Chapter 3
The staff room at Genua Academy.
The professors had gathered to discuss something, their expressions grave.
"It must be his Stigma, right?"
"It must be. And an extraordinary Stigma at that."
"An extraordinary Stigma?"
"He's a monster. A monster. No one could give off an aura like that unless they were a monster."
Albert, the droopy-eyed instructor, murmured in a trembling voice.
"He's the strongest student I've ever seen in my life. I guarantee it—no one could give off an aura like that otherwise."
"..."
Gildar, the principal of Genua Academy, stroked his beard and sighed.
Stigma.
The cause of the world becoming what it was—and the greatest hope of restoring it to what it once had been.
It was true that some people with Stigmata had become monsters, intoxicated by their own power. But it was also people with Stigmata who risked their lives to stop those monsters on the front lines.
And Genua Academy had taken on the role of guiding such students down the right path, as well as supervising them to keep them from becoming monsters.
"Aiden Starfive..."
Gildar frowned as he looked over the information on the student before him.
They'd said he had a Stigma, but it had never actually awakened.
So had his Stigma suddenly awakened?
That wasn't surprising.
Stigmata awakened suddenly all the time here.
But more important than that was the danger he posed.
Despite the research of countless scholars, mages, and renowned geniuses across the continent, no one had yet discovered what caused people to become monsters.
Everyone could only guess that people became monsters if they overused the abilities their Stigmata granted them.
"Forget his aura. What can he do?"
"Rumor has it..."
Albert stammered as he spoke.
He'd swung his sword once, and a gale had blown through and shattered the windows.
"The window repair bill... I'll send it to—"
"W-We’ll pay for it."
At Gildar's words, Albert replied with a sudden, almost terrified spasm in his voice.
"...I see."
Even though Albert had mellowed considerably, he'd once been called a monster. So who could frighten him that badly?
"..."
What if his Stigma went berserk and he became a monster?
A terrible thought flashed through Gildar's mind.
Gildar etched the name Aiden Starfive into his memory.
"Keep a close eye on him, and come to me immediately if his Stigma shows any sign of running wild."
"Y-Yes, sir."
Regardless, if used well, he could still become a valuable asset.
Thinking that, Gildar stroked his beard.
"A-and, also. He said he didn't like the team we assigned him, and left to put together his own team..."
"..."
Gildar wondered if he'd just gotten a difficult student.
*
I glanced at the man walking beside me, now wearing a fresh pair of pants.
Gerd the Iron Wall, as he was known.
His attack power was practically zero, and the only lines he ever said in-game were things like [I'll hold them off here!] and [I'll be your steadfast shield!].
He was also a regular character with no Stigma, what you might call a 'filler character.'
Of course, that was only when you were talking about a character's potential ceiling. His ceiling was low because he had no Stigma.
But having a Stigma also meant having mental issues.
That one fact alone made Gerd the ace of our party in the early game.
Even when my companions all turned into monsters, Gerd never did.
Because he had no negative traits.
If your party members hit rock bottom, the game is over.
In a game, you can just start over. Life is different.
If my party members hit rock bottom, my life would be over too.
But just look at this man, waddling along beside me and watching me nervously.
This man had no disastrous low point. Because he had no Stigma.
While the academy students were going mad and writhing around, our dependable Gerd would become the sturdiest shield around.
Of course, since his attack power was practically zero, if I added Gerd to the party, I'd need a good damage dealer, but...
I could handle that.
My very presence alone gave us more than enough damage output.
In other words, I'd assembled a team that didn't have to take any risks at all.
I was in such a good mood I couldn't stop smiling.
I wore a gentle smile on my face,
"Eek!"
Gerd gasped as if he were choking beside me.
Anyone who saw us would think I was about to eat him.
"W-Why did you..."
Gerd looked at me and muttered in a voice full of fear. I tilted my head at him.
Why ask something so obvious?
"I'm taking you on the field exercise."
"A f-field exercise... Why... someone like me..."
I looked at him, and Gerd drew in another breath.
"Pardon?"
"Gerd the Iron Wall."
When I said his epithet, his eyes widened.
"H-How... how do you know that name...?"
"Your shield work is surprisingly good for a body that looks like it'd roll away if someone nudged it."
He's my shield. Of course I need to praise him and build him up.
I may not look it, but I was famous for my excellent social skills.
"Every last person at this academy is trash, a social misfit, or an arrogant piece of trash who thinks they're better than everyone else."
