Chapter 52

This is a side story. The main characters from the main series hardly appear at all. The protagonist is different, so I recommend reading this after finishing the main series.

Also, this can be considered an extra story. I would be happy if you could read it with the feeling that "something like this might have happened."

(Just in case, I have added a tag for cruel descriptions, but there are no direct depictions.)

"You are really a useless man, aren't you?"

To the words that were always repeated, the man nodded lightly, saying, "Ha, is that so?" Because he was always called 'you' or 'that one,' he had already forgotten his own name. Perhaps he never had one to begin with. When he was hungry and searching for bread, he was called a gutter rat, but that was a long time ago.

Heavy iron rings jingled on his thin arms, and red-black marks were visible on his thin wrists.

"To think it would take this long to kill just one person. The First would have mourned, I'm sure. Well, 'Second Saintess.'"

He knew nothing about the woman who had died long ago. He was just a man, and it was strange to be called a 'Saintess.' He was captured like a kitten when a commoner with magic was considered rare, while he was crawling in the filthy slums. He was praised for having the same magic as the great Saintess, then dismissed for his lack of power, and thrown into a cell.

A Saintess is a revered being. She protected the country from other nations and ruled with her power. But that didn't matter to him. He couldn't even read, so the important people's talk in this country was truly, "irrelevant."

"Ha..."

It was always the same. After finishing his job and being called useless, he would be thrown back into his cell. He would be given lousy food and eat it like a dog. A dry laugh escaped him. Ah, truly, it was all irrelevant.

As long as he could live, just spend his days, everything was irrelevant to him.

***

At first, he was hailed as the one who possessed the same power as the Saintess. Shaking and not understanding what was happening, he was told to show his power, but the hopeful looks quickly turned to disappointment.

The First Saintess was said to have had an overflowing amount of magic, but to him, it was just similar magic to the Saintess's, not the monstrous power. He was called a man and not a 'Saintess,' but that was none of his concern.

He could use the subjugation magic, but only on people with less magic than himself. With his below-average magic, it was difficult to use, and he was just being kept alive. But when it was discovered that he could use it to some extent with the First Saintess's gem, he soon found himself walking in pools of red.

"It's all red."

Looking at the drink in his hand, he muttered, "You asked for it, right? Hurry up and drink it." "Ah, right, right." "Are you senile?" The joke was lost on the server, who looked down at him with a thick voice. He quickly hid his bleeding wrist with his clothes and drank the red liquid, filling his stomach.

Whoever died or lived, it was all irrelevant.

He had lived thinking that. Occasionally, he could gain a moment of freedom. There were certainly guards in the shop, and drinking one cup of alcohol would be the end, but compared to the damp, dark cell, it was much better. He didn't have to do anything, and food was provided. There was a little bit of work, but after fulfilling his duties, he could just "live."

It was a cycle. He had a vague idea of who the black-cloaked man was, but even that was irrelevant. He couldn't even be a proper dog. He was just a pitiful, insignificant rat.

"Uncle, what are you doing here?"

A blonde child was there. Even in the dim light, it was clear that he was a well-bred boy. He held a small lamp. Why is a child here? he wondered, but the first words out of his mouth were, "I'm not an uncle." Look closely, he said in a voice he rarely used, causing a slight cough.

To his hoarse voice, the child didn't react with surprise but instead placed the lamp on the ground and said, "Yeah, you're an uncle. So, what are you doing?" He held the iron bars with both hands and blinked. "Nothing. I'm just a useless rat." He gave a casual response and repeatedly warned the child never to come here again, but the curious boy kept coming back. He talked about exploring the castle, and then, rubbing his nose, he said that getting out of the castle was the best.

"I met a cute girl. Envious, right? We even went on a date."

"You're a cheeky brat who hasn't even grown hair yet."

"Hair? My hair is silky. Look, it's beautiful. The girl said it was pretty too."

"Not that. And stop showing off, you damn brat."

From the occasional stories the boy told, he had a vague idea of who he was, but even that was irrelevant. He just killed rats. Killed, killed, and killed, walking a path of red. The golden-haired boy kept talking, laughing, and telling stories about the outside, which made him feel frustrated.

"Still pitiful. You can't even face the First."

To the black-cloaked man who mocked the rat, he smiled with his mouth but not his eyes. He was buried in the red pool, drowning in the curse that filled his body to the core. The child grew up. He had passed the age when he could be called a child. The rat was walking in a sea of curses, his body heavy, having given up on everything, just living out of habit. Then, he was unexpectedly taken out of his cell and met a girl who would become his disciple. She had brown hair and eyes and a strong-willed face. He was exasperated.

"No talent, no brains, and no chest. You're finished."

"What are you saying, you damn master!"

"You're a hundred times worse, a damn, damn disciple."

"Stop repeating dirty words!"

"You're the one who said them first."

Despite the heavy iron rings, he was allowed out of the room when teaching her magic. It was called the Gem Room. She was a commoner, unlike him, and had a name and attended a school. On the day she was discovered to be the Saintess, she was taken into custody and formed a nominal master-disciple relationship, but it was only for a short time. After graduating from the academy, she would be imprisoned in the castle's basement, just like him.

Sighing, the man tapped an orange stone that glowed on a pillar in the room. Before going to work, he always touched this stone. "Master, what's that?" "It's nothing special." "Oh, really?" The girl poked the stone with her finger, and warm light spread around.

"It's a gem left by the First Saintess."

"……Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh