Chapter 9 “Dedicated Slave” and “The Loser of Zero”
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”My, my, Master. It is morning. Please, wake up.”
The sound of a ringing bell, yet youthful, echoed through the dim bedroom.
Morning light leaked through a narrow gap in the heavy curtains, causing microscopic dust particles to shimmer in the air, slowly pulling my consciousness up from the depths of a profound darkness.
Soft orange light bled behind my eyelids.
The sheets felt slightly cold against my skin.
It was Mina, one of the maids I’d hired recently, who had come to wake me.
Her face still held traces of childhood, and soft brown hair swayed at her shoulders. Her large eyes were fixed straight on me, holding within them a faint expectation and an unwavering color of loyalty.
Like Lilia, she was a “dedicated slave” who had sworn absolute allegiance to me. The morning light washed over her cheeks, making her expression appear even softer.
(Flashback)
────────
It was a few days after Mina had started working as a maid.
She was still unaccustomed to life in the mansion, performing her daily duties with a somewhat frightened, tense expression.
That day, while I was passing the morning hours with grace in a calm atmosphere, a jarring sound suddenly assaulted my ears.
CRASH!
The sound of metal and porcelain colliding echoed through the mansion’s corridor.
It was such a gaudy sound, as if lightning had struck, that I lifted my face from the documents spread across the hard oak desk in my study.
As I furrowed my brow, wondering what had happened, a trembling, thin voice drifted in from the corridor.
”I, I am so sorry! Master!” Mina cried out, bowing her head.
The rookie maid, Mina, was pale, prostrating herself while trembling in small bursts.
At her feet, the shattered remnants of white porcelain were scattered cruelly. It was a historic, expensive tea set inherited from the previous generation, adorned with delicate gold leaf.
It was likely worth enough to keep a low-ranking noble fed for an entire year.1
I could hear the other maids, who had rushed over, catching their breath in unison as they saw the wreckage and Mina’s complexion.
It was a failure rare for this mansion—the sort that would usually result in not just dismissal, but brutal punishment from the house staff.
If this were a normal noble, they would be screaming in a rage, perhaps even reaching for a whip. But I didn’t look at the shattered porcelain even once.
My gaze was fixed on her small, trembling hands.
”Mina,” I said, my voice steady.
When I called her name, Mina’s shoulders jerked.
Like a criminal waiting for a death sentence—
Her body shivered, and her face was frozen in terror.
”Y, Yes!” she squeaked.
Her voice was thin, on the verge of vanishing.
Her fear transmitted through the air, painfully clear.
”Don’t worry about it—more importantly, show me your hands. Are you hurt by the shards?” I asked calmly.
At my words, Mina slowly lifted her face as if looking at something unbelievable.
It was likely because I had spoken “words of concern” purely, rather than scolding or insults.
The surrounding maids also widened their eyes in surprise. To them, a noble is an existence that views servants only as tools.
Much less, offering words of concern to a servant who had broken expensive tableware—it must be beyond their imagination.
”…I, I am not… injured,” she stammered.
Mina’s trembling voice was a mixture of relief and confusion.
”Is that so? Then it’s fine. Tableware can just be bought again,” I told her.
At my words, large drops of tears spilled from Mina’s eyes, one after another.
They were not tears of sadness, but tears of pure emotion. It looked as if a light of hope had been kindled on her face.
At this moment, I was remembering the game script.
It was an event that had been briefly mentioned in one of the scenarios.
Xenos gets angry at a clumsy maid for breaking expensive tableware and ends up killing her. —But I didn’t do that.
Obviously.
I have the memories of my previous life.
I have no intention of inflicting such terrible punishment over something as trivial as tableware.
Ever since then, something glowing with heat, neither fear nor obligation, began to dwell in the eyes Mina turned toward me.
And before I knew it, the mark of my dedicated slave was engraved on her abdomen.
Usually, it’s to the extent that you can’t see it unless you stare, but when she tries to use Mana, it glows faintly. A testament that she loves me—
Genuine love might be something you can obtain through such trivial things, surprisingly.
I think it sprouted not just from binding them as slaves, but from being given dignity as a human being.
Only two people have become my “dedicated slaves” in this mansion: Lilia and Mina.
The only ones I can truly trust in this world—
Are the two who love me and have sworn their loyalty.
* * *
No one but my dedicated slaves is allowed in my bedroom.
So, it is either Lilia or Mina who comes to wake me in the morning. So, the one on duty today is Mina.
