Chapter 21

!~Ding~!

The resonant chime of bells stirred him from his unconscious state.

"Arrhh..." With a bloody groan and hazy eyes, Aether struggled to lift his upper body, surveying the battered form draped in the same sack dress.

No shock registered on his face, for he had seen the silent spectator of his misery, the one who orchestrated this torment..... Alfred.

With trembling hands, he scanned the surroundings, finding no one in sight except a solitary blue bird perched on a nearby tree.

"Hrmmhh." Attempting to stand proved futile as,

'Crack, Crack'

A pained symphony of cracking sounds echoed through his body, forcing him to sigh and settle onto the grass with a soft thud.

"-Ha-ha-" Aether breathed heavily, his gaze shifting to the sky, which was gradually darkening despite the absence of the sun.

"L-Log!" He muttered with bloody mouth,

Name: Aether

Sex: Male

Race: Human

Level: 0

Title: Slave (Eternal Contract)

Attributes:

Strength: -1

Agility: 0

Intelligence: 3

Magic Affinity: 0

Charm: 1

Compatibility: 82%

Survival rate= 0.0001%

Affection Points: 00003 (1000 Affection Points = 1 *any Attributes)

'Why?' Aether pondered, finding no discernible difference than before, even though the mysterious bell-ringing sounds reverberated through the air before.

Just as he was on the verge of closing the window, his hazy eyes finally focused on the '00003'.

'Who?' The question reverberated through his mind like a haunting echo.

Who, in their right mind, expresses affection through such merciless beatings?

Is there a sadist in that group....?

"P-Please give me... answer," he pleaded with desperation before the Log.

His eyes, now brimming with tears, were a testament to the profound agony his body endured.

.... In that desperate moment, he clung to the hope that something or anything, would offer from the only thing... 'Log'

Yet,

There was no response. "Heh..." A bitter chuckle escaped his lips as he gazed up at the vast expanse of the sky and muttered, "W-Why am I suffering.... again?"

Still, there was no acknowledgement from the indifferent sky.

"Is it wrong to live again?" Aether questioned, his breathing becoming increasingly laboured.

.... Again, there was no response, neither from the expansive sky nor the enigmatic Log.

His vision became obscured with blood, yet he strained to peer through the crimson haze.

Soon, his sight was enveloped in red, as if he had entered a world shrouded in the vivid hue of spilt blood.

He felt his heartbeat slowing gradually...

A heavy weight pressed down on his eyelids as he surrendered to the inevitable, closing his eyes within the crimson realm.

'I-I am going to die.... right?' The thought lingered, and he experienced the same sensation he felt when he departed from his world.

His head gently leaned, and his body seemed poised to fall, a lifeless vessel succumbing to the cruel embrace of fate.

'Flip, Flap'

The bluebird gracefully soared towards him, noting the man's unmoving form.

'Tweet, Tweet'

A gentle melody escaped the bluebird's beak as it perched near his foot, pecking at the scattered bread pieces.

'Tweet, Tweet'

Unperturbed by the dire situation, the bluebird continued its cheerful chirping, indulging in the bread crumbs strewn around.

!~Ding~!

"-HHAAAA--" Aether suddenly gasped, a sharp inhalation triggered by the resonating sound.

His eyes, previously glazed, now held a faint glimmer of clarity as he observed the bluebird silently feasting on the bread crumbs.

His gaze shifted to the same Log, detecting a subtle alteration,

Affection Points: 00004 (1000 Affection Points = 1 *any Attributes)

'4?' Aether thought, his eyes briefly flickering between the numerical change on the Log and the bluebird.

Aether took the nearby bread piece with his trembling hands and slowly positioned his palms towards the bird.

"TWEET!!"

The bird was immediately startled, and just as it was about to take flight, its red-black eyes locked onto a large bread piece on his palms.

The bluebird unfurled its wings, fixing both of its eyes on Aether. Twitching its neck left and right, it scrutinized him, its wings poised for flight at any potential threat.

Aether smiled but remained still, patiently waiting...

"Tweet"

With a small chirping sound, the bluebird cautiously approached Aether's outstretched hand, its wings still spread as if ready to take flight at a moment's notice.

'Tweet, Tweet'

Carefully studying Aether, it then began to pick at the scattered bread pieces, using one side of its eyes to keep a vigilant watch for any signs of danger.

!~Ding~!

+1 Affection

Affection Points: 00005 (1000 Affection Points = 1 *any Attributes)

'I see...' Aether mumbled inwardly. It appeared that he could earn affection points also from the creatures around him.

