I once had a conversation with Eliya.
But not the young Eliya.
It was a conversation with the grown-up Eliya from the future.
With the Eliya who had a scar cutting across her face and was prone to burning people alive.
It was an event I found with great difficulty.
At that time, she was sitting cross-legged atop a pile of burning corpses.
She was free from her own flames.
A mansion belonging to a certain family was blazing in the background.
Under a landscape where ashes floated like snow, she leaned her chin on her hand and sneered.
“People can be divided into two types for me. Those who will kill me, and those who haven’t killed me yet.”
With no choice, I answered inwardly.
Isn’t that because you go around killing people?
“In other words, people I will kill. People I might kill later. It can also be divided into these two. Here’s a question.”
Eliya grinned wickedly.
“Will I kill you now? Or later?”
It was like asking if I was going to be someone who would kill Eliya or someone who wouldn’t kill her yet.
There were only two choices.
I wanted to answer differently.
I have no intention of killing you.
I was just curious.
Like unraveling various stories in a game, I wanted to know about Eliya and the Bevel family’s story.
At that time, I hadn’t even attempted to kill Eliya yet.
It would be a long time before I realized that killing her was impossible.
[I’ll kill her later.]
That was the choice I made at that time.
Aside from that, there was only the choice of “I’ll kill her now.”
Eliya chuckled.
Her red eyes mixed with orange and yellow glowed like flames.
“Ding-ding. Wrong. I’ll praise you for following me so tenaciously up to this point. But it’s over now.”
Snap. Eliya snapped her fingers.
A flame erupted like a whip and burned my character.
The last scene was of Eliya, left alone, looking up at the ash-falling sky, before the game reset for the first time.
*
“What would you do if I became your enemy? Or if you became my enemy, what would I do then?”
Eliya asked.
It was a similar situation to before.
If I could, I’d like to pretend not to know like a fool.
Since I’m in the body of a child, I could innocently ask back as if I didn’t understand.
I’d say I’m definitely on the lady’s side or something.
That would have been fine if I were an ordinary kid.
But I had already stimulated Eliya’s curiosity in various ways.
There’s no way this sharp-eyed bad woman wouldn’t notice.
“Huff… Stay calm.”
I remembered my character being turned to ashes by Eliya’s flames.
It wouldn’t be impossible for me to end up like that too.
“What level is Eliya’s magic right now?”
I had heard she became drastically stronger due to an incident in her childhood.
Awakening or blooming for one born with the talent of a wizard.
Whether this was after or before that point, I didn’t know.
So I had to assume the worst and act accordingly.
Eliya was asking out of curiosity while testing me at the same time.
How could one who was once an enemy become a friend?
“Lindell.”
Even when Eliya looked at it, Lindell and I fought vilely.
But when she returned, we had become friends.
It was a phenomenon she could never understand with her way of thinking.
“My lady.”
I replied calmly.
“I cannot become your enemy.”
“Cannot?”
Eliya repeated my words.
She seemed intrigued.
As if telling me to continue, Eliya blinked slowly.
Her long eyelashes looked like the jaws of a Venus flytrap.
If you fall in, you’d burn in her red eyes.
“An enemy must always be of equal rank. A wolf cannot be an enemy to a rabbit. They are predator and prey. The same goes for you and me, my lady.”
“Hmmm.”
Eliya raised her eyebrows and nodded.
She seemed quite pleased.
“Therefore, even if you were to oppose me, I wouldn’t have a way to do anything. My best option would be to run away with all my strength. But I will never oppose you.”
Eliya stared at me intently.
Was she expecting a boring answer?
She hated unconditional kindness, flattery, and obedience.
‘But she hates opposing herself more.’
“The reason a rabbit does not attack a wolf.”
“Is that not obedience, but rather providence? That’s an interesting perspective.”
She knows full well that she can’t be defeated.
Let alone it’s not a game, I’m fully alive right now.
If I die, it might truly be the end.
So opposing Eliya would be tantamount to suicide.
Even in the game, there was no way to attack her.
My answer wasn’t finished.
To be precise, Eliya’s curiosity hadn’t been fully satisfied.
“A rabbit that cannot eat meat will never understand the heart of a wolf. Conversely, wolves cannot understand rabbits that live on grass. These two beasts will run along parallel lines, unable to understand or empathize with one another for their entire lives.”
Eliya listened patiently to my story.
