[That slave just left the house, Host.]

  Zalstrahvi ignored the blue window above him and continued to stare into space. His body felt heavy and sluggish. All of his strength seemingly vanished into nothing at the thought of moving his muscle and getting out of the bed. He even had no strength to change his sleeping position.

  [How about taking a walk outside, Host?]

  “No.”

  For many, this world was a vivid world of imagination and tales waiting to be discovered. For him, however, this world was merely a canvas painted in grey.

  [But look at that scenery, Host! Golden fields of wheat, the gentle spin of windmills, the hardworking farmers working on the fields, the fresh air of the countryside, and the new scenery. Outside is more good, Host! More good!]

  “…what even is more good?” though he spat in disgust, its words somehow made him move. He sat on the bed, long hair disheveled and unkempt.

  He sighed.

  He got off the bed and outstretched one arm, as if expecting to be handed something.

  [For your information, you have no personal servant.]

  The system’s reminder caught him off guard. He was indeed waiting for a warm towel to clean his face.

  “Old habits die hard, they say,” he shrugged, one of his wingarms ran its monstrous fingers towards his hair as he opened the window. “I was thinking of killing my non-existent maid for doing such a bad job.”

  True to the system’s words, the scenery beyond the window was breathtaking. The glorious expanse of ripening wheat fields, each stalk swaying gently from the morning breeze, welcomed the start of his day, the faint mooing in the distance emphasized the rural and peaceful way of life, and the industrious farmers sparked the passion to work.

  He snorted.

  [How about saying hello to your neighbors, Host? In my database, it is customary for the human race to introduce themselves in a new neighborhood.]

  “…I don’t feel like it. Besides, there’s no meaning to it.”

  [Then how about watching the scenery from the front porch? It’s an easy and a good start to something fun. You don’t need to do anything other than watching the farmers working in the fields.]

  “…” he quietly weighed the options. Indeed, it was easier for him to just stand in front of the door dissociating rather than walking around greeting and exchanging pleasantries with the neighbors.

  Finally he decided on his choice and moved. His sluggish pace embodied his exhausted mind and body longed for eternal sleep. To the first floor he went, emptiness welcomed him as he took in the barren interior of his new home.

  …it is empty, like my soul.

  He trudged towards the front door and opened it.

  Beautiful morning scenery—the sounds of birds chirping, the distant mooing, the view of peasants harvesting the wheat, the crisp morning air— enveloped his being. Everything felt foreign to him yet he did not resent it, just a bit annoyed at the hubbub and activities of it all.

  Suddenly the system’s window shook as if agitated, [Sorry to interrupt your thinking, Host, but something important must be communicated right now!]

  “What is it?”

  Beside the system, a new window appeared. This window was different, however. It was colored white, giving it somber nuance and the words were dyed red. He was so accustomed to seeing a blue window that the appearance of this peculiar window piqued his interest. The words displayed read:

  [[The Dead Conqueror orders you to greet your neighbors.]]

  “!!!” the name caught him off guard, knowing exactly who that was.

  “Ha! Trying to communicate, aren’t we? Finding all of this amusing, huh?” his question came off as scorn, yet the owner of the white window did not seem to mind the rude gesture.

  [[The Dead Conqueror offers you 10 Exchange Tickets for accepting her order.]]

  “…damn,” he cursed, yet eyes never leaving the words 10 Exchange Tickets.

  Meanwhile…

  Lilia moved cautiously through the bustling streets, her fingers tightly gripping the worn money pouch tucked into the front pocket of her tattered clothes. With half of her curse finally lifted, she had regained a flicker of her former power, which included the gift of divine eyesight. This ability allowed her to perceive the world around her in a way few could—by detecting the auras that cloaked every person she encountered, a subtle glow that hinted at their true nature.

  A vibrant gold aura signified goodness, a strong moral compass, and a life led by lawfulness and kindness. Meanwhile, a black aura meant a warning sign, indicating deceit or malevolence. Yet, given the intrication of human nature, these colors were not static. All races were driven by their own desires, and the hues could change with each choice, reverting back to their original shades in the blink of an eye.

  As Lilia drifted through the crowd, her gaze fell upon a portly butcher chatting with a customer. Without warning, a thick black aura engulfed him.

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  That man…

  She knew what that meant—the butcher was likely overpricing his goods or, worse, passing off inferior products as something of worth.

  Her divine eyes did not exactly tell her the specific actions that resulted in the shift of aura, leaving her to piece together the context through intuition. Nevertheless, this ability was very useful now that she could use it again to a certain degree.

  But what of her master?

  She could not even discern him and there was no aura at all—only a profound emptiness where his essence should be. What could this mean?

  Bam!

  Lilia was thinking so hard, thoughts swirling chaotically, attempting to produce satisfying answers when she suddenly collided with something solid and towering. She fell, the rough surface scraped against her right arm, leaving a long, painful scratch that made her yelp soundlessly in surprise. Little did she know, the violent contact dislodged the coin pouch hidden within her clothes, sending it tumbling out onto the ground.

  “Are you alright, Young Master?”

  Lilia gasped in pain. Examining the source of pain, the skin was peeled of, revealing blood and dirt mixed in.

  This… this feeble body!

  She cursed inwardly. Her first instinct was to heal it with her power, yet she stopped, remembering who she was and the identity of her master. Revealing her ability meant more problems for him. Warily, she craned her neck to see what or who she bumped into and she froze.

  It was a man dressed in rich clothing, holding a coin pouch that was strangely similar to hers.

  The man regarded her with an expression of shock, his features set in a mask of apathy. A stable grey aura surrounded him, a testament to the mediocrity of his actions throughout his life.