"HEY!!"

Suddenly, a high-pitched voice jolted both Aether and the Bluebird, causing the winged companion to swiftly take flight.

Aether turned his head toward the source of the voice.....

A bluish-black haired girl was hastily running towards him.... the very same girl who had delivered a punch to his gut a day ago. However, in his current weakened state, any assistance was welcome, and Aether harboured no resentment as he awaited her arrival.

"Hey, are you alive?" The girl urgently inquired, gently patting Aether's cheek.

"S-Somehow..." Aether managed to answer, forcing his eyes to focus on the concerned face before him.

"Who did this to you?" she pressed for an answer.

"C-Could you help me to stand up... Madam?" Aether diverted the question, seeking assistance instead.

Initially frowning at the evasion, but seeing him trying to get up... the girl eventually acquiesced, helping Aether to his feet as he leaned against the wall.

"T-Thank you... Madam," Aether expressed his gratitude, one hand gripping the wall for support as he attempted to walk.

The girl's gaze fell upon Aether's broken leg as he struggled to drag his body forward.

"L-Let me help y--"

"N-No need, Madam...-ha-... Your dress will dirty touching a s-slave" Aether interrupted, raising his trembling hands to ward her off.

!~Ding~!

+1 Affection

Aether stole a glance at her face and perceived... a pitiful expression.

"Heh..." He moved forward.

It wasn't that he didn't need her help; rather, he grappled with an ugly truth he had been avoiding, a revelation he was now forced to acknowledge.... after facing his death again.

When Aether's eyes fell upon the plate held by the boy.... two dried pieces of bread and expired jam (He wasn't sure it was Jam in the first place!), He understood.... When Alfred materialized, looking at him with eyes filled with satisfaction, the harsh truth became unmistakably clear.

He was no more than a slave.... an eternal slave.

The revelation forced him to reevaluate his actions.

A slave should behave as such, not daring to wander around the mansion as if he were its master.

He wasn't allowed to eat in the Kitchen, because he was a slave.

He wasn't allowed to wear anything other than this sack dress, because he was a slave.

No one extended a helping hand, not even when a few fellow servants inadvertently witnessed his suffering..... Their indifference, too, was a consequence of his slave designation.

The potential consequences of staining the daughter of Velc, the Head of the Household, with his own blood painted a grim picture. It wasn't hard for Aether to imagine the fate awaiting his lifeless body if such an event occurred.

'I suppose a few humiliations are necessary to understand the situation...' he muttered under his breath as he dragged his battered body towards the rear of the mansion, a designated area exclusively for servants.

Dragging his battered body along, even though other servants witnessed his suffering, none came forward to offer support.

Though the singular concern that occupied their minds....

"Tsk, we have to clean the floor again!"

The aftermath of Aether's torment left a stark reminder as blood stained the once-pristine floor.

'Thud'

Aether pushed open the door to his room, his weakened body collapsing onto the floor. Closing his eyes, he sought a moment's respite.

In the yard, the girl's gaze lingered on the bloodied grass, contemplating the aftermath.

"Selene!"

Her name broke the silence, and she turned to find her bluish-black haired brother, Kai, rushing towards her.

A gentle smile adorned Selene's face, "Big Brother?"

As Kai approached, his eyes caught the bloodstains on the grass. A furrow formed on his brow as he scanned her for any signs of injury.

"What happened?" he asked, his concern evident.

"N-Nothing..." Selene replied awkwardly, meeting her brother's gaze, "Your slave is hurt again."

"What?" Kai's surprise was palpable.

Upon hearing the distressing details...

"Tsk, I told them not to hurt him again!" Kai groaned, frustration etching his features.

"Them? You mean, Timmy and his friends?" Selene frowned, she just said someone hurt but not who.

"Cough, Cough," Kai coughed awkwardly, evading a direct answer. "I am not sure"

"Hmmm," Selene's frown deepened.

"A-Anyhow, let's go inside! We have an important meeting regarding next week"

"Why can't you just stop it, big brother?" Selene's question hung in the air.

"....Sigh," Kai sighed, feeling compelled to unveil the truth, "I can help him now, but what about tomorrow?"

"T-Tha--"

"What about the day after tomorrow?"

"It's his life, Selene. I cannot solely focus on my slave for every problem. He needs to solve it by himself!" He declared, guiding her towards the front side of the mansion.

"But he is different now, he has emotions that he didn't have before" Selene muttered, her words lost in the wind as Kai pressed forward without hearing her.