A multitude of lines were etched into Lloyd’s vision.
When the world shattered into countless fragments—
—Flash!
The surroundings brightened.
Lloyd looked around in a daze.
Simple wooden furniture.
A low bed.
It was the dormitory assigned to him before he was drawn into the imaginary world.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Lloyd covered his face with both hands.
“Huff, huff. Huff.”
He breathed heavily.
Sweat covered his entire body, as if he had just woken from a nightmare. But Lloyd knew it wasn’t a dream. The residual sensation of the severing magic he had cast on Ortega lingered at his fingertips.
In his current body, Lloyd couldn’t use such advanced magic. His mana circuits were blocked in several places. As a child, Lloyd had been excessively talented, and as a result, his mana circuits were in shambles. It was the downfall of a genius who failed to build a proper foundation.
Regardless, the recent experience felt all too real. The Forgotten Emperor Ortega. Another thing he needed to investigate.
‘…Just how powerful is he?’
An incomprehensible catastrophe.
That’s how Lloyd felt in the imaginary world. If the Demon King gave an impression of being somewhat manageable with enough effort, Ortega was different. His abilities were unfathomable, and his level was impossible to gauge. It was like an ant in the second dimension looking up at a human in the third dimension.
The problem was this:
Ortega was after his body. The voices that plagued him during moments of mental weakness weren’t a coincidence. Each time, they spoke of revenge and offered power in exchange for blood…
‘Or maybe he regains his strength by consuming blood.’
The one saving grace was that Ortega’s condition didn’t seem good, for whatever reason. Given his personality, it was unlikely he’d be content with just resting. He wouldn’t quietly remain dormant in Lloyd’s body. This meant Ortega had no way to act on his intentions.
He had to suppress him somehow. Ortega must not regain control. If he were to be unleashed, it would be a disaster far greater than the Demon King.
“…Are you all right?”
Lloyd hadn’t noticed the presence because he was clutching his head.
Someone stood before him.
It was a young man in a butler’s uniform.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Ron, and I will be in charge of providing simple care to Lloyd.”
“…An attendant? I thought I was just a servant in this mansion.”
Assigned to assist him? Despite being practically a sl*ve here? It raised questions, but Lloyd shook his head. This situation was strange, but he had more pressing matters to worry about.
“…I’m not sure what’s going on exactly, but leave me alone for now. That’s all I need.”
“Yes, sir.”
The butler bowed his head.
Lloyd didn’t miss the fleeting change in his expression but pretended not to notice.
—Clunk.
After the butler left the room, Lloyd collapsed onto the bed.
His back was damp.
His clothes were soaked with sweat, probably from the confrontation with Ortega.
The problem was still Ortega.
A being no longer human. Lloyd was convinced he had witnessed a ‘level’ beyond human. Could he continue to keep such an Ortega confined within himself?
“…No.”
Though currently trapped for some reason, Ortega would eventually break free by any means necessary, bringing his incomprehensible power with him.
“…”
Ultimately, the crucial question was this:
Could he stand against Ortega?
This wasn’t about protecting the world from Ortega. It was about Lloyd’s own survival.
The answer was simple.
He had to become stronger.
Strong enough to fight Ortega.
Lloyd sat cross-legged.
Hoo.
Exhaling deeply, Lloyd focused on his body.
‘Lloyd’ was already extraordinarily talented.
His only issue was that his intense sensitivity had damaged his body. Lloyd had been deliberately suppressing his talent. One wrong move could disrupt his balance and burn out his entire circuit.
‘I intended to recover slowly.’
He had planned to recover slowly, more accurately and surely. He had long abandoned any thoughts of saving the world. Thus, he intended to recover gradually, but Ortega had appeared.
‘This is an opportunity.’
In the imaginary world, he had experienced the use of a fully functional mana circuit while fighting Ortega. It was like having a complete answer sheet for restoring his mana circuit.
He needed to leverage this experience.
