Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou Zero - Volume 1 - Chapter 1

Chapter I: The Meeting That Started It All

The Kingdom of Velka — Capital Velnika.

Velka sat in the southwestern portion of the Northern Continent. A vast network of tunnels ran directly beneath its capital city.

The tunnels were filled with abundant amounts of green glowstone, which had earned them the name “The Greenway.”

Monsters and cutthroats prowled their depths, so it was by no means a safe way to travel. However, because of the rare ore that could be mined there, the tunnels were still popular.

Velka itself could trace its origins back to The Greenway. The kingdom had started out as a mining town that had sprouted up to harvest its ore. Merchants and craftsmen had then flocked to the town, which eventually grew into a flourishing city. That flourishing city then grew into a small country, until it eventually became the mighty kingdom it was now.

The country manufactured all of its own weapons, its tools, and even magical artifacts. Velka was known to the rest of the world as the kingdom of inventors and craftsmen. They were more than a little jealous of its wealth of natural resources and talented citizens.

The engineers and craftsmen of the kingdom were always competing with each other, and there were a few exceptionally talented guilds whose names had become famous.

One of those was the Orcus Workshop. It allowed only the most talented Synergists to join. Its fame was so great that even nobles considered it an honor to be accepted for an apprenticeship there. Their primary focus was on weaponsmithing. And thanks to the current political climate, they were in rather high demand.

The Orcus Workshop’s headquarters dwarfed the surrounding buildings. Today too, the workshop was filled with the sounds of Synergists chanting and master craftsmen chastising their apprentices.

Like with all Orcus Workshop buildings, the headquarters was partitioned into sections, with each section housing a different specialty. One could usually guess what each section’s specialty was by looking at the tools and materials used.

Most craftsmen were surrounded by weapons, armor, and the materials needed to make them. Others were buried in piles of everyday goods.

As the Orcus Workshop’s main business was weapons, it made sense for most sections to be dedicated to that. One’s standing in the workshop was determined by the quality of goods they could produce.

However, there was one craftsman who was surrounded by something else. His section was radically different from the rest of the workshop.

The young man working that station had gentle, feminine features and a long, slender build.

He wore black-rimmed spectacles and had his shoulder-length black hair tied up in a ponytail.

He wore an apron over his simple blue shirt and off-white trousers. Gadgets of dubious function stuck out of the numerous pockets his apron had.

His intelligent eyes were staring earnestly at a magic circle and the materials contained within it. Then, he clapped his hands together and the magic circle in front of him began to glow. His mana was a warm, yellowish-white. It was reminiscent of sunlight, the kind one might see on a warm spring day.

His materials coalesced within the circle. The young man’s creation had a perfect curve, impeccable balance, and a well-crafted handle that showed his consideration for its wielder.

He stared sharply at what he’d made, seemingly satisfied.

“Perfect. That’s a great pot.” He seemed proud of his work. Tenderly, he picked up the dull gray pot.

He then carefully placed it inside a box. Said box was already full of pots, frying pans, plates, and other cooking utensils.

Scattered around him were other mundane goods. Lanterns, fancy desks, building tools, scissors, stationery, and other everyday goods littered his workplace.

There was not a single weapon in sight, despite this being a workshop specializing in weapons.

There were technically some sharp implements, but none of them could be considered weapons.

They were all cooking knives. Knives for chopping vegetables, knives for cutting meat, even knives for cutting bread. And they were all of exceptional quality.

However, they were all still cooking utensils. While all the other craftsmen were trying their hardest to create exemplary weapons, this young man was just making mundane items. Naturally, this made him stand out. Not in a good way, either.

Everyone hated him, especially because the Orcus Workshop treated him favorably despite his obvious shortcomings.

“Tch...”

“Hmph.”

People scoffed.

The young man turned around to see two elderly masters staring down at his work. They wore disapproving glares.

He smiled awkwardly in response and returned to his own work, trying to ignore them.

While the craftsmen all hated him, most of them didn’t do much to get in his way. After all, they were too busy focusing on their own work.

But in every group, there was always a small minority that refused to conform. The same was true here. While most people were content to leave the young man alone, some felt compelled to make his life miserable.

The young man scattered wood chips around the pots, cushioning his creations. It was then that someone walked up, looking for trouble.

“Hey, loser. How long are you going to keep making junk like this? What happened to the stuff I asked you to make?” This new voice was derisive and unpleasant.

The newcomer was short and fat, and he was surrounded by two lackeys. One was tall and lanky, while the other had eyes that looked like they were bulging out of their sockets. All three of them were smiling wickedly.

“Hello there, Waress-san. I’ve already finished what you asked for.”

Ping Waress was the third son of the noble Waress family. The young man turned to the duke and bowed his head respectfully, despite Waress’ condescending attitude.

The “stuff Waress had asked him to make” had actually been Ping’s work quota for today. He’d just been too lazy to do it himself. The young man picked up a nearby box and held it out.

“What, already? Hey, you better not have half-assed this! Earl Holden requested me specifically for this job. I asked you to help to give you a chance to polish your skills, so you better not be repaying my good will by spitting in my face!”

The earl hadn’t actually made any such personal request. He’d brought some armor to be repaired, but he’d asked the workshop as a whole, not any individual craftsman.

In fact, most of the repairs had been handed off to more senior craftsmen. Ping had only been in charge of fixing the straps.

In other words, he’d just happened to have been assigned that task.

The young man knew that as well, but he disliked conflict, so instead of arguing, he just furrowed his brows. He’d had a lot of practice placating people.

Before he could even say “Take a look for yourself,” one of Ping’s lackeys spoke up.

“Come on, Ping-san. Don’t you think loser is a bit much, even for him? The least you could do is call him a former prodigy.”

Torpa Parson, the man who’d spoken, was the second son of Baron Parson.

The bug-eyed man was Raul Streya, fourth son of Baron Streya. He backed up Torpa, gesticulating like a buffoon.

“Now now, Torpa-kun. We should drop the ‘former’ bit, too. After all, he is an orphan the Master scouted out personally. Sure, he can’t make a weapon to save his life and spends all his time crafting junk, but he’s still a genius. After all, he gets paid for all that junk he makes! We should applaud him. Come on, don’t you think you should show us those skills that impressed the master so much? Don’t tell me age made you rusty, you’re still young. You’ve still got it, right Oscar-kun?”

Nearby onlookers sniggered at that.

The other craftsmen didn’t have any personal issue with Oscar like Ping did, but they too were annoyed that an orphan would be given special treatment. Especially as they’d never seen the genius he had supposedly been taken in for.

People continued needling Oscar, but he just smiled and bowed his head. He quietly held out the box that had the clasp Ping had asked for.

“Why won’t you say anything, huh?” Ping opened the box and frowned. Despite the fact that Oscar had done as he’d asked, he seemed displeased.

“It’s as you say. I’m still an inexperienced craftsman, taking advantage of the master’s generosity.”

“If you know that, then you should just get the hell out of here. You’re a disgrace to the Orcus name! The fact that you bear it is an insult!”

Even an apology wasn’t enough to pacify Ping. In fact, it only seemed to make him more irate. His angry screams turned him into the center of attention instead of Oscar.

Not only was Ping short and fat, he was petty. He was the kind of person to insult others behind their backs and bully anyone weaker than him.

Still, he rarely lost his temper, at least not enough to shout.

Looks like the worm’s even angrier than usual today... Did he mess up something else earlier or something? Still smiling outwardly, Oscar desperately thought of a way to calm Ping down. However, before he could, Ping continued.

“Seriously, I can’t believe the master called you a genius. I guess he can make mistakes sometimes too.”

Ping was so worked up that he didn’t notice insulting the Master had made everyone’s attitudes shift. The other craftsmen’s scorn was now directed at Ping, not Oscar. Even his two cronies were grimacing as they whispered to each other.

Oscar knew he had to defuse the situation before the craftsmen lynched Ping. The current head of the Orcus Workshop was well-respected by everyone, and they wouldn’t stand to see him slandered.

However, before he could do anything—

“Oh, you think I’m going senile, do you? Do you mean to tell me that I, Orcus, have made a mistake, Ping? Someone seems awfully full of themselves.”

“Hiii!?” Ping squealed like a stuck pig.

Orcus’ voice wasn’t particularly angry, but Ping shrunk back anyway. His face was pale with fear. Torpa and Raul looked even worse.

Orcus was a hulking bear of a man. Not only was he massive, but his entire body was covered in thick hair. His thighs were large enough to crush a man’s skull between them.

In fact, he was often mistaken as a bearman warrior from the Haltina Commonwealth, though he was human through and through. He didn’t have bear ears or a tail.

Ping smiled guiltily and tried to smooth over his mistake.

“M-Master... Wh-What are you doing here?”

“It’s my workshop. What’s wrong with me being here?”

“U-Umm, nothing! It’s just, I heard you had business at the palace today.”

Topp Karg D. Orcus, the current head of the Orcus Workshop, harrumphed and peered into Oscar’s box. He didn’t bother to answer Ping’s question.

Then, he plucked something out of it and examined it carefully.

The silence that followed was so oppressive that the other craftsmen stopped working and waited with bated breath.

Once he finished looking, he glanced back at Ping.

“This was supposed to be your job, Ping... Why is Oscar the one who made it?”

“Th-This is a misunderstanding, Chief. He was spending all his time making junk, so I thought if he was free he could help me a little. I’m still the one who made it.” Ping prostrated himself before Karg.

However, Karg didn’t even bother listening to his reply and turned back to Oscar. Oscar was wearing the same awkward smile as always, and didn’t say anything.

