Here’s a new novel for you, Nameless Hero! (2/3 chapters for today)
Jack
When I woke up, I found myself wrapped in a blanket and in a room somewhere with a lit fireplace. I was sitting in a chair, hugging my knees.
The blurred vision gradually came into focus. On the table in front of me, a delicious-looking soup was wafting a tempting aroma.
“Ah, I think you’re awake?” (??)
“…?” (Third Junior)
A slightly taller woman was peering at me from the side.
“W-where…?” (Third Junior)
“Here? This is my house. I kidnapped you and brought you here.” (??)
Kidnapped, huh. There’s no way a ransom will ever be paid.
“Your body was pretty cold, so I was warming you up. I’m glad you woke up. I was wondering what I would do if you died.” (??)
“…Thank you.” (Third Junior)
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Do you want some of this?” (??)
Saying that, the woman brought a wooden spoon full of the soup to my mouth. I silently accepted it and put it in my mouth.
I thought about the possibility of poison, but I was on the brink of death anyway. Besides, I couldn’t withstand hunger.
After eating something warm for the first time in a while, I was surprised at how warm food could be.
“Alright, alright. If you can eat, you’ll be fine.” (??)
Nodding, the woman seemed to be in a good mood. My consciousness was becoming clearer, and I realized that this person was quite beautiful. Her chestnut hair was tied back in two bunches, and she wore a simple work outfit.
The room was lined with books on bookshelves. Thick books were scattered on the floor as well.
“By the way, what’s your name? What about your family?” (??)
“…” (Third Junior)
I had no way to answer that. I had no name and no family. I didn’t have the energy to explain all the circumstances that led to this. In this world, lacking magical power is not something you casually tell others.
“Speaking of which, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Lindsay.” (Lindsay)
“Nice to meet you”, she said as she extended her right hand.
But I had no intention of shaking it.
What was this person’s aim? She said it was a kidnapping, but there was no value in kidnapping a beggar like me. Perhaps she had some other purpose? Is it for human experimentation, or is human trafficking her goal?
“Are you perhaps on guard?” (Lindsay)
I silently nodded.
“Well, that makes sense.” (Lindsay)
Until I figured out this person’s intentions, it seemed my wariness wouldn’t fade. She would probably try every temptation in the book to gain my trust. But I wouldn’t fall for it. I must never trust others.
“Anyway, you can do whatever you want until you can trust me.” (Lindsay)
“Eh…” (Third Junior)
“You can leave the room and go home, or if you have any questions, I’ll answer them. Just do as you like.” (Lindsay)
“…Okay.” (Third Junior)
“However! You must absolutely not touch that dresser and the table over there.” (Lindsay)
Saying this, the woman who called herself Lindsay pointed at the dresser and table by the bedside.
This wasn’t the development I had expected.
—
For the next three days, I was taken care of in Lindsay’s room. It was far from being a confinement. Lindsay had kept her promise of letting me do as I wished, taking care of only the bare necessities, and then leaving me alone. I took advantage of that and continued to stay holed up. I just ate the meals provided to me and occasionally borrowed books from the bookshelf to read. Other than that, I sank deep into the chair in front of the fireplace, claiming that spot as my own space. When it was time to sleep, I felt a bit nervous sharing a room with an older woman, but I didn’t let my guard down.
“Hey, isn’t it about time you open your heart a little?” (Lindsay)
“…What’s your aim?” (Third Junior)
“No, the aim? If I had some suspicious purpose, I wouldn’t be bringing you such delicious food for three days!” (Lindsay)
As I continued to eat the meal she brought with calm, Lindsay pushed back. Indeed, there hadn’t been anything particularly suspicious in the past three days.
Maybe it was okay to trust this person?
“I’ve been watching you for a while, and you haven’t shown any signs of wanting to return home to your parents.” (Lindsay)
It would indeed be odd for a child of around ten years old to act like this.
“Maybe it’s about time you tell me your name.” (Lindsay)
“…I actually don’t have a name.” (Third Junior)
“Eh!?” (Lindsay)
Lindsay looked quite surprised and widened her eyes.
“You don’t have a name? Or are you in shock and forgot?” (Lindsay)
“I don’t have one. I was abandoned by my parents.” (Third Junior)
“I see…” (Lindsay)
Perhaps she understood my complex situation. After that, no words came to mind. However, Lindsay continued with a bright tone.
“Well then, I’ll give you a name.” (Lindsay)
Hearing that, I hesitated a bit. It wouldn’t be good if I got a strange name.
“It wouldn’t be nice to just keep calling you ‘you’ forever.” (Lindsay)
Indeed, it would be inconvenient to be called that, and I needed a name.
“In that case, feel free to name me.” (Third Junior)
“Then, hmm… how about Jack? It’s easy to remember.” (Lindsay)
“…It’s a bit cliché, but if you like it, then that’s fine.” (Jack)
“Okay, it’s settled. So, Jack then.” (Lindsay)
I received my first name.
“Jack.” (Lindsay)
“What?” (Jack)
“Fufufu.” (Lindsay)
Lindsay had an innocent smile like a girl who had just called a pet and received an answer. Seeing that made me feel a bit irritated.
