Accompanied by the Land of Dawn

"**Accompanied by the Land of Dawn**" is a three-chapter side story for the hero Tigreal. The side story also explains his weapon change from longsword to hammer.

## One

As the patron saint of the Moniyan Empire, Tigreal rarely shows such a fragile and impatient side: with his face heavy, his wild horse runs speedily across the open wilderness as he wields his longsword indiscriminately, cutting away anything that might get in his way. Compared to how calm and composed he was standing in front of the Army of the Abyss, Tigreal at this moment was so panicked he could hardly grasp the reins.

His uncle was close to dying.

The generals of the guards who resisted the Land of Despair for the sake of the Moniyan Empire went to the frontiers for the family and guarded their honor; and Uncle Eckert, who personally taught Tigreal how to fight, is on the cusp of death. After receiving the message from a carrier pigeon, Tigreal rode day and night, exhausting two horses, just to get to his uncle who loved him the most as soon as possible.

The southern part of the empire has a large wilderness. His uncle left home at a young age and led the army of the Moniyan Empire, where he was stationed in this wilderness.

He made it in time – just as he had countless times in battle. This knight commander, the youngest in the empire, is always able to get what he wants. But as he stood in front of Eckert's bed, Tigreal looked at this middle-aged man who could once lift him above his head with one hand. His dear uncle Eckert, weathered by the Abyss and war and his face wrinkled, lay there dying.

"My child, you are here." Eckert appeared elated when he saw Tigreal. His voice was old and slow, but his eyes still held the glory of a former Guardian Border Guard general. He sat up with Tigreal's help and leaned against the bed.

Eckert saw the longsword in Tigreal's hand, and a nostalgic smile appeared on his old face: "My child, you brought her to see her old partner."

"It's been so many years. It's so nice to see you."

Tigreal also smiled: "Yes, I couldn't even lift it up back then. It has saved my life many times over the years. Thank you for giving it to me, Eckert."

Tigreal placed the sword in Eckert's arms. Eckert slowly stroked his former partner, his eyes full of nostalgia.

"You still remember your first time on the battlefield? This sword also saved your life, my child."

Their eyes met on this weapon that had accompanied two generations, and the memories floated back to many years ago.

## Two

That was the closest battlefield of the Moniyan Empire to the Abyss, where Eckert was about to venture.

Tigreal, who was about to turn 16 years old, had finished his military training in the Lumina City and was about to join the Imperial Army. In the meantime, he had some free vacation time, which was hard to come by. Eckert always loved his little nephew, so he determined to take him to the battlefield to get a feel for it before he was officially enlisted in the army.

Before going there, Eckert untied his longsword and tied it to Tigreal's back: "Let my friend fight with you, Warrior Tigreal."

"Let the battlefield teach you how to become a man in my stead."

Little Tigreal took over the sword that he had longed for since he was a child, and set out on the road towards the battlefield with Eckert.

Wars always start off in high places like these. Unlike the repressive and majestic Lumina City, this was another world. Soldiers in the distance blew their horns, the sound fluttering in the wind, together with densely packed snowflakes, sprinkling to the ground. Amidst the sound of the drums of war, the cavalrymen raised their longswords together – just waiting for Eckert's order for the soldiers and officers to gather together and charge forward.

Everyone fought for the empire without hesitation, and Tigreal was among them. The growth of the young man started from the moment he swung his sword and tasted blood for the first time.

The horn of war sounded like a god-like giant, it came from the end of the vast sky, its steps into the world. Every step it went down, it rolled up the wind and blizzard that obscured the sky and blotted out the sun.

The sixteen-year-old Tigreal drew his longsword in the wind and snow and met war head-on for the first time. At first, he was a little nervous, but as Eckert roared forward bravely, he also became fearless.

When he was young, he already possessed the qualities of a good fighter – calm, steady and courageous with outstanding skills. His horse galloping, Tigreal cut down more and more demons. Victory gradually approached, and General Eckert, who had rushed to the front, turned around and whistled at his little nephew, applauding his bravery.

Tigreal was very happy when he received the praise. This was not the encouragement of an uncle to a nephew, but the approval of a soldier by the best general in the empire.

But his mood quickly fell back down again – Tigreal raised his eyes and looked at the pile of corpses as high as a hill lying horizontally on the field. These images and the bloody smell spreading in the air was something he was never trained for in the Lumina City.

War never gives people time to ponder the trifle things. A dying demon struck out with a final blow. His defenses down, Tigreal could only turn his body sideways instinctually, but his enemy's sword was faster than him – in this critical moment, the large sword scabbard on his back resisted the blow.

The sword cut a gap in the scabbard, but Tigreal survived and learned a valuable lesson. The battle was won as expected. It was Tigreal's first battle and his first victory.

The victory came from the Imperial Border Guard led by Eckert and a nephew and uncle who fought together.

Later, Tigreal wanted to return to the Lumina City to formally join the imperial army. Eckert, who was guarding the south, was unable to send anything long-distance, so he gave the sword to Tigreal."

