CHAPTER 94: CHAPTER 15

Everyone present, from the stunned girls to Seijirou himself, was silent, processing the stark reality of the supernatural world Retsu had just unveiled.

Aside from Seijirou, Suzune, and Rei, who already somewhat knew the existence of the supernatural, the others were stunned silent.

Gods, demons, and spirits were not myths; they were living, hostile entities, and the power system known as Karyoku was a bargain struck with one’s own life force.

It’s completely dangerous exchange just for a boost in strength!

But for Yukina, Emi, Suzune, and Rindou, however, a reckless, unified thought began to form: the danger of Karyoku was a small price to pay.

Watching Seijirou beaten senseless had solidified their resolve.

With their current, non-supernatural state, they were useless, incapable of providing real help if another powerful entity like Ayano were to appear.

To be a shield, to be of help, they needed power, even if it came at a mortal cost.

They needed Karyoku.

Just then, Seijirou raised his hand, breaking the tense silence.

"Yes Seijirou-kun?" Retsu, seeing his gesture, raised an elegant eyebrow and motioned for him to ask his question.

"You mentioned life force and supernatural entities," Seijirou began, his voice still hoarse from the beating. "I’ve heard the term Ki mentioned in some of the texts I’ve read and you also mentioned it to me from time to time. How is Ki any different from Karyoku? Is it another type of power, but just comes from within oneself?"

"Ah, Ki," Retsu hummed, adjusting her glasses.

The shift from discussing dark bargains to talking about inner energy seemed to relax her slightly. "That is a completely different subject, Seijirou-kun. Ki is arguably a more superior and certainly a safer method to gain supernatural power, but I must warn you: it is at least ten times harder to train and master than Karyoku."

Seijirou and the girls immediately locked in. After all, this ki actually sound far more impressive than Karyoku.

"The origin of Ki can also be traced back to the Age of Gods," Retsu explained, settling deeper into her chair. "The first recorded and recognized user was a legendary figure named Herios, the King of Heroes. You see, King Herios was an anomaly even among the mortals of his time. He was highly intelligent and fiercely independent. He disliked the idea of humanity becoming dependent on or subservient to the Gods and flatly refused to bow to them or accept their gifts."

Seijirou was stunned after once again hearing that name. Herios, a character from a book he once read and is now apparently a true mythological figure in this world.

"Angered by his defiance and unprecedented mortal arrogance, the Gods decided to focus their combined might to destroy him and his entire kingdom. Yet, in the ensuing war, King Herios, through his sheer willpower and genius, managed to kill several minor gods and severely injure others before finally falling in battle. Crucially, his kingdom still remained standing, a testament to his strength."

Seijirou nodded at that. That’s basically Herios’ story in the book as well, and even now, he still got the chills remembering his final moments.

Retsu paused for dramatic effect. "Even now, that civilization, known as Herion, exists as a highly advanced, fiercely independent city-state and can even be considered as the center of the world. The term ’All roads lead to Herion’ was not an exaggeration. There are roads in all of Europe and even some parts of Eastern and Central Asia that all lead to Herion."

Seijirou resolved himself to visit that place someday in the future. He wanted to see that legendary city with his own eyes!

"Although King Herios was said to be the first user of Ki, having tapped into it through sheer will, he died before he could codify and teach his method. Ki training wasn’t truly popularized until much later, during the subsequent era of another figure named Herios, The King of Adventurers—not to be confused with the King of Heroes."

Seijirou blinked. They didn’t know?

"The King of Adventurers learned a viable, repeatable method to train and harness Ki," Retsu continued. "He subsequently established the Grand Order Guild, a massive organization founded alongside his wives, the legendary Goddess of Wisdom, Athena, and the equally formidable Goddess of Beasts, Medusa."

Ah. They really didn’t know. Seijirou wondered how shocked they will be once they found out the truth.

"At first, the Grand Order Guild functioned simply as a mercenary organization, with its members taking on missions to earn money and fame. But later down the line, its purpose shifted. It became the largest organization dedicated to safeguarding humanity from all supernatural threats, acting as a global counter-force to the remaining influence of the Age of Gods. To ensure humanity’s survival, the Adventurer King Herios widely disseminated the training method for Ki amongst the Guild’s members."

"This brings us to the core difference between the two systems." Retsu’s gaze became serious. "Ki has a much stricter, non-negotiable prerequisite than Karyoku, which only requires an equivalent exchange."

Now, all of them finally focused their attention on her.

"To learn Ki," she emphasized, "one must possess Spirit Circuits. These are kind of a pseudo-nervous system, subtle pathways of magical energy that are essentially engraved onto one’s soul. Only those with these inherent circuits can attempt to train Ki."

She then delivered the final, crushing blow to the girls’ hopes.

