CHAPTER 16: STAR OF HOPE

XENON WINGATE

3 YEARS AGO

“The good always triumphs over evil. But then again, history is written by the victor. History is filled with a bunch of liars. Eldritch lived, and you died. His truth became the truth, and your truth is forever lost like a mud washed by a stream of the river. His triumph over you will be written, and he will be remembered for this; for being a hero. While you, your family, and your entire generation will be filled with dishonor and all that’s left for your name to be recognized in the future is that you’re nothing but a traitorous villain.”

Emperor Sirius Elkyria’s words pierced my ears, my brain, and my heart. He’s entirely correct about his philosophy that came out of nowhere. I don’t have any good reaction. I bit my lip, letting my anger swell on my blood vessels and nerves.

“Emperor Michael Eldritch. He was your friend and superior. He was the one who gave a directive to get the intel about Doctor Cheng Du who appeared to be on his side the whole time. He stole your girlfriend, Marisse Trystgade; who now bears a future emperor on her womb. How do you feel about that?”

“...Wrath…” 

I muttered. I balled my fist, ready to shatter the table to pieces. But I held myself.

“You know the saying, ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’?” The Emperor of Alterra rested his chin on his fist.

“What do you want from me, your majesty?” I asked.

The emperor leaned back as he indirectly answered my question.

“Alterra and Elysia are currently holding a peace treaty, but everybody knows that it’s just on paper. Now that the late Emperor Eldritch had died on the hands of his bastard son, only time will tell before they rally on our borders. I even heard that he’s collaborating with the dragonoid terrorist group. My empire is in grave danger from Elysia and Arcadia. Our very way of a peaceful life is at risk.”

The emperor reached another folder below his table and gave it to me. When I opened it, I was surprised that it contains a paper that would change my life forever. It is an application form to the Dragon Knight Academy.

“I’ve heard that you are capable of using the Vesryn Pulse.” The emperor smiled. “And you own a dragonoid that can transform into a rare and powerful Nexus Dragon. There’s no other person like you who can bond well with a dragonoid with such power, at least in Alterra. I’ll be more than happy to have you as an ally and not a prisoner. Accept this offer, and I will ensure you the privilege of being Alterra’s Dragon Knight.”

“You want me to take down Eldritch,” I muttered.

“No. Not now. Not until the treaty is still in effect.” The emperor frowned. “People will be angry if we start a war without just cause. But I’ll be happy to provide what you want for a condition.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“You have to prove your strength to the Pentagram Knights; the most powerful dragon knights in the empire. If you get all their approval, I will give you an army of your own to seize the Empire of Elysia at your own discretion. You can wage war with Emperor Eldritch with your own name. I don’t want to dirty my name for just senseless war, but I think you don’t mind as long as you can get your revenge.”

“Yes.” I bowed as I clenched my fists with more force. “I don’t mind at all. I can even burn the planet and make this a living underworld as long as I can get my revenge.”

The emperor smiled. He offered his hand for a handshake. “Mister Wingate. Glad to have you in Alterra.”

I took his hand and shook it.

After my private meeting, I regrouped with Captain Valesmith and Serena back in the limousine, and the limousine delivered us to a five-star hotel to sleep. Captain Valesmith has a job to do so we will be staying here in Guardian’s Haven for three more days.

Serena and I will be staying in a single hotel room. Dragonoids are considered human property and the hotel doesn’t accommodate dragonoid guests that have no owner. I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing, but humans see Serena as my slave. However, that’s not the case as I still see her as a fellow human.

I just realized one thing. I accepted the application for Dragon Knight Academy without consulting Serena first. Since she’s my dragonoid, there shouldn’t be a problem if I register even against her will. But doing that would give a bad aftertaste in my mouth. I don’t want her to be involved in my revenge, but then again, I won’t be able to do it without her. I need to tell her at some point.

Right after we entered our hotel room, Serena immediately jumped on the bed to enjoy the soft cushion. She hopped on it over and over like a kid, and I can see a childish smile on her face. She must be happy for having a soft bed since she has been sleeping on cold cages for months as a slave.

“Ahaha! So soft! So bouncy!” Serena laughed. It’s been a while since I saw her so happy. She’s different from a crybaby pipsqueak back in the war. It’s like she has rediscovered her happiness just back then on our high school when she’s a well-known celebrity and still a human.

I envy her. I envy her ability to be happy in such a shallow reason. I hope I can find my smile again. But I know that’s impossible. Not until I get my revenge on the people who have done wrong to me.

I withdrew the folder that contains my application paper to the Dragon Knight Academy. The newspaper articles from Elysia was there too, and the mere glimpse of it made me drop to despair and cry with tears. Losing my will to live for the hundredth time, I dropped the folder, leaned on the wall and slowly curled and hugged my knees. I still can’t believe what happened.

“...Senpai?” 

Serena called me with an adorable slight head tilt. I ignored her and proceeded to weep on my own. Realizing that there is something wrong, she saw the papers that had been scattered on the ground. She read the newspaper article which made her gasp in surprise.

“T-This is…” She muttered. 

“Everything is gone,” I said with a shaking voice. “My life, my friends, my family, my love, my honor… I lost all of it. I lost.”

“T-That’s not true!” Serena leaped to me and hugged my head. “Senpai, I’m still here. I will never leave you. You will never lose me.”

“...Serena…”

“You want to enroll in the Dragon Knight Academy, right? I’ll go with you.” Serena smiled brighter than the sun. “I will support on whatever path you take. I will help you take all the things that you have lost back to you.”

“...The path I’m going to choose is carnage, filled with blood. I will be venturing into the darkness until I send all the people I hate to hell. Are you willing to go with me?” I asked.

“I will.” Serena nodded with a smile. “I will do everything in my power so that your hands will not be as bloody as you think it will be. I will be your lamp so that you will not be lost on your way to the darkness. I’ll be by your side.”

Suddenly, Serena presented her pinky at me.

“That’s a promise, Senpai~” Serena blushed while smiling. Then she grabbed my hand and forced me to bind a simple pinky promise.

Serena is like the northern star, which shines the most on the darkest night and always there to give me direction on my aimless voyage. With her crimson eyes giving me hope, she lit the flames on my heart and gave me the will to live on. 

I uttered a chuckle as I tried to joke with her. “Serena, you know pinky promises are meant to be broken, right? I failed to keep my promise to rescue you back in that grocery store.”

“Don’t make me angry, Senpai.” Serena pouted with a cute blush. “I’m different from you. You don’t keep your pinky promises. But I do. I will.”

Our faces draw closer to each other until suddenly…

A loud noise destroyed the atmosphere. It is my fault because it was the growling of my stomach. I barely had any breakfast, and I didn’t have the appetite to eat lunch, so my stomach acids should be protesting on me inside. And it’s almost nighttime.

Serena immediately stood up and checked the refrigerator. It’s full of vegetables and various kinds of meat. Seeing those, Serena gave an arrogant smug face. 

“We have an abundance of ingredients. Want me to cook for you, Senpai?”

“Yes, please,” I said. There’s this side of me wanting to taste the cooking of an adorable woman. “What do you cook?”

“Cup noodles.”

“Whaaaaaaaaaat?” My jaws hung. I am so disappointed.

“Just kidding~” Serena made a cute princess-like chuckle. Then she pumped her fists with full determination, her crimson eyes blazing with an iron-clad will. “I’ll cook the Maizono Secret heirloom recipe, the Special Maizono Fried Rice!”

I think I will not be able to live without her.

<>