I was cradled in Sophia's arms as we made our way through the merchant guild. The place was vast, with shops arranged in separate sections along a spacious hall, reminiscent of a mall from my old world. The walls were adorned with hand-like symbols that looked more unsettling than fascinating, while the floor bore crystal-like patterns that gave the place an almost old-church feel, far more pleasant to look at.
Walking beside us was a young man with a long face, a narrow, straight nose, a cleft chin, and an angular jawline so sharp it looked freshly shaved. His soft features were framed by dark blond hair, and his blue-gray eyes gave him a friendly air. On one of his ears, he wore a noticeable earring with a red stone embedded in it.
This was Lucas, the attendant assigned to guide Sophia through the guild.
He had been leading us from shop to shop, occasionally stopping to explain something to Sophia. Curious, I asked what he was saying, and learned that he was describing each store's wares, their specialties, and the latest 'rumors' surrounding them. As we walked on, however, my attention shifted to Sophia. There was something about the way she spoke that caught my attention.
"So, Lucas, how did you end up working as an attendant here?" she asked.
"Well," Lucas began, "I came across a job posting in my hometown and decided to apply. There was an exam, an audition, and even after being accepted, I still had to go through a two-year internship. It was really tough…" He continued with surprising enthusiasm.
As I watched Sophia chat with him, I couldn't help but think, 'she was anything but socially awkward.'
This caught me off guard, especially considering how she used to act like a total shut-in back at the mansion. She spent most of her time holed up in her room, and even when she wandered the halls, she looked nervous, eyes glued to the floor, carefully avoiding any glance at the other staff.
My attention shifted to Lucas.
At first, he carried a professional but tense demeanor. But after talking with Sophia for a while, he seemed far more at ease, his posture and expression softening noticeably.
'Wait... was that intentional?'
I glanced back at Sophia. She was mirroring Luca's demeanor, casual and warm without overdoing it. It was obvious that she was deliberately putting him at ease.
'...Shut-in, my ass. She's probably an expert in socializing.'
***
We continued shopping for some time, with Sophia mentioning what she needed and Lucas leading her from shop to shop, inspecting each item. Once she got what she wanted, she would simply hand it to him, and we would leave together, skipping what I considered the essential part of shopping: paying. When I asked her about it, she explained that all payments were handled separately in a special section of the guild.
'Well, that's new.'
Apparently, this guild had a dedicated payment area. The buyer could even hand over the payment task to their attendant and wait in a food section instead, enjoying a meal or dessert while the transaction was handled elsewhere.
'A bit tricky, huh.'
On the surface, it seemed like a system designed to make shopping easier for the customer by letting them focus entirely on browsing while the attendant took care of the rest.
But to me, it felt a little too deliberate.
It reminded me of online shopping back in my old world, where everything was designed to keep people focused on buying and rating products. I was fairly certain the merchants even paid extra for Lucas to drop flattering remarks about their stores, just like an advertisement.
'I guess even in this world, business is business.'
***
After some time browsing the shops, Sophia finally took a break on a bench in the guild's third-floor food section. She cradled Seraphix against her chest for a moment before setting him on her lap, where he happily munched on a piece of dried squid she had bought. She also had her own snack, a black scoop of ice cream, while Lucas got a simple vanilla.
As for her errands, she had completed them less than an hour ago. The process had started slowly, with Lucas repeatedly trying to push unnecessary brands and products, which Sophia didn't mind. She knew this was standard procedure for guild attendants everywhere. Having traveled and shopped often, especially with her best friend Cal, she had learned to recognize these tactics and stay composed while browsing the guild's stores.
Thankfully, unlike the usual attendants she had dealt with, Lucas was different. He wasn't persistent and was easy to open up. Before long, he was speaking more freely, sharing genuinely useful information from store to store rather than reciting advertisements.
As a small thank-you, Sophia bought him an ice cream, which he gladly accepted.
"Miss Sophi, thank you for the ice cream," Lucas said gently, sitting on the bench beside her.
"It's nothing. It was a nice tour," Sophia replied with a smile.
