'This captain is a damn old fox.'
Caleb felt a headache as he thought of this. Yeah, it wasn't wrong to protect the City of Phenos, as it acts as one of the last bastions of humans in this world. It would also become their home for a long, long time. He wasn't averse to the idea of protecting it. However, he wants to do it of his own will! Not affected by external factors such as brainwashing. Not to mention, he would only be willing to protect the city if it was serving his interests. If it gives him enough benefits. There's no free pie in this world and he knew it. At least there should be an equivalent exchange.
"Go introduce yourselves so the others around you would know you. All of you would become in one faction in the future, so a harmonious relationship and good impression are a must. State your name, where you're from, your dream, and why did you join the scout out of the three factions." David's eyes went through the new faces with a faint smile on his face. "Go on, let's start with you." His gaze landed on the green-haired teenager.
Seeing the gaze of everyone around him. The green-haired teen didn't react much and kept his composure. He looked calmly at everyone and opened his mouth:
"I'm Rozho, I came from District 0..."
Hearing the word District 0 made the other teenagers around mutter with each other. And they look at the green-haired teenager with disdain.
"District 0? A rat actually dared to join the Scout? What an ambitious trash. Let's distance ourselves from him or we will become smelly."
"What the fuck? Is he actually from the godforsaken place? Why would a peasant want to join the Scouts and come all the way here? What a deluded person."
"What's up with District 0?" Caleb couldn't help but mutter hearing the negative reactions of people around him.
That's why, in his opinion. It's better to befriend people as much as you can and avoid provoking just anyone even if the someone looks poor or ugly. Who knows, maybe that poor bastard is actually the lost son of a king or a hidden expert pretending to be a pig? Or an ugly one that was actually a criminal?
'They're causing trouble for nothing.'
For him, the green-haired teenagers have a good ambition. It's better than becoming a salted fish, right?
"That's the spirit! Youth should be ambitious! Without ambition, how do you hope to do anything or improve anything? Aim higher!" With a laugh, David went beside Rozho and patted him on the shoulders as if a proud senior. "So why did you choose Scout instead of constables or guards?" Stay connected via m-v l|e'-novelhall.net
Rozho closed his eyes for a moment. Then he opened them again. "I just want to become strong by fighting Apokalips."
"Good... Well, let me tell you mine then." A solemn expression appeared on David's face.
"I want you to understand why I made the choice I did. I chose to join the Scout Regiment in the past because it was the path to freedom. You see, the world we live in is a world of walls, quite literally. These colossal walls protect us from the Apokalips, but they also confine us, restrict us, and deny us knowledge of the outside world.
I was born within these walls, and I saw the fear, the oppression, and the ignorance of people around me. The Apokalips breached our walls, and I lost my sister to them. That day, a burning desire ignited within me – a desire to break free from these walls, to explore the world beyond, and to rid humanity of the Apokalips menace once and for all.
The Scout Regiment is the key to achieving that freedom. They are the brave souls who venture beyond the walls, facing the Apokalips and the mysteries of the outside world head-on. They explore the unknown, and in doing so, they challenge the very essence of our existence." David took a deep breath.