Bitter Past

5 Years Ago...

"FROM THIS POINT ON! ALL OF YOU HAVE SUCCEEDED IN BECOMING A KNIGHT OF LATRICIA! MAY THE MOTHER OF GOD BLESS YOUR BRAVERY! REJOICE!!"

"YEAAAHH!!!"

"YEEAAAAAAHHHH!!!"

It was the last day of knight recruitment training for the year, amidst of the joyous celebration coming from the hundreds of the newly promoted knights, there was Rezio, sitting at one of the corner of the fortress, he was surrounded with barrels and also a few training swords that were placed behind the wall.

While others expressed their happiness with a smile and hugging those who have also accepted as a knight beside them, Rezio alone felt that thinking about his future is something that shouldn't be delayed.

'Im a knight now.. I did it..' He thought as he clenched his fist.

'Brother, i've kept my promise to you, now, when you decided to visit me, you'll put nothing but a smile on your face.'

Rezio thought about his family that is far away from him, he's not born in a prestigious family, he's not a noble, from the outside, he's just a normal commoner who shouldn't have a chance at becoming a knight, however, his dad's training is what makes Rezio capable to step foot in this place.

'If dad never invited me to go hunting with him, i would've never know that i have a talent for the sword, although we usually used a bow, dad inviting me to go hunting was the first step of when i finally gain interest with combat, and that led me to hold my first ever sword..'

It may not seem like it, but Rezio was truly happy, he can't be more glad to be accepted as a knight, because not only he will be able to feed his entire family, he also have fulfilled the promises that he and his older brother made long ago.

Back when Rezio was 11 years old and is still a village boy who always help his parents with house work, he and his older brother, Rudy, were playing on the street near the village exit gate, they played tag against eachother, running around like a cat following laser point, until out of nowhere, a knight came to their village with a horse.

Clop..

Clop..

Clop..

Clop..

"Brother, who is that person?" Rezio asked.

"Rezio, That man is a knight!"

"What's a knight?"

"Oh right, this is your first time hearing or seeing them right? Knights is our protector, they wield a sword and fight dangerous monster for our safety! That's why we respect all knights!"

"Oohhhh!!! So they're strong people!?"

"That's right."

"That's so cool!! I want to be strong too! Brother, can we become a knight too?"

"Haha Rezio, of course you can, but first you need to train and eat all of your food alright?"

"Really!? Do you promise!? Promise me we'll become a knight together!"

"Ahaha— Well, i guess so.."

Rudy smiled as he pats Rezio on his head, however, his mind said the opposite.

'Im sorry Rezio, the truth is, commoners have no way of becoming a knight unless they're extremely talented.. I don't want to disappoint you, but i hope you'll learn the truth one day, when you're ready for it.'

The knight kept moving until he reached the village chief's house, Rezio and Rudy secretly followed the knight and saw him entering the chief's house, at first they were confused as to what the knight's reason could be for visiting the chief, but they were soon caught by the adults for peeking and they scolds both of them, eventually forcing Rezio and Rudy to go back to their house.

"Hmph, that guy just had to ruin our secret plan!!" Rezio complained.

"Well, what else can we do, it's not really a good idea either."

"But im curious!! Brother what do you think the reason that knight came to our village?"

"Huh? Umm, last time i saw them, they're here to collect taxes from us, but usually they do it at the center of the village, seeing that that knight goes inside the chief's house means he might be here for another reason."

"Ohh!! Brother Rudy is smart!"

"Hehe, it's not that hard.."

At that moment, Rezio thought..

'I'll become a knight so that i can protect Brother Rudy and mom and dad!!'

***

A few weeks later, something happened that made Rezio scared all the way to his bone, in the evening after he was done helping his mother with chores, he heard a scream that came from outside, everyone in the area quickly went outside aswell to check out where's the scream is coming from, and to Rezio's horror, he saw Rudy laying on the ground, with his right leg bloody and disjointed.

'Rudy?..'

"SOMEONE CALL THE CHIEF! EVERYONE QUICKLY TREAT HIM!"

"RUDY!! RUDYY!!" Rezio's mom approached Rudy in a hurry before carrying him on her hands.