Together, they gazed out over the atrium of the merchant guild. Above them, a glass dome let in streams of natural light that brightened the building from the ground floor to the top. At the center, a lush plantation served both as decoration and as a natural air purifier. From their vantage point on the third floor, they could take in the full view of the guild's structure, from the bustling ground floor to the sunlit heights above.
Off to the side, Lucas was also admiring the view, though his eyes kept drifting back to Sophia's cat, apparently named Seraphix. Something about the creature caught his attention. The way it looked was... unique, especially with those white rings circling its eyes, nose, and mouth.
Normally, it would be unthinkable for him to ask a personal question to an esteemed customer, but knowing Sophia's gentle nature, the urge to ask finally slipped past his restraint.
"Ehm." Lucas cleared his throat before speaking. "Miss Sophi, may I ask... what kind of breed your pet is?"
Sophia blinked at him, a confusing flickering across her face before she realized what he meant.
"Pet? Oh no, not at all." She quickly corrected him. "He's my ni... well, my tamed beast."
"Tamed beast... You're a beast tamer!?" Lucas couldn't hide his surprise at the revelation.
As a worker of a prestigious merchant guild, he was well-acquainted with rumors, and those about beast tamers were always dark and unsettling. He had long assumed they brought nothing but trouble. But as he remembered his experience with Sophia, so kind and warm despite dealing with a person as insignificant as himself, he began to reconsider.
'Surely, Miss Sophi was the outlier...'
Remembering how rude his reaction must've been, Lucas quickly added. "I'm sorry, Miss Sophi. It's just... surprising. I've never really met one in person before."
"Oh? Is it that rare?"
'Most were immediately executed, so... yeah,' Lucas thought to himself.
"Well, I'm not sure," he said carefully, trying to guide the conversation elsewhere. "But when you see someone with an animal, it's hard to tell whether it's a beast or just a regular pet."
"I see," Sophia murmured, her eyes drifting to Seraphix, who was still tearing into the dried squid as if his life depended on it.
Lucas followed her gaze to the cat, who looked almost indistinguishable from an ordinary pet. Then he noticed the circular markings on his face, "Well... he might be a 'beast' after all, considering those unique patterns on its face."
"Khh!!" Sophia, who had already taken a bite of her ice cream, choked in surprise at the comment.
"Miss Sophi, are you alright?" Lucas asked quickly, concern flashing across his face.
Sophia tapped her chest a few times before managing a reply, her voice tinged with suppressed laughter.
"I-I'm fine."
***
After resting for a while, Sophia resumed her errand, making her way toward the top floor of the merchant guild where the payment area was located.
"Miss Sophi, are you sure you want to come along? I could handle it on my own while you wait back by the food section," Lucas asked as he walked beside her.
"It's alright," Sophia replied. Then, as if reminded of something, she added, "Actually… I could also visit the fourth floor."
The fourth floor was where magic-related items were sold. Sophia was considering buying a mana stone for her ring, since her previous one had been eaten by Seraphix.
They walked together to the elevator and rode it up to the fourth floor.
"Miss Sophi, if you're looking for high-quality magic tools, I'd recommend Mistica Dynamics—"
"I have a regular shop I go to, so it's fine," Sophia said, cutting him off with a smile and a wave of her hand.
"Okay...," Lucas said, his gaze dropping, feeling a little disappointed that he couldn't be any help.
After a short walk, they arrived at the store.
"Antern Co.?" Lucas murmured, clearly surprised.
It was a shop hard to miss, not only because of its prominent signage but also because of its reputation. They were known for kicking out or banning anyone they pleased, even nobles.
"Let's go in," Sophia said, stepping forward with Lucas following behind.
As they entered, she was greeted by an old woman who appeared to be the shop attendant.
Sophia handed over her silver card. The woman inspected it carefully, her expression tightening for a brief moment before she straightened and offered a respectful gesture.
"Welcome back, Miss Sophi."
Lucas, an attendant himself, immediately caught the shift in her demeanor.
'So Miss Sophi is a prominent customer at Antern Co…'
He remembered his superior's instructions to treat Sophia with the utmost respect, but he hadn't realized her influence reached even here, enough to draw such deference from the infamous Antern Co.
