Chapter 114: The Child's Memory
- Reira ☾⋆⁺₊✧ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁
- Dec 1, 2025
- 8 min read
Updated: Dec 3, 2025
“She gave you your name?”
“Mum said I had to keep it a secret until I became an adult, but I know it’s okay to tell you. You’re on my side, after all.”
The small hand tensed.
Cabelenus, in turn, tightened his hold on Michael.
“…I think I’m starting to understand why your name is like that now.”
“What’s wrong with my name?”
Michael tilted his head, but no answer came.
Cabelenus only stared at the signature in the book.
“Mister? So what’s the matter with my name?”
“It’s a special name.”
“Special? What about it?”
“Give me your hand.”
Once again, he got a different answer than he wanted.
But instead of talking back, Michael obediently held out his hand.
Cabelenus slowly wrote letters on Michael’s palm.
“This is how your name is spelled, right?”
“That’s right. How did you know?”
"I had a feeling it would be like that."
"Ugh, what’s that supposed to mean?"
In the Blanche Empire, where warriors had been venerated for generations, it was common to take surnames from the names of heroes, especially the first hero, Sepnus, who became the origin of many family names.
Even the surname ‘Nus’ was common throughout the empire.
But before Sepnus became the first hero, he was the first emperor of the empire.
The imperial family wanted to use Sepnus’s name while also keeping their own uniqueness.
That was why the letters in the names of the imperial family were different from the standard imperial language
Cabelenus touched his forehead, his thoughts growing more tangled.
“…I’ve received far more than I expected.”
“What did you receive?”
“The things most precious to me.”
Cabelenus’s gaze landed on Michael, and then on Alicia.
It was a situation similar to before, but not exactly the same.
“…She said she would watch over me until the very end.”
He knew there was no way to repay the dead.
Death was the end, and the vow to look down from Schwarhan’s highest peak meant nothing now.
But he thought it would be nice if, just once, that vow could come true.
Because he would never lose it again.
This time, he would show that he could protect it perfectly.
Just as the one who had already departed had wished.
“...”
That was the moment Alicia’s eyelids trembled.
“Alicia!”
Cabelenus, sensing Alicia’s change as if by some sixth sense, reflexively leaned over the bed.
The bed shook violently for a moment under the brutish man’s hand.
Alicia’s eyes snapped wide open at the sudden jolt she felt upon waking, staring up at two pairs of differently coloured eyes.
“Mum!”
“Are you alright? Does anything hurt? Should I call a physician?”
“...”
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Don’t tell me — are you very sick?”
Before Alicia could say anything, Cabelenus placed his hand on her forehead.
Alicia was about to speak to the man whose hand was trembling, but exhaled onto the small body pressed tightly against her chest.
“...Were you very worried about Mum?”
“Muuum, hngh, waaaah…!”
“Mum is sorry.”
Alicia hugged Michael, soothing him, and smiled at Cabelenus.
The man hadn’t cried, but his eyes were tinged red.
・・・・・
“You’re saying the monsters are surrounding the castle walls?”
“That’s right. You succeeded.”
With a faint smile, Cabelenus tidied the strands of Alicia’s hair that had fallen down.
Only then did Alicia let out a sigh of relief and cover her face with both hands.
“Truly, it’s a relief. Although I did meet the monsters in my dream, that was just a dream. I was worried that when I woke up, it would be like nothing had happened.”
“Nothing like that happened.”
“Thank goodness.”
Alicia nodded and got to her feet.
Cabelenus quickly supported Alicia’s waist and held her by the shoulders, steadying her.
“Don’t overexert yourself. You haven’t been awake for long.”
“You said the monsters are surrounding the castle walls. We can’t just leave it like this. Everyone will be worried.”
"I’ve never raised soldiers who cower at mere monsters."
“There are also things we still need to discuss with the monsters.”
“...”
“I won’t overexert myself.”
Nothing could stand against those steadfast, shining eyes.
Cabelenus eventually exhaled a deep breath and nodded.
