Warning: This chapter may contains some offensive elements like rape and CP.
Part 1: The Sin of the Impetuous
The rain began to fall. Thunder started to crack.
However, all I could hear was a ringing in my ears and the thudding in my chest. I felt a little breathless, subconsciously taking a step back as if trying to find a way out.
Because in front of me was a teenager I knew well, one who always wore a dopey smile everywhere, in every situation. But right now, Henry was covered in blood, struggling to take short, weary breaths, his eyes dim, devoid of life.
"A… tur…"
When I heard that whisper, I snapped back to reality and ran to support my troublesome senior.
"Henry! What happened to you!? I… I'll go get help!"
I was about to turn and run, but Henry placed a hand on my shoulder. A frightening strength I had never experienced, as if he was using all his remaining life force to hold me back.
"Don't… If… they… know I'm here… we'll both be… killed."
What the hell? Killed? By whom!?
"Save Tristina… she's still… trapped at… Darius's…"
"What? What's wrong with Tristina? Hey!" I put my hands on Henry's shoulders and shook him. "What do you mean? Who's killing? And who beat you to this state!?"
Dammit! He passed out.
I immediately used all my strength to drag Henry and lean him against my bed, then checked his wounds. He had been slashed, a lot. Three deep cuts and dozens of shallow ones from what I guessed was a dagger. Whoever attacked Henry, this guy must really enjoy torturing people.
Let's hope that I have enough mana…
I told myself, then began to chant.
"Let this divine power bring the strength to rise once more."
A green light began to glow from my palm, and I started to focus my mana to heal the worst of his wounds. By the time all the deep slashes were healed, half of my mana was gone. For the shallow cuts, I only used the minimum amount of mana to stanch the bleeding so his condition wouldn't get worse.
I still didn't know what the hell was going on. Why was Tristina—who was supposed to have been missing for a week—trapped? Was she kidnapped? But if she was kidnapped, shouldn't they be demanding ransom from her parents? And why was Henry so badly injured? If there was still danger lurking, I couldn't risk leaving myself without a drop of mana.
Should I go find Ken?
I wondered, then immediately realized how hopeless that was. Ken was all the way on the outskirts of the Royal Capital. Even if I sprinted, it would take almost an hour to get there. God knows what would happen while I was gone.
So I could only do the one thing I could do right now: lock all the doors, stand guard, and prepare for the worst.
Time trickled by slowly. The downpour outside gradually eased, and the thunder faded, leaving only the sound of dripping water echoing outside the window. The sky was also growing dim with the first light of dawn, weak rays of sunlight seeping through the curtains I had drawn tightly.
When I heard the footsteps and cheerful chatter that was common in the dormitory in the early morning, I could finally let out a sigh of relief.
Looks like I made it through the night.
I had sat guard all night, trying to organize my chaotic thoughts about what had happened and what was happening. What I knew amounted to this:
* Tristina suddenly disappeared a week ago. Her family couldn't find her, and according to them, she vanished after returning home for the weekend as usual.
* The Imperial Guard had joined the search but gave up after three days—an unusually short time.
* Tristina's family, who seemed frantic at first, also gave up yesterday.
* Henry was attacked by someone very strong and escaped, in critical condition.
* Henry knows Tristina is being held captive by someone named Darius.
* Henry is being hunted by someone strong.
And based on those clues, I used paper to connect them and deduce countless possible hypotheses, from the absurd to the most probable. But since nothing was certain, I could only wait for Henry to wake up and confirm.
Because if my hypothesis was correct… It looked like we were mixed up in a political scandal big enough to get anyone involved hanged.
I shuddered slightly as I looked back at the name I had circled on the table: Darius Silva Ganius - the Prime Minister of the Asura Kingdom.
That was the name that made the most sense for what had happened. A powerful man, with enough influence to pressure the Imperial Guard to stop. With enough resources to have the strongest guards. And also the person I most feared was involved.
Because even if Pilemon was the head of one of the Four Great Noble Houses, House Greyrat, power in the Royal Capital seemed to be completely in the Prime Minister's hands. That meant I might have to confront one of the most powerful figures in the country, right on his home turf.
The only reason my head was still on my shoulders was probably because the rain last night had washed away Henry's tracks. If not, the Prime Minister's lackeys would have already been here and "erased" both me and Henry.
But if that's true, what should I do?
I rubbed my forehead, having asked myself this question all night.
The final answer was only one: run.
