《Mind your Manors, please.》


 Chapter 1 - A girl and a shadow

    The child rubbed her eyes and wondered if something was wrong with them. Just a minute ago she was napping on grassy fields under a clear blue sky next to her grandpa and now the sky was red and the clouds were dark. Strange. She flung herself upwards and hopped onto her feet. She patted the dust off her clothes, bits of rock fell and bounced on the stony road. No wonder her back hurt.


    She looked around and found herself surrounded by trees bare without any leaves. Dark trunks with darker branches jagged into the air loomed over her, casting evenly spaced shadows that stood still in an otherwise empty road. The road in front of her stretched into the distance seemingly endlessly, just like the forest behind her where trees merged with the shadow into a shadowy abyss.


    She pondered for a minute and scratched the itch on her nose. If unsure what to do in life, one should always move forward. Since she was facing beyond the horizon, she decided to follow the road instead of heading into the forest.


    Nodding at her decision, she walked down the road with a faint smile and her small steps turned into skips.


    Then they turned back into small steps.


    She was bored. There was nothing interesting. The same unchanging clouds stayed unmoved from their spot in the dull red sky. The trees were nearly identical and spaced evenly, growing smaller with every row planted further into the distance. The novelty of adventure in a strange new world quickly dried up with each passing minute when the new world was just a darker shade of sundown. It was just not interesting. Trying to untangle her messy hair was more interesting at this point.


    With an inaudible sigh she continued forward, hoping that she would eventually find something fun. Soon enough, on the verge of switching course, something caught her eye in the distance, a batch of brightness among the gloom and doom.


    She hurried towards the interesting punctuation of her walk. It was a small bed of white flowers all alone in a hue of oppressive red. The petals were snow white with a brighter glow and was supported by a healthy green of lush stems and crisp leaves. The wind caressed its fragile petals and the flowers waved at her, seemingly happy to be able to greet someone in its lonely existence.


    Wasn¡¯t it sad to have something so pretty be all alone in such a depressing place? Grandpa would¡¯ve loved them. She should grab some for him.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t advise doing that, little one,¡± said a voice.


    The girl turned around and a figure with a white mask towered before her. His voice was a solemness hidden behind a deep echo, and she wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell he was a man if not for that as his appearance revealed little. He wore a top hat and was covered from head to toe in darkness, his long coat draped into the ground and melded into the shade he cast. The man and his shadow were one. A mask covered his face, blank and void of any decoration aside from the faint smile coated in purple.


    ¡°What is your name, little one,¡± he asked as he leaned forward, observing her through the shadows of the thin slits of the mask.


    Grandpa once said to never talk to strangers and people who looked suspicious. Since the girl didn¡¯t know who he was and couldn¡¯t think of anything more suspicious than a shadowy figure wandering alone in these strange woods, she should probably walk away from the weird masked figure. It also wasn¡¯t like she could talk anyway.


    With a chuckle, the man stood back and introduced himself.


    ¡°I am the Count¡± he said and bowed slightly. ¡°I am also the lord of this humble manor you wandered into.¡±


    The Count, not count something?


    ¡°Just the Count, that is my name,¡± he replied and tipped his hat a little.


    The girl knew that people sometimes referred to others as their titles, but she hadn¡¯t met anyone who had a name that was just a title. She thought it was confusing. Wouldn¡¯t it create problems if an actual count showed up?


    ¡°The only count in these lands would be me.¡±


    So the Count must be someone important. Maybe he could tell her where she was and help her find her way home. She smiled and opened her mouth but froze in the process. Wait a minute, did he read her mind? That shouldn¡¯t be possible, right?


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    ¡°Of course not, that would be absurd.¡±


    The girl looked up, her mouth agape and eyes wide open. The Count read her thoughts! She mustered her angriest looking glare and pointed a finger at him accusingly. It was an invasion of privacy, a breach of human rights! Where was the international tribunal for crimes against humanity?


    This was bad. She had many secrets she didn¡¯t want found out, such as where she hid the dishes she broke, that one time she accidentally threw away her older sister¡¯s bottle cap collection, or that she still pretended to be a magical princess in front of the mirror. She had so many embarrassing moments and she needed to protect them from being known at all cost.


    The girl held up her fist, remembering the boxers she saw on television and hopped in a circle around the Count.


    ¡°Fear not, little one,¡± the Count cooed. ¡°I cannot read minds nor search your memory. What just happened, though rare, is just a telepathic communication between you and I. I cannot know of what you think unless you want me to.¡±


    The Count knelt down and faced her at her height.


    The girl dropped her fists and eyed the count suspiciously. She circled the man and rubbed her chin as she looked him up and down. She tried to read him, to see if the Count was lying, but with the mask on it was impossible. It would¡¯ve been better if he took it off.


    ¡°Are you sure, little one? It is a secret only few know of. It is a secret that invites madness.¡±


    She crossed her arm and nodded. Of course she was sure. If the Count was honest he had no reason to hide behind a mask. As of now, she knew nothing of him except he said he owned this place and could sort of read minds.


    With a sigh, the Count reached for his mask with his lanky arms and placed his sharp fingers across the pale mask. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he took it off, revealing nothing but a smokey darkness.


    ¡°Surprised, little one?¡±


    The girl stared deep into the darkness, like smoke, blackening the air it smouldered as its tendrils reached out, seeking something, anything. It was not something meant to be understood. Any attempt to examine it, even if it brushed past the farthest edges of your vision, is an invitation for it to visit you.


    So there was really no point in thinking too hard about it.


    She was rather underwhelmed. The Count was a demon of some sort, big deal. She could¡¯ve guessed it by herself. It would be more surprising if such a creepy place wasn''t ran by a demon or monster. It would¡¯ve been slightly more fun if the Count had big horns or sharp teeth, an appearance she could ogle at. What is fun staring at smoke?


    Still, the Count did share his secret with her and her Grandpa once said that only friends shared secrets with each other.


    The Count looked at her, or at least that was what she felt, and was waiting for a response. She was in a strange place with nowhere else to go. She knew no one else and had nothing to help her out. Making friends with someone as important sounding as the Count seemed like a good idea. Did the Count want to be friend with her though?


    The girl extended her small hand and waved it up and down, beckoning the Count to take it. He stiffened for a brief moment before what felt like raising an eyebrow and shook her hand. His hands were cold and ethereal, like a mist that brushed at her hand.


    ¡°If that is what you wish, little one.¡±


    The Count shook her hand and shared a secret of his. Since they were not friends, she should do the same. The girl placed her hands on the side of her waist and puffed out her chest, preparing to introduce herself and her secret.


    Her name was Nemo and she had no idea where she was.


    The Count fastened his mask bowed. He then stood up and flung his coat outward, causing it to flutter was he motioned the dark crimson sky with one arm. Nemo felt a smile creep up his face, a real one that lay hidden under the perpetual grin of the mask.


    ¡°Greetings, Nemo. Welcome to my manor!¡± The Count bellowed. His heartfelt laughter reverberated under his mask and echoed into the sky.


    Nemo couldn¡¯t help but smile as she was emboldened by the Count¡¯s infectious joy. This strange place might be fun after all. She cannot wait to tell Grandpa about it.

 Chapter 2 - Walking to the door on a slope

    Nemo tilted her head and gave the Count a quizzical look. She peeked behind the Count, ducking under his fluttering coat to get a better look. It was the same road and the same unending horizon.


    There was no manor, not even a hint of anything that could be remotely thought of as something. So the Count was in charge of a whole lot of nothing. Nemo gave a disappointed glare at the Count then sighed inaudibly. She thought he was a big-shot and could help her out. Maybe he was just a sad person playing make belief.


    Nemo walked up to the Count and patted his shoulder, or at least wanted to, but since she was not tall enough she patted his knees instead.


    Nemo knew the feeling well, playing make belief was fun, but the Count was a grown-up, he shouldn¡¯t get a child¡¯s hope up then let her down.


    ¡°I may have celebrated a bit too early,¡± the Count said after pondering for a brief moment. ¡°But worry not, Nemo. My estate is but a short distance up the slopes.¡±


    Nemo was skeptical. She walked for what seemed like hours on this plain stony road and the end was nowhere in sight. The only interesting thing that happened during her little stroll were those pretty white flowers and the weird shadow person before her. If there was a slope, it meant who knew how long of boring walking before she caught a glimpse of it.


    Whatever, Nemo was too tired to think about it anyway. Hopefully his idea of ¡®short distance up the slopes¡¯ was actually short and not a climb up a mountain several kilometres away. Otherwise, Nemo would have a lot of complaints and all of them would be blasted into the mind of the the Count, who was a demon, who maybe had a different set of expectations when it came to short distances and slopes.


