The Amber Sword

Chapter 35 Goddess of War and Brendel

Brendel looked at the silent Freya and knew that she probably did not understand the details behind the politics. This was something that he expected, as a person from the countryside would not have seen the machinations behind the nobles’ goals before.

[But to summarize everything, it’s all about greed.]

He decided to be as clear as possible: “I know that it might be difficult for all of you to accept. But the truth is we’re nothing but pawns on the chessboard, and they would not care about whether we live or die.”

Freya was shocked when she heard that, and she looked up at him.

But Marden frowned and sighed. What Brendel said was what he had seen for the past few days. The nobles had declared to him that the Bucce’s militia and his army would be rewarded for the defense. Everyone’s morale was raised when they heard the news, but if he was to look at things in another way, only one or two of them would be promoted, and a meager amount of money to be distributed amongst them as a reward.

And every time he mentioned about Bucce’s homeless refugees, the reply was always ambiguous.

“Freya, ” Brendel looked deeply into Freya’s light brown eyes. “If you hope to see something like everyone getting commended and rewarded for their efforts, then move back to the countryside and live a happy and safe life after the war, you’re going to get disappointed for having such a naive and unrealistic thought.”

“Brendel?”

“If you have the idea of just relying on someone else, you’re going to become a pawn that’s going to be discarded by the nobles sooner or later.”

Freya had seen and heard much in Fortress Riedon, and she could somehow understand his words, so she hesitated for a while before asking: “Then what should I do?”

“Become stronger, until you can be a person who can protect others.”

“I-I know, but—” Freya answered in a rush.

[I’m just the leader of a small militia group, how am I supposed to become as powerful as the nobles amongst the capital? It’s impossible!]

“You’re worried that you can’t do it?” He asked.

Freya nodded.

“There’s no need to be worried about it. An opportunity would present itself before you in the future.” He smiled and replied.

Freya was slightly confused and looked back in a daze.

Brendel had not told her what exactly he had planned for her. In truth, he wished for her to enter into the cavalry academy that was built by the royal crown, so that she could receive the kingdom’s formal education on commanding an army, as well as learning various combat knowledge.

He did not wish to change the Freya’s future as a Goddess of War, but at the same time, he wanted her to enter the higher ranks within the kingdom.

[Romaine is unable to go do something like this, and the only person with enough capabilities and my trust, is only Freya. In regards of safety, there’s really no need to worry about it. The school is in Verand, a land that is the private property of the Royal Crown. It is also a land that the princess would get hold of in December when the civil war starts. Everything seems to be good for Freya.]

Brendel did not think the old military commanding style and the tactics of Aouine was inferior, but there was a certain quality required for the strategies to work, and the Aouine army was getting weaker and weaker, ultimately causing the strategies to be ineffective.

[With Freya’s serious attitude, she will be absorbing the knowledge taught by the school like a sponge. When she gathers enough achievements under her belt, she will stand out from the crowd just like how it happened in history, and catch the eye of the princess.]

Brendel recalled that it was the second year of the sixth month, that Freya met the princess during the Academy’s 64th jousting tournament. Since he was going to stay out of the capital, he felt that there would not be too much of a change in Freya’s future.

[Princess Grffyn Corvado Manoff. She is only sixteen this year, but soon she will be the acting regent. I definitely need to know her thoughts are.... And I have to borrow Freya’s help with this matter.]

Brendel considered things for a second. He felt that there were no clashes with their goals. She wanted to revive the kingdom, while he wanted to turn Aouine’s ultimate fate around. However, he was worried that the half-elven girl who was born in the royal family, would not be able to put the nobles’ interest down.

His fist clenched tightly when the memories within the game appeared in his mind. It was a moment in history that he was unable to forget; the final moment in the capital Monsteras, where the palace and city burned in a sea of flames, while the sky was dyed black by the smoke.

That day he and many players retreated to the north, and many of them cried while looking to the south. They were unable to change anything because there was just not enough time for them to be able to do anything.

How was he going to watch Freya fight to the death in the Crimon Valley Dalal again?

[That day everyone of us perished in that valley. I died seven times there and lost seven levels there, and many countless players also had the same fate that I had. But in the end, what was the result?] (TL: Rhetorical question.)

That day he saw Freya wearing a silver plate with sunflower sigils on it, with a flag in her hand with black pine leaves on it, the emblem of courage in Aouine. He and the thirty-six thousand players who swore to protect Aouine did not manage to protect that flag, and even until her death, she still stood tall in the battlefield.

[Perhaps she fulfilled her own promise... to shed every last drop of blood for this land. In the end Aouine was too weak and old. There were actually three different armies from Kirrlutz that stood there and did nothing. There was only Freya’s army and players. And all of us players were no match for the opponent’s grand army.]

The brightest jewel in the Corvado family, the princess fared no better. She married an Arreck duke that she did not like, and led a gloomy life, until she was murdered in a scheme conceived by The Unifying Guild. (TL: Remember that fake noble that took Brendel’s sword? He’s from this guild.)

Brendel thought back on the days he met up with his guild members. They did not play the Amber Sword constantly and some of them stopped playing, but when they did gather together, they would talk about the past events that happened in the game. Everyone would still feel sorry when they remembered that day when Aouine’s spirit was gone forever.

[Can I let this happen all over again? ]

He looked at Freya, Romaine and Marden, then shook his head. If he was teleported somewhere else where he did not meet them, he might have considered to escape and develop slowly. With his knowledge, he would have become a legendary figure.

But experiencing the events and meeting everyone in Bucce made him realize that he was unable to do so, and he decided to take on a burden so that he could change Aouine’s fate.

[Even now, I’m still trying to figure out the possibilities in front of me. To change history, I definitely need to sweep everything off that’s blocking my path, and it’s possible that I have to disregard someone’s well being. Perhaps I might have to act like a despicable noble... Not only that, I might have to fight against every single noble in Aouine, and even the princess had to choose carefully when dealing with that five infamous dukes.]

Brendel rubbed his forehead when he thought about his specs.

[My growth isn’t that of a player... and the enemies that I’m going to face from Madara are pretty much a ‘boss’ spec, not to mention they are considered uniquely talented, especially that boss amongst bosses, the emperor with the Mercury Staff. Even if I joined hands with the Goddess of War, is it really possible to change the future?]

Brendel thought about the future beyond Aouine’s demise.

[If I go further in the timeline, Kirrlutz will take a passive and cold look at things. That Griffin Empire is not the cradle of ancient and kind human civilization. What replaced it is the pride of the highland natives, fueled by the revolution of steel and blood. The instruments of war will sound out loudly with the Nature Slate as the starting point. The Third Holy War will happen soon. When that happens, all the countries will become chess pieces on a gigantic chess board, including Madara.]

Brendel’s mind shook a little when he thought of that. Doubt surfaced as he asked himself whether he was able to handle everything, because even if he averted the Madara’s undead, what waited for him was something even bigger. He had thought about it slightly when he led the refugees from Fortress Riedon out.

[... Who am I kidding? Maybe it’s the pride of a ‘player from another world’, but isn’t this like a game that has the ‘impossible’ rating on it?]

He thought that it was a little arrogant, but he felt that he needed to at least make an attempt in doing this, at least to make amends to that regretful event.

This was also why he felt that he had to acquire enough power and authority when the Civil War started.

[When that event happens, all methods of leveling up might be affected because of the chaos, and especially during the chaos, it’s the best moment for me to have the opportunity to become a chess player and acquire both land and armies.]

Brendel had already decided the location, a kingdom that was sealed once upon a time in the west.