The principal's office at Genua Academy.
The professors were gathered together, faces solemn as they debated.
“It’s a stigma?”
“It must be. No, it’s an enormous stigma.”
“An enormous stigma?”
“It’s a monster. A monster. It’s not a monster if it could produce that kind of aura.”
The professor with slumped shoulders and trembling voice muttered the words, eyes downcast.
“I’ve seen the strongest student in my life. I swear, if it’s not a stigma, there’s no way it could emit that aura.”
“...”
Principal Gildar sighed and stroked his beard.
Stigma.
The arch-culprit behind the world’s ruin, and the strongest hope that could restore it to its original state.
Of course, those who possessed stigmas and let power corrupt them became monsters. Yet those who had fought to the brink of death against monsters at the front lines were also stigma-bearers.
And Genua Academy had taken on the role of guiding such students correctly, and managing them so they wouldn’t turn into monsters.
“Aiden Starfive...”
Gildar frowned and stared at the information of the student before him.
He possessed a stigma, yet had never awakened it.
Then had it suddenly awakened?
That wasn’t surprising. Sudden awakening was common here.
But what mattered more was the danger he carried.
Countless scholars and mages, continent-spanning geniuses, had researched the cause, yet still couldn’t find it.
They only guessed that overusing the power granted by a stigma turned one into a monster.
“Not the aura, but the ability?”
“According to rumors...”
Alberbert stammered, trying to explain.
He swung a sword once, creating a gale that shattered the classroom windows.
“The window fee will be...”
“W-we’ll pay it!”
When Gildar spoke, Alberbert answered in a panic, as if terrified.
“...Understood.”
Even though his personality had been broken, Alberbert—the one once called a monster—trembled in fear before such a man.
“...”
If his stigma went out of control and he became a monster...
A terrifying image flashed through Gildar’s mind.
Gildar engraved the name Aiden Starfive into his thoughts.
“Double-check. If the stigma goes out of control, report it to me immediately.”
“Yes, understood.”
No matter what, being useful when handled correctly was an unchanging truth.
Thinking so, Gildar stroked his beard again.
“And... he said he doesn’t want the team I made and went off to form his own.”
“...”
A difficult student had come. Gildar pondered.
I walked in new trousers, glancing at the man beside me.
Iron Wall Gerd, as he was known.
His combat ability converged to zero, and in-game dialogue was limited to things like “This is my job!” and “I’ll be your sturdy shield!”
Even in the game he was a normal character without a stigma, so to speak, a “filler” type.
Of course, that was high-level talk. No stigma meant a low ceiling.
But conversely, having a stigma meant mental corruption as well.
That single fact alone had made Gerd the ace of our party at the beginning.
Even if all his comrades became monsters, Gerd would not.
No negative traits.
If the party’s bottom fell out, the game ended.
The game could be restarted, but life was different.
If one of my party members’ bottom fell out, my life would end too.
But look at this man stumbling beside me, keeping an eye out.
This man had no bottom. Because he had no stigma.
While the academy students panicked and twitched, our reliable Gerd-hyung became the firmest shield.
Of course, the drawback was that his combat ability converged to zero, so if we formed a party with him we would need an outstanding dealer,
which was something I would handle.
With my very existence alone, the damage was more than enough; it overflowed.
In other words, a team with absolutely no risk to bear.
My smile wouldn’t stop.
Softly smiling at my face,
“Hyiik!”
Beside me Gerd let out a strangled scream.
Anyone would think he was being devoured.
“D-do you know why I...”
Gerd muttered in a voice full of fear, staring at me, and I stared back, tilting my head.
Why ask something that’s obvious?
“I’m taking you for training.”
“T-training? Why... a guy like me...”
Gazing at him, Gerd took a breath again.
“Y-yes?”
“Iron Wall Gerd.”
When I mentioned his alias, his eyes widened.
“How... how did you...”
“Despite that body that looks like it would roll with one touch, his shield technique is pretty decent.”
He was the shield to protect me. Of course, praise and compliments were mandatory.
Even though I was like this, my social skills had been a hot rumor.
