《I Will Take Back What Was Taken From Me With My Sword》


 Chapter I - The Beginning

    Ah, if the world had known this would happen, I wouldn''t have lived like this.


    Throughout my life, I always held back, choosing logic instead of living life to the fullest. I had to


    leave that behind because of it... If I had the wisdom I have now back then, if I were young


    again, I wouldn''t have just left it behind like that.


    I am Hyoku Alfreddo, born and raised in Akita, Japan. My family and I made a sudden move to


    Aomori during high school. There, I created a nice routine; I would wake up early and read for


    half an hour before breakfast. Since we were a middle-income family, after having a sufficient


    breakfast, I would go to school, and after school, I would go to the gym. Afterward, I would do


    my homework and review the subjects we covered that day. I would help my mother prepare


    dinner after completing my chores. After dinner, I would meditate for half an hour before going to


    bed.


    My days went by in such a structured, disciplined manner. Fun? Pleasure? Free time? Meeting


    with friends? These were things that did not exist in my life, and I didn¡¯t mind because I had a


    goal in life: to have a good profession and bring prosperity to my family.


    However, when I moved to university, this family structure fell apart. My parents divorced


    amicably, in a single session.


    When they divorced, my mother moved to my grandfather''s house in Funabashi. My father


    moved to Kashiwa, where my university was.


    When my father arrived, I left the dormitory and began living with him. He opened a meatball


    restaurant, and after school, I would go and help him.


    In the first few months, I continued this routine, but when the exam period came, I asked for


    permission to go to the library to study. After finishing my exams, I resumed helping him at the


    restaurant.


    It was a hot Saturday, and I had been helping my father all day in the restaurant. Normally,


    there wasn¡¯t much work on weekends because people were busy enjoying themselves, but on


    weekdays, they would come because they had responsibilities like work or school.


    This day, however, there was hardly any work, and we were sitting outside because of the heat.


    Hyuga (Father): ¡°It¡¯s a really hot day, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Alfreddo: ¡°Yes, it really is. Don¡¯t even ask.¡±


    Hyuga: ¡°Hey Alfreddo.¡±


    Alfreddo: ¡°Yes, dad?¡±


    He put his hand on my shoulder. He always did that when he was going to ask something


    serious.Hyuga: ¡°You always come and help me, but I¡¯m worried that you¡¯re not living your own life. Ever


    since your mother and I divorced, you¡¯ve been supporting me more. Although this makes me


    happy, I feel sorry for you because I couldn¡¯t give you a proper childhood.¡±


    Alfreddo: ¡°Don¡¯t say that, dad. I can¡¯t think of a better life. I was sad when you and mom


    divorced, but if you couldn¡¯t get along, I couldn¡¯t stop it.¡±


    Hyuga: ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Alfreddo: ¡°Yes, dad¡­¡±


    After a brief silence, my father turned his head towards me and spoke quietly.


    Hyuga: ¡°I wasn¡¯t a bad father, was I?¡±


    Alfreddo: ¡°You were one of the best I¡¯ve seen¡­¡±


    That day, in the conversation we had, I assured my father that I had a social circle. Based on the


    promise I made to him that day, I would join the university clubs I liked and show my father that I


    had made some friends.


    But there was one problem: I didn¡¯t know how to make friends...


    So, I waited until the club recruitment period to learn how to make friends.


    When I searched online, I found tons of ironic videos, but since I was naive, I didn¡¯t realize they


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    were ironic at first.


    When I tried the tactics in those ironic videos, people would avoid me, and that¡¯s when I


    realized the videos were made for humor.


    When I asked my father, he smiled and said, ¡°Of course, friendships are formed with mutual


    respect and understanding.¡±


    Mutual understanding? I figured I had to speak more fluently for that, so I practiced a few jokes.


    As days passed, I began speaking more fluently, and when I tried it in front of the mirror, I


    realized I had overcome my nervousness.


    My university is one of the best in Japan, with a large campus and cutting-edge education.


    There are many cafes on campus, but that wasn¡¯t what I needed. What I needed were the two


    libraries close to the department I studied at¡ªone was new, the other was old, but since the old


    one was more spacious, it was better for studying.


    When my classes finished, I would go to the library to read my personal development book.


    Thank God, the air conditioners were working in the library. I found an empty spot, but I didn¡¯t sit


    down immediately. First, I went to the library staff to return the book I had borrowed and handed


    it over. Since the place where I sat was near the personal development section, I grabbed a


    book that I estimated would be interesting and started reading.It was a 70-page book, so I was close to finishing it quickly.


