Chapter 3: She's a Good Kid
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
After making sure the girl was lying comfortably on the wooden bed, Baiyi had to address the voices in his head. The voices were all shouting like congressmen trying to pass a bill.
Okay, wait a minute. What kind of weird shit are you all discussing again? Kill her? Rob her of her powers? Occupy her body… lick her thighs— okay… Which one of you perverts came up with that disgusting idea?! Have you all not noticed that this maiden is actually the link between my consciousness and my power?
That's right. Baiyi did not act gentlemanly because he was nice or because she was cute or any other lame reasons. Nope, he had helped the girl because he had realized that his entire being, stifled by this armor, was only connected to his powers purely through the little girl!
It was really infuriating. That feeble human child…acting as the arbiter of his power! Imagine— originally having tremendous energy at your disposal only to have most of it forcefully wasting away in the Void. Each time, only a very fractional amount could make their way into his body, the amount was as pathetic as an average sorcerer's mana. The new power reserve he had was like a pinkie finger compared to his true strength. He could not even perform magic as simple as the Specialized Encasement Shaping Spell!
"Your raw power has been restricted by the energy limiter within her own body," The First Voidwalker, being an expert, finally gave something that resembled an explanation to Baiyi. "That is also why she had fainted—she had overextended herself by performing a spell that expended way more energy than she could offer. So when excessive power surged into her, it caused her to black out."
"So that is why! We should do something to increase her strength in the fastest time possible…" A voidwalker, nicknamed the Devil, added. "And when it comes to instant power-up, nothing beats a Faust Contract! Summon a demon from the deepest abyss of hell, then give up your soul in order to obtain more power. It will definitely work because those horny demons have a thing for young human girls' souls…Mmm…"
"Well, there's also this Lich Transformation Ritual. She's probably going to be a pretty weak lich but I have a ton of versions here, one of them is bound to be perfect for her!" Another voidwalker, nicknamed Lich, chimed in helpfully.
Everything had sounded pretty promising until someone started objecting. The Voidwalker, nicknamed the Paladin, did not wait before he exclaimed in ire, "Halt, you fiends! You cannot do that to her! She could die—this counts as murdering an innocent! I will not let you do as you please, you wretched beings!"
He was not alone. The voidwalker, also known as the Cleric, firmly added, "I, too, oppose this. We will not sacrifice the weak and innocent just because we seek liberation for ourselves."
"SERIOUSLY? How about you guys calm down and get down from that moral high horse, you morons. You're seriously gonna pass up this golden opportunity to escape and watch Sir Hope live like a vermin? Watch us all imprisoned in this void for eons more?!"
"There are better ways than slaughtering an innocent, Sir!"
It was unsurprising since these two factions had never seen things eye-to-eye. Just because you were dead and in purgatory, it did not mean that everyone would suddenly share the same views. Of course, everything had devolved into congress-level nuisance… again.
Baiyi could no longer stand the noise. He cleared his throat and the din gradually subsided.
"Who here has the guts to guarantee that after she had her soul exchanged or after she is turned into a lich that my consciousness would still be intact?"
No one answered. Not a single voidwalker had actually tried that sort of special spell, so naturally no one actually knew for sure what was going to happen.
"Well, not a single one of you can give me a definite answer now, can you?" Baiyi continued after that long pause. "Good. Because I'm not taking any chances. We're gonna make her grow stronger and it's going to take a while, but hey... Hasn't it already been 'a while' since we were stuck in the void? We are accustomed to it already, aren't we? Besides, this isn't going to take long, believe me— because I am right here by her side."
Unwavering confidence radiated from his words. The Voidwalkers knew it was not just empty words either because Baiyi was the most unique among them. Knowing him, it was pretty much given that the girl's growth would be in good hands.
He looked down at his hands that were made out of aged bull's skin. "Oh, and also… I don't suppose any of you actually think that I have become weak just because my strength is a bit average now, right?"
None of them dared to make a sound at all.
The next morning, the girl who had no idea how close she was to death the previous night, finally opened her naïve eyes. Reflected in the bright pupils of her eyes was the silhouette of someone waving at her in a friendly manner and garbed in a dilapidated armor of some kind.
Mia's mind still felt foggy despite being fully awake. She rubbed her eyes, her mind struggling to remember what had happened. It was another failed attempt at Soul Armature Summoning, except she had a nagging feeling that it did not fail? Something had happened and then she blacked out?
