Novel The Familiar of Fate: Prologue - Chapter 28✩

The Familiar of Fate: Chapter 28 - And the Stars Aligned(3)
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…

Fate: “Where... can I... hide?”



Fate sluggishly looked around his room, hoping to find somewhere he could hide. He found his answer in the stack of boxes in the back and began the process of stacking them into a stair-like shape.



After a while of stacking the boxes up to the window, he grabbed some of the bottles gripped them tightly in his fist.



-Let’s hope that this works…



A loud crash resounded throughout the room as the bottles were thrown through the window, shattering a large hole in the glass!

…

Jacob: “H-how…?”



He stared blankly around the room before returning his gaze to the large hole that had been made in the window. The hole looked rushed, as did the staircase made out of old crates, but it certainly did look like a child could fit through it.



-How long has that been open…? Nevermind that, how did he manage to arrange everything like this so fast?! The window hangs down to the ceiling, but from the height that the stairs reach...he definitely knew about the wall outside…



Although it wasn’t supposed to be visible, there was indeed a magically transparent wall outside that was at least a few feet high, right outside the window…



-Does that mean that he...managed to escape…?



Jacob scratched his arm for a bit, seeming a bit conflicted by the events that were unfolding, but stopped after only a minute, however, after hearing some odd noises coming from the stairs…



He walked over to the bottom of the haphazardly constructed steps, only to discover that the odd noise was coming from the lowest set of boxes. The front of one of the boxes seemed to have been previously torn off and hastily fit in place.



Jacob: “Is he actually…?”



Jacob gently lifted the front of the box off to reveal a sleeping Fate, whose ragged breathing had apparently been the source of the noise. The child’s breaths were short and rapid, he had patches of burnt skin from the explosion, and there were still shackles on his ankles.



He definitely looked like he had a rough time…

-But to think that he managed to get away under these circumstances...and make all of this just to fool anyone coming after him...I don’t see why the lady wishes to throw him away for a mere…



Jacob shook his head side to side, seemingly trying to deny what he was just about to think. He quickly snapped himself out of it and dragged the child’s ragged body out of the crate, placing him on the floor.



He could hear footsteps coming from down the hall, heading towards the room. A figure appeared in the doorway just a few seconds later, it was Agatha…

…

Agatha walked into the room, observing the odd surroundings before turning her attention to Jacob and her child, who was sprawled out on the floor with numerous injuries.



-This...did it do all of this, unaided, and in so short a period of time..?



She approached them and once she had reached their position, she leaned down to inspect the child. This was odd since for her, caring about Fate was quite abnormal, to say the least. She bid Jacob approach from his spot and he knelt at her side once he did so.



Agatha: “These are injuries from the explosion of the artifact?”



Jacob nodded swiftly, showing no hesitation in his response. However, Agatha turned the flipped the child over and acknowledged the large amount of burnt and melted skin on its back.



-It looks like the signs of punishment that are delivered upon the wicked...the molten metal of the earth, poured into a wound so that it will never truly heal...it is only used upon those warriors of exceptionally high endurance...the amount is definitely lesser, so I suppose that it will survive...for now.



Agatha: “Repulsive...yet it is...somewhat impressive that it managed to last this long, not to mention the state of the room. Were there any other personnel in here before you arrived?”



She looked quite serious. It was true that this level of...hasty craftsmanship was more than a child should be able to handle, but what servant would think to come into this room? After all, Agatha had personally informed the entire staff of the child’s disownment, that they were to treat it as a living disease and to stay away from it unless performing their necessary duties.



Jacob: “No ma’am, neither Gladys nor Ivy were stationed here today and there was no other staff stationed even remotely close to here…”



Agatha gazed around the room one more time, trying to discern if there was something that Jacob didn’t know or was hiding from her, but she found nothing of note.



-I can’t trust either of them, even if Jacob has said that they were not here. I won’t take the risk that they attempted to aid this impure child out of...pity!



Agatha: “I see. However, you are to have the staff for this one’s caretaking switched over to another pair, and you are encouraged to question both of them about this. Do you understand me, Jacob?”



He nodded once more before retrieving a small tin from his pocket, opening it revealed a green balm which he began applying to the child’s wounds. While he did this, Agatha stood up and left the room with a sullen expression plastered on her face. However, she stopped for a moment and turned to face Jacob again.



Agatha: “Make sure that you move it to a more secluded room...one without any windows.”



Jacob nodded a third time and Agatha resumed her walk out of the room, but this time with a sadistic grin spread across her lips.



-The burn on its back is definitely a sign from the Goddess, that she wishes to punish it for being the vile creature that it is! I praise Luna, for she shines her light upon all that is blessed and punishes the wicked for their existence!

…

Fate: “Ughhh...ow!”



Fate was awoken a few minutes later by the sting from the balm on his wounds. He prepared to try and move around but discovered that Jacob was standing right in front of him.



-Damn, he must have found me! How the hell do I get out of here now?!



His plan was to rest inside the box until he got his strength back and could formulate a better escape plan, but he had been discovered and now, wouldn’t get a second chance!



However, Jacob didn’t seem to be hostile towards him. Instead, he seemed to have a curious and questioning gaze in his eyes…



Jacob: “Try not to strain yourself, young master. I have applied salve to your wounds, but it will take a good while for it to set and for your skin to heal. However, I can do nothing for the metal that has mixed into your skin, and for that, I sincerely apologize.”



-He’s not attacking? He even put stuff on my wounds to heal them? Disregarding the pressing concern of the metal in my back, what the hell happened to make him like this?



Though Jacob had seemed to care somewhat about his well being before, it had been more than a year since then. This had been enough time for Fate to begin regarding everyone in the manor as potential enemies so this came as a shock to him, and rightfully so.



Jacob: “I shall return tomorrow, in order to place you in a new room. I do hope that you behave yourself this time, but keep in mind that the lady shall not be so forgiving as she was today…”



He closed the tin that was in his hands but placed it on the floor near Fate, instead of placing it back in his pocket. He then straightened his coat and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind himself with a slam.

Fate just sat there in pain and stunned silence, not comprehending the events that had just occurred. He had not been punished for his second breakout or for injuring his brother...Agatha or Issac should have been around to discipline him, or in Agatha’s case bring him to near death.


-He left healing ointment...Mother isn’t mad for what I did to Atlas, or furious at the fact that I escaped the dungeon?!