    While I was reading, someone passed in front of me and left a book on my desk.


    ?? ¡°I think this would be more useful if you read it.¡±


    Her voice was sweet, and without looking at me, she continued walking. I didn¡¯t look at her


    either; I just remembered how sweet her voice was.


    After finishing my book, I looked at the book she left. It had ¡®How to Make Friends?¡¯ written on


    the cover. What a coincidence! Was she aware of this? If we met again, I would ask her.


    That day came. The university club days would continue from June 2nd to 4th. Just to be safe, I


    went to the event area on the first day, and it was extremely crowded. Here was the place where


    I would reap the rewards of the effort I had put in for weeks, and time would prove that.


    Looking around, there were many clubs: anime and manga, cave exploration, diving, skydiving,


    and so on.


    Since I didn¡¯t watch any anime, I couldn¡¯t join that club, so I looked at other clubs. But


    whenever I tried to talk to someone, someone would cut me off or walk ahead.


    After giving up on these clubs, I was sitting on the stairs, feeling completely exhausted. The


    sunlight was shining on me from behind, and my shadow was falling in front of me.


    While I was sitting there, not knowing what to do, a shadow appeared beside me and began


    speaking.


    ??: ¡°If you can¡¯t decide on a club, how about joining the anime and manga club?¡±


    Without turning around, I answered.


    Alfreddo: ¡°But I¡¯ve never watched anime. How can I join?¡±


    ??: ¡°Actually, it doesn¡¯t matter much, but how about starting with Yaruto?¡±


    Alfreddo: ¡°Then can I make friends?¡±


    ??: ¡°Who knows¡­¡±


    Again, the same voice, the same person who had helped me before.


    She was the one who suggested the anime, and I began watching it. I finished it in one day.


    While it was good, it didn¡¯t have much of a plot. It was set in a world of ninjas, and there was an


    outcast child whose goal was to become the best ninja in the village and eventually become its


    leader.


    After a while, though, I started to think that it was a bit shallow, and I did some quick research


    online and started watching a masterpiece called 85. I finished it on the same day.


    On the second club day, I gathered my courage and joined the anime club.


    They added me to a messaging group, and in the group, they announced a welcome meeting


    for a week later.


    One week later...I arrived at the location they shared, and a nice conference building stood before me. I entered


    and went to the ¡®Yahua Conference Room.¡¯


    People slowly began to arrive, and at the scheduled time, they started giving us information.


    Rei: ¡°Hello, everyone, I am Rei, the assistant president of the anime department.¡±


    She talked about various things and gave information about the events we would be doing.


    Although it was a meet-and-greet, I hadn¡¯t met anyone yet, so I decided to try again at the next


    event.


    The next event would be in two weeks, so I tried to watch as many anime as I could before


    then, and I ended up finishing 4 more anime.


    The next event was an anime movie screening of Your Name.


    Since it was in the same room as before, I had no trouble finding it, but this time, I thought I


    should make some progress. So, I was going to ask the first person who passed by the door,


    "Can we be friends?"


    I waited... and waited. Eventually, a shadow appeared in the sunlight, and I kept repeating the


    sentence I had memorized in my head...


    ¡°Hey, if you want anime recommendations, you have to be my friend first!¡±


    The shadow grew larger, and when it was finally in front of me, I spoke.


    Alfreddo: ¡°Hey! If you want anime recommendations, you have to be my friend first!¡±


    I said this out loud, and soon afterward, I felt embarrassed.


    The person in front of me hid a fake smile with a finger on their lips.


    ??: ¡°I¡¯m happy you joined, and of course, I¡¯ll be your friend.¡±


    At that moment, I was in shock because the person who had told me to join the anime club and


    had recommended the ¡®How to Make Friends¡¯ book was standing right in front of me.


    Alfreddo: ¡°You¡¯re that person.¡±


    Maria: ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. My name is Maria.¡±


    Alfreddo: ¡°I¡¯m Alfreddo.¡±


    Maria: ¡°Nice to meet you, Alfreddo. Did you watch the anime I recommended?¡±


    Alfreddo: ¡°I did, but after watching other anime, I thought the one you recommended didn¡¯t have


    much of a story.¡±


    Maria: ¡°Ah, actually, you¡¯re right. I just think it¡¯s good for beginners to start with popular series,


    otherwise, 85 is way better than the one I recommended.¡±


    Alfreddo: ¡°Wait a minute, have you watched 85?¡±


    She looked at me curiously.Maria: ¡°Yes, what about it?¡±


    Alfreddo: ¡°It¡¯s my favorite anime.¡±


    That was how I met Maria. After that, I got her number, and we started talking every day. We


    would go out, hang out, and watch movie series together. We started doing everything together.


