"I'll read the book later," I say, storing it in my inventory.
"Status," I whisper to check my status window.
[Status]
Name = Ayla Lilith Stygian Aurora III
Race = Human
Title = Princess of the Kingdom of EternyWz
Strength = 2
Speed = 2
Endurance = 2
Intelligence = 9
Magic = 75
Stamina = 2
Authority = 3
Charisma = 69
Beauty = 89
Total = 253
[Inventory] 2/5 Occupied [Basic Appraisal]
"...Basic?" I notice my system is incomplete, I can't even see what I stored in the inventory, forcing me to memorize what's there. I can't even see what each title means.
"Does that mean my appraisal can get better?" This part interests me a lot, after all, appraisal is a very important skill in this dangerous castle.
"I'll look around for now," I start looking around the room, trying to find something useful. I end up finding a [Mana Stone] under the bed, I put it in the inventory and now I have 3 again.
"I wasn't too bad," I say in a presumptuous way, clearly proud of my accomplishment.
"That's right, you weren't too bad, little sister," a beautiful voice says, its tone enchanting me, equivalent to a lovely melody.
"Who?" I quickly turn to the door where the voice is coming from.
There I see what can be described as a teenager. He has short pink hair, with the tips being light pink and getting darker towards the center of his head, turning black. His eyes are a beautiful golden color that emits a certain glow, like a precious gem.
His skin is fair, although less white than mine, creating a beautiful contrast with his lovely youthful features. He's wearing a type of adolescent suit, with a black and pink base, having many extravagant details. His outfit has so many details that it outshines the surrounding environment, as if saying "look at me." His size is smaller than Leviathan's, but he's still taller than me, who has a below-average stature.
"...Beautiful..." I can only say one word. In a way, looking at him causes a sensual feeling.
I shake my head from side to side to try to remove the image I see from my mind.
"Thank you, little sister, you're also beautiful," he says, complimenting me.
'Little sister? Why is he...VALAC?' the realization hits me, the one standing in front of me is Valac, the Demon of Lust.
Unlike Leviathan, who has an oppressive aura like a wild animal, Valac has an extravagant aura that causes a feeling of lust and euphoria when seen.
"..." I remain silent as he observes me for a while.
"Little sister, I am Valac, the Demon of Lust, but to you, I'm your big brother," he says to me with a happy smile. Leviathan gives off a serious image, like a Master or teacher, while Valac gives off a more juvenile image, like a curious and cheerful adolescent.
"V-Valac...why do you call me...sister?" I can't understand where this demon got the idea that I'm his sister, I don't remember how he addressed Ayla in the game. Since I didn't find it relevant, I actually don't remember how almost anyone called her, except for Lucifer, who calls her "little angel."
He disappears from my sight and appears by my side.
"Kyaa!" I get startled by the sudden movement.
'Ridiculous...how does something move like that?' The movement didn't make a single sound, as if he had teleported.
"Call me big brother or I won't answer you anymore, little sister," he says in a playful tone while making some hand gestures.
"B-Big brother...why do you call me little sister?" I ask, calling him brother to get the answer quickly.
"Don't you find the feeling of immorality in the relationship between siblings delicious?" he tells me a reason that I can only describe as...
'Depraved...WHAT A DEPRAVED GUY'
'How can someone call others siblings simply to have the feeling of immorality?'
I already knew this guy was a complete pervert, but knowing that he decided to call me sister simply to find it immoral when he wants to have sex with me is at the very least...
"Repulsive," I end up whispering without wanting to.
I quickly put my hands over my mouth, as if that would erase what I've already said, and look at him with slight fear of him feeling offended.
"...Haha, why be scared, little sister? I won't do anything to you today," he simply didn't care that I called him repulsive.
I sigh in relief.
"T-Then what did you...come here to do?" I ask him cautiously. No matter how cheerful and lively he seems, he can simply decide to rape me out of nowhere.
"..." he doesn't say anything, just looking at me with expectation.
"...?" Soon a slight understanding comes to me.
