A week later—
Death had managed to gain a fearsome reputation throughout all of Sofia. From the lowest peasants to the highest authorities, a mere look from him was enough to make people beg for their lives, as it did not take long for everyone to learn of his level and abilities, spread from mouth to mouth by a few leakers within the guild.
They had reason to fear him. Such an existence was far beyond the norm, not only for humans but also for non-humans and monsters alike. Even the goddess Aqusta grew deeply concerned when she heard of the extent of his power. She went as far as to summon him to meet her at her altar, which was guarded by her loyal followers.
It took some time for him to comfort her and make her understand that she had nothing to fear from him. He reminded her that he was currently bound to her due to the terms of the contract he had made with the Silver Cats, under her name and authority. As long as she, her followers, the citizens, and the adventurers did not make the first move against him, he was unable to act against them.
For all intents and purposes, she was the Master of Death for the time being, something he told her she could proudly boast about to her fellow gods and goddesses.
And it seemed to have worked quite well, as he could see the vanity in her eyes, along with arrogance and pride, as she likely imagined the shocked faces of her fellow gods and goddesses.
He did not care about such things, as long as they did not interfere with his goal.
"Master Death, are you sure I would be of any use to you?"
A decent-looking woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, likely in her late thirties, asked him. She was dressed in simple white-and-brown clothing, holding a brown leather hand pouch tied to her waist, along with a few small vials of various colors.
"You will be Serene. Anything or anyone that exists can be useful, if one knows where and how to utilize them."
"But I am just a fallen noble. I do not even have talent for magic, nor skill with the sword like a warrior."
"So what? Did you not tell me that you had traveled across various countries and small independent states, that you knew many languages and cultures, and much more, when I saw you on the slave ship?"
It was two days ago, when a slave ship had arrived at the docks. Apparently, buying slaves was legal in Sofia, as well as many other independent city-states, though far less so in larger countries.
"I do..."
"Then you have something I can use for my benefit. And drop the Master. I am Death, simple as that. Death cannot be a master, for I am equal to all, no matter the standing an individual may have."
Serene looked at him. He could see that her eyes were still lowered, and he could tell that doubt still lingered within her.
"But do I, no... do we really deserve the freedom you have given us? You freed me, my entire family, and our loyal servants, yet we cannot give you anything meaningful in return."
"That does not matter to me. I have no material needs."
"Even so... why do you trust me? You know my history, my family's history, and what kind of individuals we are. You know how many atrocities we committed, yet you still freed us, allowing us to live in this mansion of yours..."
Serene and her family, the Gracehelms, were a particularly cruel and corrupt noble house. They had ruled over an estate in the country of Norim, south of Sofia across the ocean. The monarchy there had been overthrown just two months ago, along with its aristocracy, after years of suffering inflicted upon the poor.
They were infamous for their cruelty toward the peasants living under their control.
For instance, Serene herself had a habit of peeling the skin from young peasant girls she believed were more beautiful than her. She would bathe in their blood, and that was only the beginning. She had also engaged in acts far more depraved, acts better left unspoken.
Yet despite all of that...
She stood free before Death. The thought that he was the one who had freed her was clear in her mind. Death could read it easily, as it was written plainly across her face.
"That was in the past, and it has nothing to do with your present. We will not speak of this anymore beyond this point. Now come... it is time for your first quest," Death said as a scythe manifested in his grasp. Its shaft was black as charcoal, and its blade white as fresh snow, which he held firmly in his hands.
The two of them left his room and walked down the stairs, servants lining the halls, bowing as they greeted them. They were all loyal servants of Serene, all women, once sold as slaves along with her entire household, now free because of him.
He had little use for them, as they were ordinary humans, weak and fragile, aside from maintaining the mansion.
As they walked through the hallway, a figure suddenly wrapped its arms around his bony body from behind.
The figure was small, tiny, with little hands.
A child.
A human child.
"Master Death!"
"What is it, little Leona?"
He gently freed himself from Leona's grasp and turned to face her. She looked up at him with tearful eyes, her small hands clenched tightly.
"Please do bring something for me!"
"Leona! Do not speak to Master... ei, I mean... to Death like that! We are already receiving more kindness than we deserve!"
Death watched quietly as Serene scolded her little sister.
"But... but..."
Leona wanted to argue, but the words did not come out. Fear crept into her expression as Serene's face hardened.
"It is fine. I will see to it," Death said, ending the scene before it could drag on further. To him, this was nothing more than a waste of time. The longer they lingered, the further he drifted from his goals.
"You do not—"
Death cut Serene off mid-sentence by placing his bony fingers lightly against her lips. He shook his head once, silently telling her it was time to go. She nodded in understanding.
"But while I am away, Leona, I want you, your parents, and the servants to restrain your habits. For example, no more pulling the eyes from visitors' sockets and playing marbles with them. That is something you used to do, Leona, but this is not Norim. There will be no such fun here. You are no longer nobles, nor do you hold any influence here. Spread this word to everyone in the mansion."
Death spoke calmly to Leona, though the warning carried weight. It would be troublesome if anything amusing happened in his absence. If they disobeyed, he would simply kill them all. Besides, they were not technically citizens of Sofia and were excluded from the protection they had once held under his contract with the Silver Cats.
He could harm them however he pleased.
But that was something to think about later. He refocused his thoughts as Leona ran off to inform her parents, while Serene and he left the mansion together.
As they walked through the streets of Sofia, many eyes followed them. Most belonged to commoners, while some came from city patrol guards. Their gazes were fixed mostly on him, not on Serene. No one knew who she truly was, only that she was one among many slaves he had brought back and freed.
For what reason, no one knew except him.
Soon, they reached the east gate, the only gate that connected Sofia to other states by land, as the south, north, and west gates all opened toward the surrounding ocean.
"Where are we going, Death?"
"A rescue quest. Apparently, a few newbie adventurers have been trapped inside a nearby dungeon, close to the Ingris Mountain."
"Is it the same dungeon where you met Silver Cats?"
"No. That one was on the opposite side of the mountain. This one is in much closer proximity."
"I see...."
"I actually did not want to take this quest, but it was personally offered to me by the Guild Master. All top adventurers are currently busy in an inter-guild coalition, helping a so-called brave hero fight against a Demon Lord that seems to have risen in the far northeast."
"Coalition?... But Death... once the Demon Lord is dealt with, would they not band together and attack you?"
"You do not have to worry about that. I have a trump card for such a scenario, and I am already expecting it to happen."
It did not matter how many people came, nor what races they were composed of. As long as Death held his trump card, he could easily come out on top.
For he was Death. From what he had gathered, excluding the gods, there were few with the power to truly oppose him.
Even the Hero and the Demon Lord were nothing more than minor challenges to him.
However, if they ever decided to band together, assuming they even discovered his existence, which soon happened due to Silver Cats being part of the coalition, along with many other high-ranking adventurers of Sofia who would likely reveal his existence to the Hero, then the information would inevitably spread to the Demon Lord as well. Once both of them understood what kind of threat he truly posed, that situation would indeed become troublesome.
Would he be able to win against both of them?
The answer was yes.
He would.