I suffered with heavy injuries and had been resting for the last day. My hand was bruised but not completely out of control, it was shaking but gone numb and so I can't really feel much of the pain.
Anna looked so pale when she saw me carried by Sir Adrian and bathing myself with injuries. She looked stern, unable to accept my recklessness and she was going to report to father when Sir Adrian convinced her not to.
It seems, Sir Adian, has finally understood why I trust him not to say a word...
Anyways, Anna hasn't talked to me since that day and we ended up camping near [ Malgrave Forest ] and we are nearing the port. Luckily my injuries aren't severe enough for her to freak out this much.
"Are you still mad at me? " I asked sternly, at first, she only looked at me and didn't reply but changed her mind and gulped.
"Of course! You did such a reckless thing! What do we do if something bad happens to you!? "she yelled screaming at the top of her lungs in front of me and the knights.
"That... Will never happen... "
"But, if it happens? " I smiled and immediately hugged her.
"Not with you being here and won't stop whining about it, that will never happen, " I said in persuasion. I am confident in my ability and the [ last mercy ] I received before killing the demonic beast completely.
I am not sure what happened that time either, my guess is that I heard the calling from someone [ above ] like goddess or god of some sort, I know they exist but hearing them was unbelievable without a proof, I sweat when I have heard a voice and never did I imagine that my former Artificial Magic would follow me here...
Or so I thought...
Artificial Magic is just like how it is named after... It's artificial, since magic was rare in my former world, we use [ fake ] and artificial magic, to sustain ourselves with an ability by bypassing science in our own ways. However, we use mage as a sacrifice to ensure the success rate of Artificial Magic, and I was close to the successful projects that were able to manifest mana from mages.
It proves usefulness in battle... Between lots of us who use this piece, only I survive amongst those who manifested the [ Artificial Magic ] that now I bore, it seems that the [ Goddess ] in name was merciful to a butcher like myself and even helped me save myself from dying 'again'.
I am grateful for such honor but I was troubled by the nickname they had given me... [ Shinigami Of The East ] or even [ Gods Reaper ], I do not understand it, for I had never served the gods that the empire had been serving. Our leader taught us that believing is only a make-believe for some people.
We do not serve our own creator...
So having to say that those being shown mercy is unbelievable but rather understandable. Our creator is known (God and Goddess) of the elements like water, earth, wind and fire... The one that gives my former world a perfect place to live, that's how I recall the history about our creator, it was a tale so there is no other information about them.
We don't worship these beings, however, we show them respect and offer them flesh, we don't build temples for them, rather, we only pray to them... We may not worship or serve our creators but we respect them as mighty beings and offer something worth a year. Sometimes we do this, sometimes we don't, and having to say that we offer means [ we propose ] something rather than serving them in worship.
Shamans are proud beings yet they are vile humans, we respect yet we don't serve, that's how our leader had been very tight on our education to learn. We live in harmonious beliefs that we are honorable even though the Shaman is vile inside, they are warriors who only know how to fight, kill, slaughter and massacre.
I don't own special regiments to their actions so leaving that world was so easy... Besides, the shaman does not honor the body of a death reaper. I'll be stuck on the lake and become one with it. Basically, my body is but a bitter part of that lake, with my legacy on it.
It's the lake where I declare my acceptance of my death anyways and the birth of a new [ Shinigami ]...
--+-•-+--
The knights quietly surrounded me when Anna left, now they stare at me awkwardly and I can't help but to stare at one of them. They blindly gave me a chilling stare and it all started because I appeared to be stronger than them.
Yup... That's expected... I cross my arms and sigh...
"I guess the squad has something to say, " I said.
"Ah, yes, of course, " Eclise confronted me with a gloomy look.
"We just wonder, milady, are you perhaps being possessed by a great knight? " I raised my elbow and took a glance at them, one after another before I chuckled and smiled.
