Chapter 21 “Our doubts are traitors, And make us lose the good we oft might win, By fearing to attempt.”

Under the night sky right in the middle of a meadow lit by the light of a full moon, two people from very different backgrounds in life and world talked to each other and tried to understand the person they were talking to.

“I am the one who can kill your god?” the young man asked.

“… It seems you still don't understand. It's not you who can kill our god, but Wallace who can kill him.” Cecilia explained.

“But am I not Wallace?” the young man asked.

“Don't you realize it? You are nobody. Right now, you are just a person who entered and is now living inside Wallace's body. Even if I'm honest, my plan would proceed smoothly if I let you be killed by him.” Cecilia stated.

“What do you mean by that? Do you mean when I will be killed by Yzak?” asked the young man.

“Yzak? Hah! That foolish man only cares about his pride. He would never want to kill you. Don't you remember what the two of you were betting on? He just wants you to lick his shoes. And now that everyone has seen it, maybe if you two meet again, maybe he will order you to become his slave.” said Cecilia.

“I… Lick his shoes?”

Then the young man remembered the fight.

In a vast gladiator arena watched by many people from all corners of the city.

With a body full of burn wounds and some broken bones, he cried and was mocked by everyone he had saved.

With a body covered in burns and several broken bones. He cried and was laughed at by everyone he wanted to save.

But in the midst of all the ridicule and insults, the voice of a black-haired girl with a body covered in wounds and dried blood was crying and screaming at the top of her voice.

“Big bro! Please surrender!” Kalina shouted.

“I... I am right! That's why I won't give up! Even if it hurts like this, even if I'm injured like this! I believe I will definitely win! Because… I am right!” the young man shouted in his soul.

“Oi oi oi, hey Wallace! Look at my shoes, they're dirty because I played too much with you. So clean them! Use your arrogant tongue to clean them.” Yzak said.

“I... won't...” the young man replied.

Suddenly, Yzak kicked the young man's ribs with all his might, breaking one of them. The young man screamed hysterically like a dog usually being whipped and beaten in his world.

“Yzak! Please stop this fight! Please don't hurt Big bro!” Kalina cried.

“Hah!? Stop? Do you want me to surrender to your brother? Don't be stupid! If you want me to stop, you better tell him to surrender, because even if he dies, I won't miss this golden opportunity.” Yzak said with a cunning smile towards Kalina.

Kalina looked at her brother, who was now in a terrible state.

“Big bro...”

Even though his body was in such a mess, her brother still refused to give up. And even though the Goddess of Fortune no longer wanted to accompany her brother, he still stood firm and endured. It was all because he believed he was a hero foretold by this land.

He believes that he is a good knight, he believes that he should serve as a role model for everyone, and he believes that he can change this wrong world. But...

The person he wanted to save would never understand his struggle. Except...

“Big bro! You've won! Trust me! You've won!” Kalina shouted.

“I... won?” mumbled the young man.

“Yes! You've won! Look! This is just the beginning! One day, your feelings, your struggle, and your desires will reach everyone! Believe me!”

“So... right now you must surrender!” Kalina said while shedding tears on her dirty cheeks.

With his blurry eyes, the young man looked at Kalina, who was now crying.

“I'm so stupid. What am I really fighting so hard for if I make someone who cares so much about me suffer and cry like that?” thought the young man.

With a heavy heart, the young man reluctantly opened his tightly closed mouth.

“I... surrender.”

“Hah? What did you say?” Yzak asked.

“I said… I surrender.”

“Hahaha! Good! Now clean my dirty shoes! Lick and savor your pride! Because now I, an ordinary human, have successfully defeated the false hero of this land! Hahaha!” Yzak's laughter was followed by praises from the entire audience.

Then all those memories blurred and slowly turned black.

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“So? Have you remembered it now?” Cecilia asked.

A strange and bitter sensation suddenly felt on the young man's tongue. His saliva began to accumulate, trying to clean his disgusting mouth.

“Hoek! Uhuk-uhuk! Hoek!” The young man forcefully spat out all the saliva and the bitter taste that had gathered in his mouth, but it doesn't work.

“Hah! It's too late to try to spit it out now. It seems all the stains and dirt on his shoes have filled your stomach.” Cecilia mocked.

