Bab 28: Mixed-blood
At ten o'clock evening, taking the reason that Class Leader needed to get enough sleep to ensure the best condition for the competition, Class K students returned to their own dorm rooms.
Just like the period at the training base, the number of students in the same dormitory room in the Capital was four students. If there was anything different, it would be the slightly more spacious individual bedroom, increasing from eight square meters to twelve square meters. Each large dorm room consisted of four individual bedrooms, the shared area included the living room, bathroom and toilet. The three students in the same room with Angus were still three familiar faces: Iris, Neil, and Cody.
After others had left, Angus turned to look at Iris and Neil, asked: "What's up with you two?" He noticed that the two of them had been a little awkward this evening.
Iris and Neil, who were simultaneously named, were surprised to glance at each other, then hesitated: "I..."
Their reaction made Angus quickly understand, this was that each person had their own story, not both spoke the same thing. He furrowed his brows: "One by one. Iris, you first."
"Ah, um..." Unexpectedly, the first respondent was neither Iris nor Neil, but the chubby Cody who was smiling shyly. He looked at the trio of Angus and scratched his head: "If you guys have something to talk, can use the bathroom first?"
Well, the current Class K situation was, in terms of training score, Hudson was the one having highest score right after Angus, then Iris, then Edelina, and then Neil. But everyone in Class K knew clearly that, it was Iris and Neil who were the real 'assistants' of Angus.
It was right that both Iris and Neil were in the top students, and they were also lucky to be in the same dorm with Angus right at the beginning. But those were not the main reason but only a plus. The biggest reason leading to the current situation was because they were the first two to actively show an attitude of closeness to Angus, willing to submit to Angus, obey his arrangements, and then, later on, Angus also showed that he accepted the two of them as his assistants.
Therefore, now seeing that Iris and Neil had something to talk separately with Leader Angus, Cody wanted to leave them space for talking.
Iris didn't want Cody to think that he was isolated in this dorm, so he said, "It doesn't matter... You can stay here, or you can go... It's up to you!"
Cody was about to walk away: "..."
Please! Your saying even made me in a tougher position!! If I chose to go, looked like I intentionally separate from everyone. But if I stayed, it was even worse as I was such curious about your stuffs!!!
Seeing Cody so confused between whether to leave or to stay, Angus threw him a living path: "Cody, just go."
Like just received a privilege, Cody ran as fast as possible to his room to take the clothes and then jumped into the bathroom.
Now it was Neil's turn to feel hesitant: "Do I need to go as well?"
Iris glanced at him: "You stay still!"
Neil: "..." Alright, stay, I would stay, okay? Did you need to be aggressive like that?
***
Now there were only three of them in the big living room, Iris asked Angus: "Leader, you already know I'm a mixed-blood long ago right?"
Neil was standing by, clearly startled when hearing what Iris said. No wonder why he didn't see what species Iris was, it turned out that Iris was Metis too!
Angus nonchalantly nodded: "Yes."
Perhaps it was because they all were mixed-bloods, from the first day arriving at the base and encountering Iris, Angus had sensed that Iris was a mixed-blood, a mixed-blood from Lightning style. At first, both Iris' hair and eye color were in light gray. However, after he had 'enlightened' his strength in sprint running, it seemed like some kind of latent energy in his body was also activated, making his 'so-so' light gray hair and eye color gradually turn to light purple and sparkle with the typical metallic light of the Lightning style.
Iris was not surprised by Angus answer. He continued in a low voice, in a tone like he was telling a story: "I... I grew up in the Metis Home in the South of the Highlands province, same province with Hudson. He's in the city center, so he didn't know me..." Speaking of which, he suddenly lifted his head and looked directly at Angus: "Leader, everyone says that mixed-blood is weak and useless. And you, what do you think of mixed-blood?"
Angus pointed himself, "Do you find me weak?"
Iris: "..."
Neil: "..."
You didn't need to ask about this matter, Leader! The word 'weak' basically had no relationship with you!!!
Iris said in a low tone: "But Leader... May be you are the exception..."
This time Angus pointed at Iris, asking Neil: "You find him weak?"
Neil was surprised for some seconds. Then he looked at Iris, narrowed his eyes a little bit as if he was evaluating Iris again, then frankly replied: "No, Leader! If he didn't say, I'd never know he is Metis!" Then he turned to Iris, complaining: "I say this, you are a Lightning dragon, so in terms of physical strength, of course you are weaker than Fire style and Water style! But in terms of speed, who else in the base could be faster than you? Every one has pros and cons. What else are you twisted now!"
