BXBX NOVEL Chapter 111: | 111 | Sincerity, Trust, and Faith
"I don\'t know where to start, so I\'ll go with the beginning." She softly smiled and continued. "Long ago, after breaking out of my egg, I discovered my identity as a dragon. A liberated creature unshackled by anyone and anything."
"I was the most free of them all."
"As one would expect from a creature who considers their freedom above all else, I was arrogant and didn\'t take any creature seriously. To me, they were but ants, there was no need to trample them, but I also didn\'t need to get along with beings I considered as feeble."
"But it all changed when a beastfolk tribe turned me into the guardian deity. It was surprising, and I didn\'t think there would be anything foolish enough to consider me as a guardian candidate." Laplace lightly chuckled, making Abraham smile.
"It was at that moment when I realized that it wasn\'t the only one that was free. They chose me to be their guardian deity, and it was all of their free will. After becoming their deity, I protected them in exchange for offerings every now and then."
Though... In Laplace\'s final words, her smile faded and a saddened expression followed.
"However, conquering armies of humanity began conquering the islands of the Ferus Sea, making them their Colonial Dominions. One after another, tribes fell, disappeared, and became enslaved."
"The beastfolk tribe, who considered me their guardian, were massacred. None were left alive, not even children were spared. I was too late, and in my anger, I gave my wrath to the island where the expanding human fleet was docking."
"I destroyed every single one of them and enacted my first massacre. Their ships sunk into the depths of the turbulent seas, the island they stood on burned in fiery crimson, while their respected Magus got trampled beneath my feet."
"It was at that moment, that I became the Dragon of the Revolting Tide. The first rebellion against the invading forces of humanity." Laplace sighed to herself and uttered. "That was two hundred years ago."
Abraham was surprised by the unexpected age-reveal. Two hundred years ago, then that would mean that the dragoness was beyond 200 years old.
"I didn\'t ex-" He couldn\'t continue as he found Laplace glaring at him with her golden irises. She tilted her head with a scary smile and remarked. "I\'m sure that Abraham should know about the concept of not discussing a young lady\'s age, correct?"
Facing the threatening smile of Laplace, Abraham understood that he needed to back down. Otherwise, he would face the wrath of the white-haired dragoness.
"Anyhow, I was the founder of the rebellion and throughout the decades, it grew stronger. Other deities joined me in the revolution to protect the Ferus Sea, they were the White Tiger, the Crimson Phoenix, and the Island Turtle."
"Other than me, they were the strongest," Laplace explained the three deities that joined the Revolting Tide she had created. It seems that they were strong.
However, this did make Abraham wonder about how the rebellion only managed to force the invading forces of humanity to be halted in the so-called Frontier.
"If these deities were a bit like you, how did the Revolting Tide not force humanity to return to Europa." He questioned the white-haired dragoness, who only wryly smiled upon hearing it.
"While we were extremely strong, the peak of what was biologically possible. Humanity has its own deities. People they call the Sovereigns. They were the strongest Magus in humanity, and they were a lot stronger than us."
"The moment we tried to force back the human forces, one of them emerged and we were barely able to beat him. Afterward, an unspoken rule was created. The Frontier was ours, and everything they conquered was theirs."
Laplace clenched her fist and gritted her teeth. Deep hatred seemed to emanate from her eyes before she continued. "But even though the Frontier was ours. Humanity still kept invading, though even if we massacred their fleets, the Sovereigns wouldn\'t bat an eye."
"Principatus Humanum was amongst the expansionary fleets I have burned into asunder a decade ago. The fact that they returned to full strength in half a decade meant that humanity could easily replace their loss."
"So, as long as their territory was maintained. They could keep fighting without care." Laplace remembered the amount of lives she had taken, and they simply kept coming like ants.
"But... Sadly, humanity wasn\'t the reason I got enslaved by that merchant." She sighed once again as though remembering a painful experience. Her golden irises seem to falter. Abraham didn\'t know whether it was from rage or sorrow.
