Escape (7)

[10 March 654/Backstory]

Althea grabs a set of clothing from the nearest table.

It was the official uniform for The Directive Special Knights.

She gazed around her new uniform that consists of the usual armor for what a knight would have but with a slightly different theme.

After wearing her uniform, she raised her brow at the sight of her new appearance.

She sighed deeply.

"Like I had any other choice. This is hilarious."

She formed a callous smile then later let out a long tired sigh.

When she was done preparing herself, she took out her pocket watch from her old clothes.

She opened it and she looked for what time it was currently.

She looked at the pocket watch with an unamused expression as she sighed once again when she realized what time it was.

"... I guess I've gotta go."

She closed her pocket then carefully put it on the table.

She walked towards the long hallway to the Central Directive which had just formed not long after the sudden appearance of the Directive Orders in the kingdom.

When she observed the halls around her, she suddenly caught eyes on her hand.

She raised an eyebrow and she noticed the sign on her wrist.

In all honesty, she didn't understand at all what it meant and its purpose.

The sign she had on her wrist was zero.

(This is just getting bizarre by the day.)

She shakes the thought off, then she chose to focus on her little journey towards the hall.

She smiled sincerely along the way while walking throughout the long hallway in which the pattern was simple and calming.

Not long after, she arrived at the hall that was full of so many people that were wearing different armor.

She looked at them with an expression that showed interest.

(... So are all of them chosen for the Directive Special Knight? I heard there were only a hundred but, to be honest, they looked many more.)

Althea stood in her place while waiting for Edward to make his announcement.

She looked at the front with a boring look with a mix of hopelessness in her eyes.

'Well, I don't even care. Maybe I'm just going to wait until I die.'

After she thought about the situation, her ear twitched when she heard footsteps walking towards the front.

"Greetings to all of you."

All of them, including Althea, raised their heads to see Edward, who is standing above while looking down at everyone who is in the hall.

"I will explain a few things about the new establishment of this Kingdom."

Althea looked at him with a dull expression.

She looked around then she finally found something that she could lean on for resting.

She leans against the wall while trying to focus on Edward's explanation as she crossed her arms.

".... From now on, there will be no citizens, knights, not even me, that can step out of Lucretia."

When Edward exclaimed those words with a cold and heartless tone, countless knights were stunned when they heard the shocking statement from Edward as their eyes widened.

It was unlike Althea's expectations.

Nobody in the hall disagrees with the fact.

They didn't bother to argue and kept their heads low with a frown crept on their face because they didn't have another choice.

(Ah... Of course, this is an appropriate response to the situation.)

Althea thought with a slight dejected smile appearing on her face.

Each one of these chosen knights has already lost hope since many lives were already wasted by the Directive Knight's hand.

"I'm sure you are already aware. Ever since the Directive Order has suddenly appeared, there is a specific sign appearing on your wrist."

Althea immediately looked at her wrist when she heard his statement, remembering her previous thoughts.

She gazed at the number of her sign before she looked back at Edward.

"It is the number of your sins."

Many of the people were further shocked by the unexpected and fearful statement.

Edward notices this behavior as he immediately continues his sentence before everyone has the chance to even protest.

"Every time you violate an order, the number on your wrist will increase from the previous numbers which would change into a new sign. In short terms, one order equals one sin."

Between the large crowd, there was a knight who visibly raised their hand upon the statement.

Edward looked at the hand with a raised brow.

"W-what would happen if the sign changed into another number?"

Edward only gazes coldly at the statement in which the knight that raises his hand reluctantly puts his hand back.

Edward just sighed and decided to explain the consequences.

"... If you violate the order 7 times, then it will be the end of your life, for Directive Special Knight. In other words, you will immediately die."

The crowd immediately gasped when they heard another shocking statement from him.

Edward raised his hand in an attempt to silence them, which they immediately followed.

With that statement, he continues,

"But it's an exception for people who are not Directive Knight. The maximum sin they have will be 10."

"Why is it different?"

Another person immediately asked among the crowds.

"... Because all of you are 'special'."

Althea froze on her spot in which she couldn't believe Edward's statement about the newly established system.