Karg sighed and addressed Ping.

“I see. I suppose that means I can expect this level of quality from your next work as well?”

“Huh? What?”

Karg smirked and showed Ping the object in his hand.

“This armor clasp’s exceptionally well done. It’s pliable in all the right places, so it absorbs impacts well. Also, it’s been crafted in such a way that a Synergist could easily repair it if it broke in battle.”

“I-I see...”

The other craftsmen all turned toward Oscar in surprise. Their expressions were difficult to read.

It was only Ping who failed to grasp the implication behind Karg’s words. He couldn’t understand why everyone was looking at Oscar.

Seeing his confusion, Karg put it more plainly.

“Rather than trying to show off your own skill, you crafted this clasp to perfectly suit the needs of its wielder. It may look plain, but it’s clearly a first-rate clasp. So I’m asking you, Ping, can I expect this kind of high-quality work from you in the future? Well?”

“......” Cold sweat poured down Ping’s back. Karg was asking for more than he could possibly deliver. He didn’t possess the skills to expertly craft things like that clasp.

“I-I’m honored by your praise, Chief. However, even I’m surprised by how well this turned out. To be honest, uh, I can’t say with confidence that I can do it again. Besides, putting so much effort into every one of my projects would slow me down too much...”

“I see. In that case, do your own jobs. Work hard until you’re good enough that you can make these kinds of quality goods regularly, instead of wasting your time chatting away.”

Karg’s glare was so intense that even a dragon would have withered beneath it.

“Hiii!? Y-Yes sir! I’m sorry, sir!” Ping accepted the box Oscar gave him and nearly tripped over himself in his haste to escape. Torpa and Raul hurriedly followed after him. The other craftsmen lost interest in the commotion and returned to their work.

“Umm... Chief? Thanks for helpin—”

“Come to my office.” Karg turned on his heel and stalked off. He indicated with nod of his head that he wanted Oscar to follow him.

Sighing, Oscar chased after Karg. His awkward smile still hadn’t left his face.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Oscar?” The moment they got into Karg’s office, he started yelling at Oscar.

Karg flopped onto the ancient sofa in his room. The springs creaked under his massive bulk.

“I’m not sure what exactly you mean, sir...”

“We’re the only ones in here, so spare me the niceties. And wipe that moronic smile off your face. It disgusts me.”

“That’s pretty mean, old man.” Oscar dropped his nice guy act, but he didn’t stop smiling. He’d gotten so used to using it to get out of unpleasant situations that he had a hard time dropping the expression.

“I remember you saying before that you’d only cause trouble if you stayed at the workshop. I also distinctly remember telling you to stay anyway. I didn’t work so hard to keep you here so you could spend your time doing that viscount’s idiot son’s work for him.”

“I know. Still, I can finish something like that in between breaks. If that’s all it takes to keep Waress-san quiet, then I don’t mind being his gofer.”

“Fool. Guys like him won’t ever be satisfied. If you give in to them once, they’ll just keep coming back for more. If he’s causing you that much of a problem, then I can have him expelled.”

Ping, Torpa, and Raul had all gotten into the Orcus Workshop because of the connections Ping’s family had. Though all three of them were Synergists, they weren’t at all qualified to be a part of the esteemed Orcus Workshop. Karg had initially let them join only because he didn’t want to deal with insulting a bunch of petty nobles, but—

“I’ll say it as many times as I have to. Oscar, you’re going to be the next generation’s Orcus, so—”

“Gramps.” Oscar’s voice was quiet but firm.

Karg sighed, realizing Oscar still hadn’t changed his mind. Inheriting the name of Orcus meant becoming the leader of the Orcus Workshop.

It was tradition that the current Orcus would pass down his or her title once they found someone who surpassed them in ability.

The fact that Karg wanted Oscar to be the next Orcus meant he accepted Oscar was a more skilled Synergist than him.

“You’re already a better craftsman than me. Hell, you left me in the dust years ago. Your skills are on a completely different level.”

“......” Oscar wasn’t sure how to reply to that. After all, everything Karg had said was true.

“When I first met you at the Moorin orphanage, I knew you were special. The toys you made for the other kids were far better than some of the best work my workshop’s put out... To be honest, I couldn’t believe it at first.”

Oscar had been dumped in front of the Moorin Orphanage when he was a baby. Though there had been no large-scale wars in the past few decades, small border skirmishes happened on almost a daily basis. The political instability within the human kingdoms exacerbated the problem further. The constant fighting had left the land full of orphans, and many new orphanages had popped up to care for them.

It had reached the point where the country wasn’t able to fund them all anymore. Karg had already become the head of the Orcus Workshop when the orphanages started appearing. He’d been a friend of Moorin, so when he’d heard her orphanage was struggling, he decided to help fund it.

The day he’d met Oscar had been like any other. He’d gone to drop off some money at the orphanage and see how Moorin and her kids were doing.

When he’d looked around the orphanage, he’d noticed there were a lot more toys than there had been before.

He’d asked Moorin if she’d gotten another sponsor, and got an answer that he wasn’t expecting.

Oscar, who’d just turned ten at the time, had been the one to make all those toys.

Karg had assumed Moorin had found a rich sponsor, so he was shocked to learn that the toys had actually been transmuted by a young boy. The toys were of such masterwork quality that he had been certain she must have bought them.

The building blocks fit together seamlessly. The dolls were so accurately crafted that Karg almost mistook them for real children. The toy swords were perfectly balanced. Even the fake dishes he’d made for the girls to play house with were good enough to cook with.

All of those works of art were created by a ten-year-old boy. Karg couldn’t believe it. He brought Oscar over and asked him to do a live demonstration. When Oscar had crafted one of those toys right in front of him, Karg had had no choice but to accept reality. At ten years old, he had already been as skilled as the country’s finest Synergists.

When Karg had asked where Oscar had learned his Synergist skills from, this was what he had said:

“When I saw you fix that pot the last time you came, I thought I might be able to do it too, so I just tried.”

Karg had remembered that incident. He had indeed come by a month prior to fix a broken pot. And thinking back on it, Oscar had been watching with keen interest.

Karg froze. He felt a sudden chill, as if someone had just slipped an ice cube down his back.

After watching him transmute just once, he’d mastered it himself? And in just one month? He’d reached the level of a master craftsman through trial and error? If that was true, then how much better could he get given proper instruction? Karg was both excited and terrified at the prospect.

He decided then and there... that he would make Oscar into the next Orcus.

After tutoring him personally for three years, Karg admitted him into the Orcus Workshop.

“It’s been a long time since you first joined the workshop. By all rights, you should have inherited the name of Orcus years ago. But you know, Oscar, I don’t want to force you. I stopped you last time when you said you wanted to quit doing Synergist work, but if you still think this isn’t for you, you’re welcome to leave. Believe it or not, I don’t want to make you suffer.”

“I’m... really grateful to you, Gramps. I know the other craftsmen don’t like me, but there’s nothing I can do about that. I’ve already accepted it. Working here isn’t that bad, really.”

“But still...”

Karg grimaced, but Oscar kept going.

“I like being a Synergist. I get to help everyone in the city with my work, and I can send money back to the orphanage, too... What more could I ask for?”

“Why, Oscar? Why do you hide how talented you really are? If they knew, they’d agree that even the title of Orcus doesn’t do your abilities justice. Is it that you don’t like making weapons? Or what, you don’t think you’re fit to be a leader? It’s probably both, actually. Still, you know, Oscar, don’t underestimate me. I can tell there’s another reason you don’t want to take the title. Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”

“......” Oscar just smiled his usual smile. The smile that said “I’m not going to argue, so just say what you want.”

“I know this might be a bit presumptuous of me, but... I think of you as my own son. I just want you to come into your own and show people what you truly are. But I guess that’s not what you want, is it?”

Oscar had known Karg for a long time, so he understood Karg’s feelings.

Oscar would never admit it to him, but he’d started calling Karg “Gramps” instead of “Karg-san” because he thought of Karg as his real father too.

Honestly, Oscar was happy that Karg had such high expectations for him.

It pained him that he couldn’t tell Karg the real reason why he hid his talents.

But even so—

“Gramps... You said my skills were on a completely different level, but that’s not true.”

“There’s no need to act humble with me. I know how good you really—”

“They’re not on a different level... They’re completely abnormal.”

“......” Karg fell silent. Oscar’s choice of words had given Karg an inkling of the real reason why Oscar hid his abilities.

He’d never seen Oscar look like this before. He had a dark expression on his face and was looking off into the distance. It was as if he was gazing into the future that awaited him were he to reveal his skills.

Karg knew too, it wouldn’t be as wonderful as he’d described. He didn’t know what he should say, but he knew he had to do something. But before he could, Oscar continued.

“Anyway, I enjoy the work I’m doing now. Don’t pretend like you don’t know. All of the tools and furniture I’ve made have been well-received by the townspeople. In a way, I’m still helping increase the Orcus Workshop’s fame.” Oscar spoke cheerfully, trying to dispel the gloom that had settled into the room.

Karg realized this was as far as he’d get with today’s conversation and nodded with a sigh.

“Haaah... You’re right. Neither the Limster Workshop nor the Vagone Workshop even bother making things for the average citizen. Even though it’s their hard work that lets us focus solely on our craft. They’re the ones who provide us with the ore we use and the food we eat.” The workshops Karg had named were the other two big workshops in Velnika. Both of them only took orders from nobles, royalty, and rich merchants.

