"Oi oi oi! Wake up! Wake up!"
I felt the shaking of my body like It's poking my inner core. It just continues to shake my body, disturbing my already good sleep, thus I just woke up and did what the shaking told me, to wake up.
"What... is it?"
What stood before me is a soldier of the capital. The familiar full-body silver armor, the logo they had on their chests indicating their nation, and the shining aura they have within them...
"Evacuate immediately! The dragons are here!"
"A-a dragon?!"
"Hurry!"
I don't understand how the capital would be defeated by dragons. I mean, the dragon slayers are all here, the palace soldiers are also here.
I immediately did what he said and left the street I'm sleeping at just earlier. I tried my best to get out of the Capital and evacuate immediately. But now that I about It, I never saw a Dragon Slayer in my entire life.
I don't know how skilled they are, are they even skilled at all? I don't know anything about them. What If they're actually powerless compared to the dragons?
My mind is filled with tension, I don't know what will happen to me. For the first time in my life, I got scared for my life.
"For the meantime, I'll try my best to get out of here."
That is what I thought that time. But the moment I reached the Central Gate...
"Please let us out first! I have a son and daughter!"
"I'll pay any amount needed! Just let me out!"
"Don't you have any soul?! Why are you not letting us go?!"
All the people evacuating are all there... Not a single one of them has escaped or evacuated. Women with children, men with their friends, or people who are alone like me. They're all cramped together at the city gates.
"What the hell is happening?"
I don't have any idea why they still haven't evacuated, everyone is just here. I can't see what's happening at the front, I don't have any clue why the evacuation plan isn't advancing.
"Make way, make way, make way!"
All of a sudden, a single shout can be heard behind me. I looked behind me and a white horse with a shiny mullet is just behind me. The one riding It is a blonde young man with an arrogant look on his face
"Make way, make way, make way! Master Hughs is going to pass through!"
Who is he? A nobleman? The moment the citizens saw the young man, everyone's shouting just stopped and one by one, each one of them stepped aside. Like a rock walking on Its own...
"Oi, the kid with the purple hair... step aside..."
Before I knew It, I'm the only one who still hasn't stepped aside. The servant even whispered to me mildly saying that I should step aside. I looked behind me once more and my eyes crossed with the young man.
His pure blood-red eyes pierced through me. There's nothing on It... Compassion, remorse, anger, happiness, pity... I haven't felt anything from those eyes. There's nothing at all... It's cold. Despite his eyes being red, the symbol of warmth, his eyes are cold.
Because of those chilling cold eyes, I unconsciously stepped aside. I don't want to get involved with him, to speak nor breathe the same air as him is something I don't want to do. I genuinely felt fear.
"Master Hughs, we've been waiting for you."
The moment that nobleman reached the gate, the soldier immediately opened his arms out to him and even bowed. I see now... So they're letting the nobleman first despite this being an emergency...
And the soldiers are all abiding by that stupid rule... Is this what It means to be a soldier? To be a dog of society instead of serving the people? Is this the person I'll become in the future?
I hated It... The mere fact that I'll be like them in the future makes me puke. At that time, I lost all motivation I had at being a soldier. Even If It means dying in the streets, I don't want to live like them...
"Oi oi oi, Euclid! You're just generalizing all soldiers with that!"
"That's right, Hinata. But... I'm not really at the right mindset that time."
My head is blank and I can't think of anything else. I figured the soldiers won't let us out unless all of the nobles will be able to leave first. Before that time arrive, the dragons have already reached here
"This is the end..."
I thought to myself. It's not like I'm a very greedy person... So I accepted death like It's a warm embrace. I just hope that someone will take care of my Mother.
But just at the very moment, I thought I'd given up, a miracle at the skies occurred. My already lifeless and dead eyes were filled with light as If being completely reborn.
That time, that moment is what convinced me to become a Dragon Slayer.
"..."
"What's next?"
"..."
"Oi, Euclius! Tell me what you saw that time! Why did you stop?!"
Oh? You're suddenly interested now? I thought you don't care shit about my backstory and now you're curious? Hinata is now looking at me like a tiger devoid of any meat.
"Oi, continue the damn story! What the hell's that?!"
"I thought you're not interested!"
"Anyone will be interested If you suddenly narrate like that! That kind of narration doesn't even fit the tone of this novel!"
Well, Hinata... You got a point. But still, you said that no one cares about my backstory! That hurt me, you know! You just rejected my whole life!
"Then tell me that you're interested in my story!"
At my words, Hinata suddenly stopped and just sit like a normal person. Then...
"All right, I admit It. I'm interested in your story. Please continue It."
Hinata... It's glad to see you being honest with me. Well, technically, I forced you but whatever. What does anything matter anyway?
"All right, Hinata, I'll continue It."
"All right, all right! Then what happened next-"
"At the next chapter-"
"Fuck you-"
END OF CHAPTER 23