A Tale of Strategies For the Throne

The sun is setting in the sky, and the sunset is like fire.

The glow enveloped the earth, covering the entire palace with a layer of fire.

Especially the exquisite wooden palace where Garlan is currently located, because the entire palace is carved from dark reddish-brown ebony wood, it brings out the fire color of the sunset even more.

In fact, Garlan also came here once when he was a child.

At that time, the arrogant and extravagant king searched for precious woods from all over the world, summoned skilled craftsmen, and spent countless wealth to build such an ingenious palace just for himself and his concubines to play.

Although later generations were dissatisfied with this king, they regarded this wooden palace as an extremely precious architectural art treasure and have been carefully maintaining it.

So even though more than a hundred years have passed, this palace is still intact and beautiful.

However, no matter how nice this place is, for Garlan, this place really feels awkward.

King Camos liked it very much and often brought him here to play.

Gallan, who was depressed about this, thought for a long time and told King Camos that the wooden palace was not as strong and durable as the stone palace and could be easily destroyed.

It would be a pity if such a wonderful palace was damaged. It should be used as little as possible and kept as a treasure.

King Camos doted on Garlan and felt that his younger brother must like this palace very much. He was afraid that it would be damaged, so he sent people to carefully protect it and rarely took Garlan there.

Garlan, who had avoided this place, breathed a sigh of relief.

At that time Heimos went to the Northland Army and did not know about this.

Now, he spent two days trying to find out from Garlan's attendants and maids which place in the palace he liked best, and finally learned that "His Majesty has liked it very much since he was a child." The wooden palace once dragged King Camos away to prevent him from going there because he was worried that it would be worn out due to excessive use.' This news.

Therefore, Heimos decisively chose this place for the decisive battle that was of great significance to him.

——Such a strange misunderstanding has resulted in the current tragic situation.

Garlan had no way of knowing this.

At this moment, he stood in the courtyard, expressionlessly looking at the wooden palace bathed in the fiery red sunset.

He was puzzled.

Why did Hermos always choose the place he most hated when he courted her?

Is this some special talent?

Does it have to be so accurate——

If he hadn't known that Heymos had no memory of previous lives, Garlan would have definitely suspected that the guy did this on purpose.

The boy who had been courted three times sighed.

Facing the upcoming fourth time, he said that he had no emotions in his heart and only felt tired.

Yes, I feel so tired.

Although he had the urge to turn around and leave, he thought about it and felt that there was no way Heimos would let him leave like that, so he had no choice but to walk over.

Stepping up the black and red ebony stairs, two huge wooden carved doors were right in front of him.

The entire door is carved with patterns of gods holding banquets with hollow craftsmanship, and some parts are covered with gold foil.

…

As evening approached, the fiery red sunset reflected the earth.

The rays of sunlight shone on the young man who was stumbling forward, making half of his blood-stained clothes even redder.

His messy short blond hair was scattered on his light brown cheeks, and the blood stains from his forehead slipped into the corners of his eyes.

Panting heavily, he forced himself forward, pressing his hand tightly on his right arm.

His right arm was hanging by his side, and the entire sleeve was soaked with blood. Even if he pressed hard on the wound with his left hand, the blood from the wound still seeped out from between his fingers and flowed down his arm like a spring. Come down, then, drip from your fingertips.

He trudged up the wooden steps, leaving drops of blood on the grass and steps he walked along.

The exquisite wooden carved door is right in front of you, and the images of the gods come to life.

The injured boy had no time to look.

He was dizzy for a moment and almost fell over. He grasped the carvings of the wooden door tightly with one hand and took several breaths before he recovered.

Then, he opened the door and stumbled in.

Then, the door was closed from the inside, blocking the sunset firelight from outside.

On top of the wooden door, where the young man had just grabbed hold - the long gilded hair of the Goddess of Winter, who was also the God of Hunting, was soaked in blood.

…………

Standing in front of this carved wooden door in his memory, Garlan couldn't help but cast his eyes on the Huntress' long gilded hair that fell to her bare feet.