'Just how much influence does Miss Sophi really have…'
***
Guided by the female attendant, Sophia walked further inside as she looked for the usual mana stones she always bought.
Within a few minutes, she got the blue mana stones she wanted, along with a special receipt showing the purchase was already paid. She handed the receipt to Lucas and then slipped the stone onto the ring of her right hand.
"Sophia, can you grab some of those for me, too?"
Looking down, she realized Seraphix was trying to talk to her.
"Sure, how many do you want, Sir Seraphix?"
"...About a hundred."
"That's too much! I can't get that many," Sophia said in a panic. She hadn't expected Seraphix to ask for so much.
"Is it too expensive?"
"No… It's not that. There's just a rule on how many mana stones a person can buy at once."
"Alright… then just grab as many as you're allowed."
"Got it," Sophia said with a small sigh of relief before heading back to pick up more mana stones.
After completing Seraphix's request, Sophia headed toward her final stop, the guild's payment area. Seraphix, nestled in her arms, clutched a sack of blue mana stones with his tiny paw and munched on them happily as if they were his favorite treat.
Amused by his behavior, Sophia let out a light giggle.
On the side, Lucas suddenly asked, "Miss Sophi, is it okay to let him eat mana stones like that?" His voice was tinged with unease at the bizarre sight.
"It's fine, you don't need to worry. Sir Seraphix is very strong."
Although she was confident, Sophia still understood Lucas's concern. Mana stones were toxic by nature; consuming them directly could poison the body and corrupt one's mana circuit. On top of that, their inherent instability meant that careless handling always carried the risk of an uncontrollable explosion.
Seeing the lingering worry on Lucas's face, Sophia teased, "You still don't seem convinced."
"It's just… mana stones are really dangerous," he admitted.
Catching the nuance in his tone, Sophia tilted her head. "Lucas, do you hate mana stones?"
"That's…" Lucas faltered, unable to respond immediately. She had struck right at the heart of it.
"It's alright, I won't judge," Sophia assured him with a small smile. "But aren't you using one yourself?" She pointed to his earring, where a red gem—another mana stone—was embedded.
Lucas sighed. "Miss Sophi, in this era, it's simply unavoidable."
"Well, that's true," Sophia agreed softly.
Then, a sudden curiosity struck her. "Lucas, why do you hate mana stones?"
He fell silent for a moment, his expression darkening.
"…Because they're nothing but weapons of mass destruction."
***
After finishing the payment, Sophia and Lucas walked back to the gate of the Merchant Guild. Upon arrival, Lucas immediately busied himself with packaging and preparing a vehicle for Sophia's purchases.
Sophia stood at the Guild entrance, watching as Lucas organized her items, which were a collection of neatly stacked piles of fabric, wood, and various other materials.
'I went overboard with the shopping,' she thought wryly.
She then glanced down at Seraphix, who was now asleep in her arms. He had gobbled down the entire mana stone she had purchased in just a few minutes and promptly taken a nap, mouth half-open and tongue sticking out. It was clear he had thoroughly enjoyed himself.
'Are mana stones really that delicious? Now I'm curious,' she mused.
After a few minutes, a vehicle arrived, guided by Lucas. He efficiently loaded all of Sophia's purchases into it.
Once the last item was secured, Lucas walked over to her.
"Miss Sophi, everything is ready."
"Thank you. I really enjoyed our time," Sophia said with a smile.
Lucas returned the smile. "It was fun for me too."
Sophia then retrieved a small cat-shaped pin from her pouch. She had crafted it during her time making the cat backpack, purely for fun.
She handed it to Lucas. "Here's a little gift."
Lucas glanced down, studying the pin. It depicted a simple black cat curled up comfortably. He then looked at the cat in Sophia's arms, who somehow resembled the pin, even in its curled-up pose.
He let out a soft laugh. "Thank you, Miss Sophi," he said with a slight bow.
With that, Sophia climbed into the vehicle with Seraphix in her arms, ready to return to her place.
***
After a short drive, Sophia finally returned to the Kovalevska Family Estate. She deactivated her disguise amulet, revealing her true face, then pulled her hood up and stepped out of the vehicle with Seraphix still asleep in her arms. The driver quickly got out, unloaded her belongings, and left in a hurry.
