Kaito stirred, a faint ray of morning sun warming his face.
He blinked, slowly processing the familiar ceiling of his dorm room.
For a brief moment, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
But then, a soft, even breathing beside him registered.
He stiffened, eyes snapping open fully.
Lying next to him, curled into a small ball, was the young elf girl, her dark hair a stark contrast against the white pillow.
He stared for a second, surprised, before yesterday's events rushed back to him, the alley, the outrageous bid, bringing her back, buying her clothes, the salon, the guard at the gate, and his instruction for her to sleep in his bed.
"Right," he thought, letting out a soft sigh.
"I think I might have totally forgotten about her after coming back so late and tired last night."
He yawned, stretching his arm carefully so as not to disturb her.
Then, he called out his Player Status in his head, wanting to check his progress.
Player Status
Name: Kaito Kuromaku
Lvl: 5
Exp: 5/20
Age: 16
Race: Human
HP: 345/345
MP: 195/195
SP: 265/265
Coins: 750
Stat Point Available: 0
Unclaimed Rewards: 2
Stats:
Strength (STR): 17
Agility (AGI): 12
Vitality (VIT): 13
Intelligence (INT): 10
Resolve (RES): 10
Charisma (CHA): 12
Luck (LCK): 10
Skills:
Viper's Strike
Iron Guard Stance
Will of Steel
Silent Draw
Aura
Lucky Break
---
Kaito smiled, a quiet satisfaction settling over him as he reviewed his updated Player Status.
He then looked back at the sleeping black-haired elf in his bed, a soft expression on his face.
He gently got up and walked to his kitchen, pulling out the leftovers from last night's dinner and starting to reheat them for breakfast.
As the scent of warming food filled the small room, Kaito's thoughts drifted to the game's timeline.
"How many other things would have changed now that this world even has slavery?" he wondered, a frown creasing his brow.
He thought about the other students, the main characters of the game.
"At this point, Eric, Gwen, Catherina, and Darius would likely have gone home to see their own families, rest, or prepare for the exam."
"The main characters would have their own plans to get stronger and all that."
"I don't think things should change that much for them," he mused.
"They'll be even stronger and better for the exam."
His thoughts then took a darker turn.
"A lot of students will lose their lives in that breach during the exam because of the demon worshippers."
His jaw tightened.
"How can I at least not be one of those people?"
"If I can help save the others, I will, but if I can't even save myself, what then?"
"Besides, the main characters, Eric, Gwen, Catherina, Darius, they shouldn't die."
He wasn't thinking of them as friends, his thoughts were far more practical.
"Their survival is the key."
"My knowledge of this world's future, how things are supposed to unfold, depends entirely on them making it through."
"If they're gone, the timeline I know would shatter, leaving me completely blind."
His own survival, and his understanding of this altered reality, depends on their continued existence.
As Kaito finished his thoughts and the food began to warm properly, he heard a soft rustling from the bed.
He glanced over and saw the elf girl slowly waking up, her dark eyes blinking open.
"Ah, she probably smelled the food, he thought, a small smile touching his lips."
The elf girl looked towards the kitchen, her gaze settling on the warming food.
"Good morning," Kaito said, his voice gentle.
"Come on, let's eat breakfast."
The girl seemed surprised to see Kaito, and even more so to be invited to eat again.
She stumbled a bit in her haste, quickly walking to the kitchen and trying to sit on the chair by herself.
Just like before, she couldn't quite manage it.
But this time, Kaito was ready.
He had already walked up to her when she reached the chair, and he immediately lifted her onto the seat without needing to ask.
The girl, surprised but also clearly grateful, quietly said, "Thank you, but I can do it myself."
Kaito chuckled, a lighthearted sound.
"Sure, sure, maybe in a few years you can."
He laughed again, and the kid, looking a bit embarrassed, pouted slightly.
Kaito could see she was much more relaxed now.
"That sleep was probably good," he thought.
"Did you sleep well last night?" he asked.
The girl nodded.
