Chapter 15
Chapter 15
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: The Unruined Trait
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[Unruined (SS), Genius (S), Appearance (A), Physique (S)! These are some incredible traits, and so many of them—it's my first time seeing anything like this.
The others are pretty straightforward, so I figure you can grasp them without extra explanation.
But I'm not too sure about Unruined myself.
If you ever head to a bigger city, I'd recommend asking one of the priests there.]
Ah... even Reina sis doesn't know.
'We're screwed.'
I forced a neutral expression and handed the wooden plaque back to Kane.
"As expected, I believed in you."
Let's think positive. I just thought we were screwed, but maybe Unruined means we're not.
'Besides, the title matters too.'
In Innocent Saga, titles feel like a catch-all for a bunch of things, but if I had to pick one core meaning, it's closest to a job class tree.
'Better than the original Survivor of Hatred Only that Kane had.'
The Beginner. At least that's a title I recognize.
I know a few others that branch off from it.
Starting as The Beginner leads to some endgame titles that are worlds apart.
'I need to rebuild his build around it.'
I'll shelve the headache of Unruined for now. Just landing The Beginner is a huge win.
"Not bad at all."
"Right?"
I grinned at Kane, who looked subtly relieved.
"Since we're out, how about grabbing a bite before heading back?"
I calmed my racing heart, checked the time—it was well past noon—and casually suggested it.
"Uh... the best chef in the city is probably at the castle..."
"No need to eat out. Food's just for filling your stomach."
No romance of dining out for these guys...
I gave them a cold stare before pretending to laugh it off.
"You're loving it that much? Should've come out more often. Right? Nothing beats eating out."
Ignoring Kane and Luna's incredulous looks, I told the coachman to head to the most famous restaurant.
"By the way, Kane, any idea what Unruined means?"
"Nope. Not a clue."
"Luna?"
"Me neither..."
While playing Innocent Saga, I'd often hit up the official site or forums whenever a trait's effects felt vague.
Once enough trash-game fans piled up, strategy guides and trait breakdowns started circulating.
So if I'd even skimmed it once, it'd ring a faint bell.
Figures the protagonist gets stuck with some ultra-rare trait.
Indomitable was one I never saw on any NPC besides Kane anyway.
I pondered for a bit before turning to Kane and parting my lips.
"We could tap the family intel network or hire a guild to dig into it, but is it worth it?"
Hunting down info on Unruined would leak that he has it.
With no clue what it does, it'd just attract trait collectors who hoard weird ones—headache waiting to happen.
"We'll need to figure it out eventually, but no rush right now."
Usually, you want the bearer to have some gauge on their own trait before it surfaces.
Cases like this aren't common.
Kane nodded in agreement, and Luna followed suit, so we decided against commissioning any inquiries on Unruined.
'Still kinda uneasy.'
This guy's been lugging around a literal "Misfortune" trait, so what if Unruined turns out to be total dogshit once we learn the truth?
I shook off the rising worry with a deliberate head shake, just as Luna eyed Kane's plaque curiously, clearly itching to peek at his other traits.
"Still... the rest are all insane too..."
Luna handed back Kane's plaque, her already droopy ears sagging even lower as her face screamed "Lucky bastard."
"No magical talent like I expected, but it's solid enough."
True to form for a human-distrusting misanthrope, he's extra gentle with Luna the bunnykin.
"I'll have to work harder too..."
Magical aptitude didn't manifest as a trait, but with Genius attached, Kane could excel in magic if he grinded it out.
It'd take years of meditation on texts and mana first, though—and no way he'd stick it out.
The second he gets any power, he'll be off hunting them down.
"Young master, we're here."
Lost in thought, I felt the carriage glide to a stop and the door swing open.
"Don't wait for me—grab something yourself. I'll cover the bill."
I told the coachman that, then led Luna and Kane inside the restaurant.
The first floor was one big noisy hall drawing all eyes, so upstairs it is.
My face must've been recognizable—the manager spotted me from afar, bowed deeply, and ushered us straight to the top floor.
Man, this city's huge, but nobody misses Adelian.
"Young master, if you'd called ahead, I could've brought more dancers..."
"No need. Just dinner today. Keep it quiet."
The manager, who'd been glancing at Kane and especially Luna, nodded knowingly and backed off.
Ah, my mouth's already going dry.
I stepped into a room with a killer sea view, stretched with a yawn, hooked a chair over with my toe, and flopped into it.
"...You look super unmotivated, young master."
"It's my day off. Rest day."
Felt like I'd taken a mental haymaker since morning, so the rest of the day was mine.
I eyed Luna and Kane taking seats at a distance on either side, then passed them menus.
"You two need to practice what you've learned so far."
Kane got it instantly, flipping open his menu to read, while Luna gawked at me like "No way."
"Kane, order three main dishes. Luna, three desserts."
"Y-Yes...? Uh... y-yes? Young master? Um... young master...?"
"No picky eating."
