My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

”Emilia, calm down,” Terra said to her sister, holding her nose because of the stench.

There was still coldness in Emilia’s eyes, but she released the man. After all, he smelled absolutely terrible.

The only person who didn’t seem bothered by the smell was Abellona.

She glanced at the old veteran before clearing her throat.

”Now then, Tino Richman. You served in the One Hundred and Tenth Regiment, if I remember correctly, and were discharged after suffering a grievous wound during the final days of the Demon Wars.”

Tino gritted his teeth before sitting back down on the ground.

He reached for his left leg and unstrapped it.

It was a prosthetic all along.

”Heh... that’s right, Princess.”

”I fought for the Empire... for the Goddess Races.”

”Against the evil demons.”

”I gave my whole life.”

”And what did I get in return?”

”There was no honor.”

”There was no glory.”

His face remained calm, yet the bitterness in his voice could not be hidden.

”My wife left me.”

”She’d been with a younger man while I was away.”

”The Empire abandoned me.”

”The faith ignored me.”

”I lost my leg...”

”I lost my home...”

”I lost everything.”

”All I have now are regrets.”

He slowly lifted his gaze toward her.

”Tino Richman is dead.”

”A lot of us died in that war.”

”We just didn’t know it yet.”

He let out another hollow chuckle before pulling a rolled-up cigarette from his pocket and lighting it with trembling hands.

For the first time, he didn’t even seem to care that the Princess of the Empire stood before him.

”What’s the point of any of it?”

”After everything we fought for, the Empire made peace with the demons.”

”And now they tell us we have to stand beside our old enemies to face some ancient threat.”

”What about my comrades who died on those battlefields?”

”What about their lives?”

”And what about those of us who survived?”

He took a slow drag before looking back at Abellona.

”Yeah...”

”I served in the One Hundred and Tenth.”

Abellona remained silent for a long moment.

She had stood on countless battlefields herself.

She had suppressed demons.

Subjugated monsters.

Recovered Ashcroft Fragments.

Put down rebellions.

She had watched comrades die beside her.

She had watched soldiers lose all hope.

She had even despaired herself.

”There is no glory in war...” she whispered.

Then she stepped forward and gently placed a hand on his filthy shoulder.

”Even so...”

”The Empire thanks you for your service, soldier.”

”You have fought well.”

The old veteran’s eyes widened.

Then...

His composure finally broke.

Tears rolled down his weathered face as he hurriedly wiped them away with the sleeve of his ragged clothes.

Abellona simply stood there and let him cry.

She had led countless victories.

She knew how to speak to soldiers.

Even broken ones.

Even if he was crippled now...

He was still a soldier.

Sometimes...

A few sincere words were enough.

Several minutes later, Tino took a deep breath and composed himself.

”What brings you here, Princess?”

Emilia stepped forward, her expression calm even though her heart beat with quiet anxiety.

”You served in one of the squads led by Godric Ravenscroft, correct?”

Tino nodded without hesitation.

”Yes.”

”Commander Godric was a great man.”

”A shame he was assassinated by Amon.”

Of course he was praised.

Plenty of people could vouch for his character.

But Emilia knew there had been something hidden beneath that spotless reputation.

This so-called good man had carried a darkness.

Whether she could uncover it or not...

...might determine whether she ever found her son.

”Tell me,” she said quietly.

”What squads did you know?”

”And tell me which ones are missing from this list.”

Abellona reached into her storage ring and handed him a thick stack of documents.

Tino accepted them and began carefully reading through each page.

The further he read...

...the deeper his frown became.

Finally, he lowered the papers.

”Three squads are missing.”

”Which ones?” Abellona asked slowly, her gaze fixed on him.

Tino nodded before raising three fingers.

”The Reed Squad, led by a guy from the Summerfall Valleys called Reed. They were the 108th Squad.”

He folded one finger down before continuing.

”Then there’s the Hima Squad. They were mostly covert. I didn’t really know their leader that well.”

He lowered another finger.

”And the last one is the Noctis Squad. Their leader was a former knight from some village. I can’t remember the name. He and his wife ran the squad together, and their people really respected them. They achieved a lot of good things, so they gained some degree of fame.”

Abellona listened quietly before asking,

”Where can I find these people?”

