The Talentless Inheritor

Right after Sebastian had gone back to his mother's estate in his room, he dropped the arrows while ignoring Baritos and Martha who were asking him why he was running. Right after he dropped the arrows, he ran to the bathroom and began to expel all of the food that he had yet to digest accompanied by coughs and gags into the toilet.

"URGH..."

He couldn't stop, he felt sick to his stomach. He had just killed someone⁠⁠—though it was a person who was trying to kill him, it didn't change the fact that the one who had succeeded with the kill was Sebastian. It was obvious that the man had killed many before but... even so, the feeling of taking a life wasn't something that could be understood by those who hadn't.

That man had a story, no matter how insignificant. Perhaps he struggled his way from the bottom of the hierarchy or fallen from grace, maybe he was an ordinary person whose life had gone wrong and was forced to go into such a shady job. What if he had a family? Friends? What if he had people to support? In the end, it didn't matter anymore as his life ended short with just a single ball of flames created by none other than Sebastian.

To him who loved to read books, it felt as if he had just abruptly cut the story in half and left it laying there ⁠forever⁠—nay, it felt as if the story had wanted to continue, to reach completion but was stopped before it could finish.

"Young master..."

Clarice, Baritos, and Martha were all standing outside the bathroom feeling worried. Sebastian had been regurgitating for a few minutes already.

Sebastian didn't know how long he had taken but when he came to, he was already washing his face on the sink. He looked at his reflection in the mirror with feelings that he couldn't describe. Was it fear? Disgust?

He opened the door and walked out with trembling legs.

"Honey, are you okay?" Clarice walked up to him and began rubbing his back.

Sebastian opened his mouth to reply but no words would come out. He bit his lip and nodded. It was all he could do right now.

It was obvious to Clarice, Baritos, and Martha that Sebastian was lying but they didn't push any further. If he was just sick, he would've told them but it was evident that something else had happened.

Baritos and Martha began guiding him to his room while Clarice followed close behind. Sebastian couldn't walk properly and had to be led by his arms. Baritos and Martha made him lay down on his bed while Clarice sat on a chair next to him.

"Honey, you can tell me if anything is wrong," Clarice stroked his hair and forehead. She had done this plenty of times when he was a child, it was her way of showing him comfort⁠—that she wouldn't get mad nor would she laugh, she would listen intently and be understanding of him.

In the end, Sebastian didn't even utter a peep and she could only leave the room in defeat.

⁠—...

Even Balanos had no words to comfort him. She had tried many times while on the way home but she understood that nothing she said would have any impact. She had thought that his mother would've been able to do something but he didn't even respond to her.

⁠—Amira Luna.

Sebastian's mouth which had been left closed all this time opened.

⁠—Do you intend to show her this side of you?

"..."

⁠—People die every day. Lives are taken whether they're innocent or evil, death doesn't discriminate. You had just taken the life of a person who has taken the lives of others, is there anything wrong with that?

"...If I take the lives of others just like them⁠—even if they're evil and unjust, how would that make me any different from them? In the end, I'd still become the same as them."

Sebastian turned his body sideways and removed the glove covering his left hand. He looked at the stigma engraved into his flesh and felt something rise through his throat but he managed to hold it back.

⁠—Regret is like bitter medicine. Sometimes you wish you had done something else but because of it, you can learn and be stronger. In the future, when you look back to when you defended your life in that alley, you'd be glad you did. If you hadn't, you wouldn't be able to spend another second with your most cherished person.

"Glad that I had defended myself? I'll leave that for the future me. Right now, I feel sick just by looking at myself. If I had just used a little less power⁠—!"

⁠—Then you would've been exposed to the person who had hired the assassin. Gilbert would have made preparations and you'd lose the duel. You'll experience seeing that girl taken away from you. Let me ask you, can you handle that?

"..."

