Chapter 380: Monstrous
Arwin was relieved to see that Arnold’s team had survived the fight after Esmerelda’s interference. That said, he wasn’t surprised that the boy had originally been on a course for death.
He’d been stupid. A tournament wasn’t worth losing one’s life over, and Arnold’s team had known they were completely outmatched the moment the fight had started. Honor had kept the boy from throwing in the towel.
In a true fight, that was respectable. But for something like this… it was pointless. Dreams could never be crushed until the one who held them gave up their grip. Losing a tournament would do nothing — but losing a life would.
But that was youth. Arnold was an idiot, but most his age were. Childhood ended when those idealistic principles were crushed. Perhaps, today, they had been. Arnold had chosen not to hoist the magic sword Esmerelda had given him.
His team had lost because of that — and it was the right move. Something new could not be born when the old structure still stood. Now the slate had been wiped clean, reduced to rubble and ash.
Whether Arnold and his team laid in that ash and wasted away, or if they rose from it to build themselves into adults worthy of respect… that would be up to them.
Interesting. I wonder why Esmerelda took such an interest in Arnold. It certainly wasn’t because of his approach to life. Honor. Hah. Exactly like what all the young warriors that once stood at my side would proclaim to exemplify shortly before they were ripped to shreds in the war.
There is no honor in war. There’s only honor in man, and that honor doesn’t involve potentially getting your friends killed because you don’t want to lose a tournament round.
But if he learns his lesson from this… maybe he’ll become someone worthy of note.