Is it a sin to be weak?

---Pov Bete---

I hated weakness, I hated it more than anything else, but what disgusted me most were people who accepted weakness as part of themselves, without even trying to improve, but I was not always like that.

My tribe was a nomadic one that traveled to the northern territories of the continent, a homogenous group of the werewolf race, with no territory to bind us, and even without any blessing from a god, we were still stronger than most people, even managing to kill monsters on the plains or attack caravans protected by guards.

My father was the leader of the tribe and because of his charisma and strength, everyone followed him without hesitation. He was the epitome of a true werewolf and the person I respected most in the world, and it was he who taught me that in this world the strong devoured the weak.

Perhaps life there compared to Orario was tougher, but even so, I was happy. I had a loving mother, a hyperactive sister, my companions, and... my childhood friend Renee. She was born on the same day as me, but unlike me and the others, she was born with a weak body, but even so, in my eyes, she was more beautiful than any of them.

Initially, she was not well-liked in the tribe, but as she grew older, her beauty increased so that young males began to queue up for her and fight for her hand, but being the strongest of the young generation, no one could get the better of me, managing to get permission to have Renee as my fiance.

She was the kindest of the tribe and her smile was enough to calm people's spirits, so I made a promise. I would become the strongest to compensate for her weakness.

One night.

It only took one night, on my twelfth birthday to be exact, to destroy all my dreams.

From the mountain ranges on the northern edge of the continent, called Dragon Valley, one of the three unexplored regions, the monsters descended, bringing destruction wherever they went.

My tribe did its best, but neither the skills and bestifications of the best warriors nor the wisdom accumulated over time served any purpose.

I was not sure what happened that night as I was engulfed in the rubble that made me faint. By the time I managed to regain my senses and fight my way out of the rubble, it was just dawn and what awaited me was not the tribe I was so used to, but a land of death and destruction.

I walked with difficulty among the rubble that still burned and the red stains that painted the ground as if to welcome me to hell, but even so, I foolishly hoped to find someone still alive. That day I truly understood my father's words, how the law of nature meant that the strong could do whatever they wanted with the weak.

My father was weak, that's why he was torn to pieces.

My mother and sister were weak, that's why they were crushed.

All my companions were weak, that's why parts of their bodies were strewn around or devoured by monsters, and Renee...

She was also weak, that's why I could only hold her upper part in my arms.

...I was weak, which is why in one night my whole tribe was decimated and all I could do was shout to the sky.

It took me two days to create the graves of those I could at least identify, and the more my hands dug into the ground, the greater my hatred became. Even with my fingers beginning to bleed I refused to stop, the pain I felt only served to fuel my hatred of my weakness.

I abandoned my home, weak as I was, even if I tried to rebuild a tribe it would be destroyed by the monsters that had settled on the plains. I tattooed a fang-shaped symbol on the side of my face, where the scar I suffered that day used to be, to remind me to have fangs that could never break, and I set off towards Orario, the place that allowed you to become stronger if you were willing to go down into the dungeon.

"I wanted to ask a question for the gods, is it by any chance a sin to be

weak? Because if not, I would say you are nothing but hypocrites."

---Pov general--

(current time)

Inside a tavern far from the Loki Familia's residence, Bete sipped the contents of his jug with a blank expression.

"..."

After downing the mouthful, he looked at his image reflected in the alcoholic liquid, annoyed when scenes from his past began to pass through his mind.

"...So, can you explain why the heck you are here Aiz?"

What made his situation uncomfortable was not only the problem with his memories but also the blond-haired girl who kept staring at him in silence.

"I thought you were alone." -Aiz said honestly.

"AH?! I haven't been better!" -Bete said smiling nonchalantly, with his

face slightly flushed from all the alcohol he drank

"So tell me the truth, was it Finn who told you to come here and babysit?" -Bete asked, resuming drinking.

"No, Finn does not center anything in this."

"It is so eh, then for what reason did you follow me?"

"Because... I care about you Bete."

'COUGH!' 'COUGH!'

Caught off guard by Aiz's words, Bete almost choked on the beer he was drinking.

"...As a companion of the Familia."

'This airhead should say that at the beginning!' -Bete mentally cursed, recovering from the liquid that had gone down his throat.

Meanwhile, Aiz continued to look at Bete with reflection. Bete had joined the Familia long before many others; yet, she did not know much about him, apart from the fact that he came from another Familia of which he was the captain, but one thing she knew for sure. His hunger to become stronger was very similar to hers.

'noises in the background.'

Hearing the noise of conversations go up, Aiz turned around and looked at how people were laughing and partying. Even though it was quite noisy inside the club, Aiz didn't seem to mind much, on the contrary, she found that kind of environment pleasant, which was not the case with the wolf-boy, whose anger issues combined with the alcohol coursing through his veins had created a horrible combination.

"YOU FIND YOUR SITUATIONS SO FUNNY HUH?!"

The sounds subsided and everyone's concentration shifted up to him.

"Wait Bete-"

Aiz tried to stop him, but once he started, it was impossible to stop Bete.

"LOOK AT THEM ENJOYING THEMSELVES EVERY DAY, CHASING ONLY SMALL FISH AND LAYING THEIR FLABBY ASSES ON STOOLS LAUGHING AS IF THEY HAD ACCOMPLISHED WHO KNOWS WHAT! IF IT WEREN'T FOR THEIR NUMBERS, THEY WOULD ALREADY BE DEAD!"

