Chapter III : Let there be light…
"In the event that I were faced with a betrayer and an enemy, and in possession of but a sole bullet, I would not hesitate to give it to the traitor. For in the realm of darkness and deceit, one must always be prepared to take drastic measures to rid oneself of treachery. The traitor's betrayal is an affront to the sacred bonds of loyalty and trust, and such a transgression shall not go unpunished. As the dark shadows lengthen and the winds howl, I vow to uphold my righteous conviction and to strike down those who dare to betray the Legion, the Imperium, and the Divine Tradition. This I swear to uphold by the blood of my brothers and by the Light of the Human Gestalt, The Emperor."
—"Litany Against Treachery " of the XVII Legiones Astartes, Radiant Sentinels. Penned by Lord Primarch Athanasius Aurus "the Lightbringer".
=][=
Three Years Later
The sun had just risen, casting a golden glow over the field where two friends stood facing each other. Both held long, gleaming swords, their eyes locked in fierce determination.
Eyes gleaming with respect.
"Are you ready, Little Athanasius?" Asked the dark-haired boy, who now grew a few inches taller than before.
"…..Have you seen the current difference in our heights?" Asked the other bald boy, who is almost two feet taller than the dark-haired boy.
"….Your body is just insane. As expected of the protagonist." Said the dark-haired boy to the now taller-yet-younger boy.
"Ahahahahahaha! You jest as always, Cid, my brother. You are the same in that regard. No child has that much sword skill. No mere young man could have such mastery of the fundamentals of swordsmanship. No mere youth could synthesize that many sword styles."
"You are the one to talk. Your ability to adapt is not normal. It's not even Human. No human could adapt that fast to any attacks." Cid stated with an honest smile on his face.
"Well, I guess it's enough chitchat, I must do my job or else I would be booted out of your estate by Teacher and the Matriarch, Ahahahaha!" Athanasius jokingly stated.
"Indeed, such a thing must not be allowed. Or else, the dark will win." Cid said it rather humorously, not taking it seriously at all.
"…Indeed." Athanasius' face became grim and serious.
'What? Is he taking the roleplay seriously? I thought he was just lonely and wanted a friend?' Cid thought with wonder and surprise.
"…Well I guess we should start then? Ready?" Cid announced.
"…Indeed, strike first my friend."
"Well, here I go!" Cid commences his attack.
An absolutely normal sword style, yet so beautiful.
Cid was a master of the orthodox sword style; his movements were precise and controlled as he advanced towards Athanasius. He made a swift strike—
Such monstrous mastery of the fundamentals will make even the fiercest of opponents balk at the absurdity of it all.
—but Athanasius was already a step ahead. With lightning-fast reflexes, Athanasius deflected the blow and countered with a flurry of strikes.
Transhuman reflexes, a god-forged body. Such a constitution is fitting for the ancient gods of old.
Cid was impressed by Athanasius' adaptability, but he wasn't one to be caught off guard easily. He pushed back, their swords clashing in a shower of sparks as they exchanged blows.
Athanasius was equally surprised by Cid's skill, his orthodox (or unorthodox?) sword style was formidable in its own right.
The movement of the sword was both humane and inhumane. The ordinariness of it all produces a dread that disorients even the most experienced of swordsmen.
For a moment, it seemed like neither fighter could gain the upper hand, their swords meeting in a constant dance of steel. They both pushed themselves to their limits, putting their skills and experience on full display.
The stalemate can't be broken. One blocks, the other attacks. One exploits the openings, and the other counters by luring him to that opening. A counterattack was met by another counterattack.
As the battle continued, they both found themselves caught off guard by the immense skills of the other. Athanasius had never faced someone as proficient in orthodox swordsmanship as Cid, while Cid was equally impressed by Athanasius' adaptability and unpredictability.
"That body of yours is a bit unfair, don't you think?" Cid jovially asked Athanasius.
