This one came by a little quicker, but is also a tad bit shorter than the previous one. (About 6k)
Whitley
Whitley dreams.
Sometimes, he honestly wishes that he didn't. They can be cruel. So very cruel at times.
He dreams of things that he wish that he could forget, and remembers dreams, that he wishes weren't just dreams.
The last thing he remembered was resting in the velvet sheets of his bed after receiving a mind blowing facial from Delta.
She wasn't here right now. Nor was the woman he was screwing yesterday. Probably in the Barn, he thought.
Still, his sheets were spread as though someone was there. It wasn't long after he'd received Weiss's call. And given her the info for a slave.
He didn't question the reason she needed it. She would get mad again, he thought.
Laying in bed brought about the same illusion, the same space as though he were in a lucid dream. In it, he was shorter than average. So was the bed.
Velvet silk was replaced with royal blue satin. The sheets were spread similar to his in the morning. Someone else was sleeping with him.
But the difference was, that he could see his companion this time.
With his blue eyes meeting the pale alabaster and ridges of her naked back that curved outward and into her back and spine. The companion pushed her glossy silver hair to the side, and faced Whitley with a single medical patch marring her right eye.
Weiss. She was awake. Earlier than usual given her habit of taking advantage of the small chances she gets to sleep.
Even with the patch covering her majestic orbs, he could see her frown. And feel himself growing anxious.
What happened? Did he do anything wrong?
He knew it was rude to stare. Herself and Willow couldn't tell Whitley anything that he didn't hear from business partners, and whores disguised as gold diggers.
Could he liken this sight of Weiss in the morning to gold? He hummed. Gold was in poor taste nowadays.
She was more like a diamond that had been scratched by one that didn't recognize it's value.
But that was enough of staring. She hated people who stared. He didn't want to be hated by her, so he tried not to so much.
Not that it helped, it was obvious that she was still troubled by something.
Whitley gently slid his hand over Weiss's, and clasped it. It felt cold, disturbingly so. But he didn't mind it, it was her.
For a moment, he felt a small pain. And suddenly he was not holding her hand anymore.
Did she swat it away? Why? Isn't this only one of the many dreams that he could see?
His lips moved without thinking. "What's wrong?"
"...What have we done, Whitley?" She whimpered. Slowly bringing her hands to her sight.
Whitley looked around the sheets, and found a little patch of blood in the middle of the bed. For some reason, a large pang of anxiety shot through his system.
Not for the reason he was thinking, perhaps because of Weiss's reaction.
"Weiss, it's fine."
Weiss shook her head, then planted it in-between her hands. Instinctively grasping locks of her silver hair in what seemed like confusion and slow, painful realization.
"No it's not Whitley. I shouldn't have done this, We, shouldn't have done this."
He tried to reach for her, but instinctively curved back his hand at her words and closed his eyes.
Breathe in, breathe out.
He opened his eyes.
Royal blue satin was replaced by velvet silk. The sheets remained the same.
The hand he grasped was cold but not chilling. Mayhaps of little body heat, and the texture of slim gloves.
She didn't swat him away. Instead she held it tighter, perhaps to let him know that she was there.
"Master."
The voice gave it away, lacking in any sort of warmth found in the throes of a lover.
His moniker was uttered robotically. Devoid of feeling and abstracts such as emotion.
Yet it provided him with warmth regardless. The warmth of familiarity. Yes. He, who understands not of abstract concepts could only seek warmth from the cold, hard visage of the tool that brings him similar warmth.
He looked to the side. Delta was sitting there. Staring. As though she were taking a picture.
"You're back." Whitley stated.
"Yes."
He brought a hand to his scalp and noticed the sweat. Not again, not that dream again.
Once again, he took a deep sigh as he turned his back to her and tried to remove himself of the bed, only for his body to remain firmly latched onto the ridge of the mattress.
Soon, he felt the coldness of Delta's arms snaking across his neck and resting on his naked chest. As he looked down, he noted that he was back at normal size. And that Delta was in uniform.
Was this some form of comfort from her? How ironic. Giving him the one thing she'd never received from him.
Whitley stood silent. Again, he felt the similar pang of anxiety. It wasn't as severe as the dream, but he questioned why he felt it regardless.
