Chapter 5: I Want to Live (4)

I widened my eyes at the duke's words. The head of intelligence was an extremely important figure responsible for the overall espionage activities of a nation.

On the other hand, there were aspects that now made sense.

'Right.'

Starting as an orphan in the market had a reason. It didn't seem like I would need to run away later.

Under the duke, my espionage experience would inevitably rise, even if I didn't like it.

'This is going better than I expected.'

If I can persuade the duke well later, it will be easier to help or approach the princess.

Haisen is the queen's country, and the head of intelligence has even more power.

"How old are you?"

"Being an orphan, I'm not sure, but I'm thirteen."

"Thirteen, huh. Not bad. You will serve as an intelligence agent under me. Is that acceptable?"

His words were more straightforward than I expected. Was he testing my reaction, or was it just his personality?

The duke's gaze was sharp. Given that he was the head of intelligence for a kingdom, it was probably the former.

Though he asked if it was acceptable, the result was already decided. They wouldn't let someone with secrets go free.

They might brainwash me through torture, but they wouldn't kill me.

I deliberately paused for a moment to think.

If a child's judgment was too quick, it might seem strange. Then I nodded.

"Yes. Being under the duke is much better than living as an orphan in the market. Thank you."

As I spoke, I realized it might sound a bit naive, even though it was sincere.

However, the duke smiled with satisfaction.

"You're not like a child."

"Given my background..."

The duke chuckled.

"I'm not saying I'll use you for free. If you work hard, you'll be rewarded accordingly. You won't have to worry about food and shelter."

"Thank you."

The duke nodded and waved his hand.

"Rest for today. Follow Lena."

The duke called Lena, and I bowed and left the reception room.

A translucent message appeared in my field of vision.

My eyes were drawn to the system message that suddenly appeared. I didn't expect to gain experience so soon.

It seemed that joining the head of intelligence counted as an espionage-related action.

'Well, I did become a trainee intelligence agent.'

The unexpected good fortune improved my mood.

Being under the head of intelligence, the future felt a bit brighter.

Still, how much of a difference does it make?

I tried to think, recalling my experience of calling up the status screen, but the system message didn't update.

Can't see it.

The status screen has been simplified, and it doesn't show the total amount of experience.

"Why are you like that?"

While I was thinking, my steps slowed a bit, and Lena tilted her head.

I hurried to catch up and looked around the antique corridor with murals.

"Ah, no. I was just amazed."

"...You'll get used to it soon."

Lena nodded, but her gaze remained subtle. A direct subordinate of the head of intelligence. She's definitely not an ordinary maid.

I thought I needed to be a bit more careful.

No matter the situation, I needed to ensure that the system message didn't distract me.

If we were face to face, she might have noticed something was off.

I consciously lowered my head slightly and observed Lena. The gaze that had been on my head moved forward again.

I followed her, aware of my breathing.

'Hmm.'

My head was a bit complicated.

The result itself was good, but the meeting was too simple and straightforward compared to what I expected.

When I took in an orphan, options like "Can you dedicate your life to me?" or "Serve me with loyalty" would appear.

As the head of intelligence, the duke should have something more psychological.

'Or not?'

Perhaps because he is the head of intelligence, the meeting ended simply and clearly.

After all, empty vows are meaningless.

The head of intelligence of a nation. There's probably a systematic, step-by-step ideological education.

To survive here for a long time, I would have to pretend to assimilate into that ideological education.

While thinking, I reached the dining room. It wasn't very large, with a maximum capacity of about 20 people?

Several dishes were already prepared on the table.

Soup, roasted chicken, steak, lasagna... At a glance, there were more than seven main dishes.

The amount was impossible for one person to finish.

"Ho, perhaps..."

I looked up at Lena with feigned excitement. It wasn't hard, as it was almost sincere.

After my OCD was resolved, extreme hunger was what tormented me.

"All of this is yours, so eat as much as you like."

"Thank you!"

I hurriedly sat at the table and noticed a bit of coarse dust on the lasagna.

I frowned slightly. I shouldn't eat that.

Then I immediately took the roasted chicken.

Due to my OCD, I had a slight aversion to the dishes already on the table, but hunger overcame it.

Lena, standing a bit away, sighed lightly with a slightly uncomfortable look.

"For today... just eat. We'll do etiquette training later."

I nodded hastily, and Lena turned around.

"I'll wait outside. Come out when you're done."

I watched Lena leave and reflected on the situation. The duke's approach was likely part of his strategy.

This was probably part of the reward he mentioned.

For an orphan with nothing, this lavish table would be a first.

In the game, the quality of the accommodation and food given to subordinates determined their loyalty.

Despite knowing this, I still felt a bit moved.

After all, even when I lived on Earth, I didn't often experience such luxurious tables.

I felt fortunate.

From my experience, handling orphans taken in from Balhol boiled down to two main methods.

Subjugation and control through violence and threats, and improving human relationships through psychological closeness.

As a player, the proper approach depended on the personality of the orphan taken in.

There's no point in being kind to those who don't know gratitude.

Still, the latter method was used more often.

Subjugation and control through fear involved too many variables and risks.

On the other hand, good food, accommodation, and humane treatment were more comfortable methods.

Based on my experience, they were also much safer.

I actually had a character who betrayed me despite having a magic seal on their heart.

'I still don't know how they managed to break it.'

Anyway, the duke's approach seemed closer to improving human relationships.

I didn't know what would happen later, but I needed to show gratitude and be impressed by what was given.

That way, the duke would think he could tame me without violence or threats.

Considering how long I could endure violence in the modern world, this was the best approach.

