Chapter 12: Dharmic Power (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 12: Dharmic Power (2)
“Lionheart.”
“Yes, Chieftain.”
“You certainly picked a good husband.”
“…”
“…”
Noel silently refilled Dunadan’s glass. She had never expected her hobby of collecting alcohol to come in handy like this.
It was far too early in the day to be drinking, but looking at his current state, she couldn’t help but pour him another round.
At first, she had wondered what brought him to her door so suddenly. But after hearing his story, she completely understood.
“…You’re saying Aiden gathered three Dharmic Power Cores in just a few hours?”
“And ridiculously easily, at that.”
As Noel carefully repeated what had just transpired, Dunadan threw back his glass, sending the liquor straight down his throat.
The sheer sense of defeat radiating from his movements was no joke.
“Did you know that forming the first Core is used as a coming-of-age ceremony in the Tribal Alliance, Lionheart?”
“I’ve heard as much from those I fought alongside.”
“Then you must also know that everyone in the Alliance is obligated to learn how to handle Dharmic Power from birth.”
Meaning, even with training from such a young age, forming a single Core by adulthood was considered the ‘average.’
And simply because they could achieve that much, the Tribal Alliance boasted the highest individual combat power relative to its population on the entire continent.
Indeed…
Noel searched through her memories.
Weren’t there plenty of warriors from the Great Plains who had performed brilliantly in that hellish Alliance War with just two or three Cores?
Yet, this man—Aiden Kellermain—had reached that level in a mere matter of hours.
“Simply being born with a supernatural ability and actually handling it well are two entirely different matters.”
Occasionally, there were those who were truly blessed. Those who could juggle multiple supernatural abilities as naturally as breathing.
It was hard to deny that Aiden Kellermain was undoubtedly one of them.
And so…
“To be honest, I was even preparing to comfort him,” Dunadan sighed. “Even those confident in their strength find Dharmic Power difficult to master.”
I am clearly a genius, a blessed individual. Why can’t I even do this properly? He had seen plenty of people fall into despair over exactly that.
Moreover, though he didn’t know how it was possible, Aiden was a man born with both the Lionheart’s Pure White Qi and the Holy Kingdom royalty’s Divine Power. It wasn’t hard to guess that his pride would be immense.
Dunadan had expected Aiden to feel the same frustration he did when he first handled Dharmic Power, or to hit the same ‘wall’ he had seen countless others face.
He certainly never expected that he would be the one feeling that way while looking at a ‘beginner.’
“He’s a genius.”
Noel nodded silently, causing Dunadan to grimace.
He looked as if he were reconsidering his own words.
“No. Calling him a… genius is a bit of a misnomer.” Dunadan swirled the liquor in his glass. “He’s a monster.”
“…”
While the talent Aiden displayed was undoubtedly incredible, it wasn’t entirely unique. Looking back through historical records, there were plenty of individuals with talents so overwhelming they could only be described as violent.
The Savior of Humanity, the defeated Malevolent God, the forgotten Demon King…
With such terrifying, legendary names etched into continental history, his talent wasn’t completely unprecedented.
At least, that was what she had thought.
Until she saw what he had done yesterday with her own eyes.
“I grew up being called a genius too, but I’ve never seen anything like that in all my born days. If I go back to the Great Plains and tell the other chieftains, they’ll think I’ve gone mad.”
At his blunt assessment, Noel remained silent for a moment before speaking up.
“How long does it usually take to reach that level?”
“Ten years for an ordinary person.”
“…”
“Even I took two years.”
“…”
“Believe me, Lionheart. You really picked a good husband. I’m genuinely curious to see how far he’ll grow in the future.”
What a recognized genius took two years to achieve, he did in a single night—no, in just a few hours.
Noel stroked her cheek, mentally searching for the right words.
Dunadan was born with the kind of talent that allowed him to look down on others his entire life. He was the very standard of a genius.
Yet, having just witnessed a ‘talent that felt like an insurmountable wall’ for the first time in his life, he was clearly on the verge of losing his mind. Should she comfort him?
Or…
“That’s Aiden for you.”
“…It’s wonderful that you two are so lovey-dovey, but did you really have to brag about your husband right in front of me?”
Noel chuckled softly and refilled his glass.
In truth, rather than bragging, she was simply so bewildered herself that the words had slipped out.
His abilities were one thing, but she was also questioning the very reason behind his actions.
…Why the sudden training?
Unless they were a fool, anyone could tell that Aiden went to extreme lengths to avoid getting involved in ‘big events,’ ‘troublesome matters,’ or ‘difficult tasks.’
Of course, since staying by her side meant he would inevitably face such storms, she had brought in a man she believed could handle it. Still, his attitude made it clear he didn’t welcome such complications.
In the first place, wasn’t the reason Noel kept him so close, almost constantly monitoring him, to protect him from getting swept up in those very affairs?