“The kids at the academy are all trash, socially maladjusted rejects who live on their own superiority.”
“T-that’s too far...”
“No, it’s true. If I could, I’d shove them all into a corner and give them social training.”
A landmine, a landmine. One wrong move and it explodes.
“You’re among the better trash.”
As long as the mental state cracked, you wouldn’t become a monster.
“So I’m taking you.”
“...”
Gildar quietly listened, then bit his lip.
“I-I...”
“...”
“Please entrust it to me.”
Gildar looked up at me with a resolute face unlike before.
See? I told you he would obey.
At the same time, a status window appeared before my eyes.
Iron Wall Gerd now respects you for the first time.
Respect: 5%
Next attack will be strengthened!
Strengthened next attack?
*
Iron Wall Gerd.
Honestly, that was the most hated story Gerd himself had ever heard.
Because he wasn’t a wall.
If he had been a wall, he could have protected his family until the stigma-bearers came.
If he had been a wall, Il Mare wouldn’t have been the last stronghold that fell; it would still be called the last stronghold.
That was why he laughed it off at the young hothead’s words and told others it was nonsense, as he had said to the others.
But he couldn’t say that.
First, he didn’t have the courage to speak it.
To a man who exuded such a terrifying aura, telling him “no”?
Besides, he was already wetting himself in front of this boy-like man. He didn’t want to do it twice.
Unless he was a suicidal or perverted man, he could never do it.
And...
“...”
The man’s gaze pierced straight through Gerd.
As if digging into every part of him, the man stared intently at Gerd.
That gaze filled with the seriousness of the whole world was never one meant to lie.
If it was just boasting himself out of that aura with false words,
he would have believed it.
No such human existed in the world.
“...”
Gerd stared at the man.
“Originally.”
The man spoke calmly.
“You just hold the shield in front.”
At the same time an overwhelming pressure spread. As if self was unnecessary.
In the end, within that pressure Gerd had no choice but to nod.
If it was this man, he wouldn’t make mistakes at least.
“If you make a mistake, I’ll kill you.”
“I’m sorry.”
Still, following him was terrifying.
*
Genua Academy was a training-focused academy thorough to the bone.
More than teaching students gathered together, the academy’s intent and goal was to gather stigma-bearers, recover them as quickly as possible, or send them to the defense line to do their one share.
If a stigma-bearer could refuse?
Honestly, there was no situation for that.
All intelligent beings were already trapped on one continent.
From elves and dwarves to gnomes and humans, finding anyone who hadn’t lost their homeland was harder.
Nobles and commoners existed, and although elves and dwarves still didn’t get along, they had gathered for one goal: survival.
They ran away shouting “all our hopes,” but on the narrow continent they would be caught soon, and honestly their authority was enormous.
People across the continent were supporting them.
Lydia was the same.
As a saint candidate, she lacked divine power and background, but the stigma she possessed kept her as a saint candidate.
“...”
But Lydia hated her situation.
If she hadn’t had a stigma, she would have been eliminated.
If she had been talented enough, she could have spread her wings within the environment given to her.
Lydia touched her own hands.
A bright light that glowed and vanished.
Her stigma was [Amplification].
The stronger her emotional intensity, the stronger the output she emitted.
In her case, as a saint candidate, it would become divine power.
But she was afraid.
Her emotions might go out of control.
Excessive divine power became poison.
While she thought that,
a buzzing sound came from far away.
“It’s really?”
“You really brought a normal person.”
“Oh my...”
B-class students muttered.
Lydia turned her gaze toward the sound.
A monster was walking toward them.
No, it wasn’t a monster.
It was the person she had personally healed.
Sometimes with an evil smile, sometimes a benevolent smile, sometimes an unreadable blank expression.
He appeared with a massive-bodied man.
A man holding a shield befitting his size.
“Who is that?”
“I don’t know, do we have to know even the normal ones?”
Someone voiced curiosity, others spoke arrogantly.
But all that sound quieted as he drew closer,
and when Aiden Starfive arrived in the center, no one opened their mouth.
“...”
He turned his head and looked at Professor Alberbert.
“Aren’t you starting?”
