“Do you know where a guy named Amiel lives?”
I handed a few coins to the slum residents and inquired about a person’s whereabouts.
Thanks to that, I quickly reached the house where my recruitment target lived.
“…It’s a house on the verge of collapsing. Can people even live in a place like this?”
Chesa voiced a typical noble young lady’s sentiment.
The Utland territory was generally affluent, so she seemed quite shocked after entering this slum.
Looking closely, there was no door in front of the house; instead, a tattered piece of cloth served to block the outside wind.
I pushed it aside and went inside.
“…Who is it.”
Inside was a boy with a fierce impression.
Common brown hair, around early teens.
His appearance matched the novel’s description for now.
Character sheet.
<Amiel Brever>
[Level: 8/56]
[Stamina: 06]
[Strength: 05]
[Agility: 10]
[Mana: 02]
[Spirit: 06]
[Perception: 06]
[Divinity: 00]
[Traits: Light Body (S), Weapon Genius (A), Stealth (B), Dexterity (B), plus 2 others]
[Techniques: Street Pickpocketing · Extreme (C), Central Basic Swordsmanship (D), Central Mercenary Heart Method (D), Basic Self-Defense (D)]
[Description: 13 years old, human. A slum boy training in swordsmanship with the goal of becoming the Thousand-Man Slayer.]
Level 8 already without any proper education.
And potential level on par with the Twelve Heroes.
Additionally, a talent who awakens a useful U-grade technique in the future.
Since he is walking a different path from the original, I cannot be certain he will acquire the same abilities.
“…Ah.”
But after examining the sheet closely, I could not help but sigh.
This kid has already started sword training?
Amiel’s 『Light Body (S)』 is a trait that corrects the user to move extremely quickly and quietly.
Strictly speaking, it is greatly helpful for learning fast-sword styles, but in RPG terms, it is an assassin or thief-type trait.
The 『Weapon Genius (A)』 that can evolve into a title trait later also corrects for mastering multiple weapons evenly rather than just one sword.
His traits are unmistakably assassin-type, yet as the description shows, he aspires to become a swordsman after hearing the fame of the Thousand-Man Slayer.
That is why in the original work, unaware of his own talents, he haphazardly trained only in swordsmanship, and despite possessing dazzling thief-type traits, his character sheet was filled with warrior-type techniques.
His level approached 50, so he was strong, but the utter disharmony between traits and techniques turned the comment section into a sea of laughter—I remember that well.
“Sorry for barging in uninvited. Your name is Amiel? Your nickname around the slum is Mad Dog?”
“…What about it?”
Noticing that my attire—despite the trespassing—was unexpectedly luxurious, Amiel wisely adjusted his attitude to polite.
The wary gaze now carried curiosity.
“I am Aiden, eldest son of the Stroke Grand Ducal house. I need you, so come with me.”
“…I understand you are a great noble lord. But I heard the Stroke Principality is far from here—how can I trust and quietly follow you?”
He showed clear reluctance.
But inside, he must be jumping for joy.
After all, the reason this kid went around picking fights in the slum, earning nicknames like “Mad Dog,” was to appeal his talent as a fighter and catch the eye of a renowned martial artist.
It is not rare for boys to be recognized for talent by martial schools or mercenary clans and learn techniques under them.
However, there are quite a few irresponsible types who take in children based solely on rumors and discard them without hesitation if they fall short of expectations.
Amiel is clearly wary of that.
I could just beat him up for talking back to a noble and drag him away, but that would only breed resentment.
Proving I am not the malicious type he imagines is simple.
“Here. Advance payment.”
Whoosh!
I tossed a small pouch.
It contained twenty gold coins.
A trivial sum for me.
But for Amiel, money he might never touch in his lifetime.
“T-this… for real?”
“Think it’s fake?”
“No. I’ll gladly follow. My lord… no, Your Highness? What should I call you?”
“Just my name.”
“Understood, Lord Aiden.”
Look at this kid’s quick attitude switch.
Money is sometimes more effective than a hundred words.
Anyone hearing that I recruited a future Twelve Heroes-level talent with just twenty gold coins would surely laugh it off.
I entrusted Amiel’s basic swordsmanship training to Linfred.
And a few days later.
“A monster.”
“How did Your Highness know such a boy was rotting in the slum and pick him up? Even among our knight order’s squires, he’d be called the best talent…”
The elite knights had tilted their heads when I first brought the grimy boy, but after some time, all three raised their hands in surrender.
I smirked and said,
“Actually, that kid has even greater talent in another area. He doesn’t know it yet himself.”
“Is that true?”
Even Linfred’s eyes widened.
Once Amiel masters basic swordsmanship, I plan to teach him thief-type techniques immediately.
Then he will become far more useful than the ruined character tree in the original.
Right now, he is privately learning 『Spirit Step (B)』 (which I taught her separately) from Linia, who has similar traits, and I taught him the breathing of the 『Tranquil Heart Method (A)』.
It is a heart method difficult to master, but with Amiel’s talent, he will surely acquire the 『Serene Clarity (A)』 trait by the time the main story begins.
When that time comes, I will work him hard.
I chuckled inwardly.