"Haha! Isn't that sword style of yours too unnatural? How did you even adopt that? The Dark Knights of the noble house of Kagenou don't have such skills. Even your sister, the Scion of your house, wasn't as good as you!" Athanasius happily replied.
"Well, let's just say I trained really, really, REALLY hard. After all, it is my burden…" Cid replied.
"…That makes sense. Well, brother, let's continue!" Athanasius nodded with understanding and started his maneuver.
'Huh? What makes sense? Are you still roleplaying? Never mind.' And both sides continued their sparring for the hundredth time.
Despite the intensity of the fight, they both remained calm and focused, each trying to outmaneuver the other. They knew that one wrong move could be their downfall, and they were both determined to come out on top.
Left, right, downward, sideward, counter, block, counterattack, deflect, adapt. All such movements that their bodies can do to accommodate victory were utilized.
Peak Martial Swordsmanship clashed with Transhuman Adaptability.
But as the dust settled and they lowered their swords, it became clear that neither fighter had emerged victorious. They both stood there, both adjusting their breaths and forms, their swords locked in a stalemate.
No victory was gained by either side.
"…I guess it's a draw again." Cid stated outright.
"Indeed, what's the record now?" Athanasius agreed.
"68-68-68," Cid stated rather jovially. "Though most of your wins were either tiring me out or breaking my blade through continuous striking in the same spot using that inhumane muscular strength of yours."
"…I won't deny that my body is gifted." Athanasius replied with a smile on his face.
"But the moment I use my magic, you don't know how to defend against it." Cid stated with smile apparent on his face.
"That's different!" Athanasius immediately rebuked him.
'Indeed, had I used my magic more sparingly, you would have found a way to adapt to it. Damn protagonist skill set!" Cid bitterly thought in his mind.
Indeed. The adaptability and intelligence displayed by Athanasius were absolutely insane for his age.
'Not to mention, his growth rate… Is his creator on a rush or something? No normal child should grow that fast.' Cid further thought his analysis of Athanasius.
But their conversation was soon cut off by the arrival of someone.
"…What are you doing little brother? Why are you panting so hard? Did you lose again?" A cold woman's voice pierced the warmth of the field.
Dark hair, cold gaze, and stoic beauty.
The dark-haired woman disrupted their conversation.
Scion of the Noble House of Kagenou.
"That expression on your face is rather pathetic, little brother." The sister of the dark-haired boy stated coldly and mercilessly.
Claire Kagenou.
Cid immediately adopted his usual pathetic posture while holding down his wounded knee with tears in his eyes.
"I-It hurts! Uhuhuhuhuhu….." Cid, as usual, adopted the mask of weakness. He started crying.
To protect those beside him.
Claire Kagenou sighed. "I can't really leave you alone…." She stared with such warmth and….love?
Then she moved her eyes to her left and glared at the bald young boy.
"And you, did you wound him while sparring?" The cold voice interrogated Athanasius.
"…No Young Lady, my below average sword skills wouldn't hurt a person even that hard." Athanasius, imitating the determination of his blood brother, adopted the same position of weakness.
"Then what caused the bleeding in his knee?" The Kagenou heiress stared coldly at him and demanded an answer.
"He tripped on a rock while adjusting his footwork in order to execute the Noble Kagenou sword style." Athanasius stoically stated.
"…Is that so… I accept it. Anyway, time to go back in the little manor, little brother." The Kagenou heiress relented and guided his little brother to stand up.
"Uhuhuhuhuu….Thank you, nee-chan!" Cid stated pathetically and cutely as he tried to stand up.
"Ahhhh! Can you say it again?" Claire Kagenou moaned.
'What in the Warp?' Athanasius thought ridiculously. He rubbed his eyes and cleared his transhuman ears.
'Did I hear that right? Maybe my creator frakked up in regards to my auditory senses?' Athanasius continued his incredulity at the situation.
"Hmmm? What is it nee-cha—
Cid was interrupted by Athanasius.