”Good work,” I said.
I stretched my arms on the bed, and while maintaining that posture, I lightly hugged Mina to show my appreciation.
Gently, as if hugging a small child.
The air in the bedroom became wrapped in her sweet scent.
”M, Master, um, that…” Mina whispered, her face burning.
Mina seemed confused by the sudden action.
Her face dyed bright red, and her gaze wandered through the air. Her flustered manner was like a small baby rabbit, truly cute. I could feel her slender body trembling slightly in my arms.
From the entrance of the room, Lilia’s voice reached us as if to reprimand the scene.
There was a somewhat cold ring to that voice.
”Xenos-sama, Mina is troubled,” Lilia noted.
Lilia, who is usually calm and never reveals her emotions regardless of the situation, was frowning in a somewhat grumpy manner today.
Her amber eyes looked between me and Mina alternately.
Obvious dissatisfaction dwelled in that gaze.
The fact that the corners of her mouth were slightly turned down told the story of her ill-humor.
”What is it? Jealous of the newcomer?” I teased.
When I said it, Lilia’s face moved in a flustered way, which was rare.
A faint agitation ran across her perfect expression.
”T, That is not it! Such unseemly behavior…!” Lilia retorted.
Lilia was denying my assertion—
But her cheeks were slightly flushed.
”Is that so? Then it’s fine,” I replied.
I released Mina and stepped off the bed.
Then, I lightly hugged Lilia, who was flustered in a way I rarely saw.
Lilia stiffened for an instant, but then let out a deep sigh as if giving up.
Though her slender arms did not wrap around my back, a faint, warm scent emanated from her body.
”Haa… please get dressed quickly. You will be late for the Academy,” Lilia sighed.
”I know,” I answered.
Allowed to be pampered by my two dedicated slaves, I finished getting dressed and headed for the Academy.
These two are still the only ones I can let my guard down around.
Once I step outside, those cold gazes will pierce me once again.
However, the time spent with them was the only moment I could feel peace from the bottom of my heart. The silence of the mansion brought an even greater sense of relief, contrasted with the hustle and bustle of the outside world.
* * *
When I arrived at the Academy, the commotion from yesterday had already spread in the blink of an eye.
The stone corridors were constantly filled with the murmur of students. Their gazes clung to me like sticky mucus.
My nickname had become “Zero, the Loser,” or “The Loser of Zero.”
I wasn’t told directly, but the words drifted to me with the coldness of ice from the fragments of my classmates’ conversations.
”Hey, did you see him? That’s Zero the Coward,” one whispered.
”For real? A noble refusing a Duel is unthinkable. Talk about shameless,” another sneered.
”He had his face crushed in front of everyone, I can’t believe he can still stay at the Academy,” a third muttered.
Such backbiting reached my ears amidst the noise.
But I didn’t care.
Rather, this was according to plan.
Because being looked down upon is the camouflage I desire.
I didn’t change my expression, simply walking silently toward my seat. When I sat down, the cool sensation of the wood transmitted to my fingertips.
The practical class for this day was “Mana Comparison,” where we would strike our Mana against each other in one-on-one sessions.
You perceive your opponent’s Mana and push it back with your own.
It is a class that tests pure Mana volume and the skill of Mana manipulation.
In the center of the training grounds, two white marble pedestals embedded with Mana crystals faced each other, and a pale light of Mana covered them. The air in the training ground stimulated my skin with the fine particles of the students’ excited Mana.
Naturally, I was an outsider, alone.
Since my Mana is zero, after all—
I watched the matches of my classmates vaguely from the corner of the training grounds, where the sunlight didn’t reach.
The surrounding students were devotedly practicing, as if my existence wasn’t even in their field of vision.
Their heat made the cold air around me stand out all the more.
”Next! Lizel Blanchette and Luca Dalton!” the teacher announced.
The teacher’s loud, resonant voice echoed through the training ground.
The ones I was paying attention to were the pink-haired Count’s daughter, Lizel Blanchette, and the minor noble character, Luca Dalton.
These two are a betrothed couple, and Luca is the man who becomes Xenos’s lackey in the game.
A typical noble son/villain character who gets involved with the protagonist.
If I were the Xenos of the game, I would have had him following me.
The duel ended in Lizel’s overwhelming victory.
The pale cherry-colored Mana released by Lizel easily blew away the murky, light-blue Mana released by Luca, and Luca tumbled grandly to the ground.
The dull sound of his body hitting the training ground floor echoed, and small laughs leaked from the surroundings. It was like a fight between an adult and a child.