    After an inaudible groan, Nemo decided to trust the Count.


    Nemo walked beside the Count. At times she flailed her arms, hopped around, or whistled tunes her Grandpa taught her, anything just to make the stroll less boring. She eventually settled with trying to kick a pebble to their destination. She sometimes missed and the pebble landed on the wayside, and The Count would simply stop to wait for Nemo to retrieve the stone she was playing with. He occasionally glanced at the precocious child by his side, seemingly content with watching Nemo fool around by herself. For a faceless shadow who hid behind a mask, Nemo thought the Count was surprisingly easy to read.


    After tiring herself from all the pointless moving about and with no estate or slope in sight, Nemo grimaced at her companion and was just about to unleash a barrage of unhappy thoughts into the Count¡¯s head before the would be victim of her wrath pointed to the front.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Hold your thoughts, Nemo. Look. We are almost there.¡±


    Nemo turned to where the Count was pointing at and saw something that wasn¡¯t there just a moment ago.


    A gate even more imposing than the Count appeared before Nemo. Not only was it taller than any other building she has ever saw, seemingly reaching the skies, what made it oppressively impressive was its colour, a blackness conceived by sucking colour into its void. Its walls were equally as tall and its surface reflected the colour above, changing its shade as the crimson sky did. It was honestly a sight to behold and it was definitely worth the walk. However, Nemo¡¯s awe was quickly repressed by a thought that passed her mind.


    Did the Count know how to teleport, and if he did, why did she need to walk all the way?


    ¡°My apologies, Nemo. While it is true that distance is simply a conceptual trickery in this plane, for reasons unknown to me I cannot bring you along if I do teleport,¡± the Count said.


    A what? It didn¡¯t seem like he was lying about not able teleport her, but Nemo also sensed a sense of amusement coming from under his mask.


    Well, that didn¡¯t matter anymore. Nemo couldn¡¯t help but bounce where she stood, barely repressing her excitement and urge to just scale the monstrous structure. The Count was a big-shot and she couldn¡¯t wait to see what else he had in his manor. If they were as awesome as the gate then her accidentally wandering into this place was worth it.


    With a chuckle, the Count snapped his fingers. Nemo, who was too excited to bother questioning how his fingers managed to make the sound, reigned in her urge to bust down the gates as the giant plates slowly swung outward.


    Nemo¡¯s eyes widened slowly, their wonderment sparkled fiercer as the opening revealed more of what¡¯s inside the obsidian black gate.


    Fiery petals littered a field of auburn grass and illuminated a valley of mountains in a warm glow, and within stood a lone door atop a lone hill. Large cliffs and towering buildings pierced the clouds in the distance, like an ethereal curtain, faded in and out of a faint red mist. Wind blew gently and lifted the petals, scattering them around the landscape like snow and shimmered under the light glow of the hauntingly plain door.


    Nemo was at first daunted by the long distance up the slopes, clearly she was right that the Count¡¯s standard for distance was different from hers, but she wanted to get there as soon as possible. With a squeal of delight in her head, she sprinted.


    Then after a few steps she stopped and turned around to the Count behind her who was clearly smirking under his mask. No matter how much she ran, the distance wouldn¡¯t close. Was it some sort of demon trickery?


    The Count ignored Nemo¡¯s pout and walked towards her, chuckling at her predicament.


    ¡°It¡¯s a magic spell meant to ward out uninvited guests,¡± he explained, or rather told her without explaining much, and held out his hand.


    Nemo shrugged and took the Count¡¯s hand. The two climbed the slope towards the the door, the Count drifted in silence and Nemo skipped lightly with a smile. She wondered what awaited her in this strange land.

 Chapter 3 - A short meal and an even shorter declaration

    Nemo chomped on her food with reckless abandon, every spoonful she swallowed was quickly followed by another. Her grin was going to split her cheek if she hadn¡¯t needed to keep the tasty food in her mouth. She didn¡¯t realize how hungry she was and was surprised to find her stomach growling when food was served.


    When the Count opened the door and allowed Nemo to step in, she expected to be received by a lavishly decorated hall filled with sparkles and shiny decorations, maybe even maids and servants all lined up welcoming their master and his guest. However, that was not the case.


    Nemo stepped into the interior of a weathered wooden cabin with uninspiring wooden walls and simplistic furnishing. The floor boards creaked with each step, its lumber darken and marred by scratches and the sound of its age echoed gently into the cozy air. However, there was not a speck of dust in the air nor a lone cobweb stranded in a dark corner. It seemed like despite its age, the cabin was well taken care of.


    It wasn¡¯t a shabby place to be. However, since Nemo was stuck in a strange magical land, she expected more from the person In charge of it.


    So when the Count closed the door, Nemo started to sulk. She crossed her arms, stood still, and started to grumble in her head, making doubly sure the Count heard her. She remained still when the Count picked her up and when he placed her on the massive chair in front of the towering table. She stood on the seat like a statue. It was not until the aroma of the Count¡¯s cooking did her frown finally soften.


    She gulped down the last bite of her food and sighed in content as she leaned on the back of the tall wooden chair. She gave the Count, who was sitting at the opposite end of the table, a thought of appreciation as she smiled and paddled her feet in the air.


    ¡°I am glad you enjoyed the food,¡± he replied with a smile.


    Now that she had her food and was content with lazing around, the cabin wasn¡¯t so bad a place to be in. It might be not as grand or as exciting as she had hoped, the cabin had a homely feel to it, an air of comfort, welcoming her to just relax and fool around. It was a gentle place. It reminded her of her grandpa¡¯s. Besides, there was still a world to explore, the magical land she found herself in was not going anywhere. Giant valleys and towers still pierced the crimson sky outside the windows, and she had a friend to share her adventure with!


    She wanted to go outside. Could she go outside? Now?


    ¡°Unfortunately, Nemo, it is not possible for you to explore the outside right now. That is also why I elected to bring you here instead of my mansion.  This world is not friendly to your kind, and there are a lot of particularities you must know before¡­ Nemo, are you listening?¡±


    Nemo was listening, or at least she planned to, but any amount of attention she would¡¯ve given the Count was consumed by that one word he mentioned. Mansion. There was a mansion and a chance to explore it. No. She would definitely explore it and she would let no one stop her. How large was it? Were there secret passages? Traps or switches? Could she swing on a chandelier? Please let her swing on a chandelier. She cannot wait to be in a hall that sparkled and shined.


    Ever since the Count opened the gates, she saw a world drastically different from hers, a world she thought only existed in dreams and fantasy. She was glad she met the Count and was eager to encounter many more impossible and interesting things. Nemo smiled at her friend, the tall, shadowy man, hiding his faceless smoke of a head behind a plain white mask he took off earlier with his lanky, pointy arms.


    Wait, it wasn¡¯t a haunted mansion, right?


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    ¡°In a sense, my mansion is indeed haunted,¡± the Count replied and Nemo instantly froze, eyes wide and body stiffened as if she was hit by a bolt of lightning. All her excitement was for nothing. The Count chuckled at Nemo¡¯s reaction before walking towards her. He placed his cool hands on her shoulder and gently stirred the girl from her disappointment filled stupor.


    ¡°Raise your spirits, Nemo. My mansion is indeed haunted, but Mademoiselle Ghost only ever visits the library when she leaves her room. She hardly joins me and my guests for dinner, even though I instructed my cook to prepare cuisine suitable for spirits,¡± The Count said as Nemo slowly turned towards him, the shine in her eyes growing brighter with each sentence. ¡°Do not worry, I will also make sure to instruct him of your preferences. And yes, there will be a chandelier for you to swing on. Do take care you do not break them, the housemaster has a rather short temper. I can already imagine her preparing to lecture me on leaving the mansion unattended for so long.¡±


    The Count gave Nemo a wink and the girl hopped back to life and hopped down the chair. She couldn¡¯t believe it, there was actually a mansion, and not a haunted one filled with grown-ups dressed in plastic. The Count had Servants and house guests, one is even a ghost! Just what sort of interesting people would she be able to meet?


    Why was the door not getting closer?


    Nemo looked down and saw her legs running on air. The Count was where he stood, but his hands extended like tendrils and lifted her up. She slumped and turned towards him, wondering if whatever he wanted to say could wait.


    ¡°My apologies, Nemo. As I said earlier, there is a reason I brought you to this cabin first. There are things we must discuss before I can allow you into my mansion,¡± the Count said as he lowered Nemo. She straightened her back and plopped herself onto the floor, ready to listen to what the Count had to say. This was an important step towards a mysterious mansion, towards adventure. She had to pay attention.


