The Amber Sword

The breeze swept through the treetops and the leaves sand sounded as if it were an afternoon song.

“It all starts in your grandfather's time,” Her Royal Highness sounded like she was responding to the song, "that was almost sixty years ago, when Anson XI was still in power, and the kingdom had a sword, Saint Darus, Lord of the Silver Castle, Tulaman, and that was the year of Thunder, and Eru had just issued a militia training decree, and the Riedenberg-Van Mir defence line had only begun to be built, and that was the most glorious part of this ancient kingdom since the Sifah dynasty, and your grandfather, in that time, was one of the most glorious names. ”

Brando was silent, looking in the direction of the field, the clouds were floating over the stag forest, and the shadows of the shadows of the undulating mountains to the south were just the mountains of Yu Ping.

Sword Saint Darus, indeed a legend of that era, is the strongest sword saint in the history of the kingdom of Eruin, the only king general to have served as the Allied Coalition Marshal of the Temple of Fire.

Shortly after the end of the Jihad, however, the light of the star did not last forever, and he was lost in history without a name. Some say that he was dead. Some say that he was simply missing. There are even rumours that when the kingdom is in constant danger again, the sword saint will return to the land and save Eru from danger. But Brando understands that, after all, this is just a good wish, and in another history, these legends are buried beneath the dust with the destruction of the kingdom, and perhaps thousands of years later, no one will remember them.

If he hadn't experienced it now, he wouldn't have understood that Darus had never left the kingdom, that he had been born on it, that he had died on it, and that until the last moment of his life, he was still hidden in a city buried on the edge of the kingdom.

No one would have thought that outside Prague City, in this inconspicuous mill by the Butch River, a hero of the kingdom lived and buried.

“Princess Griffin,” Brando said, "these things have nothing to do with his current situation, but he feels underwater or has some connection," and you want to tell me what happened to my grandfather in the end, what prompted him to leave the center of the kingdom and stay hidden here. I know this has something to do with Captain Bounid and his highland knights, maybe it has something to do with the Eruin royal family, which is why you're here now, right? ”

“You always have an extraordinary acumen about the development of things, Mr. Knight, and you seem to see the past and the future, and I've always admired you, and I still do,” Griffin whispered, shaking her head again: “But I've never really cheated on you, and I really don't know what happened to your grandfather. All I know is that after that the kingdom has faded, the kingdom is weaker than day after day, the glory of Eruin is as if it had never returned, and after the death of my father, I and my brother marched on a wilderness of darkness and despair until you appeared before us, Mr. Knight. ”

Brando seemed to be able to hear his own heartbeat. He did not understand why His Highness suddenly said this to him. He looked at Princess Griffin. At this time, in the afternoon, the breeze rose. The wind crossed the field at the end of the summer, gently brushing the silver hair of a semi-envirgin girl, and the skirt swayed with the wind. Griffin pressed his slender hands against the guardian of the long sword and stood high in the wind, unable to see any divine color on her face, as if she was just talking about these things, making one wonder what was in her heart.

But Brando clamped his lips, and he understood that Princess Griffin had asked him to come here with a letter, even avoiding the eyes of the King's Party and her grandfather. He had to tell him something, and he was not in a hurry, so he waited quietly.

Indeed, after a moment, Griffin continued: "But don't worry, I can at least assure you that in the turmoil of that year, the one who was at fault was not your grandfather, not even any one of your family, and your grandfather took responsibility for some reason and chose to stay hidden with your family until now. I am not aware of what happened at that time, but there are secrets in the royal family from generation to generation, and my father told me that the Corcova family will always owe the Cadilloso family a debt of gratitude. ”

She glanced at Brando with a silver eye: “Of course, maybe now it's two...”

Brando almost listened.

But this did not prevent his thoughts from spinning rapidly, and the information revealed by Her Royal Highness quickly assembled in his mind and gradually assembled a general outline. In other words, what happened that day in the Arkash Mountains, my grandfather, Saint Darus the Sword, did not do anything wrong, and could even be said to have taken responsibility for someone or every force. A vein gradually became clearer in his heart. No wonder the Temple of Fire did not continue to be pursued after his grandfather's hiding place. It seems likely that the Temple of Fire understood the inside of it at that time, and everything that followed may have been just a statement made by the Temple of Fire.

