After Rotgar quietly finished his lunch, Anna, feeling uneasy under his lingering gaze, left the room as quickly as she could. She felt like his malicious eyes were boring holes into her back. However, the recent "illness" incident had somewhat lessened her fear of him.
So, demons can get sick when they possess ordinary humans? And they can't even handle it well! This demon was weaker than she thought. Clearly, the demon was heavily bound by some rules. As long as she didn't fulfill certain conditions, he couldn't harm her directly. Nevertheless, even a rule-bound demon was far stronger than a defenseless human like her. While she didn't need to fear him excessively, she couldn't afford to underestimate him either, or she might end up dead without knowing why. His occasional intense killing intent suggested he might have ways to bypass the rules, though possibly at a high cost. As long as he believed he could still harvest her soul within the rules, he wouldn't break them lightly. Thus, she had to strike a balance—firmly reject his proposals while giving him just enough hope to prevent him from flipping the table.
Reflecting on this, Anna felt like a heartless person stringing along a backup lover. But since the demon wasn't human, it didn't really count.
Abigail and her friends, concerned about Parich's health, came to Anna during her afternoon break to gather more information. Anna reassured them that Parich was fine and smoothly shifted the conversation to the topic of wizards, mentioning her encounter with the wizard in the garden.
"That distinguished gentleman looked so imposing. I wonder if there's any chance for us to become wizards?" Anna mused aloud.
Despite their intention to befriend Anna, the three couldn't help but laugh at her naïveté.
Fiona, still chuckling, said, "We're just commoners. How could we ever become esteemed wizards?"
"Anna, do you dream of becoming a noble? Becoming a wizard to achieve that is far less likely than marrying one…" Abigail's tone held a hint of sharpness, but she quickly added, "Of course, since you have a lover, you wouldn't think of marrying a noble."
"Yes, I'm devoted to my lover," Anna replied smoothly, steering the conversation back. "But don't you all dream of becoming nobles too? What's life without dreams? I want to become a noble with my lover, so I want to know if there's any way to achieve that."
Abigail's mention that becoming a wizard would grant nobility piqued Anna's interest. She wanted power and status.
Her friends exchanged glances, their laughter fading. Becoming a noble? It was a distant dream for commoners like them, who lacked noble blood or natural elemental affinity. They couldn't become great men of merit, and their best hope was to become a noble's lover.
After a long silence, Kelly suggested, "It's rare, but some commoners do become wizards. Not in Blue Rock City, but in Greenslate City. And Anna, if you want respect, you could become a priest."
"A priest? Like Priest Louis?" Anna's curiosity was piqued, and she pressed for details.
"If you're blessed with the Holy Light Body, you can train at the church and become a priest. Priest Louis is one such example," Kelly explained. Having worked at the Earl's estate for years, Kelly knew things most commoners wouldn't.
Abigail added, "If you're an elemental affinity, you can train at the Wizard's Guild and become a one-star wizard, earning the rank of baronet."
Fiona, feeling bitter, retorted, "But do you have five gold coins?" Abigail and Kelly fell silent at Fiona's words.
"Five gold coins?" Anna echoed, confused. Her monthly salary was ten silver coins, meaning it would take over four years to save up.
"Yes, it costs five gold coins for the church or the guild to test if you have the Holy Light Body or elemental affinity," Fiona explained, both relishing and resenting the truth.
Anna pressed her lips together. If that were the case, it would take years to save up. And with a demon eyeing her, she didn't know if she had years. She needed power urgently to defend against the demon.
"Is there no other way besides paying five gold coins? Can't I learn on my own?" Anna asked hopefully.
"Can you read?" Fiona taunted. "Even if you can, where would you get those rare books? They cost ten gold coins or more each!"
Though Anna had a university degree in her world, she was illiterate here. The literacy rate was low, and even some nobles couldn't read. Without books, she couldn't learn anything.
Trying to be helpful, Kelly said, "Every five years, the goddess sends clerics to select those with the Holy Light Body. The most devout are tested for free."
"What defines the most devout?" Anna asked.
Kelly hesitated. "I think the goddess sends a revelation."
Anna looked up at the clear sky, feeling skeptical. If even blasphemy didn't attract divine punishment, the goddess either didn't exist, wasn't all-powerful, or didn't care about minor blasphemies. A five-year selection likely wasn't a major event either. This meant that the standards were likely set by the clerics, who might use some spell to filter out non-believers like her.
"When will the clerics come next?" Anna asked, not very hopeful.
"Four years," Kelly replied.
Anna sighed. Four years. She might as well save up the five gold coins. But the demon would likely strike before then. Waiting wasn't an option.
"If you're confident, you could borrow money to test at the church. If you're a Holy Light Body, the church will reimburse you. But if not, the money's gone," Fiona suggested.
Anna smiled. "Thanks, I'll think about it." The church's fee was to deter commoners. Without the fee, everyone would flock for a test. As for the Wizard's Guild, it was likely to filter out those who couldn't afford the costly books required for training.
For Anna, both paths to becoming a wizard or priest were blocked. This was the bleak reality for all commoners in this world.
Anna looked at her friends. They seemed equally disheartened.
"Let's change the topic," Anna suggested. "Don't you want to visit Parich?"
They brightened at the mention of Parich. Fiona grumbled, "You know he only looks at you."
"Yeah, it's so frustrating!" Abigail and Kelly chimed in.
Anna thought, If he did look at you, you'd be in trouble. She said, "Parich always dines on the balcony. You can see him from the garden."
Their eyes lit up, already planning how to catch his attention next time.
The three often came to Anna when they were free. One evening, as Anna was about to leave, Waldo asked her to bring Parich's dinner, meaning she had to work late.
Hearing this, Abigail and her friends went ahead to the garden. From Parich's room, one could clearly see the garden. They didn't make too much noise but fluttered around like butterflies, hoping to catch Parich's eye.
Inside, Rotgar noticed the familiar faces from before and watched them for a while. Despite Anna's usual behavior, he hoped the three would pressure her. The noise became distracting, so he went outside, instructing Waldo to stay behind.
Seeing Parich approach, the three girls trembled with excitement. Was their plan working?
"How did Anna convince you to leave her alone?" Rotgar asked coldly.
Kneeling before him, they sensed something different about him. "Abigail, you answer," Rotgar commanded.
Trembling, Abigail said, "Parich, I'm sorry!"
"I asked how Anna convinced you," Rotgar said impatiently.
Abigail stammered, "We're friends now. We don't bully her anymore."
Rotgar wasn't surprised. Someone as cunning as Anna could easily manipulate them. He thought about their earlier attempts to get his attention and didn't bother asking if Anna had instructed them.
Standing silently, Rotgar saw Anna approaching, and from the other direction, Ulysses Russell.
"Abigail, you three go and teach Anna a lesson," Rotgar ordered.
They were shocked. "If you fail, you leave the Earl's estate tonight," he added.
Panicked, they scrambled up and hurried toward Anna.
Rotgar stepped into the shadows, deciding it was time to change bodies. He hoped Anna would seize the opportunity. With grander ambitions, she should act more aggressively than she had with Parich. He was ready to take over the wizard's body and give Anna a long, unending nightmare.