A Little Fun to Pass the Time?
The moment I was about to turn my clone into mush, Megan suddenly called out to me.
“What is it, brother?”
Thinking he was about to pick another pointless quarrel, I let out a silent sigh and gave a small nod.
“What is your belief?”
“My belief? What kind of belief talk is this suddenly?”
“The first person who has confronted me, the hero, and spoken ill of my beliefs is you. I’ve grown curious about just what kind of magnificent belief you hold.”
“Haha, I don’t tell my belief to just anyone. At the very least, I need at least ten gold coins…”
“Is that so? Here you go.”
Though it was meant as a joke, Megan calmly pulled ten gold coins from his pocket and tossed them to me.
“……He really gave them to me.”
Ten gold coins were the equivalent of a million won, yet he handed them over without a second thought. My eyes widened slightly at the sight.
“Well, go on. Tell me what your belief is.”
“Haha, if you’re going to this much trouble, I feel rather awkward. But since I’ve received the coins, I’ll keep my promise.”
For a moment I rested my chin on my hand and pondered deeply.
What exactly was the belief I carried? Had I ever even possessed a belief to begin with?
“My belief is… I find it hard to put into words. Ah, this should be sufficient.”
I raised my index finger.
“It’s nothing special. I simply want to prove that there is no such thing as good or evil in this world.”
We unconsciously reduce others to one-dimensional beings labeled simply “good” or “evil.”
Doing so makes it unnecessary to understand the other person deeply, and most problems get resolved that way.
But when problems are resolved without communication, they create new ones, circling endlessly around us like an endless loop and festering society.
So, even if it’s a little bothersome and even if it makes me feel a bit uncomfortable, if I refuse to view others as one-dimensional and instead acknowledge that they too are complex beings full of their own circumstances, then won’t a slightly more ideal world be born?
“……You’re a dreamer.”
“Don’t they always say to dream big?”
“You know better than anyone just how difficult it will be to realize the belief you hold. Perhaps it will be even more challenging than my belief in the eradication of all evil. A black body can be cut, but the heart cannot be cut.”
“A black body can be cut, but the heart cannot be cut…”
“Hmph, hearing words that sound like they come from somewhere, you truly do live up to being a hero. You’ll become far more popular if you carry a collection of famous quotes. I promise you.”
“……I can’t tell if you’re heavy or light. Fine. Since you hold such a belief, it means you’ll likely die in the middle of it. No need to handle it separately—you’ll just die naturally on your own.”
“I did give you advice, though. All you heard was me mocking you, so it’s lonely.”
“I was only speaking from the heart. In that case, shall I give you a piece of advice too?”
Megan pointed at my body and said.
“That strange power forming your fake body—it’s similar to the power I once encountered. I grew curious and approached him. We became close friends and shared a deep bond. Unfortunately, three years ago he passed away, but while I was with him, I came to understand that power a little.”
Megan had met someone who used Tao Power.
There were certainly more Wanderers in this world, so it wasn’t a lie.
“Your power, that indescribable power, stems directly from your own mental strength. In short, depending on the user, it can display an endlessly weak power, or it can be as boundless as the vast sea. Infinite.”
According to Megan, Tao Power wasn’t like mana with a fixed amount. It responded to my mental strength, determining its power and quantity.
“Well, even with this advice, you’ll probably end up chasing your ridiculous belief and never see your final day, but that’s not my concern. Consider it my compensation for protecting Shion today.”
Megan made a light gesture in the air, and the magic barrier that had been blocking him from me crumbled away.
“Let’s part ways here. Tell Shion that I had an urgent matter and had to leave first.”
With those words, Megan left the alley first.
I watched his retreating back as it gradually faded into the distance.
“I’ve returned. Were all of you worried about me?”
I walked over to where everyone was gathered and waved.
Charlotte, who had been watching my approach, frowned slightly and said.
“Hmm, I can see you’re still about to give me a strong smack, so I guess you didn’t come back from that strange encounter unscathed.”
Not at all. If it hadn’t been a clone, I might have died.
“Sir Shion, did your brother not say anything strange?”
At that moment Shion cautiously asked me about the meeting with Megan from earlier.
How should I answer this…? If I told her the truth, Shion would probably fight Megan to the death. But if she was the opponent, Megan wouldn’t be able to use his full power. It might not be so bad after all…
“He just said various things. He probably felt a bit cautious because I was the only guy in this group.”
After thinking it over, I chose the side that protected the peace of the Astorius family.
Even though Megan showed hostility toward me, he didn’t seem inclined to do anything drastic to me right now. As long as I didn’t provoke him, he wouldn’t draw his sword on me again.
I wanted to see Megan get thoroughly scolded by Shion, but for her safety, I would hold back.
“Ah, I see. Thank goodness. If our brother had committed some sort of offense, I was planning to lecture him for three hours after the attack ended, but I’m so glad.”
“W-what…? You didn’t commit any offense, right?”
Chloe, who was unusually fidgety, asked me carefully.
“Offense? I just joked around a bit to lighten the mood.”
“Please…! What if you show such lack of manners in front of Megan Astorius! You’re a proper member of the Prelia family, even if you’re not my father’s real child! You ruined your first impression on the Prelia family!”
“Um, since I’m already joking around with Shion, I don’t think it will hurt too much. Zero or –1—it’s not that big a difference, is it?”
“Wow… I’m genuinely grateful that our blood isn’t mixed.”
At Chloe’s ruthless reaction, I responded with an exaggerated gesture.
“Ugh, it feels like a nail is being hammered into my chest!”
“That was what I did earlier, right?”
“Ah, is that so? I’ll have to catch you later and think of a new reaction.”
“No need to think of such useless things…!”
At that moment, while I was throwing an empty joke at Chloe.
“Kyaaaa!!! What is this!!!”
A scream echoed from somewhere not too far away.
The cheerful atmosphere instantly froze.
We silently exchanged glances and immediately rushed toward the source of the scream.
About twenty seconds into the run, I sensed a high-density magic sphere floating in the air at the edge of my Nature Realm’s detection range.
I instinctively knew an ambush had begun.
“That way!”
I led everyone toward where Nature Realm was pointing.
And finally arriving at the scene, I saw a portal shaped like a rift beginning to open with sparks flying.
“Everyone, get ready. It seems the time has come.”
At my words, everyone stiffened and stared at the opening portal.
And before long, a girl slowly stepped out from the completely opened portal.
“Mommy, brother! How have you been? Eve missed you so much~!”
Eve greeted me with a bright smile.
But today, I couldn’t have a meal with her like usual at the restaurant and exchange light chatter.
“I couldn’t sleep properly because I kept imagining what kind of person brother would be!”
Today, our group was not kind siblings, but clear enemies.
“Haah, I secretly hoped she wouldn’t appear. I’ll move as I planned. Everyone, don’t get hurt.”
Charlotte, who had been watching Eve, hardened her expression and opened the rift.
From the rift, black tentacles shot toward Charlotte at high speed.
- Pa-cang!
“Haha, guarding my body is my specialty, so don’t worry.”
I blocked Eve’s attack with a light counter using my Void.
“……Mm.”
Charlotte nodded and stepped through the rift.
Eve, who had missed her target, said with a disappointed expression.
“I don’t know what scheme you’re plotting, brother. But you know as well as I do that the academy and Megan can’t stop our invasion. Yet you still have hope?”
“Of course.”
I answered with a light smile.
“My stock in trade is hope. Abandoning hope is the same as saying I’ll starve to death.”
And I pointed my sword at Eve.
“Today, I’ll give you a taste of my hope. You’d better be prepared.”