Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: The Path of Being a Hero's Brother**

**Chapter 7: The Clue (6)**

The Rotten Tree Spirit, one of the dark entities, mocked Shane's actions.

What Shane had just done was to draw the dark spirit into his own mental world.

At first glance, it might seem like fighting on one's home ground.

However, this was a huge misconception.

The dark spirit, fundamentally, feeds on the negative emotions of living beings, specifically yin energy.

Among all living beings, humans are the most emotional.

No matter how strong a human might be, or even the great ancient races, none would ever bring a dark spirit into their mental world, a foolish act.

It seemed that Shane had a fairly strong soul.

However, no matter how much one struggles, living beings inherently possess yin energy, and as long as yin energy exists, the dark spirit will continue to grow no matter who the opponent is.

As a spirit guarding the forest, how many deaths had it witnessed?

The spirit knew well where the darkness in humans deepens.

It is death.

From now on, Shane would experience the countless deaths the Rotten Tree Spirit had seen, and his personality would wear down.

Outside, he would face dozens of deaths in a fleeting moment.

When he came back to life, he would tremble with fear at the impending death.

Thus, yin energy would only grow more, and this would fuel the spirit's growth even further.

However, the Rotten Tree Spirit's expectations were twisted the moment it entered Shane's inner world.

- "What, nya. This is... death."

The Rotten Tree Spirit thought it knew death better than anyone.

But the moment it entered Shane's inner world, what it saw was a vast field of corpses stretching to the horizon, countless in number.

- "What is this...?"

No matter where it looked, there was only death.

The sight was so overwhelming that even the dark spirit, which had lived for hundreds of years in the forest, was stunned.

At that point, it realized something was wrong.

This is not the death it knew.

- "What is this? What is this?!"

The dark spirit, which had never felt and could never feel such an emotion, denied reality.

The emotion was fear.

It was not afraid of the mere sight of those corpses.

It was the cause of those corpses, a darkness similar to its own but infinitely deeper and more profound, that instilled fear.

And then, when it suddenly turned around, it saw Shane sitting on a throne atop the countless corpses.

- "What is this...?"

And Shane's chest was pierced by a sword that shone brilliantly.

Shane's face, as if in a deep sleep, was smiling with closed eyes.

An instinctive realization.

The countless corpses in this world were created by that human.

Then, what is this?

Is this death?

No, no.

It was something infinitely close to death but different.

At that moment, Shane's closed eyes opened.

- "How... How could a mortal create such a world...?"

The dark spirit, trembling with fear, asked a question to which there was no answer.

A cold silence.

Shane's face, now with open eyes, showed no emotion, and when his eyes, which could not be fathomed, began to turn black, something approached the Rotten Tree Spirit.

It was something infinitely close to death but different.

It was "annihilation."

* * *

Klein and the knights arrived at the village and were shocked to see the Twin-Headed Ogre lying at the village entrance.

How could such a huge monster arrive at the village without any presence?

The details of the incident could be heard from the five knights who had just started emergency treatment, still bleeding.

"Since then, he has been in that state."

"…We need to call a mage quickly. Young Master, what will you do?"

Leiard asked, looking at Shane, who was sound asleep in bed.

Klein replied with a somber expression.

"We will move together when my brother wakes up."

Leiard sighed inwardly at Klein's words.

He never imagined that the eldest young master would sacrifice himself for a mere mercenary.

Recently, Shane had been acting differently from his usual self.

His eyes were still as expressionless as ever, but the hostile gaze he used to direct at Klein was gone, and this incident was no different.

However, Leiard could not help but scold Shane.

"Still, he is a member of the Clayton family. Taking such risks for a mere commoner is reckless."

Of course, Leiard, who could not understand Shane's true intentions, never imagined that Shane was tired of dealing with the spirit in his inner world and had tried to kill Weiton.

"Lordwill. I'm sorry, but you need to go with another friend. We need someone who was there to explain the situation to the magic tower accurately."

Lordwill, the most skilled of the five knights remaining in the village, was the only one who could still move.

"Yes, I understand."

Lordwill did not refuse Leiard's order.

The eldest young master had fallen to protect the village.

How could he not be a model knight!

To save the young master, who had fallen due to the spirit, they had no choice but to seek help from the magic tower.

Just as Lordwill was about to leave, Shane, who was lying in bed, quietly opened his eyes.

"…Young Master!"

At the same time.

"Captain, what are you doing?"

"What are you doing?"

The knights around them were alarmed when they saw Leiard's hand on the hilt of his sword.

Klein also glared at Leiard.

"I need to confirm if it's really Young Master Shane. I'm sorry, Young Master. Please step back…."

"That's something we can check. No need to make a fuss."

Shane, who had raised his upper body from the bed, spoke, and Leiard, still tense, grabbed the wrist Shane extended.

"…"

Leiard's magic power swept through Shane's body, and the dark spirit was not felt.

"Really… it's you, Young Master. I apologize for the intrusion."

"Alright. What about the village?"

"We have ordered the returning knights to scout the area, and if they return, we plan to call the villagers back."

"Understood."

After such conversations to wrap things up, Leiard, Lordwill, and the other knights left the room, leaving only Shane and Klein.

"Do you have something to say?"

"…Why did you take such a dangerous action, brother?"

"Are you worried?"