He shifted his head to face Delta. Showing her a stare of his own.
As usual, she kept silent until spoken to. It gave him time to think, but he didn't want it.
"Delta." Whitley called.
"The slave has been taken to the Barn." She replied. Tilting her head.
"Good."
Whitley grabbed her collar. And gently pressed his lips against hers. He would have been rougher, but any strength that he tried to amass rapidly feathered away, like a burning curtain.
She offered no resistance. Letting his tougue slowly explore her mouth. As though she could sense his intentions, one of the arms Delta had resting on his chest slowly glided up and cupped his cheek with a gloved hand.
Whitley stood from the bed. Finally having the will to leave the ridges of the mattress, slowly spin Delta around and lay her on the bed just as gently and slowly as he left it.
She could see it in her eyes once he parted for breath, the rare look of slight confusion on Delta's face.
Even though she dare not ask it and ruin the mood for him, Whitley knew the question she would ask.
Why was he being so gentle?
Perhaps it was a healthy change of pace for him. Or maybe it was because he wasn't in the state of mind to amass the strength needed.
Regardless. Whitley couldn't find it in himself to find the answer that made the slightest bit of sense to him. And as his hand snaked inside her jacket to grab fistfuls of her soft flesh, he suddenly didn't care anymore.
He kissed her again before slowly stripping her of her garments. For a moment, his sight went blurry and he stopped.
"Master?" He was called back by Delta's call. Drinking in the sight before him in clearer vision than before.
He brought a hand to his sight. It was clear, no longer blurry for the short moment that passed.
Whitley then looked back at Delta. Who, although tried her hardest to conseal, continued to pant with small raspy breaths. And yet she continued to stare. Uttering out the invitation so sweetly despite lacking any sort of compassion.
He towered over her and laid some kisses alongside her cheek and cusp of her neck. Then he slowly dug his arms underneath Delta's back and embraced her. "It's nothing Delta. I'm just a bit tired, that's all." Whitley reassured.
Whitley knew that was a lie. But he didn't care for finding the truth. "Have you finished your tasks?"
"Yes. I was finished by this morning." Delta answered, snaking her arms around his back.
"Will you stay with me. Delta?" Whitley asked. And once again, he felt the mysterious pang of anxiety, shorter than the one before.
Delta took some time to answer him, which only seemed worsen the feeling. But eventually, she did answer. Like always.
"I will do anything you ask, master."
Whitley smiled as he looked into her eyes. He then lightly cupped her chin and kissed her. Falling back onto the bed.
"Good answer."
Arhen
I didn't know when exactly I slept on the way. But I was woken up by the shaking and the sudden stop of the cart.
You have slept on a rough sheet of metal. 17.8% HP and MP has been restored.
As I looked around the cart, I saw Faceman on the side. And once again, the caravan that he was on was full.
The only few things that differ was that there were significantly less caravans than before. And there was a huge manor in the distance to my left side.
The sedan ahead of us had stopped and some of the soldiers from before stepped out and opened the back gates of the caravan. Dragging each of us out and tossing us in the snow.
There were particularly rough with me. Maybe because I was with Weiss in the mine and they think that I did something to her. Shoving me into the snow was unwarranted, but welcomed by the notification I received.
Quest Completed.
Platinum Quest: [The Burning Snow of Banded Iron I]
Description: After a narrow escape from death at the hands of Gamer Lucille, you find yourself awake within the mineshaft of an unknown world.
As a result of the malware corrupting the coding used to delete you, you have been classified as corrupted data. Hence, most of your stats and skills have been deleted. With the few of the skills that remain have been rendered defective.
Partially repair the Skill [System Scan] by escaping the mine and venturing towards the highest point of the region.
Clear Conditions:
[Escape the Mine]
Reward: 10,000 EXP, Ability [Frost Aspect, 30 Stat Points, [???]
Once again, I felt my body sting as something entered me. But then suddenly, I was feeling significantly less cold. Even as I was pressed against the snow.
Stat Points Received.
Your Level has increased.
Ability [Frost Aspect] has been added.