“...I understand. Instead, I’ll carry you myself.”
“Mum, I want to go too!”
Just as Cabelenus was about to take off his coat, Michael suddenly shouted.
“Michael stays right here.”
“Nooo!”
The perceptive child quickly wrapped his arms around his mother’s waist.
“I’ll be back soon, so stay here.”
“But Mister’s going, though.”
“You and I are different.”
Cabelenus firmly cut him off, took off his coat, and draped it over Alicia’s shoulders.
Due to the difference in their builds, the man’s coat easily enveloped the woman’s small frame.
“I’m not going to leave Mum’s side anymore.”
“Michael.”
At Cabelenus’s voice, Michael instinctively shrank back.
But even then, the child’s arms clinging to Alicia showed no sign of letting go.
Alicia slightly raised her hand to stop Cabelenus, then stroked Michael’s head.
“Can’t you do this for Mum?”
“...”
“If you behave, I’ll give you a tasty cookie.”
“I don’t want cookies anymore.”
“Even if Mum baked them herself?”
“I like Mum more than cookies!”
Michael stubbornly opened his eyes wide.
“Michael. Mum’s okay now.”
“Liar! Mum, you always just tell me you’re okay!”
“Michael…”
“I’ll protect you from now on! I’ll stay by your side so you won’t collapse! I’ll protect you, Mum!”
Michael shouted with all his strength, but in fact, the child’s eyes were trembling.
Alicia didn’t know what to say and simply looked at Michael.
Before she knew it, tears were streaming down the child’s cheeks.
“You don’t have to go out of your way to protect Mum.”
“Why? Because I’m weak? Or because I….”
Tears welled up in Michael’s eyes.
He thought he was fine, but he wasn’t.
The moment he saw his mother collapse, her face drained of colour, the first thing that came to his mind was those words.
“Never forget. Your mum’s unhappiness is all because of you.”
Those words laced with malice still remained in the child’s memory.
“It’s just because you’re young. There’s no other reason.”
Cabelenus’s hand came to rest over the back of Alicia’s hand.
Michael swallowed hard at the weight of both their hands on his head.
It wasn’t only the malicious words that stayed in memory.
“I told you this before. It’s my job to protect.”
“...”
“A child should behave like a child. That suits you well.”
“I’m not a child.”
“Throwing a tantrum because you don’t want to be separated from your mum is what children do.”
“...”
Cabelenus’s thumb lightly tapped Michael’s forehead.
Michael glared at Cabelenus with his cheeks puffed up, but no words came out.
In the end, Michael pouted and buried himself in Alicia’s arms.
“I… won’t follow you. But you have to come back quickly, okay?”
“Okay. I’ll be back soon.”
Alicia’s hand brushed across Michael’s wet face.
No matter how much he tried to act grown-up, his chubby cheeks with baby fat were still those of a child.
・・・・・
“Be careful.”
“I’m okay.”
“It’s because I’m not okay.”
Cabelenus spoke firmly and adjusted the coat.
Alicia tried to stop Cabelenus, but gave up and just laughed.
Despite the tightly wrapped coat that seemed to block even a hint of wind, the man’s gaze kept roaming, searching for any gaps he hadn’t yet found.
“If it gets too hard, say so immediately.”
“Okay.”
“If the monsters make any unreasonable demands, refuse them immediately.”
“Okay.”
“If something—”
Cabelenus paused for a moment.
The ear-splitting cries of the monsters could be heard.
"It’s okay. They’re not trying to threaten us. They’re doing that because they’re happy to see me."
“That’s what you call being happy to see you?”
“Yes. They’re saying they’re glad to see me.”
Even after Alicia’s answer, the crease between Cabelenus’s brows did not smooth out.
No matter how intently he listened, all he could hear was the rough howls of the rampaging monsters.
“You trust me, don’t you?”
“…If you put it that way, I have nothing to say.”
With a sigh, Cabelenus resumed walking.
Alicia, cradled in Cabelenus’s arms, gazed at the horde of monsters in the distance.
