"What was that?" Aeloria whispered as she extended her arms to look at the child's face.
"Mama. No fear, Lira loves mama." The voice echoed in her head, however, Lira's lips did not move.
"That was you, Lira?" Aeloria asked in surprise.
The child laughed instead. The sound echoed in her head like a pleasant melody.
"Lira happy to talk to mama."
Still stunned, Aeloria walked to a nearby tree. She sat under the massive unfamiliar tree, resting her back against its massive trunk.
'Wow, the grass is so soft, and the tree welcomes my back with care.' She thought, cradling Lira in her arms.
"So, what did you want to tell me, Lira?" After coming to terms with the fact that a toothless baby was conversing with her, she asked.
The child looked at her with bright eyes and spoke.
"Lira happy mama alive. Mama happy, Lira happy. Mama sad, Lira sad. Lira die, mama no do. Lira die, papa no do. Lira die, uncle do." The child held her middle finger as Aeloria brought it closer to her face in an attempt to play. She tried shoving the finger in her mouth and bite. However, her gum rubbed uselessly against Aeloria's middle finger.
"What do you mean, Lira? Are you asking me to forgive Ramai? After what he did to us?" Aeloria asked, with tears down her face.
That was when it happened. Lira began to cry hard too, drawing the attention of the children and the women clad in white.
One woman rushed over.
"Madam, please do not cry, Lira is able to feel your pain. We want the children to be always happy and not to cry." The woman had a genuine concerned look on her face.
"I'm sorry. It wasn't on purpose." As soon as she stopped crying, Lira stopped crying too. The woman then gave a soft bow, turning to walk away.
"Aunt Laurina, mama is pretty." Lira looked at the woman who had turned to leave.
The woman looked at the bite marks on her arms, then at Aeloria and smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Regardless of the situation, a mother should choose death rather than to harm her child. Lira is a wonderful child, you do not deserve her.' The woman's voice echoed in Aeloria's head.
"I can see that Lira, there's absolutely no need for you to brag to me about it." The woman turned to continue her strides.
"Who is that?" Aeloria asked unconsciously.
"Aunt Laurina good, she play with Lira everyday."
After looking at her leave, Aeloria then asked. "What were you saying about Ramai?"
"Lira sad, mama and papa fighting. Lira want mama and papa hugging, together. Lira sad, if mama, hurt papa. Lira sad if mama and papa no hugging but okay. Lira cry if mama and papa no hugging but fighting."
'So you're saying it's fine if I don't want to make up with him, however I shouldn't take revenge. And who is this uncle you speak of, Lira?' Thoughts flooded Aeloria's mind.
"Lira hungry." On hearing this, Aeloria ripped opened her top with one arm in an attempt to breastfeed her baby one more time. Questions could wait, but this moment could not.
***
"Are you planning to sleep all day? It's baffling how eager you are to get on the commander's bad side on your very first day. Then again, only the cannibal would ever dare attempt such a feat." Yoru's voice echoed at the doorway as she watched Aeloria sleep soundly.
Aeloria stared gently in the bed as she opened one eye.
"It's morning already?" Aeloria muttered half yawning.
"I'm heading out first, you should hurry up, or you're really going to die." Aeloria stared at Yoru who was already dressed in her full armor.
'Are nobles always this strict about time to sleep and wake up?'
Aeloria brought herself to a sitting position as she watched Yoru leave.
'She... was crying?' The sight of tears on the face of the supposedly terrifying cannibal left a weird feeling in her chest as she left.
Aeloria stretched her arms over her head. A tear fell on her laps after yawning again.
Only after bringing her hand to her face did she finally realize that she had been crying in her sleep.
"Lira?" She muttered.
"It's not fair for you to tell me to let go of the past. How could I ever bring myself to forgive Ramai." She whispered.
"Lira Sad, mama, papa, fighting." The words echoed in her head as she breathed a heavy sigh.
'I suppose I should get going.'
***
The morning sun had barely cleared the walls when Orin passed through the main gate of Ohlm's training field.
He held the sealed scroll in one fist, his brows drawn together in a storm-cloud frown.
Every sentry and soldier dropped to their knees the instant they saw his face. No one wanted to be near the commander when that particular darkness settled over him.
Orin marched straight into the war room without sparing anyone a single glance.
Moments later the entire field went quiet again.
Heads turned toward the gate.
A new figure stepped through.
Aeloria.
She wore the black-and-jade gown she had found in the wardrobe after taking a bath.
Some soldiers stared with open disgust.
Others with reluctant respect. This was the same monster that went toe to toe with three seasoned warriors.
She walked between the parted ranks as though she owned the ground itself, her eyes scanning left and right, searching.
Then she found who she was looking for.
"Yoru!"
Her voice cut across the entire field like a war horn.
A young female soldier in the middle of spear practice snapped her head, lowered her weapon, and jogged over.
"You can't just call me over like we're the best of friends." Yoru scolded as she approached.
"Sorry, it was my first day and I didn't know what to do.
"Do you happen to know where commander—"
A sharp, familiar knock cracked across the back of Aeloria's skull before she could finish.
"Why did I have to arrive before you? Did you oversleep on your very first day?" Orin's voice thundered across the field, drawing eyes of nearby soldiers.
Aeloria spun, rubbing the fresh lump on her head. "I'm not late! You're just unusually early, that's all! And stop hitting my head—it hurts!"
"Don't talk back to your commander, you useless soldier." Orin barked.
He knocked her again for good measure.
"Look over there," one soldier whispered, shaking his head as he watched Aeloria get knocked twice.
"I know, right? She's literally the only person in Runevale with the nerve to talk back to the commander," his comrade replied.
"Did you just call me a soldier?" Aeloria asked, unsure she heard right.
"No, I called you a useless soldier." Orin corrected, drawing his brows together in a frown.
"But aren't I supposed to go through a procedure? Like train for months then gain your approval?" Aeloria had a confused look on her face as she asked.
"Things don't need to be that fancy. When I say you're a useless soldier, then you're a useless soldier. Get ready." Orin yelled.
"Ready? For what?" ' What is he talking about?'
A few soldiers nearby gulped. They were all too familiar with this scene.
"What else is there to get ready for, if not war?" Orin asked with a questioning expression.
"What? War? But... This is my first day." Aeloria now wished she never came here. Going to war with Zero battle experience was a death sentence to the enemy if the Tyrant was coming along with her.
"First day, last day, same difference." Orin then stepped forward, ignoring the displeased look on the cannibal's face.
"Look at her, it looks like she wants to eat the commander." A soldier said to his friend beside him.
"I mean, I would too. How can you go to war on your first day on field. Remember, she's only held a sword once." The other soldier replied.
"Five hundred to the left. Three hundred useless men and two hundred useless women, step forward at once, the rest dismissed." Orin's voice boomed.
The response was almost instantaneous. Five hundred soldiers immediately rushed to his left in numbers.
The first male to the left shouted the number 'One,' and the first female did the same and they followed in order. This way, it was easier to know how many soldier there was and how many more were needed.
"Get your horses ready, and get one for her too." Orin pointed in the direction of Aeloria.
"That's not fair. I'm going to war on my first day, and you're even going to make me ride a horse without teaching me first?" Aeloria muttered with watery eyes.
"Oh quit being a baby. It's not that difficult to ride. You just have to hold the reins and go hyaa." Orin muttered staring at the girl who had the expression of a lost child.