Fate attempted to stretch his joints and check his wounds, but his limbs felt stiff. It seemed that he still wasn’t energized enough to move around, not by a long shot…

-Welp, guess I’m not moving for a good while...Since I’m stuck here though…

Fate: “...Journal, status page…”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Name: Fate
• HP: 37.399/153.6
• MP: 5.2/30.80
• Level: 0
• Race: Human
• Age: 4 year-old(4 year(s), 0.6 month(s) (22+ years old)))
• Job: None
• Previous Jobs: None
• Titles: 【Familiar of Fate】

--------------------------------

• Stats:
  • Strength: 17.95
  • Endurance: 34.215
  • Wisdom: 7.0
  • Intelligence: 8.31
  • Stamina: 20.0
  • Agility: 13.428
  • Fortune: 1.0
  • Magic: 14.90

---------------------------------

• Passive Skills:『Balance - (Lv.3)』, 『Natural MP Restoration』
• Active Skills: 『Mana Manipulation(Minor) - (Lv.3)』, 『Fire Magic(Minor) - (Lv.1)』
• Unique Skills: None
• Equipment: Fate’s Journal(Soul-bound)

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-Wow...that ordeal really boosted my stats...except 【Fortune】, but I don’t think I’ll know how to raise that for a while. It wasn’t listed in the stats section of the tutorial, so I probably have to gain some amount of it before any information appears.



Fate studied his increased stats carefully, noting that 『Fire Magic』was at the minor grade just like 『Mana Manipulation』. It seemed that he wouldn’t be getting access to all facets of the skill right away, not without some work at least.


His HP had risen with his 【Endurance】, adding about half of the original total to the current one. The increases in the other stats were also understandable for him, except for 【Wisdom】. He didn’t believe that hiding in the same room that he had been kept in for so long was a wise idea, but he didn’t feel like he had any choice at the time.


-I got caught, but somehow my sh*tty attempt at hiding was a wise decision? The flying f*ck is that supposed to mean?!


Despite his internal cursing, Fate was thankful that his poor attempt at an escape had gone...well. He wasn’t dead and he would be able to heal and grow stronger from it, though it was more the first part that excited him the most.


Fate: “Guess that means that I got an opportunity to try escaping again, but I’ll have to do it in a different cell…”


-I just hope to hell that my little turd of a brother doesn’t come back anytime soon. Then again, he felt...off when I escaped...Maybe that means that he got injured from the explosion and that’s why they didn’t catch up to me until now?


He might have felt grateful for that, but since it was his brother who had initiated multiple attacks and his imprisonment, he wasn’t feeling grateful to him in the slightest.


-I wonder where he is right now? I hope he’s in pain though.

…
Atlas: “Haaaaa…”


Atlas woke up on his nice, soft bed. It was as if the events in the prison cell had never occurred, but he knew that he would be lying to himself if he didn’t know what happened. The injuries that were all over his body told the story and he could feel every single one. He clenched his fist tightly and grumbled to himself, with seemingly no one around to hear him…

Atlas: “...I lost...I lost to that trash!”

He clenched his fist even tighter, digging his nails into his skin until they drew blood. Atlas had never thought for a second that he would be on the receiving end of both encounters with his trash of a brother, thus he was furious that this was the outcome. However, a great fear dwelt within his eyes and in his thoughts that he did not want to speak aloud.

-He...that trash…! He was able to use mana, I’m sure of it! Not only that, but he managed to escape while I was passed out on the floor like a coward! Mother will definitely be displeased with me…!


He shivered at the thought of what she might do to him since even when his lessons were harsh and the pain was intense, he had never once failed.


Agatha: “My child.”


Atlas darted his gaze to see that his mother was sitting on the other side of the room with a velvet-clad book in her hands.


Atlas: "M-mother, what a pleasant...!"


Agatha: “We need to talk...”

 

The Familiar of Fate: Chapter 29 - And the Stars Aligned(4)
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…

Atlas was paralyzed with fear, for he knew that his mother wouldn’t be pleased with how he had performed...and that he had let his brother run away.



-S-she...definitely knows that I...no, I didn’t let him get away! He was definitely injured and he could use magic, I’m sure of it! It wasn’t a fair fight, but he only managed to get away in the confusion!



Atlas: “M-mother...I didn’t….”



Agatha suddenly put a finger over his mouth, shutting him up instantly. She looked directly into his quivering eyes, noting every trace of his fears before placing a hand on his shoulder. Atlas’s gaze steadied, and she removed the finger from his mouth.



Agatha: “Jacob tells me that your...hunt did not go successfully?”



Atlas lowered his head in shame, not bearing to look at what face she might wear when he told her of his failures.



Atlas: “M-mother...it is...true...I failed to end his life when I encountered him the first time...I ended up with...several injuries…”



He began sniffle with tears welling up in his eyes. His despair was visible despite him having his face pointed downward, but anger was also apparent in the way that he gnashed his teeth.



Agatha: “Keep calm and tell me precisely what happened, my child.”



Atlas reached his arm up to wipe his eyes and then raised his head up, to continue speaking while facing her.



Atlas: “I used the orb as the manuscripts...and you, of course, instructed...He was restrained and my attack should have been able to...finish him, but…”



Agatha: “It exploded, I know. Jacob told me something else though, he told me that you were losing control. He said that you had begun to overflow, is that true?”



He nodded his head solemnly.



-But that isn’t all of it...What should I tell her? Should I tell her the truth, that somehow that...trash...is stronger than me?!



He contemplated nervously, trying to determine what he should tell her that would preserve himself as the heir to the family and to not fall to the level his brother had despite his strength…



-If he’s that strong, why did he feel the need to attack Mother? If he’s that strong, why wouldn’t she try to make him into something more useful?! If I tell her the truth...what reason does she have to keep me alive?



Agatha: “Atlas, my child. Please, answer me…”



Atlas felt the chill of her voice permeate through him, leaving him no chance of lying to her. He wouldn’t be able to hide anything...so…



Atlas: “Yes...I started to lose control...the orb blew up...I felt pain...so much…”



He once again hung his head low, but this time he also began clenching one of his arms with his slightly-bloodied hand. Shuddering, he gave his mother a quick, painful, glance. She knelt down, and put both of her arms around him, pulling him into a hug.



Agatha: “I understand, you don’t need to relive the pain you felt at that moment. Just tell me, was that all there was to it?”