I was left wondering about the unknown reward, until a shiver passed through my very body. And afterwards, I wasn't able to even feel the snow.
Proficiency Level in Ability [Frost Aspect] has been increased.
Part of me already knew that the sudden relief from cold was because of the new skill. But as I tried to call my status page, the annoying chain appeared again. And suddenly I found myself being yanked up from the snow with such strength that I was forced to tilt my head back onto the choker.
I was close to killing the soldier treating me like this regardless of who sees. But I saw the other soldiers doing the same thing in other caravans. One of them even woke Faceman up with the butt of his gun.
They held us with chains until the head servant came of of the car and opened the rear door. Out stepped Weiss, draping her blue coat over her shoulders and wearing it.
The head servant followed her until she stopped in front of the slaves being lined up before her.
She turned to her servant. "Are those two coming with the schedule lists?" She asked.
"Yes, they'll be here soon." The servant answered, giving a small bow.
"Good."
She then turned towards the slaves. "You all have outlived your usefulness in the mine. And so you've been relocated here." Weiss stated.
"Over here in the Plantation, you don't have any rights as human beings or others."
I heard a small growl beside me. I turned to Faceman, he was silent. So were the women to the right of me.
"In short, you're basically livestock. And will be treated as such." Weiss finished.
In that time, I heard a couple of feet crunching against snow. And given that Weiss turned to look behind her, she had heard it too.
To my surprise, it was the Wolf-morph alongside Unit Alpha walking up to her. Sheets of paper in their hands.
When they stood to the left of her, Weiss took one of the papers and began to read them. Afterwards presenting them to us. "Despite our lack of care towards you all, there is one simple rule."
"Don't damage the merchandise." She finished, waving the documents in the air.
How vague. Leaving the threat in the air and telling us to figure out what she had meant by that. It looks like she took my shepherd comment a bit too literally.
Her eyes shifted from me to the Wolf-morph. As if to convey the unspoken question, 'Can you eat this dog?' before walking away with her servant, towards the huge manor in the distance.
The Wolf-morph walked towards the line and extended his hand. Then as he walked alongside the line, he drew it across our chests. As if counting us mentally before stopping and handing out a sheet of paper to a man with beige, cat-like ears. Who was just as big as the Wolf-morph himself.
This continued on for every 12 slaves that the Wolf-morph had counted. Handing out sheets to the thirteenth slave that stood next to each in the line.
The ones that received the sheet of paper were called towards the Wolf-morph as he spoke to them separately from the other slaves. Unit Alpha was watching us, and despite my curiosity about how things work in the plantation, I didn't dare ask Faceman in front of him.
Besides. I wasn't exactly his employer anymore. I made that clear to him the moment I told him to escape without me.
That may have not been accurately conveyed, but I struggle to think that Faceman wouldn't have gotten the message. If he didn't, then it's only proof that he would've failed me one day.
Not that it matters much now. I can only fail myself after all.
The other slaves eventually came back with the Wolf-morph. And not even a minute later did he direct the line of slaves across the plantation.
He showed us the frozen fields and the slaves that got here in advance from other mines and prisons. According to the dog, we are supposed to cultivate the fields. But the soil is barren from the snow.
Across the far edges of the fields, he guided us towards a large warehouse. It obviously wasn't very well kept. Given by how the white paint was coming off the splinters in the wood.
As we went inside, I noticed even more signs of damage. Small straws of what seemed like hay were plastered across the ground while some of the windows lay either completely broken or missing entirely.
I looked up and noticed that I could see the large rafters and tiebeams of the roof above me. They didn't bother to put a ceiling here. But why would they? It seemed more like a barn rather than a warehouse, but it had a second floor with a railing and what seemed like an office.
The line had suddenly stopped, as I nearly bumped into a random slave in front of me. Only by straining my ears was I able to hear the sound of streaming water hitting flat stone.
A shower? Here?
The notion was unusual but intriguing. As I performed a rapid scan of my body I slowly realized that never once was I in need of a bath, but I might need one because of the current situation.
The women in the line were complaining but were quickly silenced by the overseers guiding the line.
Soon after, I entered through a room fixed with a shower curtain. Stripped bare of my clothes but the cold remaining non-existent upon pelting my skin.
