Chapter 2: Broken Relic  

Souta stopped being called to collective training.  

No mana.  

No presence.  

No purpose.  

All 20 Court Drones possessed a Divine Relic — artifacts that classified them as heroes:  

Sword. Shield. Spear.  

Dagger. Clock. Pistol.  

Book. Mirror. Katana.  

Cross. Rattles. Ring.  

Arrow. Fan. Megaphone.  

Axe. Lasso. Amulet.  

Bracelet and Anklet.  

…And the Pendant.  

Everyone was busy.  

Except the Pendant.  

Some ministers whispered:  

— It must be Souta’s…  

— But even pendants break in his hands.  

It was as if the world itself said:  

*You have the essence of a hero… but you’re useless to the kingdom.*  

The Queen, at the suggestion of her eldest daughter, decided to give him a role.  

Cleaning.  

Souta accepted.  

Humble.  

Fragile.  

Avoiding conflict.  

And little by little, his reputation turned to dust.  

Just another useless man in the castle.  

---

Mid night.

Two shadows scaled the walls.  

Goblins. Rank D.  

They slipped past security like smoke.  

Souta was cleaning windows.  

He saw the goblins approaching.  

— **Enemies… what do I do?**  

Tired of being underestimated, he ran.  

Without thinking.  

He tried to grab a sword.  

It shattered.  

Rejected his hand.  

The goblin grinned.  

A staff strike.  

Souta bled.  

Fell.  

Crawled.  

Another goblin kicked.  

Stomped.  

Souta could barely see.  

Vision blurred.  

Head pounding.  

— **I’m just… a janitor…**  

The goblins laughed.  

Cruel.  

Until…  

A sharp sound.  

Thin.  

Cutting.  

The goblin’s grin froze.  

Split in two.  

A young man emerged from the shadows.  

**Gabriel Gaiden.**  

Hero of the Sword.  

Seventeen years old.  

Golden armor.  

Eyes unwavering.  

The goblin tried to react.  

Useless.  

It was decapitated.  

On the ground, Souta coughed blood.  

And smiled.  

— **You really know how to make an entrance, huh, kid…**  

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