"Everyone's been well, right?"
"Yes, Uncle. Did the hunt go well?"
"Heh heh. Here, take a look at this!"
Grrr!
A small wolf, still alive, thrashed in Brion's grasp.
Father, Kavel, immediately began boasting with a proud grin.
"What do you think, Ruin? Smaller than last time, sure, but not bad, huh? Your dad showed off some skill today too."
"As if. Without the trap I set up, you wouldn't have caught so much as a pheasant, let alone a wolf."
"What? Who do you think lured it into the trap?"
"Oh, please. You stepped on a branch and scared off the mother wolf, remember? And now you're talking big?"
"Well, that was just—"
Watching Kavel and Brion bicker in front of him, Ruin couldn't help but smile faintly.
Looks like he somehow convinced Mother after all.
Last time, when Kavel had dragged Ruin out hunting against Daisy's wishes, the man who had been so full of bravado ended up crumbling to pieces like sand when faced with his wife.
But Kavel was relentless. After endless attempts, he finally achieved the impossible.
"Fine. But only if Brion goes with you."
Through his old friend Brion, Father Kavel had at last secured Daisy's reluctant permission.
Thanks to that, Ruin was allowed to join a hunt once a month with Brion.
And that was exactly what he'd been hoping for.
The two of them will focus on hunting. Meanwhile, I can devote myself to training.
That had been his plan.
But—
"Ruin, Ruin."
The soft, chirping voice of a young girl made him close his eyes briefly.
Ah… I didn't anticipate this problem at all.
When Brion heard Kavel was bringing his son along, he decided to bring his precious daughter Sylvia too.
"Look at that! Wow, it's my first time seeing a real wolf."
Her eyes sparkled as she spoke like any other country child.
Then she turned to Ruin and continued.
"Ruin, the wolf you and Uncle Kavel caught last time—wasn't it way bigger than this one? This must be a pup. So a full-grown wolf must be at least ten times larger, right? Wow, that'd be huge. Just imagining it is scary."
And the girl didn't stop talking for even a second.
"Not that big. More like twice this size."
"Really? So how did it taste? Ugh, I wanted to go too back then, but my mom wouldn't let me, so Dad had to go alone. Ruin, you've eaten wolf meat, right? I tried it for the first time last year, and it was so good. Are we eating this one too? Ah, but I really want to try wild boar barbecue someday… I've never had it before."
As Sylvia chattered on, Ruin sighed quietly and tried his best to avoid her.
"Sylvia, our dads must be tired after the hunt. Let's help them."
"Huh? Oh, right. You're right, Ruin…"
Though she was a couple of years older than Ruin, Sylvia naturally followed his lead without hesitation.
Which was only natural.
As 1872, he had lived countless lives and experiences. Handling a little girl like this was child's play.
And the same went for his father Kavel and Brion too.
"You've worked hard. Here, let us carry those for you."
As Ruin rushed forward to take the loads from them, both men beamed, clearly pleased.
"Ha! That's thoughtful of you, son."
"Goodness, Ruin's really grown. Must take after Daisy—he's so even-tempered."
"Hey now. He takes after me."
"Hah! My friend, you ought to grow a conscience."
Watching the two quarrel again, Ruin smiled faintly and spoke up.
"I think I take after both my parents equally."
"See? Even Ruin says so."
"Heh, remarkable boy. Honestly, I'd like to adopt him as my son."
Muttering in admiration, Brion then glanced at his daughter beside him.
"No, better yet—why adopt? He could become my son-in-law instead. Sylvia, what do you think about marrying Ruin someday?"
"H-huh?"
Sylvia's face flushed bright red at her father's sudden words.
Though still quite young, she clearly had some idea what marriage meant.
Kavel chuckled and teased his friend.
"Why bring that up out of nowhere? You startled Sylvia."
"Come on, I was only joking."
Brion laughed it off, then turned to Ruin.
"But Ruin, what about you? Don't you want to be my son-in-law?"
"Well… I'll follow whatever my parents decide."
"Then absolutely not! I refuse!"
Kavel declared with playful stubbornness, making Brion snort as he pulled his daughter closer.
"Hah! It's our daughter who's too good for you, anyway. Forget it, we'll decline first."
Then, smiling again, he asked Sylvia:
"Sylvia, did you have fun with Ruin?"
"Uh-huh."
And with that silly banter, the day's hunt came to an end.
Later that evening—
"Dear, look here! Brought home another fine catch today. How's that?"
"Oh, Brion, your hunting skills are really impressive."
"What? No, dear, you're mistaken. I caught this one, not Brion."
"Yes, yes, I know."
Daisy brushed off Kavel's protests and turned to her son.
"And what about you, Ruin? Did you enjoy the hunt?"
"Yes, I did."
Ruin nodded with a faint smile.
"Just be careful not to get hurt. Always put safety first."
"Yes, Mother."
She smiled warmly at his reply.
"All right, then. Both of you go wash up. Dinner will be ready soon."
Following her instructions, Kavel and Ruin went to wash.
Not long after—
"Damn it."
Alone, splashing himself with water, Ruin muttered quietly.
There's just not enough time.
Because of Sylvia's unexpected presence, he hadn't been able to focus completely on his Heavenly Seamless training.
Had everything gone as planned, he would've been able to drill it more thoroughly through repetition and refinement.
Fine. Next time, I'll find a way to carve out more time.
Ruin made the grim resolve.
And the next month—
"Ruin, Ruin!"
At the hunting grounds once again, Sylvia greeted him with a bright smile.
