Chapter 23: Taking It Personally

"You don't have to do any of this," Dimitri said, holding Dante by the shoulder. "Even if you do, he's not to blame. He's a kid, like everyone else. Be rational, Dante."

"Rational?" The question seemed like an insult to him. "You want me to be rational when I know he stole your sword and treated you like crap? Where's your dignity, Dimitri? For God's sake."

Dante pulled his arm back and freed himself from the grip.

"Nothing you say will make me change my mind."

Rutteo, however, didn't seem to care about them arguing inside the weapon shop. He was holding a bowl and slurping noodles, one leg under the other, resting on the crate.

"He couldn't have known what it meant at the time," Dimitri's voice raised. "Even if you want to take this fight seriously, you're already being hunted by a Captain and a Lieutenant. Do you really want to continue this? Look at the bigger picture, you'll end up tangled up with the Command."

Dante glared at him angrily.

"Are you worried about me or your crappy student who has no rationality?"

"Why are you acting this way about something I'm not even offended by?"

Rutteo stared at Dante. The old man shook his head immediately.

"If you knew what the people from the villages out there suffer just to have a chance to come here, you wouldn't say that. If you knew how much they sacrifice so their children or grandchildren could come, you wouldn't say that. If you... knew what it's like to carry someone's dream who pushed you to your limits every time just so you could be here, at this very moment, you'd shut your damn mouth and let me do it my way."

Rutteo shook his head, agreeing without resistance. And he looked at Dimitri.

"Do you think everything I went through wasn't enough to make me care? His words are harmless compared to the cruelty I went through when I arrived here. I kept quiet for over twenty years so I wouldn't be exiled, so I wouldn't be labeled as useless." He pointed his hand, lowering his voice. "And you couldn't handle one day. Your body is strong, but your mind seems..."

Dante pointed his finger at him, raising his voice immediately.

"Don't you dare talk about what you don't know."

Dimitri raised both hands, saying nothing, and took a deep breath.

"I don't want to fight. I don't want you to think of this as a personal attack. It's just... he..."

Couldn't find words for a racist bastard?

"Dimitri wants you to take it easy on him, Dante." Rutteo finished the bowl, drinking the last of the broth. "It's clear that his connection is as strong as yours with the reason you're so upset. We all have our rivalries against an ideology, but our connections either strengthen those bonds in a good or bad way."

Dante was still angry but said nothing. He walked out the door and headed for the store's entrance when someone came in. It was Rubbem himself, in his white uniform, alone.

Dante clenched his jaw and balled his fists, exhausting any will he had to end it right there. I'll be kicked out if I do this. He kept walking out.

Dimitri came out from the back and was startled by the arrival of his former disciple.

"Mr. Dimitri," he tried to smile. "I'm glad you're well. I wanted to talk. Also, understand why that man left like he wanted my head removed."

Rutteo also came out, revealing himself to Corporal Rubben.

"Well, he has his reasons. Your colleague Radius called him a Foreigner. And it's not good to anger someone who takes their roots seriously, especially Recruit Dante."

"I understand." Rubben didn't know what to do. He seemed like he wanted to go after Dante but stopped before making the turn. "Radius comes from a noble family, but he ended up being one of the worst colleagues I could have. He's been saying part of the Capital wants to send the Foreigners back to their lands. That's why I came here. I wanted to apologize for what I did when I was younger, Mr. Dimitri."

Rutteo didn't see any malice in the young man. His sincerity in his gaze, smile, and gesture was elegant. He really had good potential to become a Sergeant. And Dimitri embraced him, almost swallowing him whole.

"I know you're getting stronger and need people to train. But I heard about the sword, have you been taking care of it?"

Rubben's hand went to the scabbard at his waist and nodded lightly.

"Every day, as you instructed me. And may I ask if I can talk to Mr. Dante? He seemed really upset with me, but it must have been Radius. He has a gift for making people angry."

Rutteo answered.

"You can try, but I think Dante has made this personal. Even if you manage to apologize, he'll still think that because you're with Radius, you'll be just like him." Rutteo shrugged. "And I understand that. If you're sitting at a table and a Felroz sits down, if you don't get up, then you're complicit."

"I had no choice in that," Rubben said. "When I was pulled into the Command, they decided who would train with me. Sure, they're all strong, but since I was the youngest, I couldn't do anything."

"So that's why you couldn't talk to me, boy?" Dimitri asked. The big guy seemed about to burst into tears. "And I thought you were just ignoring me and everything I did. For a moment, I thought you had left it all behind."

Rubben quickly embraced Dimitri.

"Of course not. I would never leave you. I managed to get some time and had to run. I'll have to leave soon, sir."

Dimitri let go of him and held his face, letting a tear fall, and lightly tapped his chin.

"Don't think Dante is a bad guy. He's like me, but it seems he's had a lot of bad situations because he's a Foreigner."

"And he'll hit you hard," Rutteo commented. "Rubben, I'll give you a tip. You can take it or leave it, but when you get in that ring and Dante is in front of you, you'd better be prepared."

Rubben didn't make a face or back down; he held his sword's scabbard and pulled it forward. The seriousness and fiery determination in his eyes.

"I'll win."

"It seems you didn't understand." Rutteo took a deep breath and let both of them stare at him. "Even if you train for ten more years, you still wouldn't beat Dante. Got it now, or is it too hard?"

Dimitri froze but laughed, finding it amusing.

"Officer, maybe Dante is strong, but to say that to a Corporal like Rubben..."

"I'm not joking," Rutteo cut in immediately and pointed at Rubben. "You might not have noticed, and I doubt you'd think there's any advantage in doing this, but you don't know anything about that old man's ability. Do you know why he's in Dalia's squad? It's because he can, as a Recruit. Dalia never had a Recruit in her life, never had a Soldier, Corporal, Sergeant, or Lieutenant. They're all Officers. So, I'll say it again, don't fight him. Go to the old man, apologize, and explain everything. And pray that he's rational, because if he's not, you'll be the next one in the ring he's going to beat."

Dimitri said nothing, but for the first time, he saw his disciple swallow hard, a bit shaken.