As that was what they’d chosen to specialize in, no one could blame them too much. Still, that didn’t mean the townspeople liked it. In fact, most of them were quite angry with the other workshops. While everyone else helped each other out, they only looked to make a profit.

On the other hand, the Orcus Workshop had no restrictions on who could place an order. As a matter of principle they were forced to prioritize the nobles’ requests, but if there were craftsmen free, they were put on orders from regular citizens. Furthermore, the current Orcus had begun donating the workshop’s excess funds to various orphanages.

Most importantly, though, the workshop now had a craftsman whose sole task was to handle the citizens’ requests. Because of that, the Orcus Workshop was well-respected among the peasants.

That craftsman was, of course, Oscar. He was known for being fast, skilled, and able to adapt to the needs of any request. Thanks to that, the townspeople often helped out the workshop during crunch times. They’d bring the craftsmen food, sell them raw materials at discounted rates, give them priority for wholesale deals on supplies they were low on, and even bring them spare uniforms and blankets.

Though Oscar’s work didn’t stand out, he was doing a lot to help the workshop. In fact, it was precisely because it didn’t stand out that so few people appreciated it.

“Gramps, I still need to deliver my orders.”

“Alright, alright. My lecture’s over. Go deliver your stuff... Actually, wait. There is one thing.”

“Huh?”

Karg stopped Oscar, suddenly remembering something.

“You’ve heard the reports of people going missing from the less prosperous parts of town in the past few months, right?”

“Yeah, I have.”

“Try and keep an eye on the kids at the orphanage. Most of the people who’ve gone missing were very young. They were all from the slums, so people are saying they likely went off and tried to strike it rich somewhere, only to end up dead in a ditch.”

Karg had a feeling it was much worse than that. His serious warning reflected his foreboding.

“You can take the rest of the day off. Go see how everyone is at the orphanage.”

“That’s what I was planning on doing anyway. I’ll be careful. Alright, see you later, Gramps.” Oscar bowed to Karg and left the room. He felt bad for always making Karg worry about him.

“If you have to keep up that fake smile all the time here, you should just go off and do something you actually like. Dumb kid...” Karg muttered those words to himself, quietly enough that they couldn’t be heard on the other side of the door.

Once he finished delivering the day’s orders, Oscar headed back to the orphanage. It was located on the outskirts of the capital, so it was a long walk from the workshop.

Oscar was already an independent adult, and he had his own place closer to the center of the capital. For him, a trip to the orphanage took quite a bit of time. However, he still considered the orphanage his home. Oscar was just as worried as Karg about the recent disappearances, and he’d been coming back to the orphanage more often these past few months.

The outskirts of the capital wasn’t a very safe place to begin with. Many of the buildings were dilapidated and abandoned. In a word, his orphanage was in the slums.

The orphanage housed a lot of children, so it was bigger than all the surrounding houses. Still, it wasn’t in much better shape than any of them. A run-down wooden house like this wouldn’t even be allowed to exist in the capital’s center.

Fortunately, it was much sturdier than it looked. By the time Oscar arrived it was already evening. The setting sun cast deep shadows among the alleyways.

He stood in front of the building for a few minutes, then circled around to the back.

“Looks like the alarm’s working.” Oscar placed his hand on the ground as he said that. After a few seconds he took it off. He walked around to every corner of the building and did the same thing. Finally, he closed his eyes and placed his hand against the building itself.

“The strengthening’s... holding up pretty well. The barrier and mana accumulator are working just fine, too.” Oscar breathed a sigh of relief.

Though his actions seemed random, whatever he had discovered appeared to relieve him.

Pleased that his security measures were working, he walked back up to the entrance and knocked on the door.

Moorin had told him the orphanage would always be his home and that he didn’t need to be so formal, but since he’d moved out, he felt it was still better to knock.

“Hmm...?” Normally, one of the kids would have answered the door, but nobody came.

Maybe I knocked too lightly? Oscar tried again.

Still no response. He couldn’t even hear the sound of the kids playing.

“Ah!?” Oscar had a very bad feeling about the situation. Something must have happened. To him, the orphanage and the people in it were more important than anything else.

“Mom! Guys!”

Some small, rational part of his mind told him he needed to calm down and assess the situation. However, his body moved on its own. Every second mattered.

He wrenched open the front door and rushed into the living room.

“Dylan! Corrin! Ruth! Katy! Mom! Anyone!” He yelled the kids’ names as he barreled toward the dining room. It was around their usual time for dinner.

His heart lurched when he heard no reply and he practically ripped the dining room door off its hinges. Inside, he found—

“Welcome back, dear~ Would you like dinner, a bath, or... me, Miledi-tan?” A girl he didn’t recognize. She was wearing a frilly apron and looked to be around maybe fourteen or fifteen years old.

Her long blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, and it almost seemed to defy gravity as it swished back and forth. She had slender legs that were covered by knee-length socks. She had one leg bent back at a cute angle and was standing on one foot. Underneath the apron she wore a sleeveless shirt, and in one hand she carried a cooking ladle. She made a peace sign with her free hand and winked at Oscar.

He could have sworn a star flew off from that wink.

The pose was so perfect that it annoyed him. Faced with this unexpected sight, Oscar reacted the only way he could.

“Sorry, looks like I’ve got the wrong house.” He closed the dining room door and backed away.

I must actually have gotten the wrong house. Haha, maybe I’m tired from working so much.

However, this mysterious and oddly cheerful girl had no intention of letting Oscar escape.

“Wait, don’t just leave! I can’t believe you closed the door on me! An extremely beautiful girl just offered herself to you, so shouldn’t you be moved to tears right now! I know you want to gaze upon these perfect legs! There’s just the right amount of skin showing between my skirt and my kneesocks. I know you can’t resist them. We both know you’re a huge pervert, O-kun!”

Oh, just shut up. Quit acting like we’re best friends when I don’t even know you. Besides, you’re obviously crazy.

In a second, Oscar had already made his judgment on what kind of person this girl was.

He adjusted his glasses and spoke as calmly as he could.

“You said your name was Miledi, right? It seems you’ve wandered into the wrong house. It’s getting late. Surely you should be getting back to your own home. On the off chance you came here on purpose, that would mean you’re trespassing. In Velka, trespassing is a serious crime. If you don’t leave within the next three seconds, I’ll have to arrest you.” Oscar grinned as he shot Miledi a thinly-veiled threat.

“That’s not a thinly-veiled threat at all! You obviously want me gone! How mean! I’ll have you know it was my destiny to meet you, O-kun—”

“Alright, your three seconds are up. Put your hands in the air.”

Oscar pulled a small object out of his pocket. It was a transceiver. Its range was limited to the capital, but it was still a valuable piece of equipment that usually only nobles were rich enough to afford. Naturally, he’d made this one himself.

The girl recognized it as well, and she began to panic. Just then, a bunch of kids jumped to her defense.

“Waaaaaaaaah! Onii-san, wait!”

“She’s not a suspiciou— Okay, she’s pretty suspicious, but she’s our guest!”

“Onii-chan, please forgive her. I’ll apologize too! I’m sorry she’s so annoying.”

“I’m innocent, Onii! It’s all that noisy lady’s fault!”

Children crawled out of various hiding places within the dining room. The reason Oscar had been able to handle Miledi so calmly was because he’d spotted the kids peeking out of their hiding places when she had opened the door again.

“H-Hearing them insult me so nonchalantly kind of hurts...” Miledi muttered and sunk to the floor. Oscar sighed and turned to an older lady who had just walked into the dining room.

“I can’t believe even you were in on this, Mom...”

“I’m sorry. But Miledi-san seemed so excited about playing this prank. And I’ve never seen you surprised by anything, so I thought it’d be fun.”

“Fun, huh...? Well, it wasn’t very fun for me. I was really worried about you guys.” Oscar sighed again.

Moorin, the orphanage manager and everyone’s surrogate mother, smiled at him. She was nearing her seventies, but she barely looked a day over thirty when she smiled.

Once everyone had settled down, Oscar sat down with the kids for dinner. The girl, who’d said her name was Miledi, joined them too. It appeared she’d come here because she had business with Oscar. Oscar had asked her what she came for, but apparently it was a long story, so at Moorin’s suggestion they’d decided to have dinner first.

The refined way in which she ate suggested that Miledi was of noble upbringing. The two seven-year-old girls who were sitting next to her, Corrin and Katy, began whispering to each other.

They both blushed, glanced at Oscar, then squealed at each other. He doubted they were saying anything nice about him. He glared suspiciously at Miledi, but she only smiled at him.

God, she’s annoying. Oscar desperately wanted to say that to her face. But he didn’t. He didn’t want to set a bad example for his cute little sisters.

Corrin had tied her red hair back into a ponytail in the same style as Oscar’s. Out of all of the children in the orphanage, she was the shyest. Her puppy dog look could also make instant slaves out of anyone who wasn’t part of her family. They were already used to it.

Katy, on the other hand, kept her chestnut brown hair in pigtails and was the most distrustful of all the children. Aside from Oscar and the other children in the orphanage, she didn’t trust anyone.

The fact that those two girls were willing to relax around her meant that while she might have been annoying, and perhaps a little touched in the head, she wasn’t a bad person.

Because of that, Oscar didn’t think it would be right to insult her.

“I see, I see. So O-kun’s a kind and reliable big brother.”

“Y-Yep! Onii-chan can do anything!” Corrin smiled and proudly puffed out her chest. Oscar smiled in return.

Miledi grinned. Oscar frowned in return.

The children forgot about their food and began explaining to Miledi just how amazing Oscar was.

