Sunlight, like an insistent alarm clock, prodded me awake. The curtains, a flimsy barrier against the dawn, had failed in their duty. Memories of the dream, a strange and exhilarating tapestry, danced behind my eyelids.
I reached out with my mind, checking my status within the system. There it was, the new skill, a gift from Hades himself. It was proof that the dream wasn't just a figment of my imagination. It was real. Power. That was what I craved, the reason my heart raced at the thought of the skill. But I wasn't naive. Hades, the god of the underworld, wouldn't bestow an SS-ranked skill without a price.
He wanted my help to break free from his prison in another dimension. And while I knew that he wasn't exactly the benevolent type, the power he gave me was worth the risk!
"The chance of him being dangerous is high," I muttered to myself, "but my greed for power..."
Yula's voice interrupted my thoughts, calling me down for breakfast. Julie and Lucius were already seated at the table, their plates piled high with food. The smell of bacon and coffee filled the air, a welcome distraction from my worries.
Lucius, always the one to get straight to business, filled us in on the shipment. "I'll secure the weapons this afternoon," he said, "but it's not wise to travel at night. Best to wait until morning."
I wholeheartedly agreed with him on that point. After the unsettling encounter with those strange shadows in the forest, the mere thought of venturing out during the night sent shivers down my spine. The darkness seemed to pulse with an unseen menace, and I had no desire to become its next victim.
Lucius, seemingly oblivious to my unease, took another sip of his coffee before speaking. "I'll need your assistance to get the crates inside your carriage," he explained, his tone casual. "My soldiers are currently occupied with other matters."
I plastered a smile on my face and replied, "No problems at all, sir. I'll be happy to help."
Truth be told, Lucius hadn't exactly earned my complete trust during the brief time I'd spent within the confines of his mansion. An air of mystery clung to him, and his motives remained shrouded in ambiguity.
The sooner I could complete this transaction and depart from his presence, the better.
Perhaps it wasn't the most charitable sentiment to harbor towards someone who was, after all, offering us assistance. But a nagging sense of unease lingered in the pit of my stomach, a primal instinct warning me to be cautious.
Something about this entire situation felt...off. And until I could pinpoint the source of my discomfort, I resolved to remain on high alert.
We shared some light conversation over breakfast, but Lucius had to excuse himself to attend to some pressing matter. Curiosity gnawed at me, but I decided to keep my questions to myself for the time being.
Once again, the mansion seemed to offer little in the way of entertainment. I resolved to spend my time in the library, browsing through a selection of intriguing-looking books.
A few volumes on magic caught my eye, and I set them aside, hoping to ask Lucius later if I could borrow them. I wasn't sure if he would agree to such a request, but there was no harm in trying.
Meanwhile, Julie was spending her time practicing some magic spells, with Yula observing intently. I watched the two of them from the mansion window as they were practicing on the garden.
'Magic seems so fascinating,' I thought to myself. 'Perhaps I should try to learn something about it in the future.'
Afternoon arrived, and with it, Lucius. He returned to the mansion with another carriage, this one laden with crates of weaponry.
"It's all here," he announced. "Swords, bows, arrows, shields, and spears, all of excellent quality. You can inspect the crates before we transfer everything to your carriage."
Yula and I checked the contents of the crates. Just as Lucius had said, all the weapons were there. This shipment would be a tremendous help in our fight against the tribe that threatened to invade our village.
And so, we began the task of transferring the crates from one carriage to the other. Even with my system-enhanced body, it was still tiring work, as the weapons were quite heavy.
The sun beat down mercilessly, and beads of sweat dripped from my forehead, constantly threatening to obscure my vision.
But despite the challenges, we worked together and finished the job around 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Afterward, we decided to get plenty of rest in preparation for the journey the next day.
I enjoyed a refreshing bath in the mansion's luxurious bathroom and indulged in another delicious dinner. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until strange things started happening in the mansion during the night.
I was in my room, sleeping peacefully. But, at some point during the night, I had to get up.
A strong urge to urinate came over me, undoubtedly the result of the copious amount of wine I had consumed during dinner.
The age-old dilemma presented itself: the need to go to the bathroom versus the laziness of getting out of bed.
It was a tough call. I decided to get up, as trying to go back to sleep with a full bladder would be a never-ending nightmare. It was at that moment that I witnessed something strange.
In the hallway, Lucius was standing there, talking to one of his employees.
That in itself was very odd. Lucius was a busy man who was certainly tired every day, and he slept deeply to be able to handle everything he had to go through.
But there he was, standing, in the middle of the night. And judging by his attire, it seemed he hadn't even gone to bed yet, which made everything even stranger.
I leaned against the wall, trying to observe or hear anything. The night was helping me camouflage myself.
"Boss, I think that young man saw me in the forest the other day," the employee said to Lucius.
"Don't worry, he didn't see your face, so everything's fine. Are you and your friends going to the tribe? We have to dominate that village!" Lucius said.
"Of course, of course, but if you want to dominate the village so much, why are you helping them with weapons?"
"I need to keep up appearances, and no one can suspect that I'm helping the tribes. With this damn war, I would be executed for treason."
Lucius was a traitor. I couldn't believe it.