Bowen finished going through all the system messages and finally decided it was time to extend some hospitality to his guest. He shook his space bracelet, and from it emerged the Baron's butler, gasping for breath and in desperate need of help.
"Please... help," the butler managed to utter, his throat slashed and struggling to breathe. Time seemed to stand still within the confines of the space bracelet, preserving his wretched existence. The constant fear of death and agony kept the butler in a state of perpetual terror. Now, outside that confinement, he could feel his condition deteriorating rapidly. The blood flowed from his throat without ceasing, causing his body to grow cold. Summoning his last reserves of strength, he pleaded for mercy from the very person responsible for his sorry state. To his dismay, the young boy met his desperate gaze with cold indifference, devoid of any trace of kindness. Tears welled up in the butler's eyes as he realized that this boy would calmly witness his demise without a hint of compassion, allowing him to struggle in his final moments.
"Do you want to live?" Bowen asked slowly, sitting near the butler as if it were even a question.
"Yes... ha... yes..." the butler managed to nod, even though he couldn't speak properly.
Bowen took out a magical contract he had received from the third prince, along with an untouched pen.
"Sign this," he said.
The butler couldn't believe what was happening before him. A 6 or 7-year-old boy who was so strong and cruel, ready to kill someone in the blink of an eye. And now he had a magical contract worth at least 3 golds, and it was blank. Bowen could fill in anything he wanted once it was signed. It could very well turn into an eternal tool of torture. The butler was certain that Bowen had the means to save him and that Bowen had some use for him. Otherwise, why would he waste such a precious contract on someone who was about to die?
The butler steeled his mind. He would do anything to save his life. No, he had to live for that person at least. With trembling hands, he grabbed the pen, but his fading vitality made it difficult to maintain a firm grip. He saw his hands smeared with the blood that had come out of his throat. Using his own blood as ink, he left a thumbprint on the bottom right of the contract. Bowen picked it up and transferred it to the space bracelet. Quickly, he took one of Gia's pills and put it in the butler's mouth. Soon, the slash on the butler's throat visibly stitched up, and he felt vitality returning to his body. He was dumbstruck by what was happening. After a few minutes, the blood-soaked uniform was the only reminder of the suffering he had endured.
"A miracle pill? Who the heck are you exactly?" the butler asked, the words escaping him due to the series of surprises from Bowen.
Bowen didn't say anything; instead, he touched the butler's shoulder once to fulfill the physical contact requirement and activate his status awareness. Only two lines appeared above the butler's head.
Loyal butler of Baron of Aswalt - Nicholas.
Status: Unawakened
Bowen couldn't see the butler's stats, skills, or other information. But he had an important clue. The system rating someone as loyal meant they had to be extremely truthful and sincere to earn that title.
Bowen turned to the butler and asked, "Whom do you work for?"
The butler lowered his head and whispered, "Why do you have to ask the obvious? Our esteemed Lady Baroness Sasha, of course," he said.
Bowen threatened, "Are you willing to lie even when your life is in my hands?
"I don't understand what you're talking about," the butler feigned ignorance.
"Or... maybe I should kill your daughter instead," Bowen tried his luck.
"I am... I am telling the truth. Please believe me. My loyalty is only for the Baroness," pleaded the butler.
"Fine," said Bowen, leaning closer to the butler. "How about I write that you will kill the Baron with your own hands in the contract?"
At this point, the butler began trembling with fear in his eyes. "You... you..." he stammered.
"Why are you getting worked up? Your Lady Sasha wants to get rid of the Baron sooner or later. She will reward you abundantly if you help her become a widow," Bowen said, smiling.
Just the thought of it made the butler's eyes fill with tears. How could he commit such an act against his own master, whom he had sworn to protect with his life? He felt that he would rather die than hurt his master.
"Please... PLEASE kill me instead. Don't make me commit such a great sin," cried the butler, falling to the floor with his head touching the ground, tears soaking the floor. Bowen had never seen such loyalty before.
"Don't worry, my target is the Baroness, not the Baron. So come clean." said Bowen, comfortably sitting on his chair, observing the sorry state of the loyal servant.
"The Baroness? You really won't harm the Baron, right?"
"It depends on how well you tell the truth. Convince me that you are not hiding anything," Bowen said, giving the butler a menacing look. The butler could never have expected such cruelty from a young child.
