Roy's sudden cry was loud enough to reach the sky.
Unsurprisingly, no one came to check on him, not even a single servant.
He didn't feel offended.
Rather, he felt good after noticing no one knocking on or knocking over the locked room for his sake.
The inheritance Lady Florence left behind for him was on full display in this room.
He could tell with a single glance that the Black glove was better than the land deeds and mana stones.
Although he hadn't checked in detail what it was, he could still tell it was an item of great might—a runic weapon.
If someone were to come in, they would catch the sight of his precious belongings.
Their greed might get the better of them then.
It was not hard for one to think how hellish Roy and his maid's days would become afterwards.
The Manor's servants and his stepmothers would try unhanded means to steal his inheritance from him.
That's why Neither he nor his maid wanted an outsider in this room at this moment.
Thankfully, the servants, the count, and his family were alienating them, granting their wish.
'They might change their mind and come in this room to take a look at how I am doing if I continue making such loud noises. I need to silence myself.'
Although muddlehead because of the pain, Roy clenched his teeth to stop himself from releasing another beast-like roar.
His hand reached out as if to take his life back from death's grasp.
But no matter how far he stretched out his hand, he couldn't grasp anything in his ever-darkening vision.
Just as he was about to give up, Amelia grabbed his hand, giving him the mental and physical support he needed to endure the soul-rendering pain.
In this foreign world, there was a person by his side, worrying about him. If not for himself, then at least for her, He couldn't die.
'Not today!'
His bloodshot eyes burned with conviction.
He did everything in his power to push the tear-drop-sized Mana out of his body.
Only then did the pain traumatizing him stop.
The blood leaking out of his eyes showcased what he had just been through.
When she saw the blood coming out of his eyes, tears appeared in Amelia's eyes. She felt pained just by seeing him enduring everything in silence.
She clenched her free hand and took it upon herself to make him never do that again, even if it meant forcing or begging him.
"My lord, you'll hurt yourself more if you continue to channel Mana into your body. Please stop here."
The pitiful voice entering Roy's ears came from the young girl standing beside him.
He looked towards her and noticed that she appeared red in his vision. Everything appeared like so to him because of the blood in his eyes.
"You're right. I should stop. Although I don't like admitting it, I've no affinity with Mana."
How bad must one talent be to feel a knife stabbing them just by inducing a dot of Mana in their body?
Roy didn't know.
But he was certain that a talent like him couldn't be found anywhere in this World.
He was a one and only piece, a rare product that existed only in the count's manor in the entire world.
He wiped the blood from his eyes.
Only after was he able to give her a close look over.
"Amelia... yet again, you're injured because of me." Roy's face quivered, for he noticed that her rough hand full of callouses and scars had become red because of how rudely he was holding it. It would be bruised soon. He immediately let go of it as gently as he could.
"It's fine. My Lord doesn't need to blame himself. I'm used to pain." Amelia hid her pain behind a smile in order to not worry him.
"W-Why...? Why didn't you free your hand from my grasp when I almost crushed it?"
"This slave entire body is for my Lord. I can bear a lot for you. This much doesn't even come close to what I can do for you."
"How... Just how far are you willing to go for me?"
"If you just so say, I will give up my life for you willingly."
Roy had heard tales of how some people lived and breathed just to serve another. Finding out that there was one such person for him too surprised him. Since she was treating him so well, he had to treat her with extreme care.
At this moment, Amelia saw the weakness receding in Roy's dispirited eyes. Replacing it was a firm desire to change.
"You're like my limbs and eyes. Except for me, no one can have your life. No matter what, don't trade your life for mine. Can you promise me that?"
"Your wish is my command, my lord. I will follow your will resolutely."
Amelia wanted to get clean water for him so that he could clean the blood off his face, but he made her sit down on the bed.
According to Roy Badulf Baldwin's memories, beneath the Mana stones was a healing elixir.
After rummaging through the box, he pulled out a vial the size of Amelia's small hands. It had crimson liquid inside of it and looked similar to a health potion in any RPG game. He opened its lids and poured some of it into his palm.
"Give me your hand."
"My master, it's too precious to use on this slave's body. You should save every drop of it for the future."
"It is indeed precious to me. But you mean more to me than this life-saving elixir. Either I will apply this on your hand right away or let it rot on the floor. The choice is yours to make."
Roy held her by the shoulder to make it certain that she wouldn't be able to run away. A glint of light flashed past his eyes as he looked at Amelia with stubbornness. He was going to have his way with her whether she liked it or not!
"If he can't have his way with others peacefully, he will use force to make them obey him. My lord has become roguish after experiencing life and death. But I don't remember teaching him such things. Where did he learn the way of the tyrant? Maybe his personality changed because of hitting his head on a rock." Amelia had seen him grow from a baby to a young man. She had also grown up with him. She was only four years older than him. It was not wrong for one to say that she knew him in and out. But the one before her was unlike the person she knew. He was like someone foreign to her. But this person was also the one she hoped him to become ever since they met.
Roy grinned. "Am I a wolf in your eyes?"
"Yes."
After subconsciously replying to him, her lips parted ways, for she realized something truly important.
"Wait... Did I just say out loud my thoughts?"
"Yes, you did."
"Please punish me for my offense."