Amiel, engrossed in footwork training, suddenly shivered from an inexplicable chill.
Southern Baskaya Empire, Free Neutral City Elanore.
Finally, we set foot in our destination.
“Aiden. But why come all the way here instead of establishing a clan in the kingdom or principality?”
Chesa asked me.
A reasonable question.
There is a saying that even an underdog enters its home yard half-fed.
If I had created a clan in the Croa Kingdom area, I could have grown rapidly backed by the immense influence of the Utland Ducal house and Stroke Grand Ducal house.
She must be curious why I gave up that advantage and came here.
The reason I deliberately came far away is simple.
The area around the principality has poor geographical conditions.
Not in terms of traffic or economy, but because it is a region with little importance in the original work, meaning we would have to go on distant expeditions every time a major event occurs.
And… to complete the picture I personally envision, I absolutely had to come here.
Clan.
A term widely known to modern people through online games.
So if asked what exactly a clan in the Reca Chronicles world is—a group that does what—it is hard to summarize in one word.
A clan is a group authorized by the massive religion called the “Church of Utility,” protecting residents in various regions or accepting and completing requests from them.
In receiving requests, it resembles adventurer guilds or mercenary guilds common in medieval fantasy novels, and in protecting residents in their territory, it feels somewhat similar to martial sects in wuxia.
The difference from wuxia sects, often mocked as pseudo-gangs, is that clans are officially recognized by a continent-spanning religion.
Thus, public perception is relatively good, and authority is high.
With such justification plus actual power, some large clans boast influence exceeding ordinary nations.
In fact, the clan “Cluver Ro” is said to wield enormous political influence in a kingdom by holding its national debt as collateral—no further explanation needed.
I told Chesa,
“I’m not planning to start completely from scratch. I intend to swallow and grow an existing small clan.”
“Why? With your position now, you could become the founding clan master.”
A clan must be authorized by the Church of Utility to be officially established.
Since the benefits under the religion’s authority are considerable, many pests swarm, and the Church rigorously screens to filter out the chaff before granting establishment.
Thus, to become a founding clan master, one must possess high fame, achievements, or something equivalent.
As the bearer of the Seal of Struggle, I satisfy the minimum requirements.
But since I have obtained Ure, Regenshauer’s weapon, there is no need to start from zero.
I led the party to the outskirts of Elanore.
The place we arrived at was an old building.
The letters were too faded to read clearly… but the sign seemed to say “Clan – Blispiel.”
I opened the door and went inside.
The interior was quite spacious, but inversely, it was dead silent.
A woman with long hair braided into a single plait stood alone behind the counter.
She noticed us, approached, and said,
“…C-customers? I’m sorry. Our clan is currently not in a position to accept requests…”
<Jaela Lindal> [Level: 8/21] [Description: 26 years old, human. Daughter of Arent Lindal, current clan master of Blispiel.]
This young lady, speaking as if deeply apologetic, was a character who appeared fleetingly in the original novel.
I said to her,
“I would like to meet the clan master.”
“That is possible… but what business brings you here?”
She tilted her head at my attire and the elite knights standing like bodyguards behind me.
It is understandable to find it strange that a high-looking young master visited the base of such a fallen clan.
When I stayed silent, she shrewdly guided me inside.
“Father! A guest has come!”
“…For me? That’s rare.”
Suddenly a middle-aged man appeared.
Arent Lindal, clan master of Blispiel, was a heavily built man.
But his dull, clouded eyes blurred that strong impression.
<Arent Lindal> [Level: 42/44] [Description: 49 years old, human. Current clan master of Blispiel. In his prime, a renowned warrior across the empire.]
Arent’s character sheet never appeared even in the later parts of the original novel, so I was personally curious.
Seeing and analyzing it directly, he seems to possess combat power typical of quasi-Twelve Heroes level.
Despite his puzzlement at the sudden visit, he led me to the reception room.
“It has been a very long time since we had a visitor. You seem to be a noble from another country—what brings you to such a place.”
“I heard that a person named Regenshauer Krantz was once part of this clan.”
“…A nostalgic story.”
At my words, light returned to his previously hazy eyes.
Blispiel clan was where Regenshauer Krantz, former owner of Ure, was active.
The man before me, despite appearances, was Regenshauer’s close friend and one of the founding members who created Blispiel clan together.
Arent’s eyes, lost in sentiment, returned to reality.
“So… did the young lord come all the way to this humble place to hear old tales of the Thousand-Man Slayer’s heroism?”
“Of course not.”
I smirked.
If history flows as in the timeline, Blispiel will soon completely collapse.
Afterward, Arent goes on a journey to find Regenshauer and disappears.
In the original novel, this incident causes a major problem, and I came here to prevent it in advance.
“I came to join Blispiel clan.”
“…That’s absurd. Even after seeing that empty lobby, you don’t know what situation our clan is in?”
On the contrary.
I know it all too well.
To the point of knowing the detailed circumstances of being buried in massive debt due to the schemes of the neighboring clan “Caracol.”
Saying that would only arouse suspicion, so shock therapy it is.
I took out Ure, Regenshauer’s beloved sword, from my bosom.
“Do you recognize this?”