"Get in there, stupid mutt"
In the dungeons, where the only source of light was the feeble embers of torches. I was thrown into a room without any windows, had an iron door and is incredibly dark.
I grunted upon touching the cold stone floor and was shivering from the cold.
It seems like I really was thrown into solitary imprisonment.
I tried sitting up and lean my back on the walls, but because of how dark this place was....what am I supposed to do? I can only do nothing but daze into the air.
I could not even hear the guards outside.
Hmm....how long was I in this place? Has it been hours? I am getting hungry.
Then when I was just thinking about that, the box on the iron door opened as food was soon then slid through that box. It was just a moldy piece of bread which looked like it was eaten by rats, there was even water which was so murky.
But who am I to complain? Not like I did not live like this....jokes on those nobilities to think that this is enough to drive me insane.
Taking a bite off those moldy piece of bread, I drank the bitter murky water and had a feast.
After I was done eating, I went back to sitting on the corner and stare in the dark walls. I did nothing but sit around as I have nothing else to do inside this cell.
I thought about the reason why that female knight had helped me, but the only reason I could come up of was...nothing. She did say that I should try defeating her, so maybe that's what it was? Whatever.
Then I shifted my focus on something else, why was I not chosen? Was I not enough? Ah, it must be because I was a street rat. There are lots of street rats who received no blessings too, so whatever.
How long have I been in this place?
Has it been days? Weeks? Months? Or maybe it has been years yet no one had tried to let me out because they didn't truly intend to let me out. Food and water do come and go, but I lost count on how many times I had been given it.
Overwhelmed by boredom in this dark place, I stood up and started punching the walls. Huh, for some strange reason....despite me punching the walls with strength, I felt it not even shattering. Both my bones and the walls, I mean. It must have been enforced by something.
I kept punching and punching until I felt that my fist had started to peel off and I could feel the stinging pain.
But thinking about it again...why was I not chosen? Do the gods not want me? I am a capable fighter. I have a great resolve as well....
"WHY WHY WHY WHY! WAS MY RESOLVE NOT ENOUGH? IS IT BECAUSE I AM JUST A STREET RAT?!! IS IT BECAUSE I HAD NOTHING??!!! SO YOU DO NOT WANT ME??? WHYWHYWHYWHY"
Strange, who is shouting? That's definitely not me. There are sounds of banging in the walls too, that is definitely not me. Whoever that is, is sure one hella insane bastard.
Ah, my fists hurt. How many times has it been now? How many times have I been punching the walls. Ahh, I could feel my bones sticking out.
"Pipe down will you? you have been so noisy for the past few weeks"
While I was in the corner agonizing over my wounded knuckles, I heard a voice on the other side.
"Huh? I thought I should be in a solitary?"
"Solitary means alone in a cell, you idiot"
Oh, so that's what it means. I see, I see.
But who is this voice? He sounds husky and quite familiar but I cannot recall where or when I have heard his voice. Either way, it is good to know that I am not alone.
"What's your name? And what is your case?"
I asked the man on the other side, as he chuckled.
"Isn't it rude to ask for someone else's name without introducing yourself, first?"
Even the man's chuckle and tone was familiar, but he was right.
Clearing my throat, I chuckled as well and leaned my body on the wall.
"I am Li Sh—"
"But you may refer to me as Roanoke, someone who has been lost in time. Haha, I have been here for a long long time after committing a heinous crime"
Before I could introduce myself, the man on the other side introduced himself first. Is this guy mental? Come to think of it, I did hear about the name Roanoke meaning something about Lost.
"....I am Li Sheng, I assaulted a noble"
I introduced myself right after the guy had finished introducing himself.
"So, Li Sheng I assaulted a noble, why did you assault a noble?"
Somewhat finding the other guy's humor quite funny, I couldn't help but chuckle. I must admit....that without anything to entertain me in this place, my humor has been broken.
Adjusting my sitting position, I sighed and told Roanoke about my story. About how I assaulted the noble, about how I was not chosen and about my desire for Glory.
After I was done narrating my story, I felt like a weight has been taken off my chest as I feel more at ease...for some reason. I heaved a sigh of relief as silence was overtaken in the room. Then the silence was broken.
"Why do you care?"
"Huh?"
All of a sudden, Roanoke suddenly uttered some cryptic words which struck me with confusion.
"I said, why would you care about others' opinion of you?"
He continued as his words struck something in me and my mouth was caught by something.
"You were not chosen? Why would you care? Was your dream being chosen by the gods?"
He added as I tried to rebutt
"No, but being chosen will help me achieve it—"
But my rebuttal was met by another rebuttal.
"Why? Can't you achieve something for yourself? Do you need someone else's help to achieve something for yourself? Do you want to wait for something that is not coming? Are you sure you want to achieve glory by being spoonfed or do you want to achieve it with your own hand?"
Hearing his words, I kept quiet. I thought about it deeply and engraved it into me. Then it didn't take a moment for a fire to light up in me as I agreed with his words.
He was right, I shouldn't just mope around just because I was not chosen. If I am aiming for the top, then shouldn't be my path be filled with thorns?
"The Path to Glory is not filled with flowers and gentleness, rather...it is filled with Thorns and Struggles"
He added as I fully took his words into my heart and was filled with enlightenment.
"Thanks. Thank you for reminding me of how foolish I am. You are indeed right."
I muttered towards Roanoke as he just chuckled. I have to admit, his words was truly heavy that it woke me up from my daydream and reminded me of where I came from and how I rose to glory in the slums.
"How about you though, what is your story?"
Now it was my turn to ask him.
"Oh, me? Nothing....I just...just...."
But before I could even hear his answer, I woke up to the door in my cell opening.