Negotiation
""".........."""
In the dead of night, a profound silence began to settle over the forest.
Countermeasure search complete!
"Hm?"
Amid that silence, Kania spotted the system window floating in midair and tilted her head quizzically.
Return the soul to its original state.
"......?"
Return the soul to its original state immediately.
The entity her young master called the system had suddenly begun issuing commands directly to her.
"Are you speaking to me right now?"
To interact, please activate the help function.
Wearing an incredulous expression as she asked, Kania read the text hovering before her eyes and murmured softly.
"...Help."
She recalled how her young master had once muttered something similar whenever he used the system.
Help function activated!
With a cheerful sound effect, a new window opened, and Kania began glaring quietly at the contents before her.
You are currently violating the rules of this world.
Such actions disrupt the balance, so please restore the original state immediately.
"Restore the original state?"
As Kania asked with a puzzled expression, new text appeared below the floating system message.
Return Frey Raon Starlight's soul to its original body.
Tapping her knee with a finger as she read the imperious tone—like a superior commanding a subordinate—Kania soon let out a scoffing laugh.
"...And if I refuse?"
The system displayed no response to her question.
"Why should I obey you? You're the culprit who tormented my young master so much."
Watching the exchange, Kania began murmuring in a cold voice.
Refusing the proposal benefits neither side.
I warn you: return the soul to its original state right now.
But the system's response was even more aggressive, merely issuing another command.
"No."
With her resolve hardening, Kania quietly caressed the magic circle etched on her abdomen. Watching her anxiously from the side, Clana and Irina cautiously asked.
"Kania? What the hell is going on?"
"Miss Kania, don't tell me... you're talking to the system right now?"
"Wait, Clana. How do you know about the system?"
"Y-Yes? W-Well..."
Ignoring them as she sank into thought, Kania soon smiled and spoke.
"From how you're keep pressing me, it seems there's some extremely important reason why my young master's soul must return to his body right now?"
The system remained silent.
"Or perhaps, because my young master's soul and mine have fused, creating what you call an error... and now you can no longer influence him?"
Even as Kania posed another question, the system stayed unresponsive.
As if she'd struck a nerve.
"...Or maybe both?"
Only after Kania whispered mockingly did the system display another window before her.
If the soul is not returned within 10 seconds, the penalty on Frey Raon Starlight will be imposed on you instead.
"That's exactly what I wanted. It was my plan all along."
A red window appeared before her, beginning its countdown, but Kania merely smiled and continued stroking her abdomen.
6, 5, 4...
"In any case, I've been nothing but a parasite living off my young master's life force."
3, 2, 1...
"So, I'll gladly accept the penalty."
As the countdown reached zero, Kania said this with a smile and closed her eyes.
".........Hm?"
But even after a long moment passed, no penalty came.
"As expected, you can't affect me because of this so-called error."
A triumphant smile spread across Kania's face as she declared to the system before her in a proud voice.
"So, who's in charge now?"
It was a victory crafted by Kania, who had long since decided not to trust the system her young master possessed.
"W-What is that?"
"My god."
"Miss Clana? Miss Irina? Why are you suddenly... Huh?"
But Kania's triumphant smile didn't last long.
Rrrrumble...
"The... the sun?"
Suddenly, the sun rose into the pitch-black night sky.
"What the..."
Despite the hour of dawn being far off, defying all laws, the sun ascended into the heavens, emitting a hazy light in all directions as it trembled.
"...From what I remember, the sun went out."
"What?"
"When Frey died, the sun went dark."
Gazing at it, Clana's face drained of color as she murmured, her hands trembling uncontrollably.
"That sun right now... it's not going out, but it's emanating an ominous aura. Which means..."
"Which means?"
"Something's happened to the sun because of the change in Frey."
As her words ended, a system window appeared before Kania.
Please restore Frey's soul to its original state now.
Otherwise, the world will face its end.
Unlike the previous aggressive, commanding tone, this message felt somehow desperate.
Puzzled by the shift, Kania quietly asked.
"Why will the world end?"
To explain simply: Frey's soul has left his body, but he's still alive, causing a problem.
Too late for a detailed explanation.
Reading it, Kania sighed and said.
"Fine, then... let's make a deal."