    ¡°The truth is, I do not know what to do with you.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a problem as she knows exactly what the Count had to do. He could just let her go exploring!


    ¡°It is not that simple, Nemo,¡± the Count replied as he stalked closer, his cloak swimming within the shadow he cast, looming closer with each sentence. ¡°My mansion is not a safe place for you. It hosts guests that would not take kindly to your intrusion, beings that are far more dangerous than what you could possibly conceive. Even though it is due to no fault of theirs, the world you found yourself in does not adhere to rules you know. You are only a child and I do not wish to expose you to such danger. Here in this cabin however, I can promise you safety, and you can stay here as long as you wish until a find a way to return you home. Yet due to the nature of this cabin, I cannot keep you here unless you want to.¡±


    The white mask peered down and his cloak stretched wide into a shadow cast over the entirety of the cabin.


    ¡°So what do you want to do, Nemo?¡±


    Nemo smiled. What would adventure be without any danger? If Nemo was scared of risks, if the unknown frightened her, if she refused to step forward because of that, then she would never have come to see the chance of adventure presented in front of her right now. She also had a friend by her side, and he will keep her safe, right?


    ¡°Of course, Nemo.¡±


    Then there was only one answer. Nemo puffed out her chest and pointed towards the sky. She then turned around and slammed her finger towards the door behind her.


    Nemo and the Count shall go on an adventure and conquer anything that would prevent them from having fun!

 Chapter 4 - No power no adventure, so why not get some

    Nemo fiddled with the shiny door handle, yet no matter how much she pulled and turned, the wooden door leading to her adventure would not budge. She turned towards the Count, a hint of resignation crossed the surface of his mask.


    ¡°I suppose we can postpone the conversation until later. However,¡± he added as he picked up Nemo, who was already back to trying to get the door open, and put her back onto the chair. ¡°There is at least one thing that needed to be discussed and done.¡±


    Fine. Nemo sat herself down and waited for the Count to begin. The Count only shook his head, already noticing the little rhythmic bounce Nemo was doing. It was clear she cannot wait to enter his mansion.


    ¡°Nemo, what do you know about this world?¡±


    She knew absolutely nothing and that was why it was so exciting!


    ¡°This is a world with many names, each one scattered among many others, undiscovered until forgotten, replaced with more when lost. Without a name, there is no meaning. Without meaning, there is nothing. Yet this world still lives on, even when its people were forgotten and their memories were no more. Those who chance upon this world do not do so out of their own volition, but if you accepted its invitation you can stay until the moment it ceases to be. This is a sea of fragments, and my manor, is the Crimson Domain!¡±


    Nemo¡¯s tiny and rapid claps reverberated in the empty room as the Count finished his speech with a spread of his arms, his cloak fluttered for a brief moment before falling still in the air. The Count seemed to have a fanciness towards theatrics. Even though they have only met a few hours ago, Nemo more or less could tell that certain topics made the Count really happy.


    Nemo liked that story, but she wondered why the Count found it important to tell her that.


    ¡°Do you not find it crucial to understand the complex nature of this world?¡±


    Nemo pondered for a moment and decided there was nothing complex about it. The Count is in charge of a place called the Crimson Domain and it was somehow in a larger place called the sea of fragments.


    ¡°I suppose you are not entirely inaccurate. Although I was attempting to build up suspense with the contradictory nature of the world,¡± the Count said, a hint of dejection at Nemo¡¯s rather nonchalant reaction.


    Nemo thought that she liked the Count¡¯s storytelling and she would listen to it more. However, she preferred doing it in a big mansion sitting on comfy chairs while eating exotic food.


    ¡°Very well, Nemo. I shall tell you the story of this world some other time. For now, you simply must know that in this world, there exists powers governed by a System, a System dating far beyond any living or forgotten memory. You, Nemo,¡± the Count said and pointed a finger at the young child. ¡°You do not posses the powers of the System, making you unable to defend yourself, and we must rectify that.¡±


    Nemo¡¯s eyes widened and smiled as she hopped up and down the chair while clutching her fists in front of her. Wouldn¡¯t that mean she would be getting powers? Would she be able to fight off monsters like some mystical warrior? Would she become a magical princess?


    ¡°Do not get carried away, Nemo. The dangers of the world are not kind and will consume you, whether you have powers or not,¡± the Count chided in a stern manner she had not seen before. Nemo lowered her head and dropped her hands behind her. She fiddled with her fingers as she realized she might¡¯ve been too eager. The Count was trying to keep her safe, she shouldn¡¯t make it more difficult for him. Maybe she should just hide in the cabin like the Count said.


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    ¡°Do not lose your spirit, Nemo. I told you I will keep you safe. I meant every word, whether you choose to adventure or not,¡± the Count assured her and Nemo¡¯s smiled returned, thanking the Count once again. ¡°However, even if the powers of the System is not enough to completely eliminate the danger you might face, it is still a start. Do you want powers, Nemo?¡±


    Does she? Of course she does!


    ¡°Very well. Listen carefully,¡± the Count said and Nemo perked up her ears and looked at him intently. ¡°The System grants two kinds of power, the Origin and the Path. The Origin is who you are as a being, a destiny bestowed upon your fate the moment you entered the world. It is what constrains you when you go astray, but greatly amplifies your capabilities when you follow its guidance. The Path is the the direction that leads towards the moment you cease to be. Once chosen it cannot be changed, and whether you master what it provides, is up to you.¡±


    Nemo scratched her head and grimaced as she digested every word the Count said. Again, the Count sure enjoyed big words. Was there any way he could make it simpler?


    ¡°Think of the Origin as abilities you have as an individual, special talents you are born with, telling you what you excel at, and what are lacking. They become more pronounced as you grow, and whether that is good or ill, no one but fate knows. The Path is a set of abilities you choose to learn, like specific classes for study. The only issue is that you cannot switch once you settled into one, and must master the chosen one if you wish to become stronger, ¡± the Count explained after pondering for a moment. He then looked at Nemo with a wry smile.


    ¡°Without an Origin you cannot access the System, and without accessing the System you cannot choose your Path. So, Nemo, do you want to unlock your Origin?¡±


    Was there ever any question? What sort of boring person would pass up an opportunity like this?


    ¡°Close your eyes, Nemo. Tell the System who you are.¡±


    Nemo gave the Count a thumbs up then closed her eyes. She emptied her mind, then the world became silent like a void. She could hear nothing, not even the wind in her lungs. She could feel nothing, not even the beat of her heart. She could see nothing, not even the darkness that blinded her eyes.


    Yet among the nothingness, something beckoned her. Not with words, sound, or touch. It was something that existed deep within her, buried underneath her soul. She could not feel it, but she knew it was there. It was not something that needed to be confirmed, it was a truth that anchored her entire being.


    A gentle hand, so frail, rustled her hair. A soft voice, so kind, smiled at her. A warm teardrop, so lonely, trickled down her cheek.


    ¡°Nemo, what a precocious child you are.¡±


    It was a whisper, a laughter so quiet yet it was enough to wake her, to lead her out of the void.


    Nemo opened her eyes and saw the Count looking slightly worried. He hovered closer and wiped the tear away with a dark finger. She didn¡¯t know what happened, or even remembered why she shed a tear. However, she was not sad, she was happy. She wondered how her unlocking went.


    ¡°Nemo, it seems you have succeeded in awakening your Origin,¡± the Count said and Nemo returned his smile, thanking him for helping. ¡°Do you know what it is, Nemo?¡±


    You bet I do. I¡¯m Nemo, a precocious child!

 Chapter 5 - attributes, stats, systems, and can I play with them?

    Nemo skipped to the Count as he knelt down. His cloak shrunk into the shadow and his mask lowered until it was at the same height as Nemo. With a snap of his fingers, a patterned circle flared to life above his palm. Nemo¡¯s eyes widened in excitement. She was witnessing magic first hand. It was one thing to be fooled by trickery, it was another to see magic circles come to life.


    ¡°I do believe conceptual trickery is far more impressive to pull off, but I do admit it does lack a sense of wonderment and elegance. This is your status page,¡± the Count chuckled before allowing the glowing circle to expand. ¡°Come closer, let us see what powers did the System give you.¡±


    The two of them huddled close and looked at the screen the Count called forth. Nemo leaned forward, her eyes glued to the circular screen in front of her.


