Sharp, elongated swords, sturdy axes, and elegant bows hung gracefully on the wall, accompanied by other polished weapons that glinted in the sunlight. Each piece seemed to shimmer, capturing the attention of passersby with their enchanting charm.
Though the shop bore the marks of age and dust, it still looked maintained,even with the cracks that marred its walls.
"Hey, kid! Is there something I can do to help?"
A man in a full-grain leather apron called out, stepping closer.
Khalid carefully placed the sword back in its rightful position, glancing up to meet the man's friendly gaze.
"Oh! This..."
He then pointed out the long sword with sharp edges.
The man in the extended apron, which reached past his abdomen to his knees, fell silent, deep in thought. After a moment, he rummaged through his inventory and revealed a selection of intriguing items to Khalid, each one brimming with potential.
"Hmm...If you're thinking of buying that one, then I recommend this to you."
He then gave a flat, long sword with ancient alphabet runes carved on the middle like a protective spell cast in it.
"I'll buy it."
Khalid hands over a few golden shillings as he walks out of the blacksmith shop.
"Milord! Where have you been?"
"You made us worried."
Reinhardt spoke as they entered the boutique shop that was located near the center of the town.
Reinhardt sat down from exhaustion while Erwin observed the shop as he felt the roughness and the smooth, silky texture of the fabrics.
Khalid sighed as he spared a glance at Erwin, who was busy admiring all the tailors made.
"Erwin!"
Khalid called out, trying to get his attention.
"You can have this."
He extended the sword toward Erwin, but the distance seemed to muffle his voice.
Erwin turned with a broad smile on his face, and called back to Khalid, clearly not hearing what he had said.
"Milord, it's been a while since we have shopped. Don't you still remember the first time you took me here?"
"Ha-ha it feels nice to be back!"
Khalid face turned blue as he struggle to respond.
"Milord! I think this set of clothes suits you!"
He was so happy that he pointed every pair of clothes he saw at Khalid.
"HOHO! Child, watch where you're walking. You might stumble!"
Reinhardt laughed amusedly while Khalid stood frozen in place, gripping the sword tightly unsure of how to react.
He bit his lower lip as he couldn't help but feel a wave of shame wash over him every time reality tried to slap him.
"Ha! Why the heck didn't I think about it sooner?...I must have been getting old."
He murmured to himself.
Khalid couldn't feel at ease as the pierces and the ineffable pain he felt in his chest became a burden. He couldn't stop but ask himself if their kindness was for him or for the real owner of the body.
"Milord?! Is something wrong?!"
They called out to him repeatedly, but Khalid remained unresponsive, lost in a storm of negative thoughts that threatened to consume him entirely.
"AHHH!"
Khalid snapped back to his senses when the chaos around him crashing in as he heard the cries of people fleeing the town, desperate to save their lives.
"Milord! Please listen!"
Reinhardt grasped Khalid's shoulders with both hands, urgently trying to regain his attention.
"We have to get out of here immediately! If not..."
He paused.
"I'm afraid we'll lose you again."
The two hurriedly run out of the boutique while Reinhardt carries Khalid with one hand.
'Ha! Are you that scared to lose your owner's body?! It's not like I wanted to be him anyway!'
Khalid absorbedly thought while Reinhardt tried to get them out of the scene.
When the demonic beast loudly squalled, it sent an enormous billow of dust and sand swirling through the small town of the Ammyrs Empire. Many people were struck and hurled away by the massive force of the demon, while they both shielded Khalid with their bodies, as he stood blankly behind them.
"Damn it! I can't believe the demonic beast of death has awakened so suddenly!"
Reinhardt exclaimed, frustration etched across his face.
"What are the imperial dogs doing in a situation like this?!"
Erwin added.
Both of them fumed at the scene, realizing that the imperial knights must have known this would happen and had already abandoned the town.
Reinhardt's eyes widened as he spotted a small boy left in the crowd, wailing while passel of people rushed past him, ignoring his cries.
"Erwin."
He called.
"Don't ever leave his Highness's side."
Reinhardt command as he dashed forward, determined to save the wailing little boy at the center of the town.
The beast loomed closer, its massive form casting a shadow over the scene. Just as Reinhardt prepared to take another step, a boy of the same height as him sprinted past like a bolt of lightning, leaving Reinhardt in shock, his face turning pale as his eyeballs shaken.
He glanced back and tries to think that he was just hallucinating, but regret washed over him as he made that decision because, as soon as he did... Erwin was already left fainted, while Khalid was nowhere to be found by his side. In that moment, he spotted Khalid standing in front of the child—exactly where he shouldn't be.
