My vision was getting blurry from all the blood loss and I could barely walk. The exhaustion I felt was almost unbearable but I moved along anyway. I didn't know why but I would survive, I always did. That's a tenacity from the life I lived. It was the fear of death in my very core.

The living can go on and bury the dead, I was getting tired of burying the dead. What could I do? I was the one alive and I could only pay respects to the dead. They weren't coming back, the dead stayed dead and I lived on. This was the cruel truth I learned in this world.

The Hero use to recite about adhering to truth and justice. It was like a never-ending mantra and I believed it for what it's worth. Now? I could only laugh. What truth? Everyone lies. Justice? There's no justice for the dead. I had become bitter and I realized that.

I was almost to Dante's mansion, I had nothing to heal myself. I trust that he could help me as long as I get there. He was a little boy and abnormal but he was no monster. That title was reserved for the truly wicked. Dante definitely reminded me of the Hero, from his actions to his knowledge. The two images of their faces blended in my mind before I collapsed on the gate of the mansion.

As my consciousness faded, I remembered the Hero and the time we first met. It was in my youth nearly a decade ago, I had just left the Royal Capital. All of the things that tied me there were long gone. Some of my friends were executed for stealing while others were caught in the cesspool of the underworld. I decided to go my own way and live my own life.

I ended up joining an adventuring guild that was spread across the land. Adventure guilds were used by people to accomplish certain tasks. They ranged from bodyguards to monster hunting, people flocked to these guilds in the effort for money and fame. I joined for a different reason, I just didn't want to steal anymore.

Little did I know was that it wouldn't stop me from stealing. I was fast and agile with quick wits, this enticed many parties to enlist my aid. I traveled to dungeons, temples, lost cities, all to steal treasure and buried artifacts from people long dead. I'd see many amazing and horrifying things in my youth, they all didn't compare to when I met the Hero.

I had traveled to his hometown of Crestwood, there was a monster outbreak near the town. I sought to make a name for myself there, not because I wasn't getting work. It was because only the famous were able to dictate where they would go. I didn't want to wait to be chosen, I wanted to choose. Perhaps this was my fate that I could not get rid of. I added my name to the bulletin board of the Crestwood adventure guild.

The only thing I could do was wait and see who would join me in my task. Many people asked for me only to scoff and rebuke me when I came into their view. I wasn't particularly clean, I wasn't a strong man, my looks were average and I was far from a noble. That's when he came up to me.

"Are you Demitri?"

"Yes."

The first time I saw him, I knew he was a noble. Just the air around him and the way he dressed. He also had a beautiful girl at his side. He looked at me from top to bottom but I didn't feel the judgment from his eyes.

"Can we join you for the monster subjugation task?"

I was looking for a party but he asked me if he could join me instead.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Then it's a deal."

We quickly left and went straight into the area, hunting for monsters. I had found out that this was their first time out in the world away from the confines of their lavish homes. The Hero and Cassandra moved perfectly with no wasted effort in killing monsters. I was amazed at how powerful and skillful they were. I couldn't keep up at all, I felt the clear difference between ourselves, not only in status but in strength.

"That's fifty goblins." He said. "What else is on the list?"

"Wargs, they are terrorizing the farmlands," Cassandra replied.

"Don't we have enough? Why are you guys so dedicated to hunting more monsters?" I said.

The Hero thought for a second and then looked at me with his green eyes.

"They are monsters, the more we get rid of, the safer the people will be."

I had taken his words to heart and they have stayed with me since. I had believed I found my purpose in life. The purpose had its face replaced constantly from monsters to corrupt nobles, to the Demon Lord, to another kingdom and finally back to the Hero. I tried to think about my purpose now but it was lost, it was a dark blank.

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"Demitri!...Demitri!..."

I was shaken awake and felt my body ache all over.

"Demitri! Are you okay?"

My eyes glance around the room and see that I'm inside the guest room that was given to me. Next to me was Dante who had a worried look on his face. He told me he called over help when he found me at the front gate unconscious. Servants carried me over to the guest room and helped me. My wounds were cleaned and bandaged, light healing magic was used so that I wouldn't get any scars. I didn't care about that, frankly, I thought I needed the scars as a reminder.

When the servants all left, Dante closed the door and talked to me.

"Was it Helem who did this?" Dante said.

My eyes grew wide and I grabbed him by his shirt.

"How do you know that!?" I said.

"Relax, I knew that he was a companion of the Hero." He said.

My face twisted, this Young Lord knew things he shouldn't know.

"How!?" I asked.

Dante looked in contemplation for a while but decided to tell me.

"I have a special gift, Demitri." He said.

"Gift? Like magic?" I said.

"Something beyond magic." He said.

"What?"

Magic itself wasn't rare but it was powerful. I had no aptitude for magic and I only knew a few people who wielded it, the Hero included. I almost died many times to a reckless companion who cast magic like she playing with water. But Dante was saying that his gift was something beyond magic.

"I can see things that tell me who people are."

I loosen my grip on his shirt and relaxed my gaze. His eyes told me he was telling the truth.

"Did you use that gift on Helem?" I said.

"Yes."

"What did it tell you?"

"It told me that he was a priest, that he was a former companion of the Hero, that he became ex-communicated from his faith and it told me that he had gone insane." He said.

Dante looked like he could continue on but I stopped him.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" I said.

"Well….honestly? I thought you knew that already. I thought both of you were working together."

"Why? That gift of yours doesn't tell you?"

"No, I have to figure it out myself."

Now I knew how Dante could know so much for being so young. I started thinking and wondering if the Hero himself had these special gifts. I focus my attention back on Dante, I needed to know something.

"What does your gift say about me?"

Dante tilted his head before looking at me.

"Do you really want to know?"

Maybe I could find a new purpose using Dante's gifts.

"Yes."

"My power tells me things in titles," Dante said. "You have about 10 titles that describe you."

Dante put up his hands and wiggled his fingers.

"Five are positive titles and effects, the other five are the opposite."

"These titles are doing something to me?" I asked.

"Yes, for instance, the title "Hero Killer", it has a negative effect on your mind," Dante said.

"It's abnormal that you have so many titles but I think it's because of all your actions."

Dante looked closely at me but I could tell that he wasn't really looking at me.

"I can see eight clearly but you do have two more." He said.

"Why can't you?" I said.

"I think I'm under-leveled." He said.

"What?" I said.

"Nothing." He said.

"So what are they?" I asked.

"Your positive titles are Savior of Children, True Hero, Kind Hearted, and The People's champion," He continued. "Your negative titles are Hero Killer, Killer of Reincarnators, Faithless, and Betrayer of friends."

"You said, you thought Helem and me were working together after you saw his title," I said.

"Yes." Dante nodded.

"What was it?" I said.

"Both of you possess the Killer of Reincarnators title."