At Bete's mockery, the adventurers present felt both insulted and embarrassed, but no one seemed to have the courage to counter a level 6, infuriating him even more.

"SEE AIZ! THESE SPINELESS PEOPLE CAN'T EVEN RESPOND! AT THIS POINT, THEY'D BETTER RETREAT!"

'Bang!'

"Take it back! You can say what you like about these people, but don't group me and my sisters with them!"

"Ah?"

A group of amazons rose indignantly and at their command was someone Mark would have recognized immediately, as it was the same level 4 amazon he had fought with at Melen.

"It is Aisha Belka, formerly a member of the Ishtar Familia..."

"It seems that after last night's incident, all the Amazons of the Ishtar Familia dispersed and joined the other Familia."

"Ha! Look how the fish are grouping to fight." -Bete said, ignoring

the whispers of the others and getting to his feet.

"If so... LET'S SEE IF YOU'RE STILL TALKING WITH YOUR SPLIT HEAD!"

"Bete you must stop!" -Aiz tried again to stop him, but hopelessly.

"Let's teach this piece of shit some civility, girls!"

The group of Amazons prepared to receive Bete and although their courage and self-confidence were noteworthy, they were facing an experienced adventurer of level 6, when the strongest member of their group was level 4, so it was easy to see the outcome.

Within seconds, the various Amazons were lying on the ground bleeding, while Bete's foot crushed Aisha's face, who looked at him with hatred.

"All smoke and no fire I see eh, tell me, what does my sole taste like?" -Bete said, putting more weight on his leg.

"VANARGAND!" -Aisha tried to move Bete's leg away, but the latter did not move an inch.

"Stop."

Aiz's cold voice was accompanied by the cold blade that now rested against Bete's neck.

"Why do you have to hurt the others? I really hate this part of you Bete."

"...Like I give a damn. I'm done here." -With those words, he turned away without even looking back.

(shortly afterward.)

"Shit, I've really done it this time. If I know that when I get drunk I can't control myself, why the heck do I drink, haaaa."

Sitting on a bench in a park where people rarely passed by, Bete sighed depressed. He had said he didn't care, but that was a big lie. If Aiz, one of the most neutral people in the Familia, went so far as to hate a person, that person had to be a real piece of shit.

"Ghe, why the fuck are you here?"

Distracted by all the thoughts buzzing in his head, he did not notice the presence of the person next to him, but when he heard the familiar voice, he lifted his face, which turned sour as soon as he saw him.

"Fuck." -It seemed that day would go from bad to worse.

(A few moments earlier, Mark's perspective)

"One more."

"...You realize that you have devoured the equivalent of a cow on skewers."

"You're exaggerating, it's not like I've eaten that many." -Mark said, waving his hand, but when his gaze landed on the pile of sticks filling the ground, he had to reconsider.

"...Maybe you are right, Karim."

"I think so." -The salesman replied with an amused sigh.

Before Mark lost his sense of taste, he would occasionally drop by to buy and by dint of small talk, they developed a form of friendship. Additionally, with Mark always leaving something extra for the orphans, Karim, the salesman, regarded him as a good person.

"Why so hungry?"

"A heavy week." -Said Mark wearily.

"I can imagine. When you arrived, I thought you were a hungry monster. Anyway, what are you going to do on this day off of yours? I doubt you will only eat." -Karim joked.

"Of course not, I think I will look for a quiet place to relax."

"If so, there is a park in that direction, which is quiet and well cared for."

Looking in the direction in which he was pointing, Mark did not seem to be against his suggestion and after thanking him, he walked off. After all, what could have happened?

(Back to the present.)

Thinking of the positive thoughts he had, Mark felt very much like beating his past self up.

'Can you explain to me how it is possible to meet Bete of all people in such a stupidly large city?'- Mark thought with annoyance, but Bete also seemed to have a similar thought.

"First Aiz and then you, all that's missing is monsters appearing in the city to make this day even shittier. The captain hasn't started exploring the red quarter, why are you here?" -He said irritated.

"First of all, it does not concern you, and for the record, you too should explore the area of the Ishtar Familia."

"It's none of your business." -He answered arrogantly.

Looking at him bored, Mark noticed Bete's troubled aura and considering that he was alone and the rumors that had spread around the Familia, a light bulb lit above his head.

"Don't tell me, did you do something to get kicked out?"

"HA! I just went out because I was bored."

"Nah, I think more like your strong-eats-weak talk crossed the line and that's why they threw you out." -Mark calmly analyzed.

"..."

"Looks like I nailed it. I'd like to compliment my reasoning flow, but I'd say your lack of diversity and your ability to make people hate you so easily are the main reasons." -Concluded Mark rubbing his chin.

"Tell me the truth, you find the situation amusing don't you?" -Bete said, approaching with his forehead throbbing with anger.

"You-have-no-idea-how-much." -Said Mark with a satisfied smile emphasizing each word, ignoring Bete who was only a few steps away from him.

With the tense air surrounding the two, it looked as if a fight would break out soon, but...

"I finally found you Bete!"

A figure that suddenly appeared, jumped at Bete's neck, laughing merrily and breaking the atmosphere.