Just like there were named characters, there were also several "named items" in this world. Especially in a world where different races, legendary figures, and gods existed, there were various types of items and abilities.
[Codex Apocalypse: Chapter 7, Diligent Sloth]
[Mana regeneration rate +321%]
[Black magic proficiency increase +123%]
[Mana alignment speed +213%]
[Composition speed of potions +213%]
[Mana storage function]
[Energy absorption from the skill 'Indolent Dance']
[When in possession of the item, cursed (List of curses...)]
[Embedded skills...]
Indeed, a named item. The information appeared in my mind as if it were on a game screen. Looking at the stats of the item, I realized that if the opponent had been a slightly more competent dark mage, I would have been unable to use my hand and would have been killed.
However, when I looked at the Diligent Sloth in my hand, I became worried. Of course, it was an incredible item, but I couldn't use it without attracting attention. Especially if I were to return with an item of this magnitude, even Bahart Alven might notice. Named items usually didn't exhibit their presence until they were acknowledged by their owners. In the game, they were acknowledged as soon as they were acquired.
However, if the owner failed to acknowledge them, they would continuously emit their presence and cause fluctuations in mana.
"My head hurts."
And I felt the same way. Even though I held the Diligent Sloth, I could still sense its presence. It seemed that I hadn't been acknowledged as the owner. Perhaps if I had exceptional talent, it would have naturally acknowledged me, and the fluctuations would have ceased.
Nickel, seeming to understand my feelings, confidently approached and spread his hands. For a skeleton servant who couldn't even handle mana, he was certainly different from the others.
"What?"
Nickel gestured toward the sword I was holding. Well, he knew what he wanted.
I handed the sword to Nickel and, while I was at it, also gave him the Diligent Sloth. Then I deactivated the summoned item. It was better not to attract any more attention, and it was also a way to conceal the Diligent Sloth.
Looking around, there was no trace of the ruins. Even the surviving villagers had been swept away by the dark mage's magic and the white hands he summoned, leaving no trace behind.
'Christopher disappeared too. I'm sorry.'
Another peculiar thing caught my attention.
"Why won't this disappear?"
Was it a curse from the Diligent Sloth? Even though the caster had died, the black boundary activated by the skill within the Diligent Sloth still remained.
Seeing that it continued to activate despite the caster's demise, it seemed to be an issue with the item rather than the caster.
I cautiously reached out my hand and touched the semi-circular boundary.
Thud.
I felt a slight recoil, and my hand sunk into it.
Observing the wobbling boundary like pudding, I withdrew my hand.
'Should I just leave it like this?'
To be honest, leaving Vivian behind would be better, especially compared to Ivy. If I left with Vivian in this state, what would Ivy say? Naturally, she would ask me to save her.
If I had to save her anyway, it would be better to do it as soon as possible.
'Should I just remove it?'
After making a decision, I threw myself into the boundary without hesitation.
Splash!
.
.
.
.
Thud!
As soon as I arrived, I witnessed a scene that made me hesitate. A woman was slapping a girl who couldn't have been more than 10 years old. The young girl had green hair and dried-up green eyes, resembling someone I knew. Could it be Vivian?
"You insolent brat! What good does it do to open your eyes wide? Do you want me to kill you or something?"
"...No, I'm sorry, ma'am."
"Is this how you talk back to me?"
Smack!
Was that considered talking back? From what I could see, it seemed like she was hitting her out of frustration, but I didn't know the details, so I just watched in silence. In the first place, it seemed that neither of them could see me.
After observing the distressing scene of abuse for a while, the agonizing time finally came to an end. During that time, I confirmed that I was invisible to them, but regardless of being invisible, I could still exert physical force.
That meant that if I spoke, they would hear me. However, I hadn't tried it yet.
A little later, the girl, with a body covered in bruises, came out of the room of the woman referred to as "madam" and headed somewhere while dragging her painful body. It was pitiful to see her moving like that, but for now, I just continued to observe.
Knock!
"Who's there?"
"It's me, Mother."
