บท 9: Chapter 9
Upon arriving at the mansion, Evan tried to start a full-fledged story with the two, but the servants and maids who met the party dragged Shine and Belois away as soon as they saw the children.
Dyne quietly explained to Evan why.
"It is standard procedure to thoroughly search the bodies of those who enter the mansion and make the children as clean as possible. By the way, how are you going to use them?"
"I'm thinking of putting them close to me. As my exclusive servants for now… but I have more use for them later."
"Even the girl?!" Maybell joined in.
"Maybell, you be quiet, or I'll send you to the dungeon. Even without Belois, you're not my exclusive maid."
Dyne expressed his concern in a serious voice while Evan struggled with Maybell. "I heard from the outside what Master has said to the children. It was admirable. At your age, you know how to bend people's minds. The two of them will never betray you… but Master, those children will eventually find out that…"
"I never lied to those children, Dyne," Evan shrugged as he replied. "They will be really strong. You'll see in three years."
"If you say so, Master. Let's get inside and eat. I'll tell the servants to send them to you as soon as they are ready."
***
When Shine and Belois returned, they looked clean and were wearing clean uniforms.
The uniforms were of the perfect size, and the children looked very pretty in them.
Their bruises were also gone. It was possible that the mansion's priest treated them.
"Oh, you're here! Cool. Very pretty. Yeah," he met them excitedly.
But of them had traces of tears in their eyes, but now they seemed to have calmed down.
Belois approached him and immediately held on to his clothes.
If Maybell was here, she would surely have something to say, but luckily, she wasn't. Evan was alone with the children.
Before Evan could say anything else, Shine began to talk to him.
"You said earlier; we have something you want. After our talents are proven, we are yours… what will we do here? Can we serve you as your servants?"
<Squeak.>
Evan was deeply moved by Shine's passion. He nodded.
<Squeak>
"There's only one thing I'll need you to do," he said. "Just protect me."
"You… Will we call you 'Master'?"
They seemed to have received brief training from the servants before they were sent here.
Evan honestly didn't think that these children should be bound by the rules as the other servants.
However, if he treats them differently, it may look suspicious for the other servants.
Evan decided not to change it.
<Squeak>
"Yes. Call me 'Master.'"
"But… we're just children. How can we protect you?"
Evan shook his head. Shine couldn't seem to understand. Why would the second son of the Marquis need further protection?
"You are going to be incredibly strong," he reminded them. "I want you to protect me with that ability. Stay attached to me; stay close to me, prevent risks. That's the only thing I want from you."
<Squeak>
It sounds very simple, but it was a task that these two would keep forever.
Shine and Belois gave up their lives the moment they sold themselves to slavery. Being chosen to serve the Marquis' son was the best thing that could happen to them.
Shine was quiet for a moment, then asked Evan a question.
"Perhaps… will you be in a dangerous situation in the future?"
Evan nodded. "You're smart. That's right. It will be so. That's why I need you."
To Shine, Evan spoke like a prophet who had seen the future through divine revelation. He was speechless.
From the beginning, he was curious as to why Evan knew they were in the slave market, even if the manager didn't show them.
Not only did he confidently say that Shine and Belois, whom everyone ignored as weaklings, are going to be incredibly stronger… he also knew about a great danger coming in the future.
Obviously, he is something else! He is not just a master who has a lot of money!
<Squeak>
Shine raised his hand and pointed at Evan's left hand. In it, slime repeatedly appeared about every seven seconds, getting killed by his grip.
He couldn't stand it anymore. It was an important conversation, but the slimes were very noisy.
"What is that?"
"This is my personal training. It's a secret to other people here in the mansion, but I'm showing it to you because you will be with me in the future."
Belois also seemed interested in the slime. "It looks so soft. I want to do it, too."
With her current power, it was possible that even one of these slimes could kill her, so Evan won't let her. He stroked her head and smiled.
"Don't worry, Belois; you'll be able to easily catch even more terrifying monsters than these later on… Now, in that sense…"
Evan changed the topic to soothe Belois. "I have told you what I want; now it's my turn to listen to what you want."
"What we… want?"
<Squeak>
Evan thought he was really good at bringing that topic. He wants to know what these children wanted as early as now, so they could not ask for more in the future!
Unfortunately, Shine and Belois were too young to detect his exploitation.
