Chapter 314: The Goddess's Favor?
Shinomiya Amane's true ability was a causality-interference ability known as the Nameless Glory/Goddess's Excessive Favor.
It was a terrifying ability that could almost be described as making wishes come true.
The effect of this ability was simply too special and eerie, and for Amane himself, it was connected to a tragic experience.
Because of that, he rarely told others about his ability. Only a very small number of people knew the truth, and even within Rebellion, not many were aware of it.
To outsiders, Shinomiya Amane always used a precognition-type ability as a cover, and he also kept that information confidential.
Under multiple layers of disguise, his ability had never once been exposed.
In Amane's life, the Nameless Glory/Goddess's Excessive Favor had never failed to activate.
The only condition for this wish-granting ability was that it had to be something Amane truly desired in his heart.
That was all.
There was no other cost.
Even its mana consumption was almost negligible, and its success rate reached one hundred percent.
That nearly "invincible" effect made Shinomiya Amane firmly believe in the absolute nature of his ability.
He would never suspect that anyone could resist the power of the "Goddess."
So the moment he realized his ability had not worked on Luke, Amane's first thought was that he was not actually that interested in Luke.
This so-called "interest" was not the excitement and joy he showed when facing Ikki and the others right now.
It was another kind of extreme malice, the complete opposite.
As a member of Rebellion, a world-class criminal organization, Shinomiya Amane was not a good person.
What he felt toward Ikki and Luke was a twisted emotion born from malice.
Compared to Luke, he was indeed more interested in Ikki.
Ikki, who had a similar background but had ended up completely different, was unbearably irritating in Amane's eyes.
As for Luke, at most, he was only an extra attached to Ikki.
If Rebellion had not repeatedly warned Amane that Luke was extremely dangerous, he might not have developed much interest in Luke at all.
So after convincing himself in his heart, Amane shifted his attention away from Luke, who had somehow started spacing out.
After that, aside from Luke, everyone else could more or less be said to have had a pleasant conversation.
Shinomiya Amane's disguise was very good.
Using the excuse of being "Ikki's fan," he even gained a little recognition from Shizuku, who was the hardest one to approach.
Although they could not be called friends yet, by the time the conversation ended, Amane had at least grown familiar with everyone.
Even Arisuin, who had suspected Amane's identity, ultimately failed to find any evidence.
After all, the other party had shown them a great deal of goodwill. Under those circumstances, continuing to keep their distance would obviously seem somewhat strange.
And so, everything seemed to proceed smoothly according to the script Amane had imagined beforehand.
How much of that was because of his acting, and how much was due to the effect of his ability, no one could say.
As for how much the wish "I want to gain Ikki and the others' trust" had actually influenced things, perhaps only the Goddess who favored Amane knew the truth.
Before leaving, Amane subconsciously glanced at Luke.
Looking at Luke, who was still spacing out by himself, Amane vaguely felt that something was not quite right.
But Luke was not Amane's main target.
On top of that, Amane, who was useless aside from relying on his ability, was not particularly good at thinking things through.
So in the end, he said goodbye to Ikki and the others, then turned and left.
…
"Luke, did you notice something?"
On the way back to the training camp, Ikki, who had been frowning the entire time, could not help asking Luke.
"You didn't say a single word to Amane from beginning to end. Later, you even started spacing out."
"Was there really something wrong with him?"
Ikki's question finally pulled Luke back from his act of teasing Edelweiss.
Luke stared blankly at Ikki for a few seconds before finally reacting to what he had asked.
Although he felt somewhat amused inside, Luke could not reveal anything about Rebellion to Ikki.
He could not even say what he had been doing just now, since it involved Edelweiss's ability and the agreement between the two of them.
All of that fell within the restrictions of the Rule of Grace.
After thinking for a moment, Luke instead asked,
"You're asking me that because you noticed something yourself, right?"
Being asked in return, Ikki sighed helplessly. Then he spoke with a faintly puzzled tone.
"I don't really know why either…"
"I asked Stella about it earlier too. I asked her what kind of person she thought Amane was."
"Kind to others, cute-looking, cheerful and outgoing… honestly, that matches exactly what I saw with my own eyes just now."
"But…"
Ikki stopped there, because he felt it was not very appropriate to speak badly behind the back of someone who had shown him goodwill.
However, Luke already understood what Ikki wanted to say.
"You can't feel even the slightest bit of goodwill toward him, right?"
Luke smiled.
He had already guessed that would be the result.
Ikki's observation ability was "abnormal."
That abnormality, just like Luke's "sword," was a talent far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.
No matter how well Amane hid it, and even if everything developed in the direction he desired under the influence of his ability, Ikki still saw through the essence of the "evil" called Shinomiya Amane at first glance.
Although his conscious mind had been clouded by Amane's ability, his instincts were constantly warning him of the danger posed by the person in front of him.
That conflict between his awareness and his instincts created irritation within Ikki.
And because of the effect of the Nameless Glory, Ikki himself was unable to recognize the truth of the matter.
Luke looked at Ikki and pointed at his own chest.
"For a swordsman, the feeling in your heart is often more important than any other sense."
"You don't need to overthink it. You don't need to worry about why. The first thing you need to do is make your own feelings clear."
"Don't deny what you feel inside just because of things like 'reasons' or 'causes.'"
"Ask your own heart, then make your judgment. For a swordsman, that's enough."
This was the most Luke could say.
If he said any more, whether he confirmed Ikki's thoughts or denied them, there was a chance he would violate the vow.
However, Ikki was clearly not stupid.
With Luke's hint, he understood where the problem lay almost immediately.
The impression of Amane in his heart gradually settled.
In the end, it turned into two words that remained deep within him.
An ill omen.
…
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