Ch.103103. In the Wild

“This is a scam.”

“Excuse me?”

Rex tilted his head with a bewildered expression. He had been in the middle of a meal when he was suddenly summoned by Charlotte. Though he met with Charlotte less frequently these days, they still occasionally engaged in small talk.

He thought today would be similar.

Inside the office, there was another person he had never seen before.

A woman whose hair and eyes were both tinted purple. Her first impression was harmless, like a small animal, but the moment their eyes met, that thought was immediately erased. The woman merely gazed at him with narrowed eyes. That gaze was not light. The sensation of being thoroughly examined down to his skin, blood vessels, and bones. He had experienced this feeling a few times before.

When meeting an Apostle.

“This is Vivienne.”

Charlotte covered her mouth and chuckled. Before he could consider the meaning of that laugh, a name flashed through Rex’s mind. There are many people in the world, and many who bear the name Vivienne, but as far as Rex knew, there was only one Vivienne who stood on equal footing with Charlotte.

The Order of Wealth.

The Golden Apostle, Vivienne.

“…An Apostle!”

Rex stared at Vivienne with wide eyes. Vivienne still maintained her blank expression, pouting her lips.

“I’m telling you, this is a scam.”

After a long silence, Vivienne finally spoke.

“I wasn’t told there was such a monster in Edenhar. Are you lying about your age? Are you actually over fifty but using magic to alter your appearance?”

“I understand your desire to escape into delusions, but you know that makes no sense. You just saw clearly with that True Gold Vision you’re so proud of, didn’t you?”

Charlotte had witnessed Vivienne activating her blessing the moment Rex entered the room. True Gold Vision is a high-level ability that discerns the value of all things. Even among equals, it’s difficult to deceive True Gold Vision, and for someone of much lower skill like Rex, it would be nearly impossible to break through its power.

“What on earth are you talking about?”

Rex, unaware of the situation, could only wonder. Scam? Monster? These weren’t things one should hear bluntly to their face. He wasn’t particularly offended, but even if he had been, he couldn’t have shown it. After all, the Vivienne before him was a woman who had reached the pinnacle of all sacred practitioners.

“I’ve never doubted my eyes in my entire life. I believed I never would. That belief has been shattered. You, are you really eighteen?”

Vivienne asked in a displeased tone. Just as Rex was about to answer, Vivienne shook her head and continued on her own.

“You must be. Since True Gold Vision is never wrong, you are indeed eighteen years old. To have such radiance at such a young age! Hey, are you perhaps Charlotte’s hidden child?”

“…Keh-huk!”

Rex choked at the sudden question. As he coughed repeatedly, Vivienne tilted her head, resting her chin on her finger.

“No? Then, perhaps Charlotte’s beloved concubine?”

“Do you want to die?”

Charlotte’s eyebrows furrowed. She glared at Vivienne with narrowed eyes. She had never taken a lover in her life. She had never experienced romantic feelings between men and women.

Why would she find any charm in weaklings inferior to herself? That wasn’t the entire reason, but still. Anyway, Vivienne should know this, yet she deliberately made such a tasteless joke, which was irritating.

“If it’s not true, then it’s not. Why are you getting angry?”

“…Thanks to the connection with my master, I am merely training under Charlotte for a while.”

Rex cleared his throat awkwardly as he answered.

“I have no such relationship with Charlotte. By relationship, I mean… that kind between a man and a woman. Though we may not be master and disciple, I consider us to be somewhat close. At least I do.”

Charlotte’s lips twitched at his carefully chosen words. Observing her reaction closely, Vivienne smiled brightly and said:

“Is that so? Then you don’t officially belong to any group. You haven’t received baptism from the Order of the Sword either.”

Once baptized, a sacred practitioner truly becomes a member of an order. Rex had learned the Heavenly Descent Technique and Kaiserion style from Berger and Charlotte, but he had not yet joined the Order of the Sword.

From the beginning, Rex’s god was Kaordix, the God of War. Neither Berger nor Charlotte forced Rex to join, but if they had, it was obvious that Kaordix would have objected first.

When Rex nodded, Vivienne clapped her hands with a bright smile.

“That’s great. Hey, would you like to become my person?”

“What are you doing now?”

“I don’t mean join the order. Just come under me and help with my work. I’ll give you 50,000 gold to start. It’s such a large sum that I can’t give it all in cash; some will be substituted with mansions in the Imperial Capital, servants, and other valuable items. Still, you’ll receive a considerable amount of money.”

“Vivienne. Are you openly trying to steal Rex from me right before my eyes?”

Charlotte approached Vivienne with a distorted expression. Vivienne tilted her head with an innocent look.

“Steal what? You’re talking as if Rex is your possession. You’re mistaken—whatever choice this child makes is his freedom, and you’re not in a position to interfere, are you?”

Charlotte silently stared at Vivienne. Ignoring her gaze, Vivienne continued to smile brightly. Fearing things might escalate, Rex hastily spoke up.

“W-wait… 50,000 gold? You mean actual gold coins? This is moving too fast for me to understand.”

