Death's Door 104 Volume 5: Chapter 7: Cruel Mercy Part 1

…Which is why a certain angel was perfect for the job.

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"HA! HA! HA!" a certain knight swung repeatedly swung his sword up and down, while holding his fighting stance.

It was one of his daily training routines.

From his movements, it was obvious he practiced swordsmanship in a very serious manner, devoting most of his free time to honing his skills.

'I was allowed an opportunity to be in a squad led by a hero, I must do my best, so giving anything less than 100 percent is not an option!'

"HA!" he didn't mind the sweat that was flowing down his forehead and stinging his eyes, in fact, he welcomed that feeling; at the very least it made him stay awake.

Unlike many of his fellow knights, he lacked a blessing or any special talent.

In fact, one thing that stood out about him was the fact how easily he blended in, there was nothing that could set him apart from an ordinary person.

His dark brown hair and brown eyes, common traits among the populace, did not help the matters.

In fact, seven years ago, he was not even a knight, but a street urchin, struggling to survive.

His mother died when he was just a child, while his father was publically executed for theft. Yet, the knight couldn't bring himself to blame him.

Back then, it was a cold winter, the crops they cultivated were destroyed by the freezing cold, plagues, and countless vermin.

His father, desperate to procure the means for his family to survive, resorted to stealing a loaf of bread from a home of a certain n.o.bleman.

He was caught on the spot.

For his act of kindness, he was publically executed the very next day, with his horrified children witnessing their parent's head being placed on a pike.

Not long after, two of his elder brothers went their own way, and he had never seen them since.

Frankly, he did whatever he could to survive, living in an abandoned cave underneath a mountain and foraging for food among the streets, and occasionally resorting to theft just to make the ends meet.

One day, he had a fateful encounter.

A certain knight whose sword he had stolen caught up to him.

But instead of executing him on the spot, the knight asked.

"Do you know how to wield it?"

The boy shook his head.

"Then…Would you like me to teach you?"

That was the day his life changed forever.

Just like that, the knight took the young boy under his wing and made him his squire.

'I owe that man my life; he saved me when none else gave a d.a.m.n and I have done nothing to repay the kindness he had shown me.'

His mentor's name was Meros Solros, a knight who seemed to embody the ideals of vigor and justice.

Not caring about the fact that the boy was n.o.body; Meros taught him the art of swordsmanship.

"We two are alike, you and I, in fact, you remind me of myself when I was younger, ha ha ha…"

Though he tried his best to learn from his mentor, the boy could never master the complex techniques his master had shown him.

'I simply don't possess the talent.'

Talent, you either have one or you don't.

And the boy had to accept the reality that he belonged in the latter category.

Those who possessed a talent could advance forward in life, no matter where they are born, they are doubly fortunate if they were also chosen by a G.o.d to be blessed.

When he was a child, he used to pray every night to be chosen by a G.o.d, any deity was fine, he recited name of every deity he knew, begging them to give him a chance.

But his prayers were never answered.

He had given up hope of ever gaining a blessing.

His view of the world turned rather bleak with the realization everything was set in stone at the moment he was born, with no hope of moving forward.

He even briefly considered plunging a knife into his belly; at the very least, it would end his suffering.

But his mentor changed all of that.

"I don't possess a blessing or a talent either, but do you know what I have?"

To his mentor's question, young boy could only stare in confusion.

For a twelve year old boy, hearing an advice from a knight of eighteen years of age seemed like some kind of a hidden secret that could not be shared with anyone else.

"I have a goal, a person I must reach at all cost, and that's what makes me different from the rest. If you have a goal within your heart that supersedes everything else, you can overcome your natural limits, though it is no easy endeavor. But I believe you can do it."

Such words of encouragement lit a flame of ambition within young boy's heart, and since then, he trained himself non-stop, even if his labors bore no fruit.

Just knowing that his mentor believed in him was enough for the young boy to push forward.

He even fought under his command with the demons, though Meros made sure to leave him out when the battle was going to involve higher level demons.

But, then, a tragedy occurred.

In his last battle, his mentor lost his left hand, and along with it, he lost everything; his rank, his comrades, respect, and wealth.

The kingdom did not want to waste any resources on a cripple, so they stripped him of everything, reducing him to a homeless beggar.

That was how the kingdom repaid the man who fought bravely to protect it for ten long years, by taking away everything he worked hard to build.

'Those n.o.bles don't know the meaning of justice, if only all the people could be like the Knight of Light, the justice embodied…'

Seeing his master fall, made the young boy question many things…

Now that he was nineteen years of age, he still was a regular knight, though he dreamed that one day he could become a Holy Knight, just like the man he looked up to once was.

This young man's name was Livon Clave, a young knight with a dream.