“That’s right, Miledi-san. All the toys and stuff in the house were made by Onii-san. And he made them all when he was my age!”

The oldest kid in the orphanage, Dylan, boasted about Oscar’s accomplishments. He was the mediator between all of the other kids. Like Corrin, he had his brown hair up in the same kind of ponytail Oscar had.

“Did you know? Onii works at the Orcus Workshop! The chief guy said he wanted him! Isn’t that amazing!?” Katy’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.

“Onii-chan gave us all something to show that we’re related.” Corrin held out the small coin dangling from her neck. The other children all pulled out their coins as well. They didn’t look valuable at all, so no one would even bother stealing them.

Still, Miledi didn’t make fun of them for treasuring those coins.

“Wow, you guys are all really close, huh!?” She seemed honestly impressed. The kids all smiled proudly and continued regaling Miledi with tales of Oscar’s awesomeness.

“G-Guys. Come on, give it a re—” Embarrassed, Oscar tried to get them to stop. Before he could, however, Miledi cut in.

“Tell me more, Onii-chan! I want to hear about how wonderful you are, Onii-chan! I knew I was right to pick you, Onii-chan! Don’t you think so too, Onii-chan? Hey, Onii-ch—”

“Call me Onii-chan one more time and I will end you.” Though he was smiling, there was murder in Oscar’s eyes. He’d tried to act civil so as to set a good example for his little siblings, but he couldn’t take it any longer.

“Oh my, you’ve got a surprisingly wild side to you, O-kun...” For some reason, Miledi was blushing.

“Please don’t call me O-kun, either.” He managed to reign in his emotions and sound calm again. He didn’t want to act rude in front of his family, after all. Though internally, he still thought Call me O-kun one more time and I’ll strangle you.

Miledi stared at him for a moment before responding.

“Don’t wanna!” she exclaimed, a smile on her face all the while.

There was a loud crack as Oscar snapped the fork he was holding.

Dylan and the others turned to look at Oscar’s hand. By the time they did, it looked as good as new.

He’d repaired it with his transmutation. The children tilted their head in confusion.

“Wow, that was amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it!” Oscar had even gone so far as to hide the glow of his mana to repair it in secret, but Miledi just had to go and blow his cover.

A cold voice that sounded more irritated than Oscar felt punctured the silence that followed.

“Aren’t you just a loser right now?” Dylan and the others turned around in surprise.

The person who’d spoken was Ruth. He was looking down at his plate. Ruth had spiky black hair, and had recently turned eleven.

“Hey, Ruth!” Dylan yelled at Ruth. However, Ruth looked up from his plate and glared at Dylan.

“It’s the truth! Even though he works at the Orcus Workshop he doesn’t make any weapons. He’s just a loser who only takes requests from regular citizens! Everyone knows it!” Ruth pointedly avoided looking at Oscar.

Like Oscar, Ruth was a Synergist.

Among the orphans, he was the one who had looked up to Oscar the most. When Oscar had still lived at the orphanage, Ruth had followed him around everywhere. They both had the same striking black hair, and people had often thought them to be actual siblings.

“Ruth, apologize to Oscar. That was uncalled for.” Moorin had been smiling the whole time until now, but Ruth’s words made her frown. Her tone was soft, but firm.

Ruth hesitated for a second, but then he stubbornly repeated himself.

“But it’s true! If he’s not a loser, then he should show it to everyone! If he showed them how strong he really was, then all those dumb people would shut up, but he doesn’t do anything! And you know what, it’s because he can’t! He just grins like an idiot all the time and doesn’t say anything! He’s just a weakling who doesn’t want to fight back!” It was like a dam had burst inside him. Once the words started flowing out, he couldn’t stop.

It had felt like a betrayal, seeing the man he’d idolized so much end up like this.

Oscar understood that as well, so he didn’t say anything. He just smiled his usual smile. If he really was that great, he should show it. If he wasn’t, then it’d just hurt Ruth even more.

Ruth had wanted Oscar to argue back, to say it wasn’t true. Instead he got Oscar’s smile, which only annoyed him further. Ruth stood up, unable to bear staying in the room any longer.

“That’s not true!” A cheery voice stopped him.

“You think O-kun’s amazing too, don’t you, Ruth-kun? I can tell.”

“I-I do not!”

“Yes you do~ My special Miledi eyes can see through everything! I know exaaactly how you feel~ You actually think O-kun’s amazing, I know!” Miledi said smugly.

Everyone stared at Miledi in surprise, even Oscar. Her tone was as cheerful as always, but her words had a strange weight to them.

“This is why I wanted to see O-kun. I’ve spent so long searching for someone like you.” She turned to face Oscar, her gaze piercing through him.

She spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I’ve finally found you.” She closed her eyes and smiled.

She looked sincerely happy that she’d been able to meet him.

Oscar felt his heart skip a beat. What on earth does she even know about me?

Yes, surely his heart must have skipped a beat because he was worried how she knew so much about him. Definitely not for any other reason. At least, that was what Oscar kept telling himself. He adjusted his glasses to hide his expression.

Unfortunately for him, Miledi’s eyes really could see through everything.

“Oh my, doth mine eyes deceive me? O-kun, did your heart just skip a beat? Was my smile that captivating? Well, was it? Come on, say it~”

“Shut up, you’re annoying.” At that moment at least, that was how he truly felt.

Miledi and Oscar’s exchange dispelled the strained mood that had fallen over the dining table and everyone returned to their dinner.

Even Ruth sat back down and returned to staring sullenly at his plate.

However, Miledi’s words still swirled around in the back of Oscar’s mind.

He didn’t know what she’d come to him for, but he could tell it was extremely important to her.

Her declaration had almost sounded like a profession of love. Corrin and Katy certainly seemed to think that was what it had been, at least. They kept on looking back and forth between Miledi and Oscar.

“Ahem... Miledi-san, now that everyone’s eaten, I think it’s time you tell us why you’ve come.”

“Come on, don’t be so formal. We’re friends, right, O-kun? You don’t have to act so distant!”

“What do you mean, friends? I just met you today. More importantly, why—”

“Not telling! Not unless you call me Miledi-tan. And put some feeling behind it, okay?”

“H-Haha... You’re an interesting one. Anyway, enough with the jokes—” Oscar’s patience was running out. Sadly, Miledi didn’t seem to care.

“Wait, don’t tell me the reason you’re being so cold to me is because... you already have someone you promised your heart to!?”

“What!?”

“I see... I understand now. My superior intelligence has deduced the truth. I should have expected O-kun would want to make Corrin-chan and Katy-chan his wives!”

“If you don’t shut up, I’ll sew your big mouth shut for you.” Unable to contain himself anymore, Oscar lashed out at Miledi. At the same time, Corrin and Katy gasped.

He turned and saw Corrin was blushing furiously. Katy, on the other hand, wouldn’t meet his gaze.

“Onii-chan, do you really want to marry me?”

“W-Well, I don’t want to marry him! B-But if Onii insisted, then maybe...”

They’d taken Miledi’s words seriously. Meanwhile, his brothers looked at him in disgust.

“Onii-san, I respect you, but this is a little too much...”

“Tch... I should have known the loser was a pervert too.”

They’d taken Miledi’s words seriously as well. Dylan and Ruth edged away from him.

Then, Miledi delivered the finishing blow.

“Oh, O-kun... you’re such a pedo!”

Oscar adjusted his glasses again, losing control of his temper entirely.

“That’s it. You’re coming with me, you fucking bitch!”

Oscar grabbed Miledi by the collar and started dragging her outside.

The moon’s pale light shone through the gaps in the clouds. Oscar and Miledi stared at each other in the orphanage’s backyard, underneath the beautiful half-moon that would surely become a crucial part of the memory of their first meeting...

Though Oscar had tossed her out of the door, she’d seemingly ignored gravity and lightly landed on her feet.

“O-kun, you monster! I can’t believe you’d throw someone out of your house like that! You’re not human!”

“Says the girl who just ignored gravity.”

Oscar sighed. He knew that if he let himself be led along by this girl their conversation would never get anywhere. He glared sharply at Miledi, displaying a grim expression that he’d never shown to the kids.

“So what do you really want with me? I played along with your dumb game. It’s about time you came clean.”

Throughout the meal, Oscar had worried she might try to take the kids hostage.

Moorin and the kids had both taken a liking to her, which meant she probably wasn’t someone evil.

However, she knew things she shouldn’t. She claimed she’d come to meet Oscar, but instead of going to his house she’d headed straight for the orphanage.

Intentionally or not, she’d basically said “I can get to your family any time I want to.”

And that was why he’d changed tactics.

If the kids had been wrong about her and she did mean them harm, then he’d eliminate her without a second thought.

“Don’t glare at me like that~ Didn’t anyone ever teach you to treat girls nicely?”

“......” Oscar’s only response was to glare harder. He didn’t look anything like the loser everyone thought him to be.

“Ahaha, I guess I should probably get serious, huh? Anyway, sorry about that. I didn’t mean to cause a misunderstanding. Look, I promise I don’t want to hurt your family. I mean it. I don’t lie.”

Oscar had a hard time believing that, but he nodded anyway.

“The reason I came to meet your family first was because I wanted to learn more about you, O-kun. I went around asking the townspeople about you too.”

“So it’s not like you knew about this place beforehand?”

“I came here on a wild goose chase, really. I’d been told that there was a genius orphan somewhere. I visited so many different countries, checking all the orphanages I could find. I was searching for a genius. Though now that I think about it, there was no guarantee the genius orphan had to be a kid.”

