The Thirst for Power

"Speaking of which," Lude glanced at Sally's clothes, "does the Collector not pay you a salary?"

Sally was dazed for a moment before snapping back to reality. Looking at the handsome and rugged Lude before her, she shrank her neck slightly and spoke:

"They do, but not much. Only high-quality goods, like that small knife of yours, can fetch a bit more money. Most of my usual earnings go toward buying grain, oil, salt, and wine."

"And..."

Sally stammered, lowering her head even further, "I always thought clothes were just something to wear, so I never paid much attention to them."

Lude frowned immediately: "That boss of yours is truly stingy."

Sally gave a bitter smile: "At the end of the day, I was the one who begged her for a job opportunity. After all, making money in Blackwater Town is not easy for kids like us."

As she spoke, she sighed sorrowfully: "If only... sigh, if only we were working for you instead."

Last night, she had been very curious about why the bartender looked at Lude with such reverence, so, emboldened by the alcohol, she had asked—and that was how she learned of Lude's famous motto.

The words that remained fresh in her memory: "I don't like to let the people who work for me suffer a loss."

"That can be arranged." Lude rolled some cheddar cheese and arugula into a slice of Iberia ham and chewed thoughtfully.

"Huh?" Sally was slightly stunned.

"I said it can be arranged," Lude said while chewing. "I happen to have some errands that need doing."

"Before you hand over the things you find to the Collector, you can bring them to me to take a look first. If there's anything I'm interested in, I guarantee I will offer a higher reward than the Collector."

"Besides that, I need some special items."

"Those things might not show any abnormalities through your lens, but you can try to sense them with your sixth sense, or perhaps they are just things that look strange to the naked eye. I want all of them."

"If you can find items that meet my requirements, I can pay you in Sol or any other form of currency."

The request Lude made was well-considered, as he had previously borrowed Sally's lens to study them; the spiritual essence within true [Materials] was stable.

The spiritual essence on the items Sally collected was always active, which meant it was merely contaminated and would dissipate over time.

From this perspective, the price the Collector offered was actually quite reasonable.

These items were of little value to the Collector, and the same went for Lude—or even more so. They might be used as one-time consumables in rituals, but they were of little use in alchemy.

For Lude, having more materials for experimentation was always a good thing.

Currently, the materials Lude could get his hands on were all plants and fungi, most of which were used to concoct consumables.

The only materials Lude had for smelting were ordinary steel; while it was enough to forge Resist-Steel, having better materials was always a plus.

Hearing Lude's offer, Sally was overjoyed: "That's wonderful! I'll contact Silverback and Crow the moment I get back!"

The two did not speak for the rest of the meal. After Lude finished the last boiled egg, they stood up to pay the bill and left the cafe. However, just as they reached the front door, Lude stopped.

He gestured to the waiter, who then brought over a cloth bag.

"Take this."

Lude smiled and handed the bag to Sally:

"This is for Silverback and Crow. Take it with you when you discuss the work with them. Don't let them think you're keeping it all to yourself, or you might cause a rift between friends."

The midday sun cast dappled light through the canopy, leaving Sally in a momentary trance beneath the trees.

Sally had grown up in Blackwater Town, encountering many strange people in her short life.

But she had never met anyone like Lude—someone who could have cold, sharp blades in his eyes and take a life in the middle of a laugh, yet make one feel as comfortable as a spring breeze when in his company.

Sally had long since grown accustomed to the fact that there was no such thing as unmotivated kindness in this world.

Even back at the orphanage, it was the same. Perhaps it was to fight for a piece of coarse black bread, or to shirk the job of cleaning a chimney; people born in barren places always fought over the smallest trifles.

As for strangers, it was even worse. They never hesitated to assume the worst of others, because their assumptions were usually correct.

But there was no need for such caution when with Lude—perhaps because they had nothing worth Lude's scheming, or perhaps because being with him was so comfortable that one couldn't even bring themselves to be wary.

Having been alone since childhood, Sally had learned early on how to read people.

She knew very well that Lude was a man of extreme pride. He cared for almost no one and nothing, his heart forever fixed on the goals he had set for himself.

The only people Lude would truly regard as equals and keep in his heart were likely his closest friends or rivals who could stand toe-to-toe with him.

Yet, even so, Sally could not stop herself from sinking into the sense of security Lude provided.

Sally had lived in the orphanage since she was six. To make the orphanage profitable, the mayor would force the children to work as child laborers. She still remembered the first time she went to clean a chimney—the suffocating feeling of smoke clogging her chest and the pitch-black darkness all around.

She had wondered more than once: what if she got stuck in the chimney and couldn't get out?

Sally was certain no one would help her, because she had more than once dragged out other children who had choked to death in the chimneys before she started her own cleaning. When she worked in the textile mill, she had also more than once pulled out the severed limbs of others who had been caught in the machinery.

Sally didn't want to do these horrific jobs, but every time, she would shrink back under the terrifying gaze of the director.

Back then, there was no one to shield her when she was afraid, to give her the courage to move forward when she faltered, to teach her the lessons of life when she was lost, or even to take care of the small details of friendship that she had overlooked.

Just recalling these things made Sally feel a tight, painful pressure in her chest.

The burning sensation in her heart urged her to find Lude, to bury her face in his chest and weep, to vent all the grievances she had suffered since losing her parents.

But Sally's reason held the reins firmly, leaving her unable to move a single inch.

Even if Lude would never refuse her, she could not do it, for she was, after all, merely a passerby in his life.

If only she could follow by Mr. Hastings' side.

This thought was like a spark, igniting the cotton stuffed within the young girl's chest.

If only she could follow by Mr. Hastings' side, to stay by that gentleman's side always, not just to enjoy the mercy he bestowed almost inadvertently, but to earn his praise and recognition, to experience that indescribable sense of peace.

A small ambition swelled, nearly filling Sally's cranium, and desire began to burn fiercely in this moment.

What was it that Sally herself wanted? A frail girl like her would only bring trouble to Lude if she followed him; if she truly wanted to walk alongside him, there was only one thing she needed—

Power!

True power, just like Mr. Hastings possessed!

And now, a golden opportunity was laid out right before her.

Mr. Hastings carried an aura that brooked no defiance, and those who possessed such an aura rarely went back on their own promises; the damage that breaking a promise would inflict upon their confidence and arrogance was likely far more profound than any physical scar.

That gentleman had promised that their reward could be Sol or anything else, and this was perhaps her only chance.

"Therefore, I must not fail Mr. Hastings' mission!"