It wasn't a problem soon enough, as I was forced into the scalding water covered by water vapor and a line of other slaves laid bare and washing themselves underneath the faucets.
The rat stuck to me like a shadow. And I only noticed this when Faceman handed me the soap with his naked tail. "Don't drop it." he said.
I gave him a flat stare, then slowly took the soap from him. Instinctively, I held it in a tight grip and kept it away from water as much as I could without making the texture rough as I spread it across my skin.
"I see you made it out." I started. Mainly because I wanted to know why he was still following me.
"It was pretty simple. Whatever you did down there distracted the Grimm at the entrance." Faceman responded.
"And you somehow still ended up here. I'm surprised that you're not dead yet."
"Guess that means I'll be staying here a little longer." Faceman stated.
I let the hand that held the soap drop to my side as I faced the faucet. The silence between us was deafening and for the first time, awkward.
Slowly, I gave a small sigh. Masked by the sound of streaming water. "I--"
I was interrupted by the loud sounds of skin pounding flesh. With exaggerated moans in-between.
To the left of me, a couple was having sex in the line. I use 'couple' loosely, I couldn't tell if they were romantically involved or not. Maybe they were using each other for simple pleasures to forget the anguish of being imprisoned.
I watched as the man railed into the woman from behind. Other sudden couples mimicking them soon after. Admittedly, most of them went at it roughly, but still less rough than the Wolf-Morph and the crying woman.
"A great sight, isn't it? Almost makes you forget that were slaves here." Faceman commented.
I never really understood Gamer's fascination with sex. Perhaps it's because I was a system and had never experienced such base pleasures? Or maybe it's because I'm incapable of understanding humans in general?
Either way. Despite remaining disinterested in the act happening before my eyes. I was oddly transfixed by it and couldn't bring myself to look away. Perhaps an effort to retain what little modesty the slaves have kept?
Tearing my eyes away, I diverted attention towards the state of my body. The dirty bandage wrapped around my left hand now absent, and the malware coding now visible.
Despite being subjected to slavery, my body was relatively healthy. A few light bruises here and there with slight open wounds from the fight with the Grue that didn't heal yet overnight. But [Gamer's Body] did it's work, else I wouldn't be standing.
Faceman walked a bit closer. "Not a fan of it?" He questioned.
"It's not a matter of whether I like or dislike it. I just don't have it in me to care." I answered.
"A means to an end for you, huh?"
I turned to him. "Things could be worse, objectively so. As I would imagine this plantation to be."
"Sex will become one of the only things that slaves have to offer to people. And I'm afraid I don't have much to pay you with Faceman." I responded.
I could tell from his face that he instinctively wanted to take a step back, but he stayed. Raising his one eyebrow.
"Don't take things out of context, huh?" He questioned me. As if attempting to paraphrase the unknown statement that layed hidden in those words.
I smiled. Pleased by his response. "You're good at this." I then turned back towards the faucet and faced the streaming water. Downing the soap on my body with a rinse.
I raised my lowered hand and passed the soap back to him. "Don't drop it." I warned.
The rat smiled in response as he snaked his tail around my hand and pried it of my hands.
"You're the one that's paying me. So don't take me for an idiot."
Weiss
She wished she could say that there's no place like home. And she could, it was a lot better than spending the night outside like she did.
However, Weiss could name a lot more places that she'd rather be in than here in this manor.
A lot of people in Vale would have her burned for that thought. She could imagine their faces, their scowls, and their hidden murmurs--A spoiled brat with a voice that rivals the beauty of the snow that covered her lands.
As the night cast a spell on the documents that plastered her wooden desk. The bed beside it had never looked more bewitching. Morpheus had uttered out the invitation to a new day so sweetly, she had almost disregarded the face power that covered her skin.
When she realized it however, the lightbulb in her brain felt similar to a rude alarm that reminded her that she still had things to take care of.
She stood up, straightened out her documents on her desk before leaving her office desk and making way to the en-suite bathroom.
The cold-warm glow from the filament lamps gave her eye-strain for a moment. It didn't stop her from turning the faucet from the basin and waiting for the water to warm up.
