When we entered the house, it was filled with the heat from the hearth Mirel had lit. She greeted us with a wooden spoon in her hand, but she froze when her eyes landed on the sack in my hand and the movements coming from inside it.
"Master?" she asked in surprise. "Are these... alive? And why are there so many?"
I gently placed the sack on the floor. "Yes, they are alive," I said, slightly loosening the mouth of the sack.
"And there are many because we have to think not just about today, but about tomorrow as well." Mirel and Lysa, who was resting in the chair by the hearth, approached curiously.
When they saw the soft, timid rabbits inside the sack, both of their eyes lit up. Lysa reached out and touched one on the nose. "They are so cute..." she whispered.
"What month is it?" I asked suddenly, dispersing the soft atmosphere with the seriousness in my voice. Sera answered. "It is mid-September, Master." I nodded.
"Good. That means winter is at the door. We can utilize not just the meat of these 'cute' things, but their fur and skin as well. Their fur brings money, their meat fills our bellies."
Then I turned to Sera. My gaze was harsh. "Sera," I said. "Take three of them. That's enough for us for tonight." "Are we going to kill them?" Mirel squealed.
Lysa pulled her hand back from the rabbit, her face falling. It was as if those animals they loved a moment ago had transformed into pets.
Both made a move as if to hug the rabbits.
Seeing them like this wrenched my heart. These girls, despite living in a world where violence and death ran rampant, still sought a childlike innocence.
But hunger did not care for innocence. I reached for Sera's hand; I felt it trembling. Even she, who could kill a man without blinking, hesitated to harm these defenseless animals.
I pulled the sack toward me. I pulled the rabbits out roughly, one by one, and shoved them into Sera's hand.
"Look at me," I said, raising my voice. They all flinched. "We have to survive. And surviving sometimes means getting your hands dirty." I looked into their eyes.
"Do not be sad. I can be ruthless for you. So that you can remain clean, I will be the monster if necessary. Now, Sera... Do your job."
Sera swallowed; the hesitation in her eyes vanished, replaced by that absolute obedience. She took the rabbits and went out to the backyard.
Mirel and Lysa grimaced at the sounds that followed shortly after, but no one objected.
An hour later, we were sitting around the table. Mirel had roasted the rabbits on the hearth with limited means—a little salt and a few herbs found in the garden.
When the smell of meat filled the room, I couldn't suppress the rumble from my stomach. Mirel distributed the plates. I looked at the plate placed in front of me.
The meatiest, best thighs of the rabbits were on my plate. They were left with the bony, scrapped pieces.
I put down my fork. "What is this?" I said. Mirel smiled timidly. "The best parts are yours, Master. You are the head of the house." Lysa nodded in agreement.
She wasn't even looking at the meager piece on her own plate; her eyes were only concerned with my satisfaction.
Leon's heart tightened. These crazy girls, I thought.
No matter how twisted, how sickly their love is... It is still a nice feeling to be loved, to be cared for. I picked up my knife.
I divided the thighs on my plate into three pieces. "Master?" said Sera in surprise. I placed the pieces onto their plates.
"In this house," I said, taking the breast meat left on my own plate. "No one will go hungry. And no one will eat anyone else's scraps. We are a family, aren't we? Families share their food."
With teary eyes, the girls looked at me, then at the meat on their plates. The meal eaten at that poor table that evening was more delicious than the most luxurious banquet Clarean had eaten in his life.
After the meal, Sera came to me. She held bloody, wet rabbit pelts in her hands. "You saved the furs, didn't you?" I asked.
"Yes, Master," Sera said. "I removed them in one piece, like a jumpsuit, as you said." "Good." I took the pelts.
I washed them thoroughly in the well water in the garden, flushing out the blood and fat. Then I took a handful of salt from the kitchen and rubbed it into them.
Sera watched curiously. "It will take days to dry them, Master. There is no sun."
I smiled. "We don't need the sun." I placed my hand over the wet pelts. Editor... Heat and Light.
That golden light from my palm concentrated this time not to heal, but to dry.
I used the light just like a modern UV lamp or a powerful dryer.
Magic evaporated the moisture on the pelts in seconds, drying the skin without hardening it.
Sera watched with her mouth open. "Did you use... light magic to dry leather?" "Why not?" I said, laughing.