"My boy, since I was thirteen, my friend has been fighting alongside me. Now we are going to part and I will give her to you. I will gradually get old and you will become the best general in the Moniyan Empire."

"This sword is for the best warrior in Moniyan." The energetic Eckert embraced his sixteen-year-old nephew: "The best general in Moniyan comes from our family."

"Go ahead, I'm proud of you."

## Three

The aged Eckert leaned on the bed. The years of war made the hero's face appear old and haggard. He apparently remembered these things, so he laughed happily.

"I never say anything wrong, do I? Tigreal."

Eckert declined Tigreal's support, and stood up gingerly: "Let's go out for a walk and see the wilderness. After being in the south for too long, I've almost forgotten what the Lumina City looks like."

Eckert struggled to hold the sword and walked forward. His condition was a lot better today, normally a patient who could only recuperate in bed, went out for a long walk with Tigreal.

They walked to a wheat field near the camp. It was a vast field with golden wheat ears swaying in the wind, half as tall as a person. They passed through the stalks of wheat and walked towards the center of the wheat field.

No one knew where the center of the wheat field was, just like no one knew when the war would end.

For thousands of years, Tigreal's family had continuously supplied military talents to the empire and guarded the country's safety for generations. Young people left their hometowns one by one, but rarely returned. Everyone gradually forgot what they looked like when they were young, but Tigreal always remembered the blond, young Eckert.

He remembered the knight Eckert who laughed riding his horse, the uncle Eckert who raised him above his head, he remembered Eckert, the protector of Moniyan, and he would remember this Eckert with his stooping back, holding his sword gingerly in the wheat field.

Eckert stopped in front of a small dirt pit. This was a pit the length of two men wide and one man deep, surrounded by wheat on all sides. Tigreal looked at it perplexed. There was a beautiful hammer lying in the pit, reflecting the luster of a good weapon, not the sort of thing one would expect to find in this place. Around it, there were some fallen wheat ears.

"This is the weapon I used after. It's a weapon I spent a lot of effort looking for after I gave you the sword." Eckert smiled and blinked: "It's very useful."

He sighed again: "It's a shame though that I don't have the strength to handle it any more. If you work it out, this hammer stayed with me longer than the sword. It accompanied me for a long time."

"I can't walk any further."

The two sat beside the dirt pit. It was getting late, the clouds were burnt bright red by the afterglow of the setting sun, and the sky glowed red. The shadows of uncle and nephew in the wheat field were dragged out by the setting sun.

"Tigreal, I am so proud of you." Eckert said suddenly.

As the leader of the Light’s Order, Tigreal was accustomed to receiving praise from many people, and also used to being insulted. But this was praise from the person he admired the most. He felt embarrassed to get up: "No, what I did is still not good enough."

"Back then, I was able to go to the Northern Vale.... I know that it was Eckert, who helped me from far away."

Eckert smiled: "I know you were sad back then. You were a good boy." He looked at the hammer in the pit: "When I was young, I used to think that everything in the world was either right or wrong, and I was the judge of justice. It was only later I learned that I wasn't omnipotent."

"No one is omnipotent. Tigreal, don't blame yourself. " Eckert tried his best to raise his hand and stroked his nephew's head: "Go to the Northern Vale and return to the Light’s Order. You made the right decision. You've grown up. I will always be proud of you. You're the best fighter in the Moniyan Empire."

“When I’m gone, just send me to the river next to the wheat field-let me float down the stream and enjoy the view that I will never get tired of.”

“And my hammer, my old buddy… You shall burry it here for me.”

"At first, I didn't know why I fought. Later, I thought this wheat field was very beautiful."

Eckert's voice gradually trailed off, his hands dropped and his head fell on Tigreal's shoulders. In his arms, he still held this sword – the sword that belonged to the young Eckert.

Tigreal lowered his head and remained silent. He kept his head bowed until the moon quietly replaced the burning clouds. He wiped his face, stood up, and took out the hammer that had accompanied Eckert to the end of his life. This was a good hammer: hard, direct, and indestructible. Tigreal tried to wield it a few times in silence, wanting to get the feeling Eckert would have had using it for the first time.

"Eckert, you're right. It really is a good weapon."

Tigreal did not bury the hammer. Instead, he tied the hammer behind his back, just like Eckert tied his sword behind his back years ago.

Tigreal picked up Eckert, and as Eckert wished, put him onto the wooden raft. Eckert rested on the middle of the stream. This would be the last time he enjoyed the company of the wheat field. The guardian of this land would soon set sail downstream.

At some point, Eckert's soldiers also appeared in the wheat field. The soldiers bowed their heads and stood silently on the outside of the wheat field and on the river banks, quietly watching their general take leave.

Tigreal did not draw the longsword from Eckert's arms.

"This belongs to you, Eckert." He leaned down and kissed Eckert's hands, and then kissed the longsword who had accompanied two generations:

"For the best warrior in Moniyan."