Revolt

Ares was still laying on his bed after the end of his father's story. He feigned that he was sleeping, so Kavir would walk off and leave him alone.

For some reason, the old man was always worried about Ares' state of mind and emotions, which was something that annoyed the boy.

'I am man, after all. I know that I am still missing some years to be considered as such, but I am a man. I train every day and work! He knows it. I don't need anyone worrying about what's passing on my mind or heart. I can deal alone with my inner problems,' he thought with frustration.

His body was thoroughly covered with white sheets. It was autumn, but not so cold, so he felt heated up. Anyway, he felt like covering himself and just pretending that there was nothing around him to worry about.

'Also, what's up with him to tell that strange story all of a sudden and without explaining anything? Why does a great warrior that killed lots of Ancients and helped his own race would let go of his sword and stop to kill? Doesn't he hate those beasts? His hatred was probably too weak if that's the case.'

The eyes of that kid lit up with a determination that he just allowed himself to know. Not even his father had seen his eyes like that before. It wasn't something usual for a twelve-year-old boy, after all.

'With all these feelings of hatred and my anger, I will subdue each one of them in the future and return humanity to its peak again. I will end with the Great Curse and be the undisputed legendary hero of this world!'

While he was immersed in his thoughts, the window of his room opened, and a chill breeze entered that place.

The person that opened it was sneaky and didn't make too much sound. Her light body jumped through the window into the room and started to close it slowly, but got surprised to see the tip of a sword already raised and poised to attack.

"D-Darn it, Ares! Take this thing out of my way!" The girl with the silver silky hair shrieked, jumping backward.

"Hmpf. You should not enter into someone's room like this, Alice." He sheathed the sword again, looking at her with annoyed eyes.

"You dummy! You were fast, huh? I never thought that you would unsheathe your weapon so quick, nor hear me entering."

The boy crossed his arms, puffing out his chest, and looking at her with arrogant eyes.

"That's something easy when you expose yourself to danger and intense situations every day. Your body starts to learn how to keep alert all the time, your senses sharpen, etc."

The girl walked casually around the room and sat on his bed.

"Hmm, you memorize all those things, but yet is terrible at school and anything else. You have so much potential, but you waste it being lazy and just focusing on becoming a Beast Hunter."

The boy pouted, getting somewhat angry deep inside. She was talking just like his father or grandfather but in different words. However, he couldn't get entirely angry at Alice even if he wanted to.

"Become a Beast Hunter is the only thing I want to do. I already help my father and do a lot of other tasks. So, why would I spend all my energy doinh something I don't want? If becoming a Hunter is what makes me get out of my bed and try hard, then that's what I will be focusing on."

His line of thought was reasonable for Alice. She nodded her head in agreement with it.

"You need to have dreams, but you can't keep just throwing everything away to reach them. You need a basis, need to take calculated risks!" That was a phrase that her father, an honorable doctor of Jasmine, always said to her. "That is essential to reach your dreams"

Ares just snorted and threw himself on the mattress again, looking to the ceiling. Alice followed him with her eyes, finding it funny that he still acted grumpy like that.

"I don't know, honestly. But if I start to apply in other activities, try to do something else that seems worth, I will mess up with the rest. The sense of being born in these oppressive days for humanity wasn't just to suffer. There will be those who will see a lot of blood and deaths, but the meaning of their existence is to try harder each day and go after their goals. If I don't try as hard, then I will be left behind."

Once he said it, the young girl looked at him with pitiful eyes.

"You argued with them again, right?" The boy nodded his head in response. "Idiot, you always find new trouble for your life. You should take it easy, for the time being, you know?"

"No, I can't slack. My father will understand soon or later as well. For now, I don't need to worry too much. They let it clear that they don't want me to become a Beast Hunter, but they can't stop me. Anyhow, if they start to bother my life, I will run away."

"Yes, I do not doubt it. Your resolution is what makes you someone so wonderful." She said, honestly. The silver-haired girl looked to Ares with joyful eyes.

It made the boy blush, but he didn't pursue the matter and decided to change the subject.

This way, the two friends kept talking until Ares fell asleep.

...

The mug that once was filled with mead smacked the balcony again, drawing the attention of the bartender that was running to fulfill the increasing demand of the place. Both their drinks and food were suitable for others' likings, which made that place incredibly crowded at that time.

Kavir was sitting on a chair, in a corner of the balcony. Since he was basically alone, he didn't want a table in the center of that local. It would be a waste of seats. Also, it was more pitiful when you are drinking alone at a table for four people.

The bartender promptly served him with some more mead without even asking the type or quantity. Kavir was so aloof that even if that man peed in his mug, he wouldn't notice even after some sips of it.

Kavir wasn't completely alone, though. He was talking with someone that wasn't his friend. A tall and bulked man, with a square face and raw bear.

The man was the guard of that village. A sheathed sword was resting beside the table, even though weapons weren't permitted in the establishment. He was still wearing his leather armor with iron plates on the vital parts of his body.

Together with the guard, another one was there, but not sitting. He was standing beside the table, liting up tobacco and taking long and calm drags. He had comfy and good-looking clothes. Some small jewelry could be noticed here and there.

"Today I needed to stop a fight between two farmers." The guard took a long sip of his mead. "One of them was crazy and I nearly got my head ripped off with a hoe. Jasmine is quite pacific, but when people get a problem, they will go too far..."

"And my sellings? I mean, I know that having your head nearly ripped off is bad and all, but I barely got money to buy tobacco! Man, I couldn't sell anything for the time being. I mean, it's autumn. The harvesting season of a lot of different things. People should be searching for food to stock for the winter. But those idiots are still holding their money in their boots!" He took another long drag, releasing the smoke quickly afterward.

Kavir sighed, looking at his blurry reflex on the mead. He had a dejected face.

"My son wants to become a Beast Hunter. He just discovered some truths that he didn't want to accept. It was a huge shock for him to see the world in that less romantic way. Also, that boy has so many negative feelings in his heart that I don't know anymore how to take all of them away. And I don't even know if he wants me to take them away. He probably feeds himself with hatred."

The trio got silent afterward. That was something he did very often with those two. They would talk about their bad days and then go silent, just enjoying their drinks. They wouldn't advise, criticize, nor anything like this.

'To complete, I have a secret that I cannot tell to anyone, not even for him... Haha, but that's not something I can say out loud at all.' He chuckled wryly inside his mind, his melancholy raising bit by bit.

He gave another deep sigh, putting both hands on the mug and drinking its content until not even a single drop remained.