“This matter is the same. Lindell and I are rabbits. We have no need to eat each other. We cannot even. We might quarrel over the same grass. That’s all. But you, my lady, are different. Because you’re a noble.”
My conflicts with Lindell are trivial.
It’s just two boys who fought momentarily.
There are no complicated interests or political entanglements, and there is no need to stake our lives on it.
Eliya is different.
She is the direct descendant of the Bevel family, who could kill a few people and be perfectly fine.
Moreover, she is a genius born with the rare and precious talent of a wizard.
Even more, her talent isn’t ordinary.
It is a special magical talent known as “mad fire.”
For various reasons, she has diverse interests tangled around her.
It’s hard for a commoner like me to even imagine.
For her, the notion of reconciling with an enemy is unimaginable.
Her best bet would be a temporary alliance for profit.
A precarious alliance that could betray at any time.
‘That was the closest relationship achieved in the game.’
“So, it’s natural that you, a wolf, would not understand my relations. It’s illogical.”
“You speak as if you know well.”
That’s not it.
The story of the Bevel family is too scant, and the game is set in the future compared to now.
I was just guessing based on information gleaned from probing into other nobles’ stories.
“It seems like you are trying to teach me something?”
“…I apologize. That wasn’t my intention.”
“It wouldn’t be right. Unless you’re not in your right mind. But sometimes, I feel like you’re a bit out of your mind.”
“……”
“But that’s okay.”
Eliya smiled brightly.
It was a pretty little girl’s smile befitting her age.
It makes you want to pledge your soul to her without regret, so pure.
If only someone who didn’t know her true nature had seen her.
“It’s not so bad.”
“…Thank you.”
“So, what’s your identity?”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re not claiming to be an ordinary slave, are you?”
“……”
Eliya maintained her smile but narrowed her eyes.
Her crescent-shaped eyes were frightening beneath their curved lines.
“Do you think there might be a slave out there who thinks like you?”
“Just… I’ve learned on the side and picked up some meager knowledge. I’ve heard I have a good memory; perhaps that’s the influence.”
“Hmm.”
Eliya chuckled, resting her chin in her hand.
She swung her legs like a child who heard an interesting story.
“I see. It doesn’t seem like you’d open your mouth even if you were to be tricked.”
“……”
“Flattery and enmity. Those are the emotions most of the humans I’ve met have shown. I dislike such humans. But you don’t belong to either.”
Eliya nodded and reclined casually in her chair.
“That’s not a bad thing. Oddly enough.”
“…It’s an honor.”
“It’s strangely amusing. Am I the odd one?”
I didn’t answer.
She was muttering to herself, so she probably wasn’t looking for my reply.
It’s hard to say that being odd is correct.
“By the way. If I’m a wolf, are you trying to be the rabbit that guards the wolf? That’s kind of cute.”
“……”
Hearing such words from a little brat doesn’t excite me at all.
Moreover, when Eliya calls something ‘cute,’ it is synonymous with ‘ridiculous.’
“Anyway. That’s fine. Ria.”
Eliya called over the handmaid who had been waiting nearby.
The maid named Ria quickly approached Eliya.
“Bring a few of the things we bought today.”
“Yes.”
As Ria left, only an awkward silence remained.
Eliya, seemingly unbothered, looked out the window with an indifferent expression.
Leaning her chin in her hand, she tapped her fingers lightly beneath her eyes.
There were traces of tears where her finger met.
This little girl, who just looks cute, somehow turned into a wicked woman.
‘From what she’s saying, she may still not be normal, though.’
Does Eliya have a different future?
Where she doesn’t become a wicked woman?
I don’t know.
Even if I knew, there was nothing I could do.
I’m not smart or great enough to rehabilitate someone.
Changing others is a hard thing to do.
What kind of special human am I to be meddling in someone else’s rehabilitation?
I’m busy trying to protect myself.
“What are you staring at?”
Eliya said.
Her gaze was still fixed outside.
“…I’m sorry.”
There’s no ghost like this.
How did she know without even looking?
Ria returned, holding a box.
“This is a gift. I don’t know if a rabbit will like it.”
Eliya smiled softly.
‘A rabbit…’
In the game, she continuously referred to others as ‘bugs.’
I, the player, was no exception.
‘From bugs to rabbits, I guess I’ve improved?’
Thinking that, I looked inside the box.
Eliya explained.
“This is called chocolate. Have you heard of it?”
I’ve eaten it.
It was the 2,000 won chocolate sold at convenience stores, but what was in front of me was different.
A transparent bag filled with cubed black chocolate.