But even running wouldn't be easy now. I wouldn't have a problem, at least for now; I hadn't been discovered as an accomplice. Henry… I didn't think he would run away after knowing what happened to Tristina.
And most importantly, I didn't want to abandon my friends without knowing what would happen to them.
"Ugh… What…"
Just as I was still lost in thought, the person on my bed finally stirred. Seeing this, I ran to his side, bringing a full glass of water I had prepared for this very situation.
"Drink some water first, Henry." I held out the glass. "Drink, then we can talk slowly."
Henry had just shot up. His tired eyes shifted to confusion, then fear, then a mix of a dozen other emotions. I could see his pupils dilating and contracting repeatedly, and it took a moment for him to calm down before he grabbed the glass and chugged it all in one go.
Done, he looked at me with some hesitation, even biting his lip hard enough to draw blood.
Finally, he decided to put the glass on the nightstand and tried to sit up decisively.
"It's nothing. I'll handle this myself."
"Oh, hold on a minute."
I immediately sat right on top of the patient who had just escaped death. He might be a genius Advanced-rank swordsman, but in his weakened state, he wouldn't find it easy to lift an uncooperative lump of flesh like me.
"Can you please explain what happened last night? Didn't you say you were in danger? What happened to Tristina? Who caught her?"
"It was no one. Last night I just…"
Not letting Henry talk his way out of it, I immediately cut him off.
"Listen, Henry, you alone against the entire Prime Minister's residence won't do any good. That guy must be out by now, he probably can't harm Tristina anymore, so can you just sit back and calm down for a bit?"
"..." Henry's eyes widened when he heard the words 'Prime Minister'. "You know?"
"Just a guess, based on what you said last night."
From Henry's reaction, it seems I was right. This was related to the most powerful individual in the Royal Capital. This is bad.
Henry probably also realized that dragging me—a 6-year-old kid—into this was both useless and dangerous, so he had tried to give me an out. However, in for a penny, in for a pound. I had already decided I had to save Tristina, so there was no way I was going to turn a blind eye. And to do that, I needed all the information and Henry's trust.
"Henry. I know you're panicking and worried that I can't help." I gripped my friend's shoulders and looked straight into his panicked brown eyes. "But you said we were a 'party,' right? If we're a 'party,' we have to protect each other. I will save Tristina, whether you want me to or not. So instead, why don't we calm down, talk, and find a way together?"
Henry seemed to hesitate at my reasoning. It was clear I had used the very words he used to preach to me to retort. For a man of honor like Henry, he certainly wouldn't go back on his own words.
"No. You… you're still just a kid…"
And yet, he really did go back on them. Amazing. I have to give Henry some points for his sense of responsibility in protecting children. If Pilemon had even a fraction of that, my life wouldn't be this miserable.
"So what if I'm a kid?" I crossed my arms, feigning annoyance. "This 'kid' just saved your life last night. You think those wounds on your body just healed themselves?"
I hadn't even mentioned sacrificing an entire day's worth of mana-training because I was afraid of being stabbed in the back. But seeing that Henry still wasn't convinced, I hopped off the bed and pointed straight at him:
"Besides, this kid has a super-strong strategic trump card named Ken!"
…
After I brought Ken over, Henry began to tell the whole story.
From the moment Tristina went missing, Henry had broken into the Purplehorse mansion. He looked for information and realized Tristina's parents genuinely didn't care about finding her, which made him suspicious. Henry then backtracked and checked Tristina's schedule before she disappeared.
Based on that, he discovered the truth: Tristina had indeed returned home that night, only to be taken away at midnight in a carriage, according to the testimony of an 'unfortunate steward' whom he had kidnapped and released a few days ago.
Based on the carriage's direction toward the upper-class district, Henry had a few suspicions. He observed the places he suspected and decided to break into Darius's mansion. And when he reached the man's bedroom, he saw Tristina there.
Hearing this, I started to shudder. Henry gritted his teeth as he spat out every word, as if it were cutting into his very bones. However, Tristina didn't just take it, even though she was tied up. She bit down hard on the Prime Minister's groin, creating a chance to escape.
"However, as we were running, a figure appeared from the shadows. That person attacked me and captured Tristina again, before chasing me until the rain started to fall."
In other words, Henry had barely managed to escape, but he still couldn't save Tristina.
"That's the whole story."
