As soon as I finished the last one, I started the next story.

For the last story, I compared it with the chapter that I wrote and surprisingly everything that happened in reality matched with the contents of my chapter. Not only that, even the expressions of characters was very similar to how I imagined it to be. This world is very confusing, I still can't understand if it is real or not.

Now I should start the next one

CHAPTER- 05

Is it good to be strong?

Is it bad to be weak?

No one is born a commoner and no one is born a noble, everyone gets that kind of designation only after they are born. So, why do these nobles and royals are so proud of themselves? That man Cornil Claum, him being born a noble is only a stroke of luck just like how me being born a commoner is.

Does he not even realize this simple fact?

Why was he so discriminating against Sister Beatrice and everyone!?

‘Don’t treat others poorly just because you happened to be born in a wealthier household, who knows what they would do to you after you lose your wealth’

No one said this to me, it was something that I thought on my own.

One shouldn’t behave badly with others just because they happened to be born in a poor family. No one is born rich because of a merit and no one is born poor because of a sin. There is no system like that in place, at least I believe that.

The very notion of being arrogant because of your family status disgusts me. Just because your ancestors happened to be strong doesn’t mean that you would be strong too and even if you are strong, it doesn’t mean that you can hurt those who are weaker than you.

Cornil wasn’t the first noble I have seen in this life, there were a few others who came to inspect our village time to time, and in front of them, Cornil literally acted like a dog.

Acting like a dog in front of his betters and acting all dominant in front of those who are weaker than him, people like him disgust me the most. A tiger always acts like a tiger, whether it’s in the presence of a deer or in the presence of a lion.

A person like him is nothing but a phony bitch with no morale. He is so shallow and disgusting that just by looking at him I get the urge to puke.

I came back to the house carrying both Tracy and Mike on my back while Sister Beatrice was busy explaining things to all the village folk.

I placed the two children on the bed, the expressions on their faces...these two, they look so terrified. And all of this...is my fault!

Shit! Shit! Shit!!!

Why did I have to run off my mouth like that!? I can't believe that I placed my family in a dangerous position! What should I do to get out of this mess!?

Ugh...I feel so angry right now

I only create trouble for people around me! I have to think of something, otherwise, it would be very problematic!

I was so immersed in my thoughts that I didn't even notice the sound of Sister's footsteps

“Raphael are you okay? You are not hurt anywhere, are you?” Sister Beatrice asked me in a voice full of panic and fear, her expression was so tense that seeing her I felt a deep pain in my heart

'Sister you are so afraid yourself, how can you still worry about me?' I wanted to ask her this question but in the end, I decided not to.

“I am alright, Sister. Are Tracy and Mike okay?”

“You…aren’t you afraid?” Sister asked me in an astonished voice, she had a bewildered expression on her face and her eyes looked exhausted

“Why would I be? All of you are still here with me, aren't you?" When sister heard my answer her face relaxed a lot

"Sister, I am very thirsty, can you bring me a glass of water?"

"Yes" Sister went to the kitchen to get me some drinking water

Was I too impulsive? Have I made a mistake by arguing with that noble? What should I do? Should I wait for Father to come back? But from what I have heard, he won’t be coming back till tomorrow.

“Don’t be so worried Raphael, you only did that for us, there is no need for you to feel guilty.” Sister came back with a glass of water

“Sister…he won’t harm us, would he?” I asked Sister in an apologetic voice.

Sister stayed silent for a moment and then said,

“No, I don’t think anything would happen to us. He is a magic warrior from the capital, after all, even if he is an arrogant prick, he won’t harm you for something so small.”

“I see, thank you, Sister,” I tried to sound as much relieved as I could.

“It’s fine, by the way, you are a great brother, Raphael. I am so proud of you, you stood against that noble for us, you will surely become an admirable adult in the future” After saying this, Sister hugged me tightly as if she was afraid that I would disappear somewhere. I returned her hug with an even tighter hug and then kissed her on her cheek.

