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Tessrun was writing a letter to report to the duchy.

Drip... Drip...

Ink dripped onto the paper, but Tessrun, holding a quill pen, pondered for a long time.

‘It's a change. He hasn't changed, but there is a change.'

Even if his personality changed, there was no way he would develop a new talent where there was nothing.

However, even personality variation could be regarded as a manifestation of talent in a certain sense.

'Premature courage is harmful. But… I guess only fools have courage when they know it's harmful.'

The Young Master must know what it meant to curse at the Duke.

Then why did the youngest master insult him?

‘There is a difference between being stupid and courageous.’

Saying it while knowing it was reckless meant that he had created a kind of courage, but saying it without knowing it was reckless meant that he was a fool.

'Is it courage…?’

Was it right to think of courage as a talent?

Tessrun thought and thought and kept thinking.

After seemingly endless thinking, he finished the letter, going from [There is no change yet] to [There is a personality change, so I will keep an eye on him.].

"It must be… right.”

He left out the part where the Young Master was dissatisfied with the Duke.

Tessrun folded the letter carefully, put it in his pocket, and stepped outside.

'By now… he must be taking his class.'

It was still time for him to be subjected to violence under the guise of class.

Tessrun suddenly remembered the Young Master's change of character when he was about to send the letter.

'What if… it wasn't just his personality that changed?'

At best, he was only judging from what he saw at mealtime.

Tessrun immediately turned around and headed for where the Young Master was receiving lessons.

“…!”

Clack! Clack! Clack!

Tessrun noticed that Hals was using mana because he had experience learning how to use mana in the past.

A strong shockwave was generated when their swords struck each other, and it seemed they might crack.

However, the Young Master didn’t back down.

'Muscular strength? No way...’

There was no way the Young Master had done any strength training.

'How the heck...?'

There was no trace of mana in his sword.

No one had taught him how to use mana, and most of all, he had a Mana Rejecting Body.

Yet he was resisting, no, overwhelming Hals with a body that could never learn mana.

‘That swordsmanship… what is it?'

He had never seen anything like it before.

It wasn't even something that could be called authentic swordsmanship in the first place.

It was ignorant, dirty, brutal, and violent.

A mere duchy’s servant couldn’t recognize the swordsmanship tailored to the lives of mercenaries.

'O-oh, my!'

Tessrun belatedly noticed that Hals's sword was pointed at the Young Master’s head; he was so embarrassed by the sudden change.

‘He’s crossed the line!'

The reason he pretended not to see the violence against the Young Master was that the Young Master himself hadn't said anything until now.

As a servant, interfering where one was not invited was taboo in the duchy.

But now, Hals was clearly trying to kill the Young Master.

Tessrun ran into the training ground to stop them.

-Thwack!

‘T-This...’

He was too late.

Hearing the dull sound of something breaking, Hals looked flustered as he finally came to his senses.

Tessrun rushed toward Locke, but he soon lost speed and had to stop.

‘…Fighting spirit?'

Fighting spirit? Killing aura? Ambition? He didn’t know what to call it, but the Young Master radiated a sharp energy that stopped Tessrun in his tracks.

-Pow!

He took advantage of Hals' embarrassment and began moving.

“Gasp!”

He hit him on the thigh, weakening Hals' leg.

-Pow!

He hit him in the ribs to create an opening.

-Pow!

He kicked him in the balls, which should never be done to a knight, no, a human.

-Pow!

He hit Hals' stomach since he had lost his balance and made him lower his head.

As Hals knelt, the Young Master slowly raised his sword.

-Thwackkkkkkk!!!!

The sword cracked across the top of Hals’ head with a sound louder than when the Young Master had been struck.

"Gasp… ugh!"

Hals fell backward, blood spouting from the top of his head.

“Y-Young Master!”

And Locke also collapsed on the spot, his strength exhausted.

Tessrun thought as he hurried to help Locke.

'I have to revise the letter!'

He couldn’t believe it, but a talent had... appeared.

***

“Ugh...”

I woke up from the shooting pain in my head.

<The King of Heroes is angry, asking how such an asshole can exist.>

<The King of Heroes says the young hero almost died.>

“King of Heroes…?"

When I heard the King of Heroes' voice, I realized I was still alive.

<The King of Heroes is so angry that such a bastard should be ground up and used as manure.>

"Haha...”

I couldn't help but laugh at his harsh words.

'More importantly... I won.'

I felt as if I had cut a string after returning to the past.

It felt like I had cut the longest and thinnest of the twisted strings binding me.

I was briefly excited about getting rid of one of the reasons I wanted to run away from the duchy, but I soon realized the truth.

'I'm still weak.'

I was weak. Absurdly weak.