The cold feeling that Atlas had felt vanished, filling him with a sense of ease. He lifted his head up fully with eyes closed and gave a nod in her direction. Agatha genuinely looked sorry and her caring tone did not seem false.



They both remained in this position for what seemed like hours, until Agatha removed her arms and stood up from where she knelt. After a while of staring at her son, she walked out of the room.

…

-It seems that Jacob was telling the truth, but I wouldn’t have believed it unless Atlas said so. After all, he seemed to have acted sentimentally on certain matters, pertaining to...it.



Agatha: “I suppose that Atlas will need to plan his next attack for another day, but I am sincerely worried that he wouldn’t tell me about the overflow.”



Mana overflow, a condition in which one’s mana exceeds the quantity or quality that they can hold within their frame. In the world of Ilthea, it was a condition, which was most common in sorcerers who attempted to delve into the mysteries of magic and mana, while their bodies were frail and weak, most of whom invented odd artifacts and spells to keep themselves alive.



-I have been feeding him my mana ever since I discovered his Mageroot, but it seems that I will have to wait for him to adapt to the changes...or I may lose him…



She stood still for a while, seemingly contemplating how dangerous it would be for Atlas or simply counting the days from the supposed ‘revelation.’ After a moment of stillness, she continued to walk down the hall, back to her room to continue her prayer and research.

…

Fate: “Status, display.”



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

HP: 78.0/153.6

MP: 25.41/30.80

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -



-Well, that’s nearly all of my HP recovered...or at least it would’ve been back when I still had 104 HP, but in any case, I think I’m ok to start moving around...probably?



Fate had now had at least 20 minutes, according to the regeneration rate of his mana gauge, to recover his MP and HP. He could feel his strength returning, bit by bit, even if it wasn’t completely back yet.



He pressed his arms and back against the wall and began to force himself up until he finally was able to stand up straight. He took several breaths of fresh air, savoring the sensations of the breeze from the broken window.



-Which reminds me, why did they just decide to leave me here if I already broke the window? It should be easy for me to just slip my arm right out, right?



Fate walked slowly towards the crate steps and took a good while to limp up to the shattered glass. He tried to look for any signs that it had been blocked, but there wasn’t a single sign of tampering with the damage.



He reached his hand towards the hole, only to be repelled by a barrier of some sort.



-The hell is this? It feels like...rubber?



Fate repeatedly attempted to puncture the transparent barrier, but his jabs were bounced away every single time. It seemed that someone had set this up while he was passed out, as a temporary fix for the damage he had done so he couldn’t escape.



Fate: “Did Mother do this?”



He didn’t know another mage, but he didn’t know exactly what type of magic his mother used so he couldn’t be sure.



-Then again, if it was her, the consequences of touching this thing would probably be a lot harsher. But who else would be coming in to do something like this?



He decided that he wouldn’t take so much time trying to comprehend who put this up, but the fact that it was there to block him irked him to no end. Regardless, it wasn’t like he could do much about something that he didn’t understand.

Fate: “Guess I’ll try seeing what I can do with my new 『Fire Magic』...minor!”



Fate channeled his mana into his fingertip like he had when he was threatening that maid, earlier. However, what came out was…



-Wait, would I have even been able to burn her face with minor fire magic?



*ping!*



A small mana orb released from his finger, it wasn’t a flame, however, it wasn’t the standard blue bubble, like it usually was. It was a dull red in coloration, but it didn’t seem to be any different from a normal orb other than its color?



-Does it not do anything…?



Fate: “Sh*t!”



Fate walked up to the drifting red bubble and attempted to angrily poke it out of existence, but right as he touched it…!



*Szzz!*



The bubble began to sizzle and the dull red color changed to bright red, before turning into a burst of smoke and burning liquid that slightly stung his finger!



『【Magic】has increased by 0.095!』



He stumbled over from the sudden shock and ended up falling on his back, right onto the floor. Fate gazed at his finger, which had a small burn on it. He scrambled to sit upright and tried looking on the floor, below where the bubble popped...There wasn’t a single trace left though.



-So instead of a flame on my finger, it’s some sort of bomb-bubble?! Seriously, that...kinda hurt...Still though, wasn’t I able to make a small flicker on my finger, earlier? How come I couldn’t make it come out?”



Fate: “Wait...status!”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

HP: 78.0/153.6

MP: 26.52/30.99

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -



-Ughhhh, I have no idea how to check what my MP was beforehand! Guess I’ll just have to…



Fate held out his hand and packed mana into his finger, while imagining a flame, once more, and another red bubble emerged!



『【Magic】has increased by 0.095!』



Fate: “Status!”



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

HP: 78.0/153.6

MP: 24.52/31.18

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

-So it’s 2 MP…‘a pop,’ eh?



Fate felt the urge to laugh from his terrible pun, as he hadn’t practiced any jokes or tried to recall his pleasant memories from the moment he had been reborn. Although he managed to appreciate the joke, he quickly shrugged off his giggles and focused on his insight.



Fate: “It takes 2 MP to make a bubble that small? It just slightly stings too, what use is that in a fight?! I should just stick with the explosive blue…!”



He had an idea! Fate quickly focused mana into two fingers, which made two small orbs appear, one red and one blue. He allowed more mana to flow from his body into the bubbles, making them swell slightly in size!



『【Magic】has increased by 0.215!』



The orbs grew big enough that they eventually crossed paths, at which point they burst into a small explosion and on the finger where the red bubble had been, a small flame was born! Fate was excited beyond belief, even for this small flame, but didn’t forget an important detail…



Fate: “Status!”



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

HP: 78.0/153.6

MP: 19.02/31.61

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -



-...Seriously, making a small flame takes 5 MP?! Earlier, I made one for threatening someone and that didn’t feel like it took much at all...How pumped up was I during that mad dash?



Without any mana to fuel it, the small flame flickered out of existence. It seemed like Fate would have more experimentation to do that day...

 

The Familiar of Fate: Chapter 30 - And the Stars Aligned(5)
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...
Fate continued to experiment, mostly with the red bubbles, to improve his magical abilities. He was able to create two red bubbles at a time and combine them into a small, wavy streak. However, he had to continually feed the bubbles with additional mana in order for them to stay present.



The largest gains were, however, that 『Fire Magic(Minor)』had gained experience points and that his【Magic】stat had increased a fair deal as well.



-I didn’t think that I’d be mastering this faster than 『Mana Manipulation(Minor)』. I thought that mana manipulation was a requirement to be able to use magic, but it seems to be a separate entity unto itself.