And now there was a really worn-out armor waving at her. Maybe it really did not fail after all! What? Mia shook her head. Her shiny black hair, fashioned into a twin horsetail, swung around.
A deep, husky voice that conjured up an image of a dependable and mature man underneath that armor spoke, "Hey, nice to meet you. I'm Hope." Baiyi said, slowly approaching the girl as he extended his right hand for a friendly handshake.
The girl just looked at him with a stunned expression on her face.
Did she damage her brain from oversleeping? Baiyi thought to himself. However, outwardly, he said, "Is something the matter? Did I frighten you?"
Mia snapped herself out of her bewilderment, shaking her head. "N-no, sir. I was just… I was just surprised… I mean, I did not expect myself to… to… Like, wow…"
A triumphant grin appeared on her lips. She stuck her tongue out in glee before she extended her fair hand and gripped his rough bull-skin glove. "My apologies, sir! My name is Mia, I am a sophomore at Celestial Fortress Academy. V-very pleased to meet you, Mr. Hope!"
Hmm. So that was it. She was simply too happy that when what she had been hoping for happened suddenly, it stunned her. That, Baiyi could understand. He had been studying the summoning circle while she was asleep last night— the faint traces of repetitive and earnest corrections did not go unnoticed. The girl had clearly been putting a lot of work into it for a while now.
"Well, she's definitely not gifted… But I'll admit that little chick sure is very determined. That's a good sign!" The First Voidwalker, the Archmage, commented after seeing those corrective marks on the circle.
Mia seemed to have warmed up to his presence as she added ruefully, "I think… I-I think I accidentally blacked out last night. Sorry that I couldn't welcome you properly…"
"That's really alright," Baiyi's voice was warm. "We are going to spend quite some time together from now on. I will be keeping you company as your teacher… and as your friend."
If Mia could remember one of the passages in her textbook, she would have remembered that "being a teacher and a companion" was exactly the designated job scope for a Guardian. It was clear that it was just Baiyi playing around with words, placing emphasis on the word friend to make himself seemed more approachable.
That, of course, achieved its intended effect. Mia's heart fluttered, because unlike the rumors that she had heard, she did not summon any cruel or harsh Soul Armature. Instead, she got herself this amicable Mr. Hope! It was definitely a win!
….or maybe not. Eyeing the dilapidated state of the Militia's Full Plate Armor that Mr. Hope was wearing, she hung her head down in embarrassment. A voidwalker this nice did not deserve a hand-me-down outfit like this! Even worse, Mr. Hope did not seem to mind at all and that somehow made her feel even more ashamed of herself.
"Um, Mr. Hope? I-I'm.. I'm sorry…" Mia's words came out in an apologetic stutter. She swallowed her sheepishness and her tiny hands were balled into fists as she said resolutely, "I-I'll work hard to get you a better armor, sir! I promise!"
Seeing such a young face displaying that much mettle and determination, Baiyi could not help but believe her sincerity. After all, trying to earn a couple of bucks in Celestial Fortress Academy was not the easiest task. The fastest way to earn money was to be a teacher's assistant— it was not a job that anyone could do; it was a privilege reserved for those who are distinguished. Mediocre students like Mia were usually placed in the "Low Priority" lane.
Other methods to earn money included writing academic treatises, assisting teachers in developing new alchemical products or new spells— and unfortunately none of that were doable for someone like Mia. The only few things that she could probably perform reasonably well enough in would be… Cleaning. And moving items around. Basically, unimportant errands.
Baiyi was previously informed by another voidwalker (nicknamed Scholar), so he knew of her predicament. His heart moved a little at the girl's kindness—hey, he would admit it. The girl was pretty adorable.
And he was not the only one who thought so. Even the Archmage gave his approval, "She's a good kid. It was right of you to have refused those suggestions."
There was no way any self-respecting voidwalker would want a minor, who had not even turn 16, to work tooth-and-nail for them.
"I appreciate your sentiments, Mia, but there is really no need for that," Baiyi smiled as he politely dismissed her. "I'm not picky about appearance…"
"But--!"
"What is more important is that we should be equipping ourselves with knowledge and not fret over some bronze and brass." He held his hand up to quiet the girl.
He's right. And he's really gentle too. Mia thought to herself as her short-sighted intention finally faded away.