Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World - Chapter 71

Leier’s Past (Final)
On the fourth morning, Sonia’s eyes glimmered with determination. The biting cold had inflicted severe frostbites upon her body, causing the skin on her arms to become black and all sense of touch. In order to ensure Leier’s survival, Sonia had used her furry coat to shield the little girl from the freezing environment, leaving her body bare and open to the cold. It was a miracle that she managed to survive through those three nights without using Mana to heat up her body.

“L-Leier”- Sonia’s hoarse and strained voice sounded, her dry lips struggling to part from one another – “We must go!” – Those words struggled to escape her throat, barely audible in the frigid air, urging her daughter to move.

However, the little girl lay motionless in her arms, unresponsive to her desperate plea, only a faint sound of breathing escaped from Leier’s pale lips. Sonia wished to shake her up, but found herself unable to move her arms, which felt like an insurmountable weight. She couldn’t even feel the cold assaulting her skin anymore, causing a wave of desperation to wash over her. She didn’t know when that happened.

Sonia’s anxious eyes darted around, desperately seeking a safe path to get down from the tree and get her daughter to safety. Despite the numbing sensation that rendered her arms useless, she could still feel her legs. A fierce determination burned within her. She refused to let Anthony’s sacrifice to be in vain.

Ignoring the biting cold and the searing pain coursing through her legs, she forcefully stood up, managing to balance herself on top of the thick branch beneath her, her frozen arms tightly holding the little girl. She sought the perfect position, a delicate balance that would allow her to jump to the next branches, burning the last strands of Mana inside her body to successfully get down from the tree.

As soon as she reached the ground, she looked upwards, seeking the sun to orient herself, before finally marching to the west. She urged her trembling legs and feeble steps forwards while leaving a long trail on the snow. The only possibly way out was to reach the small village where her father had a small influence over and then used it to escape from the kingdom with her daughter.

Every step drained the strength from her quivering legs, which made he gradually lose the sensation of her lower body. Unknowingly, her legs were also taking a black color. Yet, driven by an unyielding and primal instinct deep within her, Sonia pressed on, trudging with determination through the unforgiving snow.

Time seemed to blur as she kept her gaze fixed ahead, no longer able to discern time as she walked on and on, whether it had been hours or mere minutes. Her body screamed for rest as the numb sensation spread through her whole legs, leaving her on the verge of collapse. She was about to give up when a wooden gate appeared in front of her, like a beacon of hope guiding ships to safety, causing a faint smile to spread across her lips.

“We made it, Leirr! We made it!” – Sonia murmured, summoning the last reserves of her strength to reach the village’s front gate, crawling on her knees.

The moment she crossed the unguarded gates, Sonia’s body sank to the ground while still holding Leier in her arms, gazing up at the somber gray skies above. Numbness engulfed her limps, rendering them as distant as the passing clouds. Sonia looked at the little girl in her arms as tears streamed down her face. She had fulfilled her husband’s wishes and had managed to get her daughter to safety. Although she was only a merchant’s daughter, she managed it.

In the distance, the sound of approaching footsteps reached her dizzy ears, growing louder with each passing moment. A serene smile stretched on her lips as Sonia closed her eyes in exhaustion, the image of her daughter etched in her mind.

-x-

Three days later, Leier dizzily woke up, greeted by the sight of a cozy wooden room surrounding her. The weight of the soft blankets pressed against her tiny body, providing both warmth and comfort. Although still a little blurry, she slightly shifted her gaze to the side, noticing the crunched back of an old man. Leier wanted to open her mouth and call to that familiar back but found no strength to part her dry lips.

While still showing his back, the old figure began to talk –”Sorry, sweet Leier. Although your mother and your father has lost their lives trying to protect you, this old man has no other option. I can’t risk the family’s wellbeing for you. Viscount Jasper influence reaches too far, and I couldn’t stop the news of your stay from reaching him. He will be here by the afternoon. I hope you will be a good girl and help grandfather with this.”

With his back turned towards her, the elderly figure spoke softly, his words filled with a strange feeling – “I’m sorry, dear Leier. Your mother and father sacrificed their lives to protect you, but I have no choice. I cannot be selfless and put the future of our family in danger for your sake. Viscount Jasper’s influence extends far and wide, and I couldn’t prevent news of your presence from reaching him. He will arrive here this afternoon. I will apologize with your mother around the bonfire, but for now, be a brave girl and help this old grandfather in this situation.”

Leier’s grandfather was a merchant through and through, a being that would never sacrifice his property and his family for a personal business. He planned on helping this granddaughter of his, who would probably get a great inheritance, but when Viscount Jasper claimed the little girl for him and asked for cooperation, he had no other option but to make a calculative decision. He didn’t have such a good and benevolent heart in the end. He chose to remain on Jasper’s good side, not thinking twice about selling his own granddaughter.