Sophia was left standing alone outside the gate, surrounded by the piles of things she had purchased. She glanced at them nervously, unsure how she would get everything to her room.
Suddenly, a voice called from behind her, "Sophia?"
She immediately recognized it and turned, responding with a slight bow. "Good afternoon, Mother."
Valeslina approached, walking beside an elderly man with a monocle and a perfectly pressed butler uniform. She noticed the piles of belongings beside her daughter.
"Did you just get back from shopping?" she asked.
Keeping her gaze cast downward, Sophia replied nervously, "Yes."
When Valeslina reached her, she instinctively tried to pat her daughter's head, but stopped when her eyes fell on the cat in her arms.
Shaking her head slightly, she shifted her gaze to her daughter's arm, the one that had once been injured by Naphael.
"...How is your arm?"
"It's alright," Sophia answered shortly.
Valeslina sighed, then looked to the butler beside her. "Take her belongings to her room."
"Understood," he replied, bowing respectfully before efficiently carrying the piles inside.
Valeslina turned back to Sophia, who still kept her eyes down. "I'll be going out for a while. Go to your room and rest; you must be tired."
"Thank you, Mother," Sophia said, bowing slightly before hurrying toward the mansion.
Valeslina watched her daughter's figure until it disappeared inside the building. Once Sophia was out of sight, she turned toward the path of the departing vehicle and began walking gracefully after it, her expression unreadable.
***
I was suddenly jolted awake by a strange sensation.
'What was that?'
I couldn't quite place it, but I knew one thing for certain: it was tied to my skill, Essence Devour. Ever since I arrived in this world, that sensation had always been there, surfacing whenever I came into contact with an object.
In my mind, it registered as a clear confirmation.
---
I could 'devour' it.
---
The sensation that woke me earlier was the same; I had come into contact with something, and somehow, I knew I could devour it.
The strange part was that I wasn't sure what I had touched. It had been an object, yes, but it felt unnatural, almost as if it wasn't physical at all.
'That's weird...'
I brushed the thought aside. There was no point in dwelling on something so unclear.
Looking around, I realized I was nestled in Sophia's arms as she walked through the building hall. Ahead of us, a butler carried her purchases from the merchant guild.
'So we're already back at the mansion.'
As we moved deeper inside, more of the Kovalevska Estate's servants came into view, each busy with their own tasks.
'There seem to be more of them than before.'
My gaze drifted toward a nearby window, where the fading light revealed the approach of night.
'Are the servants more active during the night?'
It was a curious thought, but before I could linger on it, something else caught my attention.
'What's with that look?'
Each time we passed a servant, they cast a sideways glance at Sophia. It wasn't admiration or respect; it was a mix of disgust and contempt.
I was about to ask Sophia about it, but then, as I watched her, something clicked.
'So that's how it is…'
Sophia is now keeping her eyes lowered, her steps tense and guarded. The difference between her now and the confident way she carried herself in the merchant guild was stark.
'I hadn't noticed it before...'
Normally, when Sophia and I were going out of her room, the halls were emptier, with only one or two servants passing by. They do give Sophia a weird look, but since it happens so briefly, I brush it off as just a coincidence. But now, surrounded by them, whose disdain was on full display, I could finally begin to understand the full picture.
The way Sophia always stayed in her room, the way she carried cold, stale bread and milk back to eat alone, the way she seemed nervous whenever she stepped outside…
'She had never been a shut-in, nor was she socially awkward.'
My gaze shifted to one of the workers strutting about as if they owned the place.
'It was these bastards.'
***
We walked for a few more minutes before finally reaching Sophia's room.
The butler—an old man with a monocle—set her belongings down at the front of the door and left without a word.
'He didn't even bother carrying them inside...'
I glanced up at Sophia. "Hey, about the servants' behavior—"
"Sir Seraphix! Let's go. We finally have the materials, so let's finish the cat backpack!" she cut in immediately, her voice carrying a forced enthusiasm.
I studied her for a moment.
'Is that how you want to handle this?'
In the end, I chose not to press further.
'Then so be it. It's your choice.'
"Alright, let's go then."