"Hey Hiro, are you alright?" Xylvia asked me.
"Yeah, why are you crying like that?" Hestalia asked.
"...uhh...I...I..."
There's no way that I can tell them about what I had just remembered. There was a side of me that I never even knew existed and I did whatever I could in order to forget that past life.
Why did I have to remember that now?
"It's just...well...seeing Xylvia like that and realizing that there was still so much that I didn't know about her made me feel like an idiot. I kind of hate myself for not asking her if she needed to talk to me back then."
I did feel like an idiot and I was sad, but that wasn't the reason why I cried. I felt a tight pain in my chest after telling that lie.
"There's no need for you to worry," Xylvia said. "I guess I should've tried to lean on you a little more."
At least she forgave me.
"If you're ok then would you please tell me your name." the dragonman girl said.
The dragonman girl was still hugging Xylvia. Her golden yellow eyes had a strange presence that felt both cold and warm. It felt trusting.
"My name is Hiro Satomi," I said to her. "What's yours?"
"My name is Dusk," she said. "Dusk Fang. I was a member of one of the three families of royal blood. Our country was invaded by the Dark Territory and their army. We were all enslaved by their leader, and...my sister was killed right in front of me. He was dressed in all black and had grey hair that looked like razors."
"Gray..."
"You know of him?"
"Yeah. Let's just say that he's about as crazy as a demonic monster." Xylvia said.
"I'm sorry to hear about your sister." I said.
"...You're gratitude is appreciated," she said, facing me completely now. "I have a favor that I wish to ask of you."
"Sure. What is it...your majesty?"
"Well, make that two favors. My first one is for you to not use formality. I may be of royalty, but I'd rather be treated as someone of equal footing."
"Ok then...umm...Dusk."
"And second, if you're planning on fighting Devil then I wish to accompany you."
"Are you sure?"
"Can you fight?" Xylvia asked.
"I may not look like it, but I have my own style of fighting that no one in my country was able to beat. I couldn't use it because of the curse they used on me in the Dark Territory."
"Well that's what the tea is for," Hestalia said. "That tea can get rid of any curse that exists in this world."
"That's awesome," I said. "I've never seen any of those in any city or town that I've visited!"
"Well that's because they're only found in high-class shops."
"That explains it." Xylvia and I said at the same time.
Xylvia and I do have a shop of our own, but we don't make enough to be able to keep our shop standing and to buy high-class items, so we had no idea what it's like to wield something of high quality.
"Commoners?" Lin asked.
"Commoners." Xylvia and I said.
Dusk tilted her head in confusion.
"Anyways, back on topic, why are the dragonmen attacking us in the first place?" I asked.
"My guess is that the demons are controlling them with monster blood," Dusk said. "I don't know what happens in those individual rooms, but I do believe that they made them drink a lot of the blood so that they could control them easily."
"Then how come they didn't make you drink that stuff," Xylvia asked. "If you're royalty, then you must possess some kind of strong power. Wouldn't they just try and control you?"
"It is true that my family and I have a special power," Dusk said. "However, monster blood doesn't awaken one's true power."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Drinking a little bit of it at a time does increase your power, but your true power can only be awaken from you and you alone. Not even making someone drink buckets of that stuff will work. They'll just turn into an ugly monster. But it doesn't make sense. If they were waiting for my powers to be awaken, then why did their leader let me go?"
"Wait, their leader just let you go?!" Xylvia asked, pretty shocked.
"Yes. Their leader just threw me and my family out of their castle and sent me away. Now that I think more about it, why would they just get rid of a valuable power? It doesn't make any sense..."
At this point, Dusk was talking to herself. Xylvia broke free from her hug and slowly back away, a little creeped out.
"She does have a point you know." I said to Xylvia.
"You're right." Xylvia said. "It really doesn't make any sense."
"Hmmm...Hey, I got it," I said snapping my fingers. "Maybe the leader's really stupid!"
Everyone turned to give me a look that said the words "why?" and "how?". They made me want to crawl into a hole and die.
Seriously?! All I did was try to lighten the mood a little.
"Hehe...hahaha...HAHAHHAHAHHAAAA!"
Suddenly, Dusk bursted out laughing out of nowhere. She had her arms wrapped around her stomach as she kept laughing, exhaling and inhaling, then kept on laughing. Then everyone else started to follow her. First it was Hestalia, then Lin, then Xylvia and Plain Guy, and then me.
After about a few minutes of joyful laughter, we all finally started to calm ourselves down.
"Hehe...please forgive me," Dusk said. "I just thought that your sudden joke actually had truth to it."
"You think so?" I asked.
"Yes. While it may not be know as to why their leader threw my family and I away, it is true that their leader is quite foolish. Because choosing to start a war in a world with little hate is a foolish move itself.
"Hey, do you really want to join us?" Xylvia asked.
"Yes. I really want to. I must avenge my fallen people, as well as save the ones that I couldn't protect. So please, let me join you."
I didn't want to put anyone else at risk of getting killed, but this girl was willing to protect her family as well as save her people. I may not know much about her, but I think I can trust her.
"Ok then," I said reaching out my hand to her. "Welcome to the team."
Ok, that line was complete cringe! KILL ME NOW!!!
"Thank you," she said, grabbing my hand with both of hers. "I will not let this opportunity go to waste!"
I don't know why, but I feel like I have the power of the protagonist at my side. Either that or I'm just lucky that she doesn't know what cringe is.