Chapter 7: Imperial Terrorist Denif (2)

Chapter 7: Imperial Terrorist Denif (2)

The older kids, Rekun and Mohen, were 16 and 17 years old respectively. They only exchanged brief greetings and headed to the cafeteria first.

That was the end of the warm welcome.

Rekun smiled at me, but Mohen seemed a bit sharp.

There was something rigid about him, similar to Marhan.

Was it because of that?

From what I could gather, Mohen didnt seem very close to the other kids my age.

It could be due to the age difference. When you were that age, you sometimes didnt want to hang out with kids.

Denif seemed to notice my gaze and shrugged his shoulders.

I get it, hes on edge because hes about to graduate. His personality is already shitty, so just try not to bother him.

I didnt bother asking him what graduation was. Maybe it meant leaving this place and becoming an official spy.

In the first place, the atmosphere surrounding the kids my age was different.

I was surprised by Denifs rough way of speaking. He said we were the same age, so he should be around 13 years old.

I guess the imperial terrorists were different from the start?

Yeah.

Anyway, if someone with such a rough personality

It would be better not to get involved with Mohen from my perspective.

As we headed towards the cafeteria, Denif led the conversation. That surprised me a little.

This infamous, or not yet infamous, future imperial terrorist had a surprisingly friendly side to him.

Was he this sociable? If I had to administer an MBTI test, he would definitely score high on the extroversion scale.

Did you know? I was an orphan too.

Whether he had heard about me in advance or not, Denif suddenly whispered to me.

I was slightly taken aback by his genuinely happy expression.

Really?

Yeah. How did you survive on the streets?

Just, you know, pickpocketing, begging, stealing food and stuff.

I did that too! Sometimes I got caught and beat up pretty bad, you know?

Is that so?

Have you ever had a broken bone?

Had I been hit to the point of breaking bones?

Indeed, it was a good thing I was immediately run from the muscular guy. I recalled memories of Earth and answered.

Here. My left arm was broken.

As I thought! Experiencing a broken bone confirms that youre a true orphan.

What did he mean by true orphan? The conversation had lost its context, and I couldnt make sense of it.

Perhaps it was also due to that sense of familiarity as fellow orphans.

After that, I simply smiled lightly and played along.

Since I hadnt personally experienced it, I talked a lot and found it a bit unfamiliar to interact with kids as an adult.

Im tired because of the trait.

The cafeteria was not far away. Denif slumped down on a chair. Orhen sat next to him, seemingly a bit cautious.

She seemed more introverted than disliking me.

Before I sat down, I didnt forget to use Winds to clean the chair and desk.

The two in front of me noticed the effect of the Winds and widened their eyes in surprise.

Whats that? Is it Mystic, by any chance?

Denif exclaimed loudly. The kids who were dining nearby glanced in our direction.

I deliberately ignored their gazes.

Yeah.

There was something strange.

Denif seemed more surprised than I expected. The Imperial terrorists I knew had definitely possessed Mystic abilities.

The chances of having two different Denifs were extremely slim. Perhaps his unique traits were that rare?

Or maybe Denif hadnt manifested Mystic powers yet.

Theres a reason why the father brought you here. Youre soon going to become a Godchild.'

Godchild?

I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Father recruits talented individuals as Godchild.

Godfather and Godchild. I couldnt help but smile inwardly.

Well, could there be a means to elevate the human relationship when you were not blood-related?

Arent you surprised? Not just anyone can become Fathers Godchild. Rakun and Mohen over there couldnt become Godchild.

Denif whispered cautiously as if revealing a secret.

I understood the underlying meaning of why Denif had become an Imperial terrorist. It was likely due to the fall of Haisen and the dukes death.

Should I protect the duke? I pondered that thought as I felt an intense gaze directed toward me.

It was Mohen, the one Denif had warned me not to mess with. His sharp gaze held a hint of hostility.

He didnt look like this earlier.

