After the old man finished explaining, the day had turned into the afternoon, and the railway tracks had been laid far and wide.
"Huff... How much more is left?" Kaizoku sat down, exhausted, his face dripping with sweat, and his clothes soaked.
The old man chuckled softly, watching Kaizoku, who was clearly worn out. "Oh, kid... Back when I was your age, I worked from morning till night. No rest, no food. But it's alright, I understand. I always prayed that young people like you would be the ones to defeat the evil plaguing this village."
Kaizoku remained silent, listening to the old man's words.
"Let me tell you something, kid... This village was once one of the happiest places, where the elders worked and the children were busy learning and playing..."
His expression became more serious."But everything changed when the hero we had hoped for didn't turn out as expected and became a terrible demon lord instead."
The old man sighs and continue his santance. "Maybe it was a punishment from the gods and goddesses for our sins."
"That demon lord's name is Shirokiri Ishayaki. He may look like an ordinary teenager with white prince outfit, but he's an absolute force—no living being can defeat him. He has many subordinates, but we only know a few, one of them being Lord Thomas, who serves under the demon lord Ishayaki."
The old man seemed to hold back tears as he continued. "Every day, the people of this village pray to the gods and goddesses for a true hero to save us, to save the world we live in."
The old man looked down holding back his sadness."A hero who can fight the evil that the failed hero created, a demon lord, has brought upon us. But it seems our prayers haven't been answered, as we've never heard any word that a hero has come. Maybe we need to pray harder."
Kaizoku lowered his head, recalling the moment when Sylphy hugged him after his fight with Taki. Even though he was only half-conscious, he heard Sylphy called him the hero.
"My advice to you, kid... Don't lose hope. Keep fighting—not just against enemies, but against your own laziness, your sadness, and your anger." The old man smiled at Kaizoku.
"Keep all those emotions balanced in your heart. The next generation must be protected, no matter what. They are the hope of the world, the ones who can make this place better, a peaceful world."
Kaizoku wanted to confess to the old man. "Uh... Sir, actually, I'm the he—"
But before he could finish, another worker interrupted. "Hey!! Break time! Time to eat!"
"Heh... Finally, break time. Come on, kid, let's go eat." the old man stood up from his crouch, followed by Kaizoku.
The two of them walked toward the train station that was still under construction.
There was a large table with white food boxes laid out.
They approached it. "Go ahead, kid, grab your food."
The old man took one of the boxes, and Kaizoku followed suit, grabbing one as well.
They both sat on a long bench, opening their food boxes, which contained rice and fried chicken.
The old man smiled at the sight of his meal. "Hmm... Finally, some good food. Well then, let's eat."