System vs Rebirth

Rose started going around the village, finding all the bones and clothes lying on the ground. She picked them up and gathered them in one place. She didn't know whose remains they were, so she gathered all of them in the center so that they could build a simple memorial for all of them.

Unfortunately, there was no telling which one was her father. Rose felt dejected, but there was nothing she could do.

She ended up gathering everyone in that one tomb.

Noel was helping her by digging the soil for all of them, cutting some wood, and bringing some stones for the grave.

While paying his respect, Noel couldn't help but recall what happened in his parents' execution.

…

One year ago.

"Father, Mother!" Noel was running into the city's plaza while being chased by the soldiers the Royal Family had dispatched.

There was a wooden platform in the plaza. They only erected it when they were about to execute a dangerous criminal.

But this time, the ones kneeling on the platform were none other than his parents. Their appearance wasn't a mess. There were some wrinkles on their clothes, but they didn't seem to have been tortured.

The townspeople surrounded the platform. Most of them had sad expressions as if they didn't want this to happen. Some couldn't even bear to watch the execution.

It showed a lot about what kind of leader Luke Ardagan was. He was kind to people and his people loved him.

Yet, it didn't change his fate. He had to be executed.

hands and neck had been locked by wooden stocks and their feet had been chained to the platform, preventing

both wielding a sharp

a helmet, so no one could

while pushing away the people, trying to reach

him down, he got caught by the

and slammed his body to

Noel, the sole heir of the Ardagan Family, they couldn't help but slightly back away as if trying to

soldiers pinning him down, he couldn't do

"Start!"

no

and gave their best smiles as the sharp blades

in his heart. He had been doing everything at his own pace,

about them resurfaced in his

sadness, pain, and regret were swelling

The only thing Noel realized was the soldiers were dragging him away so that they could send him to

didn't know that those people were not his parents. The reason why they didn't say anything was to avoid making people notice the change in their voices. They might have

still recognized them as his parents

everything, he started to wonder what was happening at that time. Where were his parents? What

sense, Noel had some similarities with Rose. He couldn't help but take a few peeks at her

stopped and focused on

them a proper burial, Rose took a deep breath as