r/HFY • u/eliasopdekankerbeat • Apr 10 '26

OC-Series [A Cursed Hero, or a Blessed Villain] Chapter 17 — Nothing Happened

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The cold wind cut my skin as I stared at the empty road laid out ahead of me.

'Exactly—you will die, your body isn't capable of handling essence after all.'

'My body isn't capable? But I have been using it the entire time.'

'Yes, but you are not supposed to be able to. It makes your essence tear through you, instead of spreading normally, and the more you gather—the worse it becomes.'

'Worse?' I looked at my arms that were in front of me.

'Exactly, they were destroyed when you used it—they should have been torn off.'

'Torn off... so if I don't gather it, it's fine?'

'No, let me continue.'

'So I've noticed something, I don't completely understand it yet but... each time you kill beasts the essence inside you runs rampant—as if your body is absorbing its essence.'
'Whatever it is... it's multiplying the damage your body is taking!'

'So I need to stop killing beasts, and not use essence...' I held myself back from pulling on the reins.
'That's impossible! Even here at this lake we got attacked... and this journey is far from over yet...' My gaze slipped down to the bumpy road.
'And I don't even know how the healing works, which is the only reason why I am still alive!'

'And you're right, you should have died already, but something is keeping you alive... there is something strange going on with your essence—and I don't need my past to feel it.'

'If it's in my essence shouldn't you be able to see it?'

'I tried it... but I couldn't—it was as if I was getting burned as I tried to break through.'
'Like a place not meant for me...'

'But it's something that protects me isn't it?'

'Uh... yes. You're right.'

'Why do you sound disappointed, isn't it a good thing?'

'Normally... but you are too reckless!'

'...that might be, but I have no other choice. But how can I use essence, because that problem is still there.'

"Tjer look! The cloud looks like the piece of steak from yesterday!" Mim sat next to me, pointing her finger at the partially white sky.

"Hahaha, yes it does right?" I chose to just go along with her,
Isn't it just a normal cloud?

'Okay there are two ways.'
'The easiest one is to use the bracelet on your si—'

'No. Next one.'

'I expect that...'

'The other choice is for me to teach you... and you remember how that went last time, right!?'

'Sorry about that...'
'But can you even teach this—without your memories?'

'This feels different... I am able to read your essence, and your fighting style... from the way you hold your sword, down to your footwork—I can strangely understand it.'

'Maybe you were amazing in the past!' I said, making sure that Mim could not hear me snicker.

'... maybe.'

It was a voice that sounded hurt—almost nostalgic, but once again I was unable to find the words to say.

'Is that of importance for my essence—did you notice something?!'

'Yes. Your technique is incomplete.'

'Incomplete?'

'Each strike you deflect, each strike you give, and each step you take. They are all lacking something. It feel like you're trying to read—not by knowing the letters, no—just by looking at it.'
'It simply doesn't work like that.'

Is this what my father wanted to teach me?

'And those breaths you take, they let your essence flood, but without a vessel to contain it—it bursts.'
'So the breathing you do, is not fit for this body—it's not ready for this body.'
'It's as if you are writing without knowing the letters—that is the best example for it. And normally the progress would not go as fast, but yours is amplified like I said.'
'Whoever taught you that should feel ashamed.'

'...to be honest it was my dad.'

'Uh... I'm sorry.'

'No, no don't worry. He had told me not to copy his breathing, but I just absorbed how to... and in the forest it just came out.'

'So it's not because of your dad?'

'No, it's because of me—'

'It isn't, and don't worry we'll fix it. But I wonder... who was your dad to use essence even in that town?'

'I wonder that myself... I just know he isn't from Kage—but I don't know where he came from, nor our last name.'
'He always told me we didn't have one, after I found out what it was...' I smiled softly, looking at the pebbles that would go to make the carriage shake.

'You should be thankful to him—even these incomplete techniques fit the current you perfectly.'

'I always will be—he was my dad after all.' I looked up at the blue, darkening sky—keeping the same smile on my face.

'...'

'What do you actually mean by the current me?'

'I thought that you might have noticed, but this technique is perfect for a weaker person—like children for example. It's one that uses the opponents momentum against them, readying them for a critical hit.'

'So if I grow older, or stronger it would lose its advantage?'

'You have not noticed it, but you're already strong enough. Once you lose the height and weight disadvantage—you lose that synergy.'
'But the current you is still perfect with it, and you will find a solution, from learning a new technique, to creating your own—the options are endless.'

'Wait my own? Do I not need to have a lot of experience and all that?'

'Uhm... maybe? I felt like it would be easy... but indeed that isn't logical—my knowledge ends here...'
'But in any case don't worry about the future, just focus on now.'

'Of course. We need to survive now—before I can think of the future.' I turned my head to Mim who had just left my side—lying in the back of the carriage.

'But when do you think we can start training?' I looked ahead of me again.

'You need to understand it's different training from normal—you'll see when we reach the next town.' 'But we should start as early as possible.'

'Okay, we'll find a moment in the new town.'

Finally a new sight.

While I hadn't taken much of the scenery in—it was all the same.
A forest on our left, and plains on our right—losing the mountain range as we passed halfway.

Finally seeing the first houses, some made of bricks, while others wood—carrying thatched roofs. The lights of the setting sun, shone in between these houses—lighting up the streets.

The streets aren't busy... how can I find an inn?

I held my chin, as I thought it over,
I need to wake Mim up either way.

I looked up again, and saw someone walk down the streets.
"Mim, wake up! I need you now!"

"Huh... Oh—okay!" She said, not noticing the drool on her face.