"Then I bid you a hearty farewell! Young Lord, Young Lady. Until tomorrow!" Athanasius stated loudly, glowing a bit, in order to convince both of them to cease the madness unfolding.
The Golden Light that is foreign to the corruption related to the empyrean shined brightly.
"…Indeed…..until tomorrow then, servant." The Kagenou heiress agreed, seemingly accepting of his words.
A voice that captures all its listeners.
Cid looked at Athanasius gratefully. Seemingly thanking him for reducing his burden of acting more pathetically.
'His voice is literally a protagonist propaganda box! Absolutely fantastic!'
Athanasius nodded in return.
'Anything to fight against the dark.' Athanasius thought in his head.
As he watched the young lords of Kagenou depart, he looked at the darkening clouds above.
Athanasius watched the slow setting of the sun.
Darkness will once again return.
And he goes back to his rest house on the outskirts of Kagenou Estate.
The place where everything began.
You may be wondering what happened? Well, here is how it began.
=][=
Three years earlier
After the sun rose and the darkness of the night was sundered…
'Wow, I did not expect that to work at all! I guess I gained a new friend." Cid thought with relief as he observed Athanasius slowly stopped glowing after a while.
"Brother…..I can call you that, right?" Athanasius asked with determination and comradeship apparent in his eyes.
Brotherhood not by blood but by soul.
'Awww… so cute. He probably just jumped on my story in order to have a friend. No sane being would believe such words. But anyway, I would not decline him. I need a friend too.' Cid thought with a warm smile on his face.
"Of course, Brother." Cid agreed with his request.
"…" Athanasius did not respond, but happiness can be seen in his face.
'But now, the important question is here.' Cid thought, a bit hesitantly.
"Ummm…. Do you have someplace to go?" Cid finally asked Athanasius.
"…No…. I don't have any home." Athanasius thought with lament.
It's natural to feel such sadness. After all, no human being alive doesn't yearn for a home and a roof above his head.
Cid sighed and made up his mind. He smiled at Athanasius in return.
"Then, I will ask my parents to give you some place in this estate." Cid said to Athanasius.
"R-really!? But…. won't your parents be suspicious?" Athanasius asked the unavoidable hypothetical.
"Indeed….I will just say that I found you lying on the outskirts of our estate, close to dying after being chased by renegade brigands. While your parents were killed because of the border conflict between Kingdoms." Cid stated his made-up story to Athanasius.
"…Indeed, that is certainly possible. Since this is the countryside of some kingdom or country by the looks of its surroundings and the usual rural area, border skirmishes are certainly possible. This land area is certainly familiar to the ancient country of a subcontinent in Terr—What?" Athanasius immediately stopped. He seemed disturbed by the information that freely flowed in his head.
Cid coughed once more.
"Ehem. So, continuing the story, I will say that I found you lying there pitiful, and I decided to take care of you. I will ask them to employ you as my personal sparring partn—I mean servant of the household." Cid after being disoriented, stated to him.
"…Thank you…" Athanasius said with gratitude in his heart.
Cid smiled with sincerity and said, "Do not celebrate yet, brother; we still have my parents. Well, my mother at least. My father seems useless."
After their agreement with each other's statement and considering hypotheticals, the two boys began to walk.
As the sun began to rise over the green, lush fields, two young boys set out on a journey to the manor. They ran through the fields, their feet pounding against the soft earth, their laughter filling the air like the song of a bird.
=][=
Baron Kagenou is trying. No, scratch that.
He is really trying to be a family man.
He genuinely loved his children. No, seriously, he loved them so much that he would give the world to them if they only asked. That is why—
"You useless bald fuck! Where did my lovely son go!? It's almost sunrise, and he is not here! Why don't you move, huh!?" His wife, as usual, fired of insulting diatribes to him.
"…" His lovely daughter, Claire Kagenou, simply stared at him with disappointment.
"Look, I already sent the servants to look for him! Hey hey, do not be angry, Cid is smarter than he looks! He is our son after all." Baron Kagenou tried to reassure his wife and daughter as he got his handkerchief to wipe away the sweat on his shiny forehead.
