The sky was dark today. Cold wind and rain battered the ground as Max stepped out of the hut. Yet no one seemed bothered by it. The villagers worked as they always did, taking slight cover from the rain but never shying away from getting wet. That shocked him. Life in this place functioned like an anthill.
Several unwelcoming eyes turned toward him. Whispers spread like wildfire even through the storm, as if guiding him toward humiliation. Rosalia shot the people a warning glare, making them turn their heads back to their work.
Her white hair clung to her worn-out shirt. The linen fabric kept her body from being exposed, but Max still couldn't help sucking in a cold breath at the sight of her. To him, she was beautiful from every angle. His eyes accidentally dropped to her ass, and the soft roundness of it made his mind spin. She was exactly the kind of woman he adored.
"Listen well, Max." Rosalia turned to him, making him quickly shift his gaze to the side, pretending the rain had gotten into his eye. "A magic awakening is no small expense for our village. Since you said you wanted to work, then after your awakening, I'll have you work here until you pay off your debt. Do you agree?"
Her eyes shone like gems reflecting fire. She wanted what was best for her clan, and because of that, she had decided to give him a chance. Despite their lack of food, they needed manpower. Both she and her father knew that all too well. But the secret of the village still weighed heavily on their shoulders.
A storm of emotions hit Max all at once. The old him would have already tried to run. But now, something inside him had shifted. His gaze made Rosalia take a small step back. For a brief moment, he looked somewhat like a real man, his shoulders broad despite his weakened state.
"I'm not much of a man right now, but I want to become one. If magic can give me the power to build bridges and houses, then I'll be the tool you need. I'm not someone who forgets the kindness shown to me." He held his hand out toward her, making Rosalia turn her head slightly to the side.
"Shake my hand. Let it be our promise," he continued.
Before she could respond, his other hand gently took her right hand and placed it in his palm, his fingers closing around hers with firm but careful warmth.
A pink blush rose to her cheeks. Even in the rain, she looked unbearably cute. Her heart skipped a beat the moment their hands touched. Even if she had hugged younger boys before to comfort them, she had never touched someone her own age so intimately.
Then the air above him twisted and rippled. A black system screen manifested before his eyes, golden letters blazing across it like a command.
[New Quest Received: Conquer Rosalia's Heart]
[Reward: Ice Dragon Bloodline]
[Current Bond Percentage: 3%]
Max's eyes couldn't help but lock onto the air above him for a split second. He already knew Rosalia wasn't simple, and he liked her as more than just a random friend, but he had never expected the system to make the first move, demanding that he make her fall for him—or at least, that was how he understood the meaning behind the bond percentage.
"Max, are you okay?" Rosalia tugged lightly at his hand.
"Ah? Yes. I was just thinking about what kind of magic I could possibly possess." One thing he knew how to do well was lie, and he looked far too sincere while saying it. In a way, it was true, but he also needed to buy time for the system to finish awakening his magic before he underwent whatever Rosalia had prepared for him. There were still twenty minutes left.
"Quickly, let's go and see." Even the people who hated Max were stunned to see the chief's daughter so enthusiastic about something. They didn't know whether to curse Max to death for touching her or thank him for making her smile so brightly. Most had already accepted that Max would likely be staying for a while, but they were still prepared to make a formal complaint to Chief Henry later.
Soon, after walking past the foul-smelling pig pens and shabby buildings, Max finally crossed the muddy ground and reached a stone platform. It looked like night and day compared to the rest of the village. A large marble altar stood in the middle, rising sharply toward the sky. Its golden tip decorated the pointed end, and from Max's perspective, it looked like a giant sundial.
"What is that?"
"That is the Altar of the Gods." A voice as deep as the ocean cut through the rain and wind. Rosalia immediately let go of Max's hand and hid it behind her back as her father stepped forward from behind them.
Max turned to see a middle-aged man with a nasty scar running down his left cheek. Today, he wore a thick dark-brown hood that shielded him from the weather. Several other figures followed behind him, dressed in the same way.
One of them looked around Max and Rosalia's age. His eyes were dark green, sharp as a serpent's. His gaze lingered on Max and Rosalia for a long moment, and something dark stirred inside him, making him clench his fists.
"What a grand name..." Max couldn't help but mutter in awe as he stared at the towering structure, which stood at least ten meters high.
"Rosalia told me a little about you, Max," Henry continued, extending his large hand from beneath his robe. Max returned the greeting with a firm handshake. "Despite your age, you still haven't formed your magic. May I ask why?" His grip locked Max in place, not allowing him to pull away unless he gave a good enough answer.
"Where I come from, no one knows magic." For once, he didn't fully lie.
"No one knows magic? Who are you trying to fool?" The young man with the dark green eyes dropped his hood, revealing long dark-brown hair. "Everyone in this world is born with it. Are you saying you're a useless mutt, and all your people are worms crawling on the ground? Do you feel no shame toward your ancestors?"
Max rolled his eyes. He had seen plenty of idiots in his life, but not one quite like this. He knew he had to hold himself back, swallow the humiliation, and stay quiet, but this person, and the way he looked at Rosalia, made something burn inside his chest.
"If you're too blind to see that I'm living proof of it, then how can you claim you're not the one shaming your ancestors?" he said with a shrug.
At once, Henry's grip tightened to the point that it nearly crushed his bones. A dangerous look settled on his face, one Max could not read. All he knew was that he might have just messed up—but at least he wasn't a coward.