It was true that Fate’s progress in mana manipulation had noticeably slowed, but that would probably have had to do more with the fact that he had been more focused on raising his physical stats, with magic being a minority.



Fate: “I feel tired...However, I feel like I should do something just for the hell of it…!”



He picked up a stone shard from the corner and began to carve something behind the curtains. It took him a few minutes to carve what he wanted to say into the wall before he covered it so it wouldn’t be seen.



-I’ll get some sleep, but first...Journal, status page!”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Name: Fate
• HP: 101.0/153.6
• MP: 2.80/32.07
• Level: 0
• Race: Human
• Age: 4 year-old(4 year(s), 0.7 month(s) (22+ years old)))
• Job: None
• Previous Jobs: None
• Titles: 【Familiar of Fate】

--------------------------------

• Stats:
  • Strength: 17.95
  • Endurance: 34.215
  • Wisdom: 7.0
  • Intelligence: 8.47
  • Stamina: 20.599
  • Agility: 13.428
  • Fortune: 1.0
  • Magic: 15.534

---------------------------------

• Passive Skills:『Balance - (Lv.3)』, 『Natural MP Restoration』
• Active Skills: 『Mana Manipulation(Minor) - (Lv.3)』, 『Fire Magic(Minor) - (Lv.1)』
• Unique Skills: None
• Equipment: Fate’s Journal(Soul-bound)

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-Haaahhh...I wonder what’s considered a good start in terms of a beginner mage’s mana pool? Mine probably sucks, but I can just say it’s because I’m a toddler...best excuse ever!



Fate joked to himself a little more before lying on his old, makeshift bed and falling straight to sleep. He hoped that tomorrow wouldn’t bring too many surprises…

…

However, the world would not heed Fate’s wishes as Jacob came early in the morning to lead him out of the room. Fate gazed around the room for a short while, recalling all the time he had spent endlessly training to occupy his mind.



He couldn’t particularly call these memories those of a happy childhood, but he attempted to burn every one of them into his brain, for he might not have any memories close to these in the future.



-I guess it was time well spent if nothing else, but I can’t help but feel that I didn’t do all I could while I was here…



Finally, after a while of repeatedly scanning the room was led out by Jacob into the halls. He once again saw the hallways that he had run through, imagining the sense of short-lived freedom he had possessed.



The hall continued on as he passed by several other locked doors and rooms that looked like prison cells, at least from the outside they did. The hall floor gradually became slightly smoother and some degree of detail marked the walls.



-Are they actually moving to a nicer section of the manor? No, no don’t get your hopes up, Fate…



Eventually, the two of them stopped in front of a small wooden door made of something similar to an ordinary oak, but with no varnish. Jacob slowly opened the door to reveal a small room with wooden floors, a window that fit the back wall and was barred up near the ceiling, and a small cot, on the right side.



It wasn’t nearly as big as the last room nor did it possess ample building materials, but there was an actual place to sleep instead of some blankets tossed on the floor. This could be described as a move, not a step up or a step-down, but it was just another room…



-I guess I’ll have to get used to these accommodations…

…

-Why, why, why…?

Issac: “I am...sorry, my Agate. However, his majesty has requested that I...ride to the Ashimars’ territory and quell his insurrection that he has begun…”



Agatha and Issac were sitting atop their bed in their room, while Issac was breaking the news to his wife that he would be deployed to quell a rebellion started by another noble. She felt heartbroken at this sudden turn of events and tears flowed freely from her eyes.



-Why did this have to happen?! That damn Ashimar, trying to start a rebellion to raise his standing and steal land from the other lords...from us! Why must my husband ride to stop him, and why can’t some other man be sent to sacrifice their lives?!



Issac could see a portion of her thoughts in her tortured gaze and put a hand to her cheek to steady her. She actively rubbed her face against his palm.



Issac: “I know, my Agate. Our son...he is growing older and I wish to be around to spend joyous days together with both of you, but I...I cannot neglect my duty.”



Agatha: “...But…”



Issac: “If I were to leave that...bastard to do as he wished, would he stop at conquering some nearby fields from serfs or towns along the countryside? A deplorable bastard like him would most certainly not stop there...how long would it be until he begins to threaten innocent people, how long would it be until he attacks our friends...how long would it be until I have to worry about our family’s end?!”



He spoke in a frustrated yet saddened tone, raising his voice in a way uncharacteristic for his usual self. It truly worried Agatha.



They embraced each other and continued to sit on top of the bed for what seemed like an eternity…

…

At the same time as his parents’ tragic farewells, Atlas was meditating while lying in bed. A small gust gathered in the palm of his hand, but even when he tried focusing more mana and effort into it, he could not make it expand.



This certainly was not the level of the attacks he had thrown at his brother days prior, however, it could not be helped.



-Mother was supplementing my lack of skill with her own mana...and, for now, it seems like she won’t help me to grow stronger...I must grow stronger, or else I’ll end up like my older brother!



Atlas: “I will annihilate him, no matter how hard I have to try!”

…

Fate had been left to get himself acquainted with his new room and was, just as in the previous room, locked inside. He had nearly drifted back to sleep on his cot while trying to ignore his fears, however…

*knock!* *knock!* *knock!*



He forced himself to sit up, wondering whether it was Jacob or not. Previously, neither of the maids had ever knocked at the door and had simply rushed in to get their duties over with, but this knock was not the usual one that could be attributed to Jacob.



-Jacob knocks solidly...and only twice, right? Who else would be knocking...wait, why are they knocking in the first place? I can’t unlock the door and none of the staff seem to regard me as anything other as a plague so who could it be?



Fate hesitated for a moment, however, he decided to answer them and get it over with.



Fate: “Enter.”



The door opened without a creak, unlike his other rooms, but the figure in the doorway was vaguely familiar. They gave a curt bow, which was quite unexpected given Fate’s reputation within the manor.



-Wait...she’s…!



???: “Greetings, young master! Oh...so sorry, I didn’t mean to shout...My name is Elizabeth, but you may call me Liza if you wish.”



It was the maid whose face he had threatened to burn off in the hall, truly unexpected...

 

The Familiar of Fate: Chapter 31 - I didn't expect this(1)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...
The maid, known as ‘Liza,’ had introduced herself and then left the room’s doorway, shutting the door behind her. Fate was stunned with the character of the new maid, as sincerity and courteousness really didn’t suit either of his previous ‘caregivers.’