"Hah! That's all you ever did! Whenever something is lost, you ask the servant to find it. Whenever something goes down and you can't accommodate it, you ask someone to do it. You never acted on your own at all. Do you have any spine?" His wife asked him with mockery in her voice.
"Look, I'm trying my best as the father of this fami—" He was immediately cut off by the Kagenou Matriarch.
"You try nothing! Why did I even marry you in the first place?" The Kagenou Matriarch asked with venom in her voice.
Those words that pierce the heart.
Baron Kagenou simply stared at his wife as she continued her rant. But at the core of it all, he already knew those things to be true,
Coward.
Useless.
Impotent.
Negligent.
Hypocrite.
He already knew that these descriptions of him had some truth. He was not that much of an imbecile to know that some of these words describing him have some sliver of veracity.
'"The Scholar Scion of Kagenou," huh…' Baron Kagenou thought of the title that was imbued to him by his peers when he was young. An idealistic intellectual that seeks to search for the virtues of man. A philosopher that contemplates the nature of fighting, of good and evil. A man that held the respect of many Dark Knights due to his outlook both in life, in death, and in struggle.
As his wife continued her rant and his daughter glared at him, Baron Kagenou contemplated his life almost decades ago.
'A scholar of the dark knights reduced to this, huh? When did it happen?…When did I became such…a disappointment?' Baron Kagenou thought with both melancholy and bitterness.
'Did it happen when I stopped learning because of my fear of the dark? Did it happen when I learned to put down my quill and blade for the comfort of the office? Did it happen when I received the inheritance from my father? Or maybe because of my genuine love for a woman?' Baron Kagenou fell into deep introspection laced with bitterness. But even he was surprised at the last part of what he said.
'Love for my wife? Impossible. My love for her even pushed me to pursue my studies and philosophy. To keep holding the blade in the midst of despair. To ink my thoughts with purity.' Baron Kagenou once again affirmed his love for his family.
'Maybe it happened during that day… When I ceased seeing that golden light that paved my glorious life. I was so deep in the darkness and drunk with arrogance that I lost sight of what is manly and virtuous.' Baron Kagenou finally concluded the reason.
For even the brightest of minds shall go dim once rusted with sin.
'I stopped looking up to the heroes and turned my sight to the ledgers and records of gold.' The bald baron continued in his mind.
'To what is manly, virtuous, righteous, compassionate, and strong…. I replaced it all with gold in thinking that it is pragmatic and reasonable.' The Kagenou patriarch thought with such mirth.
'I have lost faith to that golden light. I put my belief to cold rationality. I replaced that golden light with the cowardly heathen goddesses called "pragmatism" and "reason".' He reflected in his mind. The conclusion of his thoughts is now close.
'Indeed, it is probably that. I lost faith in the human soul and the golden light, the Divine Tradition.' He added his thoughts.
'Succumbing to "pragmatism", "rationality" and "reality" degenerated me into a cowardly little man, not fit to be a father. I became afraid to take risks and have faith. The purity of my faith was besmirched.' The baron of the household finally concluded.
'I started to doubt. And in turn, I became hesitant and afraid.'
For cowardice is the greatest impetus for the degeneration of the soul.
…..
"Hey! Did you hear what I said!? You—" His wife continued her barrage of wrathful insults. But was cut off by her husband.
"I will find him. I promise." The bald baron said with cold finality.
He turned on his heels and went to the main hall of the manor, ready to depart.
"Yeah? And just how will you do that? Will you order someone else aga— hey! Get back here!" His wife shouted at him.
He did not stop. He kept walking, unwounded by the world.
He fixed the creases in his clothes and brought his cane with him. He was about to depart to look for his precious son until—
"Mother! Father! I have returned!" A child's voice echoed at the entrance of the manor.
=][=
He ran to the entrance.
His son is safe. That is more than enough.