(And by the way, everyone who is reading this, please don't think of me as a pervert. I only kissed her because I think of her as a second mother to me)

Sister…you are naïve, I am sure that he is going to come tonight to harm us but don't worry, I will make sure that I protect all of you!

“By the way Raphael, who taught that word ‘horny’ to you? Won’t you tell me?” She still had a smile on her face but her eyes weren’t smiling at all.

“Father Joshua did,” I said his name without even thinking. I am sorry Father, I really am, but my survival comes first. I hope you have a peaceful next life.

Nighttime,

I waited for everyone to fall asleep and after making sure that they wouldn't wake up, I got out of bed and started my preparations. I didn’t believe for a single second that the man named Cornil would let us go so easily, especially after today, the look he had in his eyes was good enough of a proof to tell me that.

Right now I am sitting right before the door of my house.

Throughout the six years I spent training myself, I developed a few magic techniques myself.

The technique that I was using right now, as I named it, was the Mana Awareness Technique. In this technique, I used the mana in my body to connect with the mana in the nature to track what was happening around me.

For me to use this technique, first I needed to calm my mind and my breathing. Then I would inhale as much air as I could and hold it in. Then, when I reach the point where I can’t hold it in anymore I would exhale all the air along with the mana inside my body. Releasing mana is a very easy thing to do, you just need to think of yourself as a torch and consider the mana inside your body to be the light coming out of the pores on your skin, and whoosh! You can release mana now!

Though, I don’t know if it would be easy for anyone else other than me

So, I used the mana that I emitted out of my body through my skin and mixed it with the ambient mana in the environment, just like mixing salt n water, then I repeated this process for like 15-16 times until I couldn't do it anymore, and then I started searching my surroundings.

Now I can easily track everything that’s happening in a 200 meters radius of me. I maintained this state for half an hour when I suddenly noticed a man around 180 meters away from me. That man was Cornil.

Just as I thought, he really came to kill me!

I started gathering mana around my palm, dense arcs of lightning gathered in my palm, it was a surreal scene but I didn’t have the luxury to admire the beauty of my spell, so I stopped thinking about unnecessary things, and kept on gathering mana around my palm, whilst readying my spell, I was also paying attention to Cornil’s movements. He was approaching the house at a very slow speed and after every 2 or 3 steps he would look around, as if he was trying to check if someone else was there too.

I waited for him to come near the house, and just when he got in the range of my attack, I used a spell to attack him. Lightning magic, lightning strike!

The dense beam of lightning energy shot from my palm and the lightning beam passed straight through his body

“Gaahhhh!!!” he issued a painful scream. I went ahead to check if he was still alive, the place where Cornil was standing had now been destroyed and I noticed Cornil just a few steps away from there. He had a terrible wound on his stomach and he was panting very heavily. Looks like I caught him by surprise.

Cornil was looking at me hatefully. Even in the dark, I could feel his malice towards me.

Cornil then somehow managed to get up and squeeze out a few words from his mouth, “You bastard…I will kill you!”

I didn’t say anything but just walked straight towards Cornil to finish him off.

Finish him off? Is this really me?

I hesitated to move forward and kill him, it wasn’t because I was feeling pity for him, no not in the least, the thing was, I didn’t want to commit a crime. I am afraid that if I do kill him today, then I will lose my own identity.

I was still in the midst of thinking what I should do with Cornil when suddenly, the Cornil that looked to be terribly injured turned into a pile of mud and fell on the ground like a puddle of mud.

Shit! It’s a trap!

I was thinking about different ways to escape from this predicament when I suddenly felt a presence behind me. I ducked in order to save myself from an attack I thought was coming for my head and just as I thought, as soon as I ducked a stone bullet just like the one used by Cornil today passed above me. I would have been dead if that attack were to hit me.

“Wow, you can dodge my spell? You are not a normal kid are you?” Cornil spoke from the shadows.

