——Why do you not cry?

'Give me strength!' The moment I finished speaking, the boy asked this of me.

I summoned him. The moment I did, I got a glimpse of how he died.

Even at death in the midst of the sea of flame the boy just sat there hugging his knees. He didn't cry nor was he scared, but he regrets. He justs sat there and died while looking at the burning corpses with blank eyes. He looked about twelve or thirteen, and though his looks were rather cute, the effect was ruined by the complete absence of expression on his face

.

The boy appeared to view himself as nothing more than a tool for killing.

He’d simply confirm the target and then move in to make the kill – he was a tool, and that was his purpose. That's what he thought.

It goes without saying that his words just now had been delivered in a monotone voice. He was simply seeking confirmation – it didn't actually matter to him what my answer would be.

"Hmm... Well, what should I do with you?" I pondered.

I had known even as I made the summoning ritual that whoever answers my call would have something of a twisted mindset – such was the cost of great power.

“Actually, before you talk about killing… I want you to smile first.”

The boy smiled. If other people saw this their heart will be filled with warmth. But I was disgusted 'How can such a bright smile be so ugly' It was forced. The boy was used to it, for he was a tool. All I felt was endless pity for the boy.

“Watching a boy your age speaking that way with that expression on your face – I don’t like it. Although it’s true that you’ll be fighting on my behalf, but I want to be sure you know at least this much before we can work together. Oh, but don’t do it because it’s a command from me, nor because it’s your job. ——Anyway, long story short, it’s about time you learned to laugh and cry.”

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

The boy's eyes widened for a moment but it returned to the normal blank stare immediately.

"....Can I do...such things?" He asked.

The boy stood silent for a moment after expressing to me that he’d never learned how to do such things.

“That’s okay. Just try and copy Onee-san, alright? Watch, it’s like this.”

I lifted the corners of my mouth.

“There’s plenty of time. lets talk about work later. The fights you’re about to experience are unlike anything you've seen yet. First, let’s teach you how to feel; fighting can come later. Right, what’s important now is that you learn what it means to be human.”

The boy was utterly flummoxed, and maintained his silence.

“You know, you've already died once and come back, right? ——That’s why – this time – rather than fighting to kill, why not fight to protect – to save? How’s that sound to you?”

"Who...will I protect? Who.... will I save? Can I even do such things?" The boy asked.

“The people in this world, and the world itself. ——You are going to become a true hero, in every meaning of the word; I’ll teach you the beauty of this world. Along the way, you’ll learn how to enjoy life for what it is, how to laugh from the bottom of your heart – all these things I will teach you.”

"Why would you do that?" The boy asked me.

“Because you’re my Knight, and I need you. Come. Together, we’ll protect this world.”