    Nemo (Level: 1)


    Health: 3/3 Mana: 3/3 Energy 3/3


    Strength: 1 Magic: 1 Endurance: 1 Agility: 1


    Physical Strength: 1 Magical Power: 1 Quickness: N/A


    Physical Defence: 1 Magic Resistance: 1 Balance: 1


    ORIGIN


    Precocious Child (rank E)


    ¡ª unknown


    PERSONAL SKILLS


    Unyielding Curiosity


    ¡ª unknown


    Imagination for Adventure


    ¡ª unknown


    (hidden talent)


    ¡ª(hidden)


    PATH


    (not available)


    CLASS SKILLS


    (none)


    Nemo looked at the Count, who looked back, and both turned towards the screen again. Nemo always sneaked out the window when her teacher brought up math and numbers so she was never that good at the nonsense, but even she understood that her numbers were pretty bad. She looked at the Count and hoped he would explain her status page to her.


    The Count stood up and straitened his cloak. Nemo just knew what was going to happen next. The Count was about to dramatically tell her about stuff and make a big show out of it. Although she found the animated Count amusing to watch, she still had to remind herself not to run off. The Count said the outside was dangerous and what he was about to say was important.


    That was how Nemo convinced herself to stay put.


    ¡°Health is your most important stat. If it reaches zero you die,¡± the Count declared directly without a hint of hesitation. Nemo never knew what death meant. It was not something that she comprehended. The idea of sleeping forever, never waking, unable to feel as their skin turns cold, unable to hear the sound of people calling their names, were things far away. For all her life she always woke up to the morning light. She was always able to hear her mom call her and feel her warm embrace.


    Nemo gave the Count a quick salute. Health at zero is bad, roger. No ifs or buts. The Count smiled and continued with his explanation.


    ¡°Mana and Energy are not something you should be worried about for now. Their purpose is to give you a resource to use your abilities. If they reach zero, then you have to wait for them to recharge before you can use abilities. For now however, since you have no Path, you need not worry about them.¡±


    Rats. She wanted to have special abilities. For now, again, zero was bad, just not as bad.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Nemo. You will have abilities soon enough,¡± the Count reassured. ¡°Moving along. The four main attributes is Strength, Magic, Endurance, and Agility. Each one empowers one of the six different stats, and they in turn influence the overall performance of your abilities and powers. If you gain enough experience points, you can level up and increase your attributes,


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    ¡°Strength increases power in Physical Strength and Physical Defence. The power enhances your body. Whether it is the strength of your muscles, the toughness of your skin and bones, the Strength attribute makes them better. A powerful body is a gift, one that allows you to reach heights no normal person will be able to obtain. You will be able to destroy mountains, withstand blows equal to that, and remaining standing in the ruins of a shattered world!¡±


    Basically, strength was how strong a person can punch and be punched.


    ¡°In essence, yes,¡± the Count said and coughed into his hand, a bit taken aback by Nemo¡¯s casual remark. Nemo wondered if it was possible for the Count to cough, maybe all the smoke was getting to him. Aha! The Count was the mask all along!


    ¡°However!¡± The Count halted her running imagination and continued. ¡°Magic increases the power in Magical Power and Magic Resistance. When the arcane elements deep within your soul is awakened, Magic empowers it, allowing it shine brighter. With its immense¡­¡±


    Nemo cut him off. Magic was basically punching harder except with magic instead.


    ¡°In essence, yes,¡± the Count replied after pausing for a considerable amount of time. He calmed down from his exaggerated pose and returned to Nemo¡¯s side, seemingly decided that it was just better to be simple with his explanations.


    ¡°Endurance is the more defensive attribute. It does not make you stronger or more magically proficient, it does make your ability to take more punches and more magical punches better. Balance is how many punches you can take before getting knocked down.¡±


    Nemo smiled at the Count¡¯s easy to digest explanation. Following the pattern, Agility would be how quick a person was.


    ¡°That is absolutely correct.¡±


    Nemo felt proud as she figured it out. However, the number next to her Quickness was not a number but the letters N/A, and she wondered if it meant something.


    ¡°You are astute in your observation, Nemo. The peculiarity with your Quickness is the reason why I believe that there is more to your stats than them simply being low numbers. In this world, there exists unique powers. Rather than following the System, those powers have unique interactions with the system, giving them the ability to utilize the System that none other can.¡±


    The Count then met Nemo¡¯s gaze of wonderment.


    ¡°You, Nemo, I believe is one such individual.¡±


    The Count then rustled Nemo¡¯s hair and continued his explanation.


    ¡°However, your Origin is not one I have encountered before hence I cannot know of the exact capabilities of your Personal Skills. You even have one that eludes the System itself, which requires further examination. I will need to retire to my workshop to decipher your status page, so for now, I cannot provide you with much reassurance. Do beware however, your stats being low remains an issue, so do be careful.¡±


    Nemo smiled at the Count and gave him a thumbs up. It was fine. Being at the lowest only meant that there was only up to go. If her stats were low now, all she had to do was work towards getting them higher.


    Besides, you¡¯ll keep me safe, right?


    The Count nodded and took to Nemo¡¯s side.


    ¡°I guess there is only one thing for us to do now, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Nemo¡¯s hopped into the air and ran around the cabin before halting beside the Count. She jogged in place, her grin wide and her heart thumping in excitement. She squealed in her head as the Count lead them to the door. He placed his hand onto the handle.


    ¡°Nemo, welcome to my mansion.¡±

 Chapter 6 - fancy a dress and preparing to meet the other guests

    Nemo bounced on the bed, the springs gave her a boost with each drop as she reached higher and higher. It still wouldn¡¯t be enough to reach the chandeliers though.


    The Count¡¯s mansion was just too darn high! She wasn¡¯t even being unreasonable!


    Nemo understood that as a child, certain things were out of her reach normally due to her small frame. Things such as her sister¡¯s secret candy stash, her sister¡¯s makeups, whatever her sister wanted to hide from her. With a little bit of determination however, and a lot of scrapes and scratches, Nemo always found a way.


    Not the chandeliers in the mansion though. They were hanging at the ceiling of a hallway so large she believed an entire playground could fit, so tall it was most definitely taller than her house. Was the mansion built for giants?


    She initially thought of climbing the walls, the elaborate design and huge walls gave her plenty of nook and crannies to steady herself, and the many ornaments, carvings, and weird-hovering lights sticking out of the walls gave her a lot of things to hold onto. She was not afraid, the climb was easy, even the height wasn¡¯t a problem as long as she didn¡¯t fall.


    The problem however, was she knew that no matter how hard her puny legs pushed, she would never reach the chandelier. It was just too far out. She wondered if it was faster to level up or to find the Count, who was forced away by the woman tidying the room in front of her.


    The woman looked to be in her late twenties, with tanned skin and violet silky hair. When she lead Nemo to this room, her posture was straight, her steps deliberately consistent, and her expression stoic. It reminded Nemo of some of her teachers, utterly incapable of tolerating even the slightest of nonsense. Nemo already made a mental note to not act out in front of her.


    When the Count escorted Nemo into the blinding light, what awaited them within the ornate halls of silver and gold was a woman dressed in a suit just like what her mother used to wear whenever there was a meeting with the teacher. When the woman walked down the shining stairways, her scowl was apparent, and Nemo recognized that expression.


    Whatever amazement Nemo had was exchanged with worry. The expression was one of an angry mother about to condemn their child into hours worth of lecturing. Thankfully, Nemo knew whatever the woman had to say, it was directed at the Count, and with a silent thought of apology, Nemo tiptoed backwards, trying not to draw their attention.


    The Count instantly caught on. With a feigned laugh, his hands wrapped around Nemo¡¯s shoulder and lead Nemo forward. Traitor!The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°My dearest Lady Demon, my very diligent and capable housemaster, greetings. I have returned!¡± the Count seemed to force a smile, but it only deepened Lady Demon¡¯s scowl. Seeing that her mood had gotten worse, the Count quickly pushed Nemo forward and laughed nervously. ¡°This is a dear friend of mine. Her name is Nemo and she would be staying in my mansion for awhile. Please prepare her a room and ready her for supper. I would like to introduce her to my other guests.¡±


    Demon Lady clicked her tongue but her scowl disappeared and replaced it with something expressionless and robotic, like she had done it many times.


    ¡°Understood, master. Come now, lady Nemo, I shall lead you to your guest room,¡± she said, Nemo quite liking being called lady, and turned to the Count sharply. ¡°Master, please wait for me in your room, there are matters to discuss. Important matters. Do not think of leaving until I then.¡±


    Nemo heard the Count gulp but thought nothing of it. At least Nemo wasn¡¯t the one Demon Lady was angry at. She followed the housemaster to an empty room, a walk that took many minutes too long and she wondered if everything about the mansion was large, and now she simply waited for the housemaster to tell her what to do.


    Demon Lady didn¡¯t exactly look like a demon, not from the back at least.


