The Story of Hero Among Heroes ~The Founding Chronicles of Arestia Chapter 44

Weekly Chapter (1/2)

A bit late, but enjoy your new chapter~

Translator: Raizu
Editor: s.h.i.+rayuki

Chapter 44 – Julius Schwarzer

While I stood near the mansion gate….I saw someone coming from the mansion's direction.
It was Burton, the mansion head butler. He told me:

[Julius-sama. Sersama wishes for you to return back inside.]

[……I want to wait for my elder brother here.]

[Sersama said that Ares-sama probably won't return today.]

Mother's intuition is very sharp. It's probably true.
I put my hand over my right eye.
I turned around to see Alberto having a troubled look on his face. He also nodded to me.

What's with that? Elder brother is coming back at last. We should at least put a welcoming party. Regardless if it's just me alone…

[Julius-sama. Ares-sama isn't someone who enjoys being welcomed like this. As lord mother said, please return to the mansion for now.]

That's true. Elder brother hates big receptions.

[…..I know that as well. I'll do as told. Burton, thank you for taking your time to come here.]

Burton didn't say anything in response to my thanks.

Then I went back to the mansion in haste. Behind me, Burton and Alberto looked at each other unconsciously….then followed suit with a wry smile.

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I was born as the second son of Archduke Schwarzer.

Everyone would feel blessed if a son was born. But… I was not a normal child to begin with.

There were 2 reasons.

Firstly, I was born as a bad omen. The day I was born was when the sun went missing. Such a day only happened once every decades. Since a child born on that particular day will be heralded as a demon's harbinger, people tend to hide their birthday.
As for me, unfortunately I was born during that exact timing.

Next is my eyes. My left eye is my mother's blue eyes. But the right one….is crimson colored. Odd eyes.

In the Holy Arcadia Empire, it's said that a person with odd eyes will bring ruin to the royal family. Therefore, they shouldn't be allowed to be brought up. A long time ago, a fortune teller told the emperor of generations ago as such.

However I'm a child to a great clan. If this fact was made known, the clan will receive a huge backlash.

Esteemed Father was quite troubled by this. So, for me….he decided to keep everything shut so that no one will find out about me.

To that end, I was confined in a monastery secluded in mountain range to hide from the royal family's eyes, spending my eight years there. Those who knows about me….were father and mother. There was also Alberto, the great general serving the Archduke and his colleague Rouen.

Alberto was like a subst.i.tute father for me.
No one would dare to declare that they don't know who Alberto is. A master of twin swords and a great general that make up the Schwarzer Twin General alongside his friend Rouen, who was currently guarding the northern fortress.
From Alberto, I learned how to wield swords and received letters from Esteemed Father and Mother.

The role of my mother was taken by a housemaid named Aly. She was an elderly woman who lost her family to war.
Sometime, I received cold looks from the folks and even bullied…..but Aly would always protect me. Sometimes like a mother, sometimes like a grandmother…..she's an important figure to me. She's the reason why I was able to hold on living in hiding for years.

I will spend my whole life here. I knew it already despite my young age. And so, I gave up.

But then…a great change happened to my life. And that was…a chance meeting with my elder brother.

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It was when I was reading a book that Alberto had brought for me in my room as usual.
The sun was about to sink, wrapping the place in darkness.

[Can I meet him? My only brother?]

I heard a voice outside.

[He has received a pardon from the royal family as stated in this doc.u.ment. Make way.]

I heard Alberto's and an unfamiliar young man's voice from outside. Apparently someone had come to see me.
Who would that be visiting at such time?
While I was pondering about that, the door to my room was opened.

And beyond that door, there stood Alberto and a young man…..with black hair just like that of esteemed father's, and a pair of black eyes.
He looked at me with gentle expression on his face.

I asked Alberto about this person.

[Ah… Alberto, this person is….?]

[Ah, sorry. It's nice to meet you….right?]

That said, he showed me a kind smile.

[My name is Ares….your….brother.]

Yes, I didn't even know that I have a brother. Neither father or mother…and neither Alberto ever told me about this.

He seemed to have learned about me only recently as well.

That day, I talked with my elder brother until late at night.

When I was born, my brother was bedridden with fever so he didn't know of my existence. After recovering, he went to the Imperial capital, so n.o.body told him of me being here. He told me about many things that happened after that.

[Julius…do you want to see the outside world?]

My elder brother asked out of the blue.

[Of course. I… I want to be free. This kind of life….I hate it.]

That's right….I hate it.

[But…..I can't afford to…my presence….will only bring misfortune to esteemed father and mother. Therefore, I'm fine with staying here.]

My elder brother stared at me as I replied.

And then…

Ah, right. He said he knew and proceed to ruffle my hair.

[Everything will surely be fine. Just be patient for a little bit more.]

As he said so, he laughed….that one scene I would never forget for the rest of my life.

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The next time elder brother visited, he informed me that I was free.
I heard that elder brother did something back at the capital…but I never knew about the details. What kind of sorcery did he use…..? This is really strange.

Of course there were some restrictions. One of them was to put on an eyepatch over my right eye. It's something trivial if compared to what I've been through while living in the confinement.

And with that, I was allowed to return to Schwarzer territory, reuniting with esteemed father and mother. Afterward, I was sent to live in the capital alongside dear mother. Alberto and Aly were also with me of course.

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My brother once said.

[n.o.body deserves to be bound. Everyone has the right to be happy. Should you let superst.i.tion such as fortune telling ruin your life?]

And.

[Julius. Do what you want to do. Your life is yours alone. If that's considered abnormal, then there must be something wrong with the environment. One was born because they have something to do in their life. It's our mission to carry it out.]

My elder brother's words that day were deeply carved inside my heart. That day, I gained my wings of freedom. That's right, all thanks to my elder brother.

And then about what he told me

[What I want to do.]

That would be to help his cause.

Elder brother is a strange person. He always led upfront, acting for someone else….and surely he had given wings of freedom to many others, just like he did to me.

However.

There will be difficulties along his road.

I wish to smoothen his path. That….is now

[What I want to do.]

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Julius Schwarzer

The proud war general of Arestia Dominion who was widely known to many as [War G.o.d] as well as the [One-eyed Dragon] and feared by equally many.
The odd-eyes will bring ruin to Arcadia Empire…it wasn't clear whether that superst.i.tion was correct or not. But after a decade, as if it's a twist of fate, he would lead his army to face the Arcadia Empire.