As she looked towards the upward mirror in a daze, a figure stared back at her. Similar to her to a point where she was unsurprised to find her. She was too pale, the shadow around her eyes to saturated.
Weiss took a cloth and wiped her face. After which she looked into the mirror again and found a healthier image staring back at her. Normal cream complexion with no obvious shadows.
Donned in the same cloth once worn by a Schnee. A white and black military uniform. Weiss's precious hand-me-down from her hardened sister.
With a gloved hand, she slowly trailed across the little scar on her left eye in soft touches as if it were still a fresh wound.
Each time she did this, she would feel the phantom pain of the impact from the glass bottle that did this. And the calm of the blood oozing down her eye, burning from the wasted wine dripping from her head.
Her lips drew a still line. She was going to show this face to many people in only a few days.
She just might call the pale lady again. She looked a lot better than the doppelganger that stared at her in the mirror.
Weiss shook her head, dried of her hair and left back to her seat in the dark office. Thinking of those would be future Weiss's problem.
She opened up her drawer and pulled out the scroll she had inside the car. Looking at it for a minute before opening it up and staring at the sheet that Whitley sent her of Arhen.
Whilst reading, she could hear the small clasp of her door opening. Regardless, she kept her eyes glued to the screen until she heard the sound of a metal cart entering the room and stopping.
"I'm sure you have better things to do as the head servant, rather than bringing me some coffee." Weiss stated.
As expected, the moment she raised her head she found herself looking at Klein pouring her a cup of coffee into a plain white mug.
Klein chuckled. "Nonsense, my lady. I live to serve."
He presented her with the mug. And almost all rising arguments from her fell away. She accepted it, taking a moment to commend Klein for his impeccable timing before downing it in small, burning sips.
Weiss rested the mug on the wooden desk. Klein will stay unless he's dismissed. She knew this, he always does.
Her eyes shifted between the scroll in her hands and Klein. Afterwards deciding that she could view Arhen's blank data some other time.
"Are you short staffed?"
Klein couldn't hide the small grimace that formed through his chuckle. "Regrettably so. It's not severe enough to affect the daily running of the Manor luxuries, however often I'll find myself taking care of Madam Schnee, or serving you coffee like this."
Weiss noticed the grandfatherly smile he ended his explanation with. Which suggests that he didn't mean for it to sound so offending. She wouldn't have minded either way, it wasn't as though he laid claim to facts that weren't true.
She allowed her head to rest on the palm of her hand. As though she had no control over her lips, Weiss found herself responding to Klein's expression in kind. Showing a smile of her own, less hearty, less raised. Almost like she was sad but trying to be happy.
"That's a rare sight." Klein stated.
Weiss raised her eyebrow. "What is?" Klein tool her mug of the table and poured a fresh batch of coffee. "Oh nothing, nothing at all mistress." He sung.
Weiss rolled her eyes. Klein can have some secrets. She kept telling herself that even as she observed the oncoming mug.
But suddenly, as though a lightning bolt shot through her brain, an idea formed.
"Klein." She called.
In response, Klein raised his head and gave Weiss his undivided attention.
"Have Arhen taken from the Plantation and drafted to the servant ranks tomorrow." She commanded.
He bowed. "As you wish, mistress."
Weiss sat back on her office chair, with her arm still curved into a fist that rested between the cusp of her chin. "I expected you to object." She stated.
"Nay. I can see the amount of thought that you put into this. It's the only reason I can think of why you aren't in your bed at this time." Klein explained, his weary lips drooping to a still line.
Weiss blinked. "I see."
"That being said mistress, I must inquire." Klein straightened out his coat. "For what reason have you determined this to be the correct solution?"
Weiss leaned back on her chair, crossed her legs and folded her arms. She stared at the desk, or more specifically, the scroll as the minutes ticked on by.
"The first impression that I had when meeting Arhen was "He would be a perfect product." Initially, I had planned to sell him to the highest bidder as a way to improve my own standing amongst the other elite and some officials of the Atlas Government that were going to be present at the Auction."
But that was before she met him again in the 50th ore vein, and fought that Grue. For only a moment whilst they escaped, he let his true capabilities slip.
