The soldiers gather in the morning. After discussing which route they’ll take. They finally chose to stay on the same path and went through the Corsica border. Some display their concern and others think that's a really idiotic thing to do. However, despite the political tension between the two countries, the Diocese would make sure there’s nothing that is going to hinder their way. Sebastian just watched this whole mess from the sideline. He can’t believe he’s returning to Corsica. Will he meet Ipsilas again? Or will he come after him? He’s feeling conflicted between wanting to meet that bastard to kill him and not wanting to meet him yet because of his inadequate power to deliver any killing blow.

  Carlos and Dalia on the other side seem to be watching the whole thing from the inside of their carriage. While Dalia was busy listening to the crowd of soldiers arguing with each other. Carlos' eyes are locked to where Sebastian stands. He still can’t forget the humiliation he got back then. Moreover, he fumbles and runs away scared in front of Dalia, that’s something really embarrassing and humiliating.

  Carlos also knew that Dalia watched Sebastian training last night, he wonders what they’re talking about and why they’re being really close right now.

  “So we’re really going to cross the Corsica Border,” Dalia said with a concerned look.

  “Isn’t that good? Maybe we will part with our dear war saint there. It’s his homeland after all.”

  Dalia looked at Carlos who looked really bothered and angry, then she said “You two need to get along. Sebastian can be... difficult... However, that’s just the way he is. He used to live in a very different world than us.”

  “So now you’re on his side? You guys are best friends now?”

  Dalia looked defeated, it’s no use to talk to Carlos now. She’s been his friend for years and she knew him well. This friend of hers can be difficult too sometimes, but she can’t tell that to his face directly. Having two hard-headed coworkers really tests her patience greatly. She sometimes thought that this might be some kind of test from god. Dalia simply smiled, choosing not to reply to Carlos’ provocation. Because she knew that—

  “I-I’m sorry, it’s not very saint-like to act or say that,” Carlos said quietly.

  The soldiers disperse and their grievances are noted. Now they’re beginning to deconstruct the tent around and loading up their supplies up on the carriage. After a while, the convoy began to move again and it’s not long before they saw the Corsica Kingdom checkpoint up ahead.

  From the look of the border soldier alone, Sebastian could tell this is not going to end well. News must have spread around the kingdom about the Isildus incident. He can’t imagine how the citizens react when they’re told that a cardinal of the Diocese is the one responsible for their suffering all these years. Sebastian holds the hilt of his hammer tightly. Just in case he needs to use it at a moment's notice.

  Everyone on the convoy looked tense. Other than the diplomats, they’re basically the first group to make contact after all these months. Everyone expects the worst of the worst to happen. Some of the soldiers looked around the forest waiting for an ambush. Others place their hand on the hilt of their weapon ready to unsheathe it. Captain of the convoy began to approach the checkpoint with the necessary documents accompanied by at least five other soldiers.

  As the other soldier swallowed their own spit, waiting for the worst to come. Suddenly the convoy captain came back with a smile on his face. The Corsica border guard opened the gate and the convoy began to move forward without any problem. Sebastian keeps his hand on his weapon at all times. This whole situation really stinks and some other soldiers share his sentiment. As the convoy marched through the gate, Sebastian could feel a lot of eyes watching him from all over the place. Even when they didn’t show it, Sebastian knew well the emotion behind those stares. Hatred. Resentment. Disgust.

  The checkpoint became further and further away before it disappeared into the horizon. Even without the stare following them, Sebastian still could feel this unease following him. Like a leech sucking out the warmth of the sun, the surrounding area feels even more cold than usual. Sebastian's eyes keep darting towards the woods around him. Looking for a sign or even a slight movement on the grass and tree. However, there’s nothing. The forest is quiet and the road head looks clear.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  The convoy traveled further and further into Corsica territory, they finally decided to rest in the next village they knew well from previous travel. Sebastian on the other hand can’t wait to rest his body at their destination. This must be the longest day he ever felt in his life. His eyes and body are on high alert the entire time; he feels like he’s being watched from the depth of the wood. Sebastian felt like he might be going crazy if he stays on this road any longer.