-Then again, if you’re paid to stand around and occasionally keep a kid alive while constantly talking sh*t about him every single day...I guess you don’t need that great of a character. This is maid is definitely weirder than the last two though.



Indeed, it was odd that she didn’t attempt to bring in someone else to attack him when she came to see him.



He had threatened her with a melted face and had pinned her to the floor, things that most people would consider a reason to stay away from someone for the rest of their lives. However, she seemed oddly motivated with her greeting and held no malice towards him...



Fate: “I guess we’ll just have to see about what kind of person she is in the next few days, eh? Maybe it’ll be like an easily intimidated, substitute teacher?”



That sort of scenario sounded a bit ridiculous, however, he was the cursed child of the family who was known to have “stabbed his own mother,” thus more than a decent amount of caution should be the norm.

…

A few hours had passed before the maid returned, carrying his evening meal in hand. It was the same jar of the Jel that he had always received, but his new maid seemed to have some reservations about giving it to him.



She kept switching her gaze from the jar to himself, making Fate’s autistic mind begin to spin all sorts of cruel stories and tortures.



-Is she going to hit me with it, sit here and eat herself while I watch, break it apart and stab me with the glass, throw it at me, or something more horrible?!



She continued to eye the jar suspiciously, almost as if she was locking eyes with a mortal foe. Fate suspected that she might have some sort of...condition that was causing her to commit these actions but still braced himself for what might come next.



However, she eventually handed the jar and a spoon to him but continued to eye him like he was some sort of odd stain on the floor as he ate. After he had finished the nutrient-jel he gave her the spoon back placed the jar on the floor, but in another instance of behavior, unlike her predecessors, she actually picked up the jar and left the room with a bow.



-...Was it just those two? No, it can’t be just them since every servant has been told to treat me like a disease, but this is just too freaky!

…

-Did I do something to displease him? He put his jar on the floor like it was normal...he gave the spoon to me first, but still. Not to mention...



Liza recalled vague memories of her infant days, but one thing about them was painfully clear for her…



-He actually ate that nutrient-jel without any hesitation! If there’s one thing I will always regret, it’s that I was fed that disgusting stuff! It doesn’t have a hint of flavor, it’s like the alchemists and chefs who developed it didn’t give a damn about taste!?



The things that she was perturbed by was that not only did the child have to eat a flavorless paste, but that he didn’t complain or hesitate once while eating it.



-Still, though, I didn’t think that I’d be serving the young lord...or that he’d be the boy I saw, running down the corridor yesterday...He didn’t seem especially chatty though…



She held her hands to her cheeks and rubbed them a bit, turning them red. A smile started to spread across her face, which truly seemed childlike.



Liza: “I guess I’ll have to work hard enough that he opens up to me!”



She kept the same smile plastered on her face as she walked down the hall and turned to corner, vanishing from sight.

…



Fate: “Until I open up to her, huh?”



Unknown to Liza, Fate had been listening for any signs of additional persons from his side of the door but had managed to hear the one thing she said quite clearly. That said, he was understandably confused but drew a ‘reasonable’ conclusion.



-Is she planning to get me to reveal my abilities again and report me to Mother?! If she didn’t already do it, then that means she wants something from me or just doesn’t have the evidence to pin me as a magic-user!



Fate resolved himself that he would become strong enough that he could at least run away from his mother. Even if he couldn’t knock her down, he reasoned that he might be able to stun her with something and book it before she could catch him!



He also believed that this new maid was one that Agatha had put up to the task of fooling him and having him reveal his secrets! After all, he was the plague of the household, what kind of person would want to associate with him, not to mention it was someone whom he had threatened?



-Guess I’ll get to work...since I think she’s gone anyways.



Fate gathered mana throughout his body and produced two small red bubbles near his fingers. He had to multitask to generate two instead of one, but he only needed to fuel them with mana and think one simple command to keep them out…



『【Magic】has increased by 0.080!』



-Stay.



As of last night, he was able to relay his thoughts through a kind of mana projection. It was as if he had scattered one of his regular mana bubbles and dispersed it into a wave, but he could only manage simple commands if he wanted to conserve mana.



-Come together.



The red bubbles floated towards each other and mixed together into a larger and clearer orb, but Fate, although slightly tired, was not done yet…



-Smaller.



The large red bubble flickered slightly and slowly began to condense itself into a solid, brighter mass. It kept getting smaller and smaller, but suddenly, the mana on the surface began to bubble and boil!



『【Magic】has increased by 0.092!』



-Sh*t! Forward!



The ball that was now the size of a small marble, shot forward a meter or two before collapsing into a spread of burning sparks that scorched parts of the stone wall in front of Fate!



『Fire Magic(Minor) has increased to level 2!』



-Thank f*ck that it didn’t get on the wooden floor! That would’ve been tough to hide...but that said, how did I already get to level 2 with my『Fire』?! It took me months to get mana manipulation to 2…



Fate once again contemplated his gains but waved it off as the marks on the wall concerned him more. After all, even if that maid wasn’t out to watch his every move, his mother would most definitely be, and if she found burn marks on the wall...it would definitely be suspicious enough for her to investigate!



-I know that I said it a lot in my past life, but I’m gonna run the hell away from home and never see my family as long as I live! Damn, I really was a brat…

Fate continued his magical training until he passed out on his cot, but he did indeed wipe away the burn marks on the wall beforehand…



『【Magic】increased by 0.22!』

…



*knock* *knock* *knock*



Liza: “Young master, your...breakfast is here!”



-Ughhh, she’s back…”



Fate let out a short yawn and lazily lifted himself out of his cot, stretching his small joints as soon as he was up. He couldn’t bring himself to be frustrated with her attitude when he was just waking up...and because he was somewhat hungry.



Fate: “...Haaaaaa...enter!”



The door creaked open and Liza walked through with a tray in her arms, which she placed on top of the dresser. Fate eyed the tray, noting that there was an item on it that wasn’t a jar or a spoon, but rather a brown stick…



-What’s that?



Liza: “Young master, I’d like to make a deal with you.”

 

The Familiar of Fate: Chapter 32 - I didn't expect this(2)
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-A deal? Does she have proof of my abilities?! This is...unexpected to say the least, but what does she think I can give her that she can’t get by telling Mother about me?

Fate: “What...do you want?”


