The Assassin and The Blind Saint

Arc 1 Chapter 13: The Beginning

On the outskirts of a small village in the Kingdom of Thuringia, a 6-year-old boy was playing with a wooden sword in the grass. He ran - ran while swinging - swing the wooden sword.

“Hey Siriuuss! Don't play too far! Dad will scold me again you know,” said a woman about 16 years old who was following the boy.

Sirius turned around and posed to his older sister and said, “I'm Sirius! One day, I will become a hero and then pull out the legendary sword Balmung. Defeat a dragon and save a Royal Princess!” Sirius said his dream was passionate - gebu.

“Iya~iya. But now, you have to eat first so that you grow strong like the heroes,” said his older sister while holding Sirius' hand so that she did not run back.

“Let's go home, I've made fish soup that you always like Sirius,” invite his sister.

“Alright, Brother Alissa.”

They started walking back to their house. On the way, they approached some villagers who were doing various activities.

“Ahh Alissa, you're as usual picking up Sirius back yes.”

“Alissa, my flower garden just started blooming. Would you come with me later to see it?”

“Alissa, try my new pie. I guarantee you'll like it.”

Such is the daily life of Alissa when often cross paths with villagers, especially the men. He is the village flower in his dwelling. The graceful and beautiful woman even rivaled the princesses of high-level royalty of the Kingdom.

“Hey you! don't get too close to Alissa! At least only a hero has the right to seduce him, you guys keep it good - well!” Sirius arrived - arriving in front of his brother as if - would be protecting him from wild wolves.

“Hey Sirius, what did you teach at that time? Always friendly and courteous to the citizens,” scolded his brother who squatted face to face with Sirius and looked at him.

Looking at his brother's sharp gaze, Sirius then turned his face away and started walking back.

“Hahhh. Always running away when I reprimand,” said his brother slightly irritated.

After a while of walking, they finally arrived at a simple house. They went in and found the dining table had been full of all sorts of food.

“Ah you guys have come, quickly you guys clean up. We will do a Gratitude Ceremony to the Goddess for the success of your Father's promotion to head Patrol Guard Village,” said a middle-aged woman who is none other than their mother.

They cleaned up and soon their father came home from work.

“Ah, Dad! How's your job today!? did you catch the criminals? Or did you defeat a beast? Tell me!” Sirius then rushed to his father impatient to hear the interesting stories from his father.

“Ahahaha is not Sirius, we are on patrol and are grateful no dangerous events have happened in the village at this time,” replied his father.

“Mehhh.... very boring,” said Sirius who sat back at the dinner table.

“Isn't that good, son, we can still enjoy this togetherness peacefully,” said his mother.

They began to pray to the goddess Athena to be given peace in life and give thanks for the life they are living now.

After finishing eating together, Sirius' father suddenly said.

“Alissa, regarding your wedding, I think I have found a suitable one for you.”

Hearing her words, being shocked and getting a reaction was not Alissa.

“Huhhh! Is what you said true!? I think Alissa's sister is too early for that!” sirius.

“Hey, what are you saying, boy?” alissa said in a soft tone, but made Sirius's hair goosebumps.

“Hiiiii!!” Sirius then turned his face away from his brother's sharp gaze.

“The heir of Count Holstein expressed interest in you during a dance event at the Ascension Saint Festival last month in Kota,”, Sirius' father said.

Hearing the words of his father, Alissa who initially looked irritated, his facial expression began to redden. Alissa also had an interest in Count Holstein's Hereditary Son when she saw him at the Knight Tournament at the height of the Festival event.

“But Roland, will Count Holstein allow his heir to marry a commoner like Alissa?” sirius' mother asked looking worried.

Hearing her mother's question, Alissa turned nervous.

“It's okay what Aliya, Count Holstein is not a noble who thinks too much about it,” Roland replied dispelling his wife's worries.

“Fiiuhhhh..” Hearing his Father's reply, Alissa again breathed a sigh of relief.

Sirius then got off the table and walked to the exit of the house.

“Where are you Sirius? it will be late at night you know,” asked Alissa.

“I'm done eating and want to get some fresh air,” lie.

“Alright, don't get too far huh..”

Sirius lay under a tree, watching the stars in the sky.

The reason he seemed to be so dislikeful of his sister getting married was, he would lose the figure that had been his role model all along. His older brother was a powerful, graceful and disciplined figure in Sirius' eyes. One day, she wanted to make her brother feel proud to have a sister like her later. But that figure will disappear in the near future.

...----------------...

The next day, a luxurious horse-drawn carriage came to the village where Sirius lived. The owner is Count Holstein's heir. His arrival even made Baron Reimark come to greet him in his village.

“Ahh... Mr Albrech, what is it that you came to my village?” asked Baron Reimark while bowing his head to the Heir of his Master.

“I searched Captain Roland's residence, do you know Baron?”

“Ahhh Roland, huh? Hey, hurry up and get Roland in the office to get here!” baron's orders to one of his servants.

“You have a pretty Beautiful village Baron Reimark. Along the way, I saw a stretch of green grass and beautiful natural scenery,” said Albrech.

“Ahaha, you could be Mr.”

Not long after, Roland came to face Albrech.

“Tu-tuan Albrech, I didn't expect you would come so soon,” Roland said.

“Ahahaha Roland, you know for yourself that the princesses of the nobility are very persistent in coming to my residence. That's why I want to go faster so that they can start stopping coming at me if the news of our engagement is widespread,”.

