Bonus Short Stories
The Black Chronicle
On Aura’s seventh birthday, her father gifted her a book with a jet-black cover. “Read this,” he told her. “It will serve you well.”
The name of the book was the Black Chronicle. It did not take much imagination to understand what her father meant. Almost nobody in Aletia bore true, purest black. The hue belonged to one man alone: Held Rey Schwartz von Grantz, the second emperor.
The Hero King of Twinned Black, the arbiter of victory, the wearer of the mask, born to rule the battlefield, a strategist to transcend the world of men. He had many names and many titles, but the greatest of them all was that of Mars, taken on his induction into the Grantzian pantheon. Even in the modern age, the War God commanded overwhelming popularity all across the empire.
“Is it good?”
Perhaps inspired by her house’s reputation as a producer of exceptional strategists, by the age of seven, Aura had set her sights on a dream: to become a commander worthy of carving her name into imperial history.
“Very,” her father replied. “I can promise you that. I’ve read through it myself.”
Aura peered at the Black Chronicle curiously and cocked her head. “Is this new?” she asked. She had read every book in the house cover to cover and could recite those concerning the War God by heart, but she did not recognize this one.
“Fresh off the presses. It has tales of the War God that you won’t find in any prior text, as well as a commendable overview of the tactics he used in battle. I’m sure you’ll find it to your liking.”
“All right. I’ll read it.”
Aura dipped her head in a little bow. With a pitter-patter of footsteps, she hurried back to her room. She could hardly contain herself as dove under the covers, and her chest fluttered with anticipation as she cracked open the cover. In the military nation that was the Grantzian Empire, the War God’s name was sacred. He was favored, revered, and loved by all.
“Schwartz was amazing...”
Aura, who aspired to be a commander, was no exception. There was no end to Schwartz’s inspirational deeds, and his ingenious strategies were too numerous to count.
“Fascinating...”
Even a thousand years later, he retained a captivating power like no other historical figure. His missing years shrouded in mystery, the remaining years devoted to the battlefield, the twists and turns that shaped his journey to the height of glory—no matter which account she read, Aura always finished the last page with the same impression.
“He could have conquered the world.”
Perhaps not even Schwartz could have made the Grantzian Empire eternal, but if he had been the first to take the crown, it would certainly be even vaster than it was today.
In any case, Aura’s conclusion was simple: “This book is a treasure.”
The author’s name was not given, but they had a gift for conveying the War God’s timeless appeal. She owed her father greatly for the present. No, before that, she owed the War God himself. Without his wondrous feats, the book would never have been written at all.
“Hm?”
She glanced out of the window. Darkness was setting in.
“Just one more time.”
The afterglow of the reading deserved to be basked in just a while longer. Besides, she was far too excited to sleep. Naturally, “just one more time” lasted until morning. In the end, she read the Black Chronicle cover to cover for three days straight, and only a furious scolding from her mother stopped it from becoming four.
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“And the Black Chronicle has been like a part of me ever since,” Aura finished.
Could anybody in the world hear a story like that and not blush? If so, they weren’t Hiro. He covered his ears and hid his face, assailed by an indescribable embarrassment.
A small palm smacked the top of his head. “Are you listening?”
He looked back up to see Aura’s leaden eyes looking slightly miffed. “Uh...I got that you’re a fan of the second emperor, at any rate.”
She shook her head furiously, waving her palms in front of her face. “I’m not a fan. I love him.” Her hands clenched into determined little fists. With her face as expressionless as ever, it was hard to be certain how serious she really was, but in any case, that wasn’t a confession to make in front of Emperor Schwartz himself.
“You should read it.” Aura thrust the Black Chronicle out in front of her.
Hiro would rather have been tortured than read a tell-all account of his own past, but he didn’t want to disappoint the starry-eyed girl in front of him. After a moment’s hesitation, he took the book. He would simply have to grit his teeth and bear the cringing.
“Make notes. There will be a test.”
A wordless scream left Hiro’s mouth as he was stricken with sudden despair.
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