Soon he met his precious son, with another…bald child beside him. That surprised him greatly.
But he ignored the other child, focusing first on his son, Cid.
"By the golden light! Where did you go? Do you know how dangerous it is during the night!?" The baron of the household angrily said.
"I-I'm sorry! But I practiced the sword that night! And, also, I did not get outside the borders of our estate!" Cid pitifully reasoned out, with tears in his eyes.
"Practice the sword? during the darkness of the night?" The patriarch of the household asked with incredulity.
"I-I-I realized that with my current situation, I am not fit to belong to the Kagenou household. Th-that is why….Uhuhu…" Cid said and almost began to cry.
"Hah…. Nevermind. What is good is that you are safe and sound." The old baron smiled and patted his head.
"Cid! Where did you go!?" The voice of his wife roared through the manor, laced with concern.
"Mother I—oof!" Before he could finish his statement, something crashed against his body, toppling his constitution to the ground.
Cid looked down at the one who crashed on him.
"….you foolish brother…" A dark-haired woman is hugging his body.
"…nee-chan…" Cid murmured under her breath.
Claire Kagenou looked up at her brother. Her beautiful cheeks were stained with tears. Her eyes contain an enormous amount of concern.
She pouted at him.
"Making me care about you….how dare you…." Claire's eyes became blank.
It actually made the boy beside Cid alarmed in concern. 'How do one's eyes go that blank?' he thought to himself.
"Ehehehehe…sorry for making you worried, nee-chan." Cid scratched his head apologetically.
"…Idiot…" Claire Kagenou replied, not letting her grip on her brother loosen even once.
As lovely as the scene was, something was forgotten.
"And you? What is your business here?" Claire asked the other boy beside her little brother.
The lord and lady of the Kagenou household soon noticed the other bald boy beside their son.
"Ummm… My name is Athanasius Aurus and I—" Athanasius didn't finish his sentence as Cid spoke on his behalf.
"Ah yes! Mother, Father, Sister, let me introduce you to Athanasius Aurus! I found him on the field of our estate unconscious while practicing."
Baron Kagenou looked at the child with interest. After all, no child has the right to be that bald.
"He ran at the border of our estate while being chased by renegade brigands. He collapsed in the field outside of our manor due to exhaustion from outrunning and hiding from the brigands." Cid stated to his family.
"And where is his family?" Baron Kagenou asked.
"…..My family was killed in the border skirmishes. Our village was overrun by mercenaries. So before that happened, the village chief told us to run away. I do not know what happened to the village chief. I can only hope that he is safe…." Athanasius proclaimed with a teary voice.
Cid almost balked at Athanasius and his gift for acting.
"….You have my condolences." Baron Kagenou replied. He knew that the story of the child had some authenticity. After all, the noble house of Kagenou was placed on the country side of Midgar Kingdom. Border skirmishes and ruthless brigands are not an uncommon sight.
"…So what is your plan then?" The matriarch of the household asked coldly. She is not in a good mood. Especially since the bald kid reminds her too much of her ingrate husband.
Cid spoke on behalf of Athanasius.
"…That is the reason I brought him here. Mother, Father….can you employ him as my personal servant?" Cid Kagenou pleaded to his parents.
"…" the Kagenou household became silent at his words.
Claire Kagenou glared at the bald child. More than reminding her of her useless father, he dared to steal her brother's attention!
Unforgivable.
"U-umm, Cid-chan, don't we have enough servants already? Are you dissatisfied with them?" The matriarch of the household seems not to be that taken with the idea of taking the bald child to the household.
"B-but he has nowhere to go! And besides, he is my friend! The only friend that I have at the moment!" Cid cries out to his family.
Baron Kagenou understands…with great regret in his heart.
Cid, compared to the gifted scion of the household, Claire, is rather mediocre and below average in regards to swordsmanship and magic utilization. That is why, despite his age, no one wants to get close to him.
After all, he is just a spare. A mediocre son of a noble.
