*
His eyes, dark as lacquer, flickered with firelight, deep and grim.
The young man's eyes were exceptionally clear, yet now they seemed veiled in a black mist.
After a long moment, he said in a low voice, "So it's a dead end."
He then picked up a steamed bun and handed it to Amy.
A stretch of silence fell, leaving only the crackling of the fire.
"Little General," Amy said, clapping her hands lightly and smiling at him. "Weren't you determined to serve the country with utmost loyalty, swearing to defend it to the death? So why the sudden fear?"
"If I had been born in a time of chaos, all alone in this world, my death would mean nothing. But now, with my home and country in peril, even if I am willing to die in service, I fear it won't be enough to save a collapsing dynasty."