”Find them?” Tino let out a bitter chuckle before slowly shaking his head.

”I’m afraid you can’t.”

”They’re all dead.”

His expression darkened as old memories resurfaced.

”The last to get wiped out was the Noctis Squad. They were overrun by a horde of lesser demons.”

He stared into the distance for a moment.

”Could’ve sworn Commander Godric was in tears after the incident.”

”He was an exemplary man who truly cared for his soldiers.”

He sighed heavily.

”If only all nobles were like him and didn’t see commoners as disposable fodder.”

Abellona narrowed her eyes.

That was it.

She remembered the incident.

”There was one survivor... right?”

Tino nodded slowly.

Only then did he remember that Princess Abellona had also served within that military division. She had simply been far too high in the chain of command for ordinary soldiers like him to ever know her personally. Most had only caught glimpses of her from afar.

”Yes.”

”Some delirious fool who was left in one piece.”

”We get a couple of them after every horrible campaign.”

”He kept blaming the commander for what happened.”

Tino clicked his tongue.

”He threw around some terrible accusations.”

”They finally wore down even the good-natured commander, and the man was set to be executed.”

Emilia suddenly raised a hand, stopping him before he could continue.

”Wait...”

”What accusation?”

Tino frowned, clearly irritated just remembering it.

”He started saying some rubbish about how the commander wanted to steal their squad leader’s beautiful wife.”

”And when she rejected him... he supposedly sent the whole squad to die.”

He scrunched up his weathered face in disgust.

”I could understand believing that if it were any other noble.”

”But Godric Ravenscroft?”

He shook his head firmly.

”Never.”

”He just wasn’t that type of man.”

Emilia felt her fingers tremble ever so slightly.

Was this the secret Godric had been hiding?

But...

How did it connect to Amon?

”The man... who was he?”

”Or tell me the woman’s name.”

Tino closed his eyes, trying to force the memories back.

It had been years.

He remembered how beautiful the woman had been...

...but not her name.

”Everyone just called her Vice Squad Leader.”

”She rarely took off her helmet.”

”All I really remember is her beautiful golden hair.”

He scratched his beard thoughtfully.

”Understandably.”

”If I had a wife that beautiful, I wouldn’t want wandering nobles seeing her face during a military campaign either.”

He shrugged.

”So I could see why that soldier made the accusation.”

”It sounded believable.”

”Then what was the name of the man who survived?” Terra asked quietly.

”He was eventually released by the Seras Blade through a military order.”

Tino rubbed the back of his neck.

”But instead of being executed, he was disgracefully discharged.”

”His name was Linga Felt.”

”Linga Felt...” Emilia repeated softly, committing the name to memory.

”Where is he now?”

”Where can I find him?”

Tino spread his hands helplessly.

”Don’t know.”

”Probably dead.”

”He had some pretty nasty wounds.”

”Hard to make a living like that.”

”And I’m pretty sure someone like him wouldn’t have found work anywhere in the Empire.”

Abellona gave a small nod before reaching into her storage ring.

She pulled out a high-quality potion and held it out to him.

”Drink this.”

”It will regenerate your body.”

Tino stared blankly at the crystal vial in disbelief.

Before he could react, Abellona folded her arms behind her back.

”I would like to invite you to join the Imperial Forces once more.”

”You will receive a special recommendation from me.”

”In return...”

”You will help us find Linga Felt.”

Terra nodded in agreement.

”You can start by giving us a proper description of the man.”

”And in the meantime... we should investigate this Noctis person.”

She looked back toward Tino.

”Right.”

”What was his last name?”

Tino scratched his head, squeezing his eyes shut as he searched his fading memories.

”Ray...”

”Yes... that was his name.”

He hesitated.

”Or maybe... Grey...”

He frowned harder.

”Hmm...”

”No... I think it was Ray.”

”Definitely Ray.”

”Noctis Ray.”

Terra exchanged a glance with Abellona before looking back at him.

”You’re not sure, are you?”

Tino lowered his head in embarrassment.

”Forgive me, my lady.”

Terra let out a quiet sigh before waving her hand dismissively.

”Forget it.”

”We’ll find information on him ourselves.”

”You did say he was a former knight, didn’t you?”