The Paper User: Exiled for a ‘Trash Skill,’ Awakens True Power and Rises with Two Unique Skills - Chapter 21

 Chapter 21 : A Dangerous Request

Ten days had passed since the promotion test.

I was sparring with Kinako in the garden of Almine’s house.

When I brought down the wooden stick—meant to be a substitute for a dagger—Kinako stepped back with his right leg and dodged the strike.

“Not yet!”

I lunged forward with my left foot and thrust the stick.

Kinako batted it aside with his right paw and closed in.

Damn. He really is fast.

I jumped left to avoid Kinako’s punch—but he had read my movement. He shifted left at the same time and swept my legs.

“Wah!”

I lost balance and fell sideways.

Just as I tried to get up, Kinako’s paw lightly tapped my head.

“Your movements are still too naive.”

Kinako crossed his arms and looked down at me.

“You did well dodging my punch. But your gaze gave away where you were going. Weaklings might not notice that, but strong opponents will. You’d best remember that.”

I sat up and brushed the dirt from my jacket.

“I didn’t realize things like that mattered in a fight. This is really eye-opening.”

“Hmph. Still, you’re surprisingly dedicated. Ever since the promotion test, you’ve been challenging me to mock battles every day.”

“I just want to get stronger.”

“To get stronger, huh...”

Kinako narrowed his golden eyes.

“You’ve got a highly adaptable ability that lets you fight at range. And yet you’re training in close combat?”

“I think it increases my chances of survival. There are attacks paper can’t block, and this helps me conserve magic too.”

“I see. If you improve your close combat, you could fight like a magic swordsman. Or maybe even better, since your paper powers are so unpredictable.”

“Yeah. People don’t know how to respond to something so unusual.”

I stood up and lightly stretched out my arms and legs.

“Sorry for always dragging you into sparring. If you don’t mind, I’d appreciate your help from now on too.”

“No problem. If my party members grow stronger, it improves the odds I can fulfill my parents’ final wish.”

“What kind of wish?”

“To defeat Zeldia of the Six Demon Stars—the one who destroyed my hometown.”

Kinako’s gaze drifted into the distance, toward the clouds in the blue sky.

“Not that I have any real connection to that place—I was just a newborn kitten at the time. But my parents, who barely escaped after their friends were slaughtered, loved that village. Before they died, they left me one final request: ‘Avenge our home by killing the demon who destroyed it.’”

“So that was Zeldia of the Six Demon Stars?”

“Yeah. You’ve heard of them, right? The Six Demon Stars are the six top lieutenants of the Demon King Zezuz. Each one is a powerful demon feared across the continent. They’ve slaughtered countless humans and razed entire nations. No party or guild dared go after them. That’s why I always fought solo.”

“...I see. So that’s what drove you.”

I looked at Kinako as he gently touched the silver bell on his collar.

“Don’t get all gloomy now.”

Kinako tapped my thigh with his paw.

“I heard you grew up in an orphanage too.”

“Yeah. But my parents might still be alive.”

“...If they were, would you want to meet them?”

“I guess… yeah.”

I nodded.

“Apparently, when I was abandoned, there was a leather pouch tucked in my clothes. Inside was a slip of paper with my name and a platinum coin.”

“A platinum coin, huh?”

“Yeah. Director Flora told me whoever abandoned me probably didn’t do it because of money.”

“And?”

“And… she said it’s possible I have the blood of an otherworlder.”

As I said that, I touched my purplish-black hair.

“Otherworlders usually have special powers, right? Maybe that’s why I have two Unique Skills.”

“I see. The blood of an otherworlder, huh.”

“It’s just speculation. I’d have to ask my parents to know for sure.”

“...Right.”

Kinako looked straight into my eyes.

“In that case, I’ll drink tonight and pray you get to meet them.”

“You’re always drinking anyway!”

Before we realized it, Almine was standing at the front gate.

“You need to cut back on that. At this rate, you’ll die of liver failure before you ever take down Zeldia.”

“Hmph. Maybe that’s fine too. Though my parents would probably scratch my face off in the afterlife.”

Kinako smiled bitterly.

“So, Almine. Did you find us a new job?”

“Yes. It’s a request from the Adventurer Guild.”

Almine showed us a rolled-up parchment.

“Let’s talk inside. We can go over it with some tea.”

“I’d rather have alcohol.”

Kinako mumbled under his breath.

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Translator’s Note (TN):

• Six Demon Stars (六魔星, Roku Masei): This is a classic trope in Japanese fantasy storytelling—an elite group of six (or other symbolic numbers like 4 or 10) enemy generals under a Demon Lord. Each tends to have unique powers and lore, setting up future boss battles. The number six may reference "六道" (rokudō, the six paths of existence in Buddhist cosmology), adding mythic undertones.

• Kinako’s Silver Bell Collar: The bell is a common Japanese accessory for pet cats, signifying cuteness or ownership. For Kinako—a humanoid cat character—it likely symbolizes both his origins and his lingering connection to his deceased family. In Japanese stories, details like this often carry emotional weight and symbolism.

• Platinum Coin: High-value coins like this are used in Japanese RPG-style fantasy settings to imply nobility, hidden heritage, or unusual backstory—often signaling that the protagonist is “not just any orphan.”