He stepped into the carriage, wiping the blood from the graze on his cheek. His hand lingering on the doorframe longer than he should have, eyes meeting the womens unflinching gaze. Unnatural. Like a pond reflecting lightening without a ripple. For a moment, he wondered which of them should be more afraid
Her long and silvery-white hair spilled down her shoulders, loose strands catching the faint sunlight through the cracked window. Her light blue eyes met his, both Sharp and Assessing. Measuring him the same way he measured her. Her face carried the unmistakable stamp of nobility.
But what truly caught his eye wasn't her demeanor but her unnatural poise. Not an ounce of uneasiness and not even flinching after what he had just done.
Vergil leaned against the doorway, tilting his head. "How composed." He said. "Others would scream in your position."
Eleanor barely even blinked. Instead, she smoothed her midnight-blue dress, fingers tracing the embroidered patterns. "If a conversation is required. Then you need me."
A pause. His smirk faltered just enough to betray surprise.
Two predators realizing the other wasn't prey.
He'd expected her to panic, plead, or perhaps arrogant defiance given her noble status. Instead, she met him with a steady gaze, her voice laced with intrigue rather than fear.
That made her interesting and increased her value even more!
"Who's after you?"
"Family." Her fingers brushed a faint bruise at her throat. "Ambition makes men… impatient."
"So, a noble squabble?"
"A clean word for murder."
Still curious, Vergil continued. "An obstacle to what?"
Her gaze flickered toward the broken window. Only bones remained thanks to this monster in front of him. She could only sigh before speaking. "Power. My existence complicates his claim to the household. Rather than deal with me politically, he chose the simple route."
Vergil scoffed. "Simpler? Sending disposable mercs to kill you in the middle of nowhere?"
A faint and bitter smile curved her lips. "He's quite the cautious person. It's easier to deny involvement if this incident comes to light if they don't link back to him."
Vergil folded his arms. "This isn't over you know. If he learns you're alive. He will try again."
Eleanor neither flinched nor wavered. "Yes he will. He will try again and again until I'm dead. But now I have you." Her hands stilled over her dress. Her voice calm but her eyes flickered faintly.
Silence stretched. Vergil flinched at the statement, before he started laughing. "Me?
Ha, me? Why the hell do you think that?"
"You won't kill me," she said.
"And why's that?"
"Because people like you never kill what they find useful."
Vergil rolled his shoulders, eyes narrowing. 'She's played her cards already. How smart.'
"I was debating," his tone low and serious.
"Whether to kill you or keep you around. You're quite the noble yourself. A mage at that."
Eleanor tilted her head, studying him. "And if I refuse?" For the first time her body flinched. Just a twitch, but she steadied herself just as quick.
Vergil smirked. "You won't. Because your only option is me."
A pause. Then, Eleanor chuckled softly. "I suppose not."
Vergil studied her silently. Eleanor wasn't meant to be used as leverage or bait. She was a valuable 'First Piece.'
She wasn't a damsel or a liability.
She was the first mark on his invisible board. Every king began somewhere. Every empire needed its first piece.
But raw potential is nothing if not harnessed properly or ended up dead before maturing.
Vergil would give her both.
A grin curled along his face. "You're not in position to deny my help."
Her eyes narrowed, but her tone stayed flat. "And I believe you're not offering it for free, are you?"
Sharp. That was good. A piece that could think without its master.
"Of course not," Vergil said, chuckling. "You've got everything that I value. Rare things. It would be a waste if you don't know how to use them."
She didn't answer, but he caught the shift in her posture, the flicker in her eyes.
"I really don't want to waste a good piece," he added.
Her fingers dragged absently over her dress, thinking. "And if I still refuse?"
His grin widened. "Then I would have no choice but to eat you. That would very much sadden me. But I believe you would follow me, to reach greater heights."
The silence that followed was heavy. But Vergil already knew her answer.
She was no fool.
At last, Eleanor exhaled. "Very well."
The first piece had been obtained.
"Before we go anywhere, you'll need different clothes," Vergil said, glancing at her noble dress. Too fine. It's too... eye-catching.
She just smiled. "Unless you happen to have a noble's wardrobe tucked away, I don't have any spares. Do you?"
Vergil's mind drifted briefly, Edran's corpse... 'I guess it could work.'
Without another word, Vergil stepped out, retrieving the set from his inventory. When he returned, he tossed the clothes onto the seat beside her. "Put these on."
She lifted the coarse sleeve between two fingers, the faintest crease forming between her brows. "Hardly refined."
"Then lower your standards."
