I was completely exhausted and drenched in my sweat. I was doing my nighttime workout to keep my body in check. My apartment was a little crowded so I couldn’t do my training there. So after putting Armin and Rose to bed, I went to our building’s terrace where I could do some training.

I had already taken the permission of the landlady and she gave me a spare key for accessing the terrace after she heard my reasoning. The landlady was one stern woman when it came to the monthly rents but she also had a soft side to her. I am really, thankful that I could do some training on the terrace.

I may be fit but I need more strength and more power.

I know, I am just a lowly ambitious boy with a dream to reach out to the stars.

It was almost been a week from the uproar happened in the alleyway but it still feels like it was just yesterday.

From that day onwards I have been training extra hard that I even started doing a nighttime workout after putting Armin and Rose to bed.

I wasn’t able to get proper sleep after that incident so instead of lying on my bed waiting to fall asleep, I just started to be more productive by training more. Tonight was just another night like any other.

I was drenched in my sweat so I removed my shirt and hanged it on the terrace ledge to dry. My body was exhausted so I took a break and let cold night breeze to cool down my tired muscles after doing an intense workout.

My mind was still stuck back at the time where our collision with the bandit took place. I can’t get that out of my back of mind for some reason.

The thing was that most bugs me was that I couldn’t even protect those three soldiers. It’s not like I was close to those three but it was my duty to protect them and I failed miserably. I couldn’t even do a simple job as that.

Most of the work cut out was for Thalia and William who collided with the silver rank weapon holder with their mere bronze weapon. They might have failed to defeat that mush faced bandit but still landed a fatal blow by intaking less damage as possible. Their teamwork was a flawless one and I, on the other hand, was just a useless deadweight.

I always flung crap at those rich noble bastards and how rotten and useless their skills were just because they were handed out enchanted gears. I believed that William and Thalia were just like one of them.

I thought I could take those people down with ease with my skills alone but I was wrong.

In the end, I was just all bark and no bite.

The people who I looked down on, were ultimately the reason that I was alive and standing here right now. I feel pathetic and ashamed of myself.

Is this the difference between enchanted gear holders and just an ambitious boy filled with arrogance.

Now I had known what was my position in this vast world.

Bruno was also a dead weight back in the alleyway so it makes two of us. I wasn’t alone dragging the team back there. But for some reason that didn’t make me feel any better.

We went through all that trouble for nothing. I have now encountered close death experience twice in a month. It was enough to experience for this lifetime, I am done with this shit.

Suddenly I slapped both of cheeks with my hands.

“Enough moping around!” I shrieked out to myself.

Despite the odds, I must conquer fame and wealth even without the use of enchanted gear. It might sound like an impossible goal but somehow my old man succeded. I must surpass him even though I hate him from the bottom of my heart. Even if I hate my old man but I still respect his skills and achievements.

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When I was lost in the middle of thoughts suddenly I heard…

“Hey, big bro! So this is where you were!”

I turned around in surprise, it was Armin who was standing at the doorway of the terrace in his night pajamas.

“Hey, Armin! Its way past bedtime! What are you doing here?” I asked agitatedly while trying to keep my voice down. It was already late in the night and I didn't want to wake anyone up, not especially the landlady.

It was very unusual for Armin to not fell asleep. He's the most active kid throughout the day so at night he would fast asleep from exhaustion. Even the hibernating bears would wake up but not him. He won’t wake up like this unless…

“Big bro, I wanted to go to the loo but when I tried to look for you, you weren’t there in the room. So I then I started looking around to the building until I found you up here,” replied Armin with his arms crossed while he glared at me.

Why was he the one glaring at me?

Shouldn't it be the other way around?

“I was just doing some training, can’t you just wake Rose? Why did you have to go all the way out here? It’s dangerous at the night for kids to be lurking around.”

“Big bro, are you seriously asking me to ask a girl to take me to a bathroom? Are you really, so dumb?” asked Armin cheekily as he had a disappointed expression.

This little runt! When did he start to act all gentlemanly?

“Oh yeah? Excuse this dummy dumb but if you were so intelligent as you portray yourself than you should go to the loo yourself.”, I picked my shirt hanged on the ledger and hanged it on my shoulder, “Also if you could walk all out the way to the terrace at nighttime then a bathroom shouldn’t be a big problem.”

To that Armin just snickered and look the other way as he scratched his head.

"Nevermind let's just get going."

Arguing with him any further would be pointless.

I then exited the terrace along with Armin and closed the terrace door. The landlady had strictly instructed to lock the door of the terrace after use. I don’t want to chewed out by the landlady so I started to lock the door. The door had a huge lock placed on the latch. It was dark so I had trouble locking it right away.

“Gimme a second Armin, this crappy lock is…” I said as I was struggling with the lock.

“Big bro?” called out Armin.

“What is it? Hold it in a little longer.” I answered without looking at him while still busy struggling with the lock.

“Brother, I will surpass you and get even more, stronger.”

“What?” I replied.

I was a bit surprised to hear that out of nowhere.

I glanced at Armin but he was standing therewith headstrong attitude and determinant look in his eyes.

This was the first time I ever saw Armin act that way for once.

“Yes! I will become a great strong soldier in the country and then I will be the one to protect you and Rose,” he answered sternly.

What was wrong with Armin?

Did he eat something weird?

I first locked the door then,

“Let me check your temperature,” I placed my hand on his forehead and then compared it with mine, “It doesn’t look like you have a fever.”

Armin suddenly became furious and pouted his face,

“Big bro! I am serious here!”

“Yeah yeah!” I answered and stroked Armin’s head, “You know what? Before surpassing me, you should first try going to the toilet alone in the middle of the night. Haha!”

We started to head to our apartment and continued our conversation along the way.

"Don't laugh bro! That's just one of the hardship that every warrior should go through." answered back Armin.

"Going toilet in the night?"

"Yes, of course! Every warrior should go through this trial."

"What the heck have you been reading these days? Don't tell me you spent your pocket money on mumbo-jumbo crap book?"

"Big bro! It's the book how to become a legend with 12 easy steps. It's really helpful."

"Become a legend in 12 steps? If that was so easy then what the heck am I even doing here. I think the book might have better ideas then me joining the guardsmen regiment. Aww, my rotten luck."

"Sure! I can lend it to you if you want?"

"I'll burn it if ever see that thing."

Soon we reached the room and it seemed Rose was still asleep. Otherwise, I would have another lecture coming that I overwork myself, blah, blah.

After aiding Armin on his one warrior trial's (midnight loo) we went to sleep.

I was really, moved by Armin’s words. It would have been better if Armin didn’t choose the same path as me. Being a soldier and making fame was a difficult job. He could be better off being some merchant or businessman but because of his lack of intelligence which was a big hurdle to cross.

Still, I never thought I would hear such words from Armin. That he would be the one to protect me and Rose. Not long ago, he carefreely roamed butt naked after having a bath and suddenly he was talking about protecting and taking responsibilities.

Kids certainly, do grow in a blink of an eye.