"I didn't expect that." Kafka smiled with relief. "The first thing you thought of after waking up was him. It seems you two get along even better than I expected. Don't worry, you won't hurt him. A-Mu is no weaker than any of us now. At most, you might scare him."
"Whether I hurt him or scare him, I don't want either to happen." Blade's voice was low. "Kafka, you know my condition. Trapped in mara as I am, I'm destined to fail at the role you've given me."
The role of an "older brother."
Blade regarded the family Kafka had put together as a script the woman had written.
In the past, Kafka had helped Blade a great deal. His ability to remain lucid depended entirely on her Word Spirit Art. It was something like hypnosis, making him temporarily forget the memories that might trigger his mara-struck condition.
Blade was not someone who failed to repay kindness.
So when Kafka invited him to play a role, he agreed without the slightest hesitation.
Play A-Mu's older brother?
At the time, Blade had run his fingers over the photograph of Chu Mu that Kafka handed him. The child's appearance had left him momentarily dazed, reminding him of his younger self.
His family had been destroyed, and the boy had come to the Xianzhou alone. As an outworlder, he had apprenticed himself to an artisan of the Artisanship Commission. As one of the short-life species, he had been looked down on by artisans with centuries of experience. How many cold looks had he endured? How much heartache?
Blade would not refuse Kafka.
But he did not believe he could play this role well.
He had accepted many scripted missions from Elio. When asked to fight or destroy, he could carry them out