"In fact, Aswalt was a neglected haven for refugees. The great war of Grimesphere in the center extended its reach even to the rural areas of Yuria, and this coastal town became a thriving place for those who had lost their homes. My family was one such family. I belong to the Iguas clan, a type of minotaur species that coexisted with humans.” saying this the butler let out his disguise, a pair of thick curved horns grew on his head but he retained other humanoid features surprising Bowen.
The butler continued “During my father's time, interspecies marriages were subjected to a death sentence. I was only four years old at that time. They discovered that my father was a minotaur and my mother was human, and we were living together as a family. They condemned all three of us to death. My parents managed to escape from prison with me, but the people soon caught up with them. That's when my parents encountered the father of the current Baron, a C-ranker, and pleaded with him to at least save me, their only child. Despite being human, the Baron agreed, and my parents lost their lives trying to distract the pursuers. That man raised me as his own son. During his death, he had only one wish: to be of help to his son, the current Baron. I can never betray the promise I made," finished the butler with tearful eyes.
"Tell me about the current Baron. Does he know about his wife?" Bowen inquired.
Let me tell you this: the current Baron is incredibly naive, or should I say, innocence has always been his weak point. He wholeheartedly believes in his wife and ministers, to the extent that he wouldn't believe me even if I were to tell him. Only recently, about six months ago, did I start to doubt the Baroness's behavior. I was foolish not to notice it earlier, considering she has been with the master for six years. It was just recently that I discovered she has been embezzling the Baron's treasures and diverting Aswalt's taxes to support the Raven Gang.
What do you know about the Baroness?
I only know that she is involved with the Raven Gang, and almost all of the knights and guards obey her.
Almost all the knights and guards? Should I confront not only the Raven Gang but also the people from Aswalt police and military?
Um, if I may ask, may I know why you target the Baroness? the butler asked, looking at Bowen.
No, you cannot. I am the one who makes decisions here. You are to obey, Bowen stated, and the butler lowered his head, understanding his place.
So, what are you planning to do? By spying on the Baroness, if I understand correctly, you should have joined her to gather evidence against her and make the Baron believe. Am I right? the butler inquired.
Yes, I want to expose that parasite who lives off my master, the butler confirmed.
And then what? You yourself mentioned that most of the Baron's forces now obey the Baroness. What can the Baron do to protect himself?
I don't know. At the very least, I can help the Baron escape before Sasha makes her move, the butler responded.
Huh? That's Dumb, Bowen interrupted abruptly. So, you're willing to leave all the people of Aswalt in the hands of those rogues just to save your own life. What a great example for a Baron. Well done, Bowen sarcastically clapped.
What can I do? I am nothing but a powerless mixed breed who has to depend on his master to hide and survive. All I can do is sacrifice myself in place of my master, the butler explained.
Fuuu... Bowen let out a long breath, unable to endure the drama any longer. It was cringe-inducing to see an old man in a butler uniform talking so seriously about sacrifice and loyalty. Despite feeling pity for the butler, Bowen couldn't help but scorn the Baron for being such a clown, easily manipulated by the Baroness for six years. And now this fool of a butler wants to save such a master who would let his citizens suffer while escaping with his life.
“Fine, let's do this. I will help you get rid of the Baroness, along with all of the Baron's forces. I will clean Aswalt of those parasites you mentioned.”
“Really? You can do that?” the butler asked, surprised.
“Yes, consider it a gift from me. But you will do as I say” Bowen stated.
“I will do anything for my master”, the butler promised.
“Good. Go to the Baroness now and act as her aide. Behave as usual. You will report every plan of the Baroness to me. Understand?”
“It will be difficult. Even though I have joined them, the Baroness still doesn't fully trust my loyalty. That's why I am not allowed to be present during their important discussions” the butler explained.
"Here, take this," said Bowen as he threw the coat of invisibility. He also provided a briefing on its use and explained that it has a cooling period of 10 days. The coat would assist the butler in spying on the Baroness to some extent. The butler was once again amazed by the fact that Bowen possessed such valuable treasures. Even the Baron didn't have an object like that. Silently, the butler left the sweet shop without alerting anyone on that dark night. However, there was still one observer who witnessed the butler's departure from the shop.
"This kid is getting naughtier day by day. I must intensify his training," thought Gia as she lay in her bed, her eyes still closed for sleep.