However, he still had some doubts as to who his grandfather was responsible for, which, in the words of the princess, seemed to be the responsibility of the Eluín royal family, but some of which was illogical, since the Eluín royal family was not involved in the jihad at all and could not have had any connection with the Arkash Mountains. But if it were someone else, it seemed that the Corcova royal family also had no need to owe the Cadilloso family a debt of gratitude, who or what power could make such a sacrifice to their grandfather and the Corcova royal family.

Brando knew perfectly well that if his grandfather did not leave the center of the kingdom as he did in the middle of the day, the kingdom of Eluin would not decline so quickly; of course, this ancient kingdom might eventually fail, but it would never begin in the years of flowers and summer leaves.

For the Temple of Fire?

He shook his head and the attitude of the Temple of Fire would not be as it was later.

“Your Highness, do you really not know anything about what happened at that time? ”

“Mr. Knight, when I was born, these words were history, and all I knew was what my father and my history teacher told me, and I was as curious as you about the history of that era. ”

“No," Griffin shook his head softly: "I'm actually even more unwilling than you are. I don't understand why King Anson made that choice. Otherwise, the kingdom would not be as weak and slaughtered as it is today. ”

Brando saw the flashing light in His Highness's eyes, and his heart was slightly soft, so why not his doubts and his wishes?

May the black pine evergreen, may Eluin live forever; may faith shine as it was, may the sword be sharp as it was -

The ancient songs of the kingdom are the hope in the hearts of everyone who loves this homeland.

But he stopped and suddenly remembered what the real purpose of the princess was, and she invited him here and left him to meet alone, just to tell him that? She said that the Corcova family would always owe the Cadilloso family a debt of gratitude, but she would not have had to say this to him, and that if she was still fond of the relationship between the Corcova family and the Cadilloso family, the royal family and Tonigal would never be as they are today. But Brando knew that Her Royal Highness had never believed in herself.

She has always carefully maintained his relationship with her and her brother, even though she has always understood that she is the grandson of Saint Darus the Sword.

“Mr. Knight, I remember you describing to me in your letter about the future of this kingdom, that ideal Eluin, who shines a different radiant faith than today, was once my most desirable hope," as in the afternoon uncertain wind, Princess Griffin suddenly changed the subject, and she said softly, "Now that Count Denel has been defeated and Alex is dead, now the southern realm is unhindered by the enemies before you, now can you tell me the story you described after that future? ”

Brando slightly flashed.

He looked at the tender, weak half-envirgin girl, standing there with her sword in her hands, as if it were a sword, straight and sharp, and she just stalled him, as if to ask him, "Have you had lunch?" It's such a simple question.

Brando was silent for a moment.

“What does Her Highness think?” He asked back.

Griffin hasn't spoken, she's a little disturbed. She thought she was surrounded by a lot of trustworthy people who fought for the same faith until she completely changed the face of this ancient kingdom. But then she found out that these were just her wishes, and that the kingdom might have many different futures, but the kind she wanted was just one of them.

She looked at Brando, and the silver eyes had almost no emotional color, just wanted to see him through.

“A while ago, my brother wrote me a letter that he intended to give you his sister.” Princess Griffin spoke quietly.

Brando seems to have been hit hard.

At that moment, he understood the Princess's thoughts.

Toniguer is now full of wings. In the battle with Madara and with Jean de Neil, the army from Valhalla has shown terrible strength. With Alex and Jean de Neil dead, no army seems to be able to stop him in the south. The Lantonilans are his best allies. The army of the Vieiros is overgrown. The Cavaliers of the Highlands will only stand by him. Princess Griffin looks around and suddenly finds that there is no more reliable force beside him to contain Brando.

She turned the other side at night, as if she suddenly found herself surrounded by another Alex.

Although Brando had promised her an ideal Eluin, what should she believe in him? Perhaps the knight once had that idea, but people change, like Teacher Leewoods, like Makaro, and when a person is high, his thoughts gradually diverge from their original intentions. She was born in the royal family and has been betrayed by the royal party, and she really knows everything about it.

She now has only one way to tie Brando to her chariot.