It seemed that this place was the residence of a noble family. If my knowledge was correct, Vivian, the lady-in-waiting, was a member of the Velocan family. So, was this the Velocan family of Count Velocan?
"Come in."
"Yes, Mother."
Following Vivian, I entered the room, where a frail woman lay on the bed.
"What's the matter this time?"
"I'm sorry, Mother. Because of my slip of the tongue, I thought Madam would come to see you..."
"...?"
I couldn't quite grasp how things were working here. I knew Vivian as a noble's daughter, but it seemed that there was a separate Countess and Vivian's mother?
"You... I wasn't the one who gave birth to you."
"I'm sorry, Mother."
Seeing this situation, I vaguely understood why Vivian had gone mad. If even her biological mother treated her like this, how could she not go crazy?
All day long, I followed Vivian like a ghost and learned that her mother, as a legitimate wife, had given birth to Vivian but fell ill afterward, preventing her from bearing a successor. As a result, the Baron brought in a concubine in an attempt to have a son.
And it just so happened that the concubine, who was brought in for that purpose, ended up having a son, leading to this situation.
The Count knew about this situation but turned a blind eye.
Finally, after a long and exhausting day, Vivian returned to her room, sat on the edge of the bed, and silently shed tears, suffocating her sobs.
Thump!
"Huh! Wh-who's there?"
As I made my voice heard, she looked towards the door with a mix of fear and sadness. Sigh, who would have thought I'd feel sympathy for a noble lady?
Nevertheless, witnessing the girl being abused made it impossible for me to remain indifferent. Besides, she hadn't displayed any behavior befitting a noble lady, so she wasn't exactly acting like one.
"Wh-who's there?"
I mustered up my courage and called out to her again, this time sitting down on a chair beside a table, trying not to startle her too much.
"Eeek!"
To her eyes, the chair probably seemed to move on its own. I did my best to show a sense of presence, indicating that I had sat down on it.
"A ghost?"
"Ahem. Can you hear me?"
Since this is how it turned out, I might as well adopt the concept of a kind invisible fairy.
"A ghost!"
"No, not a ghost. I'm a fairy."
"A... fairy!"
Reacting with a mixture of fear and curiosity, she seemed a bit adorable.
"Vivian Velocan, right?"
"Yes, yes! That's me."
"Vivian. Hmm, hmm. The reason I have appeared here is none other than to help you, Vivian."
"Me?"
The way to break this barrier. Although I wasn't exactly sure, considering my own circumstances, I believed that the only way was to overcome the past.
To realize that this place is not reality and shatter the egg of despair and frustration.
If I failed, I would fall into the abyss of sloth.
"Yes, that's right, Vivian Velocan. I am a fairy who has appeared to assist you."
"Wow."
Vivian exclaimed in joy and then started shedding tears, unable to contain her emotions.
Seeing her cry silently, I became even more flustered.
"V-Vivian?"
"I'm sorry. I suddenly... suddenly started crying. I'm sorry, Fairy. Until now, no one has been on my side..."
Ah, I really dislike this atmosphere.
But I have to endure.
Since I have already entered this space, I don't know how to escape.
I have no choice but to help her as much as possible and break this barrier.
"But how did the fairy know about me and come here?"
"Vivian, you are special. Although you may not know it, you are someone who shines brightly with uniqueness."
First, I decided to boost her self-esteem, which had plummeted after suffering from abuse and ending up in the slums.
"Me... I'm special?"
"Of course. You are someone with a unique quality that is unparalleled in the world."
"What makes me special?"
Hmm, I blurted out my words without thinking, and her sudden question left my head spinning. Fortunately, I quickly came up with an answer that didn't sound too awkward.
"Vivian, you possess extraordinary talent in swordsmanship."
"Me? With a sword?"
Based on today's events, I could tell that she hadn't learned swordsmanship yet. But I confidently assured her, "Yes, a remarkable talent. It's a sparkling uniqueness."
I could say this with confidence because I knew her future.
Two years later, she would single-handedly annihilate all the fifth-year students of the Knight Academy.
She would even kill the professors and assistants who were with her.
