As Unwan stepped away from the entrance, the boy holding a fifth-tier grimoire was being officially registered nearby. The clerk handling the registration asked for the boy's name. The boy answered, "Adan."
'How wonderful. So it won't be Saint Unwan anymore, it'll be Saint Adan whose name echoes across the world as an Owner.'
'Yes, that might be true. But didn't you say the real reason we came here was to find a job?'
'This boy… ugh, talking to you is impossible.'
'Is it my fault you keep contradicting yourself?'
'…, This bastard. Even right before my death, he still finds a way to talk me down and crush my spirit.'
'He didn't say he'd kill you. He just said he'd take your grimoire.'
'Think about it logically. If I don't have a grimoire, there's no reason for him to keep me alive. If I had one and he killed me, the grimoire would disappear anyway.'
'Then, get a grimoire now.'
'I can't, idiot. Are you mocking me on purpose?'
'Wait a little. Maybe yours is coming slowly, just like Adan's.'
'Why don't you understand? I'm not mentally ready to receive a grimoire. How could I be? An orphan, someone no one needs how is someone like that supposed to be mentally strong? Being mentally stable at all is already a miracle. And you think talking to you is proof of my sanity?'
'Maybe you're right. But then again… what mentally unstable person considers talking to himself a symptom of illness?'
'What a wonderful companion. What kind of inner personality both mocks you and encourages you at the same time? Tell me, what stage of madness is this?'
'Even when you say something nice, it's still annoying. Just go out there quietly and stop talking forever.'
'Gladly.'
Unwan stepped out of the hall with despair weighing down his body, yet he glanced back one last time.
'At least, I'm glad I got to see such a beautiful place.'
'Don't lie.'
Unwan didn't argue. Because it was true.
What kind of person could leave such a beautiful place knowing he was about to be beaten and still feel happy?
Unwan thought that even a single solid blow from Fred might knock him unconscious. Maybe worse. Or perhaps… just perhaps, Great Water would help him again.
That was when he heard the sound for the second time.
Clunk. Clunk.
The first time, the sound had felt curious. Now, it didn't. He didn't know why, but Unwan felt as if he were walking toward death.
Of course, that wasn't entirely true. They could beat him badly, cripple him even, but killing him was unlikely.
Or so he thought.
But he couldn't know for sure. To know that, he would have to understand their nature.
After taking a few steps, Unwan approached the entrance gate, took a deep breath, and stepped outside. Before he could even place his first step properly...
A powerful punch struck him from the side.
The impact sent him crashing to the ground. Dazed, Unwan turned his head. Fred stood where the guard had been moments ago, staring down at him.
'Where are the guards?'
— Wow. That was a clean hit, Fred.
— Forget that, pick him up. Let's get into a blind alley quickly. The guards said they can't hold things off for more than a minute.
'What? Were the guards bribed?'
One of Fred's friends tightly wrapped something around Unwan's mouth and lifted him up. Unwan struggled violently, kicking and thrashing. It slowed them down, but escape was impossible.
They carried him into the nearest blind alley. No matter how desperately Unwan tried to call for help, his voice didn't carry far.
But that wasn't what hurt him the most.
They passed several people on the way, this was the very center of the Greater Spell capital, after all. Yet no one helped. Some didn't even look. One or two people stepped forward, perhaps out of goodwill, but the moment they noticed Unwan, they turned away as if they had seen nothing.
'How wonderful humanity is. So much for humanism. Even wolves protect their own kind, yet humans choose to look away. And they still call humans the greatest beings.'
For the second time that day, tears welled up in Unwan's eyes.
'Is it because no one likes me? I used to pity those suffering from terminal illnesses. But I'm not sick. So why do I feel so pathetic… why has attention become the most important thing to me?'
Unwan was on the verge of breaking again, when a single sentence stopped him.
'Did you forget what I said earlier?'
The sense of injustice vanished in an instant.
So much had happened that Unwan had completely forgotten those words. Once again, he returned to his calm, indifferent state.
'Thanks… for calming me down.'
'How should one even interpret thanking oneself?'
Truly, what a wonderful companion. It criticizes you, mocks you, laughs at you. But when things get hard, it's always there. In some sense, as if it has no other choice.
It can't help physically, but it's not a fake friend.
Because they were in the capital center, finding a blind alley had been difficult. But somehow, they managed. The exact time was unclear, but it was probably around three or four in the afternoon. Little sunlight reached the alley, but it was bright enough to see.
They threw Unwan to the ground. He hit hard. "Agh" he groaned as whatever had been stuffed in his mouth fell out.
Fred stepped forward, his face twisted into a cruel grin.
— "Now then. Where's your grimoire? Hand it over, or you won't leave this place alive. Don't resist." He laughed. "Though honestly… you can't resist anyway."
Unwan stared at him for a few seconds.
— Don't pretend you don't know. I don't have a grimoire.
Fred stared back, then nodded slightly.
— A rational answer. Fine, we knew from the start that you didn't have one. Who would ever need a useless nobody like you, someone with no one backing him?
— Then why bring me here?
Fred laughed again. This time, his expression was far more disturbing.
— For entertainment, of course. Tell me, is there anything more enjoyable than beating a person and watching their weakness?
Unwan prepared to answer. Even now, he wanted to try reasoning with him, just a little.
— Fine. I'm an orphan. No one cares about me. Even if I die, no one will notice. But what about you? What will your father do when he finds out you don't have a grimoire? Will he throw you out? You should be searching for a way to obtain one instead...
At that moment, one of Fred's friends punched Unwan in the face.
The blow was so strong it felt as if his nose had shattered.
—Don't lecture our friend, weakling.