For the first time, something small and human passed over her face. Loss, maybe but it vanished before he could name it.
She let out a soft laugh of amusement, tilting her head. "And are you stepping outside, or planning to watch?"
Vergil leaned against the doorframe, smirk sharpening with each word. "That depends, should I be worried you'll stab me the second I turn my back?"
Eleanor's eyes glimmered with faint sense of amusement. "Would it make you nervous?"
"Not in the slightest." He pushed off the frame. "But fine. I'll give you your privacy."
As he stepped outside, the system's voice crackled in his head.
[Cmon. Don't lie, you wanted that front-row seat.]
Vergil rolled his eyes. "Shut up."
[Guilty bastard, tell me.]
"Not guilty."
[Ha! You hesitated, gotcha]
"…What if I did," he muttered. "So what?"
[So what? That means you're the average and predictable perv.] the system teased.
Vergil scowled. "It's called being cautious. What if she had a knife?"
[Sure. And leaning on the frame like some smug bastard is part of caution?]
"I am a smug bastard."
[And predictable.] It repeated.
The carriage door creaked. Eleanor stepped out, adjusting the shirt that was too big, sleeves rolled to her wrists. The trousers sat low on her hips, cinched by a belt. Boots scuffed, hair untied. Less aristocrat, more wanderer. And it fit her.
"Well?" she asked, chin lifting. "Do I look... passable at least?"
Vergil smirked. "Like a noble who just robbed a commoner."
She hummed softly. "Fitting. Considering my new company."
"We're leaving," he said.
"Fine."
At least she didn't argue.
[Hey, uh I forgot to mention.]
"What is it?" Vergil thought, bracing for the system to crack another joke.
[She's...]
"Okay, what is it?"
[She's one of the few with the potential to reach the peak of her class and gain benefits from the Confidant function.]
"How can you be so useless? How did you forget that?" Vergil muttered in a mocking tone.
[Just... innit.]
"Why are you talking to yourself?" Eleanor asked.
"It's nothing," Vergil spoke.
With the noble silk gone, so too was her old life. All that remained was a broken down carriage, as they turned and walked towards the village. Carrying only silence and their burdens with them.
As they walked back toward the village, the afternoon sun spilling across the dirt road as Eleanor's gaze caught his torn shirt with its sleeves shredded and back exposed.
She smirked. "Did your shirt lose a fight, or is this the latest fashion trend?"
"Fucking big rats." Vergil muttered.
Eleanor raised a brow. "Rats did that?"
"Yeah. Fucking big rats." He repeated once more, not wanting to talk about it.
She chuckled lightly. "Not quite the scars I imagined."
He glanced at her, expression unreadable. "Then please don't imagine."
Silence stretched between them as they approached the village.
"Eleanor," he said calmly, with quiet authority, "at the guild, don't ever use your family name unless you want the wrong kind of attention."
"That's fine," she said without hesitation.
Vergil said nothing, keeping a steady face, his eyes facing forward.
He handed Eleanor a few copper coins, expression unreadable. "Go to the inn and get a room. I have something to take care of."
Eleanor nodded, pocketing the money without question before heading off.
She'll be alright without me.
[Better than you at least.]
Vergil stepped into the guild, the air was thick with sweat and ale as usual, behind the counter. Elina shuffled papers, her eyes shooting up after noticing him.
"Vergil?" she frowned, taking in his state. "What happened to you?"
"
"Fucking big rats," he said, the edge of a grin tugging despite himself.
Elina didn't press. She had never seen his smile like that. He dropped the Astralyth stones from the Oververmin and its guards on the counter. "Turns out they weren't just small ones."
Elina let out a low whistle. "No kidding. These are from the Oververmin? You took it down alone?"
"Do I get a bonus?" he asked, ignoring her surprise.
She counted quickly. "Reward was one silver. With these three." She slid the coins across.
"Ill go inform the chief that they can return and rebuild the village."
Vergil silently nodded, pocketing them, silent. Almost one gold gone just to survive those rat bastards. But the skills were worth it. Worth every coin. Step by step, I'll climb and no one will stop me.
He turned and walked straight for the library.
The problem became clear the moment he began trying to manipulate mana. Magic wasn't something he could brute force his way past.
He needed time to grasp the basic fundamental concepts of mana flow, and applying them was a whole another matter. He just couldn't comprehend what was wrong, no matter how many times the librarian explained it.
It wasn't just knowledge that was needed, most mages learned under mentors who guided them through the intricacies of magic, books can only do so much.
Vergil clenched his jaw. I could ask Elvira, but I should try myself.