Chapter 23

'That's all?' Aether thought, his expectations plummeting. The outside world appeared disappointingly mundane.

A few buildings dotted the landscape, surrounded by scattered trees, and, to his dismay..... everyone appeared to be human.

'They are fucking humans!!' Aether inwardly screamed, his inner weeb lost his interest in this world. The fantasy he had hoped for seemed elusive in this seemingly ordinary world.

Eventually, the carriage reached its destination and a muffled

'Thud'

Echoed as Alfred opened the door. Velc, the siblings, and Timmy disembarked, their attention drawn to a tall white building resembling a temple. Nuns and priests scurried around with a sense of urgency.

Aether, on the other hand, remained uninterested, his gaze scanning the surroundings as his inner weeb sought any hint of fantasy material.

As for the temple, Aether couldn't care less.

It wasn't a matter of disliking gods; whether he believed in them or not wasn't the issue. It was the fanatical followers, with their questionable convictions, that irked him.

He harboured a clear disdain for religious institutions, attributing them to the root causes of numerous conflicts and wars... he even cheated by them many times.

"Welcome, Mr. Velc ForstBlade!" A hurried voice echoed as a middle-aged man in white robes with blonde hair rushed toward them.

"Well, hello, Mr. Lucius," Velc smiled, extending his hand for a shake with the blonde priest.

"Welcome, cuties!" Lucius, the priest, exclaimed, his eyes twinkling with warmth as he pinched both Kai and Selene's cheeks.

"It's been a long time, Uncle Lucius," Kai greeted with a small smile.

Selene, in a gesture of respect, bowed and pinched the hem of her skirt. "Greetings, Uncle Lucius!"

"Oh! Look at that! Selene has really grown up," Lucius remarked, patting her head and eliciting a slight blush from Selene.

Lucius then shifted his attention to Alfred and Timmy, giving them a nod of acknowledgement. However, he didn't spare a glance for the person clad in a simple sack-like dress.

Aether, in turn, paid little mind to the man, choosing instead to explore the surroundings with keen eyes.

As the adults engaged in conversation, discussing matters Aether had no interest in, he seized the opportunity to silently walk toward the nearby trees.

'Crip, Crip'

'Tweet, Tweet'

Hearing those melodic sounds, Aether couldn't help but smile with a quiet sense of joy. With deliberate steps and careful movements, he approached the stand of trees.

As he looked up at the branches, a delightful sight met his eyes..... Numerous birds perched gracefully on the branches. Aether reached into his pocket, retrieving a piece of bread. He crumbled it and, with a gentle toss, scattered the crumbs before the avian audience.

The birds initially flinched, their beady eyes fixed on Aether. Slowly retreating, he watched with anticipation. After a moment's hesitation, the birds took flight, their wings creating a soft symphony in the air.

'Flip, Flap, Flip, Flap'

'Crip, Crip, Crip...'

'Tweet, Tweet, Tweet...'

They descended from their perches, drawn to the scattered crumbs like a celestial feast. Aether's satisfaction mirrored the contentment he felt as he witnessed the avian banquet unfold.

As the birds indulged in their impromptu meal, Aether's smile deepened. The tinkling of bells resonated in his mind.

!~Ding~!

+1 Affection

+1 Affection

+1 Affection

+1 Affection

After that same fateful day, despite enduring relentless beatings, Aether's determination to survive only intensified due to the same affection points.... A glimmer of hope to see a future for him.

Aether delved into the intricacies of Affection points, unravelling several key aspects.

Firstly, Affection points weren't limited to traditional expressions of affection. It extended to various emotions.... warmth, pity, happiness, satisfaction, pride, and more. Any positive sentiment directed towards him translated into an increase in Affection points.

Secondly, these observations were primarily tested on birds and small animals. Aether remained sceptical about the application of this system to humans, given their ever-changing nature..... Especially no one speaking to him in the Mansion.

Thirdly, the crucial factor was the overall positive sentiment of the other party. As long as someone felt positively towards Aether, he accrued Affection points.

Fourthly, the system/Log was really 'Useless' even though it worked particularly well with animals. By providing a simple offering of half a bread, Aether could garner their favour and, consequently, Affection points..... But still, it was USELESS System.

What's even more intriguing is the revelation that he had garnered 2 affection points:

Firstly, if his memory serves him correctly, one of these points was awarded when he first entered this world. It was a distinctive moment, marked by the awakening of a particular individual, and..... the resonating chime of a bell, triggered by someone.

That was a result of someone showing excessive interest in their food.... Well, of course, that was Rainbow Sea Horse (Still he didn't know what's the name so he named it).

Indeed, the Rainbow Sea Horse displayed a notable fondness for its food....earning affection points in the process.

'I mean.... Everyone loves their food, right?' Aether thought.

This assumption stems from the fact that our protagonist hadn't subjected himself to further testing as a test subject following that particular incident."

This was just an assumption.... Since Aether hadn't subjected himself to any further tests as a test subject after that initial experience....

He would never again!!

As for the second instance, he earned affection points (Pity) from the girl who unexpectedly delivered a powerful punch to his gut.

"It seems someone loves nature!" Lucius remarked, observing Aether surrounded by birds.

Velc and the others remained silent, struggling to comprehend the boy's peculiar nature. Aether only received two pieces of bread for both morning and night, with no provision for lunch.

Their confusion deepened, prompting them to question whether Aether had truly lost his wits or not...

"H--" Kai began to call out to Aether when the rhythmic sound of another carriage approaching interrupted him.

'Tuck, Tuck, Tuck....'

The arrival of the new carriage prompted a sore expression on Velc's face. He clicked his tongue in irritation, muttering, "Tsk, really now?" The unexpected arrival seemed to disturb the expected rhythm of their day, leaving Velc with a sense of frustration.