He seemed to be able to vaguely see traces of blood on it.

He paused, then opened the door and walked in.

A crimson color came overwhelmingly.

Looking around, everything was red, like hot burning flames burning throughout the entire hall.

Tongues of fire spitting out from all directions, accompanied by memories suddenly pouring out of my mind, surged overwhelmingly at this moment——

…

………………

The boy was sitting on the wooden floor leaning against the carved column, and he was sleeping.

A deep sword wound penetrated his right arm, and blood flowed uncontrollably, soaking the floor where he was sitting in blood.

The massive blood loss made his consciousness blurred and his body gradually lost control.

Even if he knew that his current situation was very dangerous, he couldn't move.

Even if he could move, where could he escape to?

The entire palace has fallen under that person's control.

He was seriously injured and escaped here, but he was just hanging on.

……it hurts……

So sad……

The young man leaned against the column, his face horribly pale.

Opening his eyes slightly, he stared blankly ahead.

...Is he going to die now?

He has only been in this world for less than half a year, and he is going to die here?

The young man's pursed lips had no color at all at this moment.

...Want to go back...to his home...the place where he really grew up...

There, maybe the teachers are strict, classmates bully, exams are annoying... maybe there are many, many bad things...

However, he will not be alone like now.

...want to go back...

He hates this place and hates that person.

Why did he have to come here?

Why did he have to go through this painful thing?

Why did he have to be killed by that person for something he didn't want at all?

The young man huddled under the column, buried his face in his knees, and let out a small sob.

Coldness, fear, unwillingness, and anger all came to my head.

The loneliness of being alone in this strange world enveloped him.

In the main hall, the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the young man curled up and sobbing under the column.

I don't know how much time has passed, but the sunset shines through the wooden window like a stream of fire, making the entire hall seem to be on fire.

No……

Not like.

At some point, the thick smoke that shrouded the hall spread over and choked his nose and throat, causing the young man to cough painfully.

He raised his head, and his golden pupils shrank violently, reflecting red.

Countless fire snakes wrapped around the black and red columns and ran up the wooden beams, making a hissing sound.

The wind howled in the evening, causing waves of fire to spread rapidly.

In the sunset, the entire wooden palace was swallowed up by red flames.

The wood made a crackling sound as it burned, and the velvet tassels hanging from the eaves were burned into ashes, flying all over the sky in the fire.

The smoke in the sea of ​​​​fire became thicker and thicker.

The boy coughed violently.

Even if you cover your mouth and nose, you can't block the all-pervasive fine dust.

Countless dust seeped into his mouth and nose along with the air, making it gradually difficult for him to breathe.

The instinct of survival made him want to stand up and escape from the sea of ​​​​fire while holding the column, but his body, which had lost too much blood, no longer obeyed.

There were flames in every direction and there was no escape.

Heat waves came in waves, almost drying out the blood in his body.

The hot breath burned his skin to the point where it almost melted.

He opened his eyes, his pupils filled with fire.

His increasingly difficult breathing made his consciousness blur.

Bloody tears seeped out from the corners of his eyes.

Looking blankly at the flames surrounding him, the young man's face was filled with helplessness.

With a bang, the wooden door burning in the fire collapsed.

The moment the door collapsed, he saw the figure standing outside the sea of ​​fire through the gap formed in that moment.

The young man's pupils reflected the firelight in the sky, and the rich red in them seemed to have completely swallowed up the very shallow trace of gold.

The man looked at him.

The wave of air caused by the sea of ​​fire caused the man's dark hair to fly wildly. Even under the extremely bright firelight, his originally handsome face was gloomy, exuding deep hostility.

The man kept looking at him.

Staring straight, eyes motionless.

The dark mist surged and rolled under his eyes, blocking out all light.

At this moment when they looked at each other, the sea of ​​fire seemed to be still for a moment.

At the last second when he lost consciousness in the smoke, he saw the corners of the man's lips suddenly raised.

…………

……………………

The wind picked up, blowing up the fiery red roses scattered in the hall.