"And aside from you, Seijirou-kun, and Kobayashi Rindou..." Retsu stated gently, but firmly, "everyone else in this room has no detectable Spirit Circuits. Therefore, they cannot learn Ki."

There was silence, as they all felt disappointed.

Then, a few moments later, the silence that followed Retsu’s revelation about the Spirit Circuits was broken by a decisive request.

"Please teach me Ki," Seijirou requested, his voice solemn.

"Please teach us Ki," Rindou echoed immediately, speaking at the exact same moment.

Retsu blinked, slightly surprised by Rindou’s inclusion.

She turned her gaze to Seijirou and nodded to him first. "I was already planning on having you meet my grandfather, Seijirou-kun. He is the master of my own style and lineage. He can certainly start your training."

She then pointed at Rindou.

"As for you, President," Retsu advised, "you should ask your grandfather or father for help with training. They are your best resource."

Rindou blinked in surprise. "They... they know about Ki? They never mentioned anything."

Retsu nodded confidently. "Of course. Your grandfather is even a respected member of the Grand Order Guild itself. Given your family name and prestige, it is only natural that they knew about it. He can teach you much better than anyone, as he will know your family’s specific techniques."

Rindou looked contemplative and nodded, accepting her words. Oh she is going to have a long talk with her father and grandfather for keeping this a secret to her.

Just then, the remaining girls made their unified demand.

"We want to learn Karyoku," Emi stated flatly.

"Me too!" Yukina affirmed, her voice resolute.

"We need to be able to protect the people we care about," Suzune said, her eyes intense.

"I won’t be useless again," Haruka finished, her declaration a quiet but firm statement of intent.

Seijirou opened his mouth, intending to immediately stop them—to warn them about the lethal cost of borrowing power.

But Suzune was faster.

She quickly put her hand over his mouth, effectively silencing him.

Although she is very submissive to Seijirou, but this, she has no other choice. She wasn’t asking for permission.

Retsu stared at their determined, desperate eyes and sighed heavily, recognizing the unyielding resolve born from fear and loyalty.

"Very well," she conceded. "I can help you. Given my... contacts, I can ensure you receive safe, controlled contracts, rather than falling for a parasitic demon."

The girl’s eyes brightened in delight hearing her words.

Retsu’s eyes then shifted to the two girls who stood apart—Rei and Touka, and her face immediately turned serious.

"But there is a condition, for your own safety," she said, pointing at them. "You two shouldn’t get close to Seijirou and the others in the future. Once the training begins, you must distance yourselves."

Rei and Touka were stunned.

"Why?" Rei furrowed her brows. "They are our friends! We simply just want to help them!"

Retsu explained the harsh reality. "As an ordinary person, the more you remain in close, long-term contact with individuals who command strong supernatural power—be it Karyoku or Ki—the more you will begin to suffer from accumulated misfortunes."

Their eyes widened in shock hearing that revelation.

"I’m not joking. It is a side effect of the interference with reality. There is a reason why Karyoku and Ki powers are strictly hidden from the public eye. Your existence becomes destabilized."

"That’s not fair!" Rei shouted, her voice shaking with frustration. "In that case, I want to learn Karyoku too! I don’t want to feel helpless and powerless like when that incident with Basuta happened, or what happened just now!"

She was trying to hide it, but she was actually still traumatised from that Basuta incident and was having nightmares every night.

Maybe, if she has power to protect herself, she will no longer feel so pathetic.

"U-Um," Touka spoke up tentatively, clutching her hands nervously. "I don’t care about this Karyoku or Ki thing, really. But I had promised Seijirou-kun I would help him expand this establishment and spread it all over the country. I really don’t want to stay away from them. I need to handle the business logistics."

Retsu stared at the two girls—one desperately seeking power, the other fiercely clinging to her ambition and friendship—and sighed, shaking her head wearily.

"I really don’t know how to deal with you brats," she muttered, feeling an uncharacteristic wave of exhaustion.

Every single one of them are more stubborn than the other.

"Anyway," Retsu said, regaining her composure, "can you all leave? I wanted to talk to Seijirou alone now."

She waved her hand dismissively, signaling the girls to head upstairs to the private living quarters.

And they did.

The girls, subdued by the revelations and the lingering fear from the earlier confrontation—the scene of Retsu almost cutting open a man was still too fresh in their collective memory—quietly filed upstairs.

Retsu watched them go, waiting until the last footsteps faded, before she turned her full attention to Seijirou, who was resting, his chest rising and falling slowly.

"Seijirou-kun," she began, her strong, demanding tone completely gone.

Her voice cracked, utterly devoid of the cold confidence she had worn just moments ago. "Can we... can we talk?"

Seijirou stared at his own bruised and bloody face, then to the clean, perfect woman before him.

He processed the terror he had seen in her eyes when she realized he saw her secret, and he knew, she needed him to say something to her.

He paused for a long moment, before nodding.