Oscar nodded in understanding.

Even when she’d been joking around, Miledi’s gestures had been refined. He’d guessed that she’d grown up in a noble family, or as the servants of one. Her story further cemented that assumption. It had become somewhat of a fad among nobles to seek out highly talented individuals and bring them into their household.

Miledi turned around and looked up at the moon. After a few seconds, she glanced back at Oscar over her shoulder.

“It was only after I talked to those kids that I learned about your abilities.”

Oscar narrowed his eyes. There was a dangerous glint in them.

“My abilities? I’m just a failure of a Synergist who can only make household goods.”

“Ahaha, you’re such a jester, O-kun. No failure could make those magic items of yours. In fact, it’s so good that you might as well call it an artifact.”

Oscar’s eyes opened wide in surprise. He’d expected Miledi to have heard the rumors about how he’d been a prodigy or that he was secretly hiding his talents, and that was why she thought he was skilled.

To think she’d figured out what the alarms I set around this house really are... Oscar eyed her warily.

“Seriously, quit glaring at me like that! I’m standing here even knowing what it can do, so can’t you trust me a little?”

“Well...”

The traps Oscar had set around the orphanage were lethal. With one word, he could engulf his target in a hail of lightning, wind, ice, and fire.

Furthermore, once it had expelled the intruders it would deploy a five-layer barrier and start ringing a loud alarm.

If the intruders somehow managed to get past his barrier, his trap would resummon it. On top of that, all entrances to the building had been reinforced with the hardest material Oscar could find.

It looked run-down at first glance, but Oscar had transformed the house into a fortress with walls harder than steel.

Any attempt to break the walls would result in a lightning counterattack as well. Oscar had transformed them all into reactive armor.

This was the real extent of Oscar’s skills. He wasn’t just a genius Synergist, he could imbue magic into ore. Create artifacts, in other words.

He could use magic from the age of the gods. The magic that, according to legend, the gods had used when they still walked the earth. The only people who could use it now were Atavists, who had inherited the gods’ blood.

There was a reason he’d told Karg his abilities were abnormal. On top of everything else, he could freely control his own mana, and didn’t need magic circles or chants to use magic. The things master craftsmen took years to accomplish were mere child’s play to Oscar. That was how huge the difference was between his abilities and normal people’s.

“Honestly, this orphanage is better defended than even the royal palace. No simple Synergist could have made an artifact-class defense mechanism.” Miledi had seen through it all somehow. Oscar really couldn’t let his guard down around her. There was more to her than her frivolous attitude suggested.

“If you think I can’t be trusted, why not activate your fortress and kick me out? But unless you do, I won’t leave until you hear me out.”

Ah, now I get it. Oscar seemed to have come to a realization.

Miledi really didn’t seem to have any shady ulterior motives. She’d found this place by coincidence. However, she’d been amazed at the defenses it had, so she’d asked around about who lived here. From that she’d learned about Oscar, and then decided to wait here until he showed up.

Here, where Oscar had access to his most powerful weapons.

She’d let him haul her to the backyard, but she hadn’t left, which would have proved she was at his mercy.

“Why don’t you try and act serious, then? That stupid attitude of yours makes you hard to trust.” Oscar relaxed slightly. He let the tension drop from his shoulders and stopped glaring.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about~ I’m just your ordinary, cheerful, happy, beautiful girl~” She winked at him again, making the same cliched pose as last time. It annoyed the hell out of Oscar.

It was a wonder anyone could combine frivolity and earnestness the way she did. It seemed he’d caught the eye of a very odd woman. He had a headache just from dealing with her.

“Okay, so what is it you wanted to talk about? Let me guess, you want me to make an artifact for you.”

“Nope, you’re totally off~ It’s up to you if you want to make anything for me. Wait, don’t tell me you get off from being ordered around by women? Sorry, I’m not really into that kind of thing...”

“Thunder Snake.”

“Abababababababababa!?” Miledi spasmed as Oscar hit her with one of the orphanage’s anti-intruder countermeasures. The one he’d activated summoned snake-like electrified wires from underground that wrapped themselves around Miledi.

As the electricity faded, Miledi slumped to the ground.

Oscar adjusted his glasses, then looked down at her.

“I’m not a pervert!” He yelled at her.

“F-First you attack me, now you’re yelling at me... Even I didn’t expect that...”

Trembling, Miledi rose back to her feet. Plumes of smoke were rising from her clothes.

“Can you say two sentences without having to stick a joke in between them?”

“It’s one of the best things about me, I can’t just stop. Won’t you please accept me for who I am, O-kun?”

Oscar just silently glared at her. After a few seconds of sulking, she straightened up and adopted a serious attitude. Oscar’s heart skipped a beat again, and he inwardly cursed at himself.

“I have only one goal. Oscar-kun, I want you.”

“You... want me? What do you mean?”

It can’t possibly mean what I think it does, can it?

Miledi looked back up at the moon.

“Have you ever thought... there was something wrong with this world?”

“Ah...” Oscar fell silent. He couldn’t formulate a reply.

“Well, O-kun? You’re a Synergist that’s clearly on a different level than all the others. If you showed the world your skills, you’d probably become the most famous person alive. In fact, you’d probably be remembered by history as a hero. Yet you stubbornly hide your abilities. What is it you’re so scared of?”

Isn’t it obvious? If I did that, all the important people in the world would seek me out.

Sure, he might receive fame and glory. Hell, he might even leave his name in history. But he’d no longer be free. And more than anything—

“Is it the Elbard Theocracy and the church that backs them that you’re afraid of?”

“I should have known you’d figured it out. You know what my abilities are, after all.” Oscar smiled wryly.

Yes, Oscar was afraid of losing his freedom. But even more than that, he was afraid of the church.

The Holy Church of Ehit... They followed a doctrine that stated humans were above all other species, and preached that humans should reign supreme. Almost all the humans on the continent were followers.

Those who were discovered to have the power to use magic from the age of the gods, or special magic that only monsters could use, were considered to be god’s descendents and taken under its protection.

By force, if necessary. Oscar would suffer the same fate if he revealed his talents.

The Holy Church was as powerful as an entire kingdom. In fact, the leader of the Elbard Theocracy was the Holy Church’s Pope. Alone, Oscar would never be able to escape their grasp. Even if he could, there was no telling what they would do to his family.

Miledi gave Oscar a knowing smile.

“Escaping from the Holy Church wouldn’t be easy. No matter where you go, they’re around. In every kingdom, in every village, their taint can be seen.” She practically spat out those last few words.

“Of course you’re scared. I mean, think about it. They’re supposed to be in control of just one country. But look, wherever you go, there are temples all around. Every country takes them in, and they even let them dictate national policy.”

“H-Hey, You can’t just say that out—” Oscar nervously looked around.

Insulting the Holy Church was tantamount to suicide. If anyone had heard Miledi say that, she would have been executed without question.

But Miledi didn’t stop.

“Even when countries are at war, if the Holy Church says something they stop right away. And when there’s peace, a word from them can start a war. We’re too worried about being branded heretics to do what’s right, or even what’s legal. We’re taught that Ehit’s will is supreme and things like love and justice are secondary. In fact, they may as well not matter at all.”

“M-Miledi...kun...”

Miledi turned back to Oscar, her bright blue eyes looking directly at his own. There was a clarity in them, mirroring her own unwavering resolve. Oscar inadvertently gulped.

She gazed at him for a few seconds, then smiled.

“O-kun. You must have realized how twisted this world is. More so than the kings of this world, you fear the so-called righteous Holy Church. That’s why you hid yourself. So that they wouldn’t hurt your family in an attempt to get to you.”

Normally when someone insulted the Holy Church they were instantly decried as a heretic. The reason for that was because if you didn’t, you too would be considered a heretic. Unless you were particularly close to the blasphemer, you had every reason to turn them in.

But Oscar didn’t call her out. Shaken as he was, he didn’t want to stop Miledi. Because she’d said the things Oscar had always thought, but never had the courage to say.

Miledi was overjoyed to finally have met someone who wasn’t a blind believer in Ehit. Emboldened by Oscar’s silence, she continued.

“I belong to a certain organization.”

“Organization?”

“Yes. A world where people live by the law, and by their own morals. A world of order and justice. A world where everyone is free to speak out against injustice. Where people come together to discuss what’s right. Where different opinions and ideas are valued instead of suppressed. A world where people can be free. That’s our organization’s goal.”

“Are you planning on starting a new religion or something?” Oscar only just managed to keep a look of incredulity off his face. He congratulated himself for keeping enough composure to retort with a joke.

Still, her words had shook him to the core. The ideals Miledi’s organization espoused meant that they were basically rebels. A gathering of heretics who denounced the Holy Church’s rule.

This was no joke. She was inviting him to an organization that had effectively made humanity its enemy.

“Do you think we’re a gathering of crackpot terrorists or something... Ahaha, well, I guess you’re not entirely wrong.”

“Please leave.” Oscar responded to Miledi’s lighthearted comment with a flat refusal.

“Sorry, but my answer is no. I promise I won’t tell anyone about this, so please don’t ever come close to me or my family again.”

He spoke quietly, but his expression was dead serious.

Miledi stared at Oscar for a few seconds before quietly replying.

“I see...” She turned on her heel and walked away. Her retreating figure seemed exceptionally small to Oscar.

It was hard to imagine a little girl like her was fighting against the world. What on earth drove her to make such a suicidal choice? Maybe she’s just crazy... It would be easier for Oscar if that were the case.

That way he could convince himself her words hadn’t moved him.

