Ever since I was a little child, I knew I was different. A rarity one doesn't see around in general, except for in prisons or in detention centres, or some rare corners of the world where your identity can be hidden. For I was half human, half monster. And no one ever let me forget it. Even though there was not so much tension and discrimination between different species, a mix-breed was an entirely different case. It was too much for the older generation of both humans and monsters to bear. 'You are a creep, an abomination.' 'A vile creature that shouldn't exist.'
If I could ignore the eventual insults and degraded remarks thrown at me, I could be at peace. If I never resorted to violence and had the courage to walk away from confrontation, I would never have to weep. Only if I believed in the goodness of the world and pay heed to the little signs of kindness around me, I could bear all pain happily. At least, that's what I believed, until that day. It all began three years ago.
...
..
.
"Go out there and make a name for yourself, Sahas." My mother's arguments would land on the same point from time to time. "As a half monster, if you don't even achieve something big then there is no point to your existence."
"B-but I already am at the top of my class and one of the strongest for my age-" Even though I knew it was only going to hurt me as always, I had to reply.
"Shut up! You are just a worthless little crap who managed to stand out a bit in a no-name school." She shouted in disgust. "Being the son of the Great Flameswordsman, you should at least be capable of entering the Elysium Elite Academy! Otherwise, you are just a miserable creature with no value whatsoever." She pointed at me angrily and scowled.
Elysium Elite Academy, as the name implies, is an academy for the most elite students; a place for them to grow and develop into worthwhile assets for the nation. Being a student at that academy was a great honour and a dream for all, but only one in ten thousand or so managed to do it. Even though I was an Elite at my school, I was aware of the reality. I wasn't talented enough to stand a chance in the face of such fierce competition. Just as I sighed at the thought of failing the entrance exam miserably, the sound of a door opening and shutting entered my ears.
"Mother, we are home!" A childish voice echoed in the hallway.
"Ah, my little children, you are back! Let me hug you for the love of my heart!" Mother exclaimed dramatically as she lovingly embraced the two kids running towards her. She patted them like they were delicate porcelain dolls on display. "Are you doing well now, sweethearts?" She asked, her eyes sparkling with concern, and then waved at me to go away. After all, she needed time in peace to dote on the epitome of excellence before her.
"Yes, Mother, you know what? Today we~" Young Rine smiled with joy.
"Yes, yes. Something delightful happened to us today! And it is~" Little Alice joined in.
"Hoh, let me guess... The two of you made it to the top ranks again?" Mother asked with delight.
"Ah, there's that, Mother, but the reason for our happiness is something else," Rine said teasingly. "Please do better with the guesswork!"
Oh, by all means, let's not rush to reveal this monumental achievement. The suspense is truly unbearable. After all, who wouldn't be on the edge of their seat to learn about their conquest of... the rudimentary kids' obstacle course they call a dungeon?
"Yes, yes! This is a big moment for us, you know?" Alice said in a cheerful voice.
"I see, now just what could it be~"
The exchange dragged on for like an eternity. Even though having high patience was one thing I was proud of, right now I could feel it run out like a magitrain, and the last stop wasn't far away.
"It's nothing major," I finally blurted out irritatedly. "They just finished the kid's dungeon in the Royal Road."
"What!? Why did you tell her that, you imbecile!" exploded Rine and glared at me. "We wanted Mother to guess it herself!"
"A-and what do you mean 'it's nothing major'?" said Alice with a sob, tears welling up in her eyes. "Do you have any idea how hard we worked for it!?" She covered her eyes with her hands and burst out crying, taking quick glances at me and Mother in between.
Why you little... it's plainly obvious those tears are fake! There's no way Mother, or anyone else in the world would get fooled by-
"Now now, Alice. Don't cry," Mother gently raised Alice up in her arms and hugged her.
...Oh, what a surprise. I could have never seen his coming.
"You don't need to listen to every remark you hear from random people out there," she continued. "Mother knows you worked a lot for it and is very happy for you!"
"R-really?" Alice said, rubbing off her tears. "Are you proud of us?"
