They Mean Nothing

"I guess it's time for you to wear one now"

The old man carried a sword, a chainmail, gauntlets, and a shin guard.

"That's all?"

"What do you mean that's all?!"

Garrete annoyingly knuckleheaded Lark, with a twisting face.

'Ouch'

"I mean where's my fully plated armor"

Lark rubbed his head as he asked his grandfather for his armor.

"Puhahahaha"

"What's so funny"

"You think you're a knight or something?"

"Uhmm, am I not a knight already?"

"What kind of shit are you spewing now?"

"I mean, I already trained under you AKA 'HERO' the slayer of thousands"

Lark rolled his eyes, as he complained.

"Hah! you really are an idiot"

"You'll have to achieve something and be praised by the king to become one, you won't become a hero if you haven't been recognized!"

'Gah'

Lark kicked the old man's shin, as he unsheathed his sword.

"I trained you to become a soldier, nothing more nothing less"

"I only taught you the basics on how to survive a war"

"Then the hell training?!"

"Puh! there's no such thing, you dumb shit"

"What the fuck?!"

"Language!"

"Like you're one to talk"

"Too bad I'm already a certified senior citizen who can spew nonsense on shitheads like you!"

"And if there is such hell training then all of the men I had should have all been heroes!"

"They wouldn't have died for a shitty country with shitty people!"

The two kept on bantering for a while, when Lark was suddenly grabbed at the shoulder by the old man.

"Listen well Lark"

"Never have I wished you to become like us"

"Heroes are not like what you think they are"

"They're just nothing but puppets for people to look up to, and so more will enlist to become a soldier in hoping to become one"

"Just like an idiot like you!"

"And they are what I call common people"

"That's why Lark..... BECOME UNIQUE!"

"Never think about the people nor the country, think about the world"

"Aim for a higher standing than a mere 'Hero'!"

"BE A-

"We're under attack!"

That time was the first I've seen that old bastard serious.

We we're camping at the night that time, and a soldier on duty spotted ambushers at that time, they wore bandits' outfits, but they were too organized and fought in formtaions, though it was rendered useless when the old man smashed them into pieces.

I watched everything happened and this was my first time seeing someone die in such a gruesome way too, I felt a churn on my stomach, and threw up.

'I can't even stand the sight of someone dying, what more if I was the one who killed'

Lark stopped his train of thoughts.

'As I knew it, I really am useless'

"ARROWS!"

"LARK!"

A scream of warning for arrows was soon heard, at same time the screaming of the men who had their flesh ripped could be heard, the call of my grandfather, I couldn't hear that time.

Before I knew it, I was curled up into a ball and huge sillhoutte was blocking my view, from time to time he would quiver.

"Heh! welcome to war boy!"

Arrows came from all directions, as it rained down on the huge wall, at same time droplets of warm red liquid would fall on my face.

"Tsk! that was careless of me"

"I forgot my armor"

"Guess I'm really growing senile, eh?

"Hahahahaha"

Why the hell are you laughing, can't you see the state your in right now.

"What the hell are you crying at boy?!"

This goddamn bastard! if you've got time to worry about an insignificant trash like me, take care of yourself.

The world doesn't need me anyways.

"Heh! there you go again doubting yourself"

"Let me tell you something to boost your confidence then"

While saying so, he stood up slowly, as the darkness of the night consumed his figure I couldn't see his face at the time.

"YOU WILL BE A HERO!"

"I guarantee it!"

He gave me a smile and a thumbs up, literally what a carefree person, we were already sorrounded, and there he goes spewing nonsense to a child.

"Hahahaha! still so naive as ever I see Garrete"

A man in a robes happily skipping, acompanied with men in veils and dark clothes.

"Heh! that's why I hate strategists"

"They're a bunch of cowards"

Garrete tightened his grip on his sword, readying to charge himself.

"Are you sure you want to charge on, while leaving you grandson behind?"

"Oh yeah, I also have a good news for you!"

"The Kingdom has fallen!"