-Interludes to each and their own-

-In the royal capital courtyard-

-Training yard-

“HAAAAA!”

*KLIING*

A spark is created.

A clash of metal resounded.

Inside the yard,

a handsome young man is fiercely attacking using his sword.

His speed and strength is clearly far beyond a average soldier .

The soldier around cannot look back from this spectacle.

Some of the audience is even cheering the boy, while some cheering his opponent.

However, when some group of girls cheering the handsome man, the group of soldiers is changing into insulted him instead with tears of blood.

“Dammit, go die!” “Why? Why it wasnt me.. kuh, dammit” “Argh, if only hatred can kill someone..!” mutters the soldiers

Ignoring them, Shuu keeps attacking the man in front of him.

The man is big and wearing a steel helmet so his face isn't clearly seen.

But,

he know one thing.

He knows this man strength more than anyone.

If he didn't use everything he got, he would be the one that fall into the ground instead.

“HAAAAAH!”

He start to leapt in front of him and betting it on all out attack.

The audience cannot even see what is happening

If this attack hits, even a b-rank monster would sustain great damage! Perhaps even died.

But..

“HMPPH!”

the big man is swinging his mace.

predicting where Shuu is leaping, he attacks that spot and targeting him directly.

shuu, which realize it would be bad to receive his attack directly managed to guard at last moment.

*don*

“!!!”

but,

the impact is making him flying for about 10 meters.

“KYAAH! SHUU SAMA!”

the woman screamed.

Shu crashed into some trees and flying away.

like this, everyone is worried if he got gravely injured.

“ow ow ow..”

A mutters...

he was still fine.

and no visible injury on him.

though looking at his condition, he won't be getting up anytime soon.

the big man is approaching him.

and while offering his hand, he asked.

“You… fine?”

white making a relieved face, Shuu grab his hands.

“Yeah, thanks bose-san”

“Don’t.. mention it. Bad.. at holding back, so”

While getting his help, Shuu is starting to get up.

….

It happened some time ago.

While training, Shuu found himself having trouble finding a good sparring partner.

Because,

when he trained with the elite soldier and battle instructor in this country, everyone is unconsciously holding back because he’s a hero.

If something happened to the hero, they would receive a heavy punishment.

After the example of what happened with the averunks kingdom, nobody dares to sparring with him with risk of injuring him.

It might be fine to just practice by himself, but there's a limit of practicing alone.

So,

while in trouble, he was looking for a sparring partner in back alley.

Known as the place where only bad rumor exist, usually nobody even wants to near this place.

But,

for him,

this place is perfect.

The lowlifes here won't be hesitate to injuring him just because he was one of the heroes.

And he can fight back to protect himself as self defense if he got attacked which doubles as training here.

He thinks it was a good plan at first

But...

Shuu was naive.

*PRAANG*

“Ugh..!”

He got hit by a empty bottle.

“HAHAHA! THAT’S IT! DON’T MOVE NIICHAN!”

“YEAH YEAH, UNLESS YOU WANT THIS WOMAN TO GET SCARRED?”

While feeling dizzy, Shuu regrets his action back then.

…

When he come here, he meet the thugs.

Since no one recognize him, they tried to mug him.

with his hero body spec, he can beat them easily.

But,

one of them is getting desperate, and taking a woman hostage.

He was surprised since he come out of nowhere and suddenly he's holding the woman.

Without any choice to not let the unrelated woman gets hurt, he dropped his sword and letting himself get hit.

Thats why...

He was in this situation.

“haa.. haah..”

Still looking at them but panting with blood in his head, Shuu calmly looked at them.

“Satisfied? You can let go of that woman now”

Saying that, the thug is speaking to him

“Huh?is that how to ask the favor?”

“Hey handsome nii-chan, you know how to ask a favor right?”

“That’s right!if you want to apologize, go grovel in four in front of us!”

“...”

Shuu only looks down...

And then,

he start to dogeza in front of them.

“Please!”

And begs to them,

With his head approaching the ground.

Looking at him, the thugs is starting to laugh.

“HAHAHA! HE REALLY GROVEL”

“HEHEHE DON’T YOU HAVE ANY SELF RESPECT, NII-CHAN?”

“AHAHA, HOW PATHETIC”

“...”

Shuu start to gripped his arms.

Where did he go wrong?

All he want is power...

Power to become stronger.

Power to not losing anything else anymore.

Power to protect everyone he cares about.

Throwing away his pride,

he even come to this back alley.

Ignoring even the soldier in castle warning about this place,

he still coming here without saying anything to them.

But,

is this is the result?

Only powerless while staring in the front of unchanging “reality”

Like this...

What is the difference compared to before he was coming into this world?