    ¡°Lady Nemo, please put these on,¡± Demon Lady said and turned towards her, revealing a colourful frilly dress, and her demon-like appearance. There were two small horns at the side of her forehead, and under her simple red glasses frames, were two golden iris within a sea of black. She even had cute fangs! Nemo wanted to touch them, but every attempt had been easily brushed off by Demon Lady.


    Next time for sure.


    She took the clothes and spread them out, a pink and white with frills like waves was before her. She then threw it on the ground. It was too gaudy, too girly, too much like what people would put on creepy dolls. Wasn¡¯t there anything cooler?


    Nemo hopped down from the bed and skipped past Demon Lady, her expressionless face suffered a slight twitch on the brow, and went to check the the drawer of clothes. She dug into the pile, the carefully folded and stacked clothes now not so neat and tidy. With every toss and every turn of the pile, she could hear knuckles cracking behind her.


    After searching for some time, one particular outfit caught her attention. She quickly pulled it out and laid it on the bed. She then hopped back to the drawer and began tidying it up, folding the clothes and putting them back in place. She heard the loosening of fists and Demon Lady knelt beside her and helped her clean up.


    After the two had finished cleaning up, Nemo gave the expressionless Demon Lady a thumbs up and skipped to the bed, spreading out the outfit she picked. It was a simple one-piece velvet dress made of a rough tunic shirt and a knee-length skirt. It was not glamorous, does not stand out in anyway, but it was tough and warm. Perfect for adventure.


    ¡°If that is what you wish, lady Nemo,¡± Demon Lady said, more or less already given up on comprehending Nemo¡¯s choice of clothes.


    With a smile, Nemo hopped down the bed and grabbed Demon Lady¡¯s hand, tugging it forward.


    Time to meet up with the Count and meet the house guests!


    ¡°You still need to change, lady Nemo.¡±


    Oops.

 Chapter 7 - the end of the beginning, a precocious child now runs the show

    Nemo bopped to the Count¡¯s music, her head swaying slowly to the soothing tune. It was a good enough distraction when waiting for the Count. She was restless, her legs commanded her to start running within the extravagant hallways of the mansion. She would try her best to wait since the Count asked her, but she still wished he would hurry up.


    However, the boiling ominous aura of rage distorting the door in front of Nemo told her that it might be awhile before the Count was able to come out.


    After Nemo picked her outfit and finished changing, Demon Lady lead her to the Count¡¯s room where he waited. She cautioned Nemo to follow her closely and not wander, getting distracted on the path to his room could result in a person being lost forever. Nemo was unconvinced and was more sure that Demon Lady simply didn¡¯t want her running around and waste time looking for her. The only thing weird about the path to the Count¡¯s room was that it involved walking in circles and extra shiny walls.


    Still, Nemo obliged as she was more excited about meeting the other house guest. She grabbed onto the hem of Demon Lady¡¯s skirt since the woman clearly had no intention of holding her arm. Her fists tightened as the hallways dimmed the further they walked until it was entirely covered in a depressing hue of red.


    Someone really needed to fix the lights.


    The two eventually reached a part of the hallway without any decoration or elaborate setup. It only had some broken statues and a few paintings depicting a faceless woman dressed in scarlet. It wasn¡¯t that the woman¡¯s face wasn¡¯t painted, but it felt like her face was obfuscated by some weird sensation that blocked Nemo from recognizing her.


    A mystery, how fun.


    Before Nemo decided on what to do with the painting, Demon Lady opened the door and lead Nemo into the room. The Count smiled and was about to greet Nemo, but Demon Lady quickly stepped between the two of them. She turned around and gave Nemo a quick bow before dragging the Count into a door in the corner of the room.


    ¡°Do wait patiently, Nemo. I¡¯ll be with you shortly,¡± the Count said as he was being dragged, a hint of fright and panic rose from his cloak before vanishing within. The door slammed and Nemo was left alone in the room.


    Nemo strolled around the room, rather empty and simple for how extravagant the mansion was. There were only two long couches and in the middle a small wooden table with a tea-set placed on it. The room seemed more for receiving guests than anything. Maybe there were more interesting stuff in the other door.


    That was when the soothing music started, which was followed shortly by the image distorting aura.


    Nemo gulped. She was reminded of the first encounter with Demon Lady and whatever the Count had to endure was surely not something she wanted to be a part of.


    Oh well. That was when Nemo decided to be a good girl and wait for the Count. He would surely need a pat on the back for whatever ordeal he just went through.


    When the music stopped and the aura faded, the image of the door returned to normal. Nemo turned towards the opened door and out came Demon Lady looking as expressionless as ever and the Count.


    Did the Count turn pale? She must be imagining things.


    ¡°Nemo, please take a seat,¡± the Count said after pondering for a moment, his voice somewhat shaky. Nemo did what she was told and hopped onto a couch and the Count sat in the one in front of her. She was surprised the Count could sit, what with him being like gas and all. Demon Lady took to standing behind the Count.


    ¡°This is a rather peculiar choice, housemaster,¡± the Count said after examining Nemo¡¯s choice of clothing.


    ¡°Lady Nemo chose it herself,¡± Demon Lady replied.


    ¡°In a sense it is fitting for you to choose something so simple,¡± the Count conceded and Nemo placed her hands on her waist and puffed out her chest like a hero, clearly proud of her choice.


    ¡°Nemo, I want you to join me for supper so you can meet the other house guests living within my manor. Even though it pains me to do this, they must be made aware of your existence as a guest of mine. Even though I fear it might not be enough to still the nature of their being, I will do my best to assure their agreement to your residency. However, in order to do so, you need to be on your best behaviour. Leave the talking to me.¡±


    Nemo looked at the Count funny and he soon realized his mistake.


    ¡°My apologies, Nemo. Just make sure to present yourself properly. If anything goes awry, the housemaster and myself would ensure your safety,¡± the Count concluded and Demon Lady bowed.


    Nemo did wonder why it was such a big deal though.


    ¡°You see, Nemo, my houses guests are not exactly beings you are familiar with. They are born of realms far different than yours, unique in their Origin, and see things that only themselves could comprehend,¡± the Count explained as Nemo tilted her head, clearly confused about the big words. After a moment of pondering, the Count continued. ¡°Think of it this way, Nemo. They are monsters not of this world and treat humans as¡­ Nemo?¡±


    Nemo¡¯s face lightened up and a grin spread as the words slowly sank in. She was about to meet monsters. Real monsters! Not just cheap movie knock-offs or that one dog in their neighbourhood that liked to frighten other children. Could they breathe fire? Could they shoot laser beams from their eyes? How about summoning dark and cute minions?


    Nemo gave the sighing Count a thumbs up. She would do her best to become friends with them.


    ¡°While I applaud your enthusiasm, let us simply think of getting through supper in one piece for now,¡± the Count said. He then smiled and stood up, the shade of his cloak regaining some of its darkness after his venture into the other room.


    ¡°Housemaster, gather the guests and tell the chef to prepare supper. Nemo, let us depart to where your destiny awaits!¡±


    Is it that big of a deal?


    ¡°Maybe not¡­¡±


    <hr>


    Nemo held the Count¡¯s hand as the two stood before a giant door. The golden frame had elaborate carvings of what seemed like mystical creatures, a mysterious lighting hummed quietly inside. The door lead to the dining room, and inside were the seven house guests she needed to impress, or rather not tick off.


    Easy, Nemo was a cute and adorable child and she would charm the butts off anyone!


    The Count gave her a worrying look, but Nemo simply nodded her readiness to step inside.


    The Count sighed at the grinning Nemo. With a chuckle, he placed his hand on the door and the slow humming ceased. After a brief moment, the door opened and the two stepped inside.


    ¡°Guests of the Crimson Domain! May I present to you, the Count and his honoured guest, Lady Nemo!¡± proclaimed Demon Lady, who was already inside waiting for them.


    Nemo walked to the left of the Count, her friend seemingly stood to protect Nemo from the other guests. However, the Count''s fluttering cloak and smokey mists of a body prevented her from getting a good look at the guests. She remembered the Count telling her not to act out, but a peek should be fine, right?


    Nemo felt the Count relent to her curiosity and she happily leaned forward.


    Then the world froze.


    Seven figures of various beings all turned their attention towards Nemo, their eyes observing, pondering, probing, and devouring the puny human child. Their intention clear and their hostility unmasked, each step the child took was an affront to their existence. This was their sanctuary, their respite, and a pest had just broken their peace.


    Oopsie.


    Nemo felt like she made a mistake, took a step too far. However, her curiosity still got the better of her and she examined each and every one of the guests. The Count said it might be dangerous, but she had to meet them sooner or later, and how could she be friends with them if she didn¡¯t even know what they looked like.


    Nemo¡¯s eyes wandered.


