Chapter 45: Burying the dead [3]

"I am truly sorry to bring you such sad news, but I want to explain to you the heroic actions your daughter took for tens of thousands of people!" Jin spoke in front of a human couple, both in their mid-forties, looking younger than their age.

However, as they listened to Jin and Elara's story, their age seemed to accelerate rapidly, and white strands began to appear in their hair.

"It's impressive how emotions can affect the body so much," I said to Killian by the far fence.

I preferred not to get too close to the victim's families. I don't think I have that right anyway, as I had never even seen the person they were talking about. But just hearing the story moved me.

"Yes, it's such a tragic matter..."

I looked at Killian for a second. I would have laughed if it weren't for the sad situation we were in.

"Killian, you are the perfect example of this truth. You're barely thirty, and most of your hair has already turned white." I teased him to lighten the mood. I can't stand all this sadness around me, but I do appreciate it.

Killian's eyes widened slightly, and his expression changed, but he didn't say anything.

"Lyra faced many harsh and violent confrontations. She encountered many tragic situations, and her death ultimately led to the peaceful escape of thousands from that place." Elara spoke, with a bit of embellishment, but no one objected.

If someone knew their daughter was crushed because she lost hope in fighting, they would never accept her death, not even after many years. Jin carried the body in his arms, covering it with a large white cloth. Just looking at it from the outside showed how damaged her body was.

The father's lips trembled, his eyes partially closed, his fists clenched tightly, and his skin became dry for some reason. His eyes turned red, but he did not shed tears, for a clear reason.

Lyra's mother collapsed on her knees, her face void of emotions, her eyes wide, staring into the air. She lost her mind, crying after a few seconds. Lyra's father refrained from crying to comfort her.

Their daughter had been missing for years, with no way to communicate. He thought she had abandoned them and was living in the city or didn't want to return out of shame from losing.

He imagined a thousand excuses and stories, and her death wasn't one of them. The previous thoughts were very sad but better than this. Death… something he thought was distant all his life, but he realized the truth now. It surrounds everyone at all times.

And worse, she was enslaved for years before her death. He was enjoying his life here during that time. And now that he knew this information, what is he supposed to do? What is he supposed to think about?

How should he express his feelings? When can he move on?

Wouldn't it have been better not to tell him this story?

"C-can I see...?" His voice trembled as he spoke, seeming like he would cry if he said another word.

He reached out to uncover her face. Jin wanted to stop him but didn't in the end.

Lyra was not killed naturally. Her face was the first thing to be struck and crushed. Seeing an unfamiliar, smashed, and bloody ugly face, the father's hand recoiled, and he finally cried.

Jin replaced the cover and extended his hand towards him. The father took his daughter's body and retreated to the house.

Without even looking at Jin, he spoke. "Wouldn't it have been better to hide this from me? What am I supposed to do now? How will I live normally? Couldn't you have let me continue thinking she was living somewhere, enjoying herself at least?"

His wife, still unfocused, entered the house with red eyes, casting one last angry glance at Jin and Elara.

"Go! Go and don't come back ever again!" Her emotions had completely clouded her judgment, and she blamed the two of them unconsciously.

Elara closed his eyes and left, unable to handle it anymore.

Jin wanted to do the same and leave, but he saw a familiar figure through a small part of the door.

In the last moment before the door slammed shut, he saw the figure of a familiar girl, someone he surely met in the past.

"Lira? Does she have a sister?!" he muttered in disbelief.

***

=+=

"So? What will you do now?" We headed to a nearby café after comforting the family. We would spend the night here before heading to the final place.

"As I said before, I'll stay with you for now since I don't have anywhere else to go." Killian spoke as he drank a cup of tea. He would usually be seen as annoying, but having him as a companion was mostly great.

He was a great conversationalist and had experience in most fields. And his skill… he might be the best support I could think of beside Elara.

As for me, I really wanted to have him as a friend. I looked at Jin, knowing, as the one who wrote his character, what he wanted to do now.

First, Jin currently had nothing to look forward to—no connections or anything he enjoyed doing. He was literally a tool meant to support Darian. He looked up to two people, but both died in the puppet's society.

So if there was anything he wanted to do now, it was at least fulfilling Gilbert's last wish.

Gilbert decided that day that everyone in the room deserved to inherit the MorningStar Sword martial art, so he decided to give it to the strongest person who survived there.

By giving it to Jin, he was passing on his will and duty, which was to spread the terror and legend of the MorningStar Sword in the world. A very tough duty, but suitable for someone like Jin.

So, in response to Jin's looks, I spoke.

"I will be participating in the Inheritance war very soon. I would like to request your support." I placed both hands on the table, trying to show all my confidence.

Then I directed my words to Jin.

"Maybe you don't know this, but you have a duty as the heir of the MorningStar, and your duty is linked to my battle, actually." As mentioned before, Darian inherited the MorningStar Sword martial art from the Perrin MorningStar.

So Jin must reveal himself to the world and to Perrin Morningstar to become the true heir of the martial art and remove Darian's name from the matter.

I continued speaking.

"My younger brother, Darian StarHold, was chosen as the heir of MorningStar by the Sword Master: Perrin Morningstar. As the rightfully chosen heir, you need to prove yourself to the world."

I looked at Jin, whose expression did not change at all.

[Do you want to become king?]

I heard Jin's voice in my mind. I smiled at that.

[Yes.]

Jin smiled upon hearing my response.

[So be it.]

Then he continued drinking what was in front of him, as if he were about to go separate two quarreling children, not fight for a throne. This person has changed a lot.