    Our personalities were so compatible that if it weren¡¯t for her beauty, I would have fallen in love


    with her personality and character.


    One autumn evening, we took our relationship to the next level. We were now lovers, and in the


    future, we would be husband and wife.


    During our last year of university, something happened that separated us. My father passed


    away from a heart attack. After the funeral, I fell into a deep depression and blamed myself for


    his death because I had been so focused on Maria that I neglected my studies and didn¡¯t notice


    my father¡¯s deteriorating health.


    My depression turned into a fixation on money and status. I became obsessed with becoming


    rich.


    Years later, I learned that Maria married another man, and later, I discovered that this man had


    killed her. Back then, I didn¡¯t care much about it because I was still obsessed with my goals, but


    now, as I face death, I realize how much I miss Maria, my father, my mother, and my youth.


    There¡¯s an old saying: "Regret is useless in the end."


    As my life slowly slipped away, everything began to blur. The lights dimmed, and I heard a


    voice.


    ¡°Do you want another chance?¡±


    When I regained consciousness and opened my eyes, two women were standing in front of me.


    Soon after, a man appeared.


    ¡°Did it come out healthy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The person who asked the question was dressed in a royal style, wearing a cloak, not military


    attire.


    The woman handed me over to the man who had appeared. He looked at me seriously and


    then started speaking.


    ¡°Well, it was born once. I will raise it, but don¡¯t think you¡¯ll gain anything from it.¡±


    Who was the person who gave me this chance?


    And where was I now?

 Chapter II - The Abandoned Chosen One

    My name is Dechets, formerly known as Alfreddoydum in my previous world.


    When I first opened my eyes, I found myself in a royal palace. Two servants stood before me,


    and a well-dressed man was talking about me. I don¡¯t know how, but I could understand what he


    was saying, and I heard that he wasn¡¯t saying anything good. This man was the king of this


    kingdom¡ªmy father.


    From infancy, I was not treated the same as my siblings, who were my age, because I was the


    child of a prostitute, while they were the children of the queen, the king¡¯s official wife.


    Because of this, I usually ate after they had finished their meals, as I wasn¡¯t allowed to sit with


    them.


    Despite the family¡¯s immense wealth, the people lived in poverty, and I was treated as one of


    them. For example, whatever the common people could eat, I was given the same¡ªusually dry


    bread and water of questionable cleanliness.


    However, not everyone in the palace hated me¡ªat least, not the majority.


    There was a beautiful servant woman named Hasegawa, and whenever I was in need, she


    would secretly help me.


    I won¡¯t even mention how she brought me half of her own meal every night.


    If it weren¡¯t for her, I might have been reduced to skin and bones or, like the common people,


    slowly died from malnutrition or illness.


    At least, the books I read explained the consequences of inadequate nutrition. Ah, thank


    goodness for Hasegawa; it was thanks to her that I learned to read and write.


    When I first opened my eyes, I could somehow understand spoken language, but writing was


    different. I couldn¡¯t comprehend the written words, so once I started speaking, I asked


    Hasegawa to teach me how to read and write.


    My rapid learning surprised Hasegawa, so she showed my progress to my father, but he didn¡¯t


    seem to care.My father was more interested in my sister Minase and my brother Joryo.


    Despite learning faster and walking earlier than both of them, my father ignored me. Back then, I


    was just a child and couldn¡¯t understand why; it made me very sad. Often, when I cried in my


    room, Hasegawa would come and tell me stories. But they weren¡¯t just stories¡ªshe also shared


    memories of the past and my birth.


    She told me how the king had deceived my mother into being with him, only to act the next day


    as if nothing had happened, as if he had forgotten the night. Later, when I was born, he declared


    my mother a prostitute in front of the kingdom, but Hasegawa insisted that my mother was


    innocent.


    Until then, I had believed my mother was a prostitute because I was constantly verbally abused


    by my siblings and the queen.


    ¡°Son of a whore.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your slut of a mother?¡±


    ¡°Who knows whose bed she¡¯s in now?¡±


    I heard countless phrases like these.


    I was also excluded from magic training because I was weak in it, though I knew I would have


    been excluded even if I were good. It was just their excuse.


    In this world, there was a type of magic called Manas. Unlike the anime I watched in my


    previous world, where people would ask, ¡°How much magic power do you have?¡± here they


    asked, ¡°How much Manas power do you have?¡±


    It was similar to the anime I had watched, but the feeling was very different. For example, I


    could perform minor spells.