  “This…” the young master trailed off; eyes fixated on the contents of the pouch. They widened slightly upon discovering three golden pieces in the pouch.

  As the realization dawned on them, the guard gasped, his hand instinctively flying to his sword's hilt. Furious, he pointed the blade toward her as he screamed accusation,

  “How dare you lay your filthy hands on nobles, slave?!”

  ===

  Earlier, in a noble mansion in the city center…

  “Oh, Young Master Alkud, are you going out again?” asked a servant, whilst carrying a basket of freshly harvested vegetables.

  Before him was a man in his early twenties, dressed in a shirt and vest with embroidery. His clothes might not look much, but they still implied the status of a noble lineage. His hair was short and red, gently fluttering like a dancing flame in the breeze. Though fierce his hair might be, his eyes were as blue as the ocean, tranquil and serene.

  “Yes, there’s been reports of a… misbehaving merchant in our group. It seems like they are trying to portray themselves as a figure worthy of my visitation hahaha. I wonder if they serve my favorite tea,” his tone was jovial, and sounded na?ve even, as if he totally disregarded such event as a trivial event unworthy of attention.

  “Young Master, can this be done in another day? They said demons attacked towns outside the border and currently it’s very dangerous outside.”

  “No worries. I have my bodyguard,” he pointed behind his shoulder at a muscular man in armor, “besides there’s never a case of a demon parading inside this city alive, unscathed by the city-wide anti-demon barrier.”

  “But still…” the servant trailed off, worried if something bad happened to the young master of the house.

  The said young master dismissed his concern, “It’s okay. I may not look much, but I can defend for myself in a fight. Besides, what could possibly go wrong with taking a walk?” He tapped the servant on his left shoulder and departed from the mansion. On foot of course. While he intended to visit a certain trader, why would he visit him directly when he could just take it easy and savor the beautiful day?

  “Where are we heading to, Young Master?” the guard asked.

  “Some farming area away from city center to the south. He lives nearby a Temple-managed market.”

  The guard was visibly confused, “But I thought we were going to visit a merchant? They don’t live around the city center?”

  “He is a small-time merchant dealing in furniture. It had been three years since he started becoming a merchant that caters to commoners’ taste and needs, yet suddenly he bought a house in the city center? Don’t you find it intriguing?”

  As they walked further and further away from the city center, the landscape gradually changed—from clean pavement, luxurious buildings, and sophisticated masses and carriages into wooden buildings, bullock carts, and simple lifestyle.

  Bam!!

  As he was busy looking at the scenery, suddenly a sharp pain jolted him awake. Someone slammed into him from his blind spot. The impact almost sent him sprawling on the ground. Fortunately, his guard was quick to react, catching him before he could stumble.

  “Are you alright, Young Master?” the guard asked with concern as he steadied him.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks to you, I’m all right.”

  Kacha!

  Alkud’s eyes were drawn to a coin pouch near his feet. He bent down and picked it up. The latch was half undone and there was an unmistakable golden glint inside the bag. Hastily he opened it to reveal three golden coins shimmering under the sunlight.

  “T-This…” he trailed off, speechless. Of course, curiosity got the best of him and he moved his head to see the identity of the pouch owner. To his surprise, it was not a member of nobility in Luthernia, but a slave.

  His guard whispered, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking, Young Master?”

  “…yeah.”

  With a sword brandished, the guard took steps closer to the slave, roaring, “How dare you lay your filthy hands on nobles, slave?!”

  She hastily shook her head, fear started to overwhelm her face.

  “Answer me, slave! Whose money is this?” his scream attracted nearby people, who formed a circle around them.

  Noticing the slave’s condition, Alkud approached his guard, placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him, “That’s enough, Hakub. There’s no point in questioning a mute slave.”

  Drawn by the ruckus, two guards in white armor and carrying a polearm arrived. Their presence caused the people to disperse as if nothing happened, yet their eyes were glued to the crime scene.

  One of the guards seemed to know the young master and he smiled politely, “Sir Alkud, what seems to be the problem here?”

  “This slave bumped into me and dropped a money pouch. It seems like she stole it from a noble or her owner by looking at the sum,” he responded, showing them the coins inside.

  “!!!”

  Both guards stared at each other, their expressions grim, knowing what kind of punishment awaited the slave later.

  “Sir, we are very sorry for the inconvenience because of this thieving slave! We will assure you that she will be executed tomorrow!”

  Before they could detain her, Alkud quickly raised a hand. “Wait, no need.”

  “Sir?”

  “I will do it myself. I have to see which idiot left this thing alone unattended and whether this thing really stole from its master. After that, I will decide the punishment according to the Temple’s law.”

  Both guards looked at each other for a while, then nodded to the man, leaving him alone with the problematic slave. As their figures disappeared amongst the crowds, Alkud then turned to her and commanded,

  “Get up, slave. Lead me to your master’s house. I have unfinished business with him.”

  The slave stood slowly, yet she made no attempt to lead him. Instead, she stood her ground as if challenging his order.

  He sneered, “Hah, at least you’re not completely useless by refusing any order from anyone that’s not your master. But still, I don’t care. Lead the way to your owner, slave.”

  She shook her head in defiance.

  He took a step closer to her, his voice came out as a whisper, “You have two choices, slave. One, we can go peacefully—just the three of us or two, we go with the Temple guards. I wouldn’t recommend you choose the second one since they aren’t keen to return without delivering justice to sinners.”

  Alkud lifted a hand and tapped her shoulder meaningfully, smiling yet not smiling at the same time. “And I trust you know what that means for your master, slave. Make a wise decision.”