“Ah, you just made a clearly unhappy face.” (Lindsay)
“I’m not a pet.” (Jack)
“I don’t think of you that way. So, Jack, how about we go for a walk together?” (Lindsay)
“Isn’t that like a pet?” (Jack)
“That’s not true. It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s not good to stay cooped up for three days.” (Lindsay)
Thus, I was taken out of the room.
I managed to explore as far as the restroom across the hall. But I hadn’t gone further than that. I was made to walk quite a bit, and I was surprised by the unexpected size of the house. It was strange that it was so big yet had no signs of life.
Along the hallway, I could see several other rooms. Going down the stairs led directly to the entrance. It seemed to be a two-story building, and Lindsay’s room was also on the second floor. But going outside was a bit scary. After all, I had been prohibited from going out for years in the Aldridge mansion, and I had only been outside to the backyard occasionally. I finally thought I could go outside, only to find I had just been abandoned.
Lindsay opened the front door without hesitation, leaving me trembling behind her. What spread out before me was a vast grassland and a dirt road. Houses were scattered along the road, and in the distance, I could see a small town. It looked nothing like Barwitch, where I had lived.
“Isn’t this Barwitch?” (Jack)
“What are you talking about? This is Soltaire.” (Lindsay)
Soltaire?
I had never heard of it.
“Barwitch is a little beyond the plains from here, so it’s not that far.” (Lindsay)
“Oh wow…” (Jack)
This was the first time I had seen such a scenic view.
“Pretty, right?” (Lindsay)
Lindsay seemed proud as well.
“Now, shall we go shopping in town?” (Lindsay)
—
Having lowered my guard halfway, I ended up not being able to extract Lindsay’s true intentions.
Ignoring my silent contemplation, Lindsay was enjoying shopping in town.
“Oh, this apple looks delicious,” and “Maybe I was a bit short on mana potions.”
It was the first time I learned that mana potions existed, but that was knowledge I didn’t need since I couldn’t use magic.
“Oh, right! I need to buy that for Jack!” (Lindsay)
Suddenly, Lindsay pulled my hand as if she had just remembered and dashed towards a general store.
“Eh? What is it?” (Jack)
“Look, it’s that! You don’t seem to have one.” (Lindsay)
What the heck is that!?
We arrived at the general store.
The shopkeeper listened to Lindsay’s order and said, “Oh, if that’s the case,” before disappearing into the back of the store. When he came back, he was holding a hand-sized device (or something?) made of blue glass. A worn-out belt was hanging down from the side.
“Although it’s a bit of an older model, is this okay?” (Shopkeeper)
“That’s fine~. I just want to see it for disposable use.” (Lindsay)
Lindsay completed the payment and handed it to me.
It was indeed an old item. It had a bit of dust on it.
“This is called a Managram. Wrap it around your arm.” (Lindsay)
“…Like this?” (Jack)
“Exactly.” (Lindsay)
I wrapped the belt around my arm, and the plate pressed against my skin. After a while, the Managram began to emit light.
I was startled by the sight.
“What is this?” (Jack)
“Just wait, just wait.” (Lindsay)
Gradually, letters started to appear.
The letters were a bit small, but I could manage to read them.
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
Race: Human
Age: 10 years 0 months
Health: 32/32
Mana: 0/0
Strength: G
Agility: G
<Abilities>
Intuition: E
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
After peering at those numbers for a moment, Lindsay exclaimed.
“What!?” (Lindsay)
Her surprised voice caught me off guard.
So, the Managram is like a counter for ability values.
“Wait… Jack, you can’t use magic?” (Lindsay)
I couldn’t hide it any longer.
“Well, yeah.” (Jack)
“Well, yeah?…” (Lindsay)
“I was chased out of my house because of this. I already knew.” (Jack)
Lindsay looked a bit embarrassed and cast a sympathetic glance my way.
“But people who are born without mana often have some other remarkable ability.” (Lindsay)
“Is that so?” (Jack)
I took another look at my abilities.
Intuition E?
“What about the letters next to it?” (Jack)
“Those are ranks. They go from G to S, representing the strength of the ability. G is the weakest, and the closer it gets to A, the stronger it is. S is the highest rank, exceeding A.” (Lindsay)
“I see…” (Jack)
So, it seems I don’t have anything particularly outstanding in terms of abilities.
“Jack, your abilities are particularly below average…” (Lindsay)
Being told off like this made me feel beyond embarrassment. I was starting to feel indifferent.
“How is it measured?” (Jack)
“By blood.” (Lindsay)
“Blood?” (Jack)
“The magic built into the Managram measures the amount of markers in your blood and quantifies or ranks them. …Well, since this is an older version, it might not measure accurately.” (Lindsay)
Lindsay offered a bit of reassurance, but honestly, at this point, I had no pride left, so I didn’t need encouragement.
“Don’t worry! You’re still young, so you can improve a lot from here!” (Lindsay)
Lindsay was simply trying to cheer me up, but there was also a glimpse of confusion and urgency in her emotions.
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