“I’m telling you, this world is just a game.” Lia said, her voice carrying the same confidence that always left me questioning everything.

“But everything feels so real. And if it is real, doesn’t that mean we might actually be committing sins?” I replied, skepticism twisting through my words.

Lia shrugged, her nonchalance striking against the weight of my thoughts. “Well… if someone disrespected me IRL like that, I’d still cut off their balls.”

The bluntness of her statement settled uncomfortably between us. Based on her story, I couldn’t help but imagine myself in her place. If I were a girl and had been disrespected like she had, how would I have reacted?

If I were just someone passively listening to her story, I might’ve thought her reaction was a little over the top, an overreaction even. But isn’t that how most people think in real life? Misogyny thrives because men, in general, don’t stop to consider how women see and feel things.

I could sense her frustration, the weight of her experience pressing against my understanding. And yet… cutting off someone’s balls for that? Could such an act be justified?

Being as close to her as I was, I couldn’t deny the anger simmering in me when I thought of what had been said to her. It made me want to lash out too, to throw punches on their face and deliver a well-aimed kick to someone’s groin. Slowly, I was beginning to understand.

Nine years in this world—though I’d started here as a baby. It had given me plenty of time and space to think, to question life itself. When I added that to the twelve years I’d spent in the real world, I couldn’t help but feel like I was maturing.

My life in the real world had been nothing extraordinary, and this life wasn’t much different. But having experienced two different lives, I’d come to see how fortunate I’d been with my real upbringing. So many others hadn’t been as lucky. They’d lived lives far worse than mine, both here and out there.

Empathy…

Is this what this is?

After a moment of reflection, I finally spoke. “That actually makes sense. If I were you, I might’ve done the same—or worse.”

“Right?! You totally get me.” Lia said, her face lighting up with validation.

“Yeah. Maybe if I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t stop at just cutting off his balls. I’d probably make him eat them—let him taste his own guts—or better yet, teleport them straight into his mouth, would save me the trouble to even look at it.” My words came out bluntly, the image vivid in my mind.

“Ugh…” Tommy, who had been silently listening, groaned in discomfort, clutching his groin as if he could feel the phantom pain.

“Wait!” Lia exclaimed, eyes wide. “Why didn’t I think of that?” She looked genuinely intrigued, her mind now turning over the possibility of my suggestion.

Tommy couldn’t help but interject. “I don’t think that’s a normal thing to think about.”

Lia shot him a glare, her irritation clear as her past anger with him simmered to the surface. “Shut up! No one asked for your opinion.”

The sting of her words made Tommy sheepish. He glanced around awkwardly before deciding to wander off, leaving us behind.

I wondered, if I were Tommy, what would I think, overhearing this conversation between Lia and me? Maybe what I’d said was a bit extreme…

Interesting…

After chatting with Lia about her experiences in this world, our conversation took an unexpected turn.

“What?! You haven’t awoken your class transformation yet?!” Lia’s voice shot up, her shock written all over her face.

“Yeah… to be honest, I’m don't even know, how…” I admitted feeling a little sheepish.

“So you’re telling me that red-haired bastard managed to become a Seer and just left you clueless about it?” Lia’s anger flared, her hands clenching into fists.

“Well, we only talked about it last night. He said he’d teach me soon.” I explained, hoping to calm her down.

“Tch… some friend he is.” Lia muttered, clearly still dissatisfied.

“Didn’t the bandits in your group tell you anything about it?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.

“I was mostly just taught how to steal.” I said with a shrug. “But I’d always find excuses to avoid it. Most of the bandits didn’t like that.”

“No wonder. Bandits are a terrible influence.” Lia said, shaking her head in disapproval. Then, without warning, she placed her hands on my head and began patting me gently.

“Good boy!” she declared, her tone unexpectedly soft and warm.

Not sure what I’d done to deserve that, I looked at her, utterly confused. “Why?”

“Because you’re good.” Lia replied her expression glowing with pride.

“Well, since that useless red-haired dude won’t teach you anything, I’ll tell you everything I know!” she said, puffing out her chest confidently.

“I’d love that! Though… I still want to learn some things from Tommy.” I said cautiously, not wanting to upset her.

“Tch…” Lia clicked her tongue, clearly dissatisfied, but quickly shook it off as her mood shifted again.

“Alright! I’ll start by telling you how I awakened my Knight Class.” She said cheerfully. Her enthusiasm lighting up her face. “As knights, we’re taught to follow chivalry. Protecting others, serving with honor, and whatsoever.” She waved her hands dismissively as if the rest wasn’t worth mentioning.

“Hmmmm…” I tilted my head, still trying to process her words.

“Hehe ~” she giggled, clearly amused by my confusion.