He hung his head low, a burden he couldn't hide. I couldn't believe a 12-year-old kid could do so much. And even more, that a man in a high position like Darius could be such a despicable monster beyond words.
"I see."
In contrast to Henry's exhaustion or my rage, Ken just nodded, as if trying to digest everything as slowly as possible. He said nothing throughout the entire story, didn't move, just listened with a breathing rhythm that didn't change one bit. It seems dragging a calm person like him into this was the right decision.
"So, do you have a way to save Tristina, Ken?"
I asked, full of expectation.
"A way? I haven't even said I'd get involved, have I?"
"WHAT!?" And this time, it was me who shouted, about to lunge and punch Ken, but he caught my head with one hand.
"Use your head and think Atur," Ken said slowly. "If what Henry says is true, then this isn't as simple as breaking into the Prime Minister's Residence—the second most heavily guarded place after the Royal Family's Silver Palace, and now even more heavily guarded thanks to yesterday's break-in. The only other way is to report it to the authorities, but that's not an option either."
He continued, his unflinching gaze shifting to Henry, who was still lying on my bed. Ken's voice suddenly rose, heavier.
"You understand what I mean, don't you? If this were a simple kidnapping, you could report it. But it's clear House Purplehorse 'arranged' for this to happen. That means if you report it, you'll be offending both the victim's family and the perpetrator at the same time. And then what? You'll be framed for murder and executed so quickly no one will have time to appeal. Miss Tristina's case will also be cleaned up, down to the last trace."
"Murder?" I blurted out. "But Henry didn't kill anyone."
"The steward from the Purplehorse house in the story," Ken answered instantly, as if he knew I would ask. "Do you really think someone who gave away that information would live after being released? Darius's assassin has almost certainly left him lying somewhere in a forest by now."
Then, Ken turned back to Henry. Instead of sympathy, it was a look full of reproach.
"Even if you didn't strike the blow, an innocent person is dead because of your recklessness," Ken said, holding nothing back. "So don't think you're uninvolved. And now you're trying to drag Atur into this. How many people do you want to die because of your carelessness, Henry Whitebear?"
"Hey!" I drew my wooden sword and stood between Ken and Henry. "Don't you push your luck. I called you here to help, not to add fuel to the fire!"
"The fire has already burned down the whole forest. You think there's a way to save it?" Ken raised an eyebrow. "Right now, he, or anyone else who interferes, will get their throats slit like a chicken. I'm not adding fuel; I'm telling the truth."
"Truth, my ass! So you're saying we should just let Tristina die? She's only 8 years old!"
"Die?" Ken raised an eyebrow again. "Oh, you've misunderstood the problem. Miss Tristina will definitely live. In fact, she'll live for a long, long time. Someone who injured a man like Darius... he'll surely keep her alive and torture her until he's bored, then throw her away. Death, in this case, would be a release. And speaking of age, you're not even 6 years old yet, Atur. You may be smart, but you lack several decades of life experience and an army to intervene. As your personal knight, I suggest you—"
"That's enough, shut your mouth, you damn bald old man!"
"Atur. Please…"
Just as I was about to attack with my sword, Henry was the one who spoke. He grabbed my hand and pulled me back. Even though he seemed to be using all his strength, I found his grip ridiculously weak.
"Sir Ken is right." Henry hung his head, his voice starting to tremble. "It's all because I was careless… If… if I hadn't been so rash, maybe we'd still have… a chance…"
"No!" I grabbed Henry's shoulders and yelled. "Don't listen to that knight's crap! He's just bald! Bald people have no brains to think with!"
I didn't even know what I was saying anymore; I was just spouting nonsense. But what I said seemed to have no weight at all.
Henry didn't cry. But that only made it worse. When a person falls to the depths of despair, they lose even their most basic functions. Listening, seeing, and even the minimal defense mechanism to relieve emotion, like crying.
Dammit… Shit… Don't be like that! Where is that stupid, happy-go-lucky face of yours, Henry? Please… please don't give up… Please don't show me that face Henry.
Please don't become like I once was.
Part 2: The Sin of Ryuji
That year, I was 26. I had graduated from the University of Tokyo and received a job offer to move to Los Angeles to start my research career.
It was a good job. I was provided with an apartment near my workplace; I just needed to take one bus ride every day. The salary was too good. I would soon be able to buy a small house and a piece of land in Hokkaido if I worked there for 10 years. That's not even mentioning the performance bonuses and other things.
In short, this was a big step up in my life. It seemed all I had to do was my job, and I would be set for life.