"Magic is meant to be useful, Sera. Drying rabbit pelts with holy light..." I handed the pelts to her. They were soft.
"I must turn these into something by tomorrow. Maybe gloves, maybe a fur collar. They will fetch a good price at the market."
When I returned to the house, exhaustion had settled on my shoulders. Both physical fatigue and that sweet numbness from using magic.
"I'm going to bed early today," I said to the girls. "Everyone rest. Tomorrow will be a long day."
I went up to my room. I closed the door and locked it out of habit. I lay on the bed, putting my hands under my head. Staring at the ceiling, I summoned that interface in my mind.
"System," I said internally. "What is my main mission? You threw me here, talked about 'hoarding', but didn't tell me what I need to do."
[SYSTEM RESPONSE] [MAIN MISSION: GET YOUR LIFE IN ORDER.] [PROGRESS: %2]
"Great," I mumbled aloud. "Get your life in order. How descriptive. Is this an RPG game or a personal development seminar? Nothing is clear."
I closed my eyes. Sleep was pulling me in rapidly.
CLICK.
The sound was very faint, but in that silence, it sounded like thunder. The door lock. I didn't open my eyes.
I regulated my breathing, pretending to sleep. The door creaked open, then slowly closed. Light footsteps echoed on the parquet.
I felt someone approaching my bed.
Let's see what they are planning, I thought. Sera? Or Mirel? The edge of the bed sank.
A hand, very gently, almost fearfully, touched my hand. "Master..." The voice was Lysa's. She put her hand on my wrist, checking my pulse.
Then her fingers slid to my forehead. She was checking my fever. "Thank God..." she whispered to herself. "He is warm. He is alive. That magic... didn't consume him."
She has a spare key, then.
I opened my eyes suddenly. "Lysa?" Lysa jumped. Her hand remained in the air. Even in the dark, I could see her face turning white as a sheet. "M-Master!"
She tried to pull back in panic but tripped on the carpet, almost falling. "I... I'm sorry! I interrupted your sleep! Please don't be angry!"
I sat up in bed. "I'm not angry, Lysa. Calm down." Lysa was trembling. "I just... just came to see if you were okay. You used so much magic... I was worried about you."
"I'm fine," I said in a soft voice. "But entering my room at this hour of the night, opening a locked door... Do you want something from me?"
Lysa bowed her head. She clasped her hands in front of her. "Can I ask?" she whispered. "It's not my place, but..." "Speak." "You saved my life," she said, her eyes filling up.
"You gave me your own energy. I was supposed to die for you, but you kept me alive. I need to do whatever you want. I need to pay my debt."
I smiled. "You saved me too, Lysa. Did you forget? You gave your own life to me." "But..." "Then," I said.
"Don't you want a reward? Freedom? Money? To return to your family?" Lysa shook her head rapidly. Tears spilled onto her cheeks.
"No! No, I don't want to go!" "What do you want then?"
Lysa held onto the edge of the bed. She fixed her eyes on mine. There was no lust in that gaze; there was a pure, deep, desperate need. The need to be safe.
"I want to stay by your side," she said. "Just... by your side."
Leon's heart tightened. The warmth of this girl, that clean scent of soap, filled the room. Clarean's body reacted instantly.
My blood boiled, my pulse quickened. That damn impulse to grab her and pull her into bed, to spoil that innocence, woke up again.
Hold on Leon, I told myself. She counts as a child. She is your family. But my will was being tested.
Loneliness, stress, Clarean's hormones... They had all combined.
"Okay," I said, trying to stop my voice from trembling. I lifted the duvet and pointed to the side. "Come." Lysa's face lit up.
She hesitantly got into the bed. "But we will only sleep," I said firmly, turning my back to her. "Don't expect anything else. Just... sleep."
"Thank you, Master," Lysa whispered. She leaned against my back. She squeezed the fabric of my shirt with her small hands. She rested her head on my back.
The warmth of her body penetrated my skin through that thin nightgown. Shortly after, her breathing became regular. She had fallen asleep.
But me... My eyes were wide open. Clarean's body was rebelling against this warmth, this closeness behind me. I gritted my teeth.
This night will be long, I thought, watching the ceiling. Very long.