"I want to wear warm clothes, eat until I'm full, and sleep well under a roof," Shine answered.
"I want the same…" Belois added. "I don't like to be hungry."
Evan shook his head. "No, those are your basic rights. Let's move one to a higher level of desire, shall we? I'm willing to listen to everything you want. I'm the second son of the Marquis. You can speak freely."
<Squeak>
The children were silent as if they had no clue what he's saying. He sighed.
"You will not be hungry, and you will sleep comfortably. Then, what else do you want to do, Shine?"
Shine closed his eyes. His fists clenched tightly. He gritted his teeth.
"Monsters…"
"Monsters?"
"I want to kill all the monsters. All those who brutally killed my mother and father, I will kill them all!"
Evan smiled bitterly. Shine said it with a blazing determination that Belois instinctively grasped Evan's sleeves in fear.
I was right. I guessed it was a value that was formed since he was a child, Evan thought.
Evan was optimistic about Shine's vengeance. In the game, the Silent K/night was known for his hatred of all monsters.
He was treated as a necessary evil and was barely looked at as a human. He slaughtered many humans, too, but the number of monsters he killed was incomparable.
If someone could treat him as a human if someone could influence him… No, this doesn't matter anymore!
"It will be as you wish, Shine. But in order for you to be strong, you have to go into the dungeon."
<Squeak>
"The dungeon? Won't I die there? I'm too weak…"
"You will not die there as long as you follow as I say. Never."
At the end of Evan's words, Shine again closes his eyes and seemed to be deep in thought.
Then, to everyone's surprise, he suddenly knelt in front of Evan.
He lifted his head and looked up at Evan, with eyes as dark as obsidian, and declared.
"If that is the case if I can come to get my revenge… I will kill all of them for you."
"Are you sure? Aren't you wasting your life at a very young age?"
"I am old enough to decide. I'll go through the dungeon with you."
Shine's eyes glowed with poison. Evan smiled at him and pulled him up.
"Good. Then, do as you please."
"Thank you, Master."
<Squeak>
"Then what about you, Belois? What do you want to do?"
Evan was a little nervous at this one. If the Silent K/night was devoted to killing monsters in the game, the Blood Witch was committed to destroying humanity.
She was not a monster or a demon, but she was more devastating than anything else.
In fact, one of the main quests was to defeat the Blood Witch.
It was a difficult quest to reach and more difficult to complete.
In the game, Evan had a storyline which led him to flirt with the Blood Witch.
If this was successfully completed, the Blood Witch's speed would be slower, so everyone praised Evan for doing it.
However, even if he helped everyone, Evan dies in the process.
Now, this sweet and innocent little girl…
How could she become a crazy witch who wanted to kill all human beings?
"I… … I do not know," Belois answered after a while.
In that simple answer, Evan's worries stopped.
"I hate being starved. I want to be strong… I don't know what I want to do. Nothing, I don't know."
At that point, Evan stopped summoning slime. He bowed a little, meeting Belois' eye level, and said in a kind tone:
"It's okay, Belois."
Belois will be an extraordinary adult, but she is still a child now.
He remembered her crying in the carriage.
The image of the little girl who was unfortunate…
He will be her guide.
Beloi stared at Evan with her red eyes. "Okay?"
Her hand firmly held his sleeves. He carefully put his hand over her hand as he spoke to her.
"Belois, you're only seven years old now. There's a lot to know. It's not your fault. So, whatever it is, take it slow, and when you know, tell me, okay?"
"Okay…"
"Tell me when it's time. Whatever it is, I'll help you get it."
"Really?"
"Sure."
Beloi's eyes widened slightly. Evan proudly stood up.
Actually, he wanted to do the same caring bluff with Shine, but Shine was already crazy at nine years old.
He had a terrifying voice when he said, 'I'm going to kill them all!'
Evan shivered slightly before he spoke to them once more.
"As I said before, I am the Marquis' son. I can get whatever I want for my precious bodyguards."
"Huh, I will try hard." Belois nodded. Evan smiled at the innocent child's reaction.
If Maybell saw him, she'd probably just laugh at him.
"Well, then."
The negotiations reached a satisfactory end. Evan exclaimed vigorously,
"From now on, I will prepare a special training for both of you! The final goal is to clear the dungeon!"
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