Rosalie walked slowly and kept glancing back at Eric. Only when they arrived in front of her house, opened the door, and helped him carry the sack inside the house did she relax.
Ha!
Eric took a deep breath, wiped the beads of sweat off his forehead, and stretched his neck and shoulders that had become a little sore after carrying the heavy sack.
Rosalie smiled at him, "Thank you, son, for helping me. Now, please sit down and let me bring you some water."
Eric nodded and sat down on a wooden stool nearby, looking around the house.
Unlike his house that was made from some wooden logs and mostly straws and looked more like a cottage, this house was made from mud and clay, and therefore it was sturdier and protected more efficiently from wind and rain. Also, it was quite a bit bigger than his house in comparison.
There were two small rooms, the open living area where he was sitting right now and on the side was a small kitchen and bathroom.
'I'm already inside the house. Now, how am I supposed to find that thing? I don't even know what it looks like.'
Just when he was thinking this, Rosalie returned and handed him a steel mug of water. "Here, son, drink it."
After drinking it, as he returned her the empty glass, he asked, after some hesitation, "I heard Luke got a job at a noble family? Is that true?"
The reason he hesitated was because he was worried she might recognize him, but fortunately it did not happen, though it made him sigh. 'She really doesn't remember me.'
"Yes, he started working just a few days ago." Rosalie smiled and asked, "You know him?"
Eric's gaze flickered, noticing the subtle shift in her expression. She looked a little… sad.
"Yes. I met him a few times." He said and was thinking if he should ask why she looked sad when she should be happy but hesitated. It was her personal matter, and she most likely wouldn't tell him.
Then, suddenly, he remembered something and willed the system to activate his skill {Inspect}.
However…
[Ding! Host doesn't have any refined energy to activate the skill.]
Though his expression remained the same, he became gloomy inside.
'Without energy, everything is use—'
Just when he was lamenting his luck, another message appeared on the system screen in his mind.
[Ding! Since using the {Inspect} on the target would help the host complete the quest, the system is willing to use the operational energy and would take the used energy when the host gains more. Is the host willing? (Yes/No)]
'Of course, yes.' He immediately said in his mind, feeling grateful.
As soon as he said yes, the system screen changed.
[Name: Rosalie Walden]
[Cultivation: None]
[Battle Power: 4]
[Status: Sad, worried, afraid, vulnerable.]
[Detailed Status Description: Her husband has been suffering from some ailment for years now, which has made him weak, because of which he can barely earn a living. She had hoped for her sons to earn…]
The detailed description was really... detailed. It took him over a minute to read it all. Fortunately for him, Rosalie had zoned out a bit, or it would've taken him even more time to read it while talking to her.
'How pitiful!' These words came to his mind when he looked at her now.
As for why?
Her husband was sick and wasn't able to earn enough for the family of five to get by. So, she also worked to raise their three kids, which wasn't uncommon in the slums, as almost every adult worked to earn some credits.
She had thought when her two sons grew up, they would start earning, and their life would become easier. However, both Luke and her younger son, Adam, made some bad friends and formed some bad habits.
While Adam became addicted to drinking alcohol and gambling, Luke became a pervert and started visiting brothels. Whatever they earned from working, they would spend it all on these things.
This made her sad, angry, and disappointed, but she couldn't beat sense into them as they had stopped fearing her years ago.
Still, she had a hope that they would come to their senses sooner or later, but her hopes were dashed when a few days ago, Adam brought the news that some noble was looking for young girls to serve him in his bedroom.
Realizing he wanted to sell her youngest child, her daughter, Elliot, to that damned noble, she immediately slapped him and told him to stop thinking about it, but Luke agreed with him. He wanted to meet the noble. As for her husband, he kept silent.
So, in the end, despite her protests, they sold her, and in exchange, Luke got a job in that noble's family. As for Adam, she had not seen him since that day and suspected Luke got rid of him.
As if it was not enough, just last night Luke returned and told her that the noble wanted her too.
Eric was a little surprised that the {Inspect} could find out so much, but since he didn't have any understanding of anything supernatural yet, he didn't waste his time thinking about how.
Also, he realized something. The thing the system wanted him to use to begin his cultivation wasn't some resource or anything else, but this woman in front of him.
Rosalie snapped out of her thoughts and said, "You must be busy. So—"
Morally, it wasn't correct to take advantage of someone's misery, but as the system told him earlier, 'Fuck the morals!'
He needed to think about his family and himself, not others.
So, before she could show him out, he gathered his courage and interrupted her, "I heard Luke has sold off your daughter."
Boom!
His words were like an explosion in her mind. Her eyes widened in shock and horror. "You! How…"
"It's not important how I know this." He interrupted her again before adding, "I heard he wants to sell you off too now; is that right?"
Rosalie stared at him warily and asked through gritted teeth, "What do you want?"
Eric stared into her eyes and slowly but confidently said, "I can help you."
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A/N: Rosalie's Image is in comment section!