Bowen finished going through all the system messages and finally decided it was time to extend some hospitality to his guest. He shook his space bracelet, and from it emerged the Baron's butler, gasping for breath and in desperate need of help.
"Please... help," the butler managed to utter, his throat slashed and struggling to breathe. Time seemed to stand still within the confines of the space bracelet, preserving his wretched existence. The constant fear of death and agony kept the butler in a state of perpetual terror. Now, outside that confinement, he could feel his condition deteriorating rapidly. The blood flowed from his throat without ceasing, causing his body to grow cold. Summoning his last reserves of strength, he pleaded for mercy from the very person responsible for his sorry state. To his dismay, the young boy met his desperate gaze with cold indifference, devoid of any trace of kindness. Tears welled up in the butler's eyes as he realized that this boy would calmly witness his demise without a hint of compassion, allowing him to struggle in his final moments.
"Do you want to live?" Bowen asked slowly, sitting near the butler as if it were even a question.
"Yes... ha... yes..." the butler managed to nod, even though he couldn't speak properly.
Bowen took out a magical contract he had received from the third prince, along with an untouched pen.
"Sign this," he said.
The butler couldn't believe what was happening before him. A 6 or 7-year-old boy who was so strong and cruel, ready to kill someone in the blink of an eye. And now he had a magical contract worth at least 3 golds, and it was blank. Bowen could fill in anything he wanted once it was signed. It could very well turn into an eternal tool of torture. The butler was certain that Bowen had the means to save him and that Bowen had some use for him. Otherwise, why would he waste such a precious contract on someone who was about to die?
The butler steeled his mind. He would do anything to save his life. No, he had to live for that person at least. With trembling hands, he grabbed the pen, but his fading vitality made it difficult to maintain a firm grip. He saw his hands smeared with the blood that had come out of his throat. Using his own blood as ink, he left a thumbprint on the bottom right of the contract. Bowen picked it up and transferred it to the space bracelet. Quickly, he took one of Gia's pills and put it in the butler's mouth. Soon, the slash on the butler's throat visibly stitched up, and he felt vitality returning to his body. He was dumbstruck by what was happening. After a few minutes, the blood-soaked uniform was the only reminder of the suffering he had endured.
"A miracle pill? Who the heck are you exactly?" the butler asked, the words escaping him due to the series of surprises from Bowen.
Bowen didn't say anything; instead, he touched the butler's shoulder once to fulfill the physical contact requirement and activate his status awareness. Only two lines appeared above the butler's head.
Loyal butler of Baron of Aswalt - Nicholas.
Status: Unawakened
Bowen couldn't see the butler's stats, skills, or other information. But he had an important clue. The system rating someone as loyal meant they had to be extremely truthful and sincere to earn that title.
Bowen turned to the butler and asked, "Whom do you work for?"
The butler lowered his head and whispered, "Why do you have to ask the obvious? Our esteemed Lady Baroness Sasha, of course," he said.
Bowen threatened, "Are you willing to lie even when your life is in my hands?
"I don't understand what you're talking about," the butler feigned ignorance.
"Or... maybe I should kill your daughter instead," Bowen tried his luck.
"I am... I am telling the truth. Please believe me. My loyalty is only for the Baroness," pleaded the butler.
"Fine," said Bowen, leaning closer to the butler. "How about I write that you will kill the Baron with your own hands in the contract?"
At this point, the butler began trembling with fear in his eyes. "You... you..." he stammered.
"Why are you getting worked up? Your Lady Sasha wants to get rid of the Baron sooner or later. She will reward you abundantly if you help her become a widow," Bowen said, smiling.
Just the thought of it made the butler's eyes fill with tears. How could he commit such an act against his own master, whom he had sworn to protect with his life? He felt that he would rather die than hurt his master.
"Please... PLEASE kill me instead. Don't make me commit such a great sin," cried the butler, falling to the floor with his head touching the ground, tears soaking the floor. Bowen had never seen such loyalty before.
"Don't worry, my target is the Baroness, not the Baron. So come clean." said Bowen, comfortably sitting on his chair, observing the sorry state of the loyal servant.
"The Baroness? You really won't harm the Baron, right?"
"It depends on how well you tell the truth. Convince me that you are not hiding anything," Bowen said, giving the butler a menacing look. The butler could never have expected such cruelty from a young child.