“My chivalry is simple!” she said with a smirk. “I just want to beat the crap out of people who look down on me.”

“Eh…” I stared at her, even more confused now. I’d always imagined chivalry to be about honor and nobility. But… Lia is Lia after all.

“That’s right! It is honorable chivalry!” she declared, looking proud as ever.

“Umm…” I couldn’t help but wonder to myself how that could possibly be honorable.

“How could that be honorable?” a voice suddenly cut in. It was Tommy, stepping into the conversation uninvited.

“Huh?!” Lia whipped around, glaring daggers at him, clearly pissed off just by his presence. She took a deep breath, visibly forcing herself to stay calm, and decided to ignore him entirely.

“Listen.” She said, turning back to me with a smile. “Chivalry here is kind of like a creed, which known to awoken your color.”

“Color…” I pondered.

“It’s all in your heart.” Lia explained, her tone softening. “You express what you truly believe.”

“Simple, right?” she said, her smile widening.

“Hmmm…” I murmured, still turning over her words in my head.

“I can’t tell you what my color’s creed is yet—not with a rat nearby.” Lia said, her voice sharp as her deadly glare cut toward Tommy.

“Who would want to hear your goofy creed anyway?” Tommy snapped back, clearly irritated.

Lia, as usual ignored him completely.

“A creed.” She continued, as if Tommy didn’t exist, “Is like the guiding principle of one’s life and that way of life gives birth to a color.”

Her tone shifted slightly as she added, “And everyone knows that red is the most evil color.” She shot a sarcastic smile in Tommy’s direction and pointed at him. “Not only is it dangerous, but it’s also destructive.” She said, her words dripping with mockery, adding more fuel to the fire.

“Eh…” I glanced at Tommy. His expression flickered, caught somewhere between anger and something deeper, more conflicted.

Noticing my gaze, he quickly dismissed it. “No, that’s not entirely true…” he muttered before stepping back and walking away without another word.

“Lia…” I started, watching him retreat.

But Lia only smiled at me, as if nothing had happened, and resumed her lecture. I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d gone too far with her remark.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Human relationships are such a complex subject, I thought to myself.

“Do you have any questions?” she asked, her voice snapping me back to the moment.

“Yeah… is it possible to have multiple colors?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“Well, it is possible.” Lia replied, her tone shifting into one of authority. “Take the legendary figures from history, for example. During the First Interdimensional War, kings were known to possess multiple colors. High-ranked Vanguards and Helpers too—it’s not unheard of.” She spoke as though it were common knowledge, something every school kid would know.

“However.” She added with a slight frown. “Changing one’s way of life is no easy feat. Humans are creatures of habit. It’s hard to change who we are deep down.”

“I see…” I said thoughtfully, my mind wandering. I couldn’t help but imagine what must have happened in those king’s lives. What events or choices had led them to change their ways so profoundly that they gained new colors. What were their stories?

* * *

“Try and hit me.” Lia said, settling into a confident combat posture.

“I don’t think I should hit a girl.” I replied, hesitant.

“Awww, I appreciate that.” She said with a playful grin. “But don’t worry about it. Try and hit me.”

“Nope.” I said firmly.

“Come on ~ hit me! It’s just training.” Lia persisted, her tone turning persuasive.

“Nu-uh.” I said again, crossing my arms.

“Whyyy? We need training to get stronger and awaken your class!” Lia pleaded, her voice a mix of frustration and determination.

“Why not?” I teased, a smirk tugging at the corner of my lips.

“Ughhh!” Lia groaned, clearly frustrated. Before I could react, she vanished.

In a blink, she was right in front of me, pinching my cheeks hard. “You cocky little—” she muttered, her annoyance punctuated by relentless pinching.

“Ow, ow! Okay, okay!” I laughed, though I still didn’t agree.

Lia finally let go, her expression softening as she sighed in defeat. “Fine… I guess being stubborn might be your creed or something.” She said, half giving up. But I noticed her expression shift, as if she were mulling over something.

“Heh.” A mocking chuckle came from behind us. Tommy stood there, smirking with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

“Women.” He sneered, his voice dripping with derision.

“What did you say, you little punk?!” Lia snapped, her irritation instantly rekindled.

“Watch closely, Zero.” Lia said to me, fire in her eyes. “This is how you punch and a beat a shitty brat.”

Lia rarely swore, so when she did, I knew she was dead serious.

“Take notes, Zero.” Tommy said with a dark smirk, his tone colder than I’d ever heard it. “I’ll show you how to educate a bitch with a bad personality.”

Hearing him curse was unsettling. In all the time we’d been together in the bandit group, I’d never heard Tommy speak like that. This side of him… it was different, violent, like when he fought the beast last night.

