[A Few Days Later]
Rey was walking in the garden, a place he had grown to enjoy visiting.
Among the other beautiful spots in this grand estate, this one stood out to him the most. The flowers were of a different kind than what he had seen on Earth or in H'Trae, but the ambiance felt so peaceful and nostalgic.
It reminded him of home.
The same home that had been destroyed by the Devils who served the Ancient Chaos God.
He hadn't forgotten.
In fact, coming to this garden served as a constant reminder—a way to nurture the burning flames in his heart.
'Since I no longer need to go to the Chaos Dweller Pit, I have a lot of free time on my hands. Other than training and studying, there really is nothing for me to do.' Rey thought to himself as he sat in the garden and opened a book to read.
On the topic of studying, he had been learning as much as he could about this world—especially the power of Ancient MajiK.
It was Curse Art, one of the six Arts of Ancient MajiK, that bound him to his Master, so naturally it would be one of the six that could free him.
He just didn't know which one yet.
Unfortunately, although he had some semblance of freedom, there were still many places and things that were off limits to him.
He couldn't access the library on his own. Not only did he have to take permission from Leon, who was in charge of him, but he also needed the constant supervision of one of the Librarian staff when he went through the library.
This way, his Master would be alerted if he was snooping through suspicious material.
He couldn't research a way to be free in peace—not without triggering Augustus' suspicions, which could revoke his access to information altogether.
Naturally, he also couldn't access all the books in the library.
Just the ones in the "General" section.
'Even if I find a method, it's not like I can utilize it. Such an act is forbidden per the contract I signed…' Rey sighed, analyzing all the obstacles in his path.
But he didn't despair.
After all, it was already a miracle that a slave like him could read and also enjoy moments of relative tranquility.
However, even such moments were not fated to last forever.
"Slave! Cursed brat!" A voice echoed beyond the garden, but before Rey could respond, a familiar figure appeared right outside the garden.
It was none other than Leon.
The moment Rey saw him, his expression darkened.
"There you are, wretched slave." He nearly spat as he addressed Rey.
Over the days, his tone and words towards Rey had gotten more and more vulgar. His expression also showed deep enmity, and he didn't bother hiding his distaste towards Rey and his mixed blood status.
It was also the same for Rey.
He no longer hid his dislike for Leon, and had even gotten bolder over time. Of course, this only went to aggravate the youthful Knight even more.
It was only a matter of time before he snapped.
"Master is looking for you. You're in big trouble now… hehe!" Leon folded his arms, an evil gleam reflecting in his eyes.
Although he had a calm expression, Rey was actually smiling within himself.
'So it's time…'
Rey didn't waste any time, hurriedly closing the book and bringing it with him as he exited the garden.
The moment he left, however, he was shoved forward by Leon and a loud snicker burst from the latter's lips.
"You'll stay at the front this time. I need a guarantee that you won't try to run. Not that you will, since there's the contract…"
"Why would I try to run? What's going on?"
Rey asked this innocently, his tone displaying confusion. However, Leon could not see that his face was perfectly stoic even as he asked this.
Although Leon didn't like Rey, he happily answered this question.
"Someone stole a book from the Library. The library staff found out this morning, and the Young Master was alerted."
"But what does that have to do with me?"
"The book that was stolen was taken from the general section, a place you frequent."
Rey gasped.
"That's it? But I'm not the only one who reads from the general section. Every servant or vassal, with the exception of a few, is limited to that section." Rey retorted, clearly trying to show the unfairness of the situation.
Why was he the prime suspect?
"You're the only servant who has been visiting that place regularly, and all of a sudden a book goes missing after just a few days of your visits. Coincidence, I think not." Leon snorted, glad to see Rey panicking so much.
"B-but—!"
"Zip it!" Leon shoved Rey forward once again. "No other servant has the motive to steal a book. We have had access to the library for far longer than you have and not a single book has gone missing. We also can't suspect the noble members of the house of stealing the book, since they have no reason to. In the end, you're the only viable culprit."
Rey listened to all of this calmly and understood the situation pretty well.
'So this is your scheme, Leon…'
He didn't say anything after this, and instead silently made his way to the Young Master's quarters.
Afterward, he was made to kneel before Augustus Desgarron, who had a displeased expression on his face.
A book of such quality wasn't a major loss to the Desgarron Family. They could purchase thousands of them without even feeling it.
The problem was that it was stolen.
Stolen by someone.
By Rey!
His own slave!!!
"Was it a mistake to give you freedom so early? I trusted you to behave yourself, and not even a week after… this happens?"
Rey heard the false accusations, but didn't retort.
It wasn't yet time.
"I guess the rewards I gave you made you develop a big head, huh? Did you really think you could get away with this? What next? What more will you steal? It appears I will have to discipline you!"
"...."
"I know it's meaningless to ask this, but do you have any words in your defense?"
"I didn't steal the book." Rey spoke truthfully.
Augustus snickered upon hearing those words. He shook his head and snapped his fingers, commanding one of the servants in the room to hand over something to him.
It was a book—the one that had been stolen.
"We found it in your room. Now, I know you think I'll believe you since your contract compels you to tell me the truth, but there are many mental gymnastics you can take that will allow you not to admit the theft." Augustus smiled at Rey, his grin dripping with arrogant cruelty.
He was already so certain it was Rey.
Rey glanced at Logan, and the old man didn't come to his rescue. Leon was also grinning with delight at the sight.
It seemed like all the cards were against him.
But—
'Hehe…hehehehe!'
Rey was actually laughing within himself.
'All according to plan.'