"Dad pushed a bill to cut down on the government's revenue by 20% and that of nobles by 10%. He argued that the living standards of slaves should be improved and that 30% of all resources gotten from these territories should be reinvested into those territories to better their lives," Ralph explained in a shaky voice.
Drops of tears rolled down his eyes, and there was a hint of annoyance in his tone.
I wasn't sure if he was angered by the outcome of his father's move or by the move itself. But what could a ten-year-old overweight kid know?
His perspective was probably influenced by whoever he heard the story from.
'Is this true?' I couldn't help but ask.
If this was true, then this kid deserved to be treated better by me.
[I've no information on this event,] Lyxor admitted, and I silently nodded.
'My big brother was basically the pillar holding up our family. He was an A-rated guardian in charge of our territory in New Jersey, and they killed him. My dad is quite old, and he's not as talented as my brother. With no capable guardian in our lineage, they have slowly stripped my family of its territories and power over time," Ralph continued, but his voice was much firmer than earlier. "Today we are mere barons. Tomorrow we may end up as slaves."
"I see." I nodded slowly with a hint of realization in my eyes.
Finally, I understood why everyone hated him. A man trying to destroy a system the government and nobility benefit from is bound to be attacked ruthlessly.
Ralph's story was a bit vague, and I had several questions, but I didn't cut deeper into his wound.
"What is your power?" I changed the topic and watched the sadness in Ralph's eyes fade slightly.
"Errm." He mumbled as he stood up, but I shook my head.
"There is no need to show me. Especially not inside my home. Just tell me what it does," I said calmly.
Ralph nodded and quickly sat down again. He pondered for a few seconds, as if trying to find the right words.
"The name is Gate. It allows me to create a spatial gate, but the problem is both the summoning site and destination are limited to my vision range. But I also have bad vision, so we can't really go that far." Ralph seemed embarrassed while saying the last line.
He slowly pulled out a glasses case from his pocket with an embarrassed smile.
'He's fat and blind?'
[That's all you picked up from everything he said?] Lyxor scolded.
Huff.
Exhaling loudly, I leaned back on my chair and looked out the window. Ralph's ability was extremely good—too good to be considered D-rated—but I already knew this was the government's way of messing with his family.
However, his flawed sight was his biggest problem. It's already bad enough that he can't create the gate in places he merely thinks about, but making him rely on his faulty sight?
[Nothing is free in this life. Every ability comes at a price. The greater the power, the greater the price. You will learn that eventually,] Lyxor said, and I frowned.
'Price?' My frown deepened. "What price do I have to pay for my abilities?"
I have used my abilities a few times, but I still haven't felt anything yet. I admit, I'm yet to push myself to my limit.
There was a moment of silence, as if Lyxor was unwilling to speak, but eventually, I heard its voice.
[Devour comes with the unending hunger you deal with. You will starve to death faster than the average powerless man due to this ability. On the other hand, overuse of the Hand of God ability will lead to cellular burnout. Absorbing too frequently without rest damages the Aether cells themselves, reducing your total capacity over time. Consider it a permanent nerf if abused,] Lyxor explained. [The Hand of God is not an ability you should push to its limits. It will push back, and you will get hurt beyond repair.]
'Wow….' I wasn't sure what to say.
[In my opinion, you are quite lucky compared to your peers who suffer from instant backlash just from using their ability. Yours can be managed and avoided, but theirs is something they must live with.]
I wasn't sure if Lyxor was trying to console me, but it wasn't working.
"Why are you frowning that hard?" Ralph's voice shattered my reverie, dragging me back to reality.
Only then did I realize not only was I frowning, but my fists were clenched tightly.
"Are you okay?" Ralph asked, and I turned to meet his gaze.
"I will make you my sidekick on the condition you start working out and lose weight," I said while rising to my feet and walking towards the door.
"Guardian business is serious. I have lived outside these walls all my life. You will be nothing but a burden to me in your current condition." I reached the door and yanked it open.
Aaah!
A yelp escaped the lips of Maria and the others as they fell into the room with a loud bang. I wasn't surprised by this—in fact, it would be weird if they didn't do this.
My confrontation with Dean was online. Everyone knows I rejected his offer and took this kid with me. It's only natural they wanted to know if I was really going to make him my sidekick.
But the problem is, these girls don't fear me anymore. If it were a few days ago when I got here, they wouldn't dare do this. It seems their excitement about serving a promising young student overshadows their fear of me.
"Prepare something with a lot of vegetables for my guest here, and never do this again," I said plainly.
The three hopped to their feet, embarrassment written all over their faces. They nodded before bolting down the hall like they were Olympic gold medalists.
Sigh!
Exhaling loudly, I calmly turned my gaze to Ralph.
"Can you do that?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, and he nodded quickly.
"I will!" he said, with a rare fighting spirit burning in his eyes.
While I don't trust this kid, I trust his love for his family and his desire to change their situation. Even if he fails to meet my expectations, I'll just replace him.