  The skies turned gold and the sun began to set, replaced by the moon up above. The convoy finally arrived at their destination. However, the only thing that greets them is an empty rundown village. A ghost town. There’s no sign of life as far as the eye can see. This village is probably destroyed by the Stampede like many others around. Now the only thing left here are nothing but memories and animals that make this village their new home.

  The soldier sweeps around the village, trying to find something or someone that might be still lurking around. Sebastian on the other hand set his eyes on a church building on the outer side of the village. The church looks destroyed in some place and there's dried blood from god knows when stained on the door. Sebastian reached for the handle—

  “A little bit creepy wasn’t it?” ask Dalia.

  Sebastian looks back and there he can see Dalia with Carlos tailing behind her. His eyes and Carlos met, but he doesn’t hold any animosity towards Carlos now. Sebastian believes Carlos already learned his lesson.

  “What are you two doing here?”

  “We’re just worried about our Junior. Right Carlos?” Dalia said as she nudged Carlos.

  “Y-yes! We’re just worried.”

  Sebastian looks defeated. There’s no way Dalia would listen to him to leave him alone. So he just opened the church door and headed inside without saying anything. Dalia and Carlos follow not far behind.

  The inside of the church was a wreck. Pews lay shattered. The altar was burned. Then he could see the church symbol charred by fire as the skeleton of the village citizen litters the floor. Packed like a cornered rat. Dalia and Carlos gasped at what they’re looking at. No one must have visited this village or church before. Their bodies had been left here to rot, forgotten. No one had come to bury them. No one had even tried. They had died praying. Huddled together. Dalia and Carlos offer their prayer for the dead, that’s the least thing they could do right now to honor the dead. However, something else was flying around Sebastian mind.

  “I wonder where was god when this tragedy happened,” Sebastian said as he walked forwards towards the altar.

  Dalia and Carlos couldn’t open their mouths to say anything because they didn’t know the answer to that question. Sebastian looked at the skeleton around him. From their wounds alone he could conclude some kind of blunt force that killed them all. The death was very painful as a lot of their bones look shattered and broken.

  Sebastian kneels before the church symbol before him. His eyes gaze intently as if he’s waiting for an answer. However, only silence and the screams of the wind came before Sebastian's ear. Then he looked up into the skies through the broken ceiling. He hoped God would at least tell him the reason for this brutality before him. And the same silence came to his heart. He stood up quietly and offered his prayer towards the corpse lying around him.

  Sebastian looked back at Dalia with such a cold looking gaze. His eyes filled with such magnitude of untold pain and suffering. Dalia almost cried when she felt that raw emotion hit her like a ton of bricks. How can one person bear that much pain and walk around among other people like it was nothing.

  “The Cardinal of our Diocese did this, you know?” Sebastian said as he gestured towards the massacre around Them . “Can someone like that be forgiven? Did he deserve a second chance? Will his regret be enough to absolve all his sin? Should we try to ‘understand’ him? Tell me Dalia.”

  Dalia stays quiet. For she knows now where Sebastian's word came from. This small fraction of tragedy is enough to make her heart ache. She can’t imagine what kind of hell hole Sebastian crawled out from. A cruel cruel word of untold tragedy. A world filled with suffering and sadness. Dalia's heart weeps and pray for Sebastian for she can’t even begin to imagine what she would do in his place. A normal person would go mad with grief, but Sebastian is here carrying it alone.

  Sebastian walked past Dalia and Carlos, then he said, “People like that Cardinal still exist out there. This hell of mine won’t end unless I kill all of them.”

  Sebastian walked out from the church without saying a word. Dalia on the other hand could feel her heart bleed out from the pain she just witnessed and just fall down to the ground crying. Carlos immediately came to Dalia's side to calm her down, he doesn’t know what happened between Sebastian and Dalia. However, there’s one thing for sure. In Carlos mind, Sebastian is the only person who ever made Dalia cry and he resent him for it,