Claire Kagenou also understands. But she can't seem to accept it. Why does he need any friends? She should be enough for him.
Her eyes are blank.
'You don't need any friends or anything like that. I'm the only one you need…" Claire thought darkly.
Athanasius shuddered. His god-forged instincts detected something dark and sinister, 'What in the warp was that?'.
Shaking his head to get the thought out, he started to make his case.
"I am eternally grateful to Cid. I will promise that if you accept me as your servant in this household, I will do my best so that no harm may come to him." Athanasius once again, unconsciously glowed gold.
The voice was reinforced with a natural, ethereal mystique. The purpose is neither to coerce nor to brainwash, but to convince with permission.
The golden light that resonates within the very soul of every being.
"…" Claire mellowed out a bit. Thinking of Cid's social life.
"But…" The mother seemed to hesitate, not wanting another person who reminded her too much of that imbecile husband of his in her household.
'Nice! The "Luminescence of Persuasion" is a terrifying skill to have.' Cid thought in his head. Making a name for that specific skill.
Somewhere in the universe, just inside the Sol System, at the cradle of Humanity, the Human Afterlife-made-flesh cringed hard. Like someone just dared to give a horrendous name to one of his abilities.
But for Baron Kagenou it was different.
He was, for better or worse, absolutely stumped, and his jaw practically dropped.
The Golden Light that forged his youthful path as a scholar as well as a dark knight.
The Solar Light from the Gestalt itself.
The light that purifies the darkest corruption.
The inspiration that made him take up the quill and the sword.
Those golden rays that gave him the courage to face the enemy and the dark…
As Baron Kagenou closed his eyes, his mind seemed to replay to the past.
=][=
"Kagenou, I just want to say, I am impressed by your spiritual thesis on…but this is an upfront to the Divine Teachings of Lindwurm…"
"Kagenou, you must understand the way of the swords just as much as the way with the quill… That's how you will become a proper philosopher."
"The Scholar Scion…sharp in blade as he is in mind."
"Give up Kagenou! You are already beaten enough! Why don't you just stick back to your writi—ugh!"
"The "Divine Tradition"? By Beatrix, what the hell is this madness, Kagenou? I thought you were better than this? If those stuck ups from Lindwurm knew about this, do you know what would happen?"
"I-I-I j-just want to say, I-I lo-lo… I Love you! I want to spend the rest of my life with you..."
=][=
The visions from his youth, both sweet and bitter, appeared.
The golden light that shone from the child cleansed away all his bitterness.
The Golden Light that he once forgot.
The Light that anchored him to the Divine Tradition, the Human Gestalt.
The Light that made him fought against the cruelty of the world, unflinching and stoic.
For he was once lost, but now was found.
That even though he walks through the valley of the shadow of death, he shall have no fear.
Baron Kagenou now opened his eyes. He looked at the child with the intensity that he once showed in his youth.
"I will take you in." He simply stated to his son and the bald child.
"Yes!" Cid roared in happiness.
"Wh-what? Do you know what you are doi-!" His wife would rant at him again, but this time, she was cut off.
"Yes. I am the Patriarch of this family. Let me act like it, please." Baron Kagenou looked at his wife with such intensity and determination.
"…" The matriarch stopped talking. She looked into his eyes. And she remembered something.
"What I like about you is your eyes. Even though you are not handsome and pfft… bald, the fire in your eyes always enlivens me. That is why, please… don't lose that fire."
"Dear….." The matriarch, for once, decided to call him something different.
The Lord of the household looked away from his wife.
He looked at the golden child in front of him.
"…What is your name again, child." He asked with such intensity that it would put off any child the same age as the one he was talking to.
But the golden child is not a normal child.
"Athanasius Aurus, my Lord." Athanasius replied.
"Then, Athanasius Aurus, welcome to my household." The baron of the household welcomed him.
The Scholar Scion returned once more.
=][=
And now the third chapter is finished! Also, Baron Kagenou will be the alt-Kor Phaeron to this alt-Lorgar.