Chapter One: The Exile
1476 — The City of Moni
The bells of Moni rang with the first light of dawn, their solemn echoes drifting over stone rooftops and narrow streets worn smooth by generations of footsteps. Merchants were already arranging their stalls, children chased one another through the market, and priests in white robes wandered the streets with incense, blessing anyone willing to kneel.
To the people of Moni, faith was as common as breathing.
To one young man...
It was nothing more than another story.
---
Eren sat alone in a quiet tavern near the city square, lazily swirling the last sip of ale inside a wooden mug. His brown hair was slightly untidy, his clothes plain and worn from travel, and his expression carried the unmistakable look of someone who had long since stopped expecting life to surprise him.
The tavern keeper wiped a glass with a cloth before glancing toward him.
"Are you planning to sit there all day?"
Eren didn't even look up.
"Maybe."
"Don't you have work?"
Eren let out a quiet laugh.
"Work..."
He stared into the mug as though it might contain the answer.
"I'm not even sure I have one anymore."
The tavern keeper crossed his arms.
"What about those books you used to write?"
"They banned every one of them."
"They were an insult to our traditions."
Eren finally raised his eyes.
"They were stories."
"They questioned our beliefs."
"They questioned ideas."
The old man frowned.
"Same thing."
Eren leaned back in his chair.
"I never forced anyone to read them. People bought them because they enjoyed them."
His smile faded.
"The moment I said I didn't believe in your gods..."
"...suddenly I became the enemy."
The tavern keeper sighed.
"I never heard what sentence they gave you."
"If they gave you one..."
"...perhaps it was for everyone's good."
For a brief moment, silence settled between them.
Then...
The tavern door burst open.
Three men dressed in long black robes entered without saying a word.
Conversations throughout the room stopped instantly.
Every eye turned toward Eren.
The three strangers walked directly to his table.
Eren looked up at them with mild annoyance.
"What now?"
He sighed.
"Did that old man gather you from the desert or something?"
"I assume the High Priest sent you."
One of the men spoke.
"The High Priest requests your presence at the temple."
Another reached toward Eren's shoulder.
Before he could touch him...
Eren calmly raised one hand.
"No need."
He stood up.
"I'll walk."
---
The streets were unusually quiet.
People stepped aside as they passed.
Some whispered.
Others stared openly.
Several looked at him with disgust.
A woman pulled her child closer.
An old man spat onto the ground.
Eren kept walking.
As if none of it mattered.
The Temple of Moni stood at the highest point of the city, its marble pillars disappearing into the morning mist.
The great doors opened.
Inside waited the High Priest.
An elderly man clothed in spotless white robes.
The three guards escorted Eren inside.
The priest lifted one hand.
"Leave us."
Without hesitation, the guards obeyed.
Heavy doors closed behind them.
Only silence remained.
The priest slowly approached.
"Eren Ador..."
His voice was calm.
"You are to leave this city."
"...Forever."
"This judgment has been passed because you insisted on speaking about matters that do not concern you."
Eren blinked.
"That's it?"
He laughed.
"No trial?"
"No debate?"
"No chance to defend myself?"
The priest remained silent.
Eren took a slow step closer.
"You know what's amusing?"
"I never hated your religion."
"I only asked questions."
Still...
No answer.
Eren's smile became sharper.
"You preach about merciful gods."
"You tell children they're protected."
His eyes narrowed.
"Then where are those gods when monsters drag children into the forest?"
"Where are they when villages disappear overnight?"
"When people beg for miracles..."
"...why is the only answer silence?"
The priest's expression did not change.
Not a single word left his lips.
At last...
He slowly raised his hand.
The temple doors opened once more.
The guards returned.
"It's over," the priest said quietly.
"Escort him beyond the city walls."
---
Minutes later...
Eren landed face-first in the dirt outside Moni.
The massive wooden gates slammed shut behind him.
One of the guards looked down from above.
"If you return..."
"...we'll cut off your head."
Dusting off his clothes, Eren muttered,
"As if I'd ever want to come back."
He looked once at the towering walls behind him.
"What a lifeless city."
Turning away, he began walking down the lonely road.
He had no destination.
No family waiting for him.
No place to call home.
Only the road stretched endlessly ahead.
Then—
"Hey!"
A young voice echoed from somewhere above.
Eren stopped.
He looked around before finally raising his head.
A young man, seemingly around twenty-three years old, was awkwardly trapped among the thick branches of a massive oak tree. His clothes were dusty, one sleeve was torn, and despite the ridiculous situation, he wore an almost embarrassingly cheerful smile.
He waved both hands enthusiastically.
"Excuse me!"
"Would you mind helping me get down?"
Eren stared at him for a long moment.
"...How exactly did you end up there?"
The young man scratched the back of his head with an awkward grin.
"That's..."
"...a very long story."
