I just wanted everyone to live happily. Even for me, a human who was struggling to build up his kingdom and make a name for himself, I never lacked strong and capable soldiers.

Even generals, even if I ran low on them right now, I was sure in the next couple years I’d have a large roster of them to even make up reserves and leave generals behind without armies to lead or work to do.

And that was my situation while I was still growing my strength and fame. Just thinking about such a mighty race like the Hescos or others, I couldn’t help but wonder about the reasons that led them to force their unwilling kids to do such things.

I had to find a chance and ask Silverlining about this. I was sure I was lacking many pieces of the whole story.

“Shut up! Even if the race isn’t fair and wasn’t nice to us, I won’t betray them!”

Stephen seemed to be lost in the dilemma of his loyalty and his anger towards his race. Even when he said such strong words, his tone was weak and wasn’t like anything he said before.

I stood in my place in silence, watching this interesting show in front of me. I hoped Stephen would change his mind after all this talk. If what Matte said was true, then there was a good chance for this good dude to join me.

“You are just lying to yourself,” Matte didn’t stop, “you were always like that, focusing on your main goal to become a powerhouse in the future without caring about anything else.”

“I won’t reach my goal by joining this useless human!” Stephen pointed at me, and I didn’t feel any offence from what he said.

He didn’t know me, and my race’s fame wasn’t that great to begin with.

“You know nothing,” Matte snorted, “you are just speaking about this lord without knowing him well enough. What bull** you just said? You won’t reach anything with these damn ungrateful cold hearted bastards! And above all, if you die, you will die without making any name for yourself. You’ll die and your name will be forgotten! Is that what you want? Tell me, is that what you live for?”

I saw the body of Stephen tremble faintly for long minutes. The words Matte said didn’t stop there as he started to speak about things that were considered mere facts.

He spoke about how their race wanted to stop and kill me, and in the end I crushed everything they made and even got my hand over this entire defensive zone.

He spoke about how I fought the war till now, which was something well known for him and Stephen for sure. But Matte didn’t find it weird to narrate things that were known to everyone.

In the end he focused again over the legendary Hescos I made out of thin air. “If you have a little brain in that stubborn skull of yours then you’ll understand what I told you. These are all facts, and you know them pretty well already. You can’t refute these, and you can’t refute the fact that by your death you will achieve nothing! Why be loyal to those who never cared and won’t care about people like us? Wake up, and don’t miss the chance in front of you and end up dying for nothing!”

As Matte said these words, he turned around and started walking away towards my chariot. “I won’t say any more to you. It’s your life, and you know better than anyone what goals you have and why you selected them in the first place. If you don’t want to achieve any of these, then don’t blame anyone else but yourself for what will happen to those you care about.”

I didn’t get what Matte just said, but from the fiercer trembling of Stephen’s body I knew this must be some sensitive topic of Stephen’s life.

I wanted to know everything about Stephen, but it wasn’t the right time to ask about such things. I stood my place motionless, calmly watching the purple suited Stephen standing in silence as well in front of me.

I knew his mind must be like a storming ocean, thinking about many complicated and conflicted things at the same time.

Saying anything right now wouldn’t do me any good. In fact I admired Matte.

He just showed a side to me that I never thought it even existed. That dude… These paragons… They tricked everyone with their act… They even tricked me!

If I didn’t see by my own eyes Matte lecturing Stephen like this, I’d never have believed that Matte wasn’t a coward and was faking it!

As for leaving Stephen at the right moment, it told me a lot about his mind.

Matting wasn’t easy. I stole a gaze at his back and couldn’t help but inwardly sigh.

I was right. It was impossible for the number one race in the universe to produce a bunch of cowards and useless brats like these paragons here.

Even if they didn’t like to fight and compete, it didn’t mean they were weaklings and losers. In fact, I just regretted this dude and others didn’t like to contend in this apocalypse.

Or else I’d gain not only Stephen, but a bunch of scary dudes who would greatly help my kingdom.

I tried hard to resist my urge to force these kids to work for me. I just saw what the end result would be if I tried to force them to do something they didn’t like.

‘I have to find a way to make them take the initiative and come to ask to work for me,’ I decided to take this matter quite seriously. I didn’t need to take things directly and with such a harsh approach to them.

Instead I could just be patient and wait for them to change up their minds. The main reason behind such talents not wanting to do anything to their race must stem from the ignorance and lack of belief in their race.