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The Paper User: Exiled for a ‘Trash Skill,’ Awakens True Power and Rises with Two Unique Skills- Prologue 2

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Prologue 2

Once all the goblins had been defeated, I heard the sound of applause coming from behind.

I turned toward the sound.

Standing atop a gentle slope was Kilsas, the leader of the Holy Sword Order and an S-Rank adventurer.

He was twenty-four years old, taller than me, with a lean, graceful build. His golden hair reached his shoulders, and he wore radiant white magical armor.

Kilsas stopped clapping and parted his well-shaped lips.

“Twenty-one goblins, huh. Not a bad result. But…”

He fell silent for several seconds.

“…Don’t think this is good enough. You’re going to have to get much stronger. At the very least, you need to become C-Rank adventurers.”

“Of course,” Albel replied.

“We’re just starting out as adventurers, so yeah, we’re still F-Rank. But we’ll hit C-Rank in no time—no, we’ll surpass A-Rank and make it all the way to S-Rank!”

“Confident, are you? Well, that’s good. Without the will to grow stronger, you’ll never make it to the top.”

Kilsas looked around at all of us.

“It’s been thirty days since you joined the Holy Sword Order. I’ve been observing you during that time… and now I’m certain. There’s a problem.”

“A problem?”

Albel tilted his head.

“What problem could there possibly be with me?”
“Not you. I’m talking about the Paper User, Yakumo.”

Kilsas pointed directly at me.

“Huh? I’m the problem?”

I stared back at him, mouth half open.

“That’s right. Your ability to control paper is an extremely rare Unique Skill. I doubt anyone else has it. But that ability isn’t strong.”
“Not strong…?”
“You know it yourself, don’t you? The paper you create vanishes after a short time. It’s only good for distractions or brief delays.”

Running a hand through his golden hair, Kilsas continued.

“On top of that, you don’t have any other useful Skills. All you’ve got is 【Paper User】. That makes your future pretty bleak.”
“My future…?”
“Exactly. Albel, Dazzle, and Camilla all have multiple powerful combat Skills. They’ve got talent and potential. But you? You have no future.”

“N-no… even without combat Skills, if I train hard every day, I can still get stronger. Like, even without something like 【Strength Boost】, if I work at it—”

“I know that. But those who do have combat Skills can grow much faster and easier. Even if you try your hardest with that useless Unique Skill, I doubt you’ll even reach D-Rank.”

His words sent a chill through my entire body.

Skills were special abilities granted to humans during childhood. They came in all types—combat-based ones like 【Strength Boost】 or 【Endurance Boost】, or more practical ones like 【Plant Growth】 and 【Water Generation】.

It’s said that the gods of the heavens bestow these blessings, and nearly every person has at least one Skill.

Those with combat Skills often become knights, soldiers, or adventurers.

But even those without combat Skills can still enter those professions and make a name for themselves…

“Yakumo, I had high hopes for you too.”

Kilsas’s voice turned somber.

“I thought maybe even your 【Paper User】 Skill could be used in battle. But after what I saw today, I’m convinced. 【Paper User】 is a trash Skill.”
“Trash… Skill…”

My voice cracked.

“…W-wait! 【Paper User】 can be useful in combat! Just now, I used it to take down goblins—”
“Yes, I saw. I saw you getting your ass handed to you by a goblin.”
“That was just—”
“No excuses. Your expulsion has already been decided.”
“Huh? E–expulsion…?”
“That’s right. I’m kicking you out of the Holy Sword Order.”

Kilsas said it without hesitation.

“I formed the Holy Sword Order two years ago. We’ve built a solid reputation with the Adventurers’ Guild, and we’re now considered one of the five strongest groups in Tansa. But I’m not satisfied with that. I’ll build us up into the strongest order in the entire Leste Kingdom. That’s why I brought in new members.”
“New members…?”
“Yeah. An A-Rank adventurer. His salary is way higher than a rookie’s, but he’s an immediate asset and will earn more than enough to justify it.”
“…So you’re kicking me out to make room?”
“Exactly. Honestly, four rookies was always too many.”

Kilsas shrugged.

“Getting rid of the most useless one is just common sense.”
“The… most useless…”

His words hit me like a slap.

It’s true that Albel and the others had multiple combat Skills, and in a one-on-one fight, they’d probably beat me. But in a party battle, I had pulled my weight—I acted according to the situation, supported the team…

Did Kilsas really not notice that?

“Aw man. Tough break, Yakumo.”

Albel gave my shoulder a light pat.

“We only spent thirty days together, but hey—good luck with whatever group you join next.”
“Yeah, although… I doubt any other group will take you.”

Dazzle leaned in close, grinning.

“Once word gets out that you got kicked from the Holy Sword Order, no other team will want you. And a quick appraisal spell will show you don’t even have a combat Skill.”

“He’s right,” Camilla added.

“You kinda stood out, you know? Everyone noticed that useless Unique Skill of yours.”

Camilla flipped her red hair back and curled her lips in a smirk.

“Well, if you can’t get into a big party, maybe you can try a smaller team of three or four? And if even that’s too much, you could always go solo.”
“An F-Rank solo adventurer, huh. Bet he won’t last a week. Heheh.”

Dazzle let out a creepy little laugh.

“Well then…”

Kilsas clapped his hands at his chest.

“Yakumo, this is where we part ways. From now on, we walk different paths—but I wish you luck, truly.”

He turned his back on me and walked away, taking Albel and the others with him—leaving me behind, stunned and speechless.

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