    There were seven individuals, each unique in appearance, stood at the opposite end of a giant table larger than her school swimming pool.


    A ball of fluff, small and tiny with a milky centre surrounded by different shades of vibrant colours, floated aimlessly in the air, hovering and swaying. Nemo caught its gaze, startling the fluff. Its eyes, two pearls, darted with its body, seemingly trying to find a place to hide. The fluff initially wanted to run into the floor, but stopped inches before making impact. It then quickly swam behind another floating compatriot, most likely the ghost the Count mentioned, but soon realized the transparent nature of its cover and panicked. After scanning for possible places to hide its face, the fluff settled for a giant block of white.


    ¡°That would be Rainbow Fluff,¡± said the Count, a slight hint of amusement in his voice. ¡°Do forgive his shyness, he does not do well with strangers. I¡¯m glad he remembered to not use the floor as an exit. The ones he chose to hide behind are Mademoiselle Ghost and White Titan.¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Mademoiselle Ghost, a lady fading in and out of reality, wore a dress of pure white, a singular sheet like waves dancing in the air. She gave Nemo a passing glance and disappeared into the wall, leaving the dining room. White Titan, a triangular giant built of plates stacked and slotted into wiring lights of blue, remained still. Never once did he move, his faceless gaze staring far into the distance, not knowing what it was that he saw.


    A metallic oval husk wrapped in rags stood, the brown fabric failed to cover the numerous scars and dents on its surface. A red dot within a wide-black screen scanned back and forth. It gave Nemo a slight nod, more like tilt forward, and returned to its seat.


    ¡°That would be Chrome Ronin. He is a man of few words, but always a delight at tea parties.¡±


    ¡°Noble Count,¡± raised a soft voice, an overlaying echoes of silk that felt like they were crawling into Nemo¡¯s ears. It was from what looked to be a woman in fern green, her features masked by a robe, her face hidden behind its hood. ¡°Why did you bring this child here?¡±


    ¡°Obviously for us to eat,¡± grumbled a low vibrating voice. A monster covered in a purple coat of sharp quills prowled forward, its glowing amber eyes and sharp talons aimed towards Nemo.


    ¡°I do not recall asking you anything, Violet Beast,¡± said the woman in robe and the monster stopped to glare at the woman.


    ¡°Is that a challenge, Green Lady?¡±


    ¡°Ladies, please. I do wish you would not burden my servants with another mess,¡± said the Count after a silent sigh. ¡°This here is Nemo, a guest of mine, just like all of you.¡±


    ¡°Have you said your all?¡± a voice rang out and the entire room fell silent. A woman stepped forward, her crimson dress adorned with obsidian feathers glided in the air. She snapped her fan onto her gloved palm, baring the ashen white skin of her shoulder and chest. Her eyes and lips were red, red like blood.


    ¡°Cruel and venerated Duchess, I meant no¡­¡±


    ¡°Silence,¡± interrupted the Duchess, the tone of her voice unchanged, unreadable. ¡°I do not know why and neither do I care for your reasons in bringing this human to your mansion. There is only the truth of you calling a human into our presence and introducing the human as an equal, a guest to your mansion. There is peace in this mansion because any confrontation between any two of us would only result in the destruction of the entire manor. We are the pinnacle of existence. No other beings will reach us, nowhere in this world will accept us. This is our last bastion. Yet now you bring an inferior insect among us. A human who is welcomed anywhere, anywhere but here.¡±


    Nemo could feel the Count tense up as the Duchess cast her eyes on Nemo.


    ¡°Who are you, human?¡±


    The Count stood tall and extended his arms, covering Nemo.


    ¡°Who are you to stand before me?¡±


    The Duchess¡¯ face distorted into anger and so did the air. The dining room disappeared into a whirlpool of madness. It was chaos, all manners of blackness spiralled into a void without being, a point that seemingly stretched beyond the fabrics of space. Yet it was not the unknown that was terrifying, it was the glimpses into reason far exceeding human understanding that frightened all those who dared make sense of them. Numbers. Oppressively large numbers. The numbers were known, they could be read, but they could never be reached, they could never be understood.


    Crimson Duchess (Level 99+) - The Red Herring


    Health: 9999999+/9999999+ Mana: 9999999+/9999999+ Energy: 9999999+/9999999+


    Strength: 9999+ Magic: 9999+ Endurance: 9999+ Agility: 9999+


    Health: (error) Strength: 12880 Health: 65408870 Mana: 9999999+ Mana: 90900997 Mana: 901000101 Magic: 27840 Endurance: ????? Energy: 559870+ Endurance: ????? Agility: 9999+ Health: 95540000 Heath: 44587690 Level: (error) Origin: Heir of the Stars Mana: ???????? Endurance: 666 Strength: Endurance: 18550 Path: (error) Health: (error) Mana: 901011000 Agility: 9999+


    Crimson Duchess, her status screen oppressed all those who dared view it, and now it was being directed towards Nemo. The information alone, like an aura, spelled dread to those captured within the woman¡¯s malice. Nemo saw the numbers, she saw glimpses of what they were, but all she could comprehend was that they were extraordinarily high. Any attempt Nemo made to look closely, was repelled not by nonsense, but rather an innate primal fear of not wanting to realize how insignificant a child could be. For the first time ever since arriving at this new world, Nemo was afraid.


    Nemo stared at the Duchess, her red eyes boiled with rage.


    Nemo snapped back into reality only to see a whirlpool of black feathers lanced towards her. She cowered and braced herself for the worst. However, a mist quickly spread out and solidified, like a barrier, shielded Nemo from the attack.


    The two darkness clashed, a shock wave exploded within the golden halls.


    Nemo peaked out from behind her little hands. She was safe. But for how long? The Count was her friend, but because of her she put him in a tough position. She didn¡¯t want any of that, the idea of being a burden to those who care for her. Yet here there was a challenge she didn¡¯t know how to overcome.


    If unsure what to do in life, one should always move forward.


    Nemo took a deep breath. There was only one thing left to do. She said she would introduce herself to the Count¡¯s guests, and one of them asked for who she was, so what else was there to think about?


    Nemo stepped forward, both the Count and the Duchess surprised by her action.


    Count, I will now introduce myself.


    ¡°Very well, Nemo.¡±


    I have a name and I am Nemo. The Count is my friend and he will take my on an adventure!


    There was silence.


    The room stilled after the Count relayed Nemo¡¯s introduction, her voice seemingly expressed from the Count¡¯s shadow. After a moment of pause, the Duchess stepped back, her gaze remained harsh but the oppressiveness was lessened, or rather, held back.


    ¡°Friend?¡± the Duchess asked, eyebrows raised. ¡°What is the meaning of this.¡±


    ¡°I met Nemo outside my manor wandering alone. We became friends afterwards and I invited her to my manor.¡±


    The gaze of the seven house guests, Mademoiselle Ghost who returned after sensing the commotion, wandered between Nemo and the Count.


    The Count then turned towards Nemo, a small smile of gratitude emerged from behind his mask.


    ¡°I apologize for the scare, Nemo. But as you say, you are a dear friend of mine so my manor is yours to explore. However, for now I cannot take you on an adventure. There is a lot of work to do in my manor, to rebuild what was broken. Aside from the mansion, most of it is in ruins, not to mention discovering how to get you back home, which means I simply am unable to leave my workshop for the foreseeable future.¡±


    If the Count was swamped with work, then as a friend Nemo was willing to help. So the manor needed fixing up. Easy! Nemo hopped onto the table and crossed her arms.


    From today onward, she would be a housemaid of this mansion, cleaning and fixing things that needed to be cleaned and fixed. She would also help make the stay of the seven house guests more enjoyable, showing them that she could be useful and deserved to stay in the mansion.


    The room was startled at her sudden action but silence soon followed.


    Did she say something wrong?


    ¡°I believe they cannot hear you, Nemo,¡± the Count explained before turning to the guests. ¡°It seems like I would be acquiring a new housemaid. I suppose she will now be working alongside me in restoring the manor. I do hope all of you get along.¡±


    With a click of her tongue, the Duchess walked towards the door.


    ¡°I will be having supper within my room,¡± she said before exiting the dining room. The remain guests soon followed and only Nemo, the Count, and Demon Lady, who stood still for the entirety of the scene, remained in the room.


    ¡°That was rather unnerving,¡± muttered the Count before turning to Nemo. ¡°Alas, it seems like for now you are accepted by my guests, and no danger should befall you, in the meantime.¡±


    Nemo smiled and cheered silently at their success.


    ¡°Now that you wish to aid me in restoring my manor, do you know the responsibilities as a housemaid?¡±


    Nope.


    The Count stared at Nemo in silence.


