After waiting in his room for nearly half a day, Rey finally got another visitor.
This time, it was a youth who appeared to be in his early twenties. He had smooth-combed brown hair and a distinguished attire for a servant. He stared at Rey with a hint of disgust and some measure of apathy.
"The Young Master has called for you. Come with me."
Rey nodded and obeyed.
He had been expecting something like this to eventually happen, so he didn't hesitate to follow the youthful servant out of the room.
Even though the lad's back was turned against him, Rey was sure there were no openings.
'This guy… he has been trained in the art of combat.'
Was he a Knight?
Perhaps he was one of the Young Master's personal soldiers. In that case, Rey knew he stood no chance against him. Not only had he lost most of his own combat ability, but he was currently in a scrawny body that he hadn't yet mastered completely.
Besides…
'I still have to watch out for the special powers of this world. Even if I can win against him, what about the other guards that are bound to be here? These are nobles, so their house is surely fortified.' He sighed, shaking his head slowly. 'Let's say I manage to escape, where do I even go?'
From the little he knew, he was a 'Cursed Child.'
It would be evident to anyone that he was either a runaway slave or someone who had an inferior status in society. Coupled with his 'mixed blood' status, it was clear that no one would look upon him favorably.
Despite the tightening noose around his neck, this was still the safest place he could stay.
For now.
After walking through the labyrinthine hallways for a moment, with Rey doing his best to memorize everything his eyes saw, they finally ascended the stairs and reached the Young Master's room.
It was a pristine, vast space… devoid of even a speck of imperfection.
Rey already knew these people were rich based on the atmosphere of the hall, but this elegant room showed just how much money they possessed.
From the state-of-the-art furniture, luxurious paintings and murals, and the unique architecture that could make a person marvel, Rey basked in this overwhelming display of wealth. There were a few people present in the room—some servants, and even the mustached man from before, but he only gave them a few glances at best.
After stepping into the room and observing everything around him for a moment, he cast his gaze on the man who casually sat on his bed, reading a book.
The man wasn't very young, but he wasn't very old either.
He looked barely twenty.
Maybe twenty-one.
His long silver hair flowed down his shoulder, and his clear skin reeked of affluence.
He had a plain, long-sleeve white shirt and casual, baggy trousers. His bed was massive, even having canopies that added to its extravagant aesthetic.
The moment Rey saw him, he fell to his knees and showed absolute respect.
"I greet my Master."
"Oh?" The young man looked at Rey for a moment and grinned. "How were you so sure I was your Master? I never said anything."
"There appears to be no one here who matches your splendor. You are the most important person in this room, which is why I made such a conclusion."
"We have quite the sharp one this time. Witty, with a sweet tongue as well… I like him."
Rey smiled to himself.
An ignorant slave would look at the mustached man and greet him with reverence, thinking him their Master. Even if he wasn't, they would still show him gratitude for saving them from their terrible plight.
But Rey was not so shortsighted or stupid.
He was someone who had lived a very long life, accumulating all kinds of experiences. He knew what the right answer was, and he went with it—even using sophistry to justify his actions.
Even though Rey felt the gazes of everyone resting on him, most of which showed disgust or aversion, only one person's gaze mattered—this Young Master. He had a high status in this household, and he was someone who would determine his life or death.
Rey had to be extremely careful around him.
"Now let's get down to business…" The Young Master grinned. "Strip."
Rey immediately obeyed, taking off all his bandages until he was completely naked in front of the man. He felt neither shame nor humiliation, as he had already steeled his mind to do whatever it took to survive.
Even if he had to stoop to conquer… he would gladly oblige.
"Oh? He really is a cursed child. Are you sure this is such a good idea, Logan?" The Young Master turned to the mustached man and gave a skeptical look.
"You don't need to worry, Young Master. As long as we use the usual Curse Art, he won't be able to resist you. I also heard from rumors that Cursed Children can display special abilities. This young slave could awaken into something special and end up being useful than the others that came before him."
"Hmm…" After a brief moment of contemplation, the Young Master smiled and nodded. "You're right as always, Logan. Okay… I'll trust your judgment."
