Chapter 68 - Monster of the Northernmost Territory II_001_Carrying Feelings
If we explain a lot here, it wouldn't be interesting, right?
About 50 years have passed since the previous story.
I wrote just a little bit. I intend to keep it to not too many chapters.
Updates will be slow.
From here on, this is not the main story of Monster of the Northernmost Territory.
Therefore, updates will be slow. There will be pauses. So please refrain from posting about updates.
─── Synopsis ───
The story begins with the protagonist Sora returning from the royal capital where he spent ten years to his territory in the Gardadia Region.
The Gardadia Region was annexed by the Kuodo Kingdom about twenty years ago; it was formerly part of the Jabaru Kingdom.
Twenty years have passed since Sora's family home, the Forstei Baron House, took control of the territory, spanning two generations. Because the conflict with the Jabaru Kingdom still continues, this area has become the front line.
Born as the second son of the Forstei Baron House, Sora inevitably finds himself thrust into the war against the Jabaru Kingdom, where he uses his talents to the fullest and rises in status.
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001_Carrying Feelings
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The characteristic of this town is the bustling mix of diverse races. The royal capital, the largest city in the Kuodo Kingdom, has seen its population explode over the last fifty years, resulting in many houses crammed into a narrow space, leading to increased high-rise construction.
He, Sora Forstei, carries one large travel bag and makes his way through the town, which is packed like a crowd of potatoes.
Sora, who lived in this royal capital for ten years, has graduated from school and is now returning to his family home in the Amania Territory.
The royal capital, near the sea, occasionally has salty sea breezes blowing through, and each time they make Sora's emerald (suishoku) hair sway a few times in front of his scarlet eyes.
At the reception of the Central Station in the royal capital, he bought a one-way ticket. He'll be saying goodbye to the royal capital for a while. He turns around and thanks the high-rise buildings.
"See you"
When he came to the royal capital at age five, separated from his parents, it was lonely and disheartening, but now he feels lonely leaving the royal capital he has grown accustomed to.
As he moves into the station, as if swallowed by the crowd, the train waiting to depart seems to be awaiting him.
Central Station has platforms 1 through 16, and about half of the tracks are occupied.
The train Sora boards is a high-speed train stopped at platform 16. Its terminal is in the east, where he will transfer to head to his family home in the Gardadia Region.
Inside the travel bag are a change of clothes, souvenirs for his family, three books, and one notebook. He will arrive at the terminal (east) at night and stay there for one night. That's about all the clothes he has packed.
"Sora!"
Just as he is about to board the train, he is called out to. The owner of the voice is a girl he knows well.
"Is that you, Shine? What are you doing here?"
"Don't be so formal. At least let me see you off."
Shine, pushing through the crowd with her short black hair swaying, has been friends with him for about five years now. They met at the school he entered at age eleven, and have been friends ever since.
When they first entered school, Shine's hair was shorter than now, and Sora thought she was a boy. It took him about half a month to realize she was female.
Shine still holds a grudge about that, though she is aware of her boyish appearance.
"Since you're joining the national army, you shouldn't have time to see me off."
"That's why friends find the time to see you off. You're really a lonely guy, Sora."
Shine, tapping her chest, speaks in a masculine way.
Sora thinks that's why she gets mistaken for a man, but he keeps his mouth shut because saying that would put her in a bad mood.
She majored in the knight course and graduated at the top of her class. Her tomboyish and strong-willed personality probably makes her speak this way. Or perhaps it's due to her family circumstances.
"I see... is that how it is? Thanks for seeing me off, Shine."
"Ah, yeah. I'll look forward to the day we meet again, Sora."
"I'm a territorial noble, and the second son of a baron's house at that. I won't be able to meet the star of the kingdom's army, Shine, so easily."
"Idiot! Times like this, you're supposed to say we'll meet again soon!"
Sora scratches his cheek, wondering why Shine, with her golden eyes raised in anger, is so upset. Still, for five years, their relationship has been like this.
"Is that how it is? Right, we'll meet again soon."
