Guidance

"Oh, my child, I deeply sympathize with the miserable experiences you have endured since childhood. As the chieftain's younger brother, you should not have been treated this way. Their attitude toward you has been far too cruel. This should never have happened."

Hearing the Sage's compassionate and loving words, One-Horn, who had long endured humiliation and mockery, felt his fish eyes grow moist, as though tears might fall again.

Ever since childhood, his older brother had only concerned himself with managing the tribe. He had never paid attention to what kind of life his younger brother actually lived. He merely ensured that One-Horn had enough to eat and wear—but who had ever truly cared about him?

Whenever he told his brother about being bullied, his brother never stood up for him. He would only stiffly order him to fight back, to take it back with his own strength. Yet One-Horn was forbidden from using his ability. With this frail body of his, what fish could he possibly defeat?

At last, today, he had met a fish who cared for him and was willing to stand up for him.

"Sage, it has always been like this for me. I don't understand why things became this way. I've always tried hard to get along peacefully with everyone. I wanted friends of my own. I wanted to be respected and admired by many people too..."

"Why do they treat me like this? What gives them the right to treat me this way? They don't deserve to be protected! If I could become the tribe's guardian deity and chieftain, then they wouldn't look at me like that or mock me in that tone..."

Sitting before the huge boulder, One-Horn lowered his head dejectedly as he poured out his grievances and anger to Kano in his mind.

Yes, that's right. Vent your complaints. Let out your resentment. Release your dissatisfaction. Speak your desires.

Kano, seated atop the boulder, had joy flickering in his eyes. The more dissatisfaction and hatred this malformed idiot fish harbored in his heart, the more smoothly his plan would proceed.

But he understood that he was still supposed to be a kind and generous Sage. He had to guide this idiot fish toward the right path in a gentle tone, even if this so-called right path would only lead him into a deeper Abyss.

"Then why not use the ability you were born with to make all those fishmen your friends?"

From One-Horn's complaints, Kano had also learned what kind of ability the black horn growing from his head possessed. It was an ability that forcibly controlled other fishmen, a crude mental power akin to brainwashing.

Interesting. Valuable...

Kano stroked his chin, his covetous gaze fixed on the black horn growing from One-Horn's forehead. This thing was definitely some kind of mutation—perhaps even a sign of atavism.

As for his weak constitution, it was surely because his body's energy could not sustain that black horn. Or perhaps his atavism was incomplete, his mutation incomplete. Either way, it was extremely valuable.

If he brought this idiot fish's corpse, along with that horn, before Taylor, it might aid Taylor's studies and research.

"My brother won't let me use my ability. Whenever I'm bullied, he only tells me to fight back with my own strength, but I..."

One-Horn explained to Kano why he did not use the ability he had been born with, his voice full of grievance and confusion. He simply could not understand why his brother would not let him use his innate ability and instead coldly watch him be bullied.

Hearing words so full of grievance and confusion, Kano felt nothing but disgust.

As Taylor's dark and cruel persona, Kano believed that all grievance and confusion were signs of weakness. If you were strong enough, you naturally would not suffer grievances, nor would there be anything you could not understand. If you truly felt wronged or confused, it was only because you were too weak and had been bullied.

"I think your brother is wrong. Your ability was bestowed upon you by heaven. It is an instinct you were born with. Just like one of your organs, it is innate, something you can use and command as you please."

Kano immediately rejected One-Horn's brother's approach, encouraging and guiding One-Horn to use the ability he had been born with.

"But..."

Though Kano's encouragement stirred him somewhat, One-Horn still hesitated, remembering his brother's stern words and serious expression.

"Remember this, One-Horn. Your ability was bestowed upon you by this world so that you could use it to make more friends.

Don't you think those fishmen are all targeting you, bullying you, and mocking you? Wouldn't it be better to use your ability to turn them into friends?"

For One-Horn, whose heart was filled with grievance, anger, and even resentment, Kano's words were undoubtedly a killing blow.

That's right, why can't I use my ability to gain more friends? Don't they look down on me? Don't they think I'm useless, a parasite?

If I use my ability to control them, control more and more fishmen into becoming my friends, then they won't treat me like this anymore, right? Then I'll be able to enjoy their admiration and respect too, won't I?

Watching One-Horn sink into a tangle of thoughts and mental turmoil, Kano chose to remain silent. He wanted this idiot fish to take this step himself, because it had to be the idiot fish's own decision. Kano was only responsible for guiding him; the one who truly made the decision had to be this idiot fish.

Only then could this idiot fish truly place "himself" at the center and believe that everything that followed came from his own heart, that it was his own choice rather than something Kano had influenced him into doing.

"Yes, that's right. This is the ability this world has given me. I should use my own ability to gain more friends."

This idiot fish, One-Horn, truly did not disappoint Kano's guidance. In less than a minute of hesitation, he decided to defy his brother's warning.

"That's right, One-Horn. You are the chieftain's younger brother. You should have more people supporting you, more people becoming your friends. Use the ability this world has given you and shoulder your mission and responsibility."

"The you who once suffered bullying and mockery is in the past. The you of today should become confident and cheerful, gaining friends and supporters of your own!"

Kano's voice in One-Horn's mind suddenly became impassioned, filling One-Horn with a sense of mission and responsibility.

That was right. As the chieftain's younger brother, he deserved more respect and more friends!

He should have more friends and supporters!

Unnoticed, a flame of ambition began to burn in One-Horn's dull fish eyes. Kano noticed that something else had appeared in those eyes and smiled in satisfaction.

"Raise your head, One-Horn. Your ability is your responsibility. You were born a fish different from all the others!"

Kano shouted, and One-Horn slowly raised his dull fish head, looking at that benevolent figure dressed in red robes beneath the sunlight.

"I understand!"

One-Horn nodded his round fish head vigorously at Kano, then held his head high, raised the black horn aloft, and strode proudly back toward the tribe.

Watching One-Horn leave, Kano finally could not hold back his laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! At last, the first step has begun. Soon, there will be a second step, then a third..."

After One-Horn departed, Kano raised his head and let out a low laugh, one filled with savagery and cruelty.