“Oh yeah, could you tell everyone the food was delicious?”

“I will.”

Miledi glanced back and smiled at Oscar. Then, without another word, she vanished into the darkness of the night.

It was as if she were nothing more than a spirit.

Oscar clenched his teeth, only just keeping himself from saying something.

They’d never see each other again. And that’s for the best, he kept telling himself.

The next day...

Miledi showed up at Oscar’s workplace.

“Hello, good citizens of the Orcus Workshop! I’m the world renowned idol, Miledi! Where’s my cute little O-kun?”

A number of hard-faced craftsmen stared in confusion at the girl who’d just shown up at the back entrance. It seemed she’d forgotten her manners in the womb as Miledi brazenly strode past the confused craftsmen without so much as an “excuse me.”

“Wow, I should have expected one of Velka’s big three workshops to be this amazing. The country is known for its technology after all. There are master craftsmen everywhere~” Miledi exclaimed in wonder as she looked around the workshop.

At the back of the workshop, Oscar was struck dumb. He’d expected never to see Miledi again. Wanting to avoid being seen, he quickly hid himself.

He was glad there’d been enough orders today that he could hide behind his pile of finished work.

Wh-Wh-What on earth is she doing here!? He adjusted his glasses repeatedly.

The craftsmen looked at each other, wondering who this girl was.

Though she was grinning like a fool, her expensive clothes marked her as a noble, or at least someone rich. Normally, anyone who barged into the workshop like this would be thrown out, but Miledi was so blatant about it that the craftsmen hesitated.

Especially since if she was some noble’s daughter, then they couldn’t afford to be rude to her.

Just as someone ran off to get the chief, a young man stepped forward. Though he was a noble himself, he wrung his hands like a groveling merchant. Ping was never one to let slip an opportunity to make important connections. He smiled as flatteringly as he could.

“Miss, what is it you need? Perhaps I could be of assistance. Ah, excuse me for not introducing myself sooner. I’m Ping Waress, son of Viscount Waress.”

“...Hi! I’m Miledi.” Miledi observed Ping carefully for a few seconds, but then broke out into a smile again and introduced herself.

The onlookers could easily tell that this smile was fake, however.

“Miledi, was it? A beautiful name to suit a beautiful person such as yourself. Pardon me for asking, but which family do you hail—”

“Does that really matter?” Miledi was still smiling, but her eyes were cold. Even an idiot noble like Ping got the message.

Ping hurriedly tried to smooth things over and regain her favor.

If she could take that kind of attitude with Ping, a viscount’s son, then she must have been a very important noble indeed. Or at least, that was what Ping thought.

“Oh no, not at all. My apologies. Truly, forgive me. Regardless, what is it you needed? I guarantee you that I, heir to the Waress family, can fulfill any order you care to place!” Even then, he still tried to sell his family’s name. Torpa and Raul hurried over to Miledi as well, hoping to get into her good graces.

However, before they could reach her, Miledi dropped a bomb on Ping.

“Is O-kun, I mean, Oscar-kun here? I came here to see him...”

“Huh? O-Oscar?” Ping’s eyes widened. Torpa and Raul stopped in their tracks. Even the craftsmen stopped working.

Oscar groaned to himself. You idiot! My position in this workshop’s already bad enough and now you’ve made it ten times worse! The other craftsmen couldn’t believe a noble lady would be asking after the least skilled member of the workshop. Even more surprisingly, she’d called him by a nickname.

Everyone turned to look at Oscar’s cubicle.

“Pardon me again for my forwardness, but what business do you have with Oscar? You may not know this, but his skills are, well, lacking... There are many other more skilled craftsmen who would be happy to fulfill your order.”

“Hm? I just wanted to see how O-kun works. I don’t really need anything. Oh, is that where he works? Thanks, Pinwa-san~”

“Umm, my name is Ping War--”

Before he could correct her, Miledi dashed off to Oscar’s workplace. She’d followed the other craftsmen’s gazes to figure out where it was.

Meanwhile, Ping just stood there, dumbfounded.

A high ranking noble lady had come to the Orcus Workshop just to see Oscar work.

She soon spotted Oscar hiding behind his pile of boxes and bounded over to him.

“Ah, there you are, O-kun! It’s me, Miledi-chan! I haven’t seen you since last night!”

Oh great, this is going to cause even more misunderstandings. Oscar’s expression stiffened.

The other craftsmen started muttering to each other about how Oscar had slept with a noble girl.

Ping glared at Oscar, his eyes burning with jealousy and hatred. He rushed over to Miledi and Oscar, trying to act polite as he warned her away from Oscar.

“Miss Miledi. Though he may be a member of the Orcus Workshop, as I said earlier, he’s just a third-rate Synergist. He’s only allowed to work here because the chief took pity on him. Moreover, he’s an orphan. He has no manners and no education. Don’t you think someone as distinguished as yourself should be more careful about choosing the company she keeps? At the very least, I don’t think he is deserving of—”

“Oh, you’re still here, Piress-san? I’m good now, so you can go back to work... Or is it that you don’t have any work to be doing?”

“Pfft...!” A few of the craftsmen couldn’t hold back their laughter. Miledi had been spot-on.

Regardless of whether she’d intended to insult him or had just made a careless comment, she’d hit Ping where it hurt. He blushed in embarrassment, and his fake smile cracked.

“My apologies, but—”

“Umm, Miledi-san! I finished the thing you ordered from me last night. In fact, I was just about to go deliver it right now! Why don’t you join me! And thank you so much for your patronage! I hope you come back to the Orcus Workshop if you need anything else!” Oscar hurriedly cut Ping off.

He wanted to stop this before it turned into a fight. He also emphasized that it was work she’d come to him for to dispel any potential misunderstandings.

Unfortunately, it seemed Miledi didn’t get the hint.

“Huh? Ordered? But O-kun, I didn’t—”

“Come, let’s go!” Oscar loaded his cart with inhuman speed and glared pointedly at Miledi. He was grinning, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.

Miledi broke out into a cold sweat.

“Crap, I may have gone too far...” she muttered to herself as she followed behind Oscar.

Naturally, his crappy acting did nothing to dispel the suspicions people had.

The craftsmen turned to gossip with one another. No one noticed Ping, who was glaring venomously at Oscar.

“Hey, hey, O-kun. O-kuuun. Stop ignoring me~ Hey, listen to me~”

“......” Oscar silently trotted down the street, pulling his cart laden with work orders behind him.

Miledi followed behind him, occasionally waving a hand in front of his face to try and get his attention.

As Oscar was the only craftsman who took orders from ordinary citizens, he was pretty well known in the area. People recognized his trademark cart, and often they’d stop and chat for a bit when he passed by.

However, no one greeted him this time around. Despite the fact that he was drawing more attention than usual.

There were two reasons for that. The first was the strange girl bouncing around Oscar. The second was the grim expression on Oscar’s face.

It was doubly frightening because none of them had ever seen Oscar without his customary smile, yet the girl following him wasn’t perturbed at all.

“You mad? Like, really mad? Did you really not want me to come see you at the workshop? Hey, hey, O-kun. All the guys think you’re going out with me now! Things are gonna be pretty rough for you working there! But don’t worry, I’m a responsible young woman! I’ll head back with you and tell everyone what’s really going on! I’ll let them know all I’m actually after is you!”

“Are you trying to ruin my reputation for good!?” Oscar suddenly came to a halt, then smacked Miledi, who’d poked her head out from behind him, on the head.

For some reason, that made her happy. Her ponytail swung happily from side to side, mirroring her emotions.

“Yay. You finally responded, O-kun.”

“Because I realized ignoring you only makes you more annoying. Sheesh, you’re like a walking disaster, you know that?”

“Ehehe, you’re making me blush.”

“That wasn’t a compliment. Seriously, would it kill you to act like a normal person for even five seconds?” Oscar tiredly rubbed his temples.

Miledi was right, going back to the workshop now wouldn’t be pleasant. He wondered if his half-assed acting had done anything to stop the rumors. Probably not.

He knew he’d have to keep this walking incarnation of chaos away from the workshop if he didn’t want them getting any worse, too.

“O-kun, what’s wrong? You look like someone who just got fired.”

“And who’s fault do you think that is? I’m begging you, at least realize what it is you’re doing. Anyway, you broke your promise. I thought you were a more sincere person than that, but I guess I misjudged you.” Oscar started walking again.

“Excuse me! I always keep my promises!”

“Not this one. You said last night that you wouldn’t ever come near me or my fami—” Oscar cut his words short, realizing something. When he’d asked her that, all Miledi had said was...

“All I said was ‘I see...’ I didn’t say anything else. You just assumed~”

In other words, she’d just acknowledged that was what Oscar had wanted. She hadn’t actually promised to do anything.

“I-I can’t believe you.” Oscar ground his teeth in frustration. He knew it was his own fault for not squeezing an actual promise out of Miledi, but that didn’t make him any less mad. Especially because she was just rubbing it in now. Still, if he let his emotions get the better of him it’d be over. Oscar adjusted his glasses and did his best to wrest his emotions under control.

“Then I’ll ask you once more. Please don’t ever come near me or my family again. As things are right now, your ideals are too dangerous. Please. Don’t get me, or the people I love, involved.”

Miledi ran up in front of Oscar. She turned to face him and continued walking backward, hands behind her back.

“My ideals aren’t the real danger here. It’s this world. Please, O-kun, don’t avert your eyes from the truth. Even without me telling you, you already knew how twisted and unfair this world was, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but that’s no reason to bring its wrath crashing down on my head. At the very least, we’re living in peace right now. As long as I live quietly and don’t stand out, there won’t be any problems.”

