I've walked through the castle's corridor, not really sure what to expect from the next few moments of my new life.
To my right walked the only other survivor of the company, the youngest of the entire group.
From nearly forty people, our number was reduced to just two.
'And all of that in what looks like mere three months,' I thought.
Absorbing the host's knowledge allowed me to glimpse at several interesting events.
From the selection day when I was assigned a lower rank than what I should receive, all so that the legion could profit by renting my services off instead of giving me a course for an officer I've earned.
In the next two months, I went through the lands of the hostile theocracy and then partook in a long, lonely crossing of the highland steppe.
It turned out to be a piece of extremely hostile, barren land, that I've somehow survived an entire month at. Then, when I finally reached my destination down south… I'd only got a month of proper work as a mercenary before that deceased cretin of the company's captain decided to participate in this damned tournament!
"We've decided to listen to your suggestion and grant your companion a rank promotion," the judge finally spoke, after we passed what felt like three laps around the entire castle.
But that was just my skewed perception. Because new memories weren't the only change that properly attuning myself to the dive brought.
My senses sharpened beyond any reasonable measure. It took a heavy toll on my brain to mute out all the information I wasn't accustomed to, constantly draining my mental strength.
And I had to joust words with this damned noble?
"I understand."
A long breath gave me some time to consider my response.
"Thank you for your consideration," I added once the pause started to grow long.
Politeness all the way.
A foul mouth was the easiest way to antagonize everyone around. And before I would get some time to think everything through, I'd rather not make any more enemies.
"Master, here," a servant in a simple, black robe appeared out of nowhere to the side of our group.
He easily moved past the line of guards before presenting the judge with a small piece of some kind of solid writing pad.
"Here," the judge grabbed the tablet before turning around and handing it over to my younger brother-in-arms.
My eyes twitched a little.
'I expected some degree of hostility, but can they stop acting so childish?' I thought, genuinely baffled by this kind of infantile behavior.
Or maybe they really believed that this scrawny little kid could somehow take the entire prize and run from me?
I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Then, I stole a glance at the tablet.
"Two hundred and fifty imperials from the bets, double that for the basic prize."
For some reason, the noble spoke the numbers out loud.
'And with a single imperial being worth a small fortune…' I barely stopped myself from gulping my saliva down.
From the perspective of average Joe, the pile of literal gold contained within the simple tablet was more than they could ever ask for.
But as a prize of a tournament of this scale, it simply wasn't enough.
"Fear not, a young mercenary," the judge smirked before finally taking a turn in what seemed like an endless corridor and reaching out for some kind of doors. "We won't treat you unjustly," the old noble added before turning his eyes away from me and stepping into the room.
'It smells nice,' I thought, instinctively noticing the refreshing, somewhat sweet, fruity aroma. Yet, even after stepping inside and looking around, I could see no platter with open fruits.
Save for the judge and now me, there was a girl waiting in the room with her backside turned towards the doors.
And one hell of a girl it was.
She had a slim, delicate build, yet a single look told me just how much strength brimmed in those thin arms of hers.
Despite the small posture, her body nicely curved where needed, making her a target any man's stare would linger on.
The girl's knee-long and perfectly white hair gave her an aura of grace…
Grace spoiled by the barbarically skimpy swimsuit-like uniform.
It was made out of a single piece of rare dark velvet. With only this layer of clothing on her, the girl freely exposed the upper half of her back, her shoulders, and nearly everything about the curvature of her shapely bottom.
Unable to stop myself, I continued to feast my eyes upon the girl as more and more people walked into the room. Soon, the torrent of guards and servants pushed me deeper into the room, nearly forcing me to step over this strange girl.
The one advantage of it was that from my new, closer position, I could clearly see the lovely curvature of the girl's skin-tight cup of her chest area.
A strange force pulled on my right hand.
It was as if… this single bodypart of mine found just the right thing to grab on. The perfect piece that one could spend a lifetime never to find.
'Calm the fuck down, virgin boy,' I scolded the reaction of my body.
Contrary to the modern world, my host wasn't physically used to the presence of such beauty and exposure.
And even the time he spent traveling down south was too short to let my past self grow immune to the woman's charm.
"Young mercenary," the judge spoke, finally causing the girl to move.
She twitched a little.
That's all.
Like a machine waking up to life.
'A doll…' I thought, strangely moved by the beauty before my eyes, my stare fixating and adoring the half-crown hairstyle of her perfectly white, long streaks.
The contrast between the whiteness of her long hair and the perfect blackness of her skin-tight, skimpy suit turned into an optical illusion, a strange spatial anomaly that disallowed turning my eyes away.
"Young mercenary, she's your reward," the judge spoke with a hint of distant glee in his voice.
Now that the old noble calmed down, he grew much better at hiding his malice.
The girl twitched again. And then, she lightly turned herself around.
I suddenly stood in the court of her dim, golden eyes. It felt as if my entire body, the entire self was scanned, taken apart, judged, and then thrown all into the trash.
Her stare was vicious, hateful, and murderous.
And then it wasn't, replaced by the same, emotionless vibe she had around herself since the first time I laid my eyes on her.
"Excuse me?"
I finally managed to utter a word.
A single shake of my head was all it took to clear my thoughts and pull my mind out of the gutter.
'Yeah, it's a trap.'
A trap far more elaborate than anything this old noble could come up with.
'They are watching, don't they?' I thought, inadvertently raising my eyes toward the ceiling… even though I knew it made no sense whatsoever.
Still, the fact that the government that put me in this world was bound to watch my every move… stood.
And I knew better than giving them food for thought for the times when our cooperation would no longer be amicable.
"She's an imperial slave of thirteenth rank," the judge announced with a serious look on his face, only for his lips to slowly move to the sides and form a wide grin. "Nay, this is your new master," the judge pointed his hand at my chest. "Theo Karkuz, a fifth-rank mercenary!"
I could hear the mocking in the old noble's voice.
A slave entire eight ranks above their master…
Still, due to the complex rules of the imperial blessing, once the pact of slavery would be sealed, I could always suppress her at will.
Or so the memories of my host claimed.
But recalling the dangerous glint I spotted for but an instant in this girl's eyes…
I gulped my saliva down.
And while I was busy stressing the heck out of what I should do, the girl suddenly stepped forward.
She moved her long and fully exposed legs before lightly falling forward and resting one of her hands on my chest.
Nay lowered her golden eyes down to her hand as if startled by where it suddenly landed.
"Akhem…" I cleared my throat, not sure how to react.
Overwhelmed by the intensity of the girl's presence, I could hardly form a single thought.
"This was a private reward the sponsors of the tournament prepared for the champion," the judge explained with a smile. "She's yours. And with that," the judge's face suddenly darkened, his eyes turned icy cold.
Nay slowly raised her eyes, tracing the along my chest, my neck all the way through my lips and to my eyes.
"Get the fuck out of my castle, you damn barbarian."