Albrech was a young talent who joined the Order of the Holy Knights. He in – Gadang will be someone who replaces Commander Fritz as the head of the Knight Order. Therefore, Alissa who will be engaged to Albrech like a fairy tale where a commoner marries a Hero Knight.

“Alright, let's go to your residence Roland. I'm really looking forward to meeting Alissa,” invite Albrech.

They then went to Roland's residence. Albrech finds Alissa cutting wood with an axe and a boy playing with a wooden sword nearby.

“Alissa,” call Albrech.

Alissa then turned around and was surprised to hear the voice of the man she loved. He started to lose his balance and fell. Albrech rushes quickly and catches him before Alissa falls.

“Hey Alissa, be careful with that axe. You can hurt yourself you know,” said Albrech trying to tease her.

“It's your fault that surprised me first!” reply Alissa with ketus.

“Ehemmm!!”

Suddenly, there was a deliberate coughing sound beneath them. The voice came from Sirius who was staring intently at Albrech.

“Don't it be rude to touch an unmarried woman, you know it's Mr. Knight,” Sirius said as he crossed his arms and looked at Albrech.

“Ahahaha, you were right, I'm sorry Alissa,” said Albrech who then took down Alissa.

“You must be Sirius, right? Alissa always told me a lot about you.”

“Of course, I am the closest person to Brother Alissa you know,” Sirius said proudly.

“Ahahaha is that,” Albrech can only laugh awkwardly facing the antique Sirius.

“Hey Sirius, how about we practice dueling behind the page,” Roland said trying to help Albrech who looks difficult to face Sirius.

“Really!? Alright this time, I will land one attack on you Father!” sirius looked excited.

The two of them left Albrech and Alissa alone.

“Your sister looks very excited well, Alissa.”

“Yes, he has always been like that.”

After that conversation, the two of them arrived - suddenly silent into silence. Not long after, Albrech knelt on one leg and reached Alissa's hand.

Alissa who saw it then closed her mouth as if she could not believe her other hand.

“Alissa, will you be my life partner for as long as I live? Being the mother of my children? Wife of Albrech von Holstein?” Albrech looked into Alissa's eyes with great seriousness.

Tears began to trickle down Alissa cheeks as the happiness she felt overflowed in her heart.

“Ya, I'm ready.”

They embraced enjoying the happiness they were feeling. However, they did not know that Sirius saw all the processions they did. Sirius felt a void as tears of happiness escaped from his brother.

At night, Sirius was outside the house. Precisely in the grass of the outskirts of the village where he used to play and was picked up by his brother.

Sirius fell asleep in the grass staring up at the sky, but neither the moon nor the stars were visible tonight because they were blocked by dark clouds.

Sirius recalled what had happened earlier, he wanted to make his older brother whom he idolized look at him proudly. It was like her brother's gaze when he saw Albrech. Sirius had only found one answer to grabbing what he wanted. By having success.

Not long after, Sirius' daydream broke from hearing the sound of footsteps approaching him.

Sirius wakes up and sees a man in a priestly robe while on a pilgrimage carrying a basket of red apples.

“Halo young man,” greet the Man.

“Ha-hello,” replied Sirius a little nervously as he was approached by an unknown person.

“You look very agitated, is there a problem that is making you upset?” ask the man.

Hearing him, Sirius could only turn his face away without saying anything.

“You want to impress the people you love, don't you?” he asked as if he could read Sirius' mind.

Hearing the man's words, Sirius was startled and began to stare at the man's face.

“Te-of course. Isn't it a man's duty to impress his loved ones? At least that's what my brother once said,” Sirius said.

“Is that? Then, what do you want to make that a reality?” ask the man.

“Victory. I need glory so I can make that happen,” replied Sirius.

“Then, what do you think that success can be achieved?” ask the man back.

For now, little Sirius still had not found the answer. He was too small to do something great that impressed people.

“The answer is Strength,” said the man.

“Strength?”

“Yes, by having the power. People will look at people higher. Then after you have the power, the Success will be very easy to achieve,” explained the man as he clenched his hands in front of Sirius' eyes.

The powers. True enough, Sirius saw several times when his father defeated some ferocious beasts with his power.

After that, the villagers praised him. Sirius had also seen the Knights who were greeted very cheerfully when they again defeated a demon.

Sirius wanted to be like that. With strength, he was able to gain that glory and impress his older brother.

“You're right. I want Strength,” said Sirius who felt the man's words had a point.

Hearing Sirius' words, the man smiled and picked up an apple from the basket he was carrying.

“Then all you have to do is eat this apple,” bargain the man.

“Really?”

“Of course, after eating this apple, surely you will get the strength you desire - crave it,” replied the man.

Sirius then looked at the apple and noticed it.His hand began to reach the red apple.Unless he realized, the grass around him began to dry up. The wind began to blow as if - a mysterious force was in that place.

Sirius took the apple and began to eat it.

In front of him, the man who gave him the apple started laughing. Sirius only focused on eating the Apple that was in his hand. Without him noticing, his pupils began to turn blood red. His encounter with the man will change the course of Sirius' life. A decision that Sirius will regret for the rest of his life.

After he finished eating the apple, the man suddenly disappeared leaving Sirius confused by what had happened.

The next day, while Sirius was playing with a wooden sword with his friends, Sirius suddenly lost consciousness. All he knew was that, when he regained his consciousness, his friends had been sprawled with fatal wounds. They screamed in fear at the figure of Sirius trying to approach them.

"A-pa actually happened?"