Without hesitation, both of them activated their class transformations. Lia’s armor shimmered into place as a knight, while Tommy’s form shifted into a seer. Seven blazing swords materialized, orbiting Tommy like a lethal, fiery satellites.

Lia gripped her spear tightly and charged forward. As she moved, a towering wall of fire erupted between her and Tommy. She vanished, teleporting into the sky in an instant, her spear hurtling toward him like a javelin.

But Tommy was ready. One of his blazing swords intercepted the spear, deflecting it with ease.

“Ouch! Hot!” Lia exclaimed as she teleport and tried to grab her spear. Leaving it behind she quickly teleported again.

I spotted her next—she’d reappeared behind Tommy, out of his line of sight. But this time she’s not in her knight form. Tommy’s blazing swords reacted instantly, whistling through the air like missiles toward her. Lia, much lighter now, dodged everything effortlessly, and teleporting just as the swords closed in.

She closed the gap between them, launching a flurry of punches and kicks. Tommy met each blow with his wooden cane, his movements fluid and controlled. At the same time, he called his seven blazing swords back, sending them flying toward Lia from all angles.

But Lia only smiled—a sharp, confident smile. She’d been expecting this.

At the last possible moment, just as the swords were about to hit her, she disappeared, teleporting out of harm’s way. The blazing swords, no longer aimed at her, rush straight into Tommy instead.

“Have a taste of you own medicine.” Lia said, reappearing a safe distance away with a triumphant smirk.

Smoke erupted from the impact, shrouding Tommy in a thick haze.

“Tommy!” I called out, concerned as I strained to see through the smoke.

“Don’t worry about it. Look.” Lia said, gesturing toward the dissipating smoke.

As it cleared, Tommy stood there, completely unscathed.

“Not bad, brat.” Tommy said, his voice rougher, his demeanor darker. His smile twisted with excitement. A hint of wildness in his eyes.

His hair now burned like living fire, flames licking upward as if he had become one with fire. His eyes glowed an intense red, and the blazing sword that had struck him earlier dissolved into sparks. Fire aura enveloped his body, roaring with raw energy.

Suddenly, Tommy lunged toward Lia, his movements blur. This time, he didn’t rely on his blazing swords as a ranged attacker. Instead, he fought like a beast, launching into close combat with relentless ferocity.

Lia dodged every strike with ease, teleporting away in an instant each time his fists and fiery attacks came near. Her lips curled into a sly smile, her expression one of pure exhilaration, as though taunting him.

But Tommy didn’t waver. If anything, her dodging only fueled his excitement. His attacks came faster and fiercer, yet still, none landed.

Then, his fiery aura swelled, surging outward like an inferno unleashed. The fire formed a beast-like silhouette around him, its claws and fangs adding to his reach. Lia, noticing the increased range, began dodging even faster, her movements growing sharper and more precise.

In a blink, she was high above. Her silhouette against the sun creating an eclipse-like shadow that loomed over Tommy.

She transformed back into her knight form mid-air, her spear materializing in her hand. Tommy wasted no time, flying straight toward her. Lia hurled her spear like a javelin, her aim deadly accurate. But Tommy anticipated the move, twisting his body mid-fight to dodge with ease.

Lia deactivated her knight form and reactivated it instantly. Her spear reappeared in her hand, and without missing a beat, she hurled it again.

This time, Tommy wasn’t prepared. The spear grazed his face, leaving a singed mark.

“Clever…” Tommy muttered, his excitement dampened only for a moment.

But Lia wasn’t done. Deactivating and reactivating her knight form in quick succession, she created an endless supply of spears, launching them one after another with relentless precision.

Tommy’s fiery aura surged again, growing so intense that the spears melted before they could even reach him. The air shimmered with heat as the molten metal dripped away like rain.

Lia, unfazed, teleported back to the ground in an instant, leaving Tommy to continue his aerial charge. By the time he realized she wasn’t in the sky anymore, she was already waiting below.

Tommy skidded to a stop, his fiery aura flickering. His breaths came heavier now, the strain of the battle beginning to show.

Lia, by contrast, looked entirely unbothered.

Growl…

“Hehe ~” Lia turned to me with an embarrassed smile, her hand on her stomach. “Guess that’s me.”

Tommy descended back to the ground, his flames dimming as his energy waned.

“Not bad, brat.” He said, his earlier wildness replaced by a tired smirk.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a spear came hurtling toward him. It didn’t strike with its sharp tip, but with the blunt side, catching him square in the face.

“Ugh!” Tommy stumbled back, falling to the ground.

“I lost.” He admitted, sprawled out as Lia stood triumphantly, her smirk wide with pride.

I rushed over, grabbing her hand and raising it high like a referee.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!” I shouted, hyping up her victory despite our tiny audience of three.