“Shit! Why could I forget all those events! Damn!” the young man grumbled.

“Hahaha, that's why I said earlier that you're just an ordinary person.”

“I... No, I'm not an ordinary person. I'm sure my god has a plan for me, and that's why he sent me here,” the young man said.

“Hah... Didn't I already tell you that I'm the one who invited you here?”

“Indeed you have said it, but none of this will happen unless my god has ordained it! And also before I came here I also prayed and begged that I would be given a second chance to achieve the life that I really desire.” Said the young man.

“Hoo... Is that why you fought so hard? Besides, didn't you already know that you couldn't possibly defeat Yzak?” Cecilia asked.

“That... It all happened because I wanted to change this world. No, not really. What I really want is to change this life of mine because since I was young, my parents, people around me, and my life's circumstances forced me to be someone I'm not. At least now, I want to try to be myself.” the young man lamented, gripping his own face.

“The mask... Every day, I have to wear it. Every time I wake up from my sleep, the mask automatically sticks to my face. If I take it off for just a second, everyone will reject and say that I am not my true self.” the young man said while clenching his right fist.

“Hah! How funny. They say 'Be yourself,' but when I become myself, they will reject it, saying that it's not my true self. They advised me, but at the same time, they force me to fit in with them. Huh! It's ridiculous! What's good about life if we always have to be forced and directed! It's annoying! Just because I'm still young, they think they can force and strip away my entire life!” the young man shouted at Cecilia.

Hearing the young man's grievances, Cecilia remained silent and continued to gaze at the night sky.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling it slowly, Cecilia then resumed their conversation.

“So, what did you ask your god for at that time? Have all your wishes and hopes come true now?” Cecilia asked.

Then the young man began to think about each of his wishes.

In this world, he had abundant wealth.

In this world, he had parents who cared for him.

In this world, he had a sibling who cared deeply for him.

In this world, he also had a much higher position than before.

And in this world, for the first time, he felt that this place was indeed a real paradise for him.

So, have all his wishes and hopes come true now?

“Yes. All my hopes and wishes from that time have indeed come true. But...”

“But what?”

“But now I feel that I really have to do something for this world. Because compared to my previous life, my current position is very valuable for me to change this world to make it a better world for people who have a fate like me.” Said the young man.

“........”

“... And honestly, I also really want my name to be immortalized by many people as a figure who successfully changed this world! Because unlike my previous world, now I am very confident that I can change the perspective of this world so that it will become a better world than my previous one.”

“How can you be so sure?” Cecilia asked.

“... It's all because I am the Hero of the Prophecy!” the young man replied.

Hearing the young man's statement, Cecilia was surprised and widened her eyes.

“Pftt...”

Cecilia smiled while slightly suppressing the laughter that was about to escape.

“Huh, how arrogant. Unlike your world which seems to have been thrown away by your god, I'm sure that after my plan is completed my world will be better than before.”

“Plan? What kind of plan?” asked the young man.

“My plan is that I will free our god who is currently sealed by them. And after that, our god will reclaim his throne and overthrow the emperor who can only sit and watch this world from his throne. Then this world will return to its original state where there is no caste and differences among us, and that is the world we all hope for.” Cecilia explained.

“But... Is all that true if your god has really been sealed by them?” asked the young man who still couldn't believe it.

“It's all true and I have seen it with my own eyes.” Cecilia answered in a tone filled with confidence.

“Then wouldn't it be impossible for you alone to free your god? Haven't you thought about how humans like them could have enormous power to seal a god who you say has created and maintained this world? Are you really sure that you can achieve your goal alone?” asked the young man.

Even though Cecilia had heard everything the young man said, her silver eyes did not show the slightest wavering in her beliefs.

Rather than feeling anxious, Cecilia smiled and chuckled a bit while covering her thin lips.

“This is my duty (my curse), so you don't need to worry about it. Besides, hasn't your wish now come true? Go and live happily. Because from the beginning, this battle has nothing to do with you.” Cecilia said, then stood up and walked away, leaving the young man alone.

The young man then pondered and gazed at Cecilia's slowly retreating back.

“Cecilia... The path you're taking is actually a path that will destroy yourself.” the young man mumbled.

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