"I- I was betrayed! Those goddamn bastards were monsters. Behind my back, they conquered tribes in the name of the Revolting Tide. Those that didn\'t join were trampled into damnation. According to them, they needed more beastfolk in their cause."
"But in my eyes, it was fairly clear. What they wanted was power. The Frontier was practically for them to take. Why should they continue fighting against humanity when they could simply become the rulers of the Frontier?" Laplace felt hatred, rivaling that of her hate for Europa\'s humanity.
"The moment I discovered the truth. I denounced my position as the founder of the organization and tried to disassemble it. After all, it was but a husk keeping an iron grip over the beastfolk tribes in the Frontier."
"But sadly, I was already too late. Everyone in the Revolting Tide considered me as a traitor. And they, along with the deities, fought against me. Even though I was stronger than them, against all of them, even my prided strength faltered."
"I was barely able to escape but was captured by human slave traders. I was incredibly weakened and injured. Runes were scattered throughout my body, and my freedom was taken away for the first time."
Laplace took a deep breath as the memories of the past still etched themselves clearly inside her head. Abraham only patted her on the back as she didn\'t know that the dragoness had gone through such a horrible experience.
Being betrayed by the very organization you created and seeing it become corrupted before your eyes. Even imagining the United Navy doing the same to him deeply horrifies him.
"Just when all hope was lost and I was about to be sold into Europa. Out of nowhere, humans saved me. They were far different than anything and anyone I had ever seen. Their values were clear, and they wouldn\'t hesitate to follow them."
"That\'s why I\'m thankful." Laplace looked at Abraham with determination. It was brighter than ever before. It made Abraham, who was already determined, doubtful of himself. It made him wonder if he should do the same.
Speak of his secrets as she had spoken hers.
"Thank you for the trust you have given me, Laplace. I really appreciate it." Abraham closed his eyes and gathered his courage. "So, I shall do the same and speak of my past. I want you to know me. Not just the one in front of you, but also the one from the past, and the one into the future."
The moment Abraham uttered his first words. Many more followed like a surging tide. All of them escaped the confines of his heart as he spoke of the purest truth about himself. He was Abraham Shepherd, a loser of an office worker who had no life.
Merely working on a job and playing games inside his computer for entertainment. His world was but an empty void of black and white. He didn\'t have good memories, nor did have bad ones.
He wasn\'t the bravest, he wasn\'t the smartest. He was lazy, while also being envious. His attitude was also far from the best. His former self was a far cry from who he was now. He wasn\'t interesting and was but a speck in other people\'s lives.
When he transmigrated, he doubted any of them remembered him. The world would have been the same with or without him. None would feel sorrow upon his disappearance, no one would try to find him. That was how much he was cut off from the world.
"Unlike you, I didn\'t care about anyone. I didn\'t care about their freedom. Their lives had nothing to do with me, so why should I care? I didn\'t have grandiose goals, and even if I did, I doubt I would have sought them. That was the kind of person I am."
"But like you, there was a twist of fate. When I was thrown into this world. I had the ability to summon others and were unnaturally loyal to me. It was strange to be trusted. To be given responsibility for their well-being."
"I wanted to change, and didn\'t want to disappoint those that gave me their..."
"Sincerity, Trust, and Faith."
"That\'s how I became who I am now. I\'m not the fleet admiral because of some great achievement. I was merely thrown into this situation and had to adapt." Abraham couldn\'t help but chuckle at himself. "You must feel disappointed, right? After all, I\'m not the one you thought I wa-"
Before Abraham could continue, he felt a pale and soft finger over his mouth. He noticed Laplace glaring at him with ravenous anger. She grabbed his chin and muttered with a tinge of coldness.
"I don\'t appreciate anyone throwing assumptions, Abraham. It seems that I need to teach you a lesson."
Out of nowhere, Laplace pulled Abraham\'s collar. He couldn\'t react in time and felt warmth encapsulating his lips.