Chapter 5 Tough Love (2)

'' You have no talent.''

Everyone in the room became silent.

'' What ?''

I couldn't help but ask again to make sure that I heard him right.

Amanda hits the muscular guy in the head and looks at me with a hint of sympathy in her eyes.

'' I'm sorry, dear. Francis meant to say that you're an F rank, but he's a little on the dumb side, so he doesn't know how to speak properly.''

Francis's brows furrowed at Amanda's provocation.

Francis Lamar, Amanda's assistant, and future husband. I unconsciously smile as I see their squabbling, their love story was one of the fan favorites. So much so that when I killed Francis off, I got death threats in my mail.

That's right.

Francis gets killed while he was protecting Amanda and it scars her for life, so much so that she retires from being a hero. I feel a little sad for them but to each their own, I guess.

'' Look.'', Francis points to the stone-like object, whose name I just couldn't remember.

'' What ar--.'', Amanda stops speaking a mid-sentence and looks at the stone-like object with a huge frown on her face,

'' What's wrong ?'', Mark interjects.

'' It's --, uh...''

Amanda seemed to be struggling to say something. Mark walks towards us and peeks at the stone. As soon as he saw it, his face also formed a frown just like Amanda's.

I can't take this shit anymore, say something!

'' What is it ?'', I probe them to get an answer because it seemed like they had all turned mute.

They all turned their attention away from the rock-like thing and looked at me like I was some sort of exotic animal.

Feeling my blood pressure rising, I ask them as gently as possible.

'' What is it ?''

Both Amanda and Francis remain silent, but Mark opens his mouth with a slight grin on his face.

'' X, it seems like, you have no potential.''

'' What ?'', I ask in a doubtful voice.

This shouldn't be possible.

Wait...

Unless I think of my status screen and it appears.

-------------------------------------

Name: X

Age: 7

Potential: ???

Strength: G

Agility: G

Stamina: G

Intelligence: F-

Mana Grade : ???

Vitality: G

------------------------------------

Job: Swordsman lvl: 1

You have a innate understanding and talent for the sword.

Techniques: None.

Skills:

Author's Authority [ SSS rank]

Using your lifeforce you can change the present to your whims. The more significant the change, the more vitality is taken. Can only be used once a day.

------------------------------

Shit.

I should have checked my status screen before coming here, it seems like my mana and potential had still not solidified. The mana I had absorbed into my body had not left my body for awhile, so I carelessly assumed that the both of them had returned. Now that I think about it I never thought to try to control my mana again.

Damn you, child brain !

'' We haven't seen a case like this ever before.'', Amanda says in a grim voice.

Francis nods seemingly agreeing with her.

'' Well we can't all be winners can we ?''

The smirk on Mark's face makes me want to kill him but I contain myself.

Both Amanda and Francis frown at Mark's words but don't say anything.

'' Sorry, kid.'', Amanda ruffles my hair and walks past me along with Francis.

~~~~

I sit on the swing, staring at my *onyx gem necklace thinking of my future.

The necklace was something that was left behind with me at the orphanage. I assume that it belonged to one of my parents. As something that I had my entire life ( THIS LIFE.), I was quite attached to it.

Due to the fact that all my plans depended on me getting help from the association, I felt royally fucked. But fortunately it was not too late to change things. This world was of my making and I knew of ways to earn billions overnight. One way would be to invest in stocks, but I'm still too young for that shit. So I decided to focus on things that I can do right now.

As I was thinking of such profound things, I feel a hand on my shoulder.

'' You okay ?''

I look back to find Lecia behind me with a concerned look on her face.

'' Why wouldn't I be okay ?'', her expression hardens slightly for a moment but she doesn't say anything, she walks to the swing beside me and sits on it and starts slowly going back and forth on the swing.

???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.????????????

After a moment of silence, she speaks in a clear voice,

'' Before coming to the orphanage, I had a family--''

Before she could say anything more, I interject.

'' We all had family.''

She makes an annoyed face, '' Just listen.''

I nod my head silently as she starts speaking again,

'' I don't remember much about my parents, but I remember my younger brother, his name was Adam. He was just 6 years old when it happened.''

'' What happened ?''

She looks at me solemnly and says,'' The war happened.''

'' The demons killed them ?'', now one might think that I was being an asshole by asking her all these questions but the chances of her family being killed by demons were very unlikely as demons were warriors with the strict belief that one should not kill people who were not involved in the war like the civilians. Don't think the demons are compassionate because of this, they capture civilians unable to fight and make them slaves. But at least they're still alive I suppose.

'' No.'', As expected I was right, now the only question that remained was that who exactly had slaughtered her entire family.

Seeing my questioning gaze, Lecia looks at the evening sun and says in a low voice, '' Humans killed them.''

'' Impossible.'', I never wrote about humans killing each other.

'' Why ?'', I ask her.

I can see the sadness in her eyes.

'' I don't know, they said it was an accident. B-but they were l-laughing'', her voice was slightly shaking.

'' You can tell the police--''

'' I'm a 10 year old child, do you think anyone would believe me over veteran soldiers ?''

I don't have an answer for her.

Guilt surfaces in my heart, in a way it was fault that her family died but I choose to remain silent.

Lecia smiles and looks at me with tears in her eyes,'' When you told me that, you wanted to be a hero, you reminded me of my brother. Adam also wanted to be a hero.''

I feel a stinging sensation in my heart.

'' Why are you telling me this ?''

Lecia turns to face me and I see the tears flowing down her face.

'' I just wanted to tell you that, no matter what you decide to be in the future. I'll always be with you, because to me... you're family.''

I feel myself tearing up, Why am I tearing up at the words of a freaking 9 year old ?

Family was term that I was unfamiliar with in my last life.

I was always alone.

It seems that maybe... just maybe,

I may not be alone anymore.

~~~~

*Onyx Necklace - Onyx is kind of like a black gemstone. Google it.