“Think of it simply. Follow me, and you’ll gain all sorts of treasures you’ve never had before. The 50,000 gold is literally just a signing bonus, and I’ll provide additional rewards each time you complete a mission.”

“But why…”

“Because you’re worth it.”

Vivienne examined Rex from head to toe with a peculiar gaze. She evaluates everything in this world by numbers.

50,000. Among all the promising talents shown to Charlotte, none had such value. The highest-valued prodigy was worth 10,000, while Rex was worth 50,000. This was natural. The assessment of value is derived from various factors.

More important than current ability are age, talent, future potential, and so on… Rex doesn’t fall short in any aspect. Perfect. It’s not an expression to be used lightly, but Rex was literally perfect.

“I want to have you.”

Vivienne likes shiny things. Whether people or objects, anything “precious” always shines. A light that captivates and entrances everyone. Rex also had such a light.

“Stop.”

The hand reaching toward Rex’s face halted in mid-air. Vivienne clicked her tongue and turned her head.

“What’s the problem? I admit I lost the bet. Indeed, I didn’t expect there to be such a talent. It’s my defeat. I’ll send the promised Fire Spirit Blade soon. So why can’t I take this child as I please?”

“Rex hasn’t accepted your offer yet.”

“Really?”

Vivienne glanced at Rex with a smirk. Charlotte had been staring at Rex all along. Under the sudden barrage of attention, Rex swallowed dryly.

It was an abrupt proposal.

He had been with Charlotte for nearly three years, and had grown somewhat accustomed to her favors. But he never expected Vivienne, whom he had just met, to show him such goodwill.

Building him a grand mansion in the Imperial Capital Elysium and offering the enormous sum of 50,000 gold.

An ordinary person would have accepted Vivienne’s offer immediately without much thought.

If he were an ordinary person, that is.

“I’m sorry.”

Charlotte raised the corners of her mouth with a triumphant expression. Vivienne furrowed her brow and asked:

“Why? What don’t you like? The amount I offered is as objective as possible. If you want, I can increase it a bit.”

“It’s not about the money.”

“Then—”

“I’ve never particularly wished for a materially abundant life. I already think I’m living quite abundantly. Besides, I haven’t even repaid Charlotte for feeding me and helping me train all this time. How could I just leave? I don’t want to do something so ungrateful.”

“…I really don’t understand.”

Vivienne retorted in a voice of disbelief.

“Is it because you’re young? You don’t know that money is everything. Charlotte probably didn’t teach you for any particular reason; she was just interested in you. So what’s so ungrateful about leaving?”

“I would feel uncomfortable.”

“Feelings? Sure, you might feel uncomfortable. But do feelings put food on the table? In the end, to make a living, you sometimes have to do things you don’t want to do. If other people were here, they’d grab you by the collar and demand to know why you’re kicking away an opportunity that rolled in. I’d bet on it.”

Despite the persistent persuasion, his mind remained unchanged. Rex bowed his head respectfully.

“I appreciate your consideration, but I must decline your offer.”

“Well, there you have it.”

Charlotte said with obvious mockery.

“Why not stop clinging to his pant leg so pathetically? It’s hard to watch a woman of your age begging a young boy.”

“…You know that applies equally to you, right?”

“Those who distance themselves from worldly matters accumulate soul stains more slowly.”

“What, are you saying my soul is dirty?”

“I never said that. It’s up to the listener to interpret. Do you have something to feel guilty about?”

Vivienne gritted her teeth as she stared at Charlotte. It was extremely rare to see her composure disturbed, so Charlotte shifted her gaze with a pleased smile. Rex, caught between them, was scratching his cheek with an awkward expression. Thanks to this guy, she had obtained a precious blacksmith god’s divine object and also scored a point against Vivienne.

‘Cute fellow.’

Charlotte’s smile deepened.

“Fine. He’s certainly too valuable to lose, but if someone’s already claimed him, there’s nothing I can do.”

Vivienne sighed deeply. If she had known this would happen, she would have sent someone else instead of coming herself. She had come to see Charlotte’s face after a long time and intended to tease her a bit, but the loss was greater than expected. Besides the Fire Spirit Blade, there were several other divine weapons from the blacksmith god, but they were too precious to waste on a meaningless bet.

She had belatedly tried to recruit Rex to make up for the loss, but that failed too. In fact, this hurt more than losing the Fire Spirit Blade.

“Stuck in the frontier, he doesn’t even know his own worth.”

Vivienne muttered to herself. She couldn’t leave without gaining anything. So then.

“I have a favor to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Those documents I showed you earlier. Actually, some of those kids have already joined under me.”

“So you took the substance and left me with the dregs?”

“That’s an exaggeration. Anyway, to give the newcomers some experience…”

Vivienne glanced at Rex as she spoke to Charlotte.

“I’d like them to spar with that child. What do you think?”

“A sparring match, huh.”

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders. It meant she didn’t care whether he accepted or declined. After thinking for a moment, Rex carefully opened his mouth.

“Would that be alright?”

“What?”

“The difference in skill level would be quite significant.”

It was rather embarrassing for him to say this himself.