The Sin of the Weak
The room fell silent when the notification appeared before everyone.
[Congratulations, Nameless Sword, for being the first being on Earth to trade an item.]
[Your reward: Treasure Chest (Bronze).]
[World Free Trade Channel unlocked.]
They all looked at each other, the initial euphoria quickly giving way to confusion.
— Nameless Sword? — Maria asked, frowning.
— Don't tell me that's you…? — she added, with a hint of doubt.
He laughed, a smug smile escaping his lips.
— Who else could it be?
— But… shouldn't it be your real name? — their mother asked, still stunned.
He shrugged, as if unconcerned.
— Apparently, you can give whatever name you want.
— I don't accept that. Your real name should be there, not that ridiculous thing — Augusta muttered, crossing her arms.
His expression changed. The smile vanished, and his eyes became sharp and profound. He looked at his mother and sisters with unshakable firmness.
— You should already know what the greatest sin of the weak is. — His voice cut through the air, heavy with gravity. — Carrying a treasure you cannot protect.
He paused, then continued:
— If I revealed my true name to the world on the very first day, I'd become the biggest target of all. There are people out there who will do anything to get what they want… especially the powerful.
The five of them fell into silence, absorbing every word.
— Even if the rules change, at this moment we're nothing but ants — he said with a grim calm. — We might have a chance to evolve, but right now we're only at the beginning, and our talents are all Class F. That means we'll have to work ten times harder than anyone else.
He turned to his mother, meeting her eyes directly.
— Take Mom, for example. Her talent, Chaotic Heart… no one outside can know about it. As long as we're weak, revealing that would be the same as signing her death sentence.
He clenched his fist.
— If anyone out there finds out, she'll be enslaved, used as nothing more than a breeder to evolve that talent.
The atmosphere grew heavy. The sisters exchanged worried glances.
— Is… is it really that serious? — Vivian whispered, almost voiceless.
— Yes — he answered without hesitation. — In Mom's case, she wouldn't even be allowed to run away or kill herself.
Their eyes widened. He added, coldly:
— Do you know why? Because we'd be used as bargaining chips. Either she obeys, or they torture and kill us one by one. The same goes if any of us gets captured: they'll use the lives of the rest to force obedience.
No one dared speak. The weight of his words pressed against each of their hearts.
— That's why… — he said, breathing deeply and looking at each of them — we must seize every opportunity to get stronger. Because from now on… the world will surely change.
— The government is trash, I know. Ow! — He flinched when his mother smacked the back of his head.
— Watch your tongue — she scolded, glaring.
— The government may be incompetent, but it still holds the power to restrain most people's madness. But now… people will have a power the government can't control. They'll gain resources without its help. And then, their deepest ambitions will be unleashed. Soon, the world will plunge into the greatest chaos since its creation. That's why we must evolve quickly. Our talents might be awful, but talent isn't everything. Look, we already have a small advantage.
He showed them the small bronze treasure chest. It was old-looking, bronze-colored, fitting in one hand.
The youngest rubbed her hands together eagerly. Even unopened, it seemed as though something mysterious leaked from it.
— Yes — he said with a smile.
— What can come out of it? — Fátima, the second eldest, asked.
— It's random — he answered.
— Then give it to me, I'll open it! — Augusta said excitedly, stretching out her hands to grab the chest from him.
But he pulled it away.
— You, with your terrible grades, want to open my chest? For me to allow that? You must think I'm insane! — he said with open disdain.
— What do grades have to do with luck? — she snapped back, indignant. — And what do you mean your chest? It belongs to the family.
— Family? — he scoffed. — If it had failed, you all would've scolded me to death. I risked my starting weapon, alone. Why should the reward belong to the family?
— Because the family sticks together — Maria replied shamelessly, with the most brazen look on her face, her words obviously insincere.
— Not even you believe that — he retorted, his voice dripping with scorn.
— Enough, children, stop arguing and let's decide who will open it — their mother intervened.
— Is there any requirement to open the treasure chest? — she asked him.
— No. Anyone can open it, but the individual's luck is very important — he explained.
— Then, out of all of us, you're the least qualified — Augusta retorted, her voice tinged with vengeance.
— Me? Unlucky? Why? — he asked, incredulous.
— Out of all Mom's children, you're the only ugly one in our family of six. You took after Dad, while we took after Mom — Augusta said.
— Since when does beauty determine someone's luck? — he asked, dumbfounded.
— Since forever, ugly duckling — Maria shot back.
— Seriously? You're judging me for being ugly? — he sighed deeply, his face somber as he revealed the great secret he had kept in his heart. — I didn't want to say this, but… when God was creating me, I was supposed to have Mom's face. But I humbly begged Him not to, because it would've been a disaster. I'm already tall, attractive, a black dragon of twenty-five centimeters. If I had been even more handsome, the world wouldn't have been able to withstand me.
His sisters stared at him in disgust.
— Disgusting… — Maria muttered, rolling her eyes. — Save that "black dragon" talk for your idiot friends who brag but still can't get a girlfriend.
— Alright, enough. Let's get serious now — he said, raising his voice to cut off the argument. — Out of all of us, if anyone should open the treasure chest, it should be Mom. She's definitely the luckiest one.
He paused, then added:
— Sure, she was unlucky to end up with Kizua. But don't forget she had me. And I don't know of any luck greater than that.
No one replied, but the disdain on his sisters' faces said everything. He took a deep breath, ignoring it, and continued:
— Even though she spent much of her luck on having you all, and it's probably diminished, she should still have enough left to compensate with the Chaotic Heart. That's why I think she's the best option.
After some thought, everyone agreed to let their mother open the chest.