" Status".
A shimmering gold panel appears in front of my face.
Celestium Aetherion System: Status
Name: Selarion Aetherion
Age: 16
Race: Elasian
Status: Weakened, Healthy, Lost Memories
Titles: All locked.
Bloodline: ????????
Physique: ????????
Level:1
Health: 300
Strength: 165
Agility: 140
Stamina: 500
Constitution: 800
Energy:1567
Intelligence: Calculating
Charisma: Calculating
Concepts: 0
....
I don't even finish reading everything there.
" What is this nonsensical thing?".
My expression twists in disgust.
" Why are all my statuses in numbers?".
I step back.
' Why do I hate this thing so much?'.
' Doesn't Matter'.
' All I know is that this is something I hate and should avoid'.
[ Even after you have lost it all, you will never accept a system].
' What the hell is a system?'.
I make my facial expression turn normal.
[ It is something you will know about when you reach the qualified strength ].
I nod.
' I don't want strength, only the truth'.
[ I know that ].
[ And you have already said that your goal is to know the truth, what is the point in saying it again].
My expression becomes disgruntled.
' This is in my mind!'.
' Who told you to peak in my mind?!'.
[ Since you don't want an interface screen, what do you want? ].
' I don't understand what you are talking about'.
[ Then let me rephrase it ].
[ Maybe you can't understand that either, so let me say it in another way].
[ How do you want me to look?].
I nod slowly.
" Oh so that is what you mean".
I close my eyes.
' So I can make it be how I want it to look'.
' Of all things I would just like something I can see, talk to and touch'.
[ Why something you can see, talk to and touch].
[ With this form, you can see me, you can talk me and I can answer, but you can't touch the screen].
' No no no no no, I want you to have a more human like appearance'.
[ Okay ].
Then red,gold and blue lights flashed.
But they come and go quickly.
I look at where the lights came from.
The thing that the system told me was an interface disappeared.
And in its place was a sort of miniature person.
It looks like a child.
It has luminous blue eyes.
But though they are dim.
Most of its body is colored in gold.
While only it's hair is red.
It opens it's mouth.
" Is this okay?".
When it speaks, I just look at it.
" You are that interface thing?".
She nods.
She pushes her long red hair behind with one hand.
With that movement, her calm and collected aura, suddenly becomes wild and prideful.
Hr chest stuck out.
And somehow the expression on her face became prideful.
' Okay, how the hell is this possible?!'.
' Such a cute looking face is able to make such an expression'.
' How?'.
I just watch it.
With her puffed out chest, she speaks to me with her cute voice.
" Call me master!".
Me who was looking at her from all different angles, froze.
I look at her face.
" Why should I?".
" You help me and I help you".
" Currently, to me , it's like you are a traveler who is going to tell me some things in exchange for a favor".
" In such a case, is that traveler my master, teacher, e.t.c?".
" No!".
Her prideful expression didn't vanish like I expected.
Instead, a smile appears on her face.
Her hand that was down lifts up.
Her hand faces me.
And for some reason that makes me want to dodge to the side.
Her golden luminous hand suddenly shines brighter.
And I then feel an enormous pressure descond upon me from above.
CREAK!
My bones crack under the pressure.
My legs tremble as I resist the pressure so that I don't kneel.
' Hahahahah, no way am I going to kneel!'.
I resolutely stand straight up even though the pressure is too overbearing.
I make my knees that bent a bit straight.
But it is in that moment that the pressure suddenly becomes more controlled.
Pressure attacks the joints in my knees from behind, like a kick.
And that makes me kneel.
I grit my teeth.
' Since I failed to stop myself from kneeling, I can at least not bow'.
But like before, the pressure is extremely controlled.
It pushes me from my back and the front of my waist.
Her golden hand suddenly shines brighter.
And when that happens, the pressure increases.
To the point I am unable to resist.
My waist bends.
My forehead touches the ground and my hands are at the same place as my head.
And the pressure makes my palms also touch the ground.
I hear the girl's voice again.
" Call me master ".
She doesn't say it loudly.
But it sounds as loud as stars exploding right in by my ear.
' Did I owe this girl something before?!!!'.
' Why do I have to kneel to some strange existence that I met a few hours ago?!'.
I complain in my mind, but I don't move even a bit.
I hear her voice in my ears again.
" If you don't call me master".
She pauses.
" You will stay right here in that same position until you can stand up without me releasing the pressure".
That voice is sweet and childish.
' Why does such a sweet voice have to belong to a devil?'.
" And I will also not teach you anything about the world and yourself".
' I can bear the first condition, but can you remove the second one?!'.
" And what I will say now is sure to make you call me master".
But I sneer when I hear that.
' Hahahaha, there are things you can do to make me call you master, but there is nothing you can say to make me do the same'.
She holds out three fingers.
" You have three seconds to call me master or else something terrible is going to happen to you that wasn't caused by me".
' I'll remain stubborn'.
' As long as it is not my life in danger, it is okay'.
' But I will never submit to her of all people'.
So I don't say anything and just stay motionless by the pressure's force.
" 1 ".
" 2 ".
For some reason, I feel compelled to call her master as she says the number 2.
But I resist the urge and keep quiet.
" 3 ".
" Are you talking to yourself?".
I hear footsteps approaching where I am.
' That voice!!'.
M body starts trembling.
' Why is she coming now!'.
' Before she arrives, lets call this lass master'.
" Master".
The golden girl who is not even as big as my palm flies down from where she was just floating and walks to my ear.
" Hehehehe".
" You see, no matter what you do now, I won't help you".
" Look, I have accepted you as my master, so can you just please do this one favor for your student and release the pressure".
She jumps and lands in the backside of my shoulder.
" I already released it the moment I finished the countdown up to three".
When I hear that,I immediately stand up.
' Thank you master'.
" Hehehehehe!".
She doesn't say anything back, but just laughs.
I dust my knees and head.
I then turn around with a smile on my face.
When I finish the turn, I see Lysera just five steps away from me staring at me with eyes filled with pity.
" Are you sick?" she asks me softly.
I shake my head.
" No, I am not sick".
" Were you cursed by someone?".
" I don't think there is anyone out there who would want to curse me".
But I look on my shoulder briefly and find the golden girl making a strange expression while looking at me.
' Did I say something wrong?'.
She shakes her head.
Not quickly but not slow either.
" It's just something else".
" Then has the loss of your memories affected you deeply?".
I smile.
" Of course not".
" I have a beautiful girl to talk to".
" If someone can become insane in such circumstances, within such a short period of time, then that just means they were insane to begin with".
She smiles back at me.
But something about that smile somehow looks painful and forced.
She then turns to her house.
" You should come back inside the house now".
She then starts walking back to the house.
' Please don't treat me like a child' I groan in my mind.
I don't follow her immediately.
' Status'.
But nothing appears.
" Sigh".
" It won't work anymore"
I look at her.
" Why can't it".
I bring up a finger.
" And you can't tell me that you don't have enough power to bring both this form of yours ".
I pause and use my hand to emphasize the way she currently looks.
" And that interface from earlier".
But she stands on my shoulder and puffs her chest out .
She puffs her cheeks too.
She crosses her arms.
" Hmff".
" Why should I tell you!?".
" I am your master!".
" And a master doesn't have to answer their disciple on everything".
" So".
I start walking to Lysera's house too.
" That means you can answer some of my other questions".
She nods.
" Yes, but not everything".
I don't say anything and just look at where I am walking.