It was me who had to be twisted!!! What I wanted to say to Leader was far more terrifying than yours! Neil silently added in his heart.
"I..." Facing with Neil's question, Iris was speechless.
Angus fell into silence. His gaze turned to Iris, but it didn't seem like he was looking at Iris, but somewhere far away. After a while, he spoke:
"A long time ago, someone once told me that mixed-blood was not weak."
"Before I used to think like you, thinking that mixed-blood is very weak. But then I met a person. That person told me not to believe one hundred percent about what the others say. There are a lot of things which are considered to be true, are not really true, including books, because books are also written by human."
"The only thing true, is our belief. As long as you believe in yourself, and strive for that belief, you will definitely become what you want to be. Even if there is a percent of bad luck making you unable to succeed, you still have a life full of hope and enthusiasm. That is what's important."
"You already have an example. Before you didn't trust yourself, so you were weak. But after you put a belief in yourself, you worked hard, practiced hard, you became stronger. No one looked down on you anymore!"
Hearing this, Iris suddenly shook his head and rejected: "No, Leader! I didn't trust myself, I only trust you. Thanks to you, I have me today. Without you, I'm nothing! Also everyone doesn't know that I'm a Metis. If they know..."
If they knew, they would definitely despise him! As what people in the Metis Home did...
Just now when Neil questioned him, he didn't answer, not because he didn't know, conversely, he knew very well what Neil said. Those words were exactly what he used to encourage himself during the months. He used to think that, after that night race – the night that Angus forced him to run in blindfolded, at the time when he clearly spoke up "The real limit lies in each one's determination", all the weakness, inferiority and the dark past living in Metis Home were no more...
But today, when Angus mentioned the word "mixed-blood", he suddenly discovered that –
The inferiority before had never disappeared. It was only temporarily suppressed somewhere inside him, waiting for an opportunity to flare up!
And perhaps for the rest of his life, he would never have the courage as Angus – strongly acknowledging himself as a mixed-blood, a Metis!
"So why you tried during the whole time? You tried for what?" Angus asked.
"Of course because... Because I want to be your assistant! I want to help you!" The more Iris spoke, the more agitated he was. He even forgot the habit of calling Angus by 'Leader' everytime he talked to Angus.
The corners of Angus's mouth were raised slightly, but there was no happy expression on his handsome face: "Now I ask you, if you don't believe in yourself, where do you get the confidence to be my assistant?"
Iris was stunned.
Angus looked straight at Iris eyes and said, "Therefore Iris, the weak one is not mixed-blood, but human's heart. And you, it's not that you don't believe in yourself, but your heart is so weak that you don't dare to admit that belief."
The pale purple eyes of Iris was widened. After a brief panic, he turned his eyes to look at the ground. His hand unintentionally tightened. The corners of his eyes gradually turned red.
– The weak one is not mixed-blood, but human's heart.
– It's not that you don't believe in yourself, but your heart is so weak that you don't dare to admit that belief.
After a while, he stopped his emotions, using a raucous voice to ask Angus one more time: "So Leader, you really trust that person like that? Trust that mixed-blood is not weak?"
"It's true that those words were the first thing to make me more confident..." Perhaps because he was recalling something about 'that person', Angus' face flashed a peaceful and nostalgic expression, but it very soon disappeared. He continued: "But for now, instead of saying that I believe in that person, I'll say that I believe in myself. Mixed-blood is weak or strong, I don't know, also cannot confirm. I just know that, no matter I am a mixed-blood or not, all I have to do is to try the best to become a strong one."
It was true that gift played an important role in the development of the Dragon races, but in addition to gift, training was also equally important. Angus was not a biologist, so he could not conclude whether mixed-blood genome was strong or weak. All he could do and should do was trying his best to improve his strength and power, so that later he could do whatever he wanted to do...
Angus looked at Iris and said, "Iris, if you want to be my assistant, then quickly correct your mindset. Later on if I hear you ask about this boring issue again, I will directly remove the title 'assistant' of you!"
Iris: "..."
