C1-18

(This story is related to the novel, not a side story. This may go on for 2 or 3 more chapters)

"When you kill those bandits, you didn't show any emotion. No feeling of happy or sad, just emotionless and calmly killed them"

"So you noticed"

At night, somewhere in the forest, 2 people were sitting around a small bonfire. It was the shirtless man and the pure white clothes young girl.

"Is because you killed a lot of people?" The girl curiously asked.

"...No, it is something that I already have before I got my first kill"

"The night is young, can you tell me about that"

"...Okay, it started the day when I still was just a low-rank knight"

---

"Hey Arthur, how is your training?"

A group of knight walked to a young man who was the Shirtless man when he was younger.

Yet he looked so different, skinny and looked shorter than most of the people around his age.

He was holding a long sword and swung it around in order but it was very heavy for him so sometimes his hand trembled.

"It is going pretty well, I can do the Knight Swing about 35 times now" He happily said to the man in front of the group.

"Wow, we can only do about 10 times yet a guy like you can do that much. The Knight Mentors should have taken you as one of their students"

"I don't think they will look at me. I am so skinny and weak, I could barely do any exercises like you guys" There was sadness in his voice.

"Then I hope one of them would take you...We are having a feast at the tavern, want to join?"

"Nah, you guys just go ahead, I need more training" He shook his head and continued to swing his sword.

"Then we will catch up later" The group left.

When the group was far away from him, they started talking about him.

"Will Arthur has the chance?" One of the guys asked the man in the front.

"...Sadly, he can't. The Knight Mentors mentioned that he has a physical symptom. His body refuses to gain more muscles no matter how much he trained or eat"

"Yes, this type of symptom is rare and they have mentioned in the Knight book"

"That why the Knight Mentors didn't want to take him but they acknowledge his hard training so they let him become a knight"

"Poor guy, he is an orphan and has no status. Must be very hard for him not to think about giving up"

"That enough talking, we should hurry up to get a table"

After one hour, Arthur stopped and put back the sword into the armory.

"Just need more training, you can do this" He encouraged himself but then he sighed as he looked at his skinny body.

He remembered that the nuns told him that he was left in front of the orphanage door

When the nuns found him outside, they were shocked to find how skinny the baby was and looked like he would die any seconds but it was a miracle as he lived for 20 years.

Once he blamed his parents for this but he soon let go of his hate, who would want a soon-to-die baby.

After he finished putting back the armors, he put on his normal clothes and went out of the Barrack.

On his way, he walked past the lively towns of the city. People were dancing and enjoying the night, drinking and talking together.

But it all changed after he walked into an area where darkness ruled over yet he could easily saw everything in the dark.

His walk ended when he reached a 3 story building, it was his home and also the orphanage where he came from.

He then knocked his hand onto the door and waited. Soon, the door was open by an old woman and she was the nun.

"How is your training?" The old Nun asked him after he went in.

"It was great, mother...I can swing more times today" He happily answered her.

"There are foods on the table, had some before you go to sleep" She pointed at the dining room then went upstairs.

After washing his hand, he sat down and ate his food. Despite the food was cold, he didn't complain and ate with all his heart.

"Delicious" He thought as he ate all the food on the table.

Mother, it was the "nickname" he gave it to her. He always looked at her as his Mother because she took care of him since the day he was here and raised him into the man today.

After that, he walked upstairs and walked back to his room. There were so many beds around him yet they were all empty.

The Orphanage was shut down about 3 years ago because the Church denied funding them.

Without money and people, nuns and helpers left the place while only him, the old nun and some children were the only ones left.

The city and its people won't just give money to them because of some abandon children so the children decided to take their chance in the streets.

Luckily, some of them got jobs or got adopted thanks to the old Nun connections. As for him, he always wanted to be Knight so he joined the Knight Corp.

In the room, he saw the drawing on the walls and the dusty toys on the floor. So much happy memories yet he only felt sadness.

"The world changes" He said to himself as he went to sleep on his shady bed.

---

*The next morning*

"12...13...14....15"

Arthur counted as he swung his sword, he was training on the training ground with some Knights.