Sebastian could offer no words of rebuttal. He gave up wallowing over the matter any further and began to close his eyes. He still had time before the day ended but even if he were to train now, he wouldn't be able to do anything.

...

⁠—Wake up.

In the dead of night, Sebastian sat up on his bed after hearing Balanos' voice. His body was drenched in cold sweat, was he having a nightmare?

"What is it?"

⁠—There's someone in the vicinity. The person is heading towards your room, it might be another assassin who came to finish the job.

Sebastian didn't ask any further, he reached under his bed. He hesitated for a short instant when his eyes saw the stigma branded on his left hand but managed to take out the case and take out the black bow. He nocked an arrow back and pointed it at the window.

Soon enough, Sebastian saw the head of a silhouette of a person and soon after, the actual person opened the window.

"You have ten seconds to state your business or this arrow will kill you," though Sebastian threatened the person like so, he didn't really have the guts to do it.

"...so it was your first time killing and it looks like you didn't enjoy that feeling, your hands are still trembling after all," the person's voice somehow seemed to be disguised and it was hard to tell if the speaker was male or female.

Sebastian gulped inaudibly so as to not alert the uninvited guest. He remembered the way that the man had just fallen down on the floor—lifeless. Before the matter with Gilbert, he wanted to spend the rest of his life without fighting nor have involvement in any conflict. He had planned to make his own trading company without his status from the House of Sol.

Still, he had neither the leisure nor the guts to be calm in front of an assassin.

"I've no intention to fight, don't worry. I was just curious about how one of our assassins had died. Sure, he wasn't the best but he at least wouldn't have failed a simple task of assassinating a student who can't use his abilities.

"You can just imagine the surprise our group felt when we heard that our assassin was burned to death in an alley while supposedly chasing his target. It would be one thing if he were to die because of someone else... but, the person who he was chasing just so happened to be from the House of Sol, infamous for his condition of not being able to wield any ability."

Sebastian's expression froze for an instant and the assassin didn't let that slip through their eyes.

"With the death of our comrade, we have an opening. I originally planned to just check you out but I've been intrigued. Would you to like to join us, the Blue Rose?"

Sebastian's eyes widened and he s.u.c.k.e.d in a cold breath. Nobody in the country didn't know about Blue Rose, the most mysterious and dangerous assassin group. They charge way more than other assassins but their reliability is the real deal. It is said that whoever is targeted by them will never live in peace.

"...you aren't going to kill me if I don't join, right?"

"Don't worry. You have my word as the third seat, Blue Rose will not pursue you any further. That being said, I would very much appreciate you joining us. With that one person down, we've lost a petal."

⁠—Sebastian, put your bow down. I don't sense any killing intent from this person. Repeat what I'm about to say, I have questions I want to ask.

Sebastian hesitated. But, Balanos hadn't been wrong in her judgment before. Once he lowered his bow, Balanos began to speak and Sebastian mouthed her words.

"You're not a『Inheritor』 but I can feel such a vibrant life force on your body, what are you?"

Energy was directly related to life force. Humans would have difficulty sensing life force but it wasn't a problem for Balanos who was connected to nature.

For the first time, the person behind the cowl showed shock. "You... are able to feel that? Looks like I underestimated you even more than I thought. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to disclose such a private matter."

Neither Balanos nor Sebastian expected the person to answer them. The latter couldn't understand the former's thoughts.

"Then, tell me how to contact you in the future in case I plan to join," Sebastian added.

The assassin threw an artificial blue rose at Sebastian which he caught splendidly.

"Send your energy into that and one of our members will come in contact with you. I have high expectations of you. Remember, the first kill is always the hardest but it gets easier with each kill."

Without bidding Sebastian farewell, the assassin walked backwards out the window and vanished.

"..."

⁠—You better keep your eye out for them from now on. Although I don't think they'll really pursue you, they didn't promise the fact that you can use your ability will be hidden.

Sebastian took a good look at his stigma that he had forgotten to cover, clenched his fist, and nodded.