“HAHAHA, YOU'RE TREMBLING NI-CHAN? ARE YOU SCARED?”

“HEE HEE, DON’T WORRY NII-CHAN, WE WERE ONLY GOING TO SOLD YOU INTO ANOTHER PLACE!”

“HAHA YEAH, WE GOT A LOT OF CUSTOMER THAT’S GONNA BUY YOUR HANDSOME FACE”

While he was still cursed and lamented his own powerlessness…

A big man is approaching them looks drunk.

With a unsteady walk, he approach them.

“Huh?”

“Hey, what's the big idea?”

He pushed them away,

And ignoring their word.

“...”

He looked at Shuu in eye.

Then,

“You.. not gonna fight?”

“...”

Asking him that question,

he stare at him.

“With.. your strength... probably... easy”

Getting dumbfounded, he didnt reply to him.

One of the thug looks angry with this man that coming without warning and ignoring them.

Then...

“AHH? WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? HEY MAN, PISS.. BUAAAGH!”

Before he can finish, a punch is swing to the thug face.

He was flying and hitting the wall as a meat paste.

“H..HII!?”

“T..THIS BASTARD! HE KILLED LUKE!”

“G...GET HIM!”

They all get angry and start to surround him.

Then,

“BWARGH!”

“AARGH!”

“AAH! STOP!”

Without any mercy, he crush them all.

some of them broke in their skull, some got smashed in head, and some lucky one got a smashed legs on them but still survived.

“H..HII..! MONSTER!”

Cannot hold it anymore, the remaining thugs is running away.

“W… WAIT, GUYS! BWEERGH!”

Without mercy at all, he smashed the remaining thug into a paste.

“HIEEE! WA...WAIT, EVERYONE!”

The woman that become a hostage is running away too.

It looks like she was a collaborator instead of hostage.

I see...

that explains why she shows up from nowhere.

But,

Right now Shuu cannot care less about them.

“...So strong”

Shuu can only seen him with awe.

Despite the man is not in the perfect condition and barehanded, he defeated them easily.

After finished, the big man faced him.

With a body full of blood paint his armor.

“...”

He looked at Shuu.

Shuu was surprised looking at him.

A big body and a face full of countless scars without hair in his head.

From his aura alone, he can judge.

The man in front of him is a veteran that survived from countless battles.

That man ask him again.

“Why.. Didn't you fight?”

Because he suddenly asked, Shuu can’t reply.

“...”

Then,

seemingly regain his mind, he speak.

“Because..”

“Nothing.. can be solved by a violence..”

“...”

“i see”

The man looked disappointed.

Seemingly losing interest, he start to leave.

“WAIT..!”

Then,

Shuu stops him.

…

“...”

Getting called, he man is looking back at him.

“PLEASE, TEACH ME HOW TO BECOME STRONGER!!”

He shouts.

“...”

He seems to stopped for awhile.

nd then,

replying him, he asked.

“Why..?”

Shuu hesitates for a bit.

Then...

“I…”

Shuu still hesitate.

Feeling he won't get this man trust unless he start to explain, he said something.

“Was a murderer”

While looking at him, Shuu start to speak about his past.

…

When he was small, Shuu was a genius kid.

But his biggest weakness is that he never got any motivation to do anything.

He was smarter than average, have a better look than most people, and able to do most things he put his mind into.

With such a blessing on him, he didn't have any motivation to work hard and start to realized.

That he was “special”

That he was better than everyone else.

Thinking like that,

He start to become arrogant.

Then...

his mother that worked overseas remarries suddenly.

Because he lost his dad when he was so little he didn't have any memories of him.

Suddenly, two years later.

He received news that his new ‘father’ that he never met is suddenly missing.

And,

After that,

His mother returned from overseas.

Together with ‘him’

Bringing his new “little brother” it was a gloomy boy.

He looked like a nerd, and seems weak that he didn't think he can even hurt a fly.

He didn't like this new addition to his family.

For him, a family of his mother, and sister is enough.

Especially since his mother just returned after so long.

He want to get pampered.

Thats why,

The appearance of his new brother is a hindrance.

So he often bully his new brother.

But, his sister once caught his action and reprimand him.

It was probably a normal family quarrel, but for him that always get praise no matter what he do it's a incomprehensible action for him.

He start to sulk and stopped talking to his sister too, thinking she was taking his new brother side.

Then,

that accident occurs.

One day.

When he was still sleeping in the home, he received a phone call.

It was from his little brother.

Apparently, he said his sister is having a accident involving a construction pipe falling to her.

He was desperate and didn't know who to call, and he only knows how to contact the house number at his age.

Desperate, he was begging Shuu to call for help.

