Chapter 5: The Discreet Departure
Takeru decided to finally leave the room since it was his first day of school in the world of _Kaze no Kokuoro_.
Standing before the mirror, he was taken aback—despite thinking he had gotten rid of the crystal badge, it still glimmered on his chest. He felt frustrated.
If he went out now with a crystal badge, he would cause suspicion and drive unwanted attention. In this world, everyone was respected and honored based on their badges.
The badges ranged from bronze badge to silver badge, and only exceptional individuals bore crystal badges.
In the manga, the main character Haruto was the only one who had a crystal badge.
Realizing he could not get rid of the badge, Takeru decided to change its appearance.
He did the impossible and changed the crystal badge into a bronze badge—the lowest and weakest badge in the kingdom.
Then he changed his menu appearance, altering his stats and inputting only one power—the weakest power in his list. Wind manipulation.
Feeling satisfied, Takeru walked downstairs.
The maids were busy preparing breakfast in the Matsumoto household.
The scent of miso soup and tsukemono filled the air. The dining table was set with delicate porcelain bowls and polished wooden chopsticks.
A hint of green tea wafted from the kitchen, mingling with the breakfast aromas. The household was bustling with quiet efficiency as the maids finalized preparations for the day.
As Takeru walked downstairs, he saw his parents standing precariously while his siblings stood beside them.
In the manga, every member of his family had disgust and disdain for Kaito, and were even too ashamed to introduce him to others.
His dream of being a part of the respected Matsumoto family was shattered after he was discovered to be powerless at the age of five.
The Duke, Takeru's father, had gone as far as to hide Kaito's existence from the world, fearing that his reputation as a Duke would plummet if the truth came out.
But every secret was meant to be revealed, and one day Kaito was revealed to the world. The discovery of a powerless son raised questions and led to rejection.
And eventually, the Duke's reputation fell, although his position was kept, the respect and honor he once held were lost. This resulted in his father having a deeply rooted hatred for Kaito.
The only person who cared about Kaito throughout the manga was Kaito's sister, the main heroine of the story.
Mitsuki Matsumoto, the girl who risked everything to be by Kaito's side. She was even the reason why Kaito got into Seisho Academy and later joined a heroes' party.
But something happened, and one day Mitsuki was found dead, and it was all because she risked her life saving Kaito. Having lost his only daughter and prized possession, Kaito's father ordered Kaito's death, and later Kaito was hanged and killed.
And now that Takeru was in Kaito's body, he was going to repay Mitsuki back. Takeru felt a cold determination in his chest as he took in the tense gazes of his family.
Knowing the truth about Mitsuki's death and the tragic fate that befell Kaito in the manga, Takeru understood clearly what he needed to do in this world.
The atmosphere in the household was thick with unspoken tension.
The maids moved quietly around the edges of the room, sensing the strained mood among the family members.
Takeru's father, the Duke, looked at him with a mixture of emotions that Takeru couldn't quite decipher, but the underlying disdain was palpable.
Takeru turned his thoughts to Mitsuki. He remembered the story of how she had risked everything for Kaito, and how she ended up losing her life for her brother.
A resolve hardened in Takeru's mind.
He was in Kaito's body now, and he would do things differently. He would honor Mitsuki's memory and make sure that the path he walked in this world was one that would make her proud.
***
It was his sister Mitsuki who first noticed the difference in Kaito.
Initially, it was because his once black hair had turned white, and there was a bronze badge on him.
"Brother, did you finally awaken your power?" Mitsuki exclaimed excitedly, approaching Kaito enthusiastically.
Kaito nodded, and was immediately hugged by Mitsuki.
Her sudden affection drew attention to the two. The Duke, Kaito's father, looked at Kaito with mixed emotions. After thirteen years, his useless son had finally awakened his powers.
But looking at his bronze badge, the Duke was unsure if Kaito's power was going to be powerful.
"What is your power, tell me," the Duke demanded.
Takeru replied, "Wind manipulation."
As soon as Takeru said that, everything froze, and everyone was left gasping.
"Wind, are you sure Brother Kaito?" Mitsuki said, regaining her composure.
"Yes, isn't it a useless power?" Takeru asked.
Mitsuki gasped, feeling an urge to slap sense into her brother.
She was a silver badge holder and a fire tamer, and she knew how powerful controlling the wind was.
And here her brother was calling it useless. Only the privileged had the wind ability.
"What are you saying? How dare you call wind manipulation useless, you unfilial child. If I weren't a Duke, I would have knocked sense into you,"
Kaito's father scolded, holding back his itchy urges to beat senses into his "empty-brained" son.
Takeru was astounded. Wasn't wind manipulation the weakest power in the manga?
What happened now? Was his intervention in the story altering the plot of the novel?
Meanwhile, Kaito's mother's eyes lit up as she said, "What are you saying, Yakumo Matsumoto? Our son has awakened his power, and that too a powerful one, and here you want to hit him.
We should hold a celebration to celebrate this big achievement. Finally, we have another great figure in our family."
Yakumo Matsumoto, the Duke, looked taken aback by his wife's sudden enthusiasm.
The rest of the family was in a mix of shock and confusion, trying to process the revelation of Kaito's wind manipulation power.
Mitsuki was still looking at Kaito with a mix of surprise and a hint of pride, knowing how significant wind manipulation was.
Takeru, in Kaito's body, was trying to understand the dynamics unfolding around him. Wind manipulation was considered powerful here, contrary to what he knew from the manga.
This changed everything. How would this affect his path in Seisho Academy?
How would his family treat him now, knowing he had a "powerful" ability?