The Eternal Friend of Spirits.
As soon as I saw that phrase, a thought crossed my mind.
‘…This is incredible, isn’t it?’
Just like the name which already looks extraordinary, it was an extremely powerful ability.
Among talents related to spirit magic, it was one of the highest-level ones.
‘Erciel.’
The moment I looked at her like that, a memory surfaced.
It was of Kyle, who looked rather shady, drinking and fooling around with some noblemen.
“Should we go to the slave auction?”
“Yes. I know of a great place, and I think it will suit your tastes, Sir Kyle. They have some excellent merchandise.”
“Oh, really?”
The conversation between Kyle and those noble brats shifted towards the slave auction.
‘Unbelievable.’
This was a memory from when I was ten years old.
Seriously.
These guys were rotten from the start.
When Kyle showed interest, the noble youths, who seemed to hold lower ranks, began to enthusiastically continue their conversation. They talked about how the place was secretly run and how the ‘merchandise’ was of top-notch quality.
In this memory, I could even feel Kyle’s emotions and thoughts.
It was a different playback method compared to before, where it only showed scenes.
Soon, this scumbag, drunk, accompanied by nobles and his bodyguard, headed to the place.
A slave auction.
[ What we are presenting today is quite a fine specimen! From the southernmost part of the Alton Empire, the third daughter of Baron Helaim, we present Erciel! ]
From a first-person perspective.
In the view, a young girl came out, trembling with fear, her eyes full of unease.
She looked like she was about the age of a first grader.
It was quite the shocking worldview.
If something like that happened in modern times, people would be in handcuffs in no time.
In the game, I just accepted it as part of the world, but thinking of it as reality made me feel really uncomfortable.
While watching the scene unfold, Kyle’s emotions were transmitted to me.
It seemed like the emotion he felt was a sense of camaraderie.
A girl whose family fell apart and was sold off.
And a delinquent ignored and scorned by his own family.
Both were cast-offs in similar situations.
Soon, fat nobles wearing masks started eyeing the girl eagerly.
“Fifty gold!”
“Seventy gold!”
“One hundred gold!”
As the auction heated up.
“Three hundred gold.”
A drunken, slurred voice was heard.
At the same time, the bodyguard standing behind Kyle frowned.
Even though Kyle was the son of a wealthy Marquis family, three hundred gold was not an amount to be spent recklessly.
The scumbag probably had all sorts of disgusting thoughts about what to do with a young girl he bought for that much.
After winning the bid for Erciel, Kyle looked at her trembling form and smirked as he slurred his words.
“I’m not planning to do anything, so stop shaking~”
“…Yes? Y–Yes…”
“Leonhardt.”
“Yes.”
“I want to take this girl as my maid.”
“But her identity is unclear…”
“Didn’t the seller vouch for her?”
“…Why are you doing something so out of character?”
“I just…feel sorry for her? A fallen noble’s daughter. It’s a tragic fate.”
“…That doesn’t sound like you, young master.”
Leonhardt.
He was the personal bodyguard assigned to this delinquent.
At a young age, he had already reached quite a high level and had served the family with loyalty since childhood.
Thanks to the Marquis’s trust, he was one of the few knights who could reprimand this scumbag.
That’s probably why this delinquent couldn’t do anything about Leonhardt’s sharp remarks.
“Aren’t you tired of always disagreeing with me?”
“Don’t actions determine how one is treated?”
“Haa…Anyway, I’ve decided. I’m taking her.”
“I’m sure the Marquis will…”
“Nonsense. Do you think Father cares about something like this? It’s just assigning a maid. Erciel, was it? Will you come with me? If you wish, I’ll set you free.”
Perhaps because of the drunken sympathy, Kyle’s tone sounded surprisingly gentle.
Upon hearing his words, Erciel looked visibly relieved.
“…I’ll go.”
The memory ended there.
‘That’s why her affection level is high.’
In this harsh world, assigning a noble family’s maid position to a child with no connections, and providing regular meals and wages.
It made sense that her affection level was 30.
Or rather.
‘Is that all the affection she has after doing that much for her? How odd.’
Even though he hadn’t laid a hand on her, the constant verbal abuse toward his maids probably caused her affection level to drop over time.
Was it because I had seen Kyle’s memories?
Even though this was essentially our first time meeting, she felt strangely familiar.
I looked at her and asked.
“Erciel.”
“Yes, young master?”
“Have you ever thought about spirits?”
“…Spirits?”
“Yeah, spirits.”
“No… Why do you ask about spirits all of a sudden…?”
“No reason.”
Seeing her confused expression, I could somewhat grasp the situation. It seemed she had no idea about the talent she possessed.
‘She would’ve continued to live as a maid.’
I almost missed a gem right in front of me.
Maybe it was because I used mana to break the curse?
I was extremely hungry.
I felt like I needed to eat something first.
“Hey.”
“Yes, young master?”
“I need to talk to you, but can you wait a moment?”
“I’ll wait.”
“I’ll talk after I eat. I’m starving.”
“Yes.”
Perhaps because her affection level was 30?
She was showing a rather kind attitude.
After spending ten minutes or so eating, I finally placed the emptied plates down.
“Uh…”
“Hm?”
“Did the food suit your taste?”