Klein's eyes, as blue as the sea, stared at Shane.

"Of course not!"

Shane smiled at Klein's immediate and unhesitating answer.

"It wasn't a particularly dangerous task. It was necessary."

"…"

"You would have done the same."

"I…."

"Let's drop this. Klein."

"Yes?"

"Do you need a squire at the academy?"

"…?"

Surprised by Shane's sudden question, Klein could only blink.

* * *

The next morning, at dawn.

The knights packed their belongings and prepared to leave the village with the wagons.

The village chief, though worried that there might still be monsters around, was reassured when the knights had already scouted the area and found no significant traces of monsters.

During this process, Shane requested a wagon for the injured knights from the village.

The village chief, with a bitter smile, had no choice but to provide the wagon.

After all, it was for the knights who had been injured protecting the village, and the great Clayton family was involved.

While human greed seemed endless, it was just one of the many facets of human nature.

However, before the knights left the village, Havoc, Weiton's employer, paid the cost on their behalf.

He was busy praising the Clayton family, who had devoted themselves to the village.

Meanwhile, Klein, sitting in the driver's seat of the wagon carrying the injured knights, asked Shane while looking out the window.

"Why did you assign this person to me?"

Before leaving the village, Shane had found Alex and asked if he wanted to become Klein's squire.

It wasn't really a question.

It was more of a notification.

It was a one-sided statement that could be considered rude, but Alex nodded immediately and joined the group.

"He's a talented kid. Take good care of him."

"Is… that so?"

Klein, filled with curiosity, nodded.

The reason Shane brought Alex was not just because of his past life.

Alex had changed from then.

He had not experienced the death of his family and friends in the village, and the world had not faced a crisis like in his past life.

So, while it was unknown what kind of fortune Alex had encountered to become strong in his past life,

Shane's eyes could see through human souls.

And Alex was the owner of an incredibly pure soul.

Of course, compared to Klein, the light would be much dimmer.

'Even when the dark spirit had him, he was fine.'

Though he was shaken, he did not kneel.

Shane gave Alex a passing grade for that alone.

Those with pure souls always overcome trials and become stronger.

The souls of countless heroes he had seen in his past life were spotlessly pure.

Shane was confident in his intuition.

If raised well, unlike in his past life, Alex would shine even more brilliantly.

That's why he placed Alex, who had the brightest soul, by Klein's side.

Pure souls are naturally drawn to and grow with even purer souls.

As the wagon moved without stopping, the city's landscape began to appear in the distance.

The massive walls, visible only by lifting one's head, and the many soldiers standing atop them.

Klein, seemingly recalling something, asked Shane.

Shane, who had recently been more responsive to Klein's questions, answered immediately.

Though his answers were brief, he no longer looked at Klein with a displeased expression.

Feeling a bit more at ease, Klein asked.

"What department do you plan to enter this time, brother?"

Shane quietly opened his mouth in response to Klein's question.

It was an immediate answer, as if he had already thought about it.

"The Command Department."

"Really…?"

"We will take the department exams together, Klein."

A different choice from his past life.

Klein, not understanding, could only look at his brother with wide eyes.

* * *

"This year is the golden age of the Command Department."

The academy's chancellor, Hausen G. Chronos, with half his head bald, sat on a large sofa and said this.

Leiard Benjamin, a middle-aged man sitting opposite him, smiled and looked at his teacher.

"The golden age?"

"Yes. You have come here during a very good golden age."

As Chancellor Chronos said, the current academy was in its best golden age, with students of exceptional caliber.

"From the daughter of the Judgment Knight Captain, who protects the empire, to various talents, they are all in our academy. Among them, the second son of the Clayton family is particularly outstanding."

"Ah, I have heard that name. The professors say he reveals all their skills."

"That's right. His swordsmanship and control of magic are said to be superior to many professors. They say that if you teach him one thing, he will understand a hundred. He is hailed as a genius of the century among the professors."

"Is he entering the Command Department?"

"Yes. So, you should be careful not to reveal all your skills!"

Chronos' words made Benjamin smile wryly.

"I only teach the students' mindset. A student like that might not need much from me."

"Oh, what will we do if even you are like that? Still, you are a former Imperial Knight Captain."

"I was just a coward who couldn't adapt and ran away."

"Tsk tsk… Didn't I tell you then? You are more suited to be an adventurer than an Imperial Knight."

"Haha, I should have listened to your advice back then."

Perhaps because it had been a while since he had seen his teacher,

Benjamin spent time chatting with Chronos about various topics.

"Anyway, it's almost time for the students to arrive."

"Indeed."

"Still, you have a good eye. I heard that the Galewind Knights, where you were, are made up of very talented individuals."

"The talents of those who enter the royal palace are all the same. They just bring already polished gems."

"You are modest."

"Still, it might be interesting to see unpolished gems from time to time."

"True. Sometimes, gems are discovered later."

"Yes."

With that, Benjamin left the room after bidding farewell to his teacher.

"Gems…."

Benjamin, who had retired from the empire's power struggles, had a small wish.

It wasn't anything grand.

Just a wish to help someone, younger than himself, who was at the center of those disgusting power struggles.

If there was a talent who could help that person, he wanted to persuade and attach that talent to them.

A wish for someone who could firmly support that person, unlike himself, who had weakly dropped out of the struggle.