He was supposed to be yet another slave, weakened by the stagnant air and horrible conditions of both the mine and the food they get served, yet for a moment during that fight, Weiss witnessed something that despite how long she had spent at this desk, she couldn't make sense of what she saw.
Arhen wasn't weak in the slightest, in fact while they were fighting, he only got faster. The openings in his Swordsmanship grew less and less common. He was some how able to keep up with her whilst she was escaping.
At first, she thought that she had imprisoned a huntsman. Or at least one that was still in training, but he had no Aura. So that became an impossibility since even with huntsman in training, having Aura was a requirement.
Weiss picked up the scroll and opened it to the data Whitley had sent her. In it was a 3-by-3 picture of Arhen, his name, age, vital signs and nothing else.
"However, after my own observation. I've determined that he's no use to me a slave." Weiss stated.
"And by that, you mean…?"
"He's fully capable of escaping at anytime he wishes, but he won't. Think about it Klein. We have the most secure facility for holding captives on Remnant, if I sell to some no name official, he'll be out of Atlas within the week."
"But you don't care for that, do you mistress?" Klein questioned.
Weiss once again sat forward. "You're correct, Klein. I don't. But what matters is that while Arhen is a disguised force of unknown magnitude that I can't control. His end goal is obvious to me."
Klein narrowed his eyes. "To escape." He stated.
"And in doing so, will most likely derail most my fathers plans in the process." Weiss couldn't help but smile as the thought crossed her mind.
"Madam, what you're suggesting--"
Weiss faced him with a sharp gleam in her eyes. "He may be a force that I can't control, but he's one that I can direct. According to my whims and desires."
"Or in this case, anything that Jacques is planning."
Klein let out a short gasp. "I... understand mistress. Would it be optimal to retrieve him immediately?"
Weiss turned toward the window. "That would be best. Ensure that you do so whilst he is sleeping, I can't risk him knowing how to reach this place."
With a simple bow, Weiss heard the door click once more. Alongside the squeaking of the metal tray leaving the room with Klein.
A few minutes after she began staring through the cold gleam of the glass pane in her room, she took another sip out her mug and watched Klein lead a squad of soldiers towards the plantation.
She sat back with a sigh, and thought about the slave she was about to see in a uniform.
Thinking back, she could almost chuckle at how similar their goals are to each other. And only she knows about the similarity.
Weiss could only curse at the mystery behind lady Karma's whims as she walked away from her desk and tried to get some manner of sleep.
She still had a Auction to prepare for. She can let her future self handle Arhen.
Arhen
I couldn't remember when I fell asleep, and once again I had a dream.
It looked like the same one I had in the cart, my feet was still nailed to the ground. Unmoving, watching the scene unfold like a spectator.
The rain pelted me just the same, although I could no longer see the playground. However, despite the rain I could still feel some kind of heat in through the air. Burning me at certain times.
I looked for the rundown building, and I found it engulfed in flames. As though the building itself was bathed in it.
Before it stood the little girl again, her color more defined as the dream went by. Her shoulder length white hair became a pale lavender, as the burning building reflected in her crimson eyes.
Slowly, she began to dissolve into lines of code as she turned to me. Then she dissapeared, along with the building. With only a few embers left behind.
…
You have slept on a warm bed. 56,8% HP and MP has been restored.
Amongst all the times that I've existed, this was the very first time that my body has rebelled.
I didn't feel like getting up when the sunlight pierced through into my eyes. I compared the weight that my body felt now to when Lucille tossed me through Jupiter a few days ago.
However, despite the pleasantly warm bed I found myself in, I didn't recall laying my head on anything warm back in the Plantation.
This isn't my bed. That means that I'm not in the plantation anymore.
As I finally rose my head from the white pillow and took in my surroundings, it only seemed to reinforce the notion that someone abducted me in the middle of the night.
"Status."
Name: Arhen
Age: [???]
Race: [???/Homunculi
Title: [???]
Tier: [???] [???]
[Level: 22] [Exp: 5,463/11,198]
[HP: 56,350/56,350] [HP Regen: 633 HP/sec]
[MP: 8,880/8,880] [MP Regen: 232.6 MP/sec]
STR: 35
VIT: 35
DEX: 52
CON: 46
INT: 37
WIS: 32
CHA: 21
Remaining Stat Points: 31
A full recovery. This bed does wonders.
