chapter_0007

7 – Into the Storm

7 – Into the Storm

Aron, the son of Baron, was bored.

The reason was the storm.

A few days ago, news had come that a storm was approaching, and the whole town began preparing for it.

Aron, along with his friends, secured the school building with ropes and cloth to prevent it from flying away, and then helped his mother at home to make sure their house was also secured with ropes.

After that, he huddled with his friends in the shelter.

It was deemed too dangerous for children to be outside, so only the adults continued with the storm preparations.

While playing with a ball made from a pig’s bladder in the shelter, the door suddenly swung open.

Bang!

“Ugh!!! You scared me!!!”

“Hey? Where have you been, Nibel?”

There stood Nibel, a friend drenched from the rain.

Nibel approached the children with a confident smile.

“Hey! From today on, you must call me Lord Nibel!!”

With an air of confidence, Nibel showed Aron and his friends what he held in his hand.

There were small stones that shone like blue jewels, known as ‘Interpretation.’

“Is this… Interpretation!?”

“Wow!! Nibel!!! Where did you get this!?”

“Where else? I found it at the sea! Hehe.”

‘Interpretation’

It was a rare gem that could occasionally be found on the stormy shores of Cron.

The children were amazed and fascinated that Nibel had brought back a gem they had only heard about.

Aron, who had heard that one of these could feed a family bacon for a whole year, asked Nibel.

“Nibel! Can I find this if I go to the sea too?”

“You could find it at the beach, but… you scaredy-cats would have a hard time. Hehe.”

Nibel looked out the door of the shelter.

Outside, the storm was raging with tremendous rain and wind.

The expressions of most children turned gloomy, realizing it was not a situation they could go out in.

However, only Aron was staring out at the stormy door.

After a moment, Aron made a decision.

The storm arrived in the territory.

Gray rain clouds overturned the sky, pouring water like crazy, and a powerful wind began to whip through the territory, strong enough to blow rocks away.

Even with Calix’s memories, it was truly chaotic.

It reminded him of when he experienced Typhoon Maemi in his past life.

It was really chaotic…

Whoosh!!!!

“Lord! It’s getting dangerous now! We should head inside the castle!”

I was taking one last look around the territory to confirm any potential situations.

Only Hart, the steward, Ricain, the knight, and Noah, the advisor, were following me through the storm.

Hart, being older, insisted on following me out of concern, and he truly looked weary from the storm.

Just as I thought it was about time to head back to the castle, I began to see the nobles in the distance.

“Aron!!!”

“Aron!!!! Little one!!!!”

Nobles who should have been in the shelter began to emerge one by one, calling out names.

Feeling a chill run down my spine, I rode closer.

“What’s going on? Why are you out here instead of in the shelter!!”

“Well, it’s… so…”

Upon my appearance, a man who seemed to be one of our territory’s workers looked flustered.

At that moment, a woman who appeared to be his wife grabbed my pants with a desperate expression and shouted with a truly agonizing face.

“Aron!! Our son is missing!!”

“What!?”

It was the voice of a mother filled with terror.

Her one sentence was enough.

Understanding the situation, I shouted.

“Hart!!! Release everyone who can move!!”

“R-Right now!?”

“When else will I tell you to release them!!! Hurry up!!”

The worst thing I had feared had happened.

Damn!!

I ordered Hart and Ricain to gather the workers and knights to search for the child, then turned my horse around.

“Lord! Where are you going!?”

“I’ll head to the beach first just in case!! Giddy up!!!!”

“Lord! It’s dangerous!! Lord!!!!”

I ran towards the beach, recalling bad memories.

At that moment on the beach,

Aron was fighting for his life in the storm.

“Just a little… just a little… more…”

Taking advantage of the moment when the adults in the shelter were distracted, Aron secretly left the shelter and headed for the beach.

Though it felt like he might be blown away by the storm, he could still walk well enough, and Aron ran towards the beach that Nibel had told him about.

There, he saw the blue gem known as Interpretation glimmering in the gray sea.

To catch the gem that seemed to be just about to wash ashore, Aron waded into the water up to his waist.

The waves were strong, but he could hold on.

If he could just grab that gem and return to the shelter like Nibel, he would gain recognition from his friends and be a help to his family.

Thinking that way, he stretched out his hand one last time…

Swoosh!!!!!

“Ahhhhh!!!!!”

A wave twice his size suddenly swept Aron away.

In an instant, Aron didn’t know what had happened.

He simply couldn’t breathe suddenly,

And the whole world began to turn upside down, shaking him.

In his increasingly blurry consciousness…

Aron was just… scared.

I had a younger sibling.

Four years younger than me, he spoke and walked quickly for his age.

Thanks to that, my younger sibling grew up receiving a lot of love from the family.

I still remember.

He would follow me around saying, “Big brother, big brother,” and his waddling gait was so cute that I would run ahead on purpose to tease him into chasing me.

I remember getting scolded by my mom when he fell down.

It was on the day the storm came.

Our family lived close to the sea.

My father was late returning from fishing, and my mother, worried about him, went to the beach.

Concerned for my mother, I warned my younger sibling not to leave the house and went to find her at the beach.

I thought that would be fine.

My younger sibling was now four years old, understood well, and knew that the outside was dangerous.

So, I felt reassured leaving him alone at home and ran after my mother to the beach.

And that day…

My younger sibling disappeared into the waves.

“Giddy up! Giddy up!!”

I spurred my horse and quickly arrived at the beach, which was devoid of any signs of life.