This guy…he fooled me!

“Mr. Cornil, shouldn’t you be afraid of someone seeing you? After all that noise, I am pretty sure that someone will come out in a few moments. I advise you to…”

“I see now, you purposefully said my name in the wrong way. Well, as for someone hearing us here, you see I have already taken care of that” Cornil came out of the shadows and showed me a small box-like equipment. ”This equipment is called the Silencing Box, the area around 150 meters of where I am standing becomes an isolated space and in that area no matter what happens no one would find out.”

Fuck!

What should I do!? I obviously cannot defeat him!

How can I escape from here? I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die.

Should I get on my knees and beg? Yes, that might even work, he shouldn’t be so cruel against a child.

“Do you want me to spare you? I am not that cruel you know. First of all, kneel before me and ask for forgiveness then take this powder with you and mix it in Sister Beatrice’s drink or food, that’s all. Do that and all of us will be even.”

Powder? I looked at Cornil again. That bastard...he had a lascivious grin on his face. Don’t tell me, he wants to…

Just as the thought crossed my mind I felt a chill run down my spine. This bastard…he wants to take advantage of Sister!

‘Step back Raphael, let me handle this.’

‘Aww, baby are you hungry?’

‘Were you afraid Raphael? Don’t worry I will always protect you.”

Sister’s voice resounded in my mind. She had always taken care of me as if I was her own child. Whenever I had nightmares, she would hug me in my sleep and make me feel comfortable. I love her a lot, I love her as much as I loved my own parents.

It’s fine if a piece of trash like me were to die even a thousand times but good people like Sister Beatrice should never suffer. Sister is such a nice and kind person. Apart from me, she took in 2 other orphans as well. She always helps the people around the village that's why everyone loves her too.

A good person like Sister deserves to live a long and happy life.

I am not going to let any harm come her way. I have to get rid of him right here and even if I were to die in this process, I don’t think he would be able to do any harm to Sister. I had already left a note in the house mentioning that if I were to die then, the one responsible for my death would be Cornil. The Church is a very big organization, even the nobles from big houses don’t dare to oppose it, so, I think that my family should be safe from any danger that might come their way.

With this thought in mind, I kneeled in front of Cornil and said,

“Sir, p-please forgive m-me.” I was literally shaking and stuttering but not from fear, it was anger. Yes, I was angry about my weakness. If I were stronger let alone him, not even the Chancellor or the King would have dared to go against me.

Watching my performance Cornil placed his foot on my head and said, “Why are you kneeling in front of me? Weren’t you so cocky before, hah? Why are you silent? Say! Say something!”

“Bam! Bam! Bam!”

Cornil kept on hitting my body with his foot. He broke 2-3 of my bones and he only stopped when he got tired.

“Hah…now that was refreshing. Now then, go away, boy, and make sure you take this powder too.”

He gave me the instructions and moved back and stood some distance away from me , he waited for me to get up but I didn’t get up.

Seeing me not get up, Cornil asked me in an angry voice, “What’s the matter!? Why aren’t you getting up?”

“I have a question I wish to ask you, sir.” I was still in a kneeling position

“What is it?”

“Sir, what was your age when you first realized that you are the lowest piece of scum on this Earth?” I asked Cornil in a cheerful voice

Cornil had a baffled expression on his face which got replaced by anger and he asked me in a threatening tone, “What…did you...say?”

“I see, so you still haven’t realized that hah? Sucks to be you!”

As soon as I said that, a beam of lightning emerged from the ground and vertically slashed Cornil’s body.

“Kuhk! Aaah! Aaah! It hurts! You little shit I will kill you!” Cornil started shouting like crazy.

I poured lightning mana on the soles of my feet and jumped backward. According to Father Joshua, the most important thing during a fight is to properly observe your opponent and plan your next move accordingly.

