The Sword Of Salvation
Prologues

A pure arrow made of fire shot sharply against the roof of a house.

If the roof is made of aluminum or something like that, it would be okay. However, the roof of the house was entirely made of straw spun on bamboo. As soon as the fire arrow struck, the flames instantly barked out mercilessly.

The house is quite small. Just have a bedroom. The walls are made of wood. When the straw that became the roof burned, it was certain that the fire spread quickly. It makes the owner of Rumah—which is being lulled in a deep night— woke up suddenly. He was in a deep sweat.

The woman in her late twenties had been confused for a few seconds, but once her consciousness was perfectly gathered she immediately grabbed her son who was still asleep and quickly ran outside. He did not bother himself to carry anything else.

Surprisingly, there was no look of surprise, panic, fear, or anger coloring the face of the long brown haired woman rather curly. His red eyes only looked flat at the burning house in the fire dance. He looks calm. Very calm. His eyes seemed to say that he had predicted what had happened.

“Mother?”

One word that came out of the mouth of the seven-year-old boy who was in his arms successfully changed the hue of the woman's face.

“Mariel, strong-strong handle.”

The dark blue-haired child named Mariel showed a questionable look, but she quickly nodded—although her red eyes had once glanced at their burning house with worry. The boy who was carried from the front immediately hugged his mother tightly.

“We went looking for another house,” said the woman, her two legs spur the body to run.

For a woman holding a seven-year-old child, the run is fairly fast. Very fast, like someone trained. He ran back to the burning house, straight westward— towards the dense forest whose edge was a cliff boundary.

Right, they were now at the border plateau between the two lands.

The woman ran without even a single glance back. The child in his carrier closed his eyes, buried his head in the mother's left neck. None of them panicked. Because, this wasn't the first time they woke up in the middle of the night and ran like this. In a month, this happens five times.

And, as has been the case, this time the mother was determined to escape and the son of the mercenary who was assigned to finish him.

“...!” The mother gasped, spontaneously stopping footsteps.

“This time you won't be able to escape again.” A burly man came out from behind the trunk of a large tree. He was clearly waiting for the woman. The moonlight that penetrated through the crevices of the leaves showed that the man was blond, had a thin beard, and one of his eyes was perfectly closed. “We were assigned to finish you off, and that is what I will do.”

The woman clicked her tongue, her forehead frowning. One of his hands was free to clench, the other hand tightened the embrace of the son. 

“Give up, then your death will be quick and with minimal pain.”

The mother was silent and did not respond. However, he knew very well what was really going on. They had expected him to run here; the man was tasked with intercepting him. The perpetrator who set his house on fire was in the back, it was only a matter of time until he arrived. The woman knew there was no way out for her. Check die, that's his position now—same as a king piece in a cornered chessboard. No matter where he went, there was no way.

“...Let this child stay alive,” said the mother, her eyes sharpened. “In return, I will give my life without a single bit of resistance. You can give my head to the person who paid you.”

The expression of the burly man hardened. His piercing squinting eyes pierced through the sharp eyes of the woman. Either he was really considering the woman's request, or he had other thoughts. The woman does not know ‒ she just wishes her son could survive. That's all he's got to prioritize now.

“I understand,” broke up the man after tens of seconds had passed. “When a mother sacrifices herself for the safety of her son, I can't just ignore it. My client lost his son in your hands, he would be very happy if your son's head was taken. But fine, I'm not gonna kill your son. I wouldn't drag him to my client either.”

The man pulled out the double-bladed greatsword from the sword sheath on his back. The eyes stared intensely at the woman. “Now put your son down, then walk ten steps and kneel with your head bent forward. I'll kill you as soon as possible, ease the pain you'll receive as much as I can.”

“Can I trust you?”

“I haven't broken a promise so far, and I don't plan on doing it now. I promise I won't kill your son.”

The woman's expression is flat.