She would've kneeled on the floor if not for Roy stopping her.
"You didn't need to remind me. I already have a punishment prepared for you."
Roy punished his maid, who lacked the ability to hide her thoughts from him, by smearing the red potion on her hand.
Although reluctant, Amelia let him apply the wet liquid to her bruising hand. The elixir wasn't good enough to make the imperfections on her hand with slender and long fingers disappear, but it killed the pain she was feeling.
"Thank you, my lord."
She smiled when she saw how worried he was for her and felt warm in her heart because of the concern and attention he was showing her. She lost the special someone who would feel concerned over her health 12 years ago and had jumped into troubled water to protect him from the white-eyed wolves all alone when she was just a kid. Thus, she never had experienced what it meant to be treated kindly by another. And because he was a little fool, never in her wildest dream had she thought that she would look after him. But he had surpassed all her expectations and started to return her years of kindness bit by bit.
Roy beamed back at her. "You're welcome."
'Oh gosh! My lord smiled at me! I'm so happy I could die.'
Her thoughts were vivid on her face. She was like an open book to Roy. He smiled even more.
The Mana stone in his hand was still as bright as ever. He hadn't even extracted 0.1% of the Purified Mana inside it. It was still worth its original price. He placed it back inside the box before closing it.
Then Amelia hurriedly put the things that others shouldn't see back in their hiding spot and sorted out the room.
Roy knew that repetitively meditating for seven days straight would help him gain a skill, for the protagonist had used the same method to impress the world's soul and earn a skill that helped him tremendously at the start of his journey.
However, he had no talent for magic, and even purified Mana was like poison for him.
He had no choice but to head out and swing his sword in the training ground until the world's will see how hard-working he was, pity him, and bless him with a skill.
But… He failed to stand up!
His face turned red as he became embarrassed.
But shouldn't he be used to it already?
He made the redness in his face recede before calling out for his maid.
"Amelia…"
"Yes?"
"Help me stand."
The sound of footsteps coming closer reached him.
"Do you want to go to the bathroom? Should I help you to the toilet?"
When he heard what she said, many embarrassing memories popped up in his mind. He could do number 1 just fine. But he needed someone to help him clean his body and do number 2. And in the entire house, the only one willing to do that was Amelia.
She had literally helped him wipe his ass and take baths many times.
Because Roy Badulf Baldwin was a blank sheet of paper and innocent like a pure angel, Amelia treated him like her son, and he didn't feel there was anything wrong with others seeing him naked or cleaning his butt.
But the current Roy coughed when he mistakenly recalled the embarrassing memories of Amelia helping him with even this & that.
He censored every such memory he shared with her in his mind.
"No… I am going out to grind."
Just like noobs in any game, he, too, was fated to do the daily grind!
Amelia blinked her pretty eyes at him in confusion. "Grind? Grind what?"
Roy pointed at himself. "Myself."
Her little mouth widened to the size of an egg. "Huh?"
Seeing her so confused was funny to Roy. He also found her too cute, just to his liking. While giving her a pat, he struck her with a blow of shock again. "Yes, you heard that right. I'm going to the training ground to train."
She snapped out of her daze and did her best to keep him inside. "But young master, the temperature outside is too low. And it's the coldest on the training ground. You might get sick if you go there to train in this weather."
"It's alright. Nothing will happen to me. I'm feeling energized and full of strength. So don't you worry."
The Old Roy was weak. But maybe it was because their soul merged, but he could confidently say that it would not be impossible for him to train the sword.
"Please at least wear this."
Roy wasn't only fat but also sickly. Amelia knew Him best. He couldn't endure the rain or the cold. If he goes out like this, he will fall Ill.
Thus, she made him wear a thick jacket before allowing him to go out.
She, of course, accompanied him as she didn't have it in her to rest after leaving him alone.
Roy's brows furrowed.
Just because of the few steps he took to step into the corridor, exhaustion assaulted him, and his breathing ragged.
His physical condition was worse than he thought, but he shrugged the desire to rest off his shoulder, hardening his heart to reach his goal.
All he cared about was getting a skill to protect himself from unexpected danger as soon as possible.
After several minutes, he stepped out of the manor and descended the stairs to come before a fountain in the center of the garden.
He went around it to head to the training ground.
But on his way there, he stepped on something insignificant.
He checked the sole of his shoe and saw a bee the size of his pinky writhing and squirming before breathing its last.
Right then, he came to a sudden stop, making his maid wonder if he was troubled over unintentionally Killing a bee. Of course, he wasn't. It was the bee's fault for flying beneath his shoes. He didn't feel a hint of guilt for unintentionally crushing it. The reason he stopped was that something unbelievable was happening around him. Even if he were to explain it to Amelia, she wouldn't believe him.
The single dot of Mana that he had seen after chanting for two hours straight appeared all around him before swirling up to a single spot several inches ahead of him and intertwining to take the shape of a blue screen.
It was empty, but after blinking his eyes subconsciously, Roy saw words in it.
[By killing the creature of a world foreign to you, You have met the hidden condition necessary to unlock the Strongest System.]
[Congratulations. The Strongest System is now bound to you.]
[You've sneakily killed a bee.]
[As a reward, you have gained 1 EXP & the Mark of Shadow has been etched into your soul]
Roy: "__."