Chapter 136 - Aftermath Of The Battle
A few hours after the battle Hilda finally regained consciousness. As she sat up from the bed, the first thing she saw upon waking up was Valdel's face.
"What happened?" After asking Valdel that question memories of before she fainted came back to her. She remembered the moment Ren entered the battle and that she was near death. Hilda looked at her body and saw that there were no wounds on her.
"What happened?" Hilda once again asked this time really looking confused. Valdel sighed as he told Hilda everything that transpired after she fainted, from how Ren saved her to how Ren defeated Alfred. Once Hilda heard everything Valdel said she immediately stood up. She slipped a bit but Valdel was able to catch her on time.
"You need to rest," Valdel was guiding Hilda back to bed, but Hilda pushed him aside and started running.
...
The moment Hilda exited the building she noticed that she was in the knight's barracks which was near the walls. The first thing she heard as she started running towards her home were screams of agony. She could hear people crying, she could see people wailing all around.
"Where's my husband? Why isn't he here? Where did you hide him?"
"I'm sorry but like I said your husband is gone."
"That's not funny! My husband can't be dead, he promised me! He promised he will come back! He told me that he'll come back!" The woman started to pound the knight's chest.
...
A little kid was looking around and his mother was holding his hand tightly.
"Mom, where's dad? I can't see him?" Hearing what her son said the mother started crying as she embraced her son.
"It's alright mom... Don't cry, don't cry." The child didn't know what to do as his mother cried even harder when he tried comforting her.
...
A mother was holding the sword of her son that was handed to her by a knight.
"You see what happens if you don't listen to your mother. I told you becoming an adventurer will be the death of you... See I told you this would happen... Why didn't you listen to me..." The mother then started crying as she held onto the sheath of the sword even tighter. It was as if she was holding her actual son.
She started to remember what her son kept on repeating when he was young.
"I'll become an adventurer mom! I'll become the greatest adventurer there ever was, and once I get rich I'll buy you the largest house in all of Grenton. I'll fill that house with lots of servants so you don't have to work anymore. I'm sure I'll become one, the greatest of them all!"
She remembered the smile he showed her full of confidence, full of hope. She worked night and day to buy him this sword and when she gave it to him he happily hugged her.
"Thanks, mom, with this sword you gave me my adventure begins! This sword will become famous all throughout the land."
She remembered all those times with him, but now there was nothing left of her son but this sword.
...
Numerous tragedies were unfolding as Hilda ran. Hearing the cries of the people made her even more anxious, as she stumbled about while running. It took her some time but she was finally able to reach her home. Yet the moment she got there she was frozen in place.
The door to her house was broken, and she could smell the stench of blood. As Hilda slowly approached the door she was trembling. She wanted to call for her sisters but she was too scared to even open her mouth. As she walked into her house every horrible thing that could possibly have happened flashed before her very eyes.
Each step she made became heavier and heavier. She wanted this all to be a simple nightmare and any moment now she'll be awoken by her two little sisters. Yet when she reached the door to the basement the stench of blood got even heavier.
The door to the basement which she reinforced was broken as well. She descended the staircase and the first thing she saw as she lit up the basement was a pool of blood. The moment Hilda saw so much blood she was about to faint, yet she pushed herself and tried her hardest to make her shaking legs move.
She then saw her mother facing the wall standing up. Her back was full of stab wounds it was amazing that she died standing up. Hilda then saw what her mother was covering. It was her two little sisters. She protected them...
Hilda quickly dashed towards her two little sisters' bodies and saw Karla grasping the sword Hilda gave her as she hugged Nina. Upon closer inspection, Hilda saw that Karla actually lost an arm but there was no blood flowing out of the stump, this meant that somebody healed it. The only one inside the house aside from Hilda that could use a cure spell was her mother. She then looked at her dead mother and couldn't help but tear up.
"So you were still in there mom... You were able to protect them." Hilda wiped away her tears as she carried her sisters and the body of her dead mother upstairs. She started to clean up her mother's wounds and when she did she saw that her mother was smiling.
Hilda then tried waking up her sisters but no matter what she did they wouldn't wake up. Hilda started to worry again as she checked their bodies and saw no other signs of injuries aside from Karla's missing hand. They were breathing normally, their hearts were beating, nothing seems out of place, yet they won't wake up.
"Hey Niki, Karla this isn't funny. Your big sis doesn't like this joke! You two better wake up before I get angry! Niki! Karla! Wake up! Please wake up!" Hilda shook the bodies of her little sisters, while snot and tears fell from her face.. Yet no matter what she did the two wouldn't wake up.