    You¡¯ll teach me, right?


    ¡°Sometimes I wonder what to do with you,¡± sighed the Count.


    Today was the day that marked the beginning of Nemo¡¯s life as a member of the Count¡¯s manor. A land in ruin among beings of terror, Nemo¡¯s journey to help the Count¡¯s work has begun. Only so that she could play sooner, rather than later.

 Chapter 8 - Nemo and the White Titan (part 1 - first encounter)

    When Nemo fell from the chandelier, no one heard her scream. She was mute, of course no one heard her. When she was falling closer to the ground, when the chandelier became further and further away, there was only one thought in her mind.


    Darn it. I was so close.


    Thud.


    [Damage sustained. HP: 360 -> 120]


    Ouch.


    Nemo lied on her back and stared at the chandelier. Her body flickered. She thought about her climb and how it was a success, if she ignored the jump and fall. The good thing about having gigantic hallways was that every nook and crannies were enlarged as well, giving her plenty of footing. The bad thing about having gigantic hallways was that even if she reached the top, she could never jump over to the chandelier.


    With a muted sigh Nemo scratched her head. Surprisingly the fall didn¡¯t really hurt. The initial bump felt like being hit by a volleyball, but there was no lingering pain. The System was such a convenient thing. Once she put on her maid¡¯s uniform and gained the Path of a [Housemaid], her measly 3 health points suddenly became 360. Apparently each Path came with its own perks, and one of which was the increase of stats and attributes. The Count said it wasn¡¯t actually that much, but she was thankful since it allowed her to attempt the climb.


    Without her Path Nemo¡¯s health would be 0, which was bad, which also meant that she couldn¡¯t try it again until her health recovered. See, she could do math.


    It had been a month since that fateful day. Nemo met the Count, had a room in his golden mansion, and according to him, almost got plastered by the Duchess. This also meant it had been a month since Nemo became a housemaid.


    ¡°Nemo, what are you doing?¡± asked a stern voice.


    Nemo quickly sprung up and saluted the woman in front of her. Demon Lady still wore the same impeccably straightened business suit and the same expressionless stare. Her eyes were the same sea of blackness and golden ring that threatened to suck her in.


    Nemo initially found her stare unsettling, but now that she gotten used to it, the only thing on her mind whenever she saw the Demon Lady was the urge to touch her fangs. However, having lived with her for a month, Nemo more or less learned to read that expressionless look. Just listen to veins popping or knuckles crunching!


    Nemo decided not to bother Demon Lady today.


    Demon Lady was still waiting for an answer so Nemo gestured wildly about how she was doing the rounds. She wiped an invisible wall in the air, referring to her using the[Clean and Dust] ability to make sure the golden sparkly hallways shined even brighter. She crossed her arms and opened them in a shrug, indicating that she was bored cause there was nothing interesting. She pointed the walls and climbed them, showing how she decided to brave the walls and conquer the chandelier.


    Demon Lady grabbed the back of her uniform collar and plopped her onto the floor. Nemo struggled and flung her arms and legs widely, reenacting her fall.


    Demon Lady sighed and raised an arm out. Magical energy gathered into her open palm and shadowy tendrils appeared on the floor, extending forward. When the tendrils caught Nemo, she was then surrounded by swirls of dark blue light. Warm air fluttered around her and she felt lighter.


    [Spell - Creeping Tendrils (rank E)]


    [Healing received. HP: 120 -> 360. Buff received. Health Regeneration + 20% for 3 seconds, Quickness + 20% for 3 seconds]


    Nemo let out a silent praise of wonderment. She could try again and be faster as well!


    Demon Lady already figured out her intention and Nemo found herself running in the air. It was pointless to try and escape Demon Lady¡¯s iron grasp so she slumped and let her boss once again plop her onto the floor.


    ¡°Remember what my master said to you after you acquired the Path?¡± Demon Lady said and Nemo nodded in response. However, Nemo still gestured to the sparkly interior. Everything was already clean before she even arrived. She didn¡¯t even have the opportunity to use her magical cleaning abilities!


    ¡°Nemo, understand that until you learn to wield all three basic abilities of the [Housemaid], the parts in which the mansion needed cleaning is still too difficult for you. Besides, the other guests rarely visit these hallways that is why these halls are the perfect place for you to practice.¡±


    When Demon Lady finished, thundering steps could be heard around the corner, but they were not louder than the sound of Demon Lady¡¯s veins popping and knuckles crunching. She was clearly annoyed that someone contradicted her statement.


    The White Titan appeared from the corner and stomped forward slowly, each step taken the same pace as the one before. His plates slotted in an out to the rhythm of his movement, and each step shook the ground. His faceless gaze continued to stare forward. His height almost reached the ceiling and his shoulders would¡¯ve punctured the walls if he stepped one step too far to the side.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    The White Titan was about to break the chandelier! This meant more cleaning and one less thing to swing from!


    Nemo ran forward and stood in the path of the White Titan and raised one arm, commanding him to stop his advance. Surely he would stop, right?


    Nope.


    [Spell - Creeping Tendrils (rank A)]


    [Healing received. HP: 360 -> 360. Unique buff - Embrace of the Dark Waves received for 12 seconds. HP regeneration + 100%, Swiftness + 100%, Extra Health + (unknown), Extra Mana + (unknown), Omni-resistance + (unknown), passive - Unstoppable received, passive Grounded received]


    The White Titan¡¯s feet didn¡¯t stop. Nemo held her ground. The giant¡¯s foot connected with Nemo, but instead of being sent flying to who knows where, Nemo felt herself punted, but her flickering body allowed the giant¡¯s foot to phase through.


    [Damage received. Extra HP reduced to 0. HP: 360 -> 320]


    Ouch. That wasn¡¯t very nice.


    ¡°Are you okay, Nemo?¡± Demon Lady approached the child and asked, but her tone betrayed no hint of concern.


    Nemo nodded. The White Titan ignored the two and continued forward.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do that again. If my spell didn¡¯t reach you in time or somehow connected with the White Titan, both of us would not come out of the aftermath unscathed. I¡¯m pretty sure you would go poof more likely than not. If you were simply a mansion worker under my command, I wouldn¡¯t mind that. However, you are the master¡¯s friend, so please don¡¯t make my life more difficult.¡±


    Nemo heard her, but she wasn¡¯t really paying attention.


    Grandpa once said that in life, do not allow anyone to walk over her or look down on her.


    The White Titan looked down on Nemo and walked over her, literally! That would not go unanswered.


    Nemo ran and the Demon Lady, clearly annoyed that she was ignored, followed reluctantly.


    There was still some distance before the giant hit the chandelier.


    With the buff still active, Nemo ran. She dodged the giant¡¯s steps, its predictable and slow nature made it easy. She gained some distance and skidded to a stop under the chandelier. She began climbing the walls, faster than ever before. She felt lighter, her movement unconstrained by the pull of her weight. Without much effort she reached the top in record time.


    Nemo aimed at the chandelier and her little legs pushed.


    It was not enough and she began to fall.


    No. Not like this!


    With a silent cry of defiance, she flung the towel she had tucked in her belt towards the chandelier, a movement like instinct.


    [Skill learned - Strenuous Reach (rank E)]


    [Unique passive - Embrace of the Dark Waves expired]


    The towel latched onto the chandelier and Nemo dangled under it. She did it. A huge grin crept on her face, but it quickly disappeared with the sound of loud stomping.


    She turned around and the White Titan continued approaching. Nemo would not allow him to ignore her a second time. Once again, Nemo raised one arm. She glared at the giant with all the intensity she could muster and commanded him to stop with her eyes and a silent growl.


    Stomp.


    Stop.


    Stomp.


    Stop!


    Stomp.


    Stop or I¡¯m gonna punch you!


    Stomp.


    The White Titan stopped. His gaze fixated on the little girl dangling under the golden lights and examined Nemo. After what seemed like forever, the plates of his gigantic body turned, slotted away, and rotated until he now faced the other side. His thunderous steps resumed and the giant walked away.


    Nemo smiled. She did it. No one was walking all over her!


    Ahem.


    The sound of Demon Lady clearing her throat snapped Nemo¡¯s attention to the woman below. Her expressionless face was now not so expressionless. With a finger, she pointed to the floor.


    Nemo was going to get an earful once she returned to the ground. However, she wasn¡¯t on the ground yet!


    With a grin she swung her feet.


    Nemo was swinging on the chandelier. The wind, the speed, the exhilarating back and forth was everything she wanted. It was all worth it! The falling and the punting and the lecture later, nothing compared to the fun she was having at the moment!


    Click.


