Ryudas's Loyalty. Part : 1

On a quiet street exuding luxury, where tranquility enveloped the surroundings and only the gentle breeze disturbed the silence, a carriage drawn by two lions moved slowly past the gates of a majestic mansion, its grandeur striking at first sight.

At the entrance, two soldiers in formal red uniforms stood motionless, like statues carved from stone.

Each held his halberd upright in his right hand, their sharp eyes reflecting an unyielding vigilance that never wavered.

The towering mansion stood on the right side of the wide, elegant street, its path lined with trees forming a grand avenue.

It belonged to the prestigious Ryudas family, a household whose name was known to all in the city of Zirasia, and in the entire democracy, for that matter.

The family that devoted its entire existence to the loyalty of Elethra's democracy, particularly one of its five major families—the Agard family—served the democracy for four centuries with unwavering loyalty, service, and dedication, characterized by firmness and strictness in every Dysar born of this powerful family.

The Ryudas family, on the other hand, was renowned for the strength of its lineage, passed down through generations.

*******

However, the current generation was an exception.

The current head of the Ryudas family had two sons.

The eldest disappeared under mysterious circumstances, leaving the younger brother as the sole heir to carry on the family's legacy.

In a grand and luxurious hall, a long table draped in a sheer white cloth stretched across the room, surrounded by more than fifty wooden chairs adorned with elegant carvings that harmonized with their deep, rich green color.

Around the table, the Ryudas family gathered.

"Yanar, I heard you struck a demon woman on execution day?" said a man with a neatly trimmed mustache and a refined beard, his hands moving steadily as he held a brush and knife, slicing through the wild horse meat on his plate.

There were five maids standing in a similar position.

Three individuals were sharing the meal, representing three different eras, three generations, to be exact.

The elderly bald man, with a mark beneath his eye and trembling hands, was Yanar's grandfather.

His portrait hung in the main room where they were seated.

The painting depicted his youth, when he was awarded an honorary medal by his commander, wearing his official military uniform.

The brush fell from his hand, and the maid quickly stepped forward to catch it.

He had aged, reaching the age of ninety-five, and no longer had the energy that once brought him pride.

He had become just an old man, waiting for assistance from those of lower rank than himself.

"Take him to his room," said his son, Dieron Riodas, the current head of the family and its honor, as he took a bite of his meal with grace.

"Your will, sir," the maid replied, obeying the command.

She and her two assistants quickly helped the elderly man to his room.

As for Yanar Ryudas, the young man who represented the future of his family, his thoughtful gaze rested on his father. "I deeply apologize, Father. I know it's not in a soldier's nature to do anything outside the command of his leader, but I couldn't control myself after seeing the disrespect in that woman's eyes toward the commander of the great Agard family forces," he said in a soft tone, apologizing for acting in a way that did not align with the principles of the Ryudas family.

The father was emotionally distant, calmly continuing his meal.

He placed the fork and knife on the sides of the plate, then slowly raised his gaze. "Don't apologize to me, focus on improving your behavior as a person before worrying about your image as a soldier." After these reprimanding words, the father stood up from the table under his son's watchful eyes and said, placing his hands behind his back, "Follow me."

****

In the middle of the vast corridor, filled with rooms, Yanar stood behind his father, who had just opened the massive gate that lay between the passageway.

There were few words from his father to explain why they had come to this place, but He clearly understood the importance of what lay beyond that gate, even though he had never entered it in his life.

The father entered after opening the gate, followed by Yanar.

His father's fingers pressed the light switch, illuminating the large, long room.

The ceiling lights were arranged vertically, lighting up one after another, indicating their great number and the length of the room, which was also vertically shaped.

After it was fully illuminated, Yanar saw with his own eyes what his mother's words had meant...

*

"What's in that room, Mom?" Yanar asked, at the age of five, while holding his mother's hands. She looked at him with a slight smile and replied, "When you reach the right age, you'll know the answer." Young Yanar was puzzled by his mother's words, and she took him away...

*