Rezio's mom brought Rudy to their house and she laid him off on the bed, the whole village was in panic due to this incident, they have no idea what caused Rudy to be in this state, at first they realized that he hasn't come back a few hours after he told his parents that he will be going outside of the village in search for some herbs, but the next thing they knew, the villagers found Rudy in that state at the village gate.

"QUICK! MAKE WAY! THE VILLAGE CHIEF IS COMING THROUGH!"

A whole minute passed and finally the village chief was noticed and immediately went to Rezio's house, in there he and one other person beside him which is a healer of the village, entered the room where Rudy was located and began to do the treatment for his injury.

'What happened to brother Rudy?..' Rezio thought, not believing his eyes.

'Where are the knights?.. Why have they not come yet?..'

'Brother Rudy is in danger, shouldn't the knight help him?'

'What if...'

Not being able to hold back his tears, Rezio cried his eyes out and felt betrayed, he thought that he and Rudy will become a knight together, but now that dream is gone.

"STEP AWAY! THE HEALING WILL BEGIN NOW!"

***

The whole healing process lasted for an hour, and in that 1 hour of waiting, no one has been able to calm down ever for a second, Rezio and his family kept waiting anxiously, his mom couldn't even sit down or staying still, that's how much she worries for Rudy's safety.

Creakk!!

The room has been unlocked, and the door opened, the village chief walked out of the room and was immediately greeted by Rezio's parents to be asked for Rudy's condition.

"HES FINE RIGHT!?"

"C- calm down, i understand your concern, let me talk first."

"A- Alright.."

"Rudy, he— He survived, he's now resting well"

Hearing that, Rezio's parents felt joys that can't be describe even with words, no amount of happy moments would defeat a parents that found out their child is safe after such a horrifying incident.

"However.." The village chief suddenly continues, creating the tension in the air once again.

"W- What is it?!" Rezio's mom asked.

"His injury is too fatal for our healer to treat, if we don't find a high-ranking Healer, im afraid Rudy will not be able to use his right leg ever again."

"H- Huh?.. What do you mean!?"

"Its just as i said, your son's injury is way too fatal, only a high-ranking healer from a large city would be able to cure his injury, for now, we managed to stop the bleeding and also covered up the wounds, but he wouldn't be able to use his leg anymore."

It would be a lie to say that Rezio's parents accepted that fact easily, they were instead the exact opposite, they can't accept it, they don't understand why Rudy cant use his right leg again, their minds is in chaos, they loved Rudy more than their own lives, how could he have a harsher fate than them? What kind of parents would be fine when they knew that their son is disabled forever when he hasn't even reach his adulthood yet.

"Rudy.."

Rezio and his parents stood right beside the bed where Rudy is sleeping on, they all looked at him in the face, seeing his innocent expression, not knowing that once he woke up, he will have to face this new change.

'Brother, please.. Wake up, you can't be like this, what about our promise?.. Don't we want to become knights and be strong?..'

After that, even after Rudy woke up and years passed, his leg was still paralyzed, Rezio's family is not rich, they lived in a village, their only way of making money is through selling leathers and animal meat that came from hunting, with an average income of 5 silvers per week, it was never enough to go to a large city and get a treatment from high-ranking healer.

***

Back to the present..

"BLARGGHH!!"

Rezio threw up loads of blood from his mouth, his vision became blurry, he felt a burning pain in his stomach, after adjusting his vision for a bit, he realized that he was sitting beneath a tree that has fallen off, he remembers getting punched by Sylias and that sends him flying.

A footstep sound approached Rezio while he was still trying to regain his fading conciousness, he lifted his head to see who it was, and as expected, Sylias appeared infront of him, now less than a foot away.

"Great fight, knight."

"Heh.. shit... So this is how i die."

"Yes, unfortunately."

'Ahh, i wish i could see Brother Rudy for the last time..'

Rezio remembered various moments from his memory, starting with meeting Carfeld for the first time..

"Hey! what are you doing here alone? Come on, we have a party after this!"

To the time where he fought in a territorial war against a noble traitor..

"DO NOT FALL! AAGGHH!! DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!"

Even when he shits himself because he was assigned to a 24 hour mission while constipated, thankfully he wore full armor at that time so nobody knew, but the smell of his pants later in the day is horrid.

'Am i seriously remembering that moment at my death?..'

"Begone." Sylias said as she raised her scythe, ready to strike.

"— Can i ask a favor?.."

"!!?"