Oh, and did I mention my colleagues? The people there were very nice. They quickly struck up conversations and shared common interests with me, especially the men. It seems anime and manga culture had really spread far. I was genuinely surprised when people actually tried to learn a little Japanese to introduce themselves. They were even willing to help me learn English. Unfortunately, I was already quite fluent in English, so that just became a bittersweet joke.
And that's when I met her. She had such a radiant smile. Long, flowing blonde hair, blue eyes that sparkled when she heard me speak Japanese. A silly girl, but so intelligent and sharp in her work.
My heart skipped a beat.
Her name was Sarah. That was a name I would remember forever.
I don't know when it started, but my workday began to include stealing glances at her from afar. One day, when she fell asleep slumped over at her desk, I couldn't control myself and took out my phone to capture her face.
Then it became a habit. Whenever I could and no one was looking, my phone would have another picture of Sarah. Although they were just pictures of her face, sometimes… they were photos of her chest. Thinking back now, it was clearly the harassing behavior of a pervert.
Even worse, I actually used them as 'material' during my lonely nights in my apartment.
One fateful day arrived. I accidentally discovered an additive, harmful to people, that had been used by a fast-food chain for years. I tried to bring this issue to the institute's director, a respectable man with over forty years in the field, who patted me on the shoulder, 'thanked' me, and advised me not to say anything about it.
Nothing changed.
My report disappeared for unknown reasons. The fast-food chain didn't even bother to change its formula. That made me start to dig deeper, and I came to the result I had feared: the company behind that restaurant brand was one of our research institute's sponsors. And worse, it wasn't just my incident; dozens of others had also been swept under the rug. Countless published studies were altered, edited to suit the wishes of the person who paid.
I immediately brought this to my 'friends,' the people I truly trusted. A group of less than ten people, including Sarah. They were all as angry as I was, and we formed a team.
"Ryuji, what you're doing is right."
Sarah had told me that. And that was the strongest motivation.
The lawsuit began. We sued the very research institute we worked for and the company behind it. Everything went smoothly at first. We pooled our money to hire a reputable law firm, and things moved quickly.
However, the unexpected began.
Instead of talking with science, with evidence, the opposing side just kept stalling, throwing out unreasonable demands for paperwork, for files. We had been dragged into a war of attrition.
The first six months passed, and my savings from two years of work began to dwinddwindle. A year passed, and my allies started having trouble managing their jobs and their mortgages. One by one, they gradually withdrew with settlements. Even the law firm representing us began to say this was an unwinnable fight and suggested we accept a deal.
But like a stubborn fool, I stayed, fighting.
And just when I was at my lowest, they launched their decisive attack. Not in the current lawsuit, but at the workplaces of my former colleagues. Security camera footage of me secretly taking pictures of Sarah, images of me staring at the sensitive areas of female colleagues.
Just like that, all the sympathetic looks turned into disgust.
Even Sarah called the police on me when I tried to talk to her.
I was officially alone in this lopsided battle. And I was countersued for 'harassment,' and all my claims for damages were gone.
An escape route was offered. The victors gave me one last offer. As long as I withdrew and returned to my country, they would compensate me for a portion of my losses.
With nothing left, I was forced to sign.
…
That's how I became a man with nothing left. And this face… It was just like back then, facing those giants with money and power in my past life. Utterly lifeless, helpless, and with no will to fight back.
I had tried to fight.
Until I was broke and had no one left.
Until I was alone, facing the mirror in the courthouse bathroom.
And now I was seeing that ugly thing again.
The face I saw in the mirror before I retreated from the fight.
And it was on the face of a 12-year-old boy.
This goddamn world!
My whole body trembled. Not from helplessness, like before. Now, I had only one feeling: a 'rage' so intense I could hear my heart pounding faster than I had ever experienced, even when running at full sprint. I knew adrenaline had flooded my brain and every muscle fiber in my body. My anger had reached its limit.
No.
I can't let this happen. I can't let him lose his will like this.
I know exactly what it feels like to lose everything. And I was almost 30 then. For this to be happening to a child, how much more horrible must it be? Now it's not just Tristina; if Henry is lucky enough to survive, he'll also carry this scar of shame for the rest of his life.
I can't let that happen.
And that's when I made my decision. Not with words, nor with reason. I gave him the medicine I had never tasted in my previous life.
The thing I had wished someone would give me in my most desperate moment.