The 7 sins rules could only make the Directive Special Knights live with a shortened life-span.

Unlike normal citizens that is 10.

When all of them were dead silent because of the horrifying truth about their new reality, Edward immediately adds another piece of information about the Directive Special Knights.

"If a Directive Special Knight realizes that there is someone who violates the order, then you have the full authorization to kill them. Because we do not need sinners in this kingdom."

Althea could only look at the whole situation with a bitter expression.

(... One order is the same as one sin. Does that mean if I were to repeat on violating the same order, that won't count? Isn't this too stupid?)

"This information is only known by me and Directive Special Knights."

Many of the knights didn't believe the words of Edward.

There were even on their way to violate the order as they break off from their assigned position.

Althea is one of them.

She tried to steal something random to prove whether or not the sign will appear.

The moment she stole an object in which didn't belong to her, the sign on her wrist immediately changed into one.

(.. Ah, so it's true. The system even calculates our sin.)

Althea sighed at the change numbers on her wrist.

She also didn't notice that the thing she stole belongs to another Directive Special Knight.

When she did, she immediately returned it.

"Sorry that I stole your book. I just wanted to make sure if they truly calculate my sins."

She casually apologizes while putting back the book on the desk.

She looks back at the special knight who has brown hair and grey eyes.

He just smiled at Althea as he received his book.

"Are you also a Directive Special Knight?"

He kindly asked to which Althea simply nodded.

"What is your name?"

Althea looked at him surprisingly since she didn't expect that the latter would ask her name.

"... Althea Genetta... Sixty Seven Order."

"Nice to me you, I'm Oliver Hyde Twenty One Order."

It was when they first met with each other.

Along the journey with him, Althea didn't really pay attention to it as she didn't realize that both of them quickly became close to what siblings would get.

They cared and always look out for each other when troubles occurred.

Those moments made them forgot about the Directive Order and the stress they had inside their minds.

It was peaceful.

Until one day, a piece of shocking news spread throughout the ears of the Directive Special Knights.

There was news that one of the Directive Special Knights was found dead due to the reason that his sins have reached 7.

It was that day when tensions grew between the special knight that is still alive.

As well as stress, anxiety, and fear consumed them completely.

-

"... What would you do if you found someone violates the order?"

Althea asked with a slightly worried tone.

She was looking at the bright blue sky while Oliver was trying to find the right words to answer her question.

"Well, I might try to avoid them as much as possible."

Althea turned her head towards him with a confused expression written on her face.

"Maybe I would avoid meeting people so that I won't find fault in their actions."

He softly answered with a gentle smile while looking at Althea.

At the sight, he scratches his cheek nervously while averting his gaze from her.

"I don't think I could bring myself to kill someone just for reasons like stealing small things or petty lying. I mean if we kill them with that reason then does that mean we are also sinners like them?"

"But that won't count. Because we are special, right?"

Althea asked him back in which Oliver only chuckled at her statement.

"I'm curious. Why do you accept the change things so quickly, Althea? Even though they were the ones controlling Lucretia while trapping us here."

Oliver suddenly asked a question to which Althea responded with her chin resting on her hand.

She later gazed again towards Oliver with a straightforward expression.

"Hmm... I just don't have anywhere to go. What about you?"

She asked him back the same way he asked her.

Upon hearing this, Oliver forms a small saddened smile with his hand put on his chest.

"In all honesty, It still hurts here."

Althea's eyes widened when she heard his statement and realized that her previous answer sounds too stupid.

It made her also realize that, deep down in Oliver's heart, he was suffering alone.

"I couldn't do anything. They took our mana, our family, our freedom. Everything we have. I always try to think about how to reach the outside world. Outside Lucretia. Because we can't go outside anymore. Even if we passed the gate, we're just going to end up in the same place."

He explained softly as Althea could only gaze at him silently in which Oliver suddenly exclaimed another statement.

"... Ah.. I want to go to another Kingdom and have a vacation there."

Upon hearing this, Althea chuckled at the response while hitting him lightly.

"That's impossible!"

Oliver looked back at Althea in which he forms a rather awkward but cheerful smile in front of her.

"Right? Hahaha."

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