"I can't believe it. I always make mistakes and get scolded and punished."
"Vivian, I am a fairy. Do fairies know better, or do humans know better?"
"Well, I'm not sure."
"Vivian, you are special. Even the Countess who torments you, feels jealous of your extraordinary talents. You have done nothing wrong."
As I spoke, it felt like a whisper of darkness.
As if I had become a shadow.
But is it the truth? From what I saw, Vivian was simply being abused without any wrongdoing on her part. Even if she had made a mistake, the abuse was unjust.
"From now on, I will accompany you, Vivian, and provide guidance. However, you must not reveal my existence to anyone. Do you understand?"
"Yes! I understand."
Since then, I followed Vivian's side every day, offering her guidance. Although I was inexperienced in human relationships, I had plenty of advice to give to a young girl. First, I advised her to express her desire to learn swordsmanship, even if it seemed difficult for her.
When Vivian faced challenges from the Countess, I advised her on the appropriate actions to take. Thanks to this, she gradually escaped the abuse, and with the excuse of practicing swordsmanship, her interactions with the Countess diminished, leading to a better situation.
"Fairy, did you hear? The swordsmanship teacher praised me!"
Time passed, and it had been a month since entering the barrier. Vivian, who had transformed into a cheerful person, called out to me from the opposite direction.
"I'm here, Vivian."
"Oh! There you are!"
As I spent time with Vivian and grew fond of her, I couldn't help but feel as if she were my own daughter. Within the span of a month, it didn't feel like a long time.
"Indeed, Vivian is special. I have been watching by your side, and your growth has been astonishing."
"Really? Hehe."
At that moment, she suddenly reached out her hand towards me. I discreetly stepped back, keeping a distance so that her hand wouldn't touch mine.
"Why can you see me, but I can't see you, Mr. fairy? I want to see you too."
"That's because I'm a fairy. It's not just Vivian who can't see me, but no one else can either."
"But you said I was special!"
"Haha. I hope there comes a time when Vivian can see me."
It couldn't go any further. I tried not to let my emotions show, but seeing Vivian's desperate look with nowhere to turn, my determination wavered without me even realizing it.
Yes, there isn't much time left. Just a little more.
...I forced myself to think of something else.
Then, one day, by chance, the Count of Velocan happened to witness Vivian's training.
"Ah, I greet you, Father."
"Vivian, try it once more."
"Yes?"
"Do the sword technique you just showed."
"Yes, understood!"
She smoothly demonstrated the basic and advanced movements she had practiced for a month. Indeed, Vivian, who had remarkable talent, displayed noticeable skill within just a month.
After showing everything she had learned, the cold Count nodded his head.
"You're skilled. Truly a descendant of Velocan."
"Th-thank you."
With those words, the Count left.
However, Vivian seemed unaffected by his comments, and tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at the ground.
Since no one else was around, I quietly praised her.
"I told you, Vivian. You truly are amazing. If you continue to work hard like this, you'll become even better."
"Fairy, thank you. It's the first time I've heard something good from my father. He's never spoken kindly of me before."
Sigh. This was tough.
As I sighed with sympathy, I suddenly felt a disturbance in the air.
What is it? Could it be?
"Fairy, thank you. I will, I will work really hard. So I can find my own path. I won't be useless Vivian Velocan, but a proud Vivian Velocan."
As she spoke, the world began to crumble.
"Huh?"
Vivian also stopped speaking, her bewildered eyes witnessing the crumbling world.
It seems she doesn't realize it's not reality.
Is it time to part ways?
"F-Fairy? What is this?"
"Vivian, you did great. Will you make one promise with me?"
Due to the unexpected affection I felt, I acted impudently.
Although there was no need for it, I conveyed my words to the confused Vivian.
"Fairy?"
"In the future, promise me that you'll continue to live like this, work hard, and find Vivian Velocan's own path. Promise me you won't forget this commitment."
I held her hand.
Vivian, slightly surprised by our first touch, quickly regained her composure as if she was determined not to let go.
"It's a promise, Vivian?"
"Yes! It's a promise."
And that's how Vivian's world shattered.