I finished my meal as slowly as possible to organize my thoughts.

Still, more than half of the food was left.

The stomach of a 13-year-old orphan who hadn't eaten well wasn't very large.

Of course, I didn't touch the lasagna.

Though I felt a bit disappointed, my small stomach was already full, and the food was pushing up to my throat.

I was seized by the desire to brush my teeth due to my OCD.

I suppressed the rising discomfort and left the dining room, where Lena smiled.

"How was the meal?"

"It was delicious! I tried some new dishes. It's a bit disappointing that I couldn't finish it all..."

"Don't worry, you can eat whenever you want from now on."

"Really?"

"Yes."

The forced act of being a child made me feel a bit awkward, but I did my best.

Later, Lena led me to a room in a separate building.

The room was quite tidy. There was a bit of dust in a corner, probably due to the rush in preparation, but...

Compared to running through the back alleys of the market just a short while ago, this was a blessing.

"Wow!"

I pretended to be amazed and looked around the room, and Lena added,

"You'll stay here from now on. I'll inform you about etiquette and other matters."

"Yes."

"For today, just rest. Someone will come to see you soon."

I confirmed that Lena had left and immediately ran to the bathroom to brush my teeth.

Fortunately, all the basic items were there.

Afterward, I spent time cleaning the room. Compared to my room on Earth, it was incredibly clean, but...

From the perspective of my OCD, there were many shortcomings.

I washed my body, which had been dirtied by cleaning, and finally threw myself onto the bed.

Only then could I think more clearly.

'Demon's blood...'

What should I do with this?

My vision was still dark. Even if my luck was bad, demon's blood was a bit much.

It wasn't something I was familiar with.

In Balhol, there are demon worshippers. They are the continent's public enemies, called witches or heretics, and the main antagonists of the main story.

And there are people who are half-demons, inheriting demon's blood.

They have the characteristic of demon's blood and are targets for extermination like demon worshippers.

Relying on demon worshippers is also a crazy idea. They are looking for demon's blood for demon summoning.

Either way, being discovered means death.

'I haven't seen many, but...'

Sometimes, a "demon's blood discovered" event quest would appear.

The demon's blood I saw was always strong. Being half-demons, they had outstanding talents.

I can't think of this positively. What good is talent if you die when caught?

I didn't even know how to use or hide it.

I need to find out as much as possible about demon's blood quickly and carefully to avoid suspicion.

It was my top priority to survive.

'Just don't get caught until I build up my strength.'

Of course, not getting caught is best, but there are plenty of ways to use it.

The ability penalty from the worst condition can be overcome by the talent from demon's blood, so I should be able to perform above average even in normal times.

And with my strength, I could probably run away using the wind as a mystery.

Thinking positively, it wasn't all bad.

Joining the head of intelligence in Haisen, which is related to the princess, was going well.

It was good. Things were going well.

There were risks, but the more I organized my thoughts, the calmer I became.

Perhaps it was better than being buried in ambiguity?

Right. I should start with what I can do now.

Worrying won't change anything. Isn't the strongest human desire the desire to survive?

'I have to live.'

Ultimately, what's important is surviving, no matter what.

I don't know how the game will unfold in this reality, but survival is necessary to deal with anything.

And in the process of 'surviving no matter what,' there will be many things I can't even imagine.

I'll become an intelligence agent, so I need to prepare mentally.

As I thought this, I suddenly felt a strange, stain-like sensation from within me.

It felt like my emotions were a bit dry.

I was abnormally calm, even considering the events of today.

I was surprised but recovered quickly and dealt with the situation calmly.

'Even now, while fleeing, pickpocketing, and meeting the duke, I was like this.'

The dissonance was quite confusing. Even if it was because I was in another body, my consciousness was entirely mine.

A few hypotheses came to mind.

'Is it the influence of possession? Or the characteristic of demon's blood?'

Both were plausible. As the characteristic of OCD shows, if demon's blood flowed in the body...

It wouldn't be strange for a person to change a bit.

The same applied to possession. Even if the memories of this body were incomplete, only the spirit had entered another person's body.

Some degree of assimilation would be necessary.

In fact, the pickpocketing during the escape was more likely due to the habits of this body than the characteristic of being a rogue.

These meaningless yet meaningful hypotheses made my head more complicated.

"Phew."

I exhaled deeply, expelling my thoughts. No matter what, 'surviving no matter what' is the priority.

Whether it's the influence of demon's blood or possession, it doesn't matter. I need to use it for survival.

After a while,

I started to feel sleepy without realizing it. The mental fatigue from the unfamiliar situation was significant.

'As an orphan, I might not have slept comfortably before.'

There was no reason to resist sleep, so I didn't. However, I couldn't sleep deeply.

I woke up periodically, feeling deep fatigue.

At first, I thought it was due to psychological anxiety.

But after experiencing it several times, it seemed more like the effect of the worst condition characteristic.

Rather than having no reason for poor condition, it might be creating a plausible reason.

'Preventing deep sleep.'

Still, the child's body wanted sleep, and I continued to sleep uncomfortably.

My consciousness wandered like a thick fog between recurring nightmares and waking up. I seemed to hear children's voices at times.

I knew night had fallen, but I couldn't escape the nightmares.

Perhaps it was due to the accumulated fatigue of the existing body.

Anyway, no one came to wake me up.

After tossing and turning about thirty times, I suddenly opened my eyes.

A strange and cold sensation different from before overwhelmed me.

The small room was faintly blue as dawn approached. A strange man was looking down at me from beside my pillow.

When did he come in?

A shiver ran down my spine. Before I could be startled, the man spoke in a low voice.

"Get up."