She lowered her head and stained her neck with a faint red spot: "In order to pay for what the Corcova family owed, the first king Anson wanted to marry Princess Gloria to your father, but by then Mr. Scott had an engagement, your mother. After Emperor Ansen, his brother Obergu VI succeeded to the throne, and the matter was set aside, but there was always a paper engagement between the Corcova and the Cadilloso families, until my father Obergu VII's era —— every descendant of the Knight of the Highlands had a noble lady of Carrego's fingertips for marriage, but do you know why you didn't, Brando? ”

For the first time, Griffin called Brando's name, and she whispered, "Because it was me you were engaged to, Captain Bournet knew that. ”

Brando took a heavy breath.

He felt confused, but his mind understood that it was impossible to say that he had no vision of Her Highness. But what he liked was the strong, autonomous princess, who would never give up, not to repay his feelings, or to tie him up in a chariot, easily promising to marry his princess Griffin. What did she think of him as? What did she think of Roman as?

He stared closely into Her Royal Highness's silver eyes as if to see something from it.

But he ended up disappointed.

“I'm not Alex, Your Highness. ”

Griffin blushed as if she had been greatly insulted. She held her fist in anger and looked up at him: “Mr. Knight, I never thought of it that way. ”

“But that's what you did. You knew there was a paper engagement between you and me, but why did you say it today? Because you know, until today, this paper engagement didn't have its value, until then, it was just a verbal agreement, right?” Brando's heart was cold, and he just felt like faith had collapsed, and he replied outrageously, "You disappointed me, Your Highness, and you should understand that everything I did for you before was not for such a shallow purpose. ”

He took a deep breath and answered incessantly: "Well, I admit, I once envisioned you, but I envisioned Her Highness, the princess with whom I had general ideals and beliefs, not a woman who had a full heart. Do you remember that ideal kingdom that I wrote to you about, Your Highness, what you are doing is embarrassing it? ”

Princess Griffin looked pale and she shook almost slightly, looking incredibly at Brando.

“But you said so loudly,” Tears instantly snatched out of the eyes of a half-Pokémon girl, holding her fist, almost crying: “But what did you do to me that day in Ambethel, do you remember, Lord Knight! ”

Brando felt a sword go past his heart.

He opened his mouth and tried to say something, but couldn't say a word.

He finally understood why Princess Griffin had increased her trust in him before Ambethel, but then she cautiously erected a solid wall, which he had always thought was her guard against her wings becoming fuller and jeopardizing Eluin's future kingship. But at this moment, he finally realized how deeply shadowed his irrational behavior was in the heart of a 17-year-old girl.

Brando couldn't help but slap himself so hard. What did he do? He stood there, blushing like a branded iron.

“Sorry…”

“Her Royal Highness. ”

“I'm sorry. ”

For a moment, he seemed to find only one sentence to express his heart.

Princess Griffin looked at him with a bite on her lower lip and tears hanging from her face. She was almost shaken, but eventually calmed down. Her Royal Highness smeared tears. Don't overdo it, as if she were saying something irrelevant: "… can I still trust you, Mr. Knight? ”

Brando calmed down, too.

Standing in the courtyard, the breeze still swept through the clouds, leaving only a tiny bug noise between the countryside, Brando's gaze, several elks jumping in the direction of the stag forest through the woods.

As if there was a moment of silence.

He finally nodded.

“What you said you did for Eruin, not for such a shallow purpose, you're still moving towards that ideal, aren't you, Mr. Knight?” Princess Griffin is also looking in the direction of the forest, her face is a little red and her voice is pitiful.

Brando nodded.

Princess Griffin insisted on opening her mouth as if this affirmative answer made her feel a little choked: "I'm sorry, I blamed you, Mr. Knight. ”

Brando replied with great embarrassment, "I'm sorry, Your Highness. ”

Griffin turned around and saw the legendary Count give such an awkward look that she couldn't help but squeal a loud smile; the smile on her face was like a smile on that day, in the warm and bright afternoon sun, when she sat by the arch window listening to Ovewell tell her the story of the young knight. Because in that story, the flag was so shining, as if it had returned to the ancient kingdom.

“Mr. Brando, do you remember the story I told you about your grandfather? ”

“Hmm?”

“Do you really want to know the truth? ”

Brando looked at the princess with a slight glimpse. But Griffin shook his head: "Don't look at me like that, Mr. Knight, I'm not lying to you. But I know that a few of the people involved are still alive about what happened in the Alkash Mountains at that time. ”

“Who?” Brando's heart moved as if it caught the dawn of darkness.

“Silver Queen, Wind Elf King, and His Holiness the Pope of Finn Zan. ”

……