"Thank you, Young Master!"
'He really trusts that Logan fellow, huh?' Rey made a silent observation as he glanced at the mustached man, calmly assessing the situation.
"Step forward a little, let me take a good look at you."
Rey obeyed.
He only stopped once he was about a meter away from the bed.
He did this not only because it was an appropriate distance, but also because he became stunned by what he saw on the wall right beside him—his reflection!
Rey's body appeared to be no older than fifteen years of age, though undernourishment had made it shorter than the average height. He had a cute face, for sure, but his hair had a peculiar appearance, having both white and black colors associated with it.
His dull-gray eyes also had different reflected hues—one shining with bright blue light, while the other had a deep red one. He was certainly a mixed race.
'Aether and Nether, huh? So which ones are these? They all look spectacular, so maybe Aether?'
Rey kept his gaze low while having this thought.
"Your body was in much worse condition before, but I settled all your medical expenses. I also gave you a proper accommodation, and you'll be well-fed, three times a day. The more you work, and the better results you give me, the more you will be rewarded. More furniture will be added to your room, and you can even make special requests. Once you've accumulated enough merits, you'll be moved to an even bigger room. Your life will only get better and better, but all of this is tied to whether or not you can show me good results, do you understand?"
"Yes, Master."
"Good. Bring the Binding Scroll here." The Young Master spoke to one of the servants, and without any delay, a pitch-black parchment was brought before him.
He smiled at Rey, noticing his ignorance.
Then, he chose to enlighten him.
"This Binding Scroll has Curse Art embedded inside it. It will serve as a contractual agreement between the two of us. Slaves are trained not to disobey their masters, and with the benefits I am offering you, you're likely not to rebel… but I still won't take my chances. Besides, Logan tells me you can be quite unruly at times."
Rey smiled wryly at this.
'Looks like I have quite the cautious Master. He learned about me before even bringing me to his presence. How thorough…'
"He also says you can read and write. Is that true?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Then, tell me what the scroll says." The Young Master casually tossed the scroll, and with agile movements, Rey quickly grabbed it in the air.
This caused his observant Master to whistle loudly and nod in approval.
'You like how I move, right? Good… I did it to impress you.'
It had become clear to Rey that this person liked competent people. One could see how well he trusted Logan and how he entrusted the task of the Binding Scroll to another servant. If a subordinate of his showed enough dedication and garnered his trust, he would reward the person accordingly.
Naturally, Rey wasn't swayed by the petty rewards this man offered.
No, he was more concerned with opportunity.
'If I can satisfy him properly, I imagine he'll be able to grant me more freedom and resources that will eventually facilitate my emancipation.'
Because of this, Rey was using every opportunity that he could to curry his Master's favor.
'Now, for the scroll…'
The moment Rey saw the writings on the parchment, he knew this wasn't native to his former world, H'Trae, or his native world, Earth. It was an entirely foreign language, with ancient symbols and a unique style that would make anyone's brain hurt.
Yet, for some weird reason, Rey found himself perfectly capable of reading it.
It was strange—especially since he didn't have the Language Translation Skill of his former self.
He was in a completely new body in an entirely foreign world.
Yet he could read the language, could speak and understand the language, and could even write with it as though it was second nature to him.
'So this is the contract, huh?'
Rey read it aloud, his mind going through the details to find any kind of loophole.
But there were none.
The contract stated that he had to obey his Master at all costs—even if it meant his death. He could not betray his Master, do anything to harm his Master, or anyone his Master has shown support or affinity towards.
He also could not try to escape or attempt to undo this contract in any way.
There were a few other clauses, but they only went to show just how cautious this Master of his was and how ironclad the terms of agreement were.
'There's no weakness I can exploit… damn.'
Rey was a little disappointed by this outcome, but he was also not too surprised.
'This guy has had many slaves in the past. It's only normal that his experience with handling slaves has made him wise and also allowed him to deal with all the blind spots in the agreement.'
Basically, he was no amateur.
Rey could feel his back against the wall now.
The pressure was increasing.