Obviously Iris' mind was still in a mess. He knew that the weakness of low-confidence of him could not disappear just because of one or two of Angus' sayings, nor did he know how to quickly eliminate this weakness. But at the same time he was still the same yearning of being an 'assistant' standing beside a great person like Angus. Many conflicting thoughts caused him to not react in time.
Ignoring the confusing expression of Iris, Angus turned to Neil: "What about you? Don't tell me that you also want to ask me about race power?"
Neil: "..."
Damn you Iris! You made Leader angry! And now I was involved in this!!
Neil was crying in his heart. He swore that if he could foresee this situation, he would have raised his matter before Iris spoke up! He paused for a moment and answered: "Leader, I have no questions... I, I just want to apologize to you."
Angus raised an eyebrow: "For what?"
Well, be honest and then we would have a chance to be forgiven! Neil assured himself like that, then he took a deep breath: "Previously, I used to be in the 'downtown kids' group who bullied you! Also, once, I, I stopped your way and quarreled with you..."
Iris just got his mind back: "..." Brother, you really knew how to play!
Thump!
Cody was carrying a basket fulled of his clothes to the laundry room in the first floor. He just got out of his room when he heard Neil saying, which made him stumbled on the door step and the clothes basket fall on the ground. Before Neil and Iris' eyes, Cody shamefully picked up all of his clothes and put them into the basket again. Then he went out, didn't forget to spend a few seconds silently chanting for Neil...
On this side, after hearing what Neil said, Angus still looked as calm as usual. Only his blue eyes turned to a little darker, but neither Iris nor Neil saw clearly.
"Oh really?" Angus furrowed his eyebrows, "You were in that group before? But I didn't remember you were with them..."
In fact, the first time Angus successfully transformed into humanoid came so early! At the age of ten, he was able to transform into humanoid and walked around the village. In the beginning, there was no problem, but about two years later, he was growing up and went far away from the village. It was the time he met some children in the downtown and got bullied by them. All of them were around eighteen and nineteen years old. It could be said that thirteen, fourteen years of age were the darkest years in Angus' life...
And about Neil, at that time he couldn't transform yet. He was still a gluttonous baby dragon, there was no way that he could join the 'successful transformation team' to go and mess with Angus!
However... even though Neil wasn't actually in the group, he still heard about Angus via those downtown kids. Knowing that Angus was a mixed-blood, he was both curious and despised Angus at the same time.
Neil explained in difficulty: "That... I transformed at eighteen, so you didn't know me. But I still heard them talk about you... About two years ago, my parents took me and my younger sister to the picnic near the Hills village. I told my sister that you were a mixed-blood, and then... due to curiosity, my sister said, said she wanted to see your original form, then I stopped your way to ask you..." The more he spoke, the smaller his voice became, at the end his voice was like mosquito sound.
"Well, so it's that day..." Angus thought for a moment and then he remembered. Because the soul exchange event took place after the mess with Neil, he was still a little impressed about that day.
"That's right, Leader. I, I should have apologized to you sooner." Neil bowed his head, "Sorry Leader! I accept whatever punishment, it's just... please don't fire me!!! I also want to be your assistant!"
Angus narrowed his eyes a little, then stood up and walked over to Neil.
Neil startled, he jumped back, stammering in panic: "Lead, Leader..."
Angus: "Come here, have a fight with me."
Neil: "..." Leader!!! I knew I was wrong!!!!!!! Please forgive meeee!!!
Seeing Neil shivering, Angus calmly said: "You didn't join that group right? So I'll only count the thing that you stopped my way. Don't worry! You'll not die! Come here!"
Three minutes later, Neil laid straight on the floor of the living room. Angus already went back to his room to get some clothes for a shower.
Iris helped Neil to bring him back to his bedroom.
Iris was a male student, of course his action would not be careful. He accidentally touched some of Neil's injury, making Neil continuously scream out.
"Stop screaming! You should know that if Leader ignored that, you would have no chance to be his assistant..."
"Of course I know! Don't need you to tell me!... But it really hurts... Now I know how Hudson felt when he was beaten by Leader..."
Iris glanced at Neil: "Compare to Hudson? Aren't you ashamed with that comparison? That time Hudson had to stay on the bed for two days! Remember? It's two days!!!"
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PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
AnneNguyenLe
AnneNguyenLe Happy New Year everyone! ❤
Wish all of you a New Year full of joy and happiness, with the best luck following you on every stage of your life, and with the strongest determination in every decision to make your dream come true.
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