It doesn’t seem like a regular product.
Could it be leftover samples?
‘Once I go back, it will surely cause a stir.’
In this world, chocolate is a luxury item.
An inept noble would even be too afraid to think about it.
Also, even among that chocolate, the quality is night and day.
If it’s chocolate brought by Eliya from the Bevel family, it must be top-tier.
‘High-end chocolate was more expensive than a slave.’
In other words, the value of this box is greater than the worth of the labor in the 13th Room.
I swallowed unconsciously.
This reaction isn’t mine, but that of the young Judas. It definitely is.
“Your eyes can’t look away. I guess you liked it.”
“Ah… yes. I’ve never seen something like this.”
That wasn’t a lie.
I had never seen chocolate like this in my life.
“Take it.”
“Thank you.”
“I hope for more next time.”
I didn’t answer.
I just bowed my head in thanks and quickly left the reception room.
*
Eliya’s mansion office.
“Miguel.”
“Yes, my lady.”
As Eliya sat at the desk, she asked.
“Have you investigated?”
She meant checking up on Judas.
“Yes. He has been sold here and there. It seems there were barren places that didn’t leave records, so I couldn’t determine his exact origins.”
Miguel presented the documents as he explained.
Documents that verified what he had just mentioned.
“Hmm.”
A slave that had been moved around from place to place.
Common.
Markets or businesses that don’t leave behind records are common and salty, but why does it feel suspicious?
An ungrounded intuition tickled at me.
“Keep looking. Report whenever you have new information.”
“Understood. By the way…”
Miguel handed her an envelope.
It was a splendid envelope in black with gold leaf.
“A letter from Duchess Narcissi.”
The pleasantly smiling Eliya turned expressionless, as if bored.
With a lackluster face, she opened the envelope and read the letter.
It was about her upcoming birthday.
A command was written, directing her to prepare diligently for an event where the entire family and precious guests would gather.
“What shall we do about the banquet preparations?”
Miguel asked cautiously.
Eliya swallowed a sigh and lit a fire at her fingertips.
Miguel flinched in surprise.
This was one of the world’s top innate wizardly talents.
Even though it was small like a lighter’s flame, how many couldn’t reach even that after years of training?
Not even 10% of those called geniuses have achieved that level.
Eliya tossed the burning letter into the fireplace.
Her birthday was just around the corner.
Her birthday in about a month.
For Judas, that might seem far away, but nobles are different.
There would be much to prepare well in advance.
Chocolate was among the items brought in for that reason.
Yet, she had no interest.
Neither in her birthday nor in the banquet held in this mansion to celebrate her birth.
What meaning does it hold for others to celebrate when the celebrated isn’t even happy about her own birth?
In the first place, attendees wouldn’t come to genuinely celebrate her.
It’s just a venue to build connections and forge political ties.
For whose sake is the banquet, anyway?
‘What does reputation even mean?’
It’s bothersome, but she couldn’t just skip it.
Reputation and honor.
The things most prized by the Bevel family.
‘Seeing family also annoys me.’
A grand occasion where both direct and branch families gather.
Just the thought of it is irritating.
A group that is purely unified by hostility.
People who will surely kill her one day if she doesn’t first.
Then, a slight smile escaped her lips.
The words of Judas floated to mind.
‘Wolves and rabbits.’
It was an interesting analogy but not quite accurate.
Wolves form packs.
Yet, she had no pack at all.
No allies substantial enough to form a pack.
Eliya’s laughter startled Miguel.
Not looking at him, Eliya responded flatly after a long pause.
“Just do it like you did last year.”
“Understood. First, the meat to place at the center of the banquet…”
“…Wait.”
Suddenly, a fun idea popped into Eliya’s mind.
In a way that annoyed Narcissi while simultaneously learning about Judas.
“Is there hunting in the trainee classes?”
“Yes, there is.”
Hunting is one of the cultures enjoyed by the nobility.
It’s something that knights serving nobles must certainly learn.
“But what they learn is less about hunting and more about the attitudes they should have when their lord is hunting. They may learn very simple hunting, but…”
“Hold a simple hunting tournament for the trainees over the weekend.”
Eliya made the decision without consulting anyone.
She had the authority to do so.
Approaching a wall-mounted map, she pointed to a location.
“Here. In the Moon Deer Forest. Participation is free.”
Miguel immediately began taking notes of her words.
“Participants will receive a small participation fee regardless of performance. The winner will be only one.”