But this time—
"Sylvia, wait."
"Huh?"
In a firm tone, Ruin stopped her. Then, taking advantage of the moment when Kavel and Brion were out of sight, he said:
"I heard something strange nearby. I'll go check."
"What? All of a sudden?"
"Yeah. Just in case. You stay here, Sylvia."
"But it's dangerous to go alone, Ruin!"
"It's fine. I'll just take a quick look."
"Shouldn't we call Dad instead? He said if anything happened, I should set this off…"
She held up a firework.
But Ruin shook his head.
"No need. I won't be long. Just wait here."
Half an hour, maybe an hour at best.
Shorter than ideal, but better than nothing.
And little by little, he could stretch that time.
Their hunts usually lasted four or five hours.
If all went as he planned, he could secure three to four hours for himself.
"R-Ruin…"
"I'll be back soon."
Leaving Sylvia reassured, Ruin slipped into the underbrush, heading for the secluded spot he had scouted.
There, a gentle brook trickled past a quiet space free of human traces.
Climbing onto a rock, he closed his eyes and began stamping the ground lightly.
Sending out sound, receiving it back, over and over.
He had to blend this into Heavenly Seamless.
I must reach the second star.
Thanks to such stolen moments, Ruin poured everything into his training.
Every hunt, he drew in nature's energy, steadily preparing to advance.
He occasionally had to deal with Sylvia, but thankfully, she never pressed him with questions or interfered.
So the training continued.
And after two years of persistence—
Flash.
Sitting in meditation, Ruin opened his eyes.
Light radiated from them as the very air around him shifted.
"…It's done."
At that moment, a sound rang in his ears.
Ding!
Unique Ability
Body, mind, and harmony have grown further.
Special Ability
Ruin murmured quietly at the familiar announcement.
"Status Window."
Before him, a translucent panel appeared.
[Unique]
???Heavenly Seamless (2 Stars)
[Special]
Unity of Body and Mind (2 Stars)
The first ability remained a mystery, but the other two had advanced.
Feeling the rush of strength and clarity surging through him, Ruin smiled in satisfaction and expanded his senses.
Now I can sense everything within twenty meters around me.
He savored the sharper perception—until his face darkened.
What is this?
A foul aura surged into his awareness.
Something massive was rushing through the forest.
And its path was heading straight for—
Sylvia?
Her presence was there.
Though she was supposed to be safe at the base camp, waiting for him.
"Damn it!"
Realizing the danger, Ruin sprinted without hesitation.
He hadn't yet learned martial arts or magic, but with Heavenly Seamless at two stars, he moved faster than most grown men.
Thud-thud-thud!
He burst into the clearing just in time.
"Kyahhhh!"
ROAAR!
Sylvia's terrified scream mingled with the monstrous bellow of a hulking beast.
"Good, I made it in time—wait, an Ogre?"
Ruin froze for an instant at the unexpected sight.
Then he launched himself at Sylvia.
Thump!
"Sylvia, are you okay?"
"R-Ruin… I-I'm okay… Haaaah…"
Her trembling voice broke as tears poured down her face.
But Ruin let out a breath of relief.
Better than I thought.
When humans faced fear beyond their limits, they often froze, unable to react—dying helplessly.
Sylvia's ability to cry and tremble at least meant she was coping.
She's handling this better than most would.
"Hhhhnnngh…"
Clutching a handful of flowers, Sylvia sobbed in his arms.
Ruin gently stroked her back, channeling Heavenly Seamless.
Warm, soothing energy seeped into her, calming her frantic heart.
"Don't worry, Sylvia. Everything will be fine."
ROAAAAR!
The Ogre bellowed again, shaking the trees.
Ruin scowled and shouted back.
"Can't you shut up for once, you oversized green brute?"
"Snrk—pfft. G-green brute, haha…"
Sylvia broke into laughter even as tears streaked her face.
Ruin gave her a faint smile, locking eyes with her.
"Sylvia, let's make a deal."
"A deal?"
"Yes. When I count to three, you're going to run back to camp. You know the way."
"Run back? Alone? Then what about you, Ruin?"
"I'll stay here and quiet this monster down."
"N-no! It's too dangerous, and I'm scared!"
Her voice shook, but Ruin pressed firmly.
"Sylvia! Focus. You must do exactly as I say."
"…."
"If you do, I'll ask Father and Uncle to make that wild boar barbecue you wanted."
"B-barbecue?"
"Yeah, remember? You said you wanted to try it."
Her gaze steadied at that, the fear easing.
"Y-you promise?"
"Of course."
"…All right. I'll run."
"Good. Now, I'll count. One, two… three!"
Thud-thud-thud!
Sylvia bolted toward camp.
ROAARRR!
The Ogre roared and lunged after her—
But Ruin sprang in front of it.
Thud!
"Going somewhere? Your fight's with me, you lump of meat."
Smirking, he tilted his head.
"Well then. Time to stretch my legs."
It had been seven years since the shadow of legend, Operative 1872, was reborn as the child Ruin.
He had lived quietly, enjoying peace, but deep down, his body longed for battle again.
Now, he had the perfect chance.
Roar?
The Ogre blinked in confusion at the tiny child blocking its path.
But Ruin just sneered.
"What? Upset I'm small? Too bad. This is the best I've got for now."
Sensing that Sylvia's presence had vanished into the distance, Ruin's grin sharpened.
"So… how about you take a beating today?"
With that, he smiled coldly—
And vanished like a shadow, despite the bright daylight.
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T/N:
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