Chapter 15: Side chapter 1
My name is Relt. I was a normal farmer from a village near the northern border of Slane Theocracy. My family wasn't rich or anything, but as farmers, we were well off. I also have a great friend, Varn. We met each other right after joining the military, which we did for completely different reasons. He was from a similar family to mine, but his financial situation wasn't stable at all, so in order to help his siblings, he joined the army since they were paying well. I, on the other hand, wanted to gather funds to marry a girl from the neighbourhood. We were always sweet with each other, and I was not dense enough not to notice the looks she was giving me.
Normally, joining the military is a stupid decision. The ongoing war with elves would cause anyone to be sent to the frontlines, and no amount of money is worth dying. Thankfully, due to our location and the current steady situation on the front, we were assigned to a garrison of the border with Re-Estize kingdom. The money is less than on active duty on a battlefront, but it is peaceful since Re-Estize has a lot of problems with the Baharuth Empire and, what I heard, an unstable internal situation.
Our responsibilities were steep. Patrolling the border area, exterminating monsters, conducting military drills combined with training, standing on garrison walls, and other things.
We stayed like that, performing our duty for a few months until it all changed. The officers and commanders decided to change into stolen armour of the Baharuth Empire and ride a village on Re-Estize territory. It seems they want a war to happen between those two kingdoms and use it for their own gains. Of course, we were ordered to keep quiet about it unless we wanted to get executed along with our families. Normally, I would not care much, but they ask to kill innocent humans and children. If it were elves or some other lower races, I would not even consider it to be anything wrong. But they are humans like us, and six great gods taught us that humans are superior to any other race, so why should we kill each other when there are plenty of enemies around?
The good thing is that Varn is of a similar opinion to me, while the bad thing is that almost everyone else thinks that Re-Estize citizens are heretics for worshipping other gods and deserve it. Due to that, we decided to keep silent and not try to stop it by being vocal about our opinions. We might be worshipping six great gods, but we are not monsters to kill innocent humans. With that, We started to silently wish for it to end quickly.
During the travel, I overheard that we were just bait and that we were massacring a village to lure out the chief warrior of the kingdom for the mages to kill him. Then, some survivors will think it was the empire that did that, which will, without a doubt, lead towards war. A tragic fate mostly for the civilians I sympathise with as a villager myself, but as much as I do, I still am a soldier of a theocracy.
We were assigned a new commander of the squad. A typical noble brat who thinks that everyone is below him and that every problem can be solved with money.
So we went with the plan. Changed into full plate armour that could be easily identified as the empire equipment and, in an easily seen way, got into the village. We didn't circle the whole settlement since we wanted some of the villagers to run away and tell the tale.
As soon as we got there, the chaos ensured. People were trying to run away and shield their loved ones with their bodies and pitchforks. Houses started burning, and blood was spilled, painting the ground in crimson. I couldn't help but think, what if it was my home and family instead.
I noticed my friend despite the armour and helmet that covered his face. We nodded at each other and went after survivors that is running without any other 'knight' to follow them. It were two little girls.
I hoped for them to run fast enough so that when they are out of reach, we can help them run or let them get away on purpose. My hopes were unheard, due to the older girl having to carry the younger one and being smaller than an adult. We reached her easily, even when trying to be as slow as possible while not making it suspicious so that our 'comrades' might not realise.
I had no other choice; I sliced her back with my sword, drawing a gash on it. She yelped in pain but kept running away. Thankfully, after that, we got into the forest and were out of sight. I sighed in relief and noticed the girl trip over on the side.
'Now we can help her without anyone finding out.' That were my thoughts at the time. Deciding to bandage the girl and show her a direction to another settlement nearby while hoping for her safety. When I got close, she started trembling and shielded the little one with her own body. I tired to calm her down, but she was not listening to me, I didn't have much time so I bent down to grab her and take care of the would on her back.
Before I could do that, I was startled by my friend's voice.
"What is that?!"
He shouted, making me now look at the purple circle floating right in front of us with spinning purple energy. All of us, including the girls, just stayed without moving, as if something was stopping our bodies from reacting. It lasted for a few dozen seconds until a figure went out of the circle. Dressed in elaborate and greatly designed robes, a skeleton of huge posture came. Radiating power that even someone completely ignorant of magic and its wonders could recognise.
"A monster!"
I heard my friend shout. The skeleton stretched his hand and closed it; at that gesture, by unknown means, Varn made out a choking sound, coughing blood before falling to the ground dead. I didn't wait, running away in an instant. Unfortunately, it wasn't easy since the caster made a lightning bolt that went towards me.
Then everything went black.
Once I regined my sight at first I noticed my comrade standing right next to me looking as confused as I did. We were both dressed in some weird white robes of a desgin I have never seen. Around us was a busy street filled with people who doesn't seem to care about us appearing here along with buildings made in style never seen or heard by me before. I might have been just a farmer, but I was well enough to have some basic education.
Before I even formed any idea, my friend went off to talk with a random pedestrian. To not bother the people around, I decided to wait for him to finish. He came back with news, obviously not even knowing anything.
"They said that we died and we are in some sort of afterlife. They called it 'Soul Society'."
My thoughts halted, and my eyes widened. Isn't that one of the 'false' religions practised in other countries? Other than that, isn't one of the most influential religions?
No, it's not possible. Our faith is the only correct one, and all others are lies. It's most likely an illusion made by that monster to confuse us. Yes, that must be it.
Deciding not to inform my comrade what was going on to not make him tense or panicked, we went to see the perimeter. With each passing minute, I was getting more and more worried since no illusion should have this kind of detail or time of effect. It took us around half an hour until, while passing by a local tavern of some sort, we were stopped by someone.
"Hey, you two. You seem to be new around."
It was an orange-haired beauty with a big... flask of alcohol. Yes, that's what I was thinking. Nothing else.
She wears an outfit similar to ours but black, and she has a sword in a scabbard at her hip. Oblivious to the situation, my friend doesn't really care and just goes up to her.
"Oh, hello. Do you know where we are? We were fighting some terrible monster and now appeared here."
She was shocked and took us somewhere else. I didn't oppose since I didn't know the place, and she had a weapon while I didn't. In the end, we appeared in some kind of room with a mean-looking girl with short black hair in a similar outfit to the girl before. She asked us some questions and interrogated us, but what I found weird was that despite everything, it was way better than any interrogation I had heard about. We had some snacks to eat and were sitting on chairs in a normal room.
After a little bit another person had come and dear gods I almost got a heart attack. Even Varn finally realised where we are and got tense.
A tall being sat in front of us and started speaking with a voice that was both regal and soft.
"Let's start. Who are you, and how did you die?"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Zeren
Zeren I launched a patreon page. Mostly because I have chapters already written ahead, but am not realeasing them all to have an acruall schedule. Decided to do that because maybe there will be someone crazy enough to help me out.
patreon.com /Erleth
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