Rise of The Holy-Realm Rebel

Seinaru was more stubborn than his knightly sister; who had been adamant and unmoving about saving her only family.

Caeles tried his best, voicing as much reason as possible to an unfazed Seinaru. The entire matter ended up being postponed to the next day. A soldier had come looking for the red-haired man who worked at the stables, and contrary to his expectations, Caeles watched Seinaru give him up to the man.

The sun quickly set after that, and a rather lonely Seinaru could be seen sitting on a bench within the mansion's courts. He took in the evening breeze as thoughts flowed through his mind.

Heavy thoughts.

His patient waiting seemed to have come to an end, even if the whole procedure did not please him.

Thinking back to his encounter with the red-haired man; who's name he still didn't know, he recalled what had prompted him into speaking to him.

It was true he noticed the gaze of a seasoned fighter, but that distance had been much too significant for that 'gaze'' to carry any effect. Especially when the wielder of the gaze lacked the strength of an advancing 'Rebel'.

A certain nudging—he reckoned even a sort of voice, had been the real instrument of their encounter. Now it turned out to be for his good.

It felt too good to be true.

After all, what were the odds?

Taking in a deep breath to calm his racing mind, Seinaru continued to reveal a side of him most did not see. It had only taken sheer willpower to not be crushed by the weight of his situation. He was glad things were changing.

Still, the issue of Yarub's safety remained.

It wasn't that he hated the idea of leaving, but that he couldn't stomach the possibility of knowing they would suffer because of him.

It was on that note that he arose from his seat.

Much of Caeles's reasoning tried to shake him out of his conviction, but he refused. His willpower had seen new heights after nearly a year in captivity.

"Only a concrete plan can convince me," he concluded, leaving.

The rest of the night flew by in a flash, and by morning, he arose to his usual routine. Albeit still filled with thoughts from the day before.

Returning to the field five hours after sunrise, he did not find it surprising to see his sister's messenger already busy in the stables. Apparently, the escape plan was meant to commence at sundown the next day. He hoped this had changed.

Their gazes had crossed and he could see the new layer of determination within the man's black eyes.

That sight ended up sending tremors through Seinaru's conviction.

He shook himself out of it and plunged into sparring with the Empire's soldiers; which he deeply enjoyed. Unfortunately, Caeles's piercing gaze carried more weight than ever, and he found himself looking in his direction occasionally.

Annoying.

Yet, a portion of his heart leaped for joy at that reality. It meant they had cooked something up—Something indeed capable of relieving him of that great burden. He missed his sisters, but someone had to watch out for the Yukovians.

"Do you have anything new to tell me?" Seinaru asked trading blows with a determined Caeles. His dark eyes carried a calculative light that occasionally sent shivers down Seinaru's spine. Where in the world had his sister encountered such a person? The red-haired man was difficult to discern, despite his honesty.

"Eiko insists that we go on with the plan. She asked that you trusted her," Caeles responded, his left arm folded behind his back whilst his right arm did all the work. The clashing of their wooden swords resounded significantly, allowing for their conversation to remain discrete.

Disappointed by that response, Seinaru shook his head, opening his mouth to speak. "In that case, you should probably leave."

No words were spoken for a bit after that point since their swords did most of the talking now.

Moreover, Seinaru could sense the annoyance embedded in Caeles's swings. They were getting more precise, and violent. A frown was also evident on the rather defined features of the man before him.

The red-haired man looked as old as his sister, but his eyes somewhat spoke of advanced experience. Depth.

"I cannot do that," Caeles eventually announced, halting his arm to convey his growing displeasure. Did Seinaru not understand what was at stake?

"I can't return without proof of your cooperation."

"You will have—" Seinaru was cut short by Caeles's sudden movement.

Despite not being a novice in close combat—he watched in disbelief as Caeles's figure shifted forward, attaining a motion pattern that could only be considered inhuman.

Before his eyes could understand what had occurred, a solid blow crashed into his gut, knocking the air out of his lungs.

He gasped as bells rang in his mind, and even more shock befell him when he realized that his gaze shook violently.

How had the blow been that strong!?

Clutching his belly in a bid to alleviate the effect of the impact, he failed to notice when Caeles arrived behind him, before proceeding to slam the flat side of his wooden sword into the back of his knees.

Seinaru who already barely stood, crashed to the ground at that point, coughing out the saliva that hung in his throat.

He coughed violently.

Yet, he heard Caeles's words reach his ears clearly.

"We do not have time to argue back and forth on whether or not you will accept. Your sister is even more stubborn than you, and she's already decided to come here whether you like it or not."

"It's either you trust her methods and watch her rescue you, or you don't, and still watch her make a mess here. I already have a hard time dealing with her too." he sneered, his tone firm.

Vexed from how helpless he had been, but also from his disagreement, Seinaru spoke mid-cough.

"But!-" His voice had been louder than normal and his veins bulged from vexation, yet Caeles interjected.

"No, buts. Tomorrow by sundown we will be leaving this entire town. It'll end successfully, and there'll be no backlash."

"H-how?" Seinaru asked, regaining his composure enough to stand. Though he staggered.

Clenching his fist in a threatening gesture, Caeles responded, seriously pissed, "How, doesn't matter to you."

His only audience flinched, and he liked it.

"Good. Now, I want to wash myself. Those horses have a more violent belly than I expected."

Stunned and defeated, Seinaru did not know when he responded with a, "Yes big brother!"