    While my sister Minase could throw large stones one after another at the age of seven, I could


    only create a small pebble, and I didn¡¯t have enough Manas power to throw it. In fact, after


    casting a spell once, I had to wait a while before I could do it again.


    My brother Joryo, on the other hand, was much stronger than us at that age. He could do the


    same as Minase, but the stones he threw were so fast they could pierce their target.Once, Joryo threw a stone at me at high speed. Although it only grazed my arm, it cut deeply


    into my skin.


    Then he said, ¡°Oh, were you there? I thought you were a pig.¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    For a while, I practiced Manas in secret, but when I saw no improvement, I turned my attention


    to books.


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re not strong, you can survive a battle with tactics.¡± There were many books that


    taught this kind of knowledge, and I began to read them day and night.


    At first, I didn¡¯t encounter anyone in the library, but on other days, I started seeing Minase. I


    didn¡¯t know she loved books too, but even though she was my sister, I never approached her


    because I was afraid she would mock me. So I didn¡¯t disturb her; I stayed alone, completely


    isolated. In truth, I didn¡¯t need anyone. All I had to do was improve myself, and that¡¯s what I did.


    Day by day, I increased and refreshed my knowledge, mastering topics like how to incapacitate


    a living being in the shortest way possible or how to govern a society. Of course, this didn¡¯t


    happen overnight; it was a long and arduous process.


    However, my self-improvement meant little in the face of Manas power because the tactics in


    the books were only effective at a certain level of Manas. I learned this the hard way.


    One day, I couldn¡¯t take Joryo¡¯s harassment anymore and stood up to him. I had learned to


    speak effectively, so I managed to anger him, and he eventually challenged me to a duel.


    Even though I used the tactics I had read about, my attacks were too weak to even tickle him,


    and when he attacked me, he showed no mercy. I was covered in blood, and if Minase hadn¡¯t


    intervened, I might have died.


    I didn¡¯t understand why she stepped in because it was clear she hated me too. There was


    plenty of evidence, but the most telling was this:


    On a hot day, I was making a list of the books I had read in the palace, and as I did so, I stacked


    the unread books on the table. I don¡¯t know why, but suddenly Joryo and Minase started treating


    me well. They had a friend with them.


    They shared their food with me, protected me from their mother¡¯s harassment, and made me


    feel special by saying they loved me.


    On another hot day, they came running from outside and tried to convince me to go on a trip


    with them. They said I shouldn¡¯t stay in the library so much and that I should live my childhood.I thought about it; it was a good offer, and since they were treating me well now, there was no


    reason not to hang out with them. I hated myself that day for being so naive.


    At first, it was a pleasant trip, but how could I have known they were planning to humiliate me?


    Joryo said, ¡°Let¡¯s go behind this mountain; we might find something fun.¡±


    Minase replied, ¡°Actually, we could have fun at the palace too.¡±


    Yorata said, ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Minase. That mountain will be much more fun. Right, Dechets?¡±


    Alfreddo: ¡°Uh, sure, you¡¯re right...¡±


    Yorata lightly patted my back and told me not to be so shy, saying we were friends.


    As they said, we slowly made our way behind the mountain and finally arrived.


    During our journey, the weather quickly turned cold, and massive rain clouds gathered.


    Since it was hot and sunny, I hadn¡¯t brought anything with me, but Joryo, Minase, and Yorata


    seemed to know this, as they had brought bags.


    Suddenly, rain and a downpour...


    The wind began to blow fiercely, and the rain was heavy and fast.


    Someone suggested we take shelter in a nearby structure, and we started searching. After a


    while, Joryo found an underground place and called us over.


    Alfreddo: ¡°What¡¯s that symbol on the door?¡±


    Joryo: ¡°Does it matter? Just go in!¡±


    They rushed me inside, but the sight that greeted me was unpleasant.


    Stone walls and floor...


    Statues of a woman with the most seductive body possible and a man with the most seductive


    body possible...


    Statues of couples engaged in forced intercourse and rape...When I entered, they started hitting me. I tried to resist, but I wasn¡¯t strong enough.


    Yorata, watching me get beaten from behind, mocked me.


    Yorata: ¡°Your mothers are around. Look, you¡¯re in a house of whores, just like your mother¡¯s


    house once was.¡±


    Yorata: ¡°But even a whore didn¡¯t love you. You¡¯re alone, a loser.¡±


    The insults he hurled were truly top-tier, and he cursed me in ways I had never heard before.


