Vivian

After entering the inner castle, Nalant headed straight for the storage room on the first floor.

The system had already provided the recipe for Vivian's Basic Awakening Potion. Fortunately, the ingredients required for a basic awakening were all common and available in the castle.

If he could truly help Vivian complete her basic awakening, then perhaps there was hope of dealing with the Dark Creature invasion a week from now.

With the ingredients required by the recipe, Nalant went to the empty kitchen. A few minutes later, the potion was simply brewed. Only after disposing of the dregs did Nalant return to his bedroom.

"The girl hasn't been brought over yet. I'll use this time to see what this lottery system is about!"

The search function and the Lucky Girl Illustrated Handbook had shown Nalant how powerful the system was. He could not wait to see what the lottery function could do.

"System, I want to draw!"

"The lottery system has been activated. You currently have one drawing opportunity. Please activate the draw button yourself!"

As Nalant finished speaking, a massive roulette wheel immediately appeared on his retina. The wheel was covered with all sorts of strange-looking fruits.

Strengthening Fruit: Improves and strengthens the body after consumption!

Agility Fruit: Increases agility after consumption!

Intelligence Fruit: Increases thinking ability after consumption!

"There are actually such good things?" Nalant's eyes widened.

Battle Qi existed in this world, but unfortunately, the original owner's body had been weak since birth. He was useless at cultivation and, even at sixteen, had been unable to gather a Battle Qi seed. The fruits before him might just change that.

Nalant did not hesitate and directly pressed the draw button.

The draw began, and the pointer on the massive roulette wheel spun rapidly.

"Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have drawn one Strengthening Fruit! It has been stored in the system panel. Please retrieve it yourself!"

"Haha, great!" Nalant was overjoyed.

He was not in urgent need of increased agility. What mattered most was a fruit that could improve this useless body. Only by possessing Battle Qi and becoming strong enough could he survive more securely in this dangerous world.

Once the roulette wheel vanished, Nalant immediately retrieved the Strengthening Fruit.

It was a golden fruit about the size of a lychee. The instant he took it out of the system panel, Nalant caught a whiff of an enticing fragrance.

"I hope your effects are as impressive as you look!" The scent alone made Nalant's mouth water. The next moment, he unhesitatingly stuffed the Strengthening Fruit into his mouth.

"Oh! It feels this good?" Nalant's eyes widened when the Strengthening Fruit entered his mouth.

The instant he bit into it, the fruit transformed into a warm current that flowed into his stomach. That warmth then spread throughout his body, making him feel indescribably comfortable from head to toe!

The warm current lasted for more than a minute before fading from Nalant's body. The Strengthening Fruit had not even possessed a peel or a pit.

"It's truly delicious and miraculous. I wonder what its effects are!" Nalant began eagerly anticipating the result, so he walked to the bedside and drew his longsword.

"My strength really has increased, and by at least more than double!" Nalant exclaimed in surprise as he held the longsword one-handed.

The longsword was a typical Western two-handed cross sword, weighing around two kilograms.

In the past, if Nalant held the sword level with one hand, his arm would definitely tremble badly. Yet now it did not shake in the slightest. The sword in his hand seemed to have become a light wooden sword.

Then came straight thrusts, horizontal slashes, diagonal cuts...

After continuously swinging the sword in the fairly spacious bedroom, Nalant finally confirmed that his increased strength was no illusion.

His strength was now somewhat greater than that of an ordinary adult.

Knock, knock, knock!

"My lord! The female serf you requested has finished washing up!"

Just then, a knock sounded from outside the bedroom.

What did he mean, the female serf I requested?

Hearing the knock, two black lines appeared on Nalant's forehead. This butler really did not know how to speak. He was practically slandering Nalant's great and noble image.

Still, as a magnanimous lord, he would let it go. Resolving the matter of the Daughter of Misfortune was what mattered most now.

"Come in!" Nalant calmly put away his longsword.

The bedroom door slowly opened. Butler Thomas respectfully led the freshly washed Vivian into the room.

"My lord, is there anything else I can do for you?"

After delivering the girl, Thomas was very tactful. Knowing that his lord had something "important" to do next, he immediately prepared to take his leave.

"That will be all, Butler Thomas. You may go rest!" Nalant now understood that Thomas had truly gotten the wrong idea.

But this was like getting mud on his pants—whether it was shit or not, it looked like shit. There was no way he could explain himself.

"Yes, my lord. I wish you a pleasant night!" Thomas bowed without changing expression, then carefully pulled the bedroom door shut behind him.

At the instant the door closed, his gaze toward his lord carried a hint of peculiarity.

His lord had only begun recovering today, yet he had immediately...

"Come over here!"

