Chapter 1 (1/2)

Roswell Village

Twelve years have pa.s.sed.

There, in the vast Kingdom of Rosalia, is a village called Roswell, located within the Golden-Duke Shylock’s Territory,…

Was a boy being scolded by the Village Chief while he was doing some of his daily labors.

「Ritone, you slacker! Carry this wheat to the flour mill, quickly! 」

A whip suddenly lashes out towards the boy.

「……Gu! 」

Unintentionally, the boy shot a nasty glare towards the village chief.

「What’s with that look of yours, boy?! To think that a newly-hired peasant-boy would have this kind of att.i.tude… Tsk, if you’re dissatisfied with your new job, then, you can just quit! 」

The bald village chief continued to shout at the small boy.

「So-Sorry.」

The boy of 12 years old, shouldered a sack filled with heavy wheat, for him to carry to the water-mill by the river.

The boy called Ritone had no strength, and on top of that, was emaciated, so it was inevitable that he could only carry them one at a time for every round trip.

While he carried the sack of wheat, the village-brats who were playing by the near river suddenly approaches him.

「Peasant’s child!」

「Outsider!」

「Get out of this village!」

They poured continues insults at him to their hearts content, and beat him as they liked.

When they were satisfied and had went away, they left the sack broken, with the wheat scattered onto the ground.

「I’ll get scolded by the village chief again…」

While holding back his tears, he returned to the village chief’s house.

There, a young, pretty-girl with light blue hair was alone.

「Ritone onii-chan… Were you bullied again? Are you okay? 」

Rin, a 10 year old girl, treated Ritone very kindly. She’s the village chief’s daughter, and a childhood friend of Ritone. Being one of the heroines from the BRUTAL game, she had the role

of the younger sister.

「I-It’s fine… I’m OK.」

「But you’re hurt. Look, heal! 」

A gentle blue light poured out from Rin’s hand as it covered Ritone’s wound, stopping the bleeding.

「Thank you.」

「Don’t mention it. However, this spell is amazing. Thank you for teaching it to me.」

Rin acted like a small puppy. Ritone had been nice to her ever since she was young, causing her to become attached to him.

Ritone, in order to draw out her magic power, trained her with a water-type spell. There even reached a point where she could use the healing spells quicker than usual.

While seeing Rin hop around like Powa-Powa with a smile beaming on her face, Ritone was deep in thought.

(Originally, Ritone treated Rin as a mere pet, and ●●● even ××× to the point until…… where she breaks. No matter how one thinks about it, He won’t be capable of doing those sorts of cruel things now.)

Rin admired Ritone as an onii-chan, and Ritone also truly loved her as a younger sister, an 18+ prohibited act couldn’t be done. The fact that someone like that could become a hero, he would rather have chosen death.

「Rin alone, is someone I’d never consider to handover!」

Ritone, with hostility in his heart, aimed for the hero who he had yet to meet.

Somehow, the work of carrying the wheat ended as well. He received one bag of wheat then headed home.

Ritone’s home lies at the end of the village boundary, it was a worn-out shack.

「Bring me sake!」

From the house, a drunk voice was overheard. The voice came from his father, Zouk.

「You… There isn’t any more sake. Apart from that, Ritone works too. Give up your dream of becoming a knight, and do some field work like me…」

「Annoying! Because of us running away, I missed my chance of becoming a knight. Some girl of n.o.bility! This good-for-nothing! 」

With a snarl, the sound of a BASH echoed.

「AH!」

Hearing the sound of someone falling, Ritone panicked and ran to the house.

「Mother… Are you alright? 」

He helped up his collapsed mother, Josephine.

「Y-Yes. I’m alright. Uuu…」

Saying 「I’m alright」, was the nice mother that was powerless within these lands. She began to cry feebly.

「……」

Ritone who was accustomed to this kind of abuse, started glaring at Zouk. Magic then rose from his whole body, making his father feel intimidated.

「W-what is it, you d.a.m.n brat? What are you doing?!」

He tried taking out the rusty ragged sword childishly, but, being drunk, he struggled and couldn’t leave the wall.

「I pray to the heavens. Send me from another dimension, a servant. Come Slime! 」

The staff was pointed at his waist as the spell of summoning was recited.

「Uwaaa!」

After it gathered, the slime appeared from the magical square. Zouk began to run away from it, as he yelled in fear.

「Mother. That person will be punished. -Eh? 」

Ritone looked back at his mother, and saw her crying face filling-up with tears.

Gently, she then strikes Ritone’s cheek.

「…」

「Haven’t I told you that you weren’t supposed to use summoning magic!」

「Why? Wasn’t it mother who taught it to me? 」

Ritone with a stricken cheek, pouted as he resisted.

「Sigh…」

「Please, do be more wary of your actions next time, and as for your summoning-magic, I would prefer that you only use it in case of emergencies, so that you will be able to protect yourself. If they ever find out that you came from the house of darkness which can summon demons, what do you think would happen? 」

Said the mother with a desperate expression.

As for today, Ritone couldn’t say anything, specially on this night, the【Blue Moonlit Night】a night which only happens several days a month.

It was said that demons were mostly active during these nights, so it’s common that almost everyone shuts themselves in their houses and would quickly go to sleep.

However, the drunken man walked alone to the end of the village.

「Hiku~… d.a.m.n! Curse that s.h.i.+t that scrawny demon. Someday I’ll boil your eyes out…」

Although he appeared smart while grumbling, his voice lacked any power.

Though what truly lied in his feelings, was the fear that he felt for his own son.

「d.a.m.n… Was it because we were young and in-love that a measly brat like that came out?

That time, if I hadn’t fallen for the n.o.ble-girl, I would have become a knight by now…」

Zouk said with much regret. Though he was not able to cast his own shadow, a long time ago, he was a warrior with remarkable ability, in a territory far from this village. And because of the tournaments that he had partic.i.p.ated and won, he was able to join the government services of the Shylock family, where darkness was ruled. If it had gone in his favor, from being a soldier to becoming a knight, he would’ve risen through the ranks. Instead, he was chosen of all things, to serve as the daughter’s guard. The young couple fell deeply in love despite their differences in status. In order to escape from Eagle Shylock, who was the current head, they’ve decided that they would run, and return to their birthplace.

Having faced that, the two people exchanged no warm words, gradually, their pa.s.sion failed to live up to the expectations of their birthplace.

「d.a.m.n!」

While the man was spitting and feeling giddy, the surroundings suddenly darkened.

「What?」

Instinctively, the eyes of the man looked up into the sky, a woman’s appearance, that of an adult, wearing a black mantle, entered his eyes.

「W-who’s t-this!」