"I-I wouldn't go that far..."
"No, I'm serious. If I had my way, I'd lock them all in their rooms and make them take socialization classes."
Landmines. Landmines that go off at the slightest touch.
"You're the most useful piece of trash I've found so far."
At least even if his mental state collapsed, he wouldn't turn into a monster.
"So I'm taking you with me."
"..."
Gerd listened quietly to me, then gritted his teeth.
"I-I..."
"..."
"...You can count on me."
He lifted his head and looked at me.
His expression was resolute now, nothing like before.
See? I told you I was good with words.
At the same time, a status window appeared before my eyes.
[Gerd the Iron Wall has revered you for the first time.]
[Awe: 5%]
[Your next strike has been strengthened!]
A strengthened strike?
*
Gerd the Iron Wall.
Honestly, it was the last thing Gerd himself wanted to hear.
Because he wasn't an iron wall.
If he had been an iron wall, he could have protected his family until the people with Stigmata arrived.
If he had been an iron wall, Il Mare would still be called the last bastion, instead of being remembered as the stronghold that fell.
So he wanted to scoff at the clueless young man and tell him to stop talking nonsense, just as he'd told others.
But he couldn't.
First of all, he didn't have the confidence to say it.
Tell a man giving off an aura that ominous that he was wrong?
Besides, he'd just pissed himself in front of a man young enough to be his son. He didn't want to do it twice.
Unless he was suicidal or a pervert, no one could do that.
And then.
"..."
The man's gaze fixed on Gerd as if it could pierce right through him.
The man stared at Gerd, as if laying bare everything about him.
His eyes held all the seriousness in the world. They weren't the eyes of someone who would lie.
If a man giving off that kind of aura were lying just to encourage him?
Then Gerd would have been willing to believe him anyway.
Because there was no one like that in the world.
"..."
Gerd looked at the man.
"To begin with..."
The man spoke calmly.
"All you have to do is hold your shield out in front."
At the same time, an overwhelming pressure radiated from him. It felt as if Gerd himself didn't even need to have a will of his own.
In the end, under that pressure, Gerd had no choice but to nod.
At least with this man, he didn't think he'd make a mistake.
“If you make a mistake, I'll kill you.”
“I'm sorry.”
Even so, he was terrified of going along.
*
Genua Academy was an academy focused entirely on field exercises.
More than educating students, its purpose was to gather those with Stigmata, send them out to the restoration effort or defensive front as quickly as possible, and have them do their part.
Could someone with a Stigma refuse?
Honestly, things weren't even at a point where they could do that.
Everyone with a mind of their own was already trapped on one continent.
From elves and dwarves to gnomes and humans, it was harder to find someone who hadn't lost their home.
Nobles and commoners still existed, and elves and dwarves still didn't get along, but they were all united by one goal: survival.
They could run all they wanted after being called everyone's hope, but on such a small continent, they would be caught in no time. And, honestly, they were treated exceptionally well, too.
Everyone across the continent was supporting them.
Lydia was no different.
She lacked both the holy power and the pedigree to be a candidate for sainthood, but the Stigma she possessed was what allowed her to remain one.
"..."
Even so, Lydia hated her situation.
If only she hadn't had a Stigma, she would have been rejected instead.
If only she'd had plenty of talent, she could have spread her wings within the circumstances she'd been given.
Lydia rubbed her hands.
A light flared brilliantly, then vanished.
Her Stigma was [Amplification].
The more intense her emotions, the stronger the power she emitted became.
In her case, as a candidate for sainthood, that power would be holy power.
But she was afraid.
Afraid her emotions would run wild without knowing when to stop.
Too much holy power was poisonous, after all.
She was lost in those thoughts when...
Murmuring voices reached her from far away.
"Is that for real?"
"They really brought an ordinary person with them."
"Good heavens..."
The members of Class B muttered among themselves.
Lydia turned toward the place the voices were coming from.
A monster was walking toward them.
No, it wasn't a monster.
She was the one who'd treated him herself.
Sometimes he wore a sinister smile, sometimes a benevolent one, and sometimes an unreadable, blank expression.
He appeared with a huge man in tow.
The man carried a shield as massive as he was.
"Who's that?"
"I don't know. Why should we care about some ordinary person?"
Some were curious, while others spoke arrogantly.
But all those voices fell quiet as he drew closer,
and by the time Aiden Starfive reached the middle of the group, not a single person said a word.
