Way of the Knights

Chapter 890: Responsibilities

Raven left Luna resting in their private chambers.

He also informed their daughter that Luna’s out of her seclusion and is now resting. He knows that Vanessa missed her mom these days so he made sure to tell her how she’s doing.

As for the rest of the team, they’re resting too. But for Raven himself, he wasn’t done, not yet. He probably won’t be for long time.

He returned back to the throne room but instead of restarting with his research, he just closed his eyes and got immersed on his own thoughts.

Don’t get him wrong, he was glad that his wife and friends broke through and held enough power to protect themselves. However, due to some reasons, he couldn’t bring himself to feel genuinely happy for them.

This goes especially well for Mark and Luna.

Mark sacrificed his and his wife’s future chance of having another child just to do his part at the upcoming war.

Luna was chosen to be the host of a budding Divine Realm.

None of this really made him happy. He didn’t want them to make this much sacrifice but they took it anyways.

He didn’t take this as a sign that they were losing faith in him, that they didn’t believe Raven’s ability to protect and save them when time comes.

Raven just didn’t like the fact that they have to go this far, willingly making great sacrifices, just so that they can help him. He didn’t want them to do that but they did anyways, and it’s probably Raven’s fault since they saw him as a role-model.

He really can’t say much about it either, that’d be hypocritical of him. He wasn’t the only one who can make sacrifices for the sake of the greater good, he himself said that protecting their home is a responsibility shared amongst them.

They could sacrifice some things too in order to help. Raven just didn’t want them to do that.

In a sense, that kind of defeats the purpose of why sacrificed his personal matters in the first place. He did it so that they won’t have to. Yet at the end, they still did.

The worst part of it all is that, Raven didn’t like the signs that’s being given to him.

Especially the part where the Heavenly Law Order did a pre-emptive move and ensured its continuity by placing its Origin Seed for his wife to nurture.

This might sound like paranoia speaking but this tells him that the Heavenly Law Order itself knew that it’ll be in danger for the upcoming war. It is threatened to the point where it needed to make sure it will continue to exist which is why this plan was hatched this early.

Its as if the Heavenly Law Order doesn’t believe that Humanity’s efforts wouldn’t be enough to ensure its safety that it had to take matters in its own hand.

That’s somewhat insulting.

Raven worked his ass off to make sure that their preparations were ready ahead of time. He risked his life multiple times, sacrificed many things in order to ensure that his home will have a decent chance at survival yet his efforts weren’t to the Order’s satisfaction?

Is it really this demanding? Does it even have the right to be this demanding?

Well, for the most part, this is what concerned Raven the most.

He really couldn’t blame the Order for taking action. If he’s on the position, he’d probably do the same, probably do even more just in case. He also didn’t need to confront it to demand answers, he could somehow guess it on his own.

Its not like the Order doesn’t appreciate their efforts. It just did this just in case. A back-up plan, more likely. Just to be sure that if, and only if, the situation gets dire and their fears turned out to be true, it’s life wouldn’t be cut short and it can exist in a different setting.

It makes it even more difficult for him to blame it when he knew that he himself would do something like this is he was on the same position.

This is why instead of demanding answers from the Order, he just returned to the throne room to calm himself down.

He needed to be here anyways since he needs to concentrate.

Like he mentioned to them earlier, what’s done is done. He can’t undo their actions. Even if he could, he has to respect their choices and they’d probably do it all over again so it’ll be useless.

What he could do instead is to make sure that their sacrifices don’t go to waste. Even if the signs told him that this war is going to be really tragic, that doesn’t really give him or them any other options. They will still have to confront it eventually.

The smartest thing to do is to make sure to prepare as much as they could.

Nobody, not even Raven himself, knows how much time they have left. They could be here later today or a century later. Either way, the only thing left for them to do, is to make sure that they’re well prepared.

“…he was upset, wasn’t he.”

“He didn’t look like he was, but knowing him for so long, I know that he is. I feel bad but it has to be done. He knows it too.”

Mark and Anne were still awake. They lied down on their bed, trying to rest but their thoughts made it a bit difficult to do so.

Right now, their Divinities are sealed. Otherwise, they won’t even be able to be this close to each other.

“We gotta be strong.” Anne whispered while her head is buried on Mark’s chest.

Mark caressed his wife’s hair and hummed in affirmation.

He didn’t even say anything when he felt his shirt getting wet due to her tears.

Mark knows. Raven wasn’t the only one who’s upset with this. Both of them do too.

They’re probably in position to be sad since they were the ones who decided to do this but it can’t really be helped.

For the safety of their people and their family…

To achieve their dreams of everlasting peace…

Sacrifices must be made.

Both of them understands this.

For Mark, he felt the call of the Crimson Death a long time ago. It’s no coincidence that he managed to tame the Crimson Lightning in the first place.

Anne knows this for a long time now, and this is probably the only secret they didn’t tell to their friends. The two of them don’t even talk about it that much to begin with but for Mark, there’s no way he could just ignore its calls.

When their seclusion started, that’s when the call became louder. He was already anticipating this to be the case so he talked to Anne before it all happened.

It was a difficult topic for the two.

Both of them didn’t want to do it but they also know that its needed. They had a small fight over it but in the end, they made the sacrifice. They both agreed that they won’t blame each other or anyone for this but it just very hard for them…

Mark could still remember his promise to give Anne a big and happy family. Now he feels ashamed since he only managed to give her one child and that’s about it.

Both of them also knew that Jeanne would love to have a little sister or brother. Sadly, that’s very unlikely to happen now.

How would they even tell her about this? Could they even tell her in the first place?

It’s just so difficult.

He probably would’ve liked it even better if Anne decided to blame him for everything but she didn’t.

She can’t.

They could only act that they’re not affected by this at the surface. Both of them knew that deep down, they were really affected. They’d feel this scar for a very long time.

All they could really do, is to make this sacrifice worth the price.

They have to be strong since if not them, who will?

“Raven wouldn’t tell Vanessa about this wouldn’t he?” Anne asked. “Cause he did, Jeanne would probably hear about it too. I’m not ready to tell her just yet. I don’t even know when I’ll be ready to be completely honest.”

“He wouldn’t do that.” Mark replied to her with a firm belief in his voice. “At most, he’d probably urge us to tell Jeanne but chances of that happening is low in itself so no need to even mention about him overstepping his boundaries.”

“He’ll leave that choice to us.” Mark added, “He gets it. He understands why we did it in the first place. I’m sure he knows how to keep his thoughts to himself.”

“That’s good.” Anne nodded and tightened her hold on his body, seemingly afraid of letting go as if he’s going to leave her too.

Mark didn’t say anything and just quietly returned the embrace. He closed his eyes and tried his best to keep his mind out of it.

What’s done is done. No turning back. They made a decision and that’s final. As adults, they have to be responsible for their actions and that’s precisely what they’re trying to do right now.

It’ll be difficult, but they’ll move-on from this.

Mark knows they would…

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