《Kuraiko: Legacy of the Children of Darkness》 Chapter I - Prologue Eons ago, there was a time when the high culture of humanity stood in near transcendence to their creator and lived side by side with him. That creator made it his mission to protect humankind and show them the virtues of life. But those power-hungry kings and rulers betrayed their creator when they tried to kill him and take his place in the universe. Out of burning hatred and disappointment towards his creation, the creator decided to ban humanity from his paradise. All souls were replaced in a new world where monsters and mythical creatures roamed the place called Earth. Those people with vicious souls turned into deformed monsters, and because of their evil nature and origins, they were called Kuraiko. "Ku...raiko?" Never before had I heard such a strange word. But before I could even have the chance to ask, my father gave me my answers as he could see right through me. "Yes, exactly, Kuraiko. According to Eastern lore, it means something like child of darkness." "Scary stories from past times? Didn''t I tell you such tales and legends are not for our daughter? Can we have a word? Now!" Great... Curtain up for another night of arguing. At least they left my room, so I didn''t have to listen to their educational drama anymore. My name is Amelia Violetta Redmond, and I am second in line to the throne of the Redmond royal family. Since my big brother has declined the throne, it will be up to me to take up the duties of a princess of the Royal House to secure my country''s diplomatic future. In other words, I have to get married in a few years. "Don''t worry, my darling, this is just a legend, nothing more, nothing less." "Humanity is dying... and all you can think about is to lie to our children that the world is rosy and perfect!" "She''s only 10, Roland! She shouldn''t be frightened any more than she already is by her reverie..." "I''m sorry, darling. From the moment she was born, we knew she was special... But I couldn''t ever look her in the eye if she discovered the truth about how broken our world has become. We must tell her these stories and tales are not just legends before it''s too late." "You''re right... But I want to protect her. This world, as well as her nightmares, are poison for her. We''ll tell her when she''s older. I swear it to you." "Happy Birthday, Amelia!" That''s right. Today is my birthday. My 16th birthday, to be precise. "Thank you, mother, and also you, little brother." "Darling, come on, please. You know full well that there will be a lot of guests today to wish you a happy birthday, so please hurry up." And there it is again. She can only think about getting me married, even though I don''t want to be. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "Amelia darling, are you alright? "Come on, sis. Mother and I chose a beautiful dress. You have to see this." My brothers may not be the brightest, but they are smart enough to know when Mom and I are about to fight. At least Damian wasn''t wrong. The dress is so gorgeous and graceful that I can take my eyes off them. It is a red dress with white decor and reddish floral ornaments. But now that I can finally see it on myself after hours, the massive neckline in which my breasts seem even more emphasized bothers me immensely. I can already feel the peeking jerks. "Oh darling, how graceful you look. I...wish your father could see you and walk you hand in hand to the party." Even though our relationship went downhill after my father''s death, I cannot hate my mother. Because despite her hardest tries for a fake smile, anyone could tell how immense my mother''s despair had grown. The loss of my father still seems to weigh heavily on her. "Come on now. The guests have arrived and are waiting for you. Please remember to make an effort. I know it''s not easy for you." The closer we got to the ballroom, the louder and clearer I could hear the festive music. And even though I''ve walked down this aisle so many times, I feel more and more helpless and lost with every step. "And now, dear guests, lords, and madams, the star of tonight. Princess Amelia Violetta Redmond." The large wooden doors to the ballroom opened before me as I stepped closer. I can feel the atmosphere changing in the raging applause and start to notice some lustful noblemen peeking already. Worst things worse, I can also feel the piercing stares from the female attendants, their desire to beat me up until I''m a moveless wreck is outstanding. It''s even worse than I could ever have imagined. But what is that? That cold aura... "May I ask for this dance, princess?" That tap on my shoulder and that voice... They snapped me out of my thoughts immediately. But this voice, can it be? Was I so deep in my thoughts that I didn''t realize I went standing in the middle of the hall?! "Big brother! How nice to see you." I knew it. As soon as I turned around, I saw him. Albert. It had been long since he abdicated the throne and gave me that burden. "Hello, little sister. I''m sorry for my late arrival. But I have a gift to make up for it. Happy Birthday." He gave me a small package and inside was a small wooden box. No, a music box! It was beautifully decorated, and you could see that it was a high-quality product. When I opened it, it played the song from our childhood. Memories came up. "Oh, brother... She is beautiful. Thank you, but why are you here? I thought you had duties as an officer instructor on the western continent?" "Oh yes, you know how it is. Nothing beats family." Family? Albert had never been interested in it before. He didn''t even show up for his father''s funeral. So why does he come here in times of war? Just to congratulate me? Now that I think about it... Albert never had a thing for such firmness either... but before I could even finish that thought, the big door of the hall swung open. A bloodied soldier jumped in. The entire hall fell into suffocating silence. "Run! They''re here! You have to get out of here..." "Oh man, you guys really could have taken your time. I didn''t even have the chance to have a little fun!" What was that? Albert was standing next to me, and now he''s suddenly at the other end of the room, holding the soldier''s lifeless body, covered in blood, in his hands. "Who are you?" "Not who, princess. You better be wondering what." What the hell? This pain... where is this stabbing pain coming from? When I looked down, I realized why. Albert... no, that thing that imitated him stabbed its entire arm through my back and smiled at me with glowing red eyes while deformed monsters invaded the ballroom through the windows and entrances. Both mother and Damian lay motionless on the floor right next to me. How did everything end up like that? I wanted to scream, but I didn''t have the strength. Everything around me fades and goes black. Father... I''m sorry. "Princess? Are you alright? Shall we stop the carriage?" "Carriage? I