Chapter 17: The Weight of Three Parent.
Something inside me shifted.
It wasn't sudden.
It wasn't dramatic.
It was more like a quiet realization that settled deep into my chest after the heat faded and the blood washed away by the
sea.
I went too far.
I stood alone on the beach, the smell of burned flesh still lingering in the air, and exhaled slowly.
"…I shouldn't have done something that brutal."
In my previous life, I hated people who disturbed my peace.
I hated noise.
I hated chaos.
I hated unnecessary cruelty.
And this body's original owner…
He was different.
Not evil.
But naturally rough.
A boy who learned early that the world didn't care, and that softness only invited pain.
When those two selves merged—
My restraint
And his brutality
The result was what just happened.
A monster born from grief and rage.
"Haa…"
I rubbed my face and looked at my trembling hands.
I wasn't proud.
I didn't feel victorious.
Only heavy.
Very heavy.
Three parents.
That was how many I had lost now.
My parents from Earth.
And this body's mother.
Three people who would have stood behind me no matter what path I chose.
If they were here…
All three of them…
They wouldn't praise my strength.
They wouldn't glorify violence.
They would smile gently and say—
"Do your best, my son."
That simple sentence hurt more than any wound.
"How could I break their hopes?" I whispered.
No.
I wouldn't.
I straightened my back.
I would take this exam seriously.
Not because I wanted fame.
Not because I wanted power.
Not to prove myself to anyone.
But because doing my best was the only way to honor them.
As for the plot?
I laughed quietly.
"With the plot to hell."
I wasn't a character in someone else's story anymore.
There was no Rick from Earth.
No borrowed perspective.
Only Nero Crimsonflare.
And I would walk forward in this world by my own will.
---
Inside the Observation Chamber
The chamber was unusually quiet.
Dozens of floating screens showed ongoing battles, ambushes, desperate chases—
Yet no one spoke.
The silence was broken by Julian Narrow.
"Madam Scarlet," he said carefully, his earlier arrogance completely gone.
"You know that boy, don't you?"
Several instructors turned toward her.
"Yes," another added. "We should know more about this year's… black horse."
Madam Scarlet folded her arms.
"Very well," she said calmly.
"But there is no grand legend to tell."
The screens dimmed slightly as the teachers focused on her voice.
"He was raised by his mother alone," she continued.
"No record of a father. No noble lineage. No special bloodline."
Some instructors frowned.
"They lived quietly. Peacefully. But last year, his mother passed away."
A subtle heaviness settled in the room.
"After that, he isolated himself. Depression. No social contact. No ambition."
Julian narrowed his eyes.
"Then why is he like this now?"
Madam Scarlet answered without hesitation.
"One day, he received an admission letter to Valerian Academy."
Murmurs spread.
"After that," she continued,
"he disappeared. Trained somewhere hidden. I don't know where."
She paused.
"But I am certain of one thing."
Every eye locked onto her.
"He is stronger than any other participant this year."
Julian swallowed.
"…Why do you say that?"
Madam Scarlet's gaze sharpened.
"Because Nero Crimsonflare is an Elite-level Rune Wizard."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
It was as if the air itself had frozen.
"…What?"
"…Did she say Elite?"
"At sixteen?"
Someone cursed under their breath.
Rune Wizard.
That single title already commanded respect.
But Elite?
Only ten Master Rune Wizards existed in the entire world.
Grandmasters were legends—spoken of in history books and myths.
An Elite Rune Wizard at sixteen was not talent.
It was a calamity in the making.
Julian's face drained of color.
"…Rune wizard," he whispered.
His mind raced.
Fear mixed with calculation.
He knew better than anyone what that meant.
Rune Wizards didn't just fight.
They controlled systems.
They altered battlefields.
They dictated wars.
An Elite Rune Wizard couldn't be bullied.
Couldn't be threatened.
Couldn't be casually eliminated.
But—
If controlled…
Julian's eyes darkened.
If someone like that could be bound, manipulated, or cornered—
He would become a weapon greater than any army.
A puppet soldier.
A future Grandmaster.
A priceless asset.
Others in the chamber had similar thoughts—though not as twisted.
Some saw opportunity.
Some saw danger.
Some saw inevitability.
Madam Scarlet saw something else entirely.
She looked at the screen showing Nero walking calmly along the beach.
"He's dangerous," she said quietly.
"Not because of his power."
"But because he's already choosing what kind of person he wants to be."
Julian clenched his fists.
And somewhere far away—
Nero Crimsonflare began moving again.
Not as a monster.
Not as a hero.
But as a boy carrying the weight of three parents—
Walking forward without regret.