"Yes, sweetie!" The mother put her down next to Rine and smiled at the two. "To be able to accomplish such a thing at the tender age of 11 and 12; it is no small task. Your achievement is worth a celebration with great grandiose!" Yeah, right. They are already reciting songs in your praise, I am sure.
"B-but Mother, when I did the same three years ago, you told me it was not a big deal at all!" I couldn't help but protest. "And I was only at the age of 9-"
"Shut up!" Mother shouted angrily. "It's not a big deal for a 'freak' like you! And instead of rejoicing in your little siblings' happiness, you only try to find excuses to belittle them? Does being a half monster make you unable to feel any shame or remorse? Disgusting. I am ashamed to call such a despicable creature my child!"
I didn't want to speak any further. I didn't even want to look at her face. And usually, I would have left quietly at this point, but what happened next made me lose control. How dare they! Alice and Rine, those brats looked at me with a sneer and an expression mocking my very existence, as if in their eyes I was nothing more than a worm they could crush whenever.
"B-but I worked harder than them and-" I shouted. At that moment I realized; I had made a huge mistake.
"Or perhaps," Mother continued with a venomous smile. "You derive some twisted pleasure in looking down on them because you of your tainted blood, you insolent brat!" She said in the harshest tone possible. "You think mere humans are beneath you, right? Of course, you are his son after all."
"... Please don't disrespect my fa-"
"He left you behind just to make me suffer, didn't he?" she continued, her voice filled with disdain. "I should have left you on your own in some corner of the world when he up and died on me!"
A deafening silence engulfed the room. I looked down, bit my lips and left the room. I entered my bedroom and buried myself in the bed, shutting the door behind me with a thud. Numerous thoughts and ideas rushed into his head, most of which I knew I would regret following through on a whim.
*
<Break... break... break... ugh.> A distant sigh echoed in the void. <Still not enough. Need... more... energy...> The voice said in a calculating tone. <At this rate, we are looking at another->
Yawnnn...
Suddenly, the sound of a person rising from slumber disrupted its train of throughs. It was a familiar presence, someone, extremely important to the voice. Realizing this, the voice promptly redirected its attention to the individual who had just awakened.
<Master... you've woken up again?>
"Yeah, it seems so," the being mumbled, somewhat disoriented. Looking around in the eternal darkness surrounding him, he tried to make sense of the situation. "So, how are you doing, Ciel? It's been far too long since we last talked, perhaps a century or more."
<I am glad you are worried about me, master.> Ciel said, blushing, then replied confidently. <But I am fine. As you know, I literally cannot get tired even if I work continuously for thousands of years. Especially if it's for your cause.> She added the last line silently.
"Right, It's good to know you are in high spirits just as usual," Rimuru said happily. "And I presume it will still take us some time to get out of here?"
<Yes, master.> Ciel affirmed in a sad voice. <We still don't have enough energy to break the seal. It would be better for you to take another nap.>
"I see," Rimuru said casually. "Can you access anything about our location and the outside area at all?" he asked curiously.
<No, master,> Ciel replied <We are still in the imaginary domain within the 'Dungeon of Fate'. As to where we are located in the real space-time continuum, I can't say anything for certain.>
"That's good enough." Rimuru thought for a moment and asked. "So, when do you suppose we can break free?" he asked.
<Master, even though this dungeon is specifically designed to gather energy to break the seal, it will still take us quite a while> said Ciel, not happy with the situation. <Unless we come across another packet of energy, we won't be getting out of here for a century or so. You should sleep. I will wake you up when the time is right.>
With that, Rimuru closed his eyes once again and let himself be engulfed by the eternal darkness. He lost consciousness but his other half didn't. And how could she? She still had a very important job to do. To simply abandon that and take rest, it was a thought that could never cross her mind. Find it, make it, create it, invent it, do whatever is needed: but by any means sever the binds that have restricted her precious master. With that goal in heart, she searched... and searched... and searched... just like she had been for the last 100,000 years.
*
Author's note: Did you like this chapter?
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