“Aren’t you interested in getting stronger? Think of it this way, once you got stronger and at the top of the world, it’s a slap to the Belmont family because they exiled a promising person out of their family.”

“Y-Yeah, I do...”

That’s not true at all. I wanted to get stronger so I can get Lily, the best waifu of the game. It’s the only route that I remember playing. Lily had a phobia around men, a misandry person due to the influence of her father and brothers. They influenced her by telling her that all men are wolves at a very young age. Not only that, while wandering around the garden at a party, she stumbled upon a human male who was drunk as a skunk.

When the drunkard saw Lily his heart was smitten by her incredible beauty, that he lost control of his lust and assaulted Lily. Luckily, there are some people who happened to be wandering around that are which prevented that could be one of the biggest scandals in the kingdom of Askar, and they prevented a war between the elves and humans. The guy of course got beheaded.

For that reason, not only she hates men, but she also has extreme hatred towards humans, especially human males. But one day, she came across Shin Morino who saved her from getting kidnapped while he’s on his way to go shopping for his necessities for the house. At that point and time, that’s the day where Lily’s heart started opening once again. The classic hero saving the princess cliches. That’s why I wanted to be the first one who will get in there and save her.

“Then I’ll train you. If you may not know, I’m the Sword Blade Saintess. Fufufu~” Irene’s looked at me with smug on her face, expecting my reaction.

“I have no idea who or what that is...” Neither she knew. I have no idea what that thing is. Even Claude, the old owner of this body, who was living in this world, does not even know who that person was. But, assessing her smug face, it’s probably a title given to her by someone.

“WHAT?! YOU DON’T KNOW ME?! ARE YOU LIVING UNDER A ROCK!?” Irene was stupefied by my response, that it made her scream loudly enough for my ears to be deafened.

“Well, yeah... You could say that... I’m busy with my study and research, so that’s probably the reason.”

“Damn, what a loud voice,” I added, muttering it.

“Haah... Sorry for my sudden outburst. But, are you serious? You probably heard that name somewhere else, right? Like someone mentioning it to you?”

“Do I look like lying to you? And about mentioning, do I look like I have friends?”

Irene went into silence, her lips are shut tight. She just realizes the blunder that she made to me.

“Sorry...”

“Apology accepted.”

“Thank you.”

Then she continued. “Needless to say, do you accept my offer?”

“Do I have a choice? Of course, I would accept. Plus, I don’t have someone who could really teach me. Whatever the cost, I’ll do it. Secondly, what’s the thing about you being the Sword Blade Saintess? Is that like a title given to you?”

“Great! Then we’ll start tomorrow. I’ll do a training regime for you and a workout routine. For the title, just ignore it. In short, I’m strong. That’s the only thing you need to know.”

“Okay...”

She’s one of the heroines, so that means she’s really strong or something important in this world. Whatever the title she has, it must be important. And I’ll not think about it and just trust her completely. Plus, she looks like she knows what she’s talking about. That must be it.

“In any case, do you cook by yourself?”

“No, I eat with the neighbors. Right now, I don’t have any food in the kitchen other than my cup noodles that got thrown away a few weeks ago.”

“Please don’t say that you’re only eating cup noodles...”

“I did, for a few years until I decided to live a healthy lifestyle.”

Irene knitted her eyebrows and pinching in between.

“How about these few weeks?”

“Ms. Jessy has been taking care of my meals. All her food are like made in heaven from how delicious they are.”

“Okay, I've decided. I’ll give you an allowance from now on. Never touch the money that your parents gave to you. I’ll pay for everything.”

I deeply stare into her verdant eyes, processing all the information that she plunged inside my head. It made me rack my brains out. Let me think about what she just said, allowance, paying for everything. Does that mean she’ll be my sugar-mommy from now on?

“You into young boys?”

Irene gave me a sharp gaze that I cowardly hid behind the cushion. “What do you mean by that? Implying that I only helped you because I took a fancy of you?”

“Y-You don’t...? I mean, I’m okay with selling myself...”

“Haah... Just don’t say speak. I told you, I’m helping you. If you don’t want it, then just say so.”

“N-No! I’m thankful for your help!”

After our conversation, we detour to the garage and show Irene the current equipment that I’m using right now. Irene said the types of equipment that I’m using right now are all in good condition. However, she said that I really don’t need weights since we’ll go traditional.

Amidst that, I can’t help myself but started doubting Irene on why she’s so adamant about helping me. Although she did say that she could relate to my situation because she’s an orphan herself, but that doesn’t matter because I ended up asking her that question.

“Why are you helping me?”

Irene with her head around, checking the training dummies in the garage. “Hm? Nothing pretty much. I just found you interesting. I’ve never seen someone with an eye like you.”

“My eyes?”

“Well, it intrigued me for some reason. I don’t know why. I was fascinated by your eyes full of life. I’ve never seen someone like you with that kind of eyes. What’s more, you’re an orphan, which added more to my curiosity about you. That’s the sole reason why I’m here, then you said that you’re a manaless person which is quite rare in this world.”

“Uh—? Okay? Wait, being born with no mana are rare?”

“Yes, in fact, only 0.056% of the world’s current population are born with no mana.”

“Ohh, yeah...” I just remembered it, via Claude’s memories.

“That’s why cases of people like you are a specialty. The world is comprised of mana, everything you see is created by mana. There’s an omnipotent being that created this world where mana is everything. However, why is there a peculiarity of its creation, if the world it created revolves around the existence of so-called mana? Perhaps because everything is not meant to be perfect? Or, did that being failed to do its greatest creation?”

Then Irene walked in my direction and continued. “Claude, you’re an inferior person with no mana residing inside your body, but does that make you useless?”

“No.”

Irene smiled at me, then patted my head. “Correct. You still have your intelligence, your burning passion for overcoming the very existence of being inferior, determined to do everything. Remember, every person in the world has their own values. No matter how little that thing is, you can make that grow by valuing yourself more. I didn’t help you because of sympathy as an orphan, but rather I see value on you.”

“Now that I think about it, I remember your eyes from someone. It’s the person that I told you, the person who’s a manaless person like you. You two have the same eyes. Her eyes are full of life, despite the prejudice and disadvantage that person received in her entire life, but never I’ve ever seen those eyes waver on anything. That’s probably it.”

It made me curious about who’s the person Irene was talking about. That person seems to be able to turn all odds against the entire world, the fact that she doesn’t stand a chance against the world, but she still managed to turn it around. If that person is still alive until now, I would like to meet that person. Probably one of these days, I’ll ask more about that person to Irene.

Irene then picked up the wooden sword on the wall and swung it in the air. I’m watching her doing that in front of me, but my eyes can’t perceive anything because it’s so fast—My eyes can’t follow her movements at all. It ended then she looked at me with a smile on her face.

“Did you see it?”

I shook my head.

“Hahaha, do you now believe me?”

I nodded my head.

“From now on, you’ll be my disciple. I’m going to train you like there’s no tomorrow. Be ready.” Irene smiled at me. However, behind that smile was a demon in disguise. The day where I started regretting everything. A true hell awaits me after she declared those words to me.