Silence fell for a moment after her words.
"I don't know what this phenomenon is, but seeing how urgently you're rushing... it seems if it ends, you won't be safe either."
This system is merely a helper to assist Frey...
Before the message could finish, Kania cut in coldly.
"Lies. If you were truly helping him, you'd have overlooked the error when it occurred."
Crossing her arms with a resolute expression, the clearly desperate system began flooding messages without pause.
If left as is, the sun will shatter to pieces.
The world will end.
"That's why I'm proposing a deal. You don't want to die either, do you?"
The system you're seeing is just data displaying text...
"Don't lie. Then why have I been sensing such a familiar aura from the system window floating in the air since earlier?"
And she was right.
Ever since the sun appeared, the system window had been emanating an aura all too familiar to Kania.
A thick concentration of black magic.
Rrrrrrumble!!
"I've had a rough idea of your true nature for a while now. So drop the pathetic tricks and accept the deal."
Sensing the black magic, Kania spoke calmly while watching the increasingly unstable sun.
"Ending everything like this isn't what you want either, is it?"
Then, text appeared before her.
Quest Content: Restore Frey's soul to its original state.
Reward: Nullify lifespan reduction for this penalty only (The already imposed 'vitality reduction' as a penalty cannot be withdrawn by this system.)
Cost: In exchange for not reducing Frey's lifespan, the following curse will be imposed on the current system holder, 'Kania'.
"...A cost?"
As Kania read on, she frowned at the word 'cost'.
This system is obligated to impose a penalty equivalent to half of Frey's remaining lifespan.
Thus, if you want a deal, an equivalent cost must be paid.
"So, what curse are you imposing?"
As the target of this curse, you will become one with Frey in the truest sense.
If Frey feels pain, so will you; if he feels sorrow, so will you.
A curse perfectly suited to you, his loyal servant.
"Ha, how fitting."
Reading the description, Kania snorted.
"You must be really desperate."
With that, she rose and began walking slowly.
"Kania...?"
"W-What the..."
Passing Clana and Irina, who were listening to her mutterings and anxiously observing the trembling sun overhead.
One step toward Frey, slumped unconscious against a distant tree.
And another.
"Young master."
Stopping before him, Kania whispered softly.
"From now on, I'll be with you."
Shiiiine...
Quietly infusing black magic into the circle on her abdomen to awaken his soul.
"So rest easy and return now."
Activating the magic circle, Kania reached out toward Frey.
"Then, just one last thing remains."
But she paused her hand midway.
Whiiiir...
"...Show me proof that I can trust you."
She glared at the status window, now emanating an even denser, sinister aura.
"A quest issued under the system's interference isn't enough to make me trust you. You can intervene anytime you want, after all."
This system has no authority to interfere with quests...
"No matter what you say, it's just empty words, so it's hardly trustworthy."
Even as the sun in the sky began twisting ominously, enough to instill dread just by looking.
"So prove that everything you've said is true, and that you won't impose the penalty on my young master."
Placing her hand on Frey's heart, Kania smiled slyly.
"As you said, it seems only seconds remain before the sun shatters, so hurry up."
To confirm her suspicions thus far.
Prepared to return his soul to his body at any moment before the sun truly shattered.
She issued her final challenge to the system.
A black system window—one that had never appeared before—materialized before her eyes.
"W-What? This aura?"
"It's not Miss Kania's black magic...?"
The window emanated black magic so potent that even Clana and Irina could sense it.
"As expected, you were the one my damned parents served."
Gazing at the black system window with a triumphant smile, Kania watched as...
Zzzzap!!
"Gaaahhh!!"
...Frey's soul, fused with hers, began slowly separating and returning to his original body.
"Urgh..."
The excruciating pain assaulting her body, the chill of the curse from the system seeping into her bones.
Feeling Frey's soul and the system's power slowly withdrawing from her, Kania...
"Was it mind reading you shouted? I remembered hearing it a few times before..."
...finally indulged in the one action she'd been dying to try, possible only now.
"Ha."
And upon seeing what was likely the last system window of her life...
Frey Raon Starlight's current emotions: Worry, Affection, Love
"...Me too."
She replied softly and gently closed her eyes.
The moment when one-sided became mutual.