“What will be the prize?”
“Well…”
Eliya, recalling Judas enjoying the chocolate, murmured.
“What would a rabbit like?”
During the time she pondered, Miguel swiftly organized the tournament’s structure.
“First, a prize of 10,000 Florins should be appropriate, right?”
“10,000 Florins is an amount they would never be able to hold onto even if they worked their entire lives.”
“Really? Is it that much?”
Eliya tilted her head.
To her, it was an amount she could spend in one meal without thinking.
It wouldn’t be eaten anyway, but she could use it if she wanted.
“Yes. Moreover, that amount would be tough for them to keep. Or they might run away with the money.”
“That’d be a problem.”
The other trainees didn’t matter.
But it would be problematic if Judas ran away.
“As a side note, I’d say about 100 Florins should be suitably excessive for them.”
A standard sword costs about 50 Florins.
Along with some lightweight secondary weapons, one could get a low-ranking soldier just starting as a mercenary for roughly 100 Florins.
Since personal equipment is only allowed during free time, 100 Florins would be ideal.
“Then let’s go with that. And the winner’s catch will be featured as the main dish at my birthday party.”
“It would be an honor that would remain in their lives.”
Well, would it really?
Eliya had no interest in the other trainees.
She just wanted to see Judas’s reaction.
‘If he’s an ordinary slave, he wouldn’t stand out even in a hunt.’
On the other hand, among the trainees, there are those who have learned hunting from noble backgrounds.
In other words, if Judas wins, he would gradually prove that he’s not just an ordinary slave when he doesn’t even realize it.
‘This will be fun.’
Judas said.
He was a rabbit and Eliya was a wolf.
Since their ranks don’t match, they couldn’t be enemies.
I tend to agree at first glance.
At least, he and I are not enemies.
However, there’s a question mark regarding the assertion that their ranks don’t match.
She was more interesting to him than anyone else he’d ever come across, so how could he possibly say their ranks don’t match?
He was very much looking forward to the hunting tournament.
I wonder what kind of a figure Judas will show this time?
She smiled faintly while looking at the map.
*
What is chocolate?
It’s just a sweet treat.
That’s what I knew.
The chocolate Eliya gifted me was different.
It was sweet, yes.
But it was somehow a bit bitter, with a somewhat gritty taste without any nuts, yet still had a savory flavor.
The taste blended together to create a profound flavor.
The chocolate I knew was being denied.
“Get down on your knees, you little brats!”
Richard screamed, his mouth smeared with dark chocolate stains.
Lindell and Argon.
Along with a few others who had disliked me quickly got down.
“How dare you disregard Judas like that!”
“I apologize! Uwaaaah-!”
The chocolate’s effect was no match for the cookies.
“I’ve sinned terribly!”
Once they each took a bite of chocolate, they cried out with all their hearts.
Only after Dillon stepped in to tell them to stop did the commotion die down.
Now, the 13th Room had come to worship me like a religion.
‘…Or are they worshiping the snacks I bring rather than me?’
Regardless, after the noisy time had passed, night fell.
[Choose your reward.]
[The results exceeded expectations, thus rewards are enhanced.]
Now it was time to confirm this.
[1. Elixir of Vitality (2)]
[2. Magic Liberation (1)]
[3. Hunter’s Sense (Lv.1)]
“…Crazy.”
I muttered under my breath.
The ‘Hunter’s Sense…’
It’s a quality that can only be obtained through extremely painful and arduous repetitive labor.
‘Was I required to catch a specified number of certain creatures within a specific time?’
Its rarity ensures remarkable effectiveness.
It’s not an overpowering ability that overwhelms all enemies.
But it excels in versatility.
‘Though it’s called Hunter’s Sense, it’s not just useful for hunting.’
[‘Hunter’s Sense (Lv.1)’ has been added to your traits.]
There was no reason to hesitate.
It would be foolish to give this up.
‘I’ll test it out over the weekend.’
I should make full use of my free time without any training.
‘Near here, there’s the Moon Deer Forest. There are mushrooms that can boost stamina there, so on Saturday, I should gather some…’
Next, the most crucial thing is money.
After all, I need to escape this place.
Whether I get eliminated and kicked out or escape, I need to prepare a lot.
So I must carve out my own escape routes step by step.
‘I need to use the information guild.’
It’s a group that requires money to make contact with.
‘After all, money is always right. I should look for light requests on Sunday…’
I slowly drifted off to sleep, looking forward to the weekend.
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