BXBX NOVEL Chapter 129 - War Is Coming
If there was something that Nikolai hated about nobility, it was their curiosity toward everything. Their lives were so safe and without hardships that anything interests them, and that was true arrogance, in his opinion.
"I am," Nikolai nodded in response to the question of young woman, under the eyes of what looked like a little brother.
"As I expected," the woman covered her mouth. Nikolai frowned because he felt being judged, but he didn\'t want the knights to attack him for disrespect.
"May I be honored by your esteemed identity?" he said with a salute and could see the knight beside the carriage frown.
"That is none of your business, traveler," the knight barked harshly, and Nikolai almost rolled his eyes.
\'Who was the one to block my path?\'
Knights were idiots, the same as their master. However, it seems this young woman was less of an idiot, and she waved her knight off with a frown.
"We were the ones to stop him. So it is only natural that we introduce ourselves."
"My lady, these are sensitive information. We promised your father that we would take care that no one knows of your arrival."
A voice came from within the carriage, and it worked to convince her against introducing herself. Nikolai frowned as this drama was the last thing that he wanted.
"I understand," the young woman looked saddened and nodded. "However, it is a long way toward the city. We should give him a ride, at least?"
And just like that, Nikolai was invited into the carriage with the rest of them. Of course, he wanted to refuse, but he didn\'t know if these nobles were easily offended or not. That\'s why he ended up taking up their offer and was seated across from the young woman.
The person who spoke to her earlier was a man in his thirties wearing a pair of silver glasses. His hair was curled at the ends, and it reached his shoulder. The hair\'s red shade made Nikolai remember a particular character from his past life, but he wasn\'t sure.
"Are you traveling across the Bestial Kingdom?" the young woman asked, and Nikolai turned back to her. If the man next to him was \'that\' person, then the one in front of him was the actual headache.
The young woman covered her head with what looked like a turban, making Nikolai unable to see her hair. She wore a pair of red earrings that made a stark contrast with her blue eyes.
\'She is indeed beautiful,\' Nikolai had to admit, even if he wasn\'t attracted to her. However, the way she looked at him made Nikolai uncomfortable.
"Yes, I am," Nikolai had no other choice but to play around. If he said he wasn\'t a traveler, it was the same as saying he had other reasons to be here.
"A human traveler in the Bestial Kingdom," the woman squinted her eyes. "This a first indeed. Aren\'t you afraid of the bestial people?"
"They are more afraid of us," Nikolai shrugged. "After all, we won the war seven years ago. They expect us to take revenge."
"No one won that war," the woman shook her head. "Both kingdoms lost countless resources and lives. There is no victory in war."
Nikolai stared silently at the woman, who seemed to have strong opinions about wars. Then, a single thought appeared in his head: is this person an idiot?
\'Who the hell wants war?\' Nikolai inwardly sneered. \'War is either out of greed or circumstances, but in either case, there is a victor and a loser. If you say that there was no victor, how would those who gave up their lives for the kingdom feel?\'
Nikolai was never in that position because the kingdom did nothing but harm him. However, he knew countless others who gave up their lives for their people to survive.
War will come banging on your door even if you try to hide. If everyone had a pacifist mindset like this woman, then the Rosia Kingdom would only bleed.
And bleeding it did.
"War is indeed a torturous experience for everyone, but it is inevitable," Nikolai shook his head. "If we refuse to acknowledge how necessary it is to prepare and sacrifice, then we will end up devoured."
Nikolai was surprised when he saw the woman attentively listening to him, and he could feel the glasses-man stare at him with interest.
"You look young, almost as young as I am," the young woman glanced at the man and turned back to Nikolai, changing the subject. "Why are you in the Bestial Kingdom?"
"I\'m training and hunting," Nikolai didn\'t lie.
"And how did you get here?"
"My father was a merchant, but he perished a while ago. However, I didn\'t want to inherit his trade, so I began training in the wilderness."
"I\'m sorry," the woman\'s eyes looked down, and Nikolai could feel her sadness. He nodded silently and could feel the man beside him turned to him.
When Nikolai turned to look at the man, he saw the latter grinning as if seeing through his lies. Nikolai didn\'t give anything and simply turned away.
"Tell me, traveler. If the Rosia Kingdom had a new ruler, would you want one who wages wars or one who avoids them?" the woman asked him, and Nikolai was almost sure about her identity now. However, he acted obliviously.
"I want a ruler who prepares as if the war is happening tomorrow but insightful enough to avoid it. It does not matter what the ruler thinks, but what is best for the kingdom. If the war is coming, what use does pacifist beliefs hold?"
"Do you think that war is coming?" the woman asked with her fist tightening. Nikolai was silent as he didn\'t know if he should tell the truth.
"I don\'t only think so. I know that war is coming. It will be a deadly one, and countless people will fall to its claws. Both Kingdoms will bleed until there is nothing else to bleed."
"How do you know that?" the woman bit her lip, and Nikolai wondered if he should stop talking.
"Because a new Bestial King will be born soon, and a new King of Roses will take the throne. This is the cycle of a hundred years, and it\'s a far cry from being broken."
His words made the carriage grow silent, as the words he said aren\'t known to many. However, Nikolai knew that the person in front of him needed to hear this.
At least, the war would be this devastating this way. That way, they might stand a chance against the invasions to follow. However, the woman didn\'t say anything and looked at her hands silently.
"You are fit to be a ruler more than many," the man beside him chuckled. "You have mastered the art of deceit and convincing. Yet here you are in god\'s forsaken land. Do you want to follow me and see the end of the war to come?"
"I just want to survive, sir," Nikolai shook his head. "And I wish that both kingdoms survive what is to come." He wasn\'t talking about the war but the countless monsters and armies. "I\'m the same as you," he turned toward the woman. "I wish the war never happens."
"And is there a way that it does not?" the woman asked, and Nikolai had to think of all the possible scenarios. There was indeed one that would make the two kingdoms unite.
"There is," Nikolai nodded, and hope lit up on the princess\'s face. "If there was a powerful enemy that endangered both kingdoms, then they will unite against it."
"Well said," the man beside him nodded with a smile and turned to Nikolai again. "I find it hard to believe that you are the son of a merchant," he said with a wide smile.
"My father was a war strategist in his Majesty\'s army," Nikolai answered without hesitation. "There are more than a few things that he wanted me to do, but being a soldier isn\'t one of them."
"A shame," the man smiled and leaned back. "Well, I appreciate the hard lesson you taught to my disciple. Maybe she will wake up from her daydream and accept reality."
"Master, I\'ll prove that my beliefs aren\'t a dream but a reality that can be achieved," she said firmly before turning to Nikolai. "Thank you for being honest about your opinions. I know that these are untrusting times, but you chose to trust me with them."
Nikolai simply nodded at her as they reached the border city. They weren\'t stopped on the way into the city because of the carriage they were boarding.
\'Well, this is fine too,\' Nikolai thought to himself as he realized that he could have never reached the city without being with these people. Furthermore, he received an unexpected harvest.
[You have changed fate. As a result, you obtained 20 Fate Points.]
[A new character has been registered.]
[A new character has been registered.]