A Scout's Worth
Quite some time had passed since Siyeon became Yujin’s familiar. During that period, she had undergone a great many changes. Her physical abilities had improved drastically after turning into a vampire, blood had become her staple food, and she had been bestowed with mysterious powers—the ability to sharpen her nails into claws and fire blood like bullets.
But above all else, the greatest change was—
“……Master.”
It was the master she served.
Siyeon had spent her entire life forced into submission by villains like the boss of the Black Cow or various sorcerers, living amidst horrific abuse. The things Yujin did for her were all incredibly foreign.
Feeding her delicious food, dressing her in fine clothes, letting her live under the same roof, and even treating her with respect and love. While Yujin considered such things a matter of course and felt sorry that she couldn't provide even more, Siyeon found her current life incredibly happy—almost overwhelmingly so. It even brought a slight sense of anxiety.
‘I’m not as strong as Katarina… and I don’t have the sweet, affectionate personality of Lili, who can craft things for Master or express her feelings for her so directly.’
Was she truly allowed to feel this kind of happiness? What if Master grew tired of her and threw her away? Sometimes, such fears would wash over her.
However.
The words her Master had recently spoken—that single sentence had dispelled all her fears as if they were a lie.
‘She said she would always be with me….’
It felt as though the anxiety and terror in the corner of her heart were melting away like snow under warm sunlight. Moreover, it wasn’t just empty words.
When they were first dispatched to a Gate, Siyeon had been the first among the familiars to witness a “miracle.”
“ROOOOAR!”
When a B-class monster, a Grizzly Bear—a massive, mutated magical beast—had roared and charged at them, Siyeon had naturally intended to handle it herself. That was how it had always been.
She analyzed the situation with indifferent eyes.
‘Its hide is too thick; piercing it with blood bullets is impossible.’
Once the distance closed… she would unsheathe her claws and slash. She had been just about to sharpen her nails when—
THUD——!
‘Eh……?’
Before it could even reach her, the giant bear had already withered away, collapsing to the floor. It didn’t even leave a corpse behind, turning into a pile of ash.
It was undoubtedly the Master’s power. It was the very same strength she had clearly seen in the training grounds.
‘……!!’
Siyeon had been shocked once more. It was surprising that the Master’s power could reach even this far, but what made her heart race even more was the meaning behind that phenomenon.
It was as if she were saying, “I am always watching over you,” and “Do not worry, for I will help you directly with my own hands.” The sensation of being firmly protected under her grace—that feeling was something she would never be able to forget for the rest of her life.
Siyeon’s loyalty to her Master had already been at its peak, but lately, her mind was filled with nothing but thoughts of her.
“……yeon.”
My light, who saved me. My absolute ruler. My everything.
“……Siyeon.”
The name she bestowed, every drop of blood, and even my final breath—I want them all to be used solely for her.
‘Master… Master… Master…♥’
“Siyeon? Can you not hear me?”
As I snapped back to reality, I saw my Master standing there, looking up at me with a puzzled expression.
“I apologize, Master. I was lost in thought for a moment.”
Siyeon apologized immediately. To think she had dared to miss her Master’s call—it was a terrible blunder that should never happen, neither as a guard nor as a familiar.
She bowed her head hurriedly, prepared to accept any punishment, but—
“Haha. Siyeon, you spacing out? That’s a rare sight indeed.”
The Master brushed off her mistake as if it were nothing and even laughed lightly, as if she found her cute.
‘…….’
Yujin had no idea that every single one of those trivial actions was raising Siyeon’s loyalty to a somewhat dangerous level.
‘Huh? Why is she staring at me so intently?’
I felt puzzled by the look in Siyeon’s eyes as she gazed at me. Was there something on my face? I had just eaten a ton of coagulated blood, so maybe there was a bit around my mouth.
Rub, rub. Swipe, swipe. I naturally wiped the corners of my mouth with the back of my hand a few times.
Well, anyway.
Today was finally the day to climb the Tower again! It was the day I would enter the second chapter of the Nightmare-level 5th Floor.
I recalled the memories of the previous first chapter once more.
‘That was a total breeze.’
To put it in one word, it was “overpowered favoritism” itself. I hadn’t done anything, yet the residents of the Tower had treated me with such kindness. Thanks to that, I had achieved a score of 111 points and even obtained the Death Scythe by acquiring the blood hidden within the stone tablet.
‘But what was up with that vampire?’
On the other hand, I had this thought, too. What kind of existence was that legendary vampire, to have blood so good it was judged to be of the highest grade? It meant the being possessed a status beyond that of an S-class monster.
I was curious, but it wasn’t a problem I could solve right now.
Anyway, I hoped things would go just as smoothly today, but even for me, not everything would go perfectly. Especially since this chapter was even harder for me to handle.
“Then, let us go.”
Having finished my mental preparations, I entered the Tower accompanied by my three familiars.
You have entered the 5th Floor of the Tower of Trials, Nightmare difficulty.
The second story begins.
Objective: Listen to the Lord's story and assist him.
My vision brightened, and the familiar sight of the Lord’s mansion came into view. Chapter 2 of the 5th Floor began in earnest once I listened to the Lord’s story in detail here.
In terms of the timeline, it had been a few days since I had finished the first chapter and left. It seemed the situation had deteriorated even further.
The Lord greeted me with a much more haggard complexion than before and explained the current situation.
“Noble one. The enemy’s movements are ominous. The military forces of the neighboring territory, gathered near the border, are growing day by day, and now they far exceed the strength of our own.”
As expected. It was unfolding exactly like the war scenario I had read about in Solo Warrior’s guide. In the case of war, it was particularly difficult to resolve things with individual martial prowess alone. There were more factors to worry about, such as managing the soldiers’ morale, training, and securing military supplies.
“Furthermore, the Holy See stands behind the enemy.”
The Lord trembled, his fists shaking as he spoke in a sorrowful voice.
“However, I can never hand over this land, inherited from my ancestors, to those wretches…!”
The Lord’s resolve was heroic. Regardless, I had to help him to clear the quest. Which meant I had to assist with war preparations. To prepare for war, the priority would be to assess the soldiers’ level and improve the quality of their training.
‘Then, shall I start by strengthening the army?’
I opened my mouth, feigning a dignified voice.
“Let us take a look at your army.”
“Ah, yes. I shall guide you immediately!”
Guided by the Lord, we arrived at the training grounds where the most elite troops in the castle resided. Holding my parasol, I followed the Lord up onto the platform. Then, I scanned the vast training grounds from above.
“Hup!”
“Hyaah!”
Knights were sweating as they swung their swords, and numerous soldiers were diligently training in swordsmanship and spearmanship in formation.
‘Hmm.’
They seemed to be training well enough, but… what did I know? In truth, I had no way of knowing what constituted good or bad training. Originally, it was said that one had to mobilize all of a player’s skills, items, and combat knowledge to boost the soldiers’ performance, but I intended to leave such complex matters to my familiars. Wouldn’t they get stronger on their own if Katarina and Siyeon acted as instructors?
It was just as I was about to scan them and move on that a female knight, swinging her sword alone in one corner, caught my eye.
‘Oh?’
I was surprised to see her.
“Lord. Who is that?”
When I pointed at the knight and asked, the Lord narrowed his eyes to confirm.
“Hmm. As far as I know, she is a new recruit who joined recently. She is merely an apprentice who hasn’t even received her official knighthood yet… is there a problem?”
“Bring her here at once.”
There was a reason for my urgent instruction. On the training grounds where hundreds of soldiers were sweating, only above her head, seen through my Appraisal Eye—
—this status window was floating.