âWell⌠I expect the stories to be all true⌠no. They
!!â Hector screamed and groaned as if he were in pain.
Hector couldnât understand.
How did it lead to this? Where did it go wrong? How can he change things?
âWhatâŚ. What does he want me to do?â
Hector had been living a life of success, until he had made that one mistake of trying to start a war. Little had he known that one decision would bite him back.
He was now caught in the hands of the âmonsterâ that comes every thousand years- and he hadnât expected himself to end up in the claws of such a monster.
âGrrrrggghhâŚ!â Hector, the emperor of Coldwood, of blood and iron, was being driven mad by the second.
* * *
A few days before the new year had dawned, Terry Greenriver was presenting Ian with an award.
He wanted to present Ian with the title as the nationâs hero, which he so deserved.
Ian, however, had refused the title.
âI am honored, my Lord. But I cannot receive such a title like this.â
Emperor Terry Greenriver was in awe.
âWhy? How? Pardon me for saying this Ian, but you have never refused a gift like this. You actually enjoy being presented with awards and gifts. Thatâs what made you likable all the more. Youâre quite honest.â The emperor said half-jokingly.
The emperor had his reasons for making such comments. Ian never refused a prize that came his way.
The same Ian who had never turned something down, even out of politeness, was refusing to be titled the nationâs hero. No doubt there was a reason for Ian to do so.
âThereâs no particular reason for me doing so, my lord.â
Ian simply had conscience, as surprising as it may be.
This entire incident was Ianâs fault. After all, the dragon soldiers had attacked in the first place for the purpose of looking for Ian.
âIf I had not been here to begin withâŚâ Ian thought. Nothing would have happened if he hadnât been around. How then, could he simply take the title as the nationâs hero?
âEven if it is for me, I canât take the title.â
As a matter of fact, he was in a position of feeling guilty to the people of Greenriver for the rest of his life. However, he couldnât bring himself to tell the emperor. Ian needed some other excuse.
âYou like me for being honest, so may I be honest for refusing this title you now present me? I may sound a little arrogant.â
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âBeing arrogant is one of your charms. And you have the right to be arrogant. What is it you want to tell me?â
The emperor was quite unique in his own way. Most people would be careful around Ian once they got to know Ianâs abilities, but the emperor never changed how he treated Ian.
âThereâs no point in receiving land and riches as a gift. I know that eventually, all of that would be returned to the empire through the Page Organization thatâs run by the Princess and my mother. Rather than you going through the trouble of distributing prizes, wouldnât it be less of a trouble for me to receive thanks from you personally here in the palace?
Ian didnât need land.
Ian had no need for riches, either. He had plenty of that.