He knelt down, gently laying down his son. “Come, Mariel,” whispered softly, both hands tightly hugging the son. “At the end of this forest there is a cliff boundary. Jump up. Down there used to be a village, maybe now still. Those guys once saved mom when mom used to jump off a cliff. I'm sure they'll save you too.”

“Mariel,” interrupted the woman, releasing a hug and framing both cheeks of the son with both hands. The woman's lips curled gently, her eyes looking lovingly. “Your mother is not a good woman. Before meeting your father, I lived by stealing. Mom cheats. Mother rarely kills. Very bad mother. Sorry, because you had to be born from mom's womb.”

“I-Mother, what ya—”

“But Mariel,” continued the mother again cut the voice of the child, his forehead stuck to the forehead of the son. “Having you is the greatest happiness I have ever experienced, the immeasurable happiness we feel. The world is corrupt, rotten, filled with misery and great hatred. But you are the light in our lives. Your presence makes us strong walking in it. Thank you for being born into our lives. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a mother. Mother is not the woman who embodied the word ‘ibu’ perfectly, but mother's love for you far exceeds the word perfect.”

Clear fluid builds up in the woman's eye patch, but she keeps it from spilling.

“From now on you will live alone, just like you used to. Maybe the god predestined us to be miserable, or maybe it was a punishment for the sins of the mother. But no matter what happens, keep living, Mariel, for you and for us to take care of. Let us see your story from the other side of the world.”

“I-Mother...”

Unlike the mother who can hold her eyes from crying, the son has no power for it. It was true that he was not as excited, but both of his white cheeks had been soaked in tears. His expression was even worse. It was too painful to look at; an expression that should not be on the face of a seven-year-old.

“For every time of your presence, thank you very much. For all the imperfections of the mother in your life, and for any distress and tribulations that will befall you after this, please forgive. Weak mother, just a former petty criminal in a dark world. I can't do anything for you. Therefore, be strong, Mariel. Then live as you wish. No matter what you're going to be like, mom and dad will be watching you from the other side of the world with pride. For now, it's our farewell. You have to keep going on with life. Goodbye, Mariel.”

Mariel tried hard to hold her mother, but she turned and walked away. Mariel shouted, calling the mother not to leave, so they ran back. But the mother continued to step, then knelt down at the tenth step. His head looked back, smiling very gently.

“Go, Mariel, and keep living.”

Mariel tried to stand up, restraining the mother from turning her face away.

But what power, his body was limp. Standing up is hard. Can only scream and move their hands to attract the attention of the mother. Do what he is capable of, even to the point of pleading with gods, demons, or anyone who might hear.

But the world never takes sides. The mother's head lowered forward, and the sword blade swung sharply.

Mariel exerted all power to stand and run, but the sharp iron blade fell faster.

Mariel fell to her knees. His eyes widened unstoppably, his heart breaking beyond measure. His mouth was no longer able to let go of his voice. His eyes were only able to stare at the mother's head that was moving. The blood spread quickly.

“Gob! You're su—ah, you haven't killed the boy?”

Mariel no longer cared about what was happening around her; her eyes and mind were completely fixed on the head that no longer fused with the body, on the gentle face with the most charming smile.

“No. I promised her mother. I'm not gonna kill that boy.”

“How about I kill him?”

“Glanz, I told you I can't me—”

“And you promised not to kill the boy, not protect him from death. You wouldn't break your promise if I killed him. Think, Gob! Our client will pay dearly to see the head of this woman and her child! Didn't you say you needed money to pay for your wife's treatment?”

“...I'll close my eyes. Do it quickly, and do it without making it suffer.”

“Sip! Leave it to me!”

Mariel hasn't blinked yet. The clear liquid still did not stop from wetting both of his cheeks. Even when a sword covered in flames was behind her nape, Mariel was motionless, paying no attention. There is nothing in the child's head other than a flash of memory about his mother. That soft face that was always smiling….

The fire-covered sword swung, dan—