Only the rough wind and waves, and the gray waves and sea were visible.

But there, I saw a blue light.

“Gasp! Gasp!!”

From quite a distance in the sea, a child was struggling.

“Little one!! Stay strong!! Little one!!!”

“Gasp! Hah! Gasp!!”

The little one seemed not to hear my words, just flailing desperately to survive.

Each time, the blue gem in his hand appeared and disappeared.

The sea was speaking to me.

This little one’s life was running out…

“……………”

The younger sibling who disappeared into the waves that day returned as a cold doll.

His hands and feet were as cold as ice, and no matter how much I called, he didn’t respond.

Even if I offered him the toy he had wanted for so long…

Even if I offered him the candy I had saved to eat…

He didn’t respond.

I still vividly remember.

My father cried out.

My mother wailed.

That sound remains in my memory to this day.

But must I see such a sight again?

Must I see another child turn into a cold doll before my eyes?

If seeing such a sight again is the price of my past life…

It would be better to die here.

I took off my clothes.

And jumped into the sea.

Moments later, people arrived at the sea.

Hart, Noah, and Aron’s parents, along with all the able-bodied people of Cron, searched for Aron.

“Lord!!”

“Aron!! Little one!!!!”

Seeing Calix’s horse on the beach, Hart’s face turned pale.

Though the horse was visible, the lord, Calix, was nowhere to be seen.

Baron and his wife also looked pale.

“That’s…”

Their eyes caught sight of a single child’s shoe on the beach.

How could they forget?

It was Aron’s leather shoes that Baron had bought for him with his first two-month salary.

“No… no! No! No!!!!”

“Little one!!!! Little one!!!! No!! No!!!!!!!”

If a shoe was floating in the sea, it meant one thing.

And falling into the sea in this weather meant death.

Baron’s wife… Aron’s mother screamed and tried to run into the sea.

Baron, unable to lose his wife as well, held her back while crying out.

Everyone thought.

That Aron must be dead… that he had been swallowed by the sea… by the storm…

Thinking that way, though no one spoke, they were giving up.

At that moment, a miracle happened.

“What’s that…?”

The first to notice was Noah.

Something was shining, mixed with the gray on the beach.

It was familiar silver hair.

A silver figure emerged from the beach, holding something tightly in its arms.

It was Calix and Aron.

“Lord!!”

“Lord Calix!”

Seeing Calix, Hart and Noah rushed over.

Before either could say anything, Calix shouted.

“I’m fine! More importantly, get a doctor! Call a doctor!!”

Calix, who had come out of the beach, laid Aron down on the sand.

The child’s body was limp, and his eyes were closed.

“Please… please…”

Kneeling down, I checked Aron’s mouth.

There was no breath.

No consciousness.

But it was still… not too late.

I placed my palms together and laid them on the center of Aron’s chest.

Taking a deep breath, I calmly began compressions.

“One… two… three…”

I pressed down on his chest with precise and steady rhythm.

Each time the small, delicate ribcage was compressed, Calix’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

There was no room for error.

I had imagined it many times.

Practiced CPR countless times, regretting the tragedy of that day.

There was no way I could fail.

So, wake up, little one…

Wake up… wake up!!

“Cough!”

At that moment.

A small cough escaped.

And Aron’s body twitched weakly.

“Cough!! Cough!!!”

“Aron!? Aron!!!”

Aron turned his head and began to spit out seawater.

His breath started to return, rough but clear.

I paused for a moment, then cupped the child’s face with both hands.

I could definitely feel warmth.

The child was alive.

“Mom…?”

“Little one! Our little one!! Thank goodness!! If something happened to you!!”

Aron’s mother rushed towards him as he regained consciousness.

She touched his hands and feet repeatedly, checking if her baby was alive.

Baron, who had rushed over to confirm Aron’s safety, shed tears that were indistinguishable from rain.

And on the sandy beach, he bowed his head to Calix repeatedly.

“Thank you!!!! My lord!! Really…! Thank you so much!!!!”

Calix, feeling drained, watched the scene in a daze.

Then he quietly approached the now-conscious Aron.

Aron sat there, dazed, not knowing what was happening.

“I’m glad you’re alive, little one…”

Calix gently patted Aron’s head a few times.

And as he turned to leave, he seemed to sway as if losing strength.

Staggering.

“Lord!!”

Noah, closest to Calix, supported him.

His body was as cold as ice.

Had this person saved the child in such a state?

Noah couldn’t hide his astonishment and horror, and Calix spoke.

“I’m sorry, Noah… please help me.”

“Yes… my lord…”

With Noah’s help, Calix struggled to return.

Everyone gathered there that day witnessed.

Their lord’s figure…

His back as he walked weakly, as if about to collapse…

That sight was utterly powerless and shabby.

Yet, it was also incredibly noble and beautiful.

“My lord…”

“My lord…”

And at that moment, without anyone instructing them, one by one, people began to kneel.

They didn’t even know why.

They just felt that they had to do so.

Looking directly at him felt like committing a sin for a lifetime.

The people of Cron had lost something to the storm, big or small.

And they thought it was only natural.

Because they had learned that was the life of powerless people living day by day.

But today, that changed.

They learned from that young lord that it was not something to be taken for granted, that there were things precious enough to risk their lives for.

That day…

The people of Cron were saved by him.

A word from the author (Author’s note)

I believe that what determines a person’s greatness is not ‘great ability’ but ‘great action.’

Thank you for reading today!!!!