"Yeah, soon. We'll meet again soon, Sora."
Sora's family home is in the Amania Territory, far from the royal capital. It will be rare for him to meet Shine, who is a daughter of a court noble family in the royal capital. Moreover, since Shine has joined the national army, her free time will be severely limited. Both of them know they won't be able to meet for a while.
The whistle announcing departure sounds.
A station attendant, as if making a final push, loudly urges passengers to board.
"Well, I'm going. Take care, Shine."
"Yeah, you too, Sora."
When he steps onto the train's boarding area and sets down his travel bag, Sora turns back and gazes into Shine's golden eyes.
"Shine... I'll come see you again... even if you say no, I'll come!"
"Yeah, I'll be waiting!"
They were classmates, but she was the only one he could let his guard down around. Both of them vaguely feel that this is what love is, but their paths are different.
Sora extends his hand, and Shine takes it.
As if to separate the two as they gaze at each other and shake hands, the train slowly starts moving.
Shine, still holding Sora's hand, moves parallel to the train.
"Shine..."
"Sora..."
A station attendant warns Shine as she runs alongside the train, but their hands do not come apart, as if glued together.
"Shine, it's dangerous."
"Yeah."
"Let go."
"I know! I know..."
The train's speed relentlessly increases. Then Shine is blocked by the railing at the end of the platform.
"I'll come see you!"
"I'll be waiting!"
They gaze at each other and wave until they can no longer see each other.
"..."
Even after Shine is no longer visible, Sora's heart is tugged as he stares behind.
"I hope... we can meet again."
There are several reasons Sora is returning to his family home. Among them is that he will lead the Forstei house's territory's soldiers and go to the battlefield.
Shine, who became a soldier, might be assigned to the front lines eventually, but for now it's a training period. Moreover, even after the training period ends, she may not necessarily be sent to the front lines.
Furthermore, there is no guarantee that Sora will still be alive by the time Shine is assigned to the front lines.
Previously, only the national army went to the battlefield, but from around the time they began their invasion of the Jabaru Kingdom, nobles also began sending out their troops. The territorial nobles disliked that the distribution of territory after seizing lands from the Jabaru Kingdom was skewed toward the military (mainly court nobles).
Because of this, the Forstei house also gained territory, so it's not a bad thing. Still, going to the front line makes one's heart heavy.
When Sora takes his assigned seat in the first-class car, he takes out a book to distract himself.
The author is Algas Selbam Daguldor. A person called a sage who was active in the past. And for Sora, he is his master's master, in other words, his grand master.
Speaking of Sage Daguldor, he was a famous figure in the generation of his grandfather and great-grandfather, but Sora has never met him. That's because he passed away before Sora was born.
On the cover, it says 'Superb Magic Theory'. It's a somewhat suspicious title, but the content described is very serious and difficult.
The only ones in the world who can read this book are probably Sora and Bajis Daguldor.
Bajis is the successor of Sage Daguldor, and for Sora, he is his master. As Daguldor's successor, he is a person who was given the title of sage by the king.
First-class cars are used by lower-ranking nobles and wealthy merchants, and compared to second-class cars, they are less crowded and quiet.
Sora lowers his gaze to the book and reads into his grand master's teachings. The train's rocking and the faint voices speaking all fade from his senses, and he can concentrate on reading.
Magic cannot be used without magical power. His master Bajis has no blood relation to Sage Daguldor, but because he had magical power, he became the successor. Bajis, who is not related by blood, inherited the earldom and the title of sage.
Bajis has four children and eight grandchildren, but none of them have magical power. Therefore, Bajis wanted Sora to become his successor and inherit the earldom and the title of sage.
However, inheritance of a noble house prioritizes blood relations. Opposed by his children and other nobles, making Sora his successor was not achieved.
Sora has never said or thought that he wants to inherit the earldom or become a sage, but due to these circumstances, he found it difficult to stay in the royal capital. So he decided to return to his family home.
The train relentlessly moves away from the royal capital, carrying Sora's feelings of ten years...
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