She seemed to look at Fate like he was a child, but that was fair given that only he and the Witch knew of his true age. She reached up, grabbed the brown stick, and held it in front of his face while dangling it side to side.


Liza: “My lord, I simply wish for you to be my friend.”

-...What?


Liza: “I know that might sound odd, but I want to relate to you. You’re one of the only other kids in the manor and...your brother is...hard to be around…But don’t tell him I said that!”


Fate was bewildered, he had prepared for her to threaten him using his own abilities as blackmail, but was instead asked to be friends? It truly was unexpected and honestly, seemed a little too weird to be real...However, a question was now raised in Fate’s mind.



Fate: “Aren’t you a teenager?”



Liza cocked her head to signify confusion while cupping her chin with her hand.



-Crap, I forgot that teenager is a word that didn’t develop until...the 1900’s! A magical world in the medieval era isn’t going to understand that…



Fate: “I mean...aren’t you 14 or so?”



She now seemed to be mad, puffing her face up and stomping her foot on the ground repeatedly! Fate believed that he had somehow invoked the taboo which comes when asking a lady’s age.



Liza: “My lord, that’s very rude! My mother says that you should never ask a woman about her age, it’s basic social etiquette! Besides, if you must know, I’m nine years old!”



Fate’s mouth gaped open while his eyes widened slightly, both responding to the shocking words that he had just heard!



-She’s 14?! How...she’s taller than a kid should be?! Everything about this girl is weird to me, I was expecting another tormenter I couldn’t understand, not a girl who subverts my expectations time and time again!



He tilted his head towards the ground.

Fate: “I’m sorry...that I mistook your age and that I didn’t consider basic etiquette, it won’t happen again…”



Liza’s gaze was now the one that took on one of shock, for she couldn’t understand a master bowing his head to a servant, even one he respected. The essence of a noble was completely different from that of a servant, but Fate didn’t even have a whiff of such an essence!



She quickly erased her shocked look and put on a humble one that suited her duty.



Liza: “My lord, you don’t need to apologize. I am...somewhat misunderstood because of my height. It is an easy mistake to make.”



Fate met her gaze with his slightly cold glare which made her shudder, but she continued to stare into his eyes as well.



Fate: “Why would you wish to make friends with the disowned child of your lord or for that matter, why are you going to the trouble to speak with me? You are a servant of the manor, you of all people should know my reputation...Also, there’s the matter of me pinning you to the ground and threatening to burn your face off.”



-She definitely doesn’t want to be friends with me out of the goodness of her heart. It’s just one of Mother’s tricks...I know that people don’t want to be friends with you unless you have something they want. This should scare her away though…



Fate: “『Fire』!”



Two bubbles appeared and fused together into a small flicker of flame, which began to grow larger to the point where it was able to engulf his finger! He pointed it at her head and gave her an obviously forced frown.



Fate: “Now, are you going to try saying that again?”



Surprisingly though, she did not show even the slightest sign of discomfort. Even though a flame that was supposed to scare her was right in front of her head, she only offered a smile.



Fate continued to feed mana into the flame but was definitely feeling the drain that it was creating. It cost 5.5 MP to make a real flame and he was having to burn through his mana to keep it manifested and to expand its size so that it became a semblance of a genuine threat.



-She’s smiling at the fact that I’m threatening her with death? It definitely wasn’t like this when I threatened her the first time, back then she was genuinely nervous! What could be giving her the confidence to smile?!



He questioned her and himself while his mana began to run dry, forcing him to stop maintaining the flame on his finger. Liza’s smile grew slightly larger.



Liza: “I will now that your flame has gone out! I want you to be my friend, young lord Fate.”



Fate let out a sigh, he was now feeling quite exhausted and was in no mood to continually dance around the main question.



Fate: “And why do you want to be my friend?! I just threatened to roast you and if you try to associate with my brother, you will probably do much better in life, so why?!”



He had been ignored, beaten, and nearly killed several times ever since he had been born. The fact that anyone would attempt to even associate with someone like himself was insane to him, or it had since become.



Liza: “It’s true that there are other children of various servants living in the manor and putting in the extra mile to forge a well-meaning relationship with your brother could be an investment towards my future…”



-Then why?!



She made an awkward face for a moment before replying curtly…



Liza: “Do you think that I look pretty?”



This girl’s reason for asking to be his friend was...to have someone judge her looks? Was she just looking to have some broken soul compliment her for food?



Liza: “I believe your words from before were, “I’d really hate to burn part of your pretty face off” that’s what you said right?”



-That’s the part of that encounter she cares about?! That I called her pretty while threatening to burn her face off?!



Liza: “Not a single boy has ever called me pretty before…”



She started to blush a bit, but just set the brown stick down again before covering her cheeks with her palms. This girl was truly a subversion, she was even turning a bit of unintentional banter while she was threatened into a sincere compliment!



Fate: “I think you do look pretty, but...that’s what you’re hung up over?!”



Liza: “Well it might not mean much to a noble, but whether you like it or not, you’re another outcast like me and one who complimented me to boot!”



Fate: “Another...outcast..? Wait, I already told you that I’m disowned! I am not a noble nor will I ever be a noble as long as I live!”



She put on another annoyed face and shook her head at him disapprovingly. Liza walked to the door and stood in the doorway, propped against the wall.



Liza: “I’ll be leaving, for now. Be well, my lord.”



Liza slowly began to close the door, but suddenly stopped and pushed it slightly open so her eyes could poke into the room. She looked at Fate, once more.



Liza: “I won’t tell on you by the way, but you should try eating that stick! My momma says that they’re not proper food, but it’s better than that...jel. I’ll talk to you tomorrow!”



Fate: “H-hey!”



She didn’t give him time to answer her before she closed the door, he could hear the key turning in the lock. Fate pulled his knees to cover his face while he sat on his cot.



-What does she want from me…?



Fate gazed over at the brown stick and jar of jel on the plate. He got off his cot and walked over to where they were, opening the jar and quickly devouring the tasteless substance.



He gazed at the brown stick menacingly, poking it several times with his finger before throwing himself onto his cot. However, he was unable to stave off his curiosity and continued to gaze at the stick.



-What if she poisoned it? What if I end up in another prison cell?!



Despite his reservations, he returned to the plate and picked up the stick in his hands. Gradually turning it over to try and spot any abnormalities. He could smell an aroma of baked bread, emanating from it.



-I can’t fall for this!



