Chapter 6

I was transferred to a forest outside the palace.

"Well, shall I go and hire a dedicated servant? If I go..."

However, only problematic individuals would serve me, who bears the emblem of darkness.

There's a possibility they might quit soon.

It's not that I mind, but I thought it would be nice to have a companion in the same situation. If our situations are similar, we might even become friends.

In other words, someone who bears the emblem of darkness, or a half-breed of human and monster, a demon.

Even a pure monster would be fine, but in Luxia, monsters serving humans are designated as slaves.

The head butler would not allow a slave to be a dedicated servant to the royal family.

So, I'm not heading to a slave trader...

"I've arrived."

In front of me was a white, shining marble temple.

The largest temple in the imperial capital, where the Pope of the Lux religion, believed by most of the world's humans, resides.

A place where nobles from all over the country visit for prayers and donations.

There is also a convent where less fortunate people work.

I called out to the sister standing at the stylish gate.

"Excuse me, Sister."

"Child? Who are you?"

"I am Prince Alex. I want to hire someone from the convent. Can you let me in?"

The sister noticed the royal emblem on my chest.

"Alex... Your Highness Alex."

The sister closed her eyes, looked up to the sky, and clasped her hands together.

"Please have mercy on Alex, who has been granted the emblem of darkness... Please, come in."

"Thank you."

...I'm used to being pitied.

Besides, dark magic is convenient, so I'm not hurt at all.

I passed through the paved path beside the temple and entered the grounds of the convent at the back.

Here, those who were expelled from their homes because they were granted the emblem of darkness produce supplies for the temple. Mainly food and tools.

I could see modest houses and workshops, as well as fields and orchards.

Even in the magnificent imperial capital, this is a pastoral place.

As I walked down the path, a girl in a nun's habit called out to me.

A girl with light brown hair and a bright expression.

She seemed to be a little older than me.

"Huh? Newcomer?"

"No, not really. More like a companion."

I said this and showed the black letters on the back of my hand.

"Really, a companion!"

The girl also showed the back of her hand.

Indecipherable, black, wriggling letters... but to me, they now appeared as clear pictures and words.

Strangely, when I infused the emblem of darkness with dark magic, the pictures and words became understandable to me.

My emblem is called "Abyss."

The picture is something like a black circle.

I knew the name, but not the effect.

I was also curious about other emblems of darkness, so that was one of the purposes of this visit.

I focused on the back of the girl's hand.

"This... is a sword. 'Night Blade.'"

"Sword?"

"Yes. Your emblem is dark, but it seems you excel in handling swords."

'Night Blade'... maybe like a dark version of 'Sword Saint.'

Perhaps it grants benefits to dark attribute magic and sword skills.

Upon hearing this, the girl stared intently at the back of her hand.

"Wow, you can tell a lot, huh? Well, I am pretty strong in fights! If I have a stick, I won't lose!"

She rolled up her sleeve and smiled brightly. She's really a cheerful girl.

"Is that so... By the way, what's your name?"

"Leina! What about you?"

"I'm Alex. Say, Leina..."

＜Do you want to make Leina your familiar?＞

Suddenly, a demonic voice echoed in my head.

...Don't rush things.

A familiar is probably something like a servant monster, a familiar, created by a subservient magic spell.

Yeah, wait a minute?

Leina looks like a human from any angle.

Moreover, even if she were a half-breed of human and monster, she couldn't be a familiar.

So, a familiar is different from a familiar?

Can humans and demons also be made into familiars?

...Demon, what's a familiar?

＜What!? You reacted to my voice!＞

Just tell me about familiars.

＜Hmm, what should I do~. You... ah＞

I broke my concentration on the demon.

I'm curious about familiars, but Leina is still a child.

Even if I could make humans or demons into familiars, I don't want to.

For now, I could have hired this girl as a maid...

Even if it's a dedicated position, she would still meet other servants in the palace. I don't want a child to have a bad experience because of the emblem.

"By the way, why are you here, Alex?"

"I came to look for someone who can be a butler or maid."

"Then, let me show you around?"

"That would be great. Can I ask you to do that?"

"Sure! It can be a hassle when new people come in! Let's go!"

So, I had Leina show me around the convent.