Chapter 43 Will You Cry for Me?

Chapter 43: Chapter 43 Will You Cry for Me?"The training I embarked on was under my father and mother’s control from beginning to end. My mother even knew my every move." The young man drinking mead had eyes that again reflected a charm capable of mesmerizing countless maidens, filled with a weathered and melancholic aura. But quite unfortunately, Noah wasn’t one of the maidens who would be captivated by him. He only felt that this guy seemed a bit ungrateful, "Given your status, isn’t this quite normal? Didn’t you have the mental preparation?" "Since the Augustus family was established, there’s always been a tradition of training, but until my father’s time, every family member who ventured out was not offered any protection, nor was anyone following them." "So, do you feel your freedom was limited?" "Not at all, I wasn’t restricted in any way; I only realized today when I came back that someone was always behind me." "Your father became a legend, and because of that, the Augustus family was elevated to a grand noble status, so naturally, their conduct has changed. I don’t understand why this makes you feel dejected." "The forces that followed me, they were both monitoring me so my parents could always control my whereabouts and protecting me so I wouldn’t lose my life if I encountered danger." "So, it’s a very reasonable protection." "I know, of course I know, I’m very thankful. Perhaps there were several times during my journey that I was able to survive because of their presence, but I also feel pain because of it." "What’s there to be painful about? You feel your training wasn’t authentic, there were fake elements?" Noah scoffed, "With someone protecting you, you should just feel grateful." "No, that’s not why I’m in pain." "Then why?" "Noah, do you know what it’s like to lose beloved family or friends?" The despondency emanating from the young man intensified. "What do you think?" Noah squinted his golden eyes. "How foolish of me to ask you such a question. For you Dragons, it’s probably like having the most precious treasure stolen from your vault." Tidel self-deprecatingly laughed, then described briefly with his understanding of Dragons. "So, did you lose beloved friends and family during your journey?" "Yes, I lost many." The young man tilted his head up, looking at the Sunlight Stone embedded in the dome, "I can still recall the scene from that time. The day before, my brothers were jovially chatting with me in the tavern, but to cover my escape, they died under the monster’s trampling while I could only helplessly watch it all, shedding useless tears like a fool and fleeing with the remaining people." This time, Noah didn’t speak. He merely listened quietly to the young man recounting his suffering. The Augustus family’s training involved living as adventurers after leaving the family’s sphere of influence. There were no stringent requirements; survival and breaking through the realm were enough. The once confident young man quickly felt the hardship of adventurer life upon starting his journey, even though he wasn’t weak, and the equipment he set out with wasn’t shabby. But the basic daily meals, weapon maintenance, and the herbs necessary for healing when injured — all these expenditures adventurers must bear soon overwhelmed him. However, the young man wasn’t a pampered noble. Having grown up on the border, he adapted to the adventurer lifestyle in a short time and naturally made a group of friends. The life of adventurers, generally speaking, leans towards stability and tranquility, with most adventurers operating in familiar areas to earn appropriate rewards. But how could the fresh-faced young man tolerate such mundane adventurer life? He came for training, seeking a breakthrough, hence he became one of the most radical among adventurers. He was keen on exploration, taking higher-paid escort and riskier monster hunting missions, but such a lifestyle was too dangerous because there was always the potential of losing one’s life during missions. A Spirit Silver close to a breakthrough, mastering the Golden Radiant Power, wasn’t exactly weak, but not exceptionally strong either. Continuously taking on more incident-prone tasks naturally led to unexpected situations. "I’ve experienced too many times the feeling of seeing those who live day in and day out with me fall in front of me, only to be powerless and unable to save them." The dissolute young man, reeking of alcohol, sat cross-legged on the ground, but he laughed nonetheless, "I’d actually slowly gotten used to this kind of life, after all, for adventurers, dying by monster’s jaws is where most eventually end. I was already prepared for it at that time." The Golden Dragon merely observed the young man who didn’t seem to know whether to cry or laugh and still did not speak. "Noah, I’m not as fragile as you think. I ended up the way you see me now because, on the day I returned, I realized that the people always behind me were strong enough to crush every difficulty I encountered on my training journey." Tidel lowered his head, covering his face with his hands, his body trembling uncontrollably, "What was the point of the deaths of those friends I made, those partners I had? If I’d known about those people’s existence, if I’d asked for help, would they all still be alive?" "No, the condition for those people to act is your brink of death. The moment they appear in front of you, it signifies the end of your training." Noah finally spoke. He couldn’t let this guy, with an overly exaggerated sense of responsibility, spiral into self-collapse, "The people protecting you have no obligation or duty towards your friends." "I know, so I wonder, if I hadn’t gone on this training journey, hadn’t met them, hadn’t led or influenced them, would they still be around?" Tettle raised his head, tears having already soaked his face, making him look extremely distressed. "You already mentioned what an adventurer’s ultimate fate is; you don’t need to blame yourself or shoulder everything." Noah understood where this guy’s weariness and dejection came from. Some things he didn’t say, perhaps never would in his lifetime. The ones following to protect him were the extension of his parents’ will, and these people did not act when those beloved to him faced danger. What he valued, in his parents’ eyes, was merely his tool for honing. Given the education he received and his worldview, he couldn’t blame anyone, nor fault anyone, so he took all the mistakes and guilt upon himself. "Wipe your tears, it looks terrible!" The Golden Dragon couldn’t help but sigh. "Noah, if one day I leave this world, would you cry for me?" The drunken young man, half-leaning and collapsing on the ground, suddenly asked without context.