"Thank you," she replied, her voice still soft.
"Don't worry about it," Kaito said with a smile. "Let's eat."
The girl didn't hesitate to eat this time, but she still waited for Kaito to take the first bite.
She ate slower, savoring each mouthful, probably because she wasn't starving anymore.
Seeing her comfortably eating, Kaito decided to strike up a conversation.
"Hey," he asked, his voice gentle.
"So, what should I call you? Do you have a name?"
The girl paused, looking down at her plate for a moment before meeting his eyes.
"Anya," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"My name is Anya."
"Anya," Kaito repeated, a soft smile touching his lips.
"What a beautiful name."
He then added, "Hello, Anya. You can call me Kaito. Nice to meet you."
"So, Anya," Kaito began gently, his voice soft.
"Is it alright if you tell me what happened to you?"
"How did you end up with that person who sold you?"
Anya flinched visibly at the question.
Her small shoulders hunched, and her newly black eyes welled up instantly, reflecting a deep, raw fear.
Her lower lip trembled, and she looked down at her plate, unable to meet his gaze.
Kaito noticed her reaction immediately.
"Hey," he said, his voice reassuring.
"If you don't want to, you can say nothing. I won't pressure you."
Anya didn't reply directly, but after a moment of quiet struggle, she began to speak, her voice a fragile whisper.
"I live in the elven territory to the north, towards the human territory."
"Our country has been hidden from outsiders for so long because of our blessed World Tree's power to hide the country inside the forest."
"But recently, it started to weaken for some reason."
"And hunters, raiders, and other bad people were able to find that weak part of the protection of the tree, and they bypassed it and entered."
Her voice grew even softer, tinged with remembered horror.
"It was a long night of fighting. I saw a lot of people die that night."
"The bad people took me and the others as hostages and ran away."
"From then on, I was passed on to different traders, and the captured people were all separated."
Her voice broke then, and she started sobbing, small, heartbroken sounds.
Kaito didn't say anything more.
He simply walked around the table, sat next to her, and gently patted her head, letting her cry.
"The World Tree started to get weaker?"
Kaito's mind raced, a sudden chill running down his spine.
"This is too soon. What the hell happened Why would it get breached this early?"
He remembered her saying "bad people."
"Tsk, some of those are definitely demon worshippers," Kaito thought grimly.
"I planned to visit the elven territory in the future, as there's a thing I need from that place, but this is too early."
He sighed, the weight of this new, unexpected development pressing down on him.
"I thought my progress of strength was already fast, but this is bad. I need to get stronger, faster."
Hethen saw Anya look up at him, her dark eyes still teary but now filled with a hint of curiosity, noticing his troubled expression.
Kaito forced a smile.
"I know your family is already looking for you," he said gently.
"Do you want to stay here while waiting for them?"
He then pulled out the scroll containing her contract and slave mark from his inventory and showed it to her.
As he asked, he pulled out the scroll containing her contract and slave mark from his inventory.
Anya's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of it, a flicker of fear crossing her face.
But before she could react further, Kaito, without wasting another second, crumpled it in his hand, then tore it into tiny pieces, letting them flutter to the table.
Anya watched, stunned, her mouth dropped slightly.
"I'm not going to force you to stay and wait for help to come," he stated, looking her straight in the eyes.
"You are free, Anya. So, do you want to stay here for now?"
Anya didn't answer his question immediately.
Instead, her voice soft and full of confusion, she asked, "Why are you kind to me, sir?"
"Why are you doing all this for me? You didn't have to do any of this."
Kaito looked at her, a gentle expression on his face.
"You're right, I didn't," he admitted.
"But I guess... you remind me of my younger sister. I haven't seen her for so long now, and the last time I remembered, she was about the same age as you."
He looked at her again, a serious but kind gaze.
"So, Anya, do you want to stay here for a while and pretend to be my sister, only until your family comes to get you or we find a way to contact them?"
Anya seemed surprised by what he said about a younger sister, but after a moment she simply nodded.
"Okay," she whispered.