Gon's Harem System

"I wonder why they let him on important missions like this," another voice muttered, just loud enough for Gon to hear. "It's not like he can protect us, or even himself for that matter."

The words stung, though Gon had long since stopped reacting to them. 

The townsfolk often spoke of him this way, as though his mere presence was a mistake, something that could never live up to the greatness of his title. 

It was a quiet reminder of how little he meant in their eyes, a reminder that he was nothing more than a figurehead.

"I don't know about you, but I won't feel safe having a duke who can't protect me," another voice chimed in, their tone full of disdain.

The conversation continued, each voice adding to the chorus of judgment. "He's basically worthless," one said. 

"Good for nothing," another added, their words sharper than the rest. "What use is a duke's son who can't even defend his own people?"

The whispers and criticisms flowed around Gon and his eyes watered slightly.

They spoke as though he were invisible, their words blurred together, each one reinforcing the same cruel truth they believed about him.

Gon's steps remained steady, though his heart ached with each remark. 

He had grown numb to their opinions, but some still found their way in, slipping through the cracks of his resolve. 

The town, the people, they had all already decided who he was. 

He was hurt that they would all say such things about him, their words like sharp stones thrown without mercy. 

But what hurt even more was the silence from his father. 

Duke Edmond, who commanded respect from all corners of the kingdom, stood there, walking ahead without a word to stop the cruel murmurs.

The duke's indifference, the way he let the townspeople speak so freely, cut deeper than any insult. 

Gon had hoped, at least once, that his father would stand up for him, would silence the voices that tore at his dignity. 

But instead, the duke kept his gaze forward, as if his son's suffering were just another inconvenient detail he could ignore.

It wasn't the first time, and it likely wouldn't be the last. 

Gon had learned to swallow the hurt, to bury the feelings of abandonment. 

But even so, each time his father turned away, it reminded him that he wasn't worthy of protection, not even from the one person who should have cared the most.

He clenched his fists, the anger rising within him like a storm he couldn't control. 

"I will find a way, I promise", he thought fiercely, the words tumbling in his mind as if they could somehow force his reality to change.

"I will show all of you that I am worth something".

But even as he said it, a deep, painful truth settled in his chest. 

He knew, deep down, that there was no hope for him, not really. 

No matter how hard he tried, no matter how much determination he poured into every effort, there was no way for him to gain mana. 

It wasn't something he could learn, earn, or will into existence.

And without mana, there was no path forward. 

No way for him to become skilled, to defend himself or protect others, to live up to the expectations placed on him. 

The weight of his limitations pressed on him like a suffocating cloud. 

The future he imagined, the one where he proved himself, seemed more like a distant dream, one that would never come true.

He sighed and continued walking on.

****

The next day, Gon lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. 

His mind was filled with the harsh words from the day before, the weight of his father's indifference, and the growing sense of hopelessness that clung to him. 

After a long moment of stillness, he rolled onto his side, his gaze falling toward the small table by his bed. 

His eyes caught something, a scroll his grandmother had given him a long time ago. He hadn't thought about it in years. 

It was a simple thing, old and worn, with intricate symbols scribbled on the edges.

Gon remembered the day he got it.

While everyone else in the family had been given lands, farms, and other valuable inheritances, the scroll was the only thing his grandmother had left him in her will. 

It had puzzled Gon why she chose it for him, especially because it seemed so insignificant compared to the wealth and status passed on to others. 

When the family learned of it, They mocked him for it, laughing behind his back.

"A scroll", they would sneer, their voices dripping with sarcasm. "A punishment for being useless," some even said, their words cold and cruel.

Gon thought so as well but curiosity had pushed him forward.

With a mix of hope and uncertainty, he had hurriedly reached for the scroll, his hands trembling slightly as he unrolled it. 

Maybe, just maybe, there was something inside.

But as he spread the scroll open, his heart sank. The parchment was completely blank, not a single word or symbol was written on it-nothing.

A deep wave of sadness washed over him, as the realization settled in. He wasn't even surprised; it made sense, didn't it? After all, he had no magic. 

He had no potential. The scroll, like everything else in his life, was a reminder that he was useless. 

He closed his eyes for a moment, swallowing the sting of disappointment.

He rolled the scroll back up, his fingers tight around it as if holding on to something that had betrayed him. 

For a moment, the thought crossed his mind to throw it away.

But something inside him stopped him. Some small part of him couldn't bring himself to discard it completely.

Instead, he left it on his drawer, tucked away but still in plain sight, a quiet reminder of how everyone viewed him. 

Now back to our story.

Gon looked at the scroll for a long moment, its presence heavy in his hands.

He had avoided it ever since But now, something in him stirred. Slowly, he picked it up again, his fingers brushing against the old parchment. He hesitated for a moment, then unrolled it.

As he spread the scroll open, he stared at the blank pages, just as he had before.

But this time, instead of the familiar ache of failure, something else began to form in his chest.

As he kept staring at the pages, a thought occured to him, what if the scroll wasn't actually empty but needed a key to unlock it?