Chapter 2649
In the tightly sealed room, only father and son sat facing each other. Wisps of cigarette smoke drifted recklessly through the light and shadows.
The slightly choking smell of smoke in the room was as heavy as the thoughts weighing on both men.
No one spoke. The silence was deathly.
After a long while, Pelius spoke as if recalling the past. "I remember I was only four or five at the time?"
"I began receiving some basic training—academic knowledge and physical conditioning. From the time I was little, everyone around me told me that I carried the responsibilities and mission of two families."
"While other children were still enjoying all kinds of fun at Children's Paradise, I had already begun light military training."
"They looked at me as if I were an idiot, a monster."
Pelius lit a cigarette. When the cigarette holder touched his lips, it felt dry and sticky, as if he were once again sitting in the car, watching the children squandering their time in the square that year. The memory clung to him like glue.
"From childhood to adulthood, whether it was academics or military training, I was always the best. Everyone told me I was doing what they couldn't."
"I would be the one to achieve the family's greatest moment of glory. I would become the brightest person in the Federal Military—without exception!"
"That was what I had always done. I worked hard for it and gave up many things."
"For a while, I was especially troubled because I realized I couldn't understand what those people were saying. They kept their distance from me."
"I didn't have many friends. Loneliness didn't crush my spirit. Instead, it became nourishment on my path to strength."
"I had encountered many difficulties and overcome them one after