Arthur's Point of View

The Island

Sitting next to a fire on the beach that I made, I was begrudgingly dealing with Floyd. Normally, that was easy enough. Give him something else to do as a distraction, and he’d fuck off somewhere else. Unfortunately, I made two makeshift torches which he was now chanting up and down the beach with. Loud enough where I could hear him no matter how far away he got.

“You look like you are having fun.” Ayda commented as she approached with Cassidy and Kine.

“Yes. Floyd’s chanting is music to my ears.” I replied dryly.

Kine smirked. “Welcome to the club.”

Rolling my eyes, Cassidy looked over at him. “Where did he even get those torches?”

“I made them, so he’d go somewhere else. A small part of me hoped he’d take off through the Island and maybe get stuck in a forest fire of sorts.” My reply got Cass to roll her eyes in return.

“That does not seem like a good thing to wish for.” Ayda pointed out slowly.

I shrugged. “Well, it didn’t come true either. So, what can I do for three of the four students?” Then my eyes darted to Floyd, who was starting to come back as he started getting louder. “Soon to be four out of four.”

Ayda smiled. “We were wondering if perhaps you would be interested in having Typhon join us at times for traini-“

“No.” I cut her off.

Facing the ocean, I didn’t care about whatever expression she might’ve made. “Why not?” A new voice came in from behind me, and the two Priestesses soon came into view. “Surely Typhon Delmaris would be excited to work with us and his friends.” Arceana continued as she moved to the other side of the fire. “He is young, and learning with others would likely improve his growth.”

Taking a stick and poking the fire, I was quiet for a time. “If that was true, then you should’ve been training him already.” I finally said. “’My’ student will not be involved in their training. His training will be far different than anything they would be doing.”

Elincia stepped beside her students. “That is fair, but we ask that he be taken care of.”

“Has he come to you to complain at all?” I asked but got no response. “Is he showing signs of aggression that he didn’t show before? Perhaps he’s acting different, and all of you are concerned about his mental welfare?” Still no response. “No? Then maybe you should all back off.” I stated with a shrug.

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Arceana and Kine were the two who seemed the most insulted. “We know that General Kheri confronted you about this yesterday.” The pink-haired Priestess informed me.

I snorted, amused. “You mean when she broke her hand?”

Ayda immediately shot back. “Just like how Typhon broke his arms?”

A smirk came to my lips. “Should I assume you blame me for that despite the fact that Ty went overboard himself?” I shrugged. “Not like that’s any different from any other conversation we have. Almost all of you have blamed me for anything and everything since I arrived.”

“That’s not true.” Arceana replied as her scepter touched the sand.

“Holy shit. You can’t really believe that…” At my stunned silence, I eventually lowered my face into my free hand. “How this Kingdom still exists is beyond me.” Then I waved my hand at the group. “So, what do you want? Because I’ve come to learn how this works. You’ll ask me to help, I’ll do it, many of you will get mad at me, etc…”

My gaze returned to the fire as Floyd’s chanting got closer. “What have you been blamed for?” Kine asked in a snarky tone.

Rolling my eyes, I groaned. “I’ve been over this so many times at this point that I no longer care. I’m so sick of this cesspool I’m in. If I didn’t have my own goals to accomplish, I would’ve fucked right off out of Helmsforth and never seen almost all of you ever again.” Then I shrugged. “Not willingly anyway.” My gaze shifted to Arceana, Elincia, and Ayda. “Some of you live for a long time.”

Cassidy sighed. “Would Ah still be able to expect ya ta visit?”

“Augustus would be pissed if I didn’t.” Then I gestured for them to carry on. “So, seriously, why’re all of you here? What do you want?”

“Must you always be so negative?” Ayda inquired.

“If that’s how you see me, then you are blind. I admit I am pessimistic.” Turning to Arceana, I looked her in the eyes. “But at least I wake up with the same face every day. Makes it easier to live my life, and this negativity of mine has done nothing except make Lestrania thrive.”

Arceana kept my gaze. “If you are as pessimistic as you claim, surely there is some reason for your actions. What goals do you hope to achieve? What does Arthur Pendragon believe in?”

“My goals are my own, and I don’t believe in anything. Why would I?” I asked the group and turned to the students. “You believe in your Priestesses, and yet they treat me like shit.” Then I chuckled. “The funny thing is, one of the main reasons we’re all out here is for me to help Elincia.” I shrugged again. “Why would I believe in anything or any of you? Why share my goals with any of you?”

“Because we might be able to help you!” Ayda said firmly.

“No, you can’t. All you’ve done is get in my way.” Then I gestured to Cassidy. “Is Cass your friend, Ayda?”

She was on guard, but she nodded. “Yes.” The Elf confirmed.

Poking the fire, I asked another questioning. “Yet, when you found out I saved her friend from slavery, none of you seemed to care. Why is that?” None of them answered. “When I killed Jhaane Syltar, all of you were upset at how I did it. None of you care why and even threatened me. I killed Ghouls that came to Cassidy’s home, and all of you attacked me.” Rolling my neck, I looked out across the group. “The only reason I’m still here is because I’m looking for answers, and this is the best place to look for the moment.”

Like a fucking lunatic, Floyd jumped on my back as two torches draped over my shoulders. “What kind of answers!?” Floyd asked excitedly.

Grabbing the torches from his hands, I tossed them into the fire. “The important kind.” Then I shrugged him off, and he sat next to me. “To be honest, I know I’m not the easiest to get along with, but at least I know I’m a piece of shit. But I’m a piece of shit who has principals and can curb myself to those who are actually nice to me.” My look at Cassidy made her smile. “As for most of you, I don’t care. Each one of you has pushed me well past my limits, and the only reason most of you are alive are for personal reasons and pure sufferance on my part. That, and more patience than a stone.”

The group was quiet until Cassidy spoke up. “Uh, Arthur?” I turned to her. “Ya kinda just threatened the Priestesses.”

“So?” I asked back in a dead tone, and I slowly shifted back to the fire. “They aren’t my concern. I got bigger problems to deal with than some uppity Priestesses, and they are as uppity as they come.” The fire crackled as I watched it.

“What problems?” Arceana asked.

“In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons. Herodotus.” I replied. “We’re being probed right now, but war is coming, and I don’t have time to deal with your laughable problems.”

“What about mine?” Elincia inquired. “Are you still willing to help me?”

“If I’m willing to fight a coming war for Lestrania, I’m willing to help you, Elincia.” Especially since it was my fault to begin with. “Are you wanting to do it now?”

She seemed to twitch at that. “Are you prepared now?”

I shrugged. “It’s going to be experimenting until we figure it out, but we can do it now if you want. Hopefully, it’ll be dealt with in a few minutes.” It wasn’t.