Requiem Of A Failed Hero



After eighteen long hours, Raith's plane finally landed on King George Island. 

As usual, the workers on the island walked up to him and his crew with overall jackets imbued with cold-resistant items, supposed to help them endure the temperature to a certain degree. 

But no amount of that jacket could be as good as Raith's cold resistance. 

He sighed as he neglected them, the rest of his crew, however... Min Ho, Curtis, and Prince Andre. 

The last person was suggested by Curtis. Since his brother's death, Andre has been inactive in everything that has been going on. All he does is stay inside his tent, sleep, wake up, eat, and blame himself for his brother's friends. 

He had no friends, even back when Therut was alive, Andre's friends were the knights whom they fought together and of all of them, only one remained. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't get the little prince to come out of his tent. So he employed Curtis's help. 

A new home for them was a good excuse to bring him out. He didn't think it would work but when he mentioned to him they would be traveling with Raith. The young prince jacked up immediately. 

Raith didn't know him up close, from his time of living in the Pomeii empire, he had seen him a few times here and there. 

"Lord Raven! Lord Raven!!"

They were a hundred meters away from the airport when Maria appeared out of thin air and jumped on Raith. 

Which didn't catch Raith by surprise. Somehow the scenario had triggered in his sight before it happened in real. He hugged her and gently took her off him. 

'Did she grow?'

Compared to the last time he saw her, she was taller and even more busty. Was she getting big in all the right places now that her life force isn't being stolen by any dragon? 

"This is Maria. Maria, this is Curtis, my brother, and Andre." 

"Awww, Lord Raven's brother" 

She extended her hand and shook his hand vigorously. Turned to Andre...

"What a sad soul..." Her tone quaked with sorrow as she shook his hand. 

He knew what she meant but wondered how she could sense that his soul was sad. 

"I need your help Maria."

"Yes, Lord Raven!!" 

Her downed expression immediately switched up after hearing Raith. 

"I need a location that stands at the center of the entire continent." 

"Hmm..." 

Tilting her head left and right, she put her index finger on her lips and entered a deep moment of thought. 

"I guess I know a place." 

"Can you take me there?" 

"The cold is at its highest at that point, it would be very dangerous for humans." She said, looking at the two of them. 

Raith followed her eyes and looked back. 

"Can you guys wait for us here? There are strong monsters here so please be careful." 

Curtis nodded and assured Raith that they would be fine. Looking at them for the last time, he and Maria walked away, fading into the distance beyond them. 

A few minutes had passed, and Curtis and Andre were still standing where they were. Min Ho, of course, was left back at the airport. 

"So, I am surprised to see the two of you going alone after all that has happened." 

"My father was to be blamed for a lot that happened between us. Both I won't place the blame on him, the old man is dead anyways."

"It's quite a shock, how all the oldies of Therut decided to stay back and die with their beloved world."

"It indeed is, but they would have only been a burden, they made the right decision." 

Curtis's cold tone subtly penetrated the cold wind. 

"Hmph..."

Andre scoffed before making his next statement. 

"Makes me envious. I don't know if I would be able to ever forgive myself for my brother's death. If only I had been a bit stronger, I would have been able to protect him." 

Curtis was caught in a dilemma. The one thing he isn't good at is showing sympathy. 

"Sure... you would have. But you were not strong."

"You don't have to rub it on my face." 

"But you can be strong now, and protect a lot of people. Your subjects from Pomeii are here too. All those months you spent in your tent, were a shattered hope for them. Luckily they had a hero to turn to. Like it or not, you are their leader." 

He exhaled and added:

"It is time for you to stop sulking..." 

Andre watched Curtis's back as he walked away. He admired the words of the young man, more so, his back. Belatedly realizing that Curtis was walking away, he picked his steps and caught up with him. 

"Did your brother not say there are dangerous monsters here?" 

"Exactly why we are going." 

—

China. 

The airport hummed with anticipation as hunters from several parts of the world, and influential figures from around the globe arrived in a flurry of activity. 

Each delegation's plane touched down in a synchronized ballet of international diplomacy, and the airport became a microcosm of diverse cultures and dignified arrivals.

The Lufthansa aircraft taxied smoothly to a halt, and the German delegation, led by Kaiser, disembarked with characteristic precision. 

Impeccably dressed, the association hunters and officials walked with such elegance that reflected their country's reputation for efficiency. 

While the German representatives of hunters were led by just Kaiser. Americans were divided into two, one led by Turner, and another led by an unfamous hunter. 

He had black hair that flowed down to his shoulder, his eyes were dark and so was the lower part of his lips, almost looking like a grim reaper. He was dressed in a black suit with a black coat and a grey scarf around his neck. Taller and slender, he stood quite different from the rest of the association hunters who walked behind him. 

Delegations from different parts of the world began to arrive at the airport, Nigeria, France, Spain, the Vatican Union, Ireland, Finland, and England and many more graced the airport with their exuberant air. 

Mok Jae-Hwa and Balam stood, lost amidst the excellence these people exuded. They barely managed to get here by an economic class.