If Arthur was told that he was not the very first person to think about the oppressed non-human races, he would think it was some sort of joke. He had seen with his own eyes how deeply rooted this idea was in the minds of the people.
It was a systematic indoctrination of the highest levels and the fact there are people who defied it was quite surprising. From what he knew across history, it was a once-in-a-lifetime case where an individual would be able to escape the brainwashing and try to fight it back.
Yet, in an instance of ironic fate, Arthur had met someone who had tried the same thing he wanted to do. The boy almost wanted to laugh at how comical it sounded.
“Man…” He arched his neck back, staring at the dark sky with a wry smile. “Hahaha, this is really funny, isn’t it?”
“Funny?”
“I mean… You have been punished for trying to free those innocent people and the fact you’re here is your punishment. So, I actually am seeing where this path could lead me.” Arthur explained. “I could end up like you, Yonathan.”
The old man frowned visibly before he opened his mouth to speak, only to hesitate and decide to say something different. “Are you hesitating now? Seeing what I ended up experiencing. It is not an easy path to take.”
“No, I’m not hesitating. I’m just… laughing at this entire situation. I don’t fear what could happen, I’m simply focused on what I need to do and to do it right.”
“… You have one unique mind if I have ever seen one, child.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“Consider it as one.”
“Well, I appreciate it then.”
Saying that, Arthur stood up and looked at the old man with a calm expression. He still didn’t move on from the man’s backstory and what led him there in the first place. He only met Yonathan a few hours ago yet he could understand all his pain and struggle.
The poor old man was perhaps the saddest person he had ever met and the cruel part was that he was perhaps at the end of his lifespan and he can’t really change any of those regrets he has. So, essentially, he was bound to die while carrying all of them. It was perhaps the worst thing a person could experience.
“You’re a good man, Yonathan.” He said. “I had my suspicion before, but hearing your story, you have done a lot of good even when everything seemed to be going downhill rapidly. You bore the punishment of trying to be good… I can only respect that.”
The old man blinked confusedly, clearly taken aback by the boy’s kind words. Looking into his eyes, he could see that he meant every single word he said and it wasn’t just out of courtesy.
“… I’m not a good man, child. I have let my people die for naught.”
“This is something far beyond your control. If you are going to blame yourself for their deaths, aren’t you doing exactly the opposite of what they wished for?” Arthur asked.
“What… What do you want to say, child?” The old man frowned.
“I am saying exactly what I mean. I assume when your companions decided to leave and find a way out, they asked you to stay and lead the group in case they died. From what I can see, you have succeeded in keeping your people alive for years, Yonathan.” Arthur explained. “They look like they respect you greatly, and that doesn’t come out of nowhere. Only a good leader can gain such trust from his followers.”
“…”
The more Arthur talked, the more the old man’s eyes widened. It was like the boy was launching continuous attacks on his mind with no hesitation. However, even when he wanted to retort to that, he couldn’t find any good argument.
His people did love and admire him, even when they knew that their parents and grandparents were all dead and they would never see them. They saw in Yonathan that beacon of hope and that proof that this world wasn’t the only thing they would ever experience. Yonathan was the manifestation of their desire to leave that place and enter the outside world.
At that moment, the door to the shelter opened wide, and the people walked out one by one. They had heard the noise outside and were worried about the old man as he would never leave on his own unless there was someone with him.
“Don’t let your regrets make you believe that your life was for naught. You have done what you can to ensure these people have a chance to leave.” Arthur continued.
‘I gave them a chance to live?’ The man asked himself as he instinctively looked at the people. Even with their blind eyes, he could see the worry all over their faces. None of them seemed to have any anger or hatred toward Yonathan.
Seeing that as if it was the very first time ever for him, his hands started shaking. ‘How… How did I not realize this sooner?’ The man pursed his lips as he felt tears well up in his eyes. However, he stopped himself quickly from crying and looked down.
“This emptiness… This void within my heart will never go away, kid.” He replied to Arthur. “I have dedicated my life to raising these children so that they can at least know how to take care of themselves when I’m gone. This was my duty, never a favor.”
“Most cannot fulfill their duties, Yonathan. Especially things of this scale.” Arthur shook his head as he smiled. “Taking care of them and raising them the right way was perhaps your biggest success in life.”
For a moment there, Arthur saw the image of his grandmother flash before his eyes. The woman who raised him when his parents were never there. She was his mother and father, his caretaker, and everything else he would’ve had from his biological parents.
He could remember several times seeing his grandmother crying in secret at night, muttering something about his parents that he never understood. That was the first time the boy was hit with the realization that his grandmother wasn’t really the strong and immovable wall he thought she was… She was perhaps even more lost than he was, and yet, for his sake, she had to hide all of that and be everything for him.
He saw that same person in Yonathan, a person with many regrets and a lot of sadness, and yet they put that away for a higher purpose. That was a challenge only a certain few can accomplish.
“Child… I have one single request.” Yonathan spoke in a perturbed tone. “If you can find that way out of this place… I rely on you to find a place for them out there. I have tried to teach them everything I could about the outside world, but it has been decades since I have seen it myself and things must’ve changed. If you can help them, then I will be eternally grateful to you.”
“I will get us all out of this place, Yonathan. Don’t worry, I already have an idea as to what I can do with them, and you. It’s not like I’m going to leave you here, am I?” Arthur raised an eyebrow.
“Hahaha… Thank you very much, Arthur. I owe you my life.” The old man tried to bend forward and bow, only to stumble and almost fall. However, one of his subordinates saved him quickly.
‘He will seriously get himself killed just trying to move his body.’ Arthur sighed inwardly. “Well, since I learned Exo-Burst now, I will simply need an hour or so to get a good grip on it and then I suppose you all can lead me to the island. I don’t have time to wait any longer.”
“You can still use more time to hone the sk-“
“I wish I could, but I have already wasted enough time here. I need to leave now.” Arthur shook his head.
“… Is that so?” The old man muttered. “Well, you have fulfilled your part of the agreement and now I will fulfill mine.”
Saying that, he turned to one of his men and spoke to him. The latter seemed to understand, be a little confused, and then nod.
Meanwhile, Arthur let the old man set up the plan while he decided to do something different.
‘I need to see what the skill ‘Exo-Burst actually does.’
[Exo-Burst (Level 1): Increases Your agility by 70% and makes the body invisible for a certain amount of time. Require mana to activate.]
“70%?! My god… What am I even seeing?” Arthur blurted out. “That is the highest boost from a skill I have ever received. Almost double my current agility level. It’s somehow even more ridiculous than I expected.”
A//N: Thank you all for the gifts, golden tickets, and PS. Let’s keep it up!
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