Chapter 123 - 3.19

The guard's taken aback expression was a feast to behold.

"We are people who live on the grey side of the world. We just need as much power as we could to stay upright and not be swept by the currents of the other regions. What's wrong with me taking this girl in? You have seen how well she fights back against you all, right? With your discerning eyes.. It should be enough to evaluate her. How about it?" Xie Yongrui's cold gaze sent chills down their spine in one go.

By saying this, it was almost as if he was declaring that he would be protecting this girl. It was a very powerful statement, since he was the master in this household. Originally, if he just told them to take care of her, the effect wouldn't be as large. However, now that he was directly covering for her, it meant a lot more.

"..Ugh. Well, she does have some skills. I heard that before she got accepted into this estate, she was living in the streets? Then, the swordsmanship and magic skills she possess.. Lord, isn't it suspicious how fast she was able to learn? That type of magic, I have never seen such a thing before. Not even in my most secretive missions." One of the men was unable to digest the story well, finding a lot of discrepancies. He shrugged as he raised the question.

Mages were certainly the rarest fighters in this world. Not only was there little magic energy to work with, there was also no manuals that people could actively study out of. But Xu Jiaqi was someone who carried a shit ton of memories with her. Someone who was able to manipulate magic like it was written on the back of her hand with ease.

Due to their meticulous attitudes, they had respectively researched about this girl's origin. Born from a woman who worked in the night district and a nonexistent father. Suddenly, the lord brought her without consideration and seemed to favor her.

This type of scenario, isn't it a given that something was terribly off? They weren't familiar with magic in the level Xu Jiaqi displayed. Humans had a natural tendency to fear something that they have never encountered in the past. This tendency traveled to this case too.

The big elephant in the room. How in the hell was Xu Jiaqi able to reach her level of expertise?

Surely, not just in a week after being picked up, right? It would be.. impossible.

"Oh? Isn't it for the better? She possesses magic, and you claim that it is strong enough to shock you. Then, shouldn't we obtain her even more? Turn her into an ally." Xie Yongrui frowned.

"But-"

They were still not convinced.

"Only time will tell. The only thing that you need to know is that she will be holding the position of my consultant from this day onwards." Xie Yongrui took the opportunity to also announce the information.

Xu Jiaqi smiled helplessly as she rolled her eyes at the group who were now glaring at her with suspicion. They weren't trying to hide it at all.

They kept chattering and raising their doubts, whereas Xu Jiaqi just stayed silent as the lord communicated with them. She was too preoccupied with her own condition.

'System, I messed up. I overdid it. Jeez, this is why you should've gave me boosts, right?'

[Host, if I gave you a boost, you wouldn't be standing right now. Do you think that the boost will last forever?] The System slipped because he was tired trying to deflect Xu Jiaqi's complaints all the time.

Xu Jiaqi's ears perked up.

'..Oh? By your words, it seems like a boost is really possible. I will be taking that into consideration from now on.' With a sly smile, she gritted her teeth as she felt a wave of pain wash through her again.

[Ah! What- ugh...] The System was speechless and could only regret his tongue slip. [Host, I. Am. Not. Giving. You. Boosts!]

'We shall see later.. Nevermind that, when is this thing going to end? My head is crumbling apart..'

Standing by the side, Xu Jiaqi was trying her best to keep her consciousness intact as she felt the fatigue catch up to her in a severe manner. Naturally, being a skilled person, Xie Yongrui was able to notice this condition and looked towards the girl's way.

"...Have you had your fun with the girl yet? If not, then just pick another day to fight. I will be taking her now, I need her to do some things." Xie Yongrui approached Xu Jiaqi and brought her away without heeding the exasperated calls of his men, whose feeling weren't settled yet.

Surely, they wouldn't grow to accept her that easily. It needed time. Continuous time and effort would change their perceptions and attitude towards her. Indeed, her entrance to the party was far too conspicuous and not right.

'Damn, fighting these guys really placed a burden on my body.. I feel lightheaded. System, can't you upgrade into a healer or something?' Xu Jiaqi sighed as she followed behind Xie Yongrui's steps, trying her best to keep up the pace.

[Don't daydream, Host. Unless you complete tons of worlds and earn enough soul power to optimize me, how am I going to pull out such a handy feature?]

However, as they walked the far distance between the training grounds and Xie Yongrui's quarters, Xu Jiaqi was no longer able to take it. Her mind became hazy, her gaze unclear, and her steps wobbling.

"..Lord, please wait a moment.." Xu Jiaqi called out weakly, holding her head to try and appease her migraine.

Xie Yongrui looked behind, to which he saw the sight of a flushed young girl who held on to the pole beside her for dear life. He quickly grew worried and assisted her, but it was too late.

Xu Jiaqi fainted right on the spot.

The last thing she saw? Xie Yongrui's terrified expression.

It wasn't normal. His reaction was way above the supposed line. He shouted at her in an erratic manner, calling her name multiple times before trying to pick her up.

"..As I thought.. You are.." Xu Jiaqi whispered in a volume that wasn't detected by Xie Yongrui. She closed her eyes and rested for sure.

That same soul that caused ripples in her heart.