Denifs voice was mysteriously loud.

Hmm, I could roughly discern the situation.

And finally, my turn approached. As I walked up to the duke, I scratched the back of my neck.

I had nothing to show or demonstrate because I hadnt learned anything.

Are you satisfied with your life here?

Yes. Even though it was only for a day, it was incomparable to my life up until now.

Although I used the polite form of speech yesterday, I changed my tone and made an effort to portray a satisfied expression.

Acting wasnt that difficult. I was genuinely satisfied with myself.

The duke didnt show much interest.

He simply nodded and followed it with a satisfied smile.

Thats good. Although there isnt anything you learned here yesterday, would it be okay if I take a look?

I hadnt learned anything, but there was no reason for me to refuse and give off a bad impression.

Yes.

Attack me.

I immediately took a stance. Without a sword, I roughly imitated the posture that the other kids had taken based on a rough estimate.

In a way, it resembled a Taekwondo stance.

Extending the left leg and turning the left shoulder toward the opponent, hands placed in front of the sternum.

I felt a bit clumsy myself. No, rather than clumsy, it was more like awkward.

I kept feeling it, but as I tried to move in earnest, the heaviness of my body became even more pronounced.

It was because of Worst Condition.

It means that I dont have as much strength as I think.

Even when simply raising my arm, I had to exert more force than I had imagined to move it to the intended position.

It would probably take some time to get used to it.

Ha.

Holding only my fists without any weapons made me feel uncertain. No, even if I had a weapon, it would have been the same.

Still, it was time to move now, even though the duke was waiting for me.

Since Im in an unfamiliar situation anyway, I might as well not waste time and receive a better evaluation.

I used Winds. It wasnt anything grand. The winds surrounding my body helped to slightly increase my speed of movement.

In contrast, the mental fatigue caused by using my Mystic power overwhelmed me.

Inhaling sharply, I struck the ground without any preamble. The distance was closing in. What should I do?

Would a kick from this small body be effective?

Since I hadnt been thinking and moving from the beginning, my head was quite muddled.

I have to consider the height difference.

Instinctively, I threw a punch. The right hand, which received less resistance from the winds, surged forward towards the side under the ribcage.

Thud As expected, it was blocked too easily.

The duke didnt even bother grabbing my fist, as the original purpose was instruction. I moved my body here and there.

Since I didnt know anything, my movements were purely based on instinct.

I didnt delve deep into thinking. There was no need to, and I didnt have the capacity.

It was more like finding openings. Whenever I felt there was a spot to strike, I extended my fist toward that area.

I didnt forget to use kicks either.

Even though my muscles were screaming in agony from the exercise I hadnt done before, I did my best.

Because everything would be reflected in the evaluation of me.

Still, my attacks didnt land.

During the repetitive cycle of meaningless attacks, a shiver ran down my spine for a moment. My vision reversed from color to a black and white with a flicker of red.

It was a warning from Death Avoidance.

Kkeuheub!

I let out a strange scream and rolled on the ground. It was an instinctive action before thought.

Somewhere, I could hear a snicker.

It was from the big guys. Most likely Mohen. But I didnt have the energy to care.

In a hurry, I raised my head, and the duke was looking at me with a smiling face.

Whats this? He seemed like he wanted to kill me just a moment ago.

It was certain that it was a warning from Death Avoidance.

Before thinking deeply, the duke approached me and extended his hand. I grabbed that hand and got up from the ground.

The dukes expression looked more than satisfied. The recent threat seemed deliberate.

The duke spoke in a low voice.

You have a good sense of danger. Its a great talent for a spy.

As expected.

Thank you.

I nodded my head respectfully.

He brushed off the dirt from my shoulder.

Keep up the effort. Ill visit again soon.

Yes.

Im looking forward to it.

The duke said that and turned away. Hmm. He was looking forward to it?

It felt like a heavy burden had been placed on me.