"B-Big brother...what did you come here to do?" I feel irritated having to call this abomination my brother as if he were a member of my family.
"I was taking a walk after a conversation with Levi...then I got curious about you, little sister," he speaks with enthusiasm, as if the conversation had been something exciting for him.
"Levi?"
'Is he referring to Leviathan?' I'm in doubt.
"...Little sister, you know him as Leviathan...hehe," he gives a perverse little chuckle at the end, leaving certain implications in the air that disgust me.
"Yes..." I start walking out of the room and he enthusiastically follows me.
I go to the room with the arrow trap to see what's in it, and Valac follows, observing.
"Your beautiful silver hair reminds me of the moon, little sister," he compliments me.
"Thank you...I guess," I thank him, although I don't know the reason for the compliment.
"Little sister, you have such lovely features, your youthful appearance makes me think of how your expression would look covered in lust...too bad I couldn't have your first time."
"..."
'DOESN'T THIS PERVERT HAVE ANY FILTER?' Valac simply doesn't care about making these suggestive comments as if it were normal.
I ignore him while looking around the room. On the wall in front of me, there are some holes through which the arrows come out. Suddenly, Valac grabs me.
"!!! B-big brother? What are you..." I was going to say something when I noticed that several arrows had passed through where I was about to step.
"T-thank you, big brother," I thank him.
'Almost...that would've been a mistake.' I almost became a cheese full of holes. Valac has a gentle smile as he receives the thanks.
"It's nothing, little sister. What kind of brother would let his sister get hurt?" he says with a cheerful smile and almost contagious excitement. If he weren't a complete pervert, I'm sure he'd be someone nice to be around.
I continue exploring more carefully, and he follows me.
"Little sister...I don't recommend you look under the bed," he says with a confident smile.
"..." I move away from the bed I was going to look at.
"What...is under there?" I ask cautiously.
"Nothing," he says.
"!!?"
'How nothing? So why not look?' he sees the doubt in my gaze.
"...Use appraisal, little sister, I know you got it," he says, pointing to the bed.
'He was...watching me?' I feel a slight shiver knowing that I was observed and didn't even notice.
"Appraise...!!!" I'm surprised by the result, my body trembling.
[Incomplete Mimic]
Incomplete Mimic is an object that has not yet become a mimic. They can be common objects powered by a large amount of Natural Magic, usually equivalent to traps, capturing their prey, killing men and raping women.
"Thank you, big brother," I thank him without hesitation.
'I almost got screwed again...I have to be more careful.' My gratitude to Valac is not greater than my insecurity towards him, but I'm still grateful that he saved me twice.
'Why does this room have so many traps in a row? Normally each room should only have one trap...unless this room is not normal.'
"Valac...big brother, could you tell me if there's anything good hidden in the room?" I ask Valac, trying to see if he can help me.
"Of course there is, little sister, come here," he says, walking to a wall.
I walk up to him in front of the wall.
"..."
"..."
"Big brother...what are we doing standing here?" He simply came to the wall and stood there.
"...hmm, I don't think the little sister will like the good thing hidden in the room," he says thoughtfully.
"Could you tell me what it is?" I ask, puzzled.
"Little sister, do you want a pet?" Valac asks me, ignoring what I said.
"Pet...a little animal?"
'What's in the room, some kind of animal?'
"Yes, I like them..."
'I've always wanted a little pet, but I used to live in an apartment and they didn't accept animals there.'
"Then let's ignore that room, and in exchange, I'll give you a cute little animal to keep you company," Valac says, walking towards the door, his tone playful.
I decide not to question it and follow him.
'I wonder what's in the room...I'd like to know, but it's better this way, he said I wouldn't like it...' I don't trust Valac much, but if there's one thing I know, it's that he doesn't like to see Ayla hurt...unless it's by him, like in BDSM.
Suddenly, when we turn the corner, it feels like the space doubles and the scenery changes.
"!!!" I'm surprised to witness the castle's changing doors.
"Little sister, this is your room...can I come in?" he says with a slightly perverse smile.