*Smack!*
A punch with all the strength a 6-year-old child could muster.
A punch with so much force that my hand let out a bitter cracking sound, while on the other side, the person who took the hit had his eyes wide open, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
It was a direct hit, right in the middle of Henry's face. He clutched his broken, bleeding nose, his eyes wide, his mouth starting to move as if to say something.
But I didn't let him speak. The only one allowed to open their mouth in this room right now was me. And I began with a deep breath.
"Listen up! You stupid, brown-haired, masochistic bastard! You fought for your friend! You tried to save Tristina! You made a mistake, you got an innocent person involved, that's the truth, but so what? Are you giving up!? Are you going to let *our* Tristina be stuck with that beast forever, Henry!?"
I deliberately emphasized the words 'our Tristina' to let him know that I was definitely joining this fight, no matter the cost.
"I'm not giving up. I will save Tristina, and you have to, too!"
My voice started to soften. A weariness began to set in as the anger faded, the fatigue from a sleepless night catching up. But I kept myself alert.
Taking another breath, I continued.
"I failed to protect someone important to me once. This time, I will not lose two more." I declared, glancing at Ken. "If we do nothing now, we will regret it for years. Do you really want to live with that torment, Henry? I don't. I'd rather do something than turn a blind eye one more time."
That was everything I wanted to say from the bottom of my heart.
I failed in my previous life. And in this world, I also lost Mia in the cruelest way possible. I didn't even know if I would ever see my brother Luke again. And now, am I supposed to lose the only two friends I have left?
I didn't know why I was given a new chance, a new life in this goddamn noble world. I don't know if some 'higher power' gave me a noble mission like saving the world. Right now, I don't care about any of that. All I want to do is protect the people who are important to me. What's the point of saving the world when you can't even save the people closest to you? How can you live in peace when you're haunted by 'what if' for the rest of your life?
I won't live like that. I refuse.
I'm not a hero. I'm a coward. But I'm worse than a coward. I'm afraid of dying, but I'm also afraid of living and wondering if I should just die.
I want to live without regrets.
That's it.
That will be my only philosophy in this world.
I will do the things that won't make me regret it.
Starting with rescuing that poor young lady.
"I will save Tristina. And I need your help, Henry."
And I will definitely save you too, Henry. Take it. The lifesaver I've thrown you. Please.
"But… But we can't do anything anymore… I've already ruined everything—"
Henry spoke up. The despair in his eyes had faded, replaced by something complicated, mixed with a single, flickering ray of hope struggling to survive.
Good. It's working.
"Tristina is alive. You are still alive, Henry. That's enough." I took a deep breath and turned to Ken. "When I came to your place earlier, everything on the road was normal, right?"
Ken raised an eyebrow for a split second. I swear I saw his mouth twitch into a small smirk when he heard the question.
"Correct. Everything was normal," Ken replied clearly. "As if nothing happened last night."
"Then it's just as I predicted." I rubbed my chin. "Our dear Prime Minister didn't report Henry's break-in last night. He doesn't want to alert too many people, especially not the Imperial Guard."
That meant that even though the mansion might be more heavily guarded, it would only be with the Prime Minister's personal men. While the problem was still huge, reducing the difficulty from 'Hell' to 'Extremely Hard' was a good step.
"The next thing to do is determine Tristina's location and how to infiltrate." I immediately moved back to my desk and started writing down what needed to be done. "First, we need the layout of that mansion. If I remember correctly, there was a party at his house a few months ago. I'll go ask the students in the academy who attended to get as much information as possible. In the meantime, I need you to look into these things, Sir Ken."
I quickly scribbled a few things on a piece of paper and handed it to the bald knight.
"These are simple things, not dangerous. I think you can handle them, right?"
Ken took the paper. His eyebrows shot up and down repeatedly, like a caterpillar crawling on his tan face. Then he smiled, a smile of extreme satisfaction, as if he understood my intentions perfectly.
"If you are this determined, then as your loyal vassal, I will do everything."
"Good." I nodded, then turned to the bewildered Henry on the bed. "And you, rest here and get as much of your strength back as possible. Sir Ken will bring you food later."
I grabbed the leather jacket hanging by the door, my money pouch, and my lucky exorcism lantern. I equipped them all neatly and quickly headed out.
Of course, I didn't forget to leave a declaration.
"Tonight, we're bringing Tristina back."
And a vow.
A vow that this time, I will live this life without regret.