"In fact, Aswalt was a neglected haven for refugees. The great war of Grimesphere in the center extended its reach even to the rural areas of Yuria, and this coastal town became a thriving place for those who had lost their homes. My family was one such family. I belong to the Iguas clan, a type of minotaur species that coexisted with humans.” saying this the butler let out his disguise, a pair of thick curved horns grew on his head but he retained other humanoid features surprising Bowen.
The butler continued “During my father's time, interspecies marriages were subjected to a death sentence. I was only four years old at that time. They discovered that my father was a minotaur and my mother was human, and we were living together as a family. They condemned all three of us to death. My parents managed to escape from prison with me, but the people soon caught up with them. That's when my parents encountered the father of the current Baron, a C-ranker, and pleaded with him to at least save me, their only child. Despite being human, the Baron agreed, and my parents lost their lives trying to distract the pursuers. That man raised me as his own son. During his death, he had only one wish: to be of help to his son, the current Baron. I can never betray the promise I made," finished the butler with tearful eyes.
"Tell me about the current Baron. Does he know about his wife?" Bowen inquired.
Let me tell you this: the current Baron is incredibly naive, or should I say, innocence has always been his weak point. He wholeheartedly believes in his wife and ministers, to the extent that he wouldn't believe me even if I were to tell him. Only recently, about six months ago, did I start to doubt the Baroness's behavior. I was foolish not to notice it earlier, considering she has been with the master for six years. It was just recently that I discovered she has been embezzling the Baron's treasures and diverting Aswalt's taxes to support the Raven Gang.
What do you know about the Baroness?
I only know that she is involved with the Raven Gang, and almost all of the knights and guards obey her.
Almost all the knights and guards? Should I confront not only the Raven Gang but also the people from Aswalt police and military?
Um, if I may ask, may I know why you target the Baroness? the butler asked, looking at Bowen.
No, you cannot. I am the one who makes decisions here. You are to obey, Bowen stated, and the butler lowered his head, understanding his place.
So, what are you planning to do? By spying on the Baroness, if I understand correctly, you should have joined her to gather evidence against her and make the Baron believe. Am I right? the butler inquired.
Yes, I want to expose that parasite who lives off my master, the butler confirmed.
And then what? You yourself mentioned that most of the Baron's forces now obey the Baroness. What can the Baron do to protect himself?
I don't know. At the very least, I can help the Baron escape before Sasha makes her move, the butler responded.
Huh? That's Dumb, Bowen interrupted abruptly. So, you're willing to leave all the people of Aswalt in the hands of those rogues just to save your own life. What a great example for a Baron. Well done, Bowen sarcastically clapped.
What can I do? I am nothing but a powerless mixed breed who has to depend on his master to hide and survive. All I can do is sacrifice myself in place of my master, the butler explained.
Fuuu... Bowen let out a long breath, unable to endure the drama any longer. It was cringe-inducing to see an old man in a butler uniform talking so seriously about sacrifice and loyalty. Despite feeling pity for the butler, Bowen couldn't help but scorn the Baron for being such a clown, easily manipulated by the Baroness for six years. And now this fool of a butler wants to save such a master who would let his citizens suffer while escaping with his life.
“Fine, let's do this. I will help you get rid of the Baroness, along with all of the Baron's forces. I will clean Aswalt of those parasites you mentioned.”
“Really? You can do that?” the butler asked, surprised.
“Yes, consider it a gift from me. But you will do as I say” Bowen stated.
“I will do anything for my master”, the butler promised.
“Good. Go to the Baroness now and act as her aide. Behave as usual. You will report every plan of the Baroness to me. Understand?”
“It will be difficult. Even though I have joined them, the Baroness still doesn't fully trust my loyalty. That's why I am not allowed to be present during their important discussions” the butler explained.
"Here, take this," said Bowen as he threw the coat of invisibility. He also provided a briefing on its use and explained that it has a cooling period of 10 days. The coat would assist the butler in spying on the Baroness to some extent. The butler was once again amazed by the fact that Bowen possessed such valuable treasures. Even the Baron didn't have an object like that. Silently, the butler left the sweet shop without alerting anyone on that dark night. However, there was still one observer who witnessed the butler's departure from the shop.
"This kid is getting naughtier day by day. I must intensify his training," thought Gia as she lay in her bed, her eyes still closed for sleep.
