--- [Gael’s perspective]
Just when I was about to leave Mors, I ran into a man who’d completely change the trajectory of my life.
Throughout my entire journey, I had always walked, but now, for the first time, I ran.
I started running out of the village, and since I was already pretty good at BDM, I ran significantly faster than any normal human could.
That man saw me and figured I was a hunter.
He instantly caught up to me.
“Wait!” – ???
He stood in my path, but I just wanted to leave.
I ignored him and tried to walk past him, but he grabbed my hand to stop me from leaving.
“Are you a hunter?” – ???
My mind was in a haze at the time, so I answered only to get him away from me.
“No. Now let me go!” – Gael
“Of course, I just want to ask you one simple question before you leave…” – ???
“What?” – Gael
“I’m guessing you’re not from around here… Did what you saw here in Mors bother you?” – ???
The question took me aback…
Of course it bothered me!
It would bother anyone!
I didn’t know how to answer, so, I didn’t…
“…” – Gael
“If so, then do you want to do anything about it?” – ???
He said it with such conviction, I couldn’t help but take him seriously.
He let go of my hand; I was free to leave, but I didn’t.
“What do you mean?” – Gael
That was the first time I met him.
Xavier Sanguis.
I heard him out; I wanted to know if there truly was something I could do to make a difference.
“I’ve met many young folks like you… They travel the world, and in doing so, they discover what it’s truly like. Some have a breakdown, some run away, while others try, and fail, to make a difference. You’re no different from them.” – Xavier
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He was so blunt, but also completely right.
I was about to run away and pretend like what I saw never happened.
Ignore all the suffering of those around me so that I can be happy…
“If you try to help, you’ll only end up getting yourself killed. If you don’t, you’ll have to live with that constant nagging feeling in the back of your mind that you could be doing something, but you aren’t, for the rest of your life. Either way, once you know what the world is truly like, things will never be the same ever again.” – Xavier
I know myself better than anyone, and what he’s saying is true.
If I really did just run away, I would never stop thinking about it.
I could be out there clearing dungeons with Isaac and Iris, and while they would feel happy that we cleared it before monsters escaped and anyone got hurt, I’d be there knowing people were suffering anyway.
If I never went on this journey, if I never saw how horrible the world truly was…
“What you’ve seen is merely the tip of the iceberg.” – Xavier
That sentence has been stuck in my mind since that day.
Even after having seen what I saw, I instinctively knew it was true.
I went with him, and we continued talking.
“There are villages where people resolve themselves to never have children because bringing innocent people into this horrible world will bring them nothing but pain and suffering. There are villages where people are so poor they can’t afford any medical supplies, so they’re forced to live their lives in constant pain. There are villages where starvation is so rampant that the inhabitants drop like flies.” – Xavier
What he said resonated with me; what I had seen lined up perfectly with what he described.
But it’s what he said next that shook me to my core…
“This is what happens to those who refuse to sell themselves into slavery. All of these villages get weekly, if not daily, visits from slave traders who offer to solve all their problems. The only catch is that they’ll have to give up their freedom. Many people are desperate enough to accept, but it’s a horrible slippery slope. They never actually permanently solve their issues; it’s always just temporary relief for their constant suffering. Soon enough, they’ll be back for more. Those who refuse their offers have no choice but to deal with the consequences.” – Xavier
They’re given an impossible choice; become a slave or die.
I can’t blame anyone for going with either choice.
They’re both equally horrible.
Eventually, after we had talked for a while, I asked him why the world was like this.
“Have you ever visited any of the large cities in the middle area or Adamas?” – Xavier
“Yeah.” – Gael
“Then I’m sure you noticed how extravagant those cities are. There is so much food, most of it is thrown away. There is so much wealth, luxury is a bigger concern than necessities. Anything you could ever want is there. Do you think this is a coincidence? Do you think there just happened to be a lot of wealth concentrated in one part of the world, while the other lives in massive poverty? Of course not! The reason why is simple. Those in power want the world to be like this. By artificially making life worse for those in the outer area, they can take advantage of them by having them become their slaves. There is no better way of increasing your own wealth than having others do free labor. It all goes back to greed, and the man behind it all, is the Emperor. So I ask you again, do you want to make a difference?” – Xavier
“Yes…” – Gael
“Then come with me. I’m part of an organization called The END. Everyone there is working towards the same goal; killing the Emperor, and liberating the people.” – Xavier
I was supposed to go home, but I couldn’t.
Not yet.
If I could make a difference, if I could help make sure these people wouldn’t have to live like this, I had to take that opportunity.
Our dream since that monster attacked our village was always to become hunters so that we could help people and stop what happened to us from happening to others.
Killing monsters to save lives…
Slaying the Emperor and liberating the people…
It’s all the same, except by joining The END, I could help deal with the bigger evil first.
Isaac and Iris could wait, this was more important.