Suddenly, one of the Mentors came in and ordered everyone to stop.

"Pam, our son Lord, will come here to train with you guys. Don't try to do something stupid or he will have your heads chopped"

Not too long after that, the guy that he talked about came in. His clothes showed that he was noble and with him was 3 Mid-Rank Knight acted as his bodyguard.

Despite that, everyone was uncomfortable about the guy was he was an asshole, the guy used his authority to bully the people and forced his power onto young ladies (No rape, just sexual harassment)

Luckily, the Knights were standing on the line that if he crossed, he would be severely punished.

"Young Lord Pam, you can choose one of them as your spar partner" The Mentor said as he ordered everyone to line up.

The guy started looking at the group, dissatisfied as all Knights looked bigger and stronger than him but when he saw the skinny Knight, he immediately chose him.

"That guy, I want him to be my spar partner"

He pointed at Arthur and all the Knights furrowed their eyebrows, it was normal to choose one of them but to choose Arthur, they could believe how coward the man was.

"Young Lord, can you choose another person? Arthur isn't suitable to be your partner" The Mentor advice.

"Nah, he is good. Hey you, pick up the sword and shield"

Arthur had no choice and followed his order, picked up a lighter sword and a shield then waited for the guy to ready himself.

The guy then took off his clothes and replaced with armor, even the armor looked like it also belonged to noble.

The guy picked up a long sword and walked to Arthur.

The Mentor walked next to Arthur and asked him to just defending himself, don't try to attack.

He nodded as he was not strong enough to fight back anyway and afraid to offend the noble son.

When they were already done preparing, the Mentor gave a signal and the fight started.

The guy attacked furiously with his sword, Arthur used his shield to defense but he was in pain around his hand when he held his shield.

It was supposed to be a sparring match but the match didn't seem to be that way.

Arthurs was more like a straw figure to train with more than a normal person, the guy was happily hitting the shield while Arthur suffered.

"Mentor, you should stop this. Arthur doesn't deserve to be treated like this" One Knight didn't like the scene.

"Yes, it doesn't matter if he is noble. They have no right to do this to a Knight"

"Um, I will stop it when Arthur has no strength left to stand" The Mentor also agreed but he didn't want to offend the noble.

But then a problem appeared, the noble started to aim for blood.

He didn't attack the shield anymore and tried to attack his arm. It was a surprise attack and Arthur couldn't have known so he got a wound on his arm and it started bleeding.

Surprised, confused and afraid. Arthur didn't know what he should do, fight back or defend more?

Witnessing Arthur got hurt, some Knights were about to get in but the Mentor stopped them.

"Sir..."

"Stay there, I will interfere when the time is right" He even had to hold himself back as veins appeared on his hands.

During the battle, Arthur got more wounds while the guy attacked wilder than before.

"Too tired" Arthur was at his limit, he hardly could stay awake because of losing blood and exhaustion.

{Fight back} He told himself as he saw the sword coming. He couldn't think anymore and just acted out of instinct.

With a sudden slash, the noble had 2 of his fingers chopped off. The guy didn't expect Arthur to fight back so he dropped his guard.

The guy screamed out in pain and his bodyguards ran to him.

"Young Noble!!" They were panicked.

"How dare you to fight back...guards kill him" The noble was so angry that he didn't give fck about his fingers.

Hearing the order, one of the bodyguards rushed to Arthur with his sword but was stopped by the Mentor.

"Enough, leave now" The Mentor easily pushed the bodyguard back and told them to leave.

"Are you trying to go against the Noble"

"Of course not, but what you did today is enough to strip your so-called Noble title"

The Mentor threatened that he would spread the news about this.

"YOU...Let leave this" The guy left with his bodyguards while holding his fingers.

"You guys bring Arthur to the infirmary and say no word about today event" The Knights listened and carried him away.

---

"Is that the time you found out that you got that emotionless killing" The girl asked.

"..."

"Hero?"

"I am sorry, I just remembered bad memories...No, but I will tell you right now"