"You make funny jokes with those faces and it ends up being lame instead, neither so, the answer is not! " They didn't feel so convinced by my response and looking at Eclise, I can see the glimpse of confusion and disappointment in his look.
"However, milady had never liked to touch even a strand of the blade, why change now? " I got goosebumps from their questions, it's not like I'm afraid of getting caught but I am only being cautious that revealing them will only make it more awkward.
So, I remained silent and stared at the fire. "Milady, are you perhaps uncomfortable with the question? We sincerely apologize if that's the case, we just don't know how to respond to a female much like your age fighting a demonic beast that is more taller than the average of human height, " Eclise voice is turning pale and I am not assuming but his tune has gotten sad, did I perhaps did something wrong? Perhaps I made him uncomfortable by ignoring the question?
Yes, perhaps that's what happened...
"That... I've been thinking about... I had a dream about a woman, and the woman in my dream is an example of a [ brave soldier ] not a villain, but someone who only knows fighting... It's unbelievable in least I can say, but the time I've spent with her in my dream, I learned so much from a dead ghost like her, and perhaps that's the reason of my sudden changes, " there's no better reason than using the dream method than confirming them that I remember a past life, which is a very much crime against the law of reincarnation or afterlife.
I better keep it to myself about my reincarnation and my memories...
First of all, the woman existed and that woman is me, she died by the hand of her own savior because she more likely trusted her and put her life down. That woman (which is me) is a warrior who was cursed to a bloody nightmare which she'll never understand, just to hear the calling of dead people, and to enjoy plundering on the battlefield. I explained to them about her, from experience to her own faults, I told them that she inspired me to change.
I told them that she was considered a villain and told them about her childhood story which I keep referring to as (dreams) or (nightmares), they look interested though so I told them about her style of fighting and her feelings, even the shamans... Well, most about the shamans...
Just told them about this female warrior organization that the fighter is woman that this organization train female to fight, and there was no discrimination of opposite sex at my dreams.
It sounds unbelievable but they seem to trust my words anyways.
I even told them about Iris who killed her (me) and died in the lake, drowned by the water and saw herself as part of the lake. They asked questions but I responded with (I'm not sure) or (I don't know much of her world) and (I don't know) honestly it's the only logical explanation so they won't suspect anymore.
It's also better when thinking only to realize or reduce suspicions and questions. However, I'm sure others would believe it and others might have already understood that I have changed at the very least.
"Does the marquis know about this, milady? '' Dores asked beside Eclise, he has a trust issue but Dores can be trusted, I know for sure.
"He must not know of this ━ not until the rules has been changed, you must keep this a secret, do you understand? "
Women must not violate the rules, if not, I will be punished with severe conduct. This includes the decision of the court, and as a Female Knight, I am but a threat to many beliefs and will shake the court ladies in shock.
Unless discrimination is not being removed, my identity cannot be revealed even with father. He is a loyal dog, and he is the Head Knight who put the empire first than him or his family, he obeys and reports. That is my father...
"Don't worry, we may look untrustworthy--- "
"Shut up! "
Dores said but Eclise and Sain smacked him in the face.
"Don't make us a bad person in front of milady, " Eclise smiles, smacking and playing with Dores.
Sain also joined and the knights laughed.
"I wasn't saying so, just-- stop smacking me! " And so Dores exchanged punches with them, it's not that hard pouch, it's just smack.
I smile watching them playing even though they look so tired and injured. This knight is full of energy, what a bunch of soldiers in heart...
"Anyways, milady, don't worry, we will follow and keep milady's secret, you can trust us, " Dores said and they all nodded in acceptance of what he said before they all stood and bowed in front of me.
"Please take care of us! "
It's like declaring eternal loyalty to their master... Is this how it feels to have someone like them? Such a reliable and responsible bunch of wits, this kind of emotion is nothing I've ever felt before, so much that it flutters my bones.
I stood up and nodded. "Ay, take care of me as well..."