“You really are a loser, O-kun.”

“No I’m not. I’m just realistic. Anyway, will you please—”

“Absolutely not!”

“Want me to turn you over to the inquisitors?” Oscar’s eyebrow twitched dangerously, but Miledi just smiled and let out a scream.

“Nooo! Don’t abandon me, O-kun! I’ll do anything for you!”

“Damn you, Miledi! You purposely screamed that in a street full of people!” Oscar finally lost his calm as Miledi clung to him and started begging.

Many of the onlooking housewives shook their heads sadly. “Oh my, I can’t believe Oscar-kun would make a girl cry. What a brute,” one of them said. The other pedestrians, too, were hanging on to every word.

The street’s attention was focused on Oscar and Miledi. At this rate, the inquisitors would come for him first.

“Fuck,” Oscar muttered, as he dragged Miledi away.

“How long are you planning on following me?”

“Until you agree to join me, I guess?”

“Then you’ll be following me for the rest of your life... Anyway, I need to deliver these orders to my customers. Can you at least promise you won’t say anything misleading to them? Or rather, can you promise you won’t say anything at all? If not, I really will turn you over to the inquisitors.”

“Okaaaaaay! Hehe...”

Despite Oscar’s cold attitude, Miledi seemed happy. He glared at her suspiciously.

“Is it really that fun watching my reactions?”

“Not really? I was just thinking that even though you keep saying I’m dangerous and that you don’t want to be seen near me, you’re not actually reporting me to the inquisitors.”

“Don’t mistake it for goodwill. I just don’t want to have to deal with the trouble that will come with reporting you. I still wish you’d go away.”

“Hmm...” Miledi smiled, her expression making it clear she didn’t believe Oscar. Oscar shook his head and tried his best to ignore her.

That lasted all of a second.

“Hey, O-kun. Last night, when I was leaving, were you thinking of saying something to me?”

“Wh-What?” Oscar was taken aback. He hadn’t expected her to see through even that. But even though this was a perfect opportunity for her to tease him further, her expression was serious.

Because of her usual frivolity, the moments she was serious stood out even more. Oscar found himself being drawn into her piercing, bottomless gaze.

“I won’t leave until you tell me what it was you were going to say.”

“There wasn’t anything. Maybe I might have said ‘Hurry up and get out of my sight’ or something, but that’s all.”

He pulled himself away from those eyes with some difficulty, then gave a scathing reply.

“I see,” was all she said in return. After that, she returned to her usual, cheerful persona.

“Hey, hey, O-kun. What kind of things are you delivering?”

“We’re almost to my first customer. The owner of that restaurant over there ordered dishes.”

Miledi nodded and peeked curiously into the boxes inside Oscar’s cart. Oscar once again reminded Miledi not to say anything misleading before knocking on the restaurant’s backdoor.

A well-built woman answered the door.

“Oh my, if it isn’t Oscar. Welcome! If you’re knocking at the back entrance, then it must mean you have a delivery.”

“Yep. Here you go, Daisy-san. I brought the butcher’s knives and frying pan you asked for. Are the goods to your satisfaction?”

Oscar handed over the box filled with cookware to Daisy. She looked inside the box and nodded in approval.

“As always, you work fast. I asked for these the day before yesterday and you’re already finished. Thank you so... hm? Who’s this?”

Daisy looked at Miledi, who was poking out from behind Oscar, curiously.

Oscar cursed inwardly. He put on his best fake smile and quickly came up with a good cover story. Before he could say anything, though, Miledi opened her mouth.

“Hello! I’m O-kun’s friend, Miledi! I’m here today to see what his work’s like.” Oscar let out a sigh of relief when he heard Miledi give a proper introduction. He tried to signal Miledi to leave, but Daisy’s interest was piqued now.

“Oh my, I never knew Oscar had such cute friends. How long have you two known each other?”

“Since yesterday! When I first met O-kun, I felt, like, a spark. You know what I mean, Miss?”

“Oh, but of course! When I first met my husband, I felt like I’d been struck by lightning! I see now, so that’s how it is. Good for you, Oscar. We were all worried about you. You’re handsome and great at your job, but you’ve never even flirted with a girl before. Me and the other housewives were starting to think I should try and set you up with my daughter if you didn’t find anyone soon!” Oscar knew girls got friendly with each other easily, but he hadn’t expected Daisy and Miledi to hit it off so well so quickly. They kept on talking, mostly saying embarrassing things about Oscar.

It got more and more awkward for him by the minute. He wished he could crawl in a hole somewhere and die.

The housewives’ rumor mill was something to be feared. He didn’t have time to spare thinking about their secret meetings where they discussed finding him a wife though, as he had to do something about Miledi not-so-subtly hinting that she was trying to marry him herself.

The only saving grace to this situation was that Daisy was unlikely to guess the truth. Namely that Miledi had meant “I thought this guy would be perfect for my anarchist society” when she’d said she’d felt a spark upon meeting him.

“Daisy-san! Sorry for interrupting, but can I explain what my goods do yet?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. Sorry, Oscar. I got a little carried away there. She’s a really nice girl, though. You treat her well, you hear?”

Oscar replied with his usual smile. He could see Miledi grinning out of the corner of his eye, but he ignored her.

“Umm, so these butcher’s knives have serrated edges. That’ll help keep them from getting stuck when you’re cutting through particularly tough meat. Though I haven’t really tested them too much myself, so could you tell me how they’re holding up after a month or so?”

Both Daisy and Miledi examined the knives appreciatively.

Oscar continued, explaining how things wouldn’t stick to the frying pan even if Daisy didn’t use oil. One of the main reasons Oscar was so popular among the common folk was because he put extra touches like these on his goods.

“You always pay attention to the little details like this. Alright, I’ll let my husband know too. And whenever I get a chance, I’ll drop by to let you know how it feels to use. By the way, did you carve some weird name on this one too?”

Daisy examined the knives and the frying pan suspiciously.

Miledi tilted her head in confusion as Oscar sighed.

“No, as you requested, I didn’t mark these with my brand. Why don’t you like it, anyway?”

Daisy replied with another question.

“Out of curiosity, what exactly did you name these knives and this frying pan?”

Oscar puffed his chest out proudly.

“Glad you asked. The knives are called Meat Shredder Mk. III, while the frying pan’s named Slide Master Alpha. What do you think? Cool, right? If you want, I can still engrave the names—”

“No thanks.” Daisy shot him down before he could finish.

“Why...?” Oscar muttered quietly.

“O-kun... You’ve got a terrible naming sense.”

“What do you mean, terrible!? Shouldn’t you have my back here!?” Oscar cried out. Daisy nodded in agreement with Miledi’s statement, leaving him with no one to turn to.

Though Oscar was beloved by the citizens, they all unanimously thought the names he engraved into his goods were terrible.

Though it had pained him to do it, he’d begun complying with his customers’ requests to stop engraving them. He was careful to keep them plain in the workshop’s ledger as well. All craftsmen of the Orcus Workshop were required to record their transactions.

That way, he didn’t have to listen to people telling him how his naming sense was terrible.

Oscar took his money from Daisy, then quickly moved on to the next customer. He was still a little sulky about the names.

The rest of his deliveries went by smoothly enough, but each conversation left him a little more mentally drained. At every delivery, Miledi would hit it off with the customers and cause some sort of misunderstanding that Oscar would desperately try and rectify.

By the time they finished the last one, Oscar was exhausted.

“O-kun, O-kun. You look realllllly tired.”

“And who’s fault do you think that is?”

“Wow, it’s already past noon. What’s a good place to eat around here? I’m starving.”

“Listen when people are talking to— Oh, I give up! I need some food myself or I’ll collapse.” Grumbling to himself, Oscar led Miledi to a nearby restaurant. It was run by an acquaintance of his.

Since it was still lunchtime, there were quite a few people inside. Though it was in a seedier part of the city, the restaurant itself was impeccably clean. There were pictures of its menu stationed outside, too.

Fortunately, there was still one empty table left in the corner, so Oscar claimed it. Miledi sat down next to him.

“Hm? Is it just me or are people staring at us?” Miledi looked around the room.

Oscar looked around and saw some residents, a few adventurers, and even a table full of local girls sitting at the nearby tables. The restaurant attracted all manner of customers, so that wasn’t too unusual. What was unusual was that each and every one of them were staring at him.

Oscar knew Miledi was probably the reason, so he ignored them and called for a waiter.

“Hello~ Ah, Oscar-san, wel...come?” A bright teenage girl came over to take their order. The clean white apron she was wearing suited her nicely.

“Good afternoon, Aisha-san. Could we get two of the daily special?” Oscar ordered for Miledi as well. He didn’t want to ask her what she wanted, since that would’ve given her an excuse to say something.

However, the way he so casually ordered for Miledi seemed to crush Aisha. She glanced from Oscar to Miledi before suddenly bursting into tears.

Oscar was completely taken aback. Miledi smiled wryly, realizing what was going on. The diners watched on with interest, wondering how Oscar had made her cry.

“O-Oscar-san. I-I-I-I didn’t realize you had a lover...”

“Huh? Oh, no, I don’t. This girl’s just—”

“This girl!? You’re always so polite to everyone, but you’re so close to her that you refer to her so casually... I-I can’t believe it.” Aisha stumbled backward, one hand over her mouth. Miledi didn’t chime in with her usual teasing this time. Even she didn’t want to crush a pure little girl’s heart.