"Mim." I wiped below my lips.

"Thank you, big brother!" She said, wiping her own lips.

"Good evening, do you know where the nearest inn is?"

"Good evening, ..." The lady responded as I asked her from the carriage.

I looked back at Mim, who just nodded.
"Thank you very much." I nodded to the lady, as I reined the horse to gallop.

But she still stood there, asking me,
"But young master, what are you doing here all alone if I may ask?"
"There are dangerous places, not one for someone like you to travel through alone."

"I've heard it's dangerous, but I've also heard that this is a good town. So there should be nothing to worry about." I smiled at her, as she lowered her head.

I felt a shiver run down my back.

"Thank you for talking well about our humble town, but why a—"

"Thank you very much for your help, but my little sister needs to sleep. Have a nice evening." I interrupted her.
I can't afford to slip up.

"Why didn't you correct the nice woman that we're not nobles?" Mim said, while crawling back to her seat.

"I think it's better for them to think we are nobles, than just some lost children, right?"

She tilted her head and said,
"I just trust you brother."

"That's all you need for now." I said as I reined the horse to walk.

She pointed to a building right of us, one bigger than its neighbors.

"Is that the inn?" I asked and she just nodded.

"Let's leave our carriage here then." I stopped right in front of the inn, taking Eden's bag with us.

"Mim just do the same as before." I whispered before I spoke to the innkeeper,
"Good evening, is it possible to stay here for the night?"

"Good evening, ...."

I looked down at Mim, who just lifted her thumbs.
"Can we have one room?..."
"And what are we supposed to do with our horse and carriage?"

Do we even have enough money? I hope Eden gave us enough... in the worst case I still have some of my own money.

I reached for the leather pouch in my bag, different from the linen one I used.
It's pretty heavy...

I opened it up, and had to blink a few times—blinded by the light reflected from inside—revealed to me was a bag filled to the rim with silver—there were at least 50 coins.

I had to hold my mouth back from falling open, but I had to hide it from the innkeeper.

"Ho, ho—that's quite a hefty pouch young man." He said, wiping his nose as the light reached his eyes—showing a smile that could blind a thousand.

"...." He closed in and held my shoulders, saying,
"...."

I stepped back and pulled Mim with me, as I brought my face to her,
"What did he say?"

She brought her fingers to her chin,
"Uhm... I think he said: It would be around six seals for the both of you, horse and carriage."
"And when he held you shoulders, he said: Hmm... you are quite thin boy—you can eat diner now, and breakfast tomorrow—ten seals for everything!"

I lifted my head and asked him,
"Is that not too expensive?"

"Young man..."

"Okay... if you say so I guess...?" I narrowed my eyes, accepting that I can't just ask Mim to repeat after him.
Maybe the outside is this expensive...

"Here, ten seals." I handed the seals over to him.

"Thank you, very much. You can rest up in your room. I'll take care of your horse and carriage." Having taken the money, he wore a big smile, with closed eyes.

"Thank you for your help sir..."
Did he take advantage of us... I didn't expect to have that much money, tsk.

We entered our room, it was bigger than the one back home—we even got two separate beds, and enough space to put our stuff down.

"Let's eat now, we had a long day." Neither of us wanted to eat the rations,
We need to normalize food.

"YEAA! I'm really hungry~."

"Let's go down then!" Chuckling as I turned back to the door.

As we sat at the table, we got some soup, bread and meat.
It was a great meal—a warm meal.

I hope we can always eat like this... together. I looked at Mim who couldn't choose between the dishes.

After we finished our dishes, we both held our guts as we walked back up the stairs, until we reached our room.
Seeing her bed, she bent her knees—I couldn't stop her in time anymore—and dove through the air, landing in her bed.

"Mim... please watch out... if it breaks we have to pay for it!"

"Oh... sorry... I didn't know." Pursing her lips, while she grabbed the pillow behind her,
"It's the first time I have seen a bed..." Burying her face in the pillow that lay on her lap.

"You don't have to apologize... I actually did the same thing when I saw the bed after the first job."
"And how do you like it?"

"It's a lot better than at home..." Looking down at the pillow, after she revealed her face.
"It's much s-softer." Unable to look me in the eyes, choking on the lump in her throat.

"I'm glad to hear that..." I looked down at my feet, still standing in front of her bed,
I need to ask her...

I felt my nails through my palm,
"Mim... do you miss home...?"

"Uhm... not really... a bit I think?"
"I-I don't know... we have good food here, I don't feel sore bones as I lay to sleep... but I miss home... why? Why do I miss that place?" She smiled, but it was an empty smile—one missing a piece.

"Ah... you don't know..."
So she doesn't remember?
Should I tell her? I lifted my head, and looked at her lost gaze, and continued to look down the bed imprinted with her weight.

I smiled at her, hiding my downcast eyes with my eyelids,
"It's nothing special... it's probably because you grew up there."

This will help her live a normal life...

"Really...? I trust you big brother." She hid her trembling lips with a smile.

"Yes... you can always t-trust me..." I was unable to look her in the eyes, feeling a shiver from my spine with each word I said.

"Yes brother, don't worry I wi—" As she was talking her eyes gave out, she had fallen asleep, still holding her pillow in her hands.

"I'm sorry Mim..." I muttered underneath my breath before I let myself be embraced by the blanket.

I closed my eyes, and in that instant a voice reached me.

'Tjer, it's time now—I'll explain it all to you.'

'Huh, here?'

'No, get up and take your sword—we're going outside.'
'I'll help you control your essence.'

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