'NO!!!!'
Reinhardt shouted, reaching out, but Khalid was already too far away. It was as if no one could stop Khalid—or so called Lee Hyun from fulfilling his desire to be resting like a rotting corpse buried deep in the sand.
"Milord! Khalid!"
Reinhardt shouted at the top of his lungs, desperation fueling his voice, but Khalid didn't pause to consider his words.
"That wasn't my name! So you can stop calling me that!"
Khalid shouted, refusing to look back, no matter how many times Reinhardt called him.
'Kindness and good treatment?! F*ck! I don't need any of that, so....so free me now.'
Khalid's gaze fixed on the mummified demon, his expression was hollow as his aura began to fade.
In that moment, he was sure and desperate about one thing.
"I get it now. The reason I'm here is to suffer.'
Khalid thought, bitterness creeping into his mind.
"I only came to this world to endure more pain, just like the first time I tried to end it all."
Memories flooded back, the images of him burning alive, the searing agony that consumed him and the second death, when he attempted to poison his new body, only to awaken a week later as if nothing had happened.
Khalid was so lost in himself and couldn't think of anything anymore.
He then slowly walks towards the scene as he stretches his arms toward the demonic mummy.
"I had enough, so... let me rest!"
"For f*ck sake! Set me free!"
Khalid's desperate plea echoed in the air. He was already desperate and ready to die, but what made him do so? Even though he can't tell, he just doesn't want anyone to know the depths of his suffering.
He looks up and looks straight into the demonic beast's eyes with neither fear nor emotion in his eyes.
'Oh God, I'm begging you. Please let me rest, for I'm not worthy of your mercy.'
As the vile mummified creature crumbled into a billow of ash, Khalid's mask fell to the ground, revealing the soulless expression on his face—a reflection of the sadness he felt for daring to hope for salvation.
Khalid closed his eyes as he waits to be devoured by the demonic beast ready to enters his small and thin body.
"Thank you, mister."
His eyes widen to hear the horrifying demon's gratitude.
He was left blankly dumbfounded by the scene before he felt pain. It was too painful for his frail body to bear. Khalid started to feel his head become light and dizzy, his eyes had turned cloudy, and it felt like his energy was being drained like a leaking drum. A lot of blood had run out of his nose as he began to feel weak, and it all happened before he passed out.
It was the same as before. Again, with the feeling of being held, and the warm touches he felt were not just a dream.
"Hmm...W-who?"
Khalid's voice cracked, his vision was clouded and dim. He could not even properly see the person sitting in front of him.
It gently cares for Khalid's hair as it looks at him with a serious face.
When Khalid's vision slowly turned back to normal, he saw a beautiful girl with such surreal beauty sitting in front of him.
"Am I dead?"
He confusedly asks.
"…."
The person didn't reply, but her eyes were stuck on Khalid.
"Why wouldn't you answer?"
He frowns.
"Milord!"
The silence was shattered by the loud noises of the bustling people in great Charmolypi, and the unknown figure he had just spoken to also vanished, as if she had never existed in the first place.
Khalid blinked, feeling a surprising lightness in his mind. But when he looked at his hands, a wave of despair washed over him, leaving him with a dejected expression.
He then sat up and pressed his palm against his eyes.
Both of them startled when he suddenly burst out laughing as if he had already lost his mind.
"HA-HA HAHA!!!!"
"Hic!"
"F*ck! this sucks."
He grits.
"Mi-milord?"
Khalid took out his hand and slowly turned his gaze at the two. They were shocked to see how Khalid's eyes filled up with water as he trembled in anger.
His soulless yet pitiful expression was enough to leave it stuck in their minds.
"Tell me…."
His voice trembles and his right eye has changed into a black sclera that covered both of his eyes and iris in a fiery vermillion that was like a jewel melting on the fire.
As he talked, they couldn't do anything but listen to every word that came out of his mouth.
"What do I need to do to die?"
Khalid seems to not understand the fact that again........he came back to life.
As they heard him say it, they felt hopeless at the same time, as they couldn't do anything but watch Khalid with such a crestfallen expression. He blamed and cursed God for giving him another life that he thought he didn't deserve to have, but the actual feeling they felt was nothing compared to Khalid's pain.
"Tell me. Do I need to suffer again this time?"
Tears streamed down his face like a broken faucet, but seeing his pitiful smiling face looking at them was what hurt them the most.
"Khalid De'l Urchtdorf, a curse of immortality has passed down."
"F*CK."