Chapter 4: Aura's Bizarre Experience [1]
Fingal tied his shoelaces. He wore a pair of military boots and a black cloak, all taken from Lord Orden—noble boots and clothes felt great to wear, with their special craftsmanship even more breathable than slippers.
He actually looked quite handsome now, with dashing golden hair draped over his shoulders and dressed in an exquisite noble suit. Especially that sunny face of his, which was annoyingly charming, though the faint golden glow in his pupils occasionally flickered with a gloomy aura that better suited Aura's taste.
But...
"What are you doing?"
Aura raised an eyebrow, completely baffled. What was this unconventional slave up to? Slaves ought to act like slaves.
She felt disgusted again.
She really shouldn't have kept a slave with self-awareness. Those who couldn't speak, couldn't cry, and would only die protecting her were much more useful.
[Aura's favorability toward you has slightly decreased.]
'Damn, Aura, you even deduct favorability?'
"Aura-sama, there's a saying—clothes make the man, and the saddle makes the horse." Fingal's voice was cool and clear, yet gently warm at the edges. The silver cufflinks made a faint click as they passed through the enamel holes, and he adjusted his clothes neatly. "As your subordinate, I believe I should present myself in a better manner, so as not to disgrace you."
"???"
What kind of nonsensical gibberish was that?
Clothes make the man, and the saddle makes the...
To be honest, Aura didn't quite grasp the meaning, but she roughly understood he wanted to dress himself up. Now that she thought about it, she did prefer slaves who looked more presentable.
Huh? Was that it?
Seemed so.
She cast a somewhat critical glance at Fingal. The man's shoulder blades formed smooth arcs beneath his white shirt, his nape hairs brushing against sun-kissed honey-brown skin, reminding her of sea-polished rocks along the coastline... He did seem slightly more pleasing to the eye now.
Yet she remained unaware that all this was an illusion brought by the system.
[You have successfully aroused a hint of doubt in Aura.]
[Acquired Level 0 Entry: Slight Favorability Boost.]
[Triggered: Favorability increase towards attractive puppets]
[Aura's Favorability: 16]
Once again, Aura abandoned the thought of killing him outright or letting his flesh decay to become just another Armor Puppet.
That would ruin his appearance.
"So, Aura-sama, where should we go now?"
Fingal had mentally prepared himself to spend some time with this uncivilized, beautiful yet savage brute of the Demon Clan.
He must transform her into a puppet completely under his control!!
The thought stirred a faint excitement in him!
As a base man, Fingal never rejected beauty—he must play the role of the wicked servant dominating his master.
Once again, human greed had triumphed over fear.
Aura, the time for you to kneel and beg forgiveness isn't far off!
"Next? Next we'll raid a human town... How troublesome. That Demon King always makes me handle such tedious matters."
Thinking of this, Aura's breathing grew slightly uneven. That Demon King was truly detestable.
Why couldn't someone just kill him?
She somewhat resented how the Demon King enjoyed ordering her around... Hmm, decided—she must eventually become one of the so-called 'Seven Sages of Destruction'. Otherwise...
"Enough daydreaming. You, there—we're raiding a human town?"
Fingal's eyes widened larger than bronze bells. Raiding a town... Given how these demons operated, it wouldn't be mere occupation. He could almost feel decades of accumulated dampness seeping through his pores into his bones, bringing a chilling cold.
It would likely be complete slaughter.
"What? Do you have objections?"
Noticing her subordinate's shifting expression, Aura glanced at Fingal's uncertain face.
A human slave who wholeheartedly considered her needs was fine, but one who tried to dictate to her would be utterly annoying.
She despised free will beyond her control.
[Aura's Favorability Slightly Decreased]
The atmosphere instantly grew tense, like the low pressure before a storm, saturated with damp anticipation and impending tempest.
In all honesty, these otherworldly people meant nothing to him. With sufficient ruthlessness, their deaths wouldn't matter. But if possible, he preferred not to kill indiscriminately.
Fighting to the death over hatred or conflicting interests was entirely different from slaughtering people as the Demon's lackey.
As someone from the modern earth, he naturally abhorred such behavior.
Therefore...
"Of course not, my beautiful Aura-sama."
Fingal's face blossomed into a radiant smile as he slightly bowed, demonstrating his submission to Aura.
"I was merely contemplating... that simply destroying a human village doesn't seem beneficial to you."
"It's a bit complicated to explain. Have you ever heard of Illusion? It's a type of Magic that can immerse people in beautiful dreams."
Fingal was determined to find a way to make Aura abandon her idea of slaughtering the town.
He couldn't be bothered with what happened in the past, but now...
Even someone like him couldn't ask Mr. Charles to dispatch the camp police to investigate Aura's tax evasion after witnessing her murderous rampage firsthand. After all, it's common knowledge that paying taxes is every citizen's duty, and tax evasion is illegal.
Murderous maniacs like that should just die.
Aura, you'd better not disappoint me!
Otherwise, no matter how much you grovel on the ground begging for mercy, you'll never obtain forgiveness from us humans!