It’s too dangerous!” My auntie desperately tries to hug Mark as a last-ditch effort. It’s so wrong seeing her like this. Romy is never clingy usually. But right now, she can only try to hold him back with her body. Unfortunately, this Mark cannot be beaten into submission. His spine is stiff, and he looks like a real man. I hate this Mark for what he is doing to our family. Unfortunately, I cannot help but respect him a little. You…why did you suddenly decide to grow a spleen! Can’t you see what it’s doing to Romy? Do you want tear apart our household? Our master is crying, you ungrateful loser! Stop acting so manly and go back to the Mark I know! Meekly apologize and let Romy annihilate this worthless Holy Order so our family can survive!

“I’ll survive. After training with you, I’ve grown stronger than anyone knows. Even if I have to beat my way through the entire army of Lissel, I’ll make it back to you and Myrr. I promise. So, you need to stay here and make sure he grows up properly. Remember, you promised Lian, you would take care of him!” Mark declares and Romy shakes her head over and over. “I will return! You have my word!”

“You…you haven’t even given me the child you promised. And now you expect me to believe that you’ll really come back from a Holy War?” Romy’s face is frozen in terror. She’s almost panting, looking around wildly for someone to help her convince him. Her shining blue eyes find only me. It’s just like the night when Glacia left, but the roles are reversed. “Myrr, tell him! Tell this sperm-less idiot that he can’t go! You need your uncle, right? Tell him how much you need him!”

I’m trying!

I don’t know what to say!

I’m sorry, Master!

I’m a worthless Acolyte who can’t even stop a single sperm-less idiot from committing suicide!

“Honey…” Mark’s expression is full of regret for what he’s done to his beautiful wife. Her proud face is dripping with tears and the man stares at the little puddle that forms when he catches the drops in his palm. Caressing her face, he hugs her tightly. “I WILL come back! I can’t die until I give you a child. No matter what, I will return and we will start a family. Just as soon as I properly finish with the Order.”

“Bastard…I hate you.” Romy glares at Mark, but the venom in her voice is false poison. It cannot hurt him, except to make him feel guilty, for she does not really mean it. The love behind it is too obvious. “You better come back. Because I’m making a promise to you. And you know I keep my promises! If I don’t hear from you every month…no every week, then that bastard king, the High Pope, the entire kingdom of Gaisha…they will all cease to exist! I’ll go back to the Sect. And I will start my own Holy War!”

“Romy…” Mark puts his forehead against her furious face and shakes his head. “That won’t be necessary. Because I will come back.”

“Heh, if you don’t want your precious Order to disappear from the history books, you better! If I’m not satisfied by the condition, they return you in, I might just start a crusade for fun!” She has no choice but to relent and sag into Mark’s arms. Together, the two of them finally look like a typical couple. Averting my eyes, I try to give them some privacy. Eventually, they remember that I am here.

“Myrr…I’m sorry.” Romy wipes her tears away, and the weakness disappears. However, something about the lonely way she tries to sit straight just breaks my heart. I make my own promise in that moment. If anyone ever makes Romy cry like this again…I’ll kill them. No…I’ll erase them! Never again! I will never tolerate someone hurting my auntie again!

“Will you be okay here with Romy, Myrr? I’m sorry for dropping this on you so abruptly. But it seems that this is unavoidable.” Mark asks me as if afraid of my answer. Though he wasn’t scared to tell Romy that he was leaving, probably because they’ve discussed this before, I think he feels guilty about leaving me. “I’ll bring you back some nice souvenirs from the battlefield when it’s over!”

“Just come back.” I struggle to swallow past the lump in my throat. For some reason, it’s really hard to talk right now. Guess I should have drank more water…right? It’s not like I’m sad that this sperm-less loser is going or anything. “I already need to deal with my parent’s enemies. Don’t make me add more people to the list.”

“Myrr…” My uncle appears touched. Tears break through on his face as well. It seems, even though we have a Rainstopper in the house, the roof is leaking a lot today. “Absolutely. Your uncle promises to come home in perfect condition! I’ll be back in time to watch you turn into a splendid young man! You have my word!”

“You better.” I can only echo Romy’s words. Staring at the soon to be separated couple, I feel a great rush of sadness rush over me. Like something important is about to be lost to me. Perhaps it is my youth. Or maybe a family. Certainly not my sperm-less uncle. I wouldn’t be sad about that. After all…

He promised to come back and see watch me become a man.

So, there’s nothing to worry about.