He placed the stick down and turned his back, but soon turned around to gaze at the stick again. He clearly couldn’t make up his mind.



-...It couldn’t hurt to try a piece, right?



Fate grabbed a piece of the stick and pinched it between his fingers, making a crisp sound and breaking the piece off. He hesitated a moment, but still placed the bit in his mouth and chewed on it.



-...It’s salty...and sweet?



He was confused and took a look at the inside of the main stick piece. The outside seemed to look like a pretzel, but the inside had some sort of cream filling. They formed a taste that was odd, however...



-It's...delicious...

 

The Familiar of Fate: Chapter 33 - I didn't expect this(3)
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…

Fate devoured the cream-filled stick, which seemed to mimic the flavor of a yogurt covered pretzel. He hadn’t had any food with flavor in years, not since the spicy chicken soup which had burned his throat so just a simple snack moved him beyond words.



He could almost feel tears welling up in his eyes after he had finished eating. It had been four years since he had been reincarnated and he had scarcely touched upon his old memories, however, eating something with actual flavor had managed to stir his memories…



-I...I guess that one of my only friends was food...All those sweet, sour, and spicy flavors made me forget all the sh*t that I had to deal with everyday…



He wasn’t crying in front of anyone, he wasn’t crying for attention or sympathy, and he wasn’t shrieking in pain or misery. Instead, he was just a kid over a trivial thing in his room, which made him almost seem like a child for just a moment…a real one...



…

-I didn’t think that he’d try it again…



Liza walked down the hall while twiddling her thumbs and her head drooped so that you couldn’t see her face unless you got up close.



One might think that person, who looked like she did would be sad or depressed but if you got up close to her, you could see a smile on her face.



Liza: “It’s okay though! I know that he’ll want to come around to my way of thinking! Plus…”



She put her hand over her mouth and snickered childishly.



-I made sure to put some cream and sugar as filling for that little salt stick! There’s not a single person alive who can resist something that you’ve made with positive thoughts and a lot of sweet!



Fate was desperately trying to act like an adult, but Liza, on the other hand, wasn’t trying to act more mature than she was. If she did say something that sounded mature, it was mostly to make people believe her or to get what she wanted.



Liza: “I’m sure that he’ll be happier with something that mother passed off as a mistake in the kitchen than that terrible…*shudder*...nutrient jel!”



Liza had snuck to the kitchen to make a snack since she had wanted to have something of worth for a friendship to work...and that she hadn’t wanted to see anyone having to eat something so tasteless every single day like it was normal!



-He’s my responsibility now, I’ll be better than all of his previous caregivers! It is our duty as servants to serve and wait on our master’s every desire and even if he’s disowned, I’m still responsible for him!



It was strange that a noble would disown their firstborn, but Issac Schneider was more of a family-centric noble instead of one that was only concerned about impressions or legacies. The fact that a mere toddler had been able to damage its own mother, and a former priestess no less, so horrendously was extremely abnormal!



-Mother taught me that all priestesses of the choir are extremely talented in magic, basic martial arts, song, and holy rituals...I just can’t imagine someone like that to be...injured as bad as she had been, even if it was her own child…!



Liza turned her head inside out trying to make sense of her lord’s odd family but just chose to focus her mind and shake away her ill feelings.

…

-It’s the first good thing I’ve had in a while but it’s gone so fast! Seriously, why did she bring me just this small snack does she have a thing for making people younger than her suffer!?



Fate sighed and looked at the plate that the stick had been on. Originally, it looked like a small pretzel-stick, but now there wasn’t even a single crumb remaining…



Fate: “Then again, she did bring it to me in the first place...and she said this was a trade...so then...I can get more delicious foodstuffs! Wait, no! I’m already starting to become subservient to her wishes and all for one...delicious...creamy...salty...crunchy…”



He began to fantasize about it again before snapping himself out of it, vigorously shaking his head. At this moment, he looked like a regular child in denial.



-Still, though, what am I supposed to tell her when she comes back tomorrow? She wants to be my friend, I’ve threatened to kill her twice, and I really want some more food that isn’t tasteless…

…



The next day, Liza once again walked the halls of the manor that lead to Fate’s small room. Although he had been moved, he had still been placed in a mostly unused section of the mansion. She soon reached her destination and took out a set of keys on her belt.



-I don’t know why they needed to go so far as to lock him up? Then again...I guess if it was anybody but me that he threatened with burning...they’d probably try to have him hanged.



She slid a key into the lock on the small door and turned it until she heard a click at which point, she pushed the door open.



-Oh wait, I forgot to knock! He’s going to…

The door opened to the sight of a small room with the same narrow walls, old floor, cot, and dresser where she had left the tray. However, one thing was obviously absent from the fact that the cot was empty...its occupant.



Liza began to hurriedly look around the room, desperately hoping that Fate hadn’t broken out. She attempted to look behind the dresser and under the cot, but neither of these locations yielded results. Suddenly though, she heard a noise from above her…



Liza: “Young lord…?!”



Fate suddenly dropped from the ceiling and once again pinned her to the ground! Liza was in shock but still was able to take notice of the blood and scrapes on Fate’s fingers. It was quite obvious that he had somehow clawed his way into the section of the room above the door and waited to attack her when she came in…



-He was waiting up there all this time, how much pain did he have to put himself through?!



He spread a devious smile across his face while his pupils dilated, giving him the depraved look of someone truly disturbed. A flame flickered on his finger and quickly swelled to the point where it looked like an average 『Fireball』! He lowered the flame to her arm and Liza quickly felt a burning sensation envelop her elbow!



Fate lifted the finger after letting her flesh sizzle a bit and lowered his head to her ear while keeping one of his eyes fixed on hers…



Fate: “So, are you still going to keep playing this game?”

 

Hey guys, sorry I haven't been posting here. If you want the latest chapters before I post on novelupdates, go to the Familiar of Fate page on scribblehub!
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The Familiar of Fate: Chapter 34 - I didn't expect this(4)
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…

Fate: “So, are you still going to keep playing this game?”



I tried to speak to Liza in as cold a tone as I could strain my throat to release, but I was also maintaining the flame on my finger. I had already pressed the flame into the joint of her left arm and seemed to have made a small burn, which at least proved that I could do some damage…



-Still, though, I have to threaten her like this since I don’t have enough mana to keep this flame maintained for long. In other words, I would if I could but I can’t...at least not right now.