As she chewed on these doubts, Dunadan spoke again, his voice still somewhat dazed.
“This is a fine drink.”
“I have another bottle, so I’ll give it to you as a gift.”
“Care to join me?”
“I still have official duties to attend to.”
Noel gave a wry smile.
At least one of them had to stay sober to prepare for any potential mishaps should the other lose their senses.
Or rather, that would have been the case had she not voiced the lingering question in her mind.
“By the way, why did Aiden want to learn Dharmic Power so badly?”
“He said there’s someone he wants to impress. That he wants to become a better person.”
“…”
“I told you, didn’t I? You picked a good husband. Isn’t a life where someone with that kind of talent looks at you so devotedly worth living?”
Noel stared at Dunadan in expressionless silence.
For a long time.
Long enough to make Dunadan feel awkward.
In a way, she looked as if she were suppressing her own fluster.
“…He couldn’t have been talking about me.”
When Noel finally broke her silence to carefully mutter those words, Dunadan retorted in disbelief.
“Who else would he be talking about if not his newlywed wife?”
“…”
Noel’s expressionless face grew even stiffer.
Logically speaking, he was right.
That was true, but…
In the first place, Aiden was someone who had been kidnapped and forced into a sham marriage.
There was no reason for him to say such things about her—
—It seems you don’t remember the past? Like when we were young.
—No, it’s nothing. I just didn’t expect you to have actually forgotten.
—It’s not like there isn’t one.
…Or maybe there was.
Perhaps.
Noel wiped her face with both hands as those sentences hammered inside her head.
Again.
Again, and again, and again.
Even if she wanted to deny it, these thoughts captivated her as if she were possessed.
Did that man really have some kind of past with her?
Was that why he went around saying such things without a shred of embarrassment?
She didn’t know.
Even if she tried to push it to the back of her mind, telling herself she couldn’t find out right now, being constantly reminded of it forced her to pay attention.
“…”
And the solution when plagued by such idle thoughts was quite clear.
Noel let out a sigh and retrieved another glass from the cupboard.
Dunadan chuckled at her clear intention.
“Don’t you have official duties left?”
“…On second thought, a few drinks might actually help rather than hinder.”
“Of course.”
Clink.
The two of them clinked the rims of their glasses.
…Could he really like me?
As she poured the liquor generously into her glass, Noel chewed on that thought.
“…”
No way.
That can’t be. Don’t be ridiculous.
She downed the half-filled glass of alcohol in one gulp, continuing to ponder.
…Perhaps because of the alcohol, her face felt hot.
* * *
— Skill Info
『Dunadan U’zall』
— Bond: Level 2
— You can copy 1 additional skill.
<Copied Skills>
◆ General-Purpose Ability: Dharmic Power
An ability bestowed by the Goddess of Ascension Urgan. It can be operated by imposing a restriction on oneself.
▶ Number of Cores: 5
※ The Omnipotence skill bonus rapidly increases proficiency and grants an anomalous trait.
※ Only ‘Unique’ type restrictions can be designated. It cannot be used by any other means. Instead, the skill changes when the corresponding condition is met.
Aiden stared at the number 5 next to the ‘Number of Cores’ in the system window.
I only stopped at three because of the Chieftain…
As the number of Cores increased, Dunadan’s expression had looked closer and closer to a man losing his mind, making Aiden increasingly self-conscious.
Thus, the questions he originally intended to ask remained unanswered.
The real problem lay in the two additional sentences at the very bottom of the skill window.
So I can only use unique ones?
In the game, simple restrictions like ‘skipping a meal’ or ‘not sleeping for more than seven hours’ were perfectly viable.
But when he tried, all those kinds of restrictions were invalidated for him. Just as written in the skill window, only unique ones were permitted.
What on earth does ‘Unique type’ mean…?
Inferring from the terminology the system had used so far, it likely referred to a characteristic ‘that no one else possesses.’
A restriction that no one else has ever used?
…Just thinking about the sheer number of people on the Great Plains made his head spin.
And thinking about how many people across the entire continent used Dharmic Power made it even worse.
At this rate, won’t I be unable to use Dharmic Power despite going through all the trouble of learning it?
I’ll have to give this some thought.
Just as he was about to close the window, a new set of sentences suddenly popped up before his eyes.
— System Message
▶ Affinity of the target ‘Noel Astria Seimurs’ increases.
▶ Bond Level has been upgraded from Level 2 to Level 3.
▶ Your available skill copies have increased by 1!
▶ Related content will soon be added to the Main Quest!
Aiden blinked blankly, staring at the sudden notification.
…Did that actually work?
He had figured the words he casually let slip to Dunadan might reach Noel. But honestly, he had said it half-jokingly. Seeing her affinity actually rise left him feeling a bit awkward.
“…”
At this point, he felt a sudden urgency to change his mindset.