Leier had inherited Sonia’s intelligent side, which led her to immediately understand the old man’s words and meanings. She had been sold away and this old man would never help her away from this situation.

“Rest well” – The old man murmured; his voice filled with shame. He couldn’t bear to face Leier, knowing he betrayed his blood for his own gain. With a heavy heart, he left the room, unable to look back at the child lying on the bed.

After waiting for a few seconds, Leier cautiously rose from the bed, her young heart filled with determination. She knew that time was not on her side, and there was no room for self-pity or mourning. Her parents’ sacrifices must not be in vain. As her feet touched the ground, a strange sensation washed over her, making it hard to find a solid footing. However, with unstable steps, she managed to regain her balance.

Leier’s eyes darted around the room as she rapidly picked up a fur coat draped beside the bed and wrapped it around her, trying to ward off the coldness within her, slightly pulling it upwards, covering her whole neck. She didn’t forget to stuff inside her pocket a gold hairpin resting atop a small makeup wooden table, not forgetting to also pack the bread on top of her bed into her pocket.

With a cautious hand, Leier gently opened the window, taking care to not make any creaking noise that could denounce her escape. She then peered out of the window, confirming that there was no one around, before jumping down and landing with a soft thud as the snow cushioned her body.

Leier then gave a final and venous gaze towards the small villa, her eyes imprinting a never seen hate as she pulled the hood over her face. Then, ignoring the chill sipping into her bones, the small girl pushed herself out of the village.

-x-

Leier sought refuge right inside the capital, under the eyes of Viscount Jasper, for long eight winters. She lived undercover, always keeping a low profile and trying the best to not draw any attention to herself. She had her hood on, even when getting out, like a promise made to herself. The gold hairpin greatly helped her surviving until now, allowing her to pay for the first year’s expenses.

Then, she had taken on various jobs during the years, which provided her with sufficient means to survive and allowed her to keep tabs on Viscount Jasper’s movements. Through those means, she learned countless things about this enemy and also about her grandfather’s demise, a few days after she left the village, under the pretext of a bandit’s attack. It resulted on her whole lineage to be wiped out.

Although eight years passed, Leier could still feel a mysterious cold feeling permeating his being, like an inseparable partner, not even her furry coat or the hood managed to ward it off. It was a constant reminder that as long as Jasper’s heart remained beating, revenge shall be sought….at any cost. Leier planned her revenge, an elaborate assassination and then taking her own life. However, one day, everything changed, her enemy left the capital.

On Leier’s perspective, Viscount Jasper made a hasty movement and fled the capital as soon as the barbarians attacked, marking the beginning of a series of events that unfolded before her eyes, etching everything in her memory. As a mere subject, she stood witness as the king climbed on the walls and gave a powerful speech to his people, bringing the army to crush the barbarian’s forces outside.

Leier had also seen that same man taking food from the merchants and delivering it to the poor, enabling them to survive through the winter. She witnessed as the king led a team into the Frozen Forest and took the barbarians under his throne, trying to foster some relation between the two of them.

Viscount Jasper’s hasty departure from the capital marked the beginning of a series of events that unfolded before Leier’s very eyes. She witnessed the tumultuous moments as they unfolded, etching them into her memory. She stood witness as the king ascended the walls, delivering a resounding speech that rallied the army to a resounding victory against the barbarian invaders. In that moment, Leier felt the surge of pride and hope in her heart.

Within the confines of Leier’s mind, Henry was like a god or a savior, the trye bearer of the Northern Spirit. He was a glimmer of hope that could finally give her revenge and punish those who deserved to be killed. She had to get revenge and Henry might be the best way while also helping the people. Then, with that in mind, and knowing that Henry’s army was looking out for new people, not discriminating against gender, Leier enlisted into the army. She trained until the skin on her hands couldn’t be felt anymore, she trained until she could enact her revenge.

One day, while engrossed in her sword practice at the common training camp, Leier was interrupted by a familiar voice that seemingly reached her ears with some kind of awe. She turned to see a man in his mid-twenties with black hair and piercing grey eyes looking interestingly at her – “You have the basics down and is developing quite the mastery for swords. However, Luther seems to say that you don’t fit for the sword, but for the dagger. Also, that hood, does it not limit your vision.”

“My lord!” – Leier hurriedly bowed her head, her soft voice echoing as the hood covered her features.

Leier immediately bowed her head respectfully, her voice soft as it echoed from under her hood – “My lord” – she greeted, but Henry gave her no room for questions or compliments.

“Ah, a woman. That is quite rare.”- he remarked, his fingers tapping rhythmically on his chin – “I must say, I’m impressed by your swordplay. Here’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you. If you can pass this old man’s test and earn his approval, you will have an important place by my side. But it will hurt. What do you think?.”

Leier’s eyes shone with greed and satisfaction.

This was Leier’s first time encounter with Henry, derived from a selfish reason for revenge and desire to do some good. From there, she followed the King faithfully, like a servant looking up to a god.