“Umm, I think you’re misunderstanding something here. O-kun and I—”

“O-kun!? You call him O-kun!? Even I’ve never used such a casual nickname with him!”

“Err, well, umm...” Before Miledi could say anything else, Aisha turned and ran.

“Waaaaaaaaah, I thought I had a chaaaaaance! Daaaaaaaaad, two daily specials!” She disappeared into the restaurant’s kitchen. An elderly man’s voice rang out through from the back.

“Two dailies, coming right up! Thanks for coming!”

Even when her heart was broken, Aisha still did her job properly. And it said something about her dad’s dedication to his own job that he took the order without batting an eyelid. Like father like daughter.

Wails of lamentation could be heard in another corner of the room.

Oscar turned and saw a group of local girls slumped over at their table. The cause of their despair was evident if you thought about what had just happened.

“You’re pretty popular, O-kun.”

“No comment.”

Objectively speaking, it made sense. Oscar was well-respected, came from a distinguished workshop, was rather handsome, and even had an amiable personality to boot. And because everyone knew he was a bachelor, the girls all thought they had a chance.

Oscar adjusted his glasses to cover his expression.

Two of the adventurers stood up and walked over to him. They were grinning.

“Yo, Oscar. Looks like you’ve finally found yourself a girl.”

“Nice going, kid. You always turned us down when we offered to introduce you to someone. We were so scared you might be into men that we stopped putting in orders for a while. Thank Ehit we don’t have to worry about that.”

The two adventurers patted Oscar on the back. They hadn’t ordered weapons and armor from Oscar before, but rather miscellaneous traveling equipment.

Things like lanterns, cookware, tents, and other things that every adventurer needed. Oscar’s items were always sturdier and easier to use than those of other craftsmen, so he was popular with adventurers too. Most of the adventurers who made this city their base carried around items made by Oscar.

“Umm, guys. She’s not actually—”

“Hey Missy, how’d you get this stubborn fool to fall for you?”

Oscar tried to fix the misunderstanding, but before he could they turned to Miledi.

It dawned on Miledi that basically all of the diners here knew Oscar, and they all loved him.

She thought back to poor Aisha and the girls despairing a few tables over, then decided to answer honestly.

“The truth is, I haven’t yet. I’m still trying to make him mine.”

The girls jolted upright. They stared at Oscar, a fierce determination burning in their eyes. Aisha, too, came running out of the kitchen. She hid behind a pillar and stared at Oscar.

“Miledi... Why do you keep adding fuel to the fire? First you had to go and make my workplace hell, now you’re destroying all the places I visit... How much do you have to ruin before you’re satisfied?” Oscar massaged his temples.

Seeing his reaction, the two adventurers realized what kind of relationship Oscar and Miledi really had. They smiled sadly and patted Oscar kindly on the back.

Though they looked scary, the two of them were actually quite soft-hearted.

They cast about for a different topic, hoping to distract themselves and Oscar from the girls now staring at him like he was a choice cut of meat.

“Oh yeah, speaking of your workplace. You know that shitty noble brat that’s always getting in your way?”

“Err, you mean Ping-san?”

“Yeah, that fool. I’ve seen him and his cronies skulking around here recently. It’s always at night, too.”

“Ping-san comes here at night?”

Ping was basically a walking bundle of pride.

He held as much contempt for the residential areas of the city as he did for Oscar himself.

He wouldn’t ever come down here for fun, nor would he willingly associate with any of the people living here. Like he’d said to Miledi, he only associated with nobles.

“Yeah. Weird, right? I dunno what that little brat’s up to, but be careful. You’re the only reason I can think of for them to come down here.”

“Yeah, exactly. And the streets have been dangerous lately...”

“You’re referring to the missing people?”

“Mhm... That too. But the templar knights have been poking around the mine shafts as well. There’s no way those elite soldiers are there just to chat it up with the miners. Word among the adventurers is that there’s an insanely strong monster hiding somewhere down below. None of us are willing to go too deep, just in case.”

“I see...”

Fortunately, the serious topic managed to calm the horde of hormone-crazed girls.

Just then, Oscar and Miledi’s food arrived. The adventurers said their goodbyes and returned to their table.

Oscar eagerly dug into his food. After a few bites, he finally noticed Miledi wasn’t touching her food even though she’d said she was starving. He looked up at her.

“Miledi?”

“Hm? Oh! This looks great! Time to eat!” Miledi stuffed her face full of food.

Oscar felt a sense of foreboding. He hadn’t liked that thoughtful expression on Miledi’s face one bit.

Once they finished eating, Oscar was instantly on guard again. She isn’t really going to follow me back to the workshop, is she?

“Thanks so much for hanging out with me today! Can I come back again tomorrow?”

Well, I didn’t see that one coming.

He wanted to refuse, but instead he found himself saying something else.

“Even if I say no, you’ll come anyway, won’t you?” That was basically the same as implicitly giving her permission.

“Ehehe. See you tomorrow, then!” He realized too late what he’d done. Before he could call out to her, Miledi slipped into the crowds and vanished from sight.

Oscar scratched his head and began walking back to the workshop. He still needed to figure out what kind of excuse he was going to give his coworkers.

A week had passed since then.

Though she came and went as she pleased, Miledi had spent most of her time hanging around Oscar. At this point, all of the common citizens knew her.

Oscar spent most of his time with her complaining, but the others just took this as a sign of their closeness. After all, he was reserved and polite to everyone else.

And in fact, the two of them had talked quite a bit over the past week.

Most of it had been Miledi going on about something, but as time passed Oscar found himself replying to more and more of her questions as well. Though the conversations were never serious, Oscar still found himself learning more about Miledi. At the same time, he found himself opening up to her more as well. Slowly, he found himself giving up on getting her to leave.

Oscar walked down the twilit street, heading toward the orphanage. He made sure to check up on everyone at least once a week.

The pale orange sunlight cast long shadows on the ground, and the cries of crows echoed in the distance. For some reason, the sight made Oscar feel empty.

This was his first time coming back to the orphanage since meeting Miledi. The reason for that was because he was still a little wary. Though he may have opened up to Miledi, she was still a heretic. If the Holy Church found her, they’d kill not only her, but the people she’d been in contact with.

Still, if he’d really wanted Miledi gone, Oscar could have used his artifacts to chase her away whenever. At that point, even he didn’t fully understand why he hadn’t.

She’s no ordinary person, that’s for sure. There’s no guarantee I can beat her even with my artifacts, so it’s better not to poke the hornet’s nest. That’s right, I’m just being careful here. I’m just being cautious about how I handle her, that’s all. Oscar tried to convince himself that was the reason he hadn’t done anything more than yell at her over this past week.

However, things couldn’t continue for much longer. Miledi had already become rather well-known among the citizens. If she got herself arrested now, Oscar’s involvement with her would almost certainly come to light. He needed to put an end to their relationship once and for all.

“Sheesh, she’s such a handful...” Oscar surprised himself by muttering that. He hadn’t said it in his usual annoyed tone. No, in fact, he’d sounded almost happy.

No matter what he said or did, Miledi was always smiling. Though he’d said a few truly hurtful things, for some reason, she never lost any of her cheerfulness. It was infectious. Even Oscar couldn’t help but loosen up a little around her.

“What the hell’s wrong with me.” Oscar smiled to himself and shook his head.

Tomorrow. I’ll cut my ties with her for good tomorrow.

If he had to, he’d use his artifacts to force her out. Though she was pushy and always fooling around, if Oscar really put his foot down she’d listen. He hoped.

With that, his strange days with this odd girl would finally be over.

He’d go back to living simply, hiding his true strength and making basic necessities for the people. He’d be made fun of and insulted again of course.

However, that was a price he was willing to pay. Or at least, he thought it was. Regardless, he knew there wouldn’t be any problems with returning to his ordinary life.

“Hey there, O-kun! It’s me, Miledi-chan in the evening!”

“Why do you have to go and ruin the mood every single time! What the heck does Miledi in the evening even mean!?”

Miledi popped out of nowhere as always, making Oscar retort as per usual. The tension drained from Oscar’s body as he watched Miledi laugh. He’d psyched himself up to finally chase her away, but now this happened.

Miledi looked at Oscar’s soot-stained face and said something with a smile.

“I figured since you were heading this way after work, you’d be seeing your family today!”

“Yeah...”

“Hey, hey, O-kun. I want to eat Moorin’s food again. It was delicious.” Miledi casually invited herself over for dinner. Normally, Oscar would have adjusted his glasses and told her to get out.

That’s what Miledi was expecting as well.

However, contrary to expectations, Oscar just looked at Miledi with a serious expression on his face.

He’d steeled his resolve once more.

Miledi could sense it, too. The time had come for them to part ways.

“O-kun, can we talk for a bit?” Miledi’s smile faded and she spoke quietly.

Oscar deliberated for a few seconds before nodding.

The two of them silently walked over to a nearby bench and sat down.

The sun sparkled in the evening sky, as if determined not to set. Miledi’s profile was dyed bright orange by the light. Her blue eyes looked off into the distance.

Finally, she began to talk.

“My name is Reisen. Miledi Reisen. Daughter of Earl Reisen, and the last living member of the Reisen family. I come from a long line of executioners. We manage the Reisen Gorge Execution Grounds for the Grandort Empire.”

Oscar whistled in surprise. The Reisen name was so famous that even people in other countries had heard of it. The whole family supposedly died a few years ago... but I guess one of them survived. Miledi smiled sadly at Oscar and continued her story.

Her tone was serious throughout the entire tale, which she started from the very beginning.