Chapter 54. No cure for regrets
"Mr. Vhorn, what do you have to say concerning your accomplishment?"
"Mr. Vhorn, how do you feel right now for being the first ever advanced rank 1 warrior to close two special gates consecutively?"
"Mr. Vhorn, how did you manage to pull off such a tactical feat?"
"Mr. Vhorn, you are probably the fastest warrior to advance to the level of an advanced rank 1 warrior in not more than two months after awakening. How do you feel about that?"
"Many are calling you The Crimson Reaper. What do you have to say about that?"
"Do you have any plans about joining a guild or any organization after your two-year military service when you graduate?"
"Mr. Vincent, tell us about the role you played in closing the special gate."
"Miss Creed, how do you feel at the moment..."
"Miss Marcus..."
"Mr. Luke..."
"Miss Moore..."
The group were bombarded with questions the moment they stepped out of the Warriors’ Association building.
Cameras flashed all over their faces and microphones were pointed at their faces and mouths from all directions.
They were surprised.
Everyone had expected news of Aiden’s feat to cause an uproar, but it seemed they had underestimated Aiden with regards to what had happened.
Aiden was about to disappear from the place when...
"Alright, that’s enough." Suddenly, a woman appeared before the reporters.
She had tied her hair in a bun. She was pretty with pale, fair skin. She was in a hoodie, dirty jeans, and sneakers.
"That’s our homeroom teacher," Asmodeus muttered.
"Instructor Pamela Ashira," Desmonda added.
"Scurry off." She shooed the reporters away.
The moment they saw her, they turned around with terrified expressions and decided to get into their cars.
"Quick. It’s that crazy woman."
"The daughter of the Principal of Derulo City University."
"She killed so many chaotic beasts at the Frontlines during her two-year military training. She was almost offered a position to become a captain right after her service. But she rejected it, saying that the battlefield was too rowdy."
"She’s a genius. Rumors are that she has a high possibility of becoming a rank 3 warrior."
Aiden and company were quite surprised by the whispers of the terrified reporters, who entered their cars and drove off the moment she appeared.
So she was the daughter of the Principal of Derulo City University. A legendary rank 3 warrior.
Ashbourne Cane.
Also, she actually had such terrifying military achievements.
Instructor Ashira nodded towards the group. She looked at Aiden especially for a while, and smiled.
Aiden nodded back politely.
"Thank you."
"No problem," she said. "Was just passing through."
After that, she disappeared from the place as if she had never been there.
"It seems she wants to publicly announce that she has my back with this act. After all, she literally shooed reporters away on live broadcast. Saying she was just passing through. Who will believe that?" Aiden thought. "I could use a connection to her to my advantage. Now that I’ve acquired unwanted fame, unwanted trouble is bound to follow. She has a very powerful background. If people think I’m associated with her, it will make some troublesome powers, who may want to cause trouble for me, think twice before they act.
"With the emails I’m receiving about confidential clauses to pledge to join certain guilds and factions after my two years military service after graduation, in return for large benefits, not everyone would take it well when I reject their offers. If they can’t have me, they’d not want others to have me. They will try to get rid of me. Being connected to her won’t stop assassination ploys, but it will limit open attacks."
"So she has such a terrifying background, huh," Luke said.
"Yeah, I am shocked, too," Seraphina said. "Her father is a legendary rank 3 warrior. Our parents are all beginner rank 3 warriors."
...
"Yeah," Asmodeus said. "It seems it was a good thing to not make a mess in her class."
"It seems she has taken a liking to Aiden," Candice said.
Everyone looked at Aiden.
"Well, she was paying unusual attention to him in our first lecture with her," Desmonda said.
Bzzt... bzzt...
Asmodeus checked his phone.
"It’s my dad," he said. "Just texted me. Wants to see if we can convince Aiden to come along with us to the end-of-year Thanksgiving party."
"Oh... figures... he probably heard the news. It seems the news travels faster than we thought," Seraphina said.
"Well, Aiden, what do you say? The gathering is in three months’ time," Asmodeus said.
"It would be nice to meet our families," Candice said.
"Securing connections with mature and uncontrolling influential circles is not bad," Aiden thought.
"I’ll decide and let you guys know," Aiden replied politely.
"Alright," Asmodeus said. "Desmonda, my dad said he will send your father an invitation, too. You should come with your parents."
Desmonda nodded. "Alright. It seems they know each other?"
"Yeah. They were classmates in Harland Metropolitan University," Asmodeus said. "Was surprised as you are when I found out."
"The world is a small place indeed."
"Yeah."
The group walked towards Luke’s van and sat in it.
The car drove off towards the Derulo City University.
*****
Endra.
Southern Continent.
Eldorath Empire.
Hessington State.
Fulco City.
Hervora District.
Vhorn Manor.
Two individuals were seated before an LED television screen.
The sounds from the television struck them like lightning.
"Mr. Vhorn, what do you have to say concerning your accomplishment?"
"Mr. Vhorn, how do you feel right now for being the first ever advanced rank 1 warrior to close two special gates consecutively?"
"Mr. Vhorn, how did you manage to pull off such a tactical feat?"
"Mr. Vhorn, you are probably the fastest warrior to advance to the level of an advanced rank 1 warrior in not more than two months after awakening. How do you feel about that?"
"Many are calling you The Crimson Reaper. What do you have to say about that?"
"Do you have any plans about joining a guild or any organization after your two-year military service when you graduate?"
The two individuals had blank expressions on their faces.
These two were Aiden’s parents. Falan and William.
Ever since Aiden disowned them, they had been regretting everything they put him through from his childhood till today.
During Aiden’s upbringing, they had not just imposed their unfulfilled dreams and selfish desires on him. He had been abused by them.
Each combat duel, each lesson taken, had been done with grueling punishments attached if he failed at anything.
Weeks of starvation on only water spent alone in his room for failing to learn how to use a weapon.
He would only be allowed to eat when he finished reading certain books in a time period.
The list of abusive things they allowed Aiden’s instructors to do to him while they justified themselves they were trying to hone him for a better future, went on and on.
But their son had never complained during this period. He had never expressed any hatred for them.
He still honored them and respected them. Did he have a choice?
What power did he have to resist? And where would he have gone?
When they said they’d send him to the International Business Institute because he did not awaken, Aiden silently complied. He knew he was powerless to do anything.
They thought he was being compliant because he knew they wanted the best for him even when he didn’t agree with them. But they didn’t know he complied because he was powerless to do anything about his situation.
And when he became a warrior, something they had always wanted him to be for themselves, their son decided to no longer live on their terms.
He had had enough.
The way he looked at them that day before the gate when he saw them... when he realized they were no longer worth being his parents, after he was really fed up with their selfish and twisted methods, struck them.
Their son was in the limelight. And they would not be part of his story.
He disowned them publicly.
After that, their lives had been miserable.
They lost business deals.
People said they lacked proper judgment for handling business matters. If they were able to be so maligned towards such a remarkable son, their judgments would not be trusted.
Their reputation crumbled.
Their business was falling apart. Their lives were a mess.
And their hearts were full of regret.
"Had we been more loving and patient with him, perhaps we would have been..." Falan said.
"It’s our fault for being unfilial parents," William sighed. "If only we could go back in time to fix everything... we lost such a capable and good son because of our selfishness."
"There’s no cure for regrets."
Tears fell from Falan’s eyes.
Her husband hugged her, comforting her.