"We'll split whatever you pick three ways. Choose wisely—no wimping out or leaving stuff untouched. No pointing either."
Kane was steady after that village errand, but Luna fidgeted like crazy as I gave her a thumbs-up.
"You got this."
"I-I don't think I can..."
"You can, Luna."
I smiled and rang the bell for service before she could protest more.
"My retainers will order."
I waved off the approaching server and nodded at Kane and Luna.
"Abyssian sea bass steak, two-oyster ceviche, and gambas shrimp."
While Luna and I chatted, Kane must've revved his brain—he rattled off the order flawlessly. I chimed in.
"Consomme and sides at your discretion, plus a decent wine pairing. And desserts..."
Luna was ghost-white, clutching the menu with trembling hands.
"I-If I can't eat them..."
I whispered a firm no with a grin, pried the menu from her death grip, and flipped it open myself.
"Hurry."
"L-L-Lime sherbet and... l-lime mousse... l-lime... juice... please..."
Why pick the top three?
Still, props for squeaking out three. I swapped them for better picks and shooed the server off.
"Th-That was tough..."
Tsking at Luna's teary eyes, I shook my head.
"How're you gonna survive this harsh world if you can't even order food?"
"...Can I just point and say 'this one'?"
You're getting cocky only when talking to me?
"What if I have a peanut allergy, and peanuts are in the dish?"
"Wouldn't it help to carry a note listing allergies...?"
"What if you lose it or it gets wrecked? You'll be ordering plenty from now on—practice."
I shot a glance at silent Kane too, then the pre-meal bread and salad arrived. I crossed my legs cockily and sipped the poured wine.
"So, what's the plan now? Just keep going like this?"
Kane tossed the question as I reached for bread.
"Got a problem?"
"Maybe more. Don't I need to train till every day hurts?"
I chewed my bread and exhaled thoughtfully.
Aside from when I drag you to meals, you're shattering your body in training and spars, chugging potions instead of water to recover, swinging that sword till your calluses peel as the sun sets.
"You know your current regimen would be impossible without potions and green juices, right?"
"But that's basing it on potionless training, no? If potions and elixirs heal you up, shouldn't training scale to that?"
"Um... but even now, it's not light at all... The steppe warriors don't go that hard..."
Luna chimed in around a mouthful of bread stuffed with salad.
"Training addict? Everything's poison in excess. You're doing great as is."
If these were just game units, I'd AFK them in the training grounds.
Set auto-hunt, sleep, check inventory in the morning—easy.
But Kane's a living, breathing person, not pixels. Potions heal, green juices build base stamina, but limits exist.
"But I..."
"Once you're strong enough to kill all your enemies, find your sister—what then? More training, spars?"
I swirled my wine and smirked.
"Why not ask me to yank out your brain and puppet you like a golem? If that's living, why bother with a self?"
Kane's gaze wavered.
With Genius as a trait, he's probably picking up more from my words than I intended.
"My bad for the harsh words."
Good, he gets it.
He dipped his head in apology, and I shrugged.
I get the urgency.
The ones he saw were evil, strong, brutal.
Secretive, spread across the continent—who knows how many more beyond what he witnessed.
So yeah, he wants power to wipe them out ASAP.
'But listen.'
The monitor Kane only gave '...' ellipses, ignored festivals and rests, activated attacks solely on foes.
'Any reason I should watch that play out in reality?'
No "new game plus" here. My job's balancing things out.
'Power won't be an issue anyway.'
Plus, Kane has no clue yet, but his hit list goes way beyond the Evil God cult.
Feed 'em well, mind their mental—keeps 'em running long-term.
I shrugged at the quiet pair and speared the arriving dishes with my fork.
"Dig in. Good food's happiness itself."
"Yeah... eating's the best part..."
Luna portioned food onto my and Kane's plates, and I waved my fork with a grin.
"Right. Got too ahead of myself."
I watched Kane divvy ceviche onto small plates, popped more bread in my mouth, and chewed.
"I get the impatience. I've got plans for you both—Kane, and Luna too."
"Me too...?"
"Yeah."
I knew endgame Luna's power, so I dropped words that'd sound like hot air to them.
"So speak up bit by bit, no shrinking. Got it?"
"Y-Yes..."
Luna beamed, tying her ears down like a headband to keep hair back.
The ceviche was fresh, its perfect tang whetting the appetite.
And the grilled shrimp? Palm-sized monsters— one bite filled the mouth, damn tasty.
Food here's solid, no lie.
Crave ramen or kimchi sometimes, but really hits the spot.
I savored a swallow, rinsed with wine, and eyed Kane practicing fresh etiquette with his knife.
'Unruined, huh. Doesn't fade? Not a flop? Or unforgettable?'
No clue, can't help it—I'm no god.
But the title's different.
The Beginner. Pretty sure I jotted that one down proper.
'Check it solo back at the castle later.'
I mashed the boneless, grilled sea bass on my tongue—so tender.
Anticipation made even the fish taste sweet.