Nameless continued, "To learn Stiches you need to be at least at the Silver Rank with delicate control over soul power. If you don’t have the talent you can only be like me, using the souls of scums and demonic creatures to utilize Stitches and heal the world."
Nameless’s words revealed a crucial detail that Ray caught onto instantly, making his identity clear to him.
’I didn’t expect I would meet him here of all places,’ Ray thought while keeping his expression as natural as he possibly could. At least, until he had confirmed Nameless’s true nature, he didn’t want him to know that he had discerned his identity.
Nameless’s explanation continued.
"Out of the several dozen million people in our Leon Kingdom, at least a hundred thousand of them are tamers according to rough estimates. Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? But when you break it down, you realize ninety percent of them are made up of Iron and Bronze Rank Tamers. Silver and Gold Rankers? Barely eight percent. Black Gold Rankers are ever rarer. Grand Warlords? You can count them on two hands. As for the Overlord... there’s only one." He tilted his head, watching Ray closely. "Do you see what I’m getting at?"
"Only ten percent of tamers meet the bare minimum requirement to even attempt learning Stitches," Ray murmured, sounding slightly confident. But, he was not absolutely certain that he got it right.
"You get the gist of it." Nameless said, "But the actual number is far lower." ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novęlfire.net
"How low?" Ray questioned.
"3 times at least," Nameless answered.
"You kidding me?" Ray raised his eyebrow.
Nameless shook his head in response, revealing,
"The tamers who can learn Stiches aren’t as free as you think.
"The Black Gold Rankers are called Counts for a reason. Their duties are as heavy as the privileges granted to them by the Crown. Entire counties rely on them to survive in the face of the demonic creatures’s assault. How could they afford to learn Stiches and vanish into dungeons to close rifts when a horde of demonic creatures could appear at the gates of their counties at any moment? They also set out to kill powerful demonic creatures that wander too close to their county regularly. Their hands are full.
"Since the responsibilities of Counts are so many, they needed helpers. That’s what made the ranks of Viscounts possible. Viscounts help lessen their burdens. Most Counts are unwilling to put their Viscounts in danger as they don’t want to lose capable underlings, so they actively restrict them from going to dungeons where situations can turn for the worst suddenly. That takes out another 4-5% from the 10% that meets the bare minimum requirement of learning stitches."
"What about the remaining 5%?" Ray asked.
"Grand Warlords are busy defending the kingdom’s borders in places you can’t even begin to imagine. It’s a secret but they are not even on this planet. As for our Overlord. He’s the pillar holding our entire world together. His mere presence stops enemy Overlords from tearing through our borders. You honestly can’t expect him to step away from the throne to go patch up rifts, right?"
At Namless’s words, Ray nodded.
Human race might seem strong with over a hundred thousand tamers, but in truth, their survival was wholly dependent on King Leon.
If he died, the Overlords of the demonic creatures would lead their enemies to attack the Leon Kingdom.
With the destruction of the Leon Kingdom, the human population that has risen to 100 million from less than a million in merely a 100 years since its foundation would be reduced to a pitiful number.
"Out of millions, only three percent could even try to take up the task of sealing rifts. They are Silver Rank tamers and independent experts like the Shattering Mother with no heavy obligations tying them down, but even among them, most lack the capability to truly learn Stitches, and those who do have the brains and talent to grasp it? They simply choose not to."
Ray frowned. "Why would they do that? Isn’t becoming the Shattering Mother’s legacy disciple the greatest honor imaginable? Why would they willingly give that up?"
Nameless let out a dry laugh, his tone thick with scorn. "Heh... why would they actively throw themselves into becoming her disciples, only to take on a thankless job like sealing rifts? They’re already living in sprawling mansions, dining on delicacies every night, bathing in wine, and drowning in luxury. Why risk their necks, why shoulder the world’s burden, when they can simply lean back on their titles as barons and their reputation as strongmen of the kingdom and enjoy life while letting the world rot?"
"It was too naive of me to overlook that point," Ray said.
Nameless was desperate and righteous so he was sacrificed his time and putting in a great deal of efforts to close rifts, but others weren’t like him. They weren’t desperate enough to risk their lives for a thankless job, and they were also too used to their live of comfort and luxury to play hero.
"If you were ever faced with the choice of wronging yourself for the sake of saving the world’s commoners, or wronging the world for the sake of your own benefit—which one would you choose?" Ray asked suddenly, the question slipping from his lips like a blade testing the edge of another.
Nameless didn’t even pause to think. His reply came with the calmness of one who had long since carved his answer into his very bones.
"Is there even a need to think? Naturally, I would place the lives of our people above all else! In my eyes, they are not mere peasants nor faceless crowds. They are the blood that feeds the heart of the kingdom, the marrow that strengthens its bones. From their sweat, the granaries overflow; from their labor, the mines yield treasures; from their ranks, the vast majority of our tamers and new blood rise.