“Y-yes, we have to.”
Alberbert professor began explaining with sweat pouring down as if terrified by the gaze.
“This time you’ll learn the basics of dealing with mutants.”
Cleansing mutants to restore the continent.
The common goal of all intelligent beings, and the reason the academy existed and stigma-bearers always received benefits and respect.
“Behind Genua Academy is a dungeon where captured ‘mutants’ are kept.”
Mutants, in other words monsters who had gone out of control with their stigma.
“Of course they are weak enough to be captured, but you must never be complacent. Some students die once every few years, and getting injured is everyday.”
It would be difficult to call it a curriculum of a place called an academy, but the current situation left no time for that.
Even if we recruited talented people to restore the continent as quickly as possible, we couldn’t afford it. If killed by such a monster, that person’s talent and disposition were just that much.
“Your goal is to survive from that monster. And, you break through the dungeon.”
It sounded simple, but it wasn’t.
“If anyone wants to go first, please step forward. The first to go gets an extra point.”
First?
Who here would want to go first?
Who would throw their body into the unknown fear?
While thinking that, Lydia was about to close her eyes to cool the sweat on her hand,
someone once again passed beside her with a chill.
When Lydia opened her eyes, Aiden Starfive had already passed her and taken his first step.
Slow but dignified, as if victory was a given.
And then, with the man holding the shield calmly, Aiden Starfive walked into the dungeon.
No one said anything until that figure disappeared into the darkness.
No, they couldn’t.
“...Let’s go too.”
And, as if inspired by that figure, the others began rushing toward the dungeon one after another.
Lydia and her teammates rushed inside as well.
Like chasing a lantern in the darkness, holding onto a rope.
But that soon changed to fear.
It was dark.
From a place you couldn’t see even an inch ahead, something shouted.
“Kki, kki-ki-gig...”
“Uha ha! Uha ha ha!”
“Aaaah! Help me!”
The sounds hit the brain directly.
The students panicked.
“W-what...!”
“Help me...!”
Someone collapsed, someone leaned against the wall and screamed.
“H-hiiik...!”
“I don’t want to!”
Her teammates ran away as is.
“Let’s g-go... aiyak!”
Lydia followed them, running behind, and fell down.
Rolling on the floor, her clothes got dirty, and her cheeks and arms scraped.
“A-ow, ugh!”
Lydia crouched and let out a groan.
“Kkigik, kki-gi-gigik!”
“Kyaaaa!”
“Stop, stop...”
Lydia covered her ears and sat down, closing her eyes.
Scared. Terrifying. She didn’t want to die.
Why did they leave me behind? Because I couldn’t do it better? I don’t want to hear that I’m useless like this...
Lydia muttered while covering her ears.
She didn’t want to be abandoned, she wanted to prove something. Above all, she wanted to prove it and make them surprised.
Then the village that was gone...
With dazed eyes, Lydia was muttering something,
when—
“BOOM!!!”
A flash of light burst with a loud noise.
“...?”
When Lydia opened her eyes, a man holding a sword stood behind.
The walls were broken, the screams were gone.
Aiden Starfive stood there.
“...”
He spoke quietly, opening his mouth.
“If you’re afraid of being abandoned, think about becoming strong.”
“...!”
“If you cry lying alone saying no one will help you, your life won’t change.”
The words pierced her heart like a sword, and Lydia froze.
“T-then...”
Lydia grabbed the ankle of Aiden Starfive, who turned to leave.
The moment she grabbed his ankle, terrible fear permeated her whole body, but Lydia still wanted to live. She didn’t want to be abandoned.
No, she wanted to be recognized. She wanted to change.
“P-please, p-please, p-please, p-please take me with you!”
“...”
Aiden Starfive took a step.
Ignoring her, as he pleased.
Lydia was dragged along.
“A-ah! Aiyak!”
Even while being dragged, Lydia didn’t let go of his hand.
Although she feared death if it weren’t this man, there might have been a sliver of hope that perhaps she could become someone different.
Aiden Starfive assumes leadership of the party.
Lydia Straw joins as a party member.
Gerd the Mercenary joins as a guest.