Hals was just a delusional idiot with a high opinion of himself.

If I got into the Academy, there would be too many of them for me to step on.

'I have to build up my strength.'

Until I went to the Academy, no, just to survive in the duchy, I needed to develop my strength.

I had nothing.

No money, no power, no connections, and no family.

'The words of the powerful hold truth, and the words of the powerless are mixed with lies.'

Even if I shouted our home would be threatened, no one would believe me now.

To gain trust, I must build up my strength.

“Status window.”

-Ring!

『[Status window]

Name: Locke Ron Widia

Age: 14

Status: 「Mana Rejecting Body」, 「G: Spirit of the March」, 「S: Super Intuition」, 「□□」, 「□□」

Disposition: 「F: Courage of a Child」, 「□□」, 「□□」, 「□□」, 「□□」

Martial Arts: 「□□」, 「□□」, 「□□」, 「□□」, 「□□」

Skills: [Hero Draw] [Saving Abilities] [Hero’s Fundamentals] Number of Cards: 7』

I clicked on the [Hero's Fundamentals] skill.

-Ring!

『【Hero's Fundamentals】

Description: As a result of examining the future, present, and past, the most suitable ability becomes the fundamentals.

Ability: Can adapt to anything.』

“…What's this?"

<The King of Heroes says that heroes walk the path of a hero because they have their own fundamentals or beliefs.>

<The King of Heroes says this root is their image and their first ability.>

<The King of Heroes says it is the chosen one’s ability.>

In other words, the hero abilities I had acquired so far corresponded to this ability.

'I can adapt...’

Adaptation to everything. So, did I adapt by clashing swords with Hals?

“I don’t know if it’s a good ability, but more than that, I don’t know why my ability is adaptation.”

The hardest thing for me to do was adapt.

“Anyway, I got a B-Grade hero card, so let’s open it. Hopefully, this time something I need will come out.”

-Ring!

[You have won the B-Grade hero <Hero of Shaolin>.]

At that moment, I became dizzy.

“…It doesn't hurt this time."

I was just dizzy, and I couldn't see properly.

-Ring!

[Going into the memory.]

***

#(When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a mountain peak.

[It’s beautiful...]

It was a sight I had never seen before traveling in the Ryzen Empire.

[It feels like I’m floating above the clouds.]

The clouds floated like a sea over the mountains in a breathtaking sight, but I suddenly noticed something strange.

Unlike last time, my body moved freely.

If seeing Giggs’ memories felt like I was in a spirit state, now it seemed like I had entered the body of a hero.

“Amitabha. Have you still not given up?”

[Who?]

When I turned around, I found an old man with no hair and six red dots where his hair should be.

[…What is this?]

Was this the feeling of the person I was in?

Looking at the old man, I felt something warm and cozy in my heart.

At the same time, it seemed as though I was facing a crouching beast.

“Master.”

“Amitabha...”

I joined my hands together when I saw the old man and bowed my head.

[My body...]

It wouldn't move the way I wanted.

“Didn’t you come here to forget the world’s resentment after you suffered from Excessive Yin Disease?”

“I want to forget the world’s grudges. But I couldn't stay still when I heard the Demonic Cult was moving again."

“Amitabha. What will you do there when you can’t even learn how to control your inner power?”

“But I don’t want to stay still. I don’t want to be an idiot who can’t do anything in front of the enemies of my family.”

"You brat! I always told you to empty your mind and learn how to control it! What will you do if your heart is disturbed when you see the enemy?!”

I felt depressed as the old man screamed.

“I brought you to Shaolin to make you forget about vengeance, even though you suffer from Excessive Yin Disease. I told you to get away from the world and control your mind... Tsk.”

“…I’m sorry."

“It’s not your fault. It isn’t easy to forget your parents' enemies. Okay. So, have you achieved any results?”

"Yes."

“Then show me. If I’m not satisfied, I'll lock you in the training building, and I won’t let you out.”

"On the contrary, Master, if you’re satisfied, I will go out into the Martial World."

“Amitabha.”

I didn't know what we were talking about, but I could tell at least one thing.

[The Mana Rejecting Body is… the Excessive Yin Disease.]

And I tried to do something even though I knew this body I was in had Excessive Yin Disease.

“The Dignity of the Golden Power.”

I felt a 'flow' in my body along with the man's words.

[This...]

I didn't know how to put it.

It was challenging to say precisely what it felt like, whether it was the feeling of crawling earthworms or the sense of playing in the waves.

But I could tell this was a different power than mana.

-Whooosh!

I remembered.

I acquired.

I created.

I adapted.

I carved what this man was doing into my head.

I focused on the strong golden light flowing from the man’s body.)#