The rich fragrance of flowers awakened Garlan who was trapped in memory.

When he saw the fiery red covering the entire hall, the familiar scene made his memories of a certain life before his death surge out.

The memory was so strong that it almost swallowed his consciousness.

Because that was the death that was buried deep in his memory, the most profound and the one he least wanted to recall.

He came to Aaron Landis for the first time.

Coming to a strange world for the first time and unfamiliar with the place, he felt anxious and at a loss.

He doesn't know what to do, he doesn't know how to act, he is out of tune with this world and everyone here.

No matter how many people surround him, he still feels like he is alone.

Because he does not belong to this world.

Then, less than half a year later, it was all over.

He died alone in the flames.

Even now, he still clearly remembers the helplessness and pain he felt when he was surrounded by flames.

Also, at that time, Heimos finally showed him a cruel smile.

Looking back now, the rejection and fear of Heimos may have left an indelible mark on his heart at that moment.

…………

After waking up, Garlan saw clearly that the large swaths of red were not flames, but fiery red roses covering the entire hall.

The scent of roses filled the air.

Suddenly, a strong wind blew in from the open window, causing the fiery red petals to fly up, pass by Shaogarlan's side, and then fall down softly.

At first glance, it looks like a rain of rose petals has fallen in the hall.

In the main hall, footsteps suddenly came from behind.

The voice was very soft, but it was particularly obvious in the quiet hall.

Garlan turned around and saw the person coming.

Heimos stepped on the red petals and walked towards him.

Seeing the other party approaching him step by step, Garlan blinked.

Then, suddenly, he smiled at Heimos.

The smile was gentle, but the look in his eyes was profound.

The beautiful young man turned sideways and looked back at him, standing among countless delicate fiery red roses.

Like a white deer stepping lightly into the blooming flame flowers.

A few petals fell lightly from his side, and a few strands of flowing blond hair blown by the wind flew in the air, passing by the slightly raised pink lips.

A red flame-like petal softly passed over the white forehead, reflecting the bright red cinnabar pattern on the eyebrows under the golden forehead.

That smile made Heymos' heart skip a beat for a moment.

After stopping for a moment, it started beating crazily again.

It's like the heart of a young man who has just begun to fall in love.

It is so tense and uneasy, but it also has a special sweetness permeated in it.

——It makes people almost drown in it like this.

His beloved boy was right in front of him.

Garlan was smiling at him, and his smile was gentler than ever before.

He had never seen Garlan look at him with such tender eyes.

Heimos suddenly understood.

He thought that Gallan must have guessed what he wanted to say to him, so he encouraged him with such a gentle look that he had never seen before.

Because Garlan has actually been waiting for him to say those words for a long time.

Um.

That must be the case.

The Black Knight, who had no plans on the battlefield, came to the conclusion so firmly in his heart.

For a moment, he was still a little nervous, but his confidence suddenly increased.

Quickening his pace, Heimos walked to Garlan in a few steps.

Garlan looked up at him.

He saw the bright red pattern between the young man's eyebrows under his broken hair, just like when he first saw the grown-up Garlan, which made people's hearts flutter.

Heimos leaned forward, and his lips gently landed on the red lines on the other person's forehead.

He held Garlan's shoulders very lightly, as if he was holding a fragile treasure.

Garlan didn't say anything or move, he just stood there quietly, just looking at him with a pair of bright golden eyes.

Just like that, Heimos felt that his heart had become completely soft.

Suddenly, another gust of wind blew, lifting red petals and passing by the two people in the sea of ​​flowers.

It's now--

This is the best moment——

This is the decisive moment——

Taking advantage of the icing on the cake, Heimos spoke decisively.

He said:" ---- "

But he said nothing.

He didn't have time to say anything.

"I reject."

The young man who smiled softly, brightly and sunnyly at him spoke first and answered in a second.

Crisp and neat.

In one sentence, the confident Black Knight will be killed with one strike.

Heimos: "..."

etc.

This situation.

This result.

Something was wrong with what he imagined... No... it was very wrong!