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I ride along on my steed, breathing a sigh of relief when I see the gates of Ober-Getzenberg.
“Frederick!” A friend of mine calls out, “Glad you made it back in one piece.”
I nod, “Thanks, friend.”
I get off my horse, and lead him through the streets. They’re crowded, but the moment anyone sees my armor, they step out of my way. I don’t like to abuse my status as a knight…but in cases like these, I do.
I see the manor as I approach, and relax. The stable boy notices me, and runs up to me. “Herr Schtauffen!” he calls.
“Guten tag, Junge. Can you take Skinfaxi to the stables? I have important business to attend to.”
The stableboy takes the reins of Skinfaxi and leads him away. We can’t afford many staff, but the boy loves horses, so we let him help in the stable. Not without pay of course, though he does ask for a lot. If rumor is true, his family moved from Ostrhinesberg to here recently, spending nearly all their reichsthaler to afford a house and bring their belongings. I’ve heard of instability in Ostrhinesberg, so I wonder if they saw the signs and took flight before it got worse.
Entering the manor, I head immediately to my room, taking my armor off. It’s loud enough that I hear the steps of a certain child arriving at my door, rapping it loudly.
“Vater?” Siegfried calls.
I grin as I open the door, “Mein sohn, it is I.”
He lunges at me with a hug, nearly knocking me over. “Ah! Siggy, you are growing bigger and bigger each day– and stronger, too!” I hold him in my arms. “I shouldn’t be surprised though, given it’s your birthday!”
Siegfried smiles wide at me, and I notice how dirty his blonde hair is. “One day, maybe I’ll even surpass you, vater!” His voice is full of confidence, perhaps too much. But he’s still a boy, so I brush it off.
“I’m sure you will, mein sohn. Now, go clean up before dinner, mutter is cooking something wonderful I’m sure.” I can already smell Margaret’s cooking, and it fills me with joy.
“Hmm…No!” Siegfried protests with a grin, “I want to duel, first!”
“Well…” The clock showed it was still early, around four in the afternoon… “Maybe just one duel.”
Siegfried cheers, and runs into his room. I head to the “barracks”– really just a spare room where I stash my equipment– and place my armor in it. It’s dusty and cold, not even worth starting the fireplace for. I open the window, letting some of the fading sunlight in, and reach for the wood sword. I don’t grab Siegfried’s however, since I have his gift.
He meets me in the barracks, and I open the back door for him. The backyard is composed of a small training ground and a small garden we all tend together. Siegfried runs up to a training dummy and punches it– below the belt.
“Siegfried, what did I tell you about honor?” I ask, crossing my arms.
“...sorry, vater…” he says, his shoulders falling forward.
“It’s fine, you are still learning, after all.” I approach him, “Such an honorable knight already, however– apologizing without fuss! It appears you are worthy of this blade after all,” I pull out a wooded zweihander from behind me, and offer it to him while I kneel.
His eyes go wide, and he takes the zweihander slowly with only one hand. It’s too heavy for him, so he nearly falls to the ground.
“Careful now. It needs both hands, not just one.”
Siegfried nods, and grabs the wooden hilt with both of his small hands. He lifts it up, then slashes down. He does it again, and again, hesitating a moment, then raises it quickly.
“Very good–”
He swings it around himself wildly, raising it in the air, and it nearly hits me in the head, with me narrowly dodging it due to my training.
“Perhaps not so wild, Siegfried!”
He tilts his head, “But it’s so cool!”
“Still, you should be careful. Such power must be handled with a knight’s code of honor.”
Siegfried nods, slightly reluctant. “Can we duel now?”
“Yes yes, we can–” I answer, and grip my wooden sword. “A happy birthday duel for you, mein sohn.”
***
Fifteen or so years later…
“Herr Schtauffen?” The carriage driver asks me. “We’re here.”
I reach for Requiem, “Danke,” I say quietly. I step out of the carriage, adjusting my cloak so it doesn’t get stuck. I adjust the amethyst pining it absent mindedly, as I always do when I feel Soul Edge calling to me.
I stare at the ruins of the manor, wondering why they never gave it to another knight and his family. Did they know what I did to vater, and thus thought the very building itself was cursed?
I’m not sure if I can even enter it, or if I’ll break some law, so I simply stare at it. All the memories, all the birthdays…
I blink tears away.