If her affinity rose this quickly, he couldn’t help but worry they might actually develop a deep relationship later on.
…No way it’ll go that far.
For now, it was just a series of coincidences that made her interest in him grow.
In any case, the attention showered on him now would eventually shift to the ‘Protagonist’ once he made his appearance.
After all, he planned to dump everything onto the Protagonist he would soon meet and return to a normal life. He just needed to make good use of things until then.
Aiden tapped his chin, lost in thought.
What I have left right now is…
He currently had a total of three Skill Copy Tickets left. One from Katya, one from Noel, and one he could take from His Majesty the Emperor.
There’s no need to learn them right away.
Since he didn’t know what would happen in the Main Scenario events, learning skills in advance was actually counterintuitive.
He had already skimmed through the available skills, so it would be ideal to flexibly learn the most suitable ability when things became urgent.
In the first place, wasn’t the reason he went through the trouble of learning Dharmic Power to have a means of dealing with ‘just in case’ emergencies?
…Though passing through peacefully without learning anything at all would be the best.
Wasn’t that why he was moving so diligently right now?
He directed his steps toward a place he remembered visiting once before: Billy Hagen’s tool shop. He needed to collect the information he had requested.
The moment he stepped inside, Billy recognized his face and snorted.
“Ah, you’re the guy who stuck his head into that dangerous business, right?”
…His way of remembering him was a bit odd, but whatever.
“What about the information?”
As soon as he spoke, a rolled-up bundle of documents dropped onto the counter with a thud.
“I’ve compiled everything: transaction volume, distribution routes, and most importantly, the ‘transaction location.’”
The reason he emphasized the transaction location was likely because Aiden had specifically asked him to find it, knowing it was highly probable to be the backdrop where the incident would unfold.
Aiden nodded and skimmed through the documents.
It was certainly work worth paying extra for. He placed the pouch of gold coins he had brought onto the counter.
“I put in fifty more gold. As a token of friendship.”
“Are you rich or something?”
…Noel had indeed given him a generous amount. Aiden gave a vague nod.
After emptying the pouch to verify the amount and realizing it was true, Billy let out a dry laugh and pushed the extra portion back.
“I don’t need this, so take it back. It’s not like I finished the job completely anyway.”
“Pardon?”
“Those weapons. I couldn’t find out who’s distributing them. They’re hidden incredibly well.”
“It’s 550 gold, you could have put a bit more effort into it.”
Billy laughed heartily. “Bullshit.”
“…”
“If even I can’t find it, it’s at least a high-ranking noble. Digging into their information? Do you want to get my head chopped off?”
“…I see.”
Nodding, Aiden frowned slightly.
Was it originally impossible to find?
A high-ranking noble.
In the game, tracking down the group responsible for distribution wasn’t that difficult, since they were just common thugs. The problem was finding the person who ‘commissioned’ them.
Getting blocked at the very first step like this made things quite difficult if he only relied on his knowledge of the original work.
…Something is definitely different.
Like the bad relationship between the Emperor and the Imperial Prince, who was supposed to be a good guy in Act 1.
Or how the very first incident of the Main Scenario was slightly off.
There was a persistent sense of dissonance in the minor details. And the feeling that something was different from the ‘original work’ he knew was further amplified by one particular fact.
“Hey, Billy.”
“Just Billy is fine. What is it?”
“The personal details of the person I requested aren’t here.”
“I didn’t put them in because they don’t exist.”
“…Is that so?”
The information on the ‘Protagonist.’
It was missing once again.
Even an information broker as competent as Billy couldn’t find him.
“…”
He hadn’t given up hope yet.
Even if the Main Scenario was slightly twisted, if that guy didn’t exist in the first place, the very ‘foundation’ of this game world would crumble.
But.
What if.
Just what if.
That guy wasn’t at the scene tomorrow.
If it became certain that this world was a ‘world without a protagonist.’
— Quest Info
▶ Failure to complete the events listed below will result in a massive penalty!
◈ Sham Marriage
— You have been chosen as Dame Noel’s spouse. Maintain the contract with your partner until the end!
◈ Act 1, <Imperial Capital Rift>
— Your frequency of contact with key scenario figures is increasing sufficiently.
— Your existence will soon be officially integrated into the scenario. The direction of the scenario will be determined by your actions!
— A related event will occur soon. (D-2)
◈ Life is Beautiful
— Katya Heinkel Craven desperately desires something from you. Do your best to help her fully experience ‘sensation’!
— A related event will occur soon. (D-2)
…If he had to resolve these terrifying events entirely ‘on his own.’
He did have something in mind.
Something he absolutely never wanted to do, and something that wasn’t highly likely to happen.
But if a desperate, life-or-death moment truly came to pass…
I’ll have to do it.
When that time came, he, too, would have to do what needed to be done.