don''t understand. Where am I?" Chapter II - Kingdom of the Rising Sun "COACHMAN! Stop and bring me the doctor immediately. The princess isn''t feeling well! Hurry up!" What happened? Where am I? I was just in the ballroom and... I died. No, calm down Amelia, think about what happened. "Princess Amelia, has something happened? Your coachman said you weren''t feeling well." "I''m fine, maybe just exhausted. A little water might help." "Very well, Your Highness, please have a little patience. We are only a few hours away from Asahi, but the area is swarming with monsters and robbers, and the captain thinks it would be unwise to stay in one place for a long time. So we should hurry up." Asahi, right. Now I remember again. My mother sent me to the eastern kingdom of Asahi on a political assignment to deliver a message. Was everything, what happened in the ballroom, just a dream? "Here is your water, Your Highness. Can we move again then?" "Oh, Captain Edward, what have you done with the Doctor?" "Sorry for my boorish intrusion, but I''ve asked your doctor to get back in his carriage as I want to move on as soon as possible. I''m not fond of the area at all, you know. Please sit back, relax and try again to sleep. We should soon cross the border to the Eastern Empire and then, after a few hours, reach the capital city named Shuto." "Of course, Edward, thank you. Please resume our journey as soon as possible." Edward said goodbye, and after a few minutes, we continued our journey. It was the middle of the night, and the moon lit up the area in a beautiful shade of blue. Though unwise, I decided not to sleep against Edward''s suggestion and instead attempted to replay the events of my last dream. But the more I tried to understand what was happening, the more confused and exhausted I became. The entire process was very surreal, and yet everything felt so realistic... Was it really just a dream... When I opened my eyes again, it was already broad daylight, and birdsong could be heard everywhere. I could hardly believe my eyes when I looked out the carriage window. The entire path was lined with cherry blossom trees. It''s such an idyllic region. "You''re lucky princess, it''s sakura time here in Asahi. And with that, it means that all the trees you see here are beginning to bloom, and as soon as a mild wind blows through the avenue, the blossoms are gently blown from the trees. A dreamlike sight when seeing him for the first time." "You''re not entirely wrong." I noticed that my coachman isn''t in the area for the first time as he knows so much about this country. Maybe he''s from this region. Another sign of my assumption was that he had a completely different demeanor than the other coachmen in my country. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "Say, coachman. Are you from Asahi?" "Oh yes. You must know that my parents met just before the war between Westphalia''s empire and the kingdom of Redmond. My father had a keen sense of avoiding conflict, which kept him alive." Westphalia... There has been a war between their empire and our kingdom for several years. Damned militants! It''s your fault that my father had to die so young... After about an hour, we reached Shuto, the capital of Asahi. Like every eastern nation, Asahi was very advanced. It is said to be the most technologically advanced country in the world. This was probably due to their forces since all of their soldiers were increasingly trained in long-range combat with strange but powerful sticks. The only thing my country is probably better at would be our magic skills. Few in Asahi seem to be able to use magic. In my home country, the magic affinity among the population is very high instead. Nevertheless, in the event of war, my country would probably be destroyed by them... Trumpets and fanfares tore me out of my thoughts. It seems we are being escorted towards the palace entrance. After some time, we finally stopped, and when I got out of my carriage after this long journey, I could hardly believe my eyes. The way the people dressed and the way they were built was like being in a completely different world. Edward came towards me, and he and his men accompanied me towards the monumental palace entrance. "Before we forget. Please put these earrings on, your Highness. Since you do not speak the language of this country, these earrings will translate every word for you." I put on the earrings and immediately tried to focus on the conversations in the background. "Wow, she''s hot! Why do state guests always have to be such treats!" "But really. And those boobs, are you sure she''s only 16?" There are probably newts and perverts in every country... Nevertheless, I had better things to do than to be impressed by such comments. In a few moments, I am to speak with the leaders of this country about a political settlement... if I fail, it will spell the end of my country. "Dear Princess of the Western Kingdom, you are now receiving Her Royal Majesty, King Harada. Please address his Highness in a manner appropriate to the status. Your guards must remain here for security reasons, but you are permitted to have your bodyguard accompanied with you." We were ushered into a small audience room where the king knelt on a plain and raised seat cushion. He was an older man with long gray hair and an equally long beard which matched his hair color. "Dear Princess, please have a seat. We have much to discuss, and most importantly, I''ve been told you have a letter for me?" I handed the King''s Guard the message my mother had given me and sat on a cushion on the floor in front of me. Edward stayed behind me, trying to keep track of every movement in the room. "Your Majesty, I apologize that my mother has not been able to come here in person to discuss matters with you, but unfortunately, the war in my country requires her presence. As heir to the throne, I am acting as my mother''s representative, and I hope we can resolve matters that can clarify in favor of both countries." Although I had a pretty good feeling about my speech, the king didn''t seem to care what I had to say. Instead, his interest shifted to my mother''s letter, which he eyed. "Tell me, princess, how experienced are you in dealing with magic?" My magic skills? I didn''t expect this question. While I''m not bad at using the elementals, I''m not proficient in practical magic arts like healing magic. "I would rate my skills above average based on my bloodline, Your Majesty. But if I might ask, why exactly does that matter?" "Guards, please take the princess to Kudo immediately without being seen! And you captains of the western kingdom, your services are no longer needed. You can therefore return to your country." "Yes, Your Majesty! Princess, I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Farewell." What is going on here? Why am I just being sent away? Why is Edward leaving me alone? Have I been expelled? Have I failed my country?