"..You won't do anything to me, promise, big brother," I say, trying to get confirmation that he won't do anything to me.
'As if I'm going to let you in if you're going to rape me.'
"I promise I won't do anything to you today, little sister, I want to at least give you a day to get to know me better," he says, nodding affirmatively.
I open the door to the room and go in, and he follows. When I look at him, I see that he's carrying a black egg with blue stripes. The size is not very large, being smaller than my head, and whatever hatches from it could be as big as my shoulder.
"What is that...big brother?"
'What a pain to have to call him brother...Ayla has an older brother and an older sister, so calling this guy my brother causes me a strange feeling, like I'm replacing my real siblings.'
"It's a dragon egg...but don't worry, this species doesn't grow much, it will be at most the size of a medium-sized dog. Since they eat magic, you also don't need to worry about the food, and best of all...they're cute, and have a great little secret hidden inside," he says with a wide smile and sparkling eyes. Seeing him like this is like an enthusiastic enthusiast talking about something he likes.
He walks and places the egg on my bed.
"This species is loyal only to its mothers and mates, so you'll need to feed the egg with magic so it recognizes you as its mother...you also need to use magic every day for it to hatch...there is another way besides it seeing you as a mother...it would be it recognizing you as a mate, but that's more...complicated," he tells me a little about how to do this.
"This dragon's race was almost extinct, as they tend to be aggressive towards those who are not their mother or mate, but since they are weak, they became targets for hunting," he finishes speaking and points a finger for me to put magic in the egg.
"B-but I don't know how to use magic..." I've never seen magic until I arrived in this world.
"Don't worry, little sister, I'll teach you...come here," he calls me over to the egg.
"First, touch the egg," I do as he says, touching the slightly rough and cold shell.
"Now I'll pass my magic through your body, and you should remember the feeling, then do the same with the egg," he says, touching my back, his hand glowing slightly, pouring magic into my body.
"Hmm," I feel a slight pleasure with the sensation of the magic running through me.
"Tell me how you feel, little sister."
"Warm...comfortable...it's good...like taking a sun bath on a clear day, I also feel like a warm flow is passing through my body," I tell Valac how I feel.
"Great...now try to channel that flow to the egg," I follow what he says.
I imagine this flow following a path, it slowly changes, now instead of circulating through my body, it's going to my hands.
"I-I did it, I did it, thank you, big brother," I feel great, my attempt to use magic was a success, which increases my hopes of escaping.
My magic slowly enters the egg, and now its shell is slightly warmer.
Valac removes his hand, reducing the flow, but it still exists and is stable, showing that I can do it.
Although I learned quickly, it's only possible because I have 75 points of magic. I may not have affinity, but that doesn't mean my ability to learn magic is bad, it just means I can't learn things outside my affinity.
For others, this process would be extremely difficult, and Valac knows that, which means he probably knows my status.
"Now, little sister...you mustn't leave the room in the next few days, understand?"
he tells me like a brother teaching a sister about something.
"Why?" I question, puzzled.
"The egg needs constant magic, if you leave, it may die, and you also need to witness the hatching to be considered the mother."
"I understand...I won't abandon it," I say with a smile.
'I really want this pet...I feel lonely, I want a real companion, not someone who just covets my body.' This little animal may not be strong, but it can still help me maintain my sanity in this lonely place.
"Thank you for the gift, big brother," I thank him for the gift, which I think is wonderful.
'He said the egg had a secret...what is he referring to...and what happens if I'm not there at the time of hatching?'
"...You said a little secret? What were you referring to?" I suddenly feel curious about the secret he mentioned.
"As I said, it's a secret, little sister, maybe in the future I'll tell you," he says, walking to the door.
"I have to go, Levi called me for something in 3 hours, so I have to get ready," he says, waving his hand with a cheerful smile.
"Bye, little sister, I hope you take good care of your pet," and now he's gone, leaving me with the egg.
I go to the egg and start pouring in magic, now I feel a slight connection with the egg and know how much magic it needs at the moment, although the connection is a thin thread that can break at any time.