But,

Shuu which is irritated because his sleep is disturbed gets annoyed with his brother.

He thought he was pranking him because he was still mad for his bullying and didnt take him seriously

He ignores him and saying save her yourself if you're a man

After that,

he closed the phone.

...

Apparently, it was actually true.

He heard the news of his sister death because she was too late to be carried into the hospital.

His mother slapped him for the first time since he was born.

But,

inside his state of mind...

He didn't even think about why he was slapped

All he knows,

Is that,

he just made a terrible ‘mistake’

….

After that,

the relation between his family is getting sour

His little brother is start to bleaching his hair and hanging out with bad company.

His mother start to going out more often and almost never coming back home anymore.

Within his family that he was barely talked to each other anymore, two years had passed.

One day,

when he was going home from school there's a storm

Thinking to hurry to reach his home before it got worse, he was running.

And,

beside the riverbank

He saw his little brother trying to pull a group of kitten on the box that almost drown in the middle of river.

!

He called his brother,

Yelling what are you doing inside this heavy storm!

But,

his brother ignored him.

Thinking he can't reach the kitten using a branch, he prepares to swim in the middle of river.

He tried to stop him desperately

Despite they have no blood relation, he was still his brother.

Rather than letting him die, it was better to let the kitten drown

But,

his little brother still ignores him

While getting desperate, he was asking him.

Why.

Why trying to save a kitten and betting on his own life

Why go that far just for a life which you barely even knows.

His little brother replied without hesistation

“If you're a man, you must save them yourself right?”

..!

Doesn't want to accept further objection, his little brother trying to swim by himself.

Then,

“Wait”

Shuu stopped him for last time

“I’ve got a idea”

He start to speak to his brother.

Apparently, a tree is almost fallen into the river.

Thinking to just catch the kitten by making the fallen tree as bridge, he suggest to push the tree together to the other side

The little brother accepts

Then,

they pushed the tree and it fall.

Because it was already old, it fall pretty easily.

After that,

offering to get the kitten himself because this was his idea, Shuu offers to get the kitten. But his brother refused.

He debated with his little brother, but he finally managed to convince him.

He tied his stomach with rope and tying it to nearest another tree.

At first it was going smoothly.

But,

the storm is getting heavier.

When shuu finally managed to get the cat, the tree that he walked into start to get pushed by the flooding river and drifting away.

His little brother managed to grab one of his hand.

His other hand is gripping the kitten.

He said to let go of him or else he would get carried along with him.

But his brother keep refusing.

Thinking it was not good if this keeps going on.

After that,

they're lucky

Some of the local seeing their action and calls a police for help.

With their help, they finally managed to be saved.

With this,

they managed to saved the kitten too

….

After this incident, he get closer with his little brother.

Realizing he didn't hate him since the start, he keep apologize to him.

Irritated, the little brother saying he won't accept him as big brother if he keeps apologizing.

Smiling, he was accepting that condition.

Like this,

they really become actual brothers at this point on.

But...

….

“It doesnt change the fact that i was the reason of my sister death and letting her die”

“..”

The man looks at him.

“I... even if my family forgive my weakness, and nobody minds it but i still mind it”

“I am weak”

“That's why i blame my brother for getting more attention than me”

“That's why i blame my sister for stopping me”

“Thats why”

“I want to become stronger”

So,

i won’t lose anyone that i care about, anymore

If i can’t do that.

I.. cannot call myself as a man

“Now that i think about it, i haven't introduce myself properly huh?”

Shuu start to standing up and greeting him

“I am Narukami Shuu. just call me Shuu.

Right now i was summoned into this world as one of the heroes, but please don't mind it”

The guy in front of him seems surprised, but quickly regain the composure so Shuu didn't realize.

“...”

He seems to think about something.

Then,

“...Bose”

He replied.

“Then, Bose-san..”

Shuu ask him

“Would you mind to become my martial arts teacher?”

“...”

He didn't speak anything for some time.

Then,

while moved away from that places he turns back.

“Ah..!”

Thinking he was rejected, Shuu tries to stop him.

But,

His worries seems unecesarry.

“My pay, is expensive”

He only replied with a short sentences

“! Yeah!”

Making a gut pose, Shuu is getting excited and following him.

…

Then,

The man who called himself Bose is starting to work as Shuu mentor and sparring partner.

He never mentions where he come from, and the people in the castle didn't accept him at first.

But because Shuu is giving his guarantee, they start to accept him.

They can’t believe with this man but they can believe with Shuu.

However,

there was one thing that he didn't told anyone.

And nobody around him realize it too...

Before he used the name Bose,

He was known as the leader of wolf brigand mercenary, Garon.