Cornil seems to be an earth mage, earth mages are known for their durable defense and strong attacks but they have a severe disadvantage against a lightning mage. Earth mages are usually very slow as compared to lightning mages who are known for their super speed.

I need to make use of this advantage as much as I can.

I covered my entire body in lightning and started running towards my enemy. He still hadn’t recovered from the shock of getting slashed so he didn’t notice me, I concentrated lightning around my arm and materialized a lightning sword and slashed at Cornil but he dodged my attack and got away with a slight cut on his arm.

In this exchange I found something really strange, Cornil wasn't using his Regalia in this fight, I mean, if he were to use it, then it would be a piece of cake for him to finish me off. Then, why isn't he using it?

“Sir Cornil, are you trying to show me mercy by not using your Regalia? You know, you should use it otherwise you might really die.” I said in a mocking tone.

“You don’t have to worry about that, little brat! You want me to use my Regalia against a lowborn rat like you! Stop dreaming you are not qualified!”

After saying that, he summoned a large number of stone bullets and aimed all of them towards me.

I concentrated lightning around my feet and dashed towards Cornil, the stone bullets were pretty fast, to be honest, if I were not a lightning mage then I am sure that I would have already kicked the bucket.

I tried to dodge all the stone bullets and although I was able to dodge a fair bit of them, I still got scratched and hit by a few of them. Ignoring the pain I was feeling, I gritted my teeth and increased my speed. Seeing me come at him, Cornil erected a stone wall t protect himself.

I gathered mana in my free left hand and attacked the stone wall with a lightning blast. The wall got destroyed to blitz. Using the distraction caused by it, I changed direction and slashed my lightning sword at Cornil’s right leg.

“Guh!” Cornil was able to dodge my sword at the last moment and he got away with a minor injury. I didn’t give him any chance to stabilize his body, I pressed forward and kept attacking him with my sword, although he was able to dodge most of my attacks, he still got hit here and there.

Looks like my guess was right. He can’t use his Regalia against me for some reason. I kept on attacking him again and again when suddenly the ground started to shake. I was moving at a very fast speed that’s why I lost my balance and fell to the ground.

Shit! I need to get up!

I tried to get up but I wasn’t able to. When I looked back to check the problem, I found my leg to be trapped in a hole on the ground. I tried my best to move my leg but I wasn’t able to. I was about to use lightning to destroy the ground when I suddenly felt a chill crawl down my spine.

Cornil was standing before me and was looking at me with a hateful expression. He then came towards me and then.…”Gaahhh! Aaaaah!”

My hand got pierced by black colored spikes that appeared from the ground.

I looked back at Cornil, he had a very amused expression on his face.

“Are you hurt somewhere, child? Do you want me to help you?” Cornil said in a mocking voice.

Damn it! I need to get away from here!

I started pouring mana in my leg so that I can escape from here, but Cornil noticed what I was doing, and then,

“Aaah! Guhhhh!!!” My legs got pierced by the black spikes he had previously used to stab my hand.

“Now then, why don’t you try to run? Go ahead and do it, you little bastard.”

“Ptoo” I spit on his face. And then I looked at him.

“Huff huff…listen to me you bastard, I will make you pay, trust me. If I survive this ordeal today then I will cut you into little pieces and feed you to the dogs. And if I die today, trust me I will become a ghost and make your life horrible. Wait…not only yours, your family’s, your friends, your lovers’, your mistress’ and even your pet. I will make sure all of them die!” I said trying to sound as much threatening as I could.

Cornil had a surprised expression on his face which turned into an expression filled with anger, hatred, and frustration as soon as he heard me.

“You…are going to…kill…me…? Hahahahah hihihihih y-y-you...going to kill me. Don’t kid yourself!”

Cornil stretched his palm towards me and started gathering mana in that palm but then…

“Whoa whoa whoa, don’t you think you are going a little bit overboard?” Suddenly a voice interrupted Cornil who was about to kill me.