"..."
After looking around coldly, he turned his head toward Professor Albert.
"Aren't we starting?"
"...O-Of course. We are."
At Aiden's gaze, Professor Albert began his explanation, sweating profusely.
"This time, you will learn the basics of dealing with the Corrupted."
Reclaiming the continent by exterminating the Corrupted.
That was the common goal of all intelligent beings, and the reason the academy existed and those with Stigmata received unconditional benefits and reverence.
"The labyrinth behind Genua Academy contains a 'Corrupted' that we've confined there."
The Corrupted were exactly what the name implied: monsters whose Stigmata had run wild.
"Naturally, this Corrupted is weak enough to capture, but that doesn't mean you should let your guard down. Students die every few years, and injuries are an everyday occurrence."
It was hard to call this the curriculum of a place known as an academy, but this wasn't a situation where they could afford to be picky.
They needed to produce people who could reclaim the continent as quickly as possible. If someone died to a monster like this, then their talent and potential went only that far.
"Your goal is to survive the monster. Then you just have to make it through the labyrinth."
It sounded simple, but it wasn't.
"F-First, anyone who wants to go can step forward. Those who go first will receive extra credit."
Go first?
Who would want to go first here?
Who would want to throw themselves into an unknown horror?
Just as Lydia thought that and closed her eyes, trying to wipe the cold sweat from her hands,
Once again, a shiver ran down her spine as someone passed beside her.
When Lydia opened her eyes, Aiden Starfive had already passed her and was walking ahead.
His steps were slow but confident, as if he expected victory as a matter of course.
Then Aiden Starfive calmly headed into the labyrinth alongside the man carrying a shield.
No one spoke until he disappeared into the darkness.
No, they couldn't.
"...Let's go too."
As if inspired by the sight, the others also began hurrying toward the labyrinth.
Lydia hurried after them with her teammates.
As if chasing a lantern in the dark, as if grasping a lifeline.
But it wasn't long before that feeling turned to terror.
It was dark.
In a place where she couldn't see an inch ahead, something shouted.
-Kree, kreeeek...
-Ahahaha! Ahahahaha!
-Aaaah! Help me!
The sounds seemed to strike directly at their minds.
The students panicked.
"W-What is that...!"
"Help me...!"
Some collapsed to the ground, while others leaned against the walls and screamed.
"E-Eek...!"
"No!"
Her teammates ran off just like that.
"W-Wait for me... Ow!"
Lydia ran after them, but fell right there.
She rolled across the floor, dirtying her clothes and scraping her cheek and arms.
"Ow, ugh!"
Lydia curled up and groaned.
-Kreeek, kreeeek!
-Kyaaa!
"Stop, stop..."
Lydia crouched down too, covering her ears and shutting her eyes.
She was afraid, terrified. She didn't want to die.
Why had they left her behind? Was it because she wasn't good enough? She could do better... She didn't want them to call her useless like this...
Lydia muttered as she covered her ears.
She didn't want to be abandoned. She wanted to prove herself. More than anything, she wanted to prove herself and astonish them.
Then maybe even my village, the one that disappeared...
Just as Lydia murmured something with vacant eyes,
-BANG!!!
A deafening boom rang out, and light burst forth.
"...?"
When Lydia opened her eyes, a man stood behind her with a sword in his hand.
The walls crumbled, and the screams disappeared.
Aiden Starfive was standing there.
"..."
He quietly spoke.
"If you're afraid of being abandoned, then think about getting stronger."
"...!"
"Crying alone on the ground because no one's helping you won't change your life."
At those words, which seemed to pierce her heart, Lydia froze in place.
"Th-Then..."
Lydia grabbed the ankle of Aiden Starfive as he turned to leave.
The moment she grabbed his ankle, a dreadful fear spread through her entire body. Even so, Lydia wanted to live. She didn't want to be abandoned.
No—she wanted to be recognized. She wanted to change.
"P-Please, please, please take me with you!"
"..."
Aiden Starfive started walking.
He ignored Lydia and went wherever he pleased.
Lydia was dragged along behind him.
"Ah, ow! That hurts!"
Even as she was dragged along, Lydia didn't let go.
She was mostly afraid she'd die if she wasn't with this man. But perhaps she also held a faint hope that she might be able to change if she was with him.
[Party Leader / Aiden Starfive]
[Party Member / Lydia Straw]
[Guest / Mercenary Gerd]