This world lacks advanced civilization. Different races fend for themselves, and there are monsters that belong to no group. The law of the jungle plays out every day. If a monster slaughters a weak tribe, others might come to defeat it—not because it did something wrong or to avenge the dead, but because such a dangerous existence threatens them, and so it must be eliminated.
Humans, though generally weak, possess a unique racial trait that allows their civilization to surpass most other races. They are divided into cities, governed by nobles and kings—the rulers of humanity.
Yet, even with civilization, humans in this world struggle to protect themselves. How could there be strict laws to seek justice for individual humans?
I am a nameless, non-human being with overwhelming strength. Killing the son of a mere city official and slipping away quietly—no one would come after me.
A few deaths are too common in this world. It’s like crushing ants; only faint memories linger to remind me.
“You killed lives.”
“Life is precious; you should be restless, fearing arrest.”
Indeed, my humanity is waning. I take lives casually, even if those people were villains who bullied others.
But it doesn’t matter.
I’m not human anymore. I’m not in that world anymore.
There are no laws here; the strong prey on the weak. The powerful can dominate the helpless like this.
I will lose my humanity, but that’s just a constraint. If I clung to my old morals, I’d have to pay for murder with my life. Even with my current power, I couldn’t act this way. How could that be possible?
It’s not that I’ve fallen—I’ve adapted to the world I’m in, to this era. I’m not acting recklessly; on the contrary, I’m following local customs.
Perhaps so-called humanity is just societal pressure, mental shackles instilled from childhood.
Without humanity, what remains is the pure self.
Aleya, Parker, and I were walking along a small path in the forest, wandering aimlessly, without direction.
Aleya asked if I had a destination, which city I planned to stop in. I couldn’t answer right away because I had no such plans.
Parker, who had been silent, spoke up, sneaking glances at me as if gauging my reaction.
“Or does Lord Aino want to travel and not stay in one place?”
Travel, huh.
Before that, there’s a question.
I looked at the uneasy Parker. He was a scruffy young man, tall but with a timid demeanor that overshadowed his stature.
A low-level thug—that’s likely his status among humans.
“Parker, let me ask you.”
Startled, he looked up at me, a forced smile on his face—the kind I’d seen many times when he was with his “brothers.”
“When we first met, you intended to drive me away, didn’t you?”
When I first entered Dante City, I encountered him on the street. He mocked me exaggeratedly, and then his friends showed up.
“What? First meeting… I…”
He hesitated, recalling the moment, then seemed to choose his words carefully.
Indeed, for him, this was a life-or-death moment.
“You need to be someone I can tolerate. Your ‘brothers’ are all dead.”
“Ahem, my lord, I’m different from them,” he said awkwardly, though without guilt.
Troublesome. For now, I’ll take it one step at a time. In this short period, I’ve made too many decisions, faced too many changes—all with uncertain outcomes.
Who knows if these choices are right or wrong? Only time will tell.
Night fell, and the forest grew eerie.
“If needed, I can cook food. I have some adventure tools with me,” Parker said again.
He seemed to notice we hadn’t brought anything. I wonder when he prepared his gear—does he always carry it?
I turned, tilting my head slightly to look at this man. Greasy hair, sweating from the long walk, his face shiny with oil, and a faint odor wafting from him.
The mortal body is so inconvenient.
“I just ate. You and Aleya can have some.”
Neither responded. They found a clean, flat spot to sit, started a fire, and Parker pulled out something like dry rations, splitting half with Aleya.
Parker even brought three sleeping mats—rudimentary, just thick pieces of cloth.
But it was better than sleeping on the bare ground, as the cloth was dry.
The three of us lay around the fire. Aleya used a piece of clothing as a blanket, while Parker wore a large robe that covered his entire body.
The silence felt awkward, so I tried to start a conversation.
“Parker, why is your hair so greasy again?”
“My lord, I washed it yesterday. It’s just natural, and after walking so much, I sweat easily…” Parker said helplessly.
“Even if I don’t wash my hair for a week, it might not be as bad as yours,” Aleya said with a smile.
“Lord Aleya is naturally beautiful. Among those ruffians, I’ve got a body that gets dirty easily.”
“What ruffians? Aren’t they just commoners? Those nobles love to demean commoners in all sorts of ways, making you feel inferior!”
Parker scratched his head awkwardly after Aleya’s words. After all, he hadn’t exactly been an honest commoner before.
“I wasn’t very honorable before… but it was just to make a living. Those nobles love flaunting their etiquette—it’s annoying.”
“It’s not just etiquette. You’re too young and haven’t seen much. Let me tell you…”
I lay silently on my mat while Aleya and Parker sat on the ground, chatting. Mostly, Aleya vented her disdain for nobles, and Parker listened and agreed.
Aleya seemed delighted—she couldn’t talk like this with me. Today, it was as if she’d found a kindred spirit, eagerly chatting with Parker, even though he was clearly just going along with her.
But then again, Parker must be soaked in dew and terrified of me. Chatting with Aleya probably put him at ease. And Aleya, whether she saw through his flattery or not, was happy to talk.
In this idle moment, I began to “think” as usual.
I continuously recalled the magic in my memory, its details. Every spell requires finding its book, studying the creator’s ideas and methods in depth. A magic user without a background might only encounter a handful of spells in their lifetime.
Magic isn’t abundant in this world, nor is it widespread among humans. Only a few gifted individuals discover their talent and find ways to learn the most basic spells, giving them the ability to explore.
Then, in their adventures, they seek more magic or earn money to buy spells that humans have mastered, published, and sold.
In short, every spell is incredibly precious.
Tananorn’s memories hold many spells it once mastered. If I wrote them into books, each one could spark a bloodbath. Some are Tananorn’s innate spells, usable only by black dragons—or perhaps only by it alone.
This is an exorbitantly valuable treasure, and I’m silently digesting it every moment.
Beyond learning magic, I simulate in my mind how to fight and react in combat. For this, I’ve deliberately studied some human magic and combat skills, but in my current environment, I can’t learn anything useful.
I plan to lay low, so I won’t gain combat experience anytime soon—it requires time to accumulate. Immersed in magic, I lost track of time until I opened my eyes and saw the two had fallen asleep.
One is a “witch” who despises nobles with a vengeance that consumes her life. The other is a scruffy, yet somewhat unique, ordinary person.
Neither is reliable, but that’s just fine.
—