“Woooooahhh!” I cheered loudly, clapping and laughing,

“It was nothing.” Lia said with a modest shrug, though her stomach betrayed her with another loud growl. “Hehe ~” she giggled, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

“What did you think about the battle, Lia?” I asked, switching to my announcer voice.

“It was great! Literally the best fight I’ve ever had in my entire life!” she said, her pride palpable.

“That was amazing!” I added enthusiastically.

“And you, Tommy?” I asked, turning toward him where he lay on the ground.

Tommy sat up suddenly, as if the fight hadn’t taken a toll on him. “Not bad.” He said, feigning nonchalance.

He stood and walked away, his steps deliberate and slow, like a character in a dramatic scene.

“I’ll get my victory next time.” He declared, his tone ominous, like a third-rate villain making a comeback vow.

Lia rolled her eyes and casually pulled a piece of fruit from what looked like a dimensional space, taking a bite. “What do you think?” she asked, watching me curiously.

“That was awesome!!!” I exclaimed, still buzzing from the battle I’d just witnessed.

Lia chuckled, amused by my reaction, and even Tommy, walking off in the background, smiled slightly at my enthusiasm.

But then, Lia’s expression darkened, her mood shifting abruptly.

“I swear, one of these days, I’ll punch that cocky face of his.” She muttered, her fist tightening as the memory of Tommy’s smirk resurfaced.

Tommy glanced back, as if sensing her intent, and for a moment, his confident faltered.

* * *

After we finished lunch, Lia continued her lecture for awhile. Then, without much explanation, she stood to leave, saying she had something to do.

“Here, take this.” She said, handing me a bracelet made of smooth, polished wood.

“What’s this for?” I asked, turning it over in my hands, curious.

“Secret ~” Lia replied with a mischievous grin. Then leaning in close, she whispered, “That said, be careful around that Tommy guy.”

Her tone shifted to one of quiet warning, her gaze briefly serious before she stepped back and, in a blink, disappeared—teleporting to who-knows-where.

As if on cue, Tommy appeared, emerging from behind a tree or some other conveniently obscuring spot, keeping a careful distance. He glanced around to ensure Lia was truly gone before approaching me.

“Hey.” He greeted casually. “Is your girlfriend gone already?”

“Wh—wha?!” I sputtered, taken aback by his ridiculous remark. “Bro… she’s 17, and I’m 12!”

Tommy flinched at my reaction, suddenly awkward. “… W-well… isn’t that kinda normal these days?” he muttered.

I gave him a long, judgmental look, and he quickly changed the subject.

“…Moving on!” he said, quickly deflecting. “That girl’s strong, though. You could learn a lot from her.” His tone shifted as he continued, and I noticed something else in his voice—a faint hint of sadness.

“Well, you know how I said I’d teach you and all…” Tommy paused, scratching the back of his head. “I think she might actually be a better teacher for you. Besides, you two already seem to get along.”

There it was again—that undercurrent of sadness, like he was preparing to leave.

“Maybe.” I said, trying to sound casual.

Tommy winced, clearly hurt by my bluntness. “I… see…”

“But…” I added quickly. “By training and learning with you, then I’ll know for sure.”

He looked at me, surprised.

“Cheer up!” I said, grinning. “There’s a lot I can learn from her, sure. But there’s also a lot I can learn from you.” I continued with a laugh, my excitement bubbling up. “Why settle for one when I can have two great teachers?”

Tommy’s mood brightened, and he let out a laugh. “Hah! You’re pretty greedy, huh?”

“Well, in a way, this greed is good!” I replied excitedly at the thought of learning from both of them.

Tommy smirked, but then his expression turned thoughtful. “So… she told you about creeds and all that, didn’t she?”

“Yeah.” I said with a shrug. “But I don’t think I have to worry about that.”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly curious about my confidence.

“Not all bad creeds are bad, and not all good creeds are good. Something like that?” I said with a wide grin and tilt my head a little.

Tommy’s eyes widened slightly, and I could tell he understood exactly what I meant. His shoulders relaxed, his earlier unease fading as he took my words to heart.

“You’ve got a point. Are you the grandpa now?” he said, smiling as he teased me. Then, clapping his hands together, he declared. “Alright! Let’s get some combat training in!”

“Since you’re not learning from her right now, I’m officially the best teacher you’ve got.” He added, puffing out his chest with mock pride.

“I’m no grandpa!” I said, crossing my arms and grinning. “So? What are you gonna teach me, grandpa?” I teased.

“What I’m about to teach you…” Tommy said, but his voice taking on a serious tone. “… is a martial art I created myself. Its sole purpose isn’t to kill but… to protect.”

And with that, my combat training with Tommy began.