    I wasn¡¯t in a position to respond because Joryo¡¯s relentless punches had shattered my face, and


    I was on the verge of losing consciousness.


    When he finished beating me, he didn¡¯t hold back on the insults and humiliation.


    As the three of them were leaving, they suddenly turned back and committed an act of cruelty.


    They tore my clothes, leaving me completely naked so I would suffer hypothermia in the cold,


    rainy, and windy weather.


    Normally, if I had tried to walk outside in this state, I wouldn¡¯t be alive today, but fortunately,


    Minase had forgotten her bag when she left. Inside her bag were warm food (enchanted with a


    heating spell), warm and thick clothes, an umbrella, and painkillers. By some stroke of luck, they


    were exactly what I needed.


    When I returned to the palace, a few knights and servants were at the gate. When they saw the


    clothes I was wearing, they knocked me down and arrested me. According to them, these were


    sacred treasures¡ªclothes that could protect a person from extreme cold and even fatal


    wounds, with healing properties.


    In the detention cell, a knight with a higher rank than the others arrived and ordered me to be


    bound and taken to the courtroom. There were many people around. The judge entered and sat


    down, while my father watched from a distance.


    Judge: ¡°The trial of the boy named Dechets has begun...¡±


    After a long debate, my sentence was decided: I was to be executed.I never thought my life would end like this, though what I had lived through could hardly be


    called a life.


    Still, considering my previous life, didn¡¯t I deserve a better life?


    What difference was there between this life and my previous one?


    Was it God¡¯s¡ªor the being who spoke to me¡ªintention to torture me?


    I hate this world, just like the last one...


    The next day, I was taken to a vast, open area for my execution. People hurled insults at me,


    throwing stones and fruits to show their anger.


    The sky evoked a sense of destruction and doom. The overcast gray clouds made it seem as if


    God was watching this moment.


    My soul, trapped on the guillotine¡¯s plank, was about to be extinguished by this cruel world.


    The countdown began.


    5


    4


    3


    2


    1


    And then a voice rang out from behind...


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    This cry marked the beginning of a story in this decaying world.


    Before my head could be taken, Hasegawa arrived, but what she did wasn¡¯t to save me.


    Yes, she saved me.


    By sacrificing herself, she saved me.


    Hasegawa: ¡°I stole the treasures. To avoid being caught, I used Dechets, who is hated by


    everyone. Since everyone in his family hates him, I thought it would be easier to make them


    believe Dechets was the thief. But after everything, I regretted it.I¡¯m sorry, Dechets...¡±


    Alfreddo: ¡°No, why are you saying this?! Don¡¯t believe her; Hasegawa is lying.¡±


    After a long debate, my father stood up. As soon as he did, everyone fell silent and focused on


    his words.


    King: ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I hereby cancel Dechets¡¯ execution. Instead, Hasegawa will be


    executed, but Dechets will be exiled for indirectly concealing the criminal.¡±


    The verdict was delivered.


    Hasegawa¡¯s neck was placed between life and death, and the countdown was about to begin.


    For one last conversation, I broke free from the guards holding me and ran to Hasegawa.


    Just as I was about to speak, she interrupted me and whispered a few sentences into my ear.


    ¡°Your name...¡±


    ¡°Your name is Kasou...¡±


    ¡°Your mother, Katya, always called you that. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t tell you more...¡±


    Before she could finish, her head fell before me. I stared at the corpse in shock, knelt down, and


    screamed, but there was no solution.


    Just one day after her death, before I could even grieve, they bound my hands and threw me


    into the depths of an unknown forest. After struggling for a while, I managed to break the chains,


    but the real challenge was just beginning.


    The air was cold and windy, rain poured down, and death crows circled above me.


    ¡°I¡¯m cold.¡±


    The forest was dense, and everything looked the same.


    ¡°Is anyone there!?¡±


    But this was my reward, my chance at death, a way to finally escape this life.Even if I heard that voice again, I wouldn¡¯t ask for another chance...


    I walked and walked until I was on the verge of death...


    After a while, I collapsed from exhaustion; it must have been night.


    ¡®What a beautiful night to die,¡¯ I thought. As I lifted my head to look at the stars, I saw a black


    sword with red stripes, reflecting the moonlight, sharp and planted in the ground as if calling to


    me, ¡°Come.¡±


    With my last strength, I took steps toward it.


    Would my steps reach the sword before I died, or would I die before I could grasp it?


    Memories flashed before my eyes like a film reel¡ªmy previous world and my current one...


    The fate written by God saved me once again.


    I grasped the sword.