As they drew closer, the monsters’ voices grew louder.
[We have been waiting.]
[It is even more obvious up close.]
[Your vessel is badly cracked.]
[It is dangerous.]
“Wait…!”
As the distance suddenly closed, Alicia reflexively bit her lip.
Not only did the voices grow louder, but the sheer flood of countless voices all at once made her head spin.
“Are you okay?”
“I was just startled because I heard all the voices at once. I’m fine.”
As soon as Alicia let out a laboured breath, the voices of the monsters quieted down.
Alicia took a deep breath and looked at the monsters.
It seemed that even the monsters were taken aback by Alicia’s reaction.
“I know you don’t intend to harm me.”
[We will not harm you.]
[We cannot do that.]
[We are on your side.]
Her head throbbed again at the rambling words the monsters spat out.
Alicia hurriedly spoke before the monsters could make more noise.
"There are too many of you, so if you all talk at once, it’ll be too hard for me to understand.”
[Is it hard?]
[Humans are weak.]
[We must be careful.]
As if they understood Alicia’s meaning, the surroundings quickly became quiet.
Alicia finally managed to catch her breath and looked at the monsters.
Despite their grotesque appearances, their eyes were innocent and pure.
“As you all know, I’m not in good health. If it’s okay, could just one of you come forward and speak as your representative?”
[Just one?]
“Umm, so… just one? One?”
Alicia pulled her hand out of her coat and held up her index finger to indicate ‘1’.
She wasn’t sure if the monsters could understand numbers, but she couldn’t think of any other way to explain it.
A monster tilted its head for a long moment, then nodded.
[I understand. One. I will do it.]
A single monster from the horde stepped forward.
It was a monster with an unusually large body compared to the other creatures.
“And I want the others, except you, to step aside.”
[Do you dislike us?]
“It’s not that I dislike you; it’s because of the other people. If huge creatures like you surround the castle walls, it becomes threatening.”
[I understand that too.]
As the monster nodded, the other monsters stepped back from the walls.
Their movements were so orderly that they brought to mind a well-trained army.
“They’re excessively obedient.”
“They don’t mean any harm.”
Alicia gave a small smile and lightly tugged at Cabelenus’s sleeve.
Although Cabelenus clearly showed his displeasure, he set Alicia down on the ground without protest.
Alicia approached the monster at a pace that was neither fast nor slow.
Every time she walked, the ill-fitting coat dragged along, creating a trail in the snow.
“This is the first time meeting like this.”
The monster, which had stood still until Alicia came closer, slowly nodded.
Even at that moment, the monster couldn’t take its eyes off Alicia.
“I felt it even in my dreams, but you’re really huge.”
[Is that why you dislike it?]
“I don’t dislike it, except that it’s hard to look up.”
[Then I will shrink. I do not want you to have a hard time.]
As soon as the words ended, the monster’s body gradually shrank.
And before long, the eye level she had once had to endlessly look up at became roughly even with hers.
Alicia blinked repeatedly, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
“Can you change your size at will?”
[Nothing is fixed. If you want it, it will be that way.]
"…Then, can you also change your appearance?"
[If it is your wish.]
“Then why have you stayed in that form until now?”
The main reason the monsters had been shunned by humans was their horrifying appearance.
Its grotesque appearance was threatening and naturally instilled fear.
If the monster’s appearance had been different, it might not have been the object of such aversion.
[It does not matter what form it is. It is not real anyway.]
“It’s not real?”
[We lost you. Therefore, we lost our true form.]
Alicia paused for a moment.
She had seen another form of the monster in the hidden room.
That was probably the true form the monster spoke of.
“Could you tell me more about that story?”
[It is not difficult. But there is a problem.]
“What kind of problem?”
[Your vessel.]
“...”
[It keeps breaking. At this rate, it will not last long. It will break soon.]
⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡ ⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆
If you notice any errors or broken links, please let me know, and I will get that fixed~ Additionally, if you would like to support me, I have a Ko-fi or Paypal.me ~ Thank you! 💖
Comments