And thanks to the newly completed Platinum Quest, I have 31 points to distribute. I placed 9 in Charisma, 3 in Intelligence, 4 in Constitution, and 5 in both Strength and Vitality.
Name: Arhen
Age: [???]
Race: [???/Homunculi
Title: [???]
Tier: [???] [???]
[Level: 22] [Exp: 5,463/11,198]
[HP: 80,000/80,000] [HP Regen: 786 HP/sec]
[MP: 9,600/9,600] [MP Regen: 251,4 MP/sec]
STR: 40
VIT: 40
DEX: 52
CON: 50
INT: 40
WIS: 32
CHA: 30
Remaining Stat Points: 5
The same feeling I got from reaching 50 in DEX spread throughout my entire body and mind.
It was only then did I notice the additional presence in the room. A lean man with a bland face with black hair. A white barcode on his neck suggests that he's a fellow homunculi.
A little self inspection showed that my previously black barcode had also turned white like this homonuculi before me.
I looked back at the homonuculi and stared waiting for him to speak.
He did not.
It was only after a couple of odd minutes did the homonuculi finally speak. "The master is expecting you. Get ready."
Hearing that, I slid out of the mattress and stood before the servant. He opened the door without saying a word and walked out, likely expecting me to follow.
Stepping out myself, I was welcomed with a long hallway. Layered with blue carpet and laced with glass chandeliers.
All in all, it looked rather extravagant. I could only assume that in the middle of the night I was taken to the Manor that I saw in the distance when coming here.
We stopped before a pair of large silver doors. The servant opened them and ushered me inside before closing them behind me.
In the room at the very end stood a silver chair a good distance away from the wooden office desk. At the desk, I spotted Weiss's servant writing a few documents before noticing me.
"Ah, I see that you're awake." He motioned towards the silver chair. "Have a seat, I'll be with you in a moment."
The servant that led me here stood beside the silver door. I decided not to ask any question for now and simply do what was asked of me.
Walking closer to the chair I noticed a brand new set of clothes resting on it. Removing it revealed a small booklet.
"I do hope you find those to your liking, or perhaps more preferable than your current attire." He stated.
Weiss's servant then looked up at me. "Get dressed, I'll be with you in a moment."
I looked at the clothes, the servant was right. I could do with more pleasant clothing.
Without even a single word, I stripped. Then put on the shirt and the black coat first and ended with the black trousers and shoes.
I gave them a little kick against the ground, took the booklet and sat down.
"You may call me Klein, and as you have no doubt already surmised I am Weiss's head servant." He introduced, looking up and folding his arms.
I looked at the booklet and sifted though each page. "Those are the house rules. Ensure you read through the booklet."
Klein stood from his seat and walked towards me. "Memorize them. Especially number one."
Following his warning, I read through the first page of the booklet, looking for the first rule that Klein mentioned.
1. Don't ever talk directly to any member of the Schnee Family unless instructed.
2. All servants must be awake by 06:00 AM and in their quarters by 23:00 unless instructed otherwise by any member of the Schnee Family.
The rest of the house rules were more or less the same with small varying differences.
It seemed like the rest was just a schedule plastered onto the back of the booklet.
"Now that we've been introduced, let us hurry along. I need to show you what you will be doing here for the time being." Klein said.
I gave a simple nod and followed him from my seat. The servant that watched the door went over to the seat were my old rags were placed and took them in hand. Preferably to burn them.
It took me a moment to realize, but it seemed like I was made into a fellow servant. What an upgrade.
It still miffed me that I had no idea of what Weiss was planning, however I could tell that i was one step closer towards repairing my System Scan.
If this really is the Schnee Manor, then the highest point of the Solitas region lies somewhere on this building.
I'll find it. I'll have to.
Here's to hoping that nothing goes horribly wrong like before.
The aftermath of the Grue fight. And here is when the plot truely starts to delve deeper.
This was one quick chapter, and part of me feels like it's a bit low quality but nothing that a good edit won't fix once the whole arc has been uploaded.
Until next time.