I drew my head up from her ear, where I had kept my peripheral gaze locked on one of her eyes, but when I looked at her face, although in pain, she still didn’t seem to be feeling any fear.



I let out a short sigh and began to speak again while making an angry gaze.



Fate: “Are you seriously looking down on me this much? You’ve already heard what I did to my mother, right?~”



Again, trying to threaten her doesn’t seem to have had any effect, but she seems to be recovering from the pain of the burn, although I’m pretty sure that’s just adrenaline. She seemed to turn her gaze away to contemplate for a moment before turning her head to face me again.



Liza: “Currently, I think you’re the one who’s looking down on me, aren’t you master? Though, to answer your question, I am not, nor have I ever looked down on you.”



I clenched the area around the burn with my left hand, causing her to wince in pain. I was sure that this had to be some sort of ploy by my parents that her pain was none of my concern.



-I can’t believe anything she’s saying...anything could just be sweet words meant to entice me into marking an early grave!



She moved her left arm out of my right hand’s grip, which I let her do since there was nothing she could possibly do to stop me...However, all she did with it was gently squeeze my left hand that was holding her burn. I squeezed the burn a little tighter, but she made no attempt to forcefully remove me from it…



Fate: “What are you playing at? I can’t imagine that anyone in this mansion would want to be a servant, much less a friend of trash like myself...So why do you continue to keep up the act?”



-Nobody wants to make friends with the ‘disease…’ In my past life, nobody wanted to talk to me and nothing’s changed! So, would you kindly just give it up already!?



I continually convinced myself that she couldn’t be telling the truth, that this was some sort of scheme that she or someone else cooked up to work me like a slave...However, deep down, I wanted to be wrong this time…



In addition, I pressed into the burn further, elicting more pained looks from her at which I spread the smile across my face as far as I could. Puss began to pool and form sores under her loose skin, making it look like the arm would pop at any moment.



Fate: “Come on, just give it up already!”



However, she did not give me any of the responses that would affirm my suspicions and instead continued to hold my hand.



Liza: “I would not mind... dying this way, my lord. However, I don’t think... you’ll find another attendant such as I…!”



-Is she cunning or just slow-witted, tell me!!!



I ceased the flow of mana to my flame, making sure to save enough mana to make another should it be warranted. I removed my hand from her burn and forced myself to stand, at which point I finally remembered the pain that I had been forcing myself to tune out.



Suddenly, Liza pushed herself up from the ground using her uninjured arm and tore some cloth from the cuff of her sleeve using her teeth. She wrapped the cloth around my injured fingers and tied them tightly before meeting my stunned frown with a bright smile.



Liza: “See? You didn’t fight back and now it should just take a few days for those scrapes to heal. However…”



She gazed towards me with a seriousness that I couldn’t ignore.



Liza: “Please refrain from injuring yourself like this in the future, I’ll get in trouble if you’re not in good health!”



I was completely dumbfounded. Not only was she ignoring her burn and the marks on her skin from where I’d pinned her she was, instead, tending to my injuries!



I shot a gaze towards her arm, hoping to elicit some response that would tell me if she at least had some degree of sensibility towards her own wellbeing. Liza looked at her burn but didn’t seem perturbed.



Liza: “Ah, I think I’ll get a chewing out over this later, but I can just pass it off as a mistake in the kitchen so you don’t need to worry…!”



Fate: “Enough! Why are you so vested in forging a friendship with me that you’re putting up with what I just did?! Why are you trying to hide what I’ve done to you?! Finally, why did you even want this position in the first place?!”



My words seemed to have struck home as the smile faded from her lips and was instead replaced with a depressed frown. This change of face truly shocked me, even while I was grilling her flesh, she never seemed to give off this negative atmosphere…



-She doesn’t give in to torture and she gets this depressed when I ask her for a logical reason, why she would want to serve me or be my friend?! Seriously who the hell is this oddball?



Liza: “My mom...barely ever has time for me. My father has long since passed...Every single child in the manor and its related parties, judge me on my height and looks alone…”



-I don’t care about this pitiful speech, get to the damn point already!



I realized that I was internally acting like a brat, but I didn’t care right now. She had suddenly gone into a monologue about how sad her life was...Was I supposed to care about the life of someone else in my situation?



Liza: “However, I heard of you, my lord...An outcast just like me, who apparently did such horrible things that his family disowned him, a firstborn son! In your situation...I thought that you wouldn’t have many people that you’d trust or want to be friends with. Being friends with you isn’t just an achievement, it’s the first time I’ve felt like I held the advantage in a situation!”



I growled a little to put on appearances but was inwardly stunned at her herculean leap in logic.



-Being a friend with the disease of a noble family classifies as an achievement?! I feel like there’s a lot that she left out of that story if being friends with me is something to be proud of…



Liza: “But if you don’t want to be my friend, then we’ll just go with the distant master and servant relationship...or I could always report you if you’d like?”



Liza began to walk past me, towards the door. However, before she could turn the handle, I stopped her and gripped her wrist. She smiled and cocked her head to the side, seemingly wondering what I was going to do.



-I can’t believe I’m going to do this!



I let go of her wrist but bade her wait a moment. Walking over to the dresser, I retrieved an item from a spot underneath it, which I had hidden to prevent anyone from taking one of the few possessions I owned.



The item I retrieved was the tin of ‘salve’ that I had received from Jacob after my previous escape attempt, which I had kept thinking that I would at some point use it for myself. I certainly didn’t expect to be using it so soon and certainly not like this…



Fate: “Haahhhh...Please come over here, Liza.”



She walked steadily over to me and waited for my orders. However, I simply opened the tin of salve, scooped some between my fingers, and rubbed it on her burn. I made sure to rub it across the injury thoroughly, covering the entire wound to make sure it healed.



-Why am I doing this for her?! She just threatened to rat me out and I don’t owe her anything, so why am I…?!



I quickly closed the tin and threw it under the dresser while giving her a cold glare, she, however, was radiating with her idiotically-cheeky smile.



Fate: “Now get out...and don’t think that I healed you out of the kindness of my heart! You are not to breathe a word of this to anyone, especially Jacob or my mother! Do you understand?”



Her smile lowered to a normal one and she closed her eyes. She bowed to me for a moment and began walking to the door again, but stopped for a moment and turned back.



Liza: “I won’t tell on you, but you’ll have to behave better if you want any more snacks!~”



She quickly shut the door, leaving only a dumbfounded me alone in the room, contemplating what I had just done.

…