While laughter erupted in the training ground, Luca, who had been rolling on the ground, stood up in a sulky manner. For some reason, his gaze was directed toward me.
And, as if drawn by a magnet, he came right in front of me.
Luca is a man who prefers slicked-back blonde hair and gaudy attire typical of a wealthy noble. Even his high-quality uniform had uselessly excessive decorations to suit his tastes.
He is slender and always full of confidence, but he gives off a somewhat small-time vibe.
His features aren’t bad, but his expression gives an impression of craftiness. While brushing up his hair that had been ruffled from the fall, he glared at me with anger seeping into his face.
And then, the following cliché words typical of him were spat out.
”What are you laughin’ at? You, despite havin’ zero Mana…, a guy with no Mana shouldn’t be attendin’ the magic Academy. Even though you’re ‘The Loser of Zero,’” Luca sneered.
With that, he tried to pick a fight.
His mocking voice pierced the silence of the training grounds.
Those words overlapped with the backbiting of the surrounding students, inciting even more humiliation.
He was my lackey in the game (Xenos), though….
I smiled bitterly inside at myself for being spoken to so condescendingly even by a guy like this.
It’s still fine to be looked down upon by the enemy faction.
Because that is exactly according to plan.
However, contempt from the friendly faction cannot be overlooked.
…Well then, this event—
How should I deal with it?
—
Summary:
Xenos begins his day in his mansion, attended by his devoted dedicated slaves, Mina and Lilia. He maintains a facade of an incompetent noble, which he uses to his advantage in his daily life at the Magic Academy. During a training session, he is confronted by the arrogant Luca Dalton, who insults him for his lack of Mana. Xenos remains outwardly indifferent to the provocation, viewing the humiliation as part of his larger, hidden plan.
—
Trivia:
- Dedicated slaves receive a mark on their abdomen that glows when they use Mana.
- The mansion contains a highly exclusive bedroom that only dedicated slaves may enter.
- Xenos is intentionally cultivating a reputation as “Zero the Loser” to serve as a hidden camouflage.
- Luca Dalton is a minor noble character who was originally a lackey for Xenos in the source game’s script.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Mina – A young maid with soft brown hair and large eyes. She is a dedicated slave to Xenos who views him with unwavering loyalty and deep affection.
• Yui – An Earth-born Sage alongside Sato, Ibuki’s wife is a composed yet sharp-witted woman who fiercely protects her husband and aids his Knight Order circle in info-war strategy. Vital for political legitimacy, she deeply resents humanity and Dole, assertively teasing Yamada and lecturing Senior. Excluded during the princesses’ visit, she later playfully interrogates Ibuki in their bedroom.
• Lilia – A maid serving the Grimlock house who possesses a bountiful, well-proportioned physique. She is a Slave crested with an intricate, jet-black tattoo on her chest, though she shows a quiet and firm resolve. A maid with absolute loyalty and deep affection for Xenos. She bears a mysterious new magic crest on her abdomen, marking her as his exclusive slave. A person with whom the protagonist spent the previous night; she is associated with a Slave crest that was erased. A servant whose slave contract was mysteriously nullified by Xenos.
• Xenos – A man who acts as the protagonist of his own calculated path, concealing his true ability of Magic Seal while posing as a coward to ensure his survival and long-term planning. A student known as the ‘Zero of Defeat’ who possesses zero Mana and is treated as a social pariah. Despite his reputation, he is a calculated and manipulative individual who hides his true abilities to clear the game. A young male noble who has been named the next head of the Grimlock family. He possesses zero Mana, a fact that has made him an outcast at the Academy. He uses a facade of haughty aristocratic confidence to mask his internal panic and anxiety. A young noble who has recently seized his family’s headship. He possesses no Mana but commands a powerful extradimensional familiar and uses strategic intelligence to maintain political standing. The protagonist and reincarnation who possesses memories of a game script. He manipulates those around him while maintaining a facade of incompetence.
• Lizel – A count’s daughter with pink hair who attends the magic academy. She displays overwhelming magical talent during practical classes. The daughter of a Count and the fiancée of Luca Dalton.
• Luca – A student and a textbook example of a low-level lackey who relies on water-attribute magic and harbors an intense, fragile pride. He is easily manipulated and serves as the primary antagonist for the duel. A noble student with slicked-back blonde hair who seeks to provoke those he deems weaker. He was originally a lackey of Xenos in the game script.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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