“Yeah. It was delicious. Did you make it?”
At my reply, Erciel’s expression brightened.
“Yes.”
“You’re good at cooking. Did you make these too?”
When I pointed to the other dishes she had brought, she nodded.
“Some of them.”
“Thanks. I enjoyed it.”
At my gratitude, she smiled quietly.
She’s quite modest.
Are all the ten-year-olds around here like this?
Even though some of Kyle’s memories had blended in, I couldn’t help but find it unfamiliar.
In Korea, kids that age would still be running around without a care in the world.
Soon, her gaze turned to the empty plate.
“You seem a bit different today.”
“How so?”
“…Just everything, really…”
Seeing her hesitating to explain, I chuckled.
Erciel.
She’s not an enemy, and she even holds some favor toward me. Plus, she has considerable talent.
‘She’d be perfect if I raised her well.’
I thought she’d be a great fit under my command.
The more talented people I had to stop the villains who would appear in the future, the better.
There’s a saying, after all.
Many hands make light work.
Especially if those hands belong to someone as talented as her.
To gather capable people like her, I needed to present a vision.
At the very least, I needed to shed the “worthless scoundrel” label. Only then would anyone see something worthwhile and choose to follow me.
“I’ve been thinking for the past few days, and I’ve decided to start living more earnestly.”
“…Excuse me?”
“I want to live past twenty. To do that, I need to change now.”
Survival.
This was the perfect motivation for this scoundrel to change his ways.
Nobody would find it strange if I said I wanted to live and was working hard to survive.
Just as I finished speaking, her eyes darkened.
“…”
That look.
It was like the gaze someone gives a terminal cancer patient clinging to life but with near-zero chances of survival.
A blocked body.
Here, that trait was treated like an incurable disease, so her reaction was understandable.
But I didn’t care.
‘It’s not hard to overcome.’
Mana Blockage.
As long as I had that, eliminating this trait was more than possible.
Don’t worry, kid.
You’re going to see a lot more of me, for a very long time.
Looking at Erciel, I spoke.
“Since I’ve eaten, I’d like to go outside for a bit.”
“…Outside?”
“Yeah. I thought I’d take a walk.”
If Kyle’s memories were correct, this was an annex.
Why had this guy been cooped up here for three whole days, drowning in alcohol?
It was because of the house arrest imposed by his father, the marquis. It was the consequence of living as a complete scoundrel for too long.
“…But the Lord has…”
“I just want to breathe in some fresh air. I don’t intend to cause any trouble.”
Of course, that was just what I was saying.
I had a different reason for wanting to go outside.
The view outside the window.
There were far more mana particles floating out there than inside the annex.
The outside was like a golden Eldorado.
‘Waiting until the house arrest ends would be crazy.’
If the duration wasn’t long, I might consider waiting, but unfortunately, it was indefinite. If I just sat around waiting, I’d end up stuck in the annex for at least a year.
In this situation, where I needed to build up my strength quickly before the villains started appearing, waiting was the worst option.
I’d rather just make a bold move and step outside.
If things went according to plan, I’d be able to continue going out regularly from now on.
“So, can I ask you to guide me? As you know, I’m not in the best of health.”
“…Alright.”
She didn’t refuse my request.
She wasn’t in a position to refuse in the first place.
After leaving the room, I began walking behind her.
The mana particles scattered throughout the corridor.
I had no intention of letting them slip away.
Absorbing the particles as I walked down the hallway, I began to notice the other people in the annex.
Most of them were maids or servants.
And they all had one thing in common.
[Favorability: -50]
[Favorability: -60]
[Favorability: -65]
‘Good grief.’
Their favorability toward me was significantly in the negatives.
Out of the dozens of people here, how could not a single one of them have a neutral favorability?
I didn’t even expect a positive number, but I was desperate to find at least a zero.
Naturally, my eyes turned to the top of Erciel’s head. It seemed I had misunderstood something.
Favorability of 30.
I thought that was low, but it wasn’t.
It was probably a number that only this scoundrel’s parents could achieve.
The spacious, two-story annex.
Just as we reached the first floor and were about to open the door, a voice called out.
“You’re not allowed to leave, Young Master.”
A deep, commanding voice.
As I instinctively turned toward it, I saw a knight clad in full armor.
[Insight is activated.]
[This individual is of a higher level. You cannot grasp their essence.]
[Leonhardt (23)]
[Talent: ??]
[Trait: ??]
[Favorability: -50]
Leonhardt.
A highly skilled knight, he was wasting his time here due to being under the command of the wrong person.
That’s probably why his favorability toward me was -50.
“I just want to take a walk.”
“Did you forget what the Lord said? Erciel, what were you thinking, bringing the young master here?”
“Well…”
His firm stance made it clear he wouldn’t be easy to convince.
‘Stubborn as ever.’
I knew this guy very well.
Leonhardt was a famous character in ‘Fantasy Defense’.
After the fall of the Marquis family.
He became a wandering freelance knight available for hire.
With high potential and a trait of never betraying his employer, he was always one of the top choices for recruitment.
‘He’s just the same as before.’
That expressionless face was exactly as I remembered it.
Seeing him in person was a bit intimidating, but that didn’t mean I’d back down.
I was determined to convince this stubborn knight to let me go out.
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