After Thomas left, Vivian, now dressed in maid's clothes, seemed somewhat at a loss. She stood frozen where she was. Seeing this, Nalant gently pointed at the sofa beside him and spoke softly.

"Y-Yes, my lord!" Vivian did not dare disobey. She timidly approached, but naturally did not dare sit on the sofa. Instead, she directly knelt on the floor.

Nalant wanted to stop her, but held himself back.

The strict hierarchy had already seeped into the hearts of everyone in this world. For a serf, in a bedroom within this castle, she would probably only feel at ease while kneeling.

"Your name is Vivian?" Nalant asked.

"Y-Yes, Lord!" Vivian lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"Do you have any other family members?"

"I... I have a younger sister!"

Vivian was not originally from Storm Territory. She had only been exiled here two years ago.

The reason was that her elder sister had awakened as a Daughter of Misfortune. Their father had reported her for the reward money, sending her to the stake.

Daughters of Misfortune had a certain chance of passing on their condition, so Vivian and her younger sister, as sisters of one, had been sent to Storm Territory. This Land of Misfortune would be their final home.

After answering, Vivian suddenly thought of something and immediately continued anxiously, "Lord, although I am a Daughter of Misfortune, it has nothing to do with my little sister. She definitely will not bring misfortune. Y-You must not blame her. I... I am willing to serve you diligently, and I am willing to go to the stake to remove the misfortune..."

Nalant was stunned. His intention had been to make small talk and ease Vivian's nervousness, but it seemed to have had the opposite effect.

"Why do you think I would harm your sister?"

Vivian trembled at the question. Finally, she cautiously raised her head and glanced at Nalant. Seeing that his face remained kindly, she carefully said, "I-In reply to Lord, three years ago..."

Vivian explained the reason. It turned out that because Dark Creatures had repeatedly invaded and consecutively taken the lives of lords, the last lord to take office three years ago had issued a cruel order: kill all female relatives of Daughters of Misfortune within the territory who could bring misfortune, whether they had awakened or not!

Following that order, dozens of girls in Storm Territory had died.

Vivian and her sister were only exiled here the following year, which was why they escaped the disaster.

Yet that incident had planted fear in the hearts of every girl who came afterward.

After hearing this, Nalant frowned. Such a cruel order was something he, a transmigrator, could not imagine.

However, the lord from three years ago should have been Baron Doke. He had already been killed by Dark Creatures, so he had gotten what he deserved.

"Vivian, raise your head and look at me!" Nalant knew that if he wanted to win this girl over, he would first need to eliminate the fear in her heart.

Otherwise, because of Baron Doke's cruel deeds, these girls would likely transfer Doke's image onto him.

After all, in the eyes of serfs, all nobles were the same, and he too was a noble.

Hearing Nalant's unquestionable tone, Vivian tremblingly raised her head.

Vivian had now washed herself clean, and the mud and ash were gone from her face. By the bright candlelight in the bedroom, Nalant discovered that Vivian was actually a beautiful girl.

Fair skin was rare among serfs. With her delicate little nose and bright eyes, if her body had not been so frail, she would definitely have been prettier than more than half the noble young ladies in Tulip City.

"Vivian, I will not send you to the stake, nor will I harm your sister!" Nalant stared intently into Vivian's eyes and solemnly promised her.

"Not send me to the stake?" Confusion appeared in Vivian's eyes. If a Daughter of Misfortune did not die, would she not bring misfortune to the territory?

Seeing her confusion, Nalant placed his hands on her shoulders, then gently lifted the girl and set her on the sofa.

"Not only will I not burn you to death, I also intend to appoint you captain of the guard!" Nalant said something that shocked Vivian even further.

"C-Captain of the guard?" Vivian was somewhat dazed.

Not only would he not burn her, a Daughter of Misfortune, to death, he even wanted her to become captain of the guard.

Vivian felt that either this lord was not quite right in the head, or he was trying to toy with her.

Of course, Vivian believed the latter was far more likely.

"Yes, Vivian. Do you believe your lord's words?"

"I-I believe you, Lord!"

Though she did not believe him at all in her heart, the person before her was the lord. Vivian still instinctively nodded.

"Very good. Then drink this bowl of soup first!" Nalant did not care whether Vivian truly believed him or not. He simply picked up the brewed Basic Awakening Potion and brought it before her.

Whether she believed him now or not, the truth would be clear tomorrow.

"Yes, Lord!"

Vivian did not dare refuse. After taking the porcelain bowl, she drank it straight down.

After drinking the potion, perhaps due to its effects, Vivian soon slumped softly against the sofa and fell asleep.

Nalant carefully laid the girl flat on the sofa, then covered her with a blanket.

After finishing everything, Nalant returned to his own bed. Quick's earlier words, along with the several days of high fever during the journey, had left him feeling mentally exhausted even now.