Chapter 4: Retainer Contract

Ten minutes later, the petite figure slipped out of the shower room.

“All done? Then get over here.”

Farra glanced at the depressed Witch Young Lady and tapped the tabletop with his right index finger.

“…”

The Witch walked over with a gloomy face.

After she scrubbed off all the grime, her long golden hair seemed to glow.

Farra sized her up again and confirmed that this Witch was a textbook Nosbaro native, probably of very pure blood.

As for him, because he was mixed-blood, his hair was black, even though his skin was extremely fair.

His eyes were not the usual emerald but black.

Such looks made him stand out as a total oddity in Nosbaro.

He had been targeted more than once for his appearance.

“Sit.”

Farra pointed at the seat opposite him.

“…”

The Witch gave him a slightly startled look, then took the seat.

He’s not jumping straight to business?

She had some confidence in her looks.

If not, she would not have smeared herself head to toe with mud to hide them.

Farra closed his hand on empty air, and under the Witch’s astonished gaze, a sheet of white paper appeared in his palm.

“You’re a Witch!?”

The girl blurted out in shock.

Farra shot her a glance. “Do I look like a woman?”

“Uh…!”

Choked for a moment, the girl recovered and then asked uncertainly, “…Then you’re a Man Witch…?”

“First of all, whether in Nosbaro or any other human nation on Mu Continent, there is no such thing as a ‘Man Witch.’”

Farra spoke in a steady, chilly tone.

“Second, the upper crust has run who-knows-how-many tests on Witch abilities and proved they cannot be replicated. Of course, deeper secrets may be hidden, I don’t know. But by current common sense, only females can mutate into the special species called ‘Witch.’”

“…Special species… I’m human too, you know! I have parents!” The girl retorted angrily. “You people love sticking labels on others, then driving them out, slaughtering, hunting! A bunch of ruthless, shameless bastards!”

After the tirade, Farra showed little reaction; he merely glanced at her and nodded. “From a rational standpoint, you’re right. Your thinking is fairly progressive.”

“…”

“Sign this.”

Farra slapped the paper that had appeared onto the table.

“…What is it?”

“Can’t you read the words on it?”

“I… I didn’t study much…!” the girl mumbled.

In truth she had hardly attended school; she could speak and listen but couldn’t read or write.

“Fine.”

Farra tapped the page with a fingertip. “I’ll summarize. This is a Contract called a ‘retainer Contract.’ Once you sign it, you become my property, may never betray or harm me, and I can decide your life or death anytime, anywhere, with a single thought.”

“Wh… how is that different from a slave Contract?!” the girl shouted.

“No difference.” Farra crossed one leg and answered casually. “You’re already my slave; signing this additional Contract is only natural.”

“I…”

“You have no option to refuse.”

“…”

The girl lowered her head, stared at the paper Contract before her for a moment, then picked up the quill Farra had placed beside it.

She truly had no choice.

She never had.

Yet one question popped into her mind.

Before writing, the girl looked at Farra and asked, “Since I’m already your slave, why repeat the process?”

It seemed completely redundant.

Her slave status was set the moment Farra finished the deal with that old man.

So why add another document?

“Good question.”

Farra’s gaze showed a hint of appreciation.

This girl displayed a maturity and calm uncommon for her age.

Maybe he really had picked up a treasure.

“Then I’ll repeat it… once you sign this Contract, you belong to me. From now on you cannot betray or harm me, and I can end your life with a single thought anytime, anywhere. Understand?”

“…” The girl froze, met Farra’s amused eyes, and finally grasped the hidden meaning. “…So this paper is some sort of magic?”

“Half right. Unlike normal paper, once you sign it, my words will come true. A slave Contract loses effect if torn up; this one doesn’t. Only I can dissolve it unilaterally.”

“…”

After another silence, the girl muttered, “…What a sick hobby. Disgusting.”

Then she rather deftly wrote her name on the paper.

“Thanks for the compliment.”

Farra replied offhandedly.

When she finished, he picked up the sheet and glanced at it.

… Freya.

In his field of vision, pop-ups only he could see appeared one after another, then vanished at a thought.

『Target has signed』

『Retainer Contract is now in effect』

『Retainer slot filled』

『Retainer panel unlocked』

The values on the personal Attribute panel hardly changed.

But there was now a stat called “Loyalty.”

Freya’s current Loyalty was 0.

“System, what’s this stat for?” Farra asked inwardly.

『For Host’s reference』

“Damn, so it’s basically useless. Boring.”

Farra grumbled to himself and hid the stat.

Compared to a mere reference number, the other effects of the Retainer Contract were worth testing.

Farra willed it, and Freya instantly felt a choking pressure.

It vanished after one second.

Gasping for air, she stared at Farra in disbelief.

“You…!”

“Relax, just testing the Contract. I won’t take your life that easily, so calm down.”

“…” Freya gave no reply, her expression growing darker.

Having her life held completely in another’s hands shattered some of her inner resolve at once.

“Now, try to Attack me,” Farra said.

“…Another Contract test?”

“Exactly.”

“…”

Freya paused for a second, then tried to unleash her innate Strength to crush Farra on the spot.

But before she moved, a wave of dread slammed into her.

With the dread came a sense of imminent death.

“…!!”

If she went on, she would die.

The intuition struck Freya like lightning.

“…”

Farra watched her changing expression and nodded.

Though the air around them had grown sticky again,

Freya simply could not strike.

When she abandoned the idea, the death premonition vanished immediately.

Then she tried again… planning to twist around the rules.

But punishment arrived faster than she could muster her Strength.

“Ghk…”

She had barely moved, hadn’t even activated her Strength; just letting the thought form made her heart and lungs feel bound by invisible chains, stopping her breath for a moment.

Only when she dismissed the thought and impulse did the sensation disappear.

“Huff…”

Slumped over the table, Freya gulped fresh air.

All her months on the run, she had never been this close to death.

“Quite a handy feature.”

Farra was very pleased with this new module.

With the Retainer Contract, as long as he lived, his rule would stand.

The sole pity was that the Retainer Contract was not an absolute safeguard.

It could be circumvented.

Even if a Retainer could not act personally, they could always get someone else to do it.

Farra quickly imagined a pile of work-arounds.

And realized why the System tossed in a Loyalty stat for reference.

“All right, let’s go.”

After weighing every risk and benefit, Farra folded the Contract away and stood.

“…Go where?”

Freya had finally steadied her breathing and asked instinctively.

“To get you something decent to wear, a reward for helping test the Contract. Then, of course, we head to my fief.”

Farra twirled the key in his hand and walked toward the locked door.

He seemed in a very good mood.

“…”

Freya hesitated for a moment, then followed, confused.

‘…Just like that? Is he planning to play with me slowly once we reach his fief… damn noble…’

Face cold, Freya trailed behind Farra, feeling her future plunge into total darkness.

Things had not been good before, but falling into a noble’s hands now… she could only say they were even worse.