Lloyd began to channel mana through his circuits.
A new goal.
To become stronger.
◆
Duchess Grey’s office.
A masked man reported to her.
“It’s about Lloyd.”
“Yes.”
“We’ve been monitoring that child continuously, but nothing unusual has come up.”
Tap, tap, tap.
The Duchess tapped the armrest of her chair before speaking.
“No matter how you look at it, that child has an exceptional capacity. Do not slack on the surveillance. How is the progress of the Solitude Infusion?”
“Yes. Judging by the intensity of the mark, it’s over 60% complete.”
“It must be getting hard for him to maintain his sanity.”
“But…”
The subordinate’s hesitant tone made the Duchess frown.
“Speak.”
“He’s holding up better than expected. He seemed worn out before, but he hasn’t deteriorated further. He’s not mentally weak.”
The Duchess agreed.
She had known Lloyd was mentally strong from their first encounter. From the auction where he was sold to his first day at the mansion, Lloyd had answered confidently without a trace of fear. It was no exaggeration to say he had the dignity of a prince.
He had a large capacity.
Enough to contain ‘Him’.
At the same time, she was captivated by the boy’s mind.
More than considering if he was a suitable ‘vessel’, she even thought of using him as an advisor.
The Duchess pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Let’s push the children harder.”
“Push harder?”
“Give Lloyd many privileges. Make things tougher for the others. Make them play politics among themselves.”
“And if Lloyd gets attacked…”
“We’ll get some answers.”
It’s not easy to maintain composure while housing ‘Him’ in one’s heart.
The Duchess concluded that Lloyd needed to be further unsettled.
“Next topic. The 3rd Princess, Yulia, wishes to visit the mansion…”
◆
The tasks assigned to the children captured by the Grey Dukedom were predictable.
Sl*ves of the family.
They had to handle all sorts of chores.
And after work hours, they gathered.
In the spacious training ground of the family.
“You’re moving too slowly! Those who arrive last won’t sleep tonight!”
Under the pretext of raising proper Blood Cultists, training was conducted. Outwardly, it seemed to be a systematic combat training. As a cult, they focused on quick, ability-boosting methods rather than orthodox training.
For example, mana manipulation.
Lloyd recalled that the Blood Cult often used self-destructive attacks.
Normally, one should start with mana sensitivity and build a foundation step by step, but they forced awakening using some unknown pills.
As a result, the children, though unstable, could use magic, and they even felt a vague loyalty to the Blood Cult.
‘…Idiots.’
Most of them were commoners or lower nobles. Being able to use magic when they couldn’t before boosted their morale infinitely.
“Today, mana orbs are hidden in the nearby forest. The last three to return will get a good beating. Now go find them.”
Clap, clap, clap.
The clapping sound was irritating.
Lloyd swallowed the monster inside him and began.
“Run!”
With the executive’s command, Lloyd quickened his pace. The search area was outside the mansion. Escaping was an option, but he immediately dismissed it. Such an act would make Lloyd a criminal. Bound by a ten-year sl*ve contract, he had many constraints.
For now, he aimed to grow stronger and wait for the right moment.
That was Lloyd’s determined goal.
—Tat-tat-tat!
Running around the mansion, as expected, he got into trouble.
“Hey.”
Turning to the voice, Lloyd frowned. It was Hector, as usual.
“What is it?”
Hector quickly caught up to him.
Though he could easily pass him, he seemed to be deliberately staying behind, exuding an annoying air of superiority.
Hector smirked and spoke.
“How come you get all the perks, Lloyd?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’d like to know your method too. Did you offer your body to the Duchess? I didn’t think she had such tastes.”
Implying he sold his body.
People see what they want to see.
Lloyd responded awkwardly to Hector, who was smiling bitterly.
“Well, you don’t seem to have a body worth offering.”
Hector’s clenched fist trembled.
Lloyd thought it would end with that level of provocation.
But before he knew it, several others had surrounded him.
