The torch attached to the wall is almost burnt out, flickering on its own despite no wind, and then goes out, leaving only white smoke rising.
"Groan… Cough..."
The soldier who was supposed to be keeping watch to prevent Kane from falling asleep was now dozing off in a chair, his head swaying as if his neck might break, while only Kane remained awake in the darkness.
"Crazy bastard."
That guy is crazy. He's definitely a madman.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have smashed that magic stone right in front of Kane's eyes just because Kane refused it, a stone so precious its value was difficult to even measure.
Kane's gaze swept across the floor, now empty with everything cleared away.
'Humans cannot be trusted.'
If someone could read Kane's mind, they might say this.
Severe distrust of humans. A human-hater.
A racial discriminator.
But humans are different. If there are 100 people, there's no single racial characteristic that applies to all 100 of them.
From the young Kane who believed in fellow humans to the present.
How many times has he been betrayed?
Kane chuckled as he traced back through the past. He tasted blood.
'Too many to count.'
How can one person's life be so biased when there is a god?
A sip of water given in kindness led to the death of the family. Tearful pleas resulted in a life at rock bottom.
He doesn't deny the existence of god, but the god looking down on him must surely be evil.
That's why. He decided to trust no one, expect nothing, and believe solely in himself.
Because no one truly cares for him anyway.
He had to believe in himself, at least.
'But.'
Why do you say you believe in me?
Kane's eyes shone brightly in the darkness as he sat bound and leaning against the wall.
I have no allies, so I must believe in myself. Even though I don't know what my traits are, I must hone them somehow and finish them off.
While repeating this to himself, Kane was able to believe in and whip himself, but in truth, even he knew.
Objectively speaking, he was just a young and powerless weakling. Even if someone wanted to use him, he was now almost useless.
No one would even dream that someone so withered and broken as he is now could become strong.
And yet…
"Why do you think I wouldn't recognize your potential?"
"I want someone stronger than anyone else."
Kane recalled Adelian's words. A voice imbued with conviction perhaps even firmer than his own.
What he learned from the chatter of the soldiers guarding him to keep him awake was that the guy's name is Adelian, and he's a non-trait user. That he doesn't have a proper trait.
"What nonsense."
Those eyes that looked at Kane himself.
Those eyes were definitely not the eyes of an ordinary person.
"Someone stronger than anyone else, huh."
If it's God's will that his life is so wretched.
If only the traits given by God determine a person's worth.
Kane licked his iron-tasting lips once and smirked.
"I'd rather believe in humans than in God."
* * *
Ah… It's really such a waste, such a waste.
Of course, with my current wealth, I could buy a hundred of those magic stones, but still, a waste is a waste.
"Oww… Young Master… You should have… Given it… To me instead..."
"…You're speaking well now?"
I looked at Luna in disbelief as she groaned and spoke, showing how much of a waste it was.
Well, she was so shy that she had communication difficulties, unable to easily speak to people unless they were close. Luna was the most normal one after all.
I guess she's gotten a bit closer to me now.
"Well… I am your bodyguard after all… And we'll be together for a while… So I thought it would be okay to speak…"
"You're not a bodyguard… And don't call me Young Master… Never mind. Call me whatever you like. Just speak casually."
I waved my hand and turned my head away as I watched her softly touching and rubbing her cheeks with both ears.
By the way, what if that guy doesn't come over in the end? Should I prepare to do something drastic…
If I can't erase the Indomitable trait, it becomes a hard difficulty where I absolutely can't create situations where Kane overexerts himself.
The more he endures and persists through the activation of the Indomitable trait, the more his humanity is chipped away until he eventually becomes a walking slaughter robot…
'Or should I use that method…'
Actually, I had thought of another way besides drug therapy.
But the problem is dealing with the aftermath later…
'Future me. You can handle it, right?'
Thinking I might hear curses flying from somewhere, I shook my head once, and then the training ground caught my eye through the distant window.
"Hmm."
Given Kane's personality, he might immediately tear up even a divine contract, so I bought three of those expensive things just in case.
Shouldn't I use these elsewhere to make it worthwhile?
Even if you pour donation money into the temple, most noble families can barely afford to buy one contract a year.
I smiled slyly as I fiddled with the contracts in my pocket.
"Luna."
"Yes, Young Master?"
"I trust only you."
"Wha-what? What do you mean?"
I have to earn my keep. I grabbed Luna, who had jumped a meter high in a sergeant jump without any preparation, and walked towards the training ground.
If I'm going to be possessed as a noble family's troublemaker anyway, I should abuse my power too, right? Don't you think?
"Hah. Ha!"
"Faster. More!"
This place, larger than a decent soccer field, is full of men.
Somehow I feel like I can smell the sour scent of sweat… And I'm getting the feeling that my military PTSD might act up.
My re-enlistment dreams had finally decreased…
"Looks busy?"
I spoke to the oldest-looking one among them, smiling with what was probably a very unpleasant expression.
[Mark Hatton – Vice Captain of the Gold-Beaked Raven Knights]
Representative Traits: [Strength (S)] [Toughness (S)]
Hidden Traits: [Cooking (C)] [Poison Making (C)]
…Wait, there are traits like that too?
I remembered Mark's face. I should never eat anything he gives me, just in case.
"Yes, we are busy, Young Master. So please go back inside the castle. It wouldn't be good if a stray blade were to slip from someone's hand while you're here."
Wow, he really hates me, doesn't he?
I laughed and stalled for time while scanning the knights in the training ground with my eyes.
'Ah, I'm sure I saw it briefly.'
[Spearmanship (B)] [Sense of Smell (C)] [Justice (B)] [Loyalty (C)] [Force (A)] [Art (B)] [Speed (C)] [Romance (SS)] [Horsemanship (B)] [Composure (C)] [Baldness (S)]
Wait, I think I just saw a sad trait.
I turned my head back in that direction and suddenly closed one eye due to a headache.
'This hurts my head if I use it too much.'
"My goodness, are our knights so lacking in skill? To the point of dropping their swords?"
"That's just an example. Who knows when and where someone might get hurt since human affairs are unpredictable."
"Should we increase the budget, or decrease it? For me to get hurt in a place with so many of our family's knights? How incompetent does that sound?"
I sneered to kill time while my headache subsided, and Luna looked back and forth between me and Mark, whose face was turning red with anger, with an expression on the verge of tears.
"Even if you are the Young Master, I would appreciate it if you didn't insult our knightly order."
"No, but think about it. Isn't it a waste of money to have a knightly order that can't even protect one person like me? Don't you think? Either increase the budget to hire better knights than the ones here, or reduce it further. Isn't that how capital flows?"
I deliberately spoke loudly, and the sounds of battle cries and clashing swords that had been ringing out stopped.
Wow, I feel like a superstar right now. All these people's gazes… Isn't it thrilling…
"Well, I guess I was worrying for nothing since I can just trust Luna here. Right, Luna? You are my body. guard. after all."
"Ye-yes? I mean… Yes? …Th-that's right…"
Mark snorted at the sight of the small rabbit- girl on the verge of tears.
"None of our knights are inferior to that girl alone, young master."
'Found it!'