    Nemo later found herself lying on the ground. She swung so hard the chandelier fell and shattered. She spent the next hour cleaning up with the Demon Lady lecturing in the background, and another hour listening to the angry lecture.


    Worth it.

 Chapter 9 - Nemo and Rainbow Fluff (part 1 - first encounter)

    Nemo ran.


    She liked running. She liked to feel the speed on her cheeks and kicking up dusts for those racing her to eat. However, when the person racing her wanted to eat her instead of her dust, like chew her up with sharp bladed teeth, then there really wasn¡¯t much to enjoy.


    It all started when Nemo fished her daily routine begrudgingly after being caught by Demon Lady. She took off her work clothes and changed into something more comfortable.


    [Maximum HP lowered. Maximum HP 360 -> 3]


    Nemo didn¡¯t care much about that. She once debated with herself whether it was worth it, but she never felt much different when running or climbing when she took off her uniform, so she chose the more comfortable option. She just had to be careful not to fall.


    Nemo began exploring the mansion, and this time she would find an adventure. Like always, she would attempt to sneak into areas the Count forbade her to. He said her level was too low, whatever that meant, and would be at risk due to the dangers present in those areas.


    Nemo didn¡¯t want to die, but it wouldn¡¯t be much of a risk if she just took a peek, right? She had to know those dangers in order to avoid it after all.


    The endeavour had been mostly unproductive. Nemo was confined within the mansion as a person cannot leave or enter without the Count¡¯s permission and he sure as heck didn¡¯t want Nemo getting into trouble. She was confident that if she begged and pouted enough the Count would relent, but since he was busy helping her find a way home, she decided against bothering him.


    Maybe until when she gotten really really bored.


    So Nemo spent most of her days ditching work, getting caught ditching work, trying to go to places she shouldn¡¯t have, and getting caught going to places she shouldn¡¯t have.


    Thankfully, the one catching her had business elsewhere and this meant today was the perfect time to explore!


    Nemo was excited for the opportunity. The only adventure she had in this mansionso far was the climb on to the White Titan and delivering tea to Green Lady and then escaping her increasingly dangerous ranting.


    After searching for some time, she stumbled upon a new adventure, and this time it was something she herself discovered, like opening a mysterious present box to see what was inside. The unknown and surprise was something she wanted to experience.


    It was what Nemo lived for.


    When she was about to end the day and return to her room, she saw gleaming purple quills rising and falling ever so slowly in the crack of a wall. She approached the familiar figure after squeezing through the tiny opening and saw Violet Beast, the one that threatened to eat her, sleeping soundly. The six-legged monster was slumbering and her gleaming eyes were tucked within her talons. The coat of quills laid low like a funky blanket.


    Violet Beast and the Duchess were the two house guests Nemo tried to avoid as much as possible, yet when time passed, she found her curiosity overwhelming her fears and wanted to meet the two house guests that showed open hostility towards her once more.


    Now Nemo had the chance. When Violet Beast wasn''t threatening to eat the child, she looked kind of cute and Nemo wanted to pet her.


    That was a mistake.


    Now, Nemo was running for her life.


    Thanks to her small size and familiarity with the layout of the mansion, Nemo managed to avoid capture by using shortcuts, exits, and techniques she honed through running away from Demon Lady everyday. She failed to escape every time, but Violet Beast was no Demon Lady, who knew the mansion inside out.


    The chase continued and Nemo found her advantage diminishing. The distance she gained with each shortcut lessened and with every turn the Violet Beast approached faster. No matter how much she tried she couldn¡¯t shake Violet Beast off her trail.


    Nemo had to think of something.


    Usually Nemo would make a fuss and break some stuff to get Demon Lady¡¯s attention, but since the housemaster wasn''t in the mansion today, Nemo had to use one final trick.


    If Nemo couldn¡¯t outrun or fight off Violet Beast, have someone else do it!


    Nemo ran deliberately now instead of being unpredictable. She knew the White Titan¡¯s strolling habits and knew he was close.


    Earthshaking footsteps were heard in the distance in front of her and swift thumping ones followed closely behind Nemo. After a few more corners she turned into a giant walking ever so slowly like always. She sensed that Violet Beast was just behind her so she sprinted.


    The sight of the White Titan might¡¯ve given Violet Beast a moment of pause, that was the only explanation why Nemo still felt her head on her shoulders.


    Nemo sprinted forward. She pulled a small pebble out of her pocket and flung it towards the body of the White Titan.


    The White Titan paused, steam leaked out of the plates before red glowed in between them and steam gushed out. His plates transformed and stacked unpredictably and then shot out like hovering slabs of metal waiting to smack everything in its vicinity.


    ¡°What?¡± she heard Violet Beast stammered, her voice like vibrating echoes.


    A smug smile crept up Nemo¡¯s face and she took advantage of Violet Beasts caution. Her pursuer had no idea how many times she had to duck and dodge the giant while cleaning, the many times she got smacked when she tried to conquer the giant¡¯s height, and the effort needed to go through whatever defensive mechanism the giant had.


    With swift and practised motion, Nemo made it past the giant to the end of the hallway.


    A low growl, a sound that chilled her bones, reached her ears and Nemo turned around. Violet Beast glared at her, as if mocked by Nemo¡¯s success. The beast pounced forward, using pure agility and physical senses to dodge every slab of metal that danced and crushed in the air. The beast ducked, the beast jumped, the beast retreated, and the beast came closer.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Shoot.


    Without any forewarning, a movement not within the pattern Nemo memorized began in motion. The White Titan grabbed onto the tail of Violet Beast, the movement so fast a gust of wind broke every window to the side, and flung the beast backwards and outside a shattered window.


    Nemo tumbled backwards but quickly stood back up. She gave the White Titan a thumbs up, who replied with glowing green lights that felt like a wink and a sigh, and walked away from the disaster area. She would have hell to pay later on, but for now she decided she needed to find a secure room to hide.


    After searching for some time, and her instincts telling her that Violet Beast was still looking for her, Nemo found an unlocked room and entered it.


    Nemo saw a small ball of fluff hovering over something. She approached closer and saw that it was Rainbow Fluff reading a picture book. The cute little thing was colourful and full of vibrant energy, its outline moving widely as if reacting to what was in the book. However, it stopped after awhile and lowered onto the book, its limbless body struggled to flip the page.


    Nemo walked over and helped him flip a page. The fluff turned towards her with a smile before his eyes widened in horror and he trembled in fear.


    Rainbow Fluff let out a small yelp and Nemo felt as if she was pushed by a tornado and her body smacked into a wall.


    [Damage sustained. HP: 3->2]


    Ouch.


    Nemo rubbed her head and shook off the dull pain. Next time she would remember not to startle the jumpy ball of colour. She wondered what she could do though given that she was mute. She made a mental note to herself and stood up.


    Rainbow Fluff was trembling in the corner, the colours of its body turned pale and in a shade that felt much like fear. Paper scatted among fallen furniture and Nemo felt bad. She didn¡¯t mind cleaning up the mess later on or being scolded by Demon Lady, but she didn¡¯t like ruining the fun of other¡¯s. She scared the poor thing and most likely made his day worse. Rainbow Fluff was having fun and Nemo ruined it.


    There was only one thing for Nemo to do now.


    Nemo spent the next hour or so scouring the room for the torn pages and reassembled them in the correct order. After she was done, she cautiously approached the scared ball of fluff and laid down the shoddily reassembled picture book behind him and tiptoed away.


    When there was no response, Nemo gently tapped the floor a couple of times. Rainbow Fluff stopped shaking and turned towards the source of the sound cautiously, retracting its face back into the corner whenever he met Nemo¡¯s eyes.


    Nemo tried once again but this time she smiled and pointed towards the book.


    Rainbow Fluff slowly left its corner and cautiously hovered to the book. After realizing nothing was going to happen, his smiled return and began to once again read the book, dancing in the air as he reacted to whatever was on the page.


    Nemo observed Rainbow Fluff and realized he was struggling to turn the scattered and poorly reassembled pages. The vibrant colours on his body dimmed and his hovering drooped.


    Nemo debated with herself whether to help the skittish creature that blasted her in to the wall, but when she saw the sadness in his eyes and that he was about to give up, Nemo made up her mind. She crawled forward, the little ball too depressed to pay any attention to her. When she was near she gently tapped the floor again and waited for a response. The fluff looked up with watery eyes and Nemo smiled while pointing at herself.


    Nemo made sure not to make any sudden movements when  her hands reached out towards the pages. She slowly turned the page, the new pictures within it caught his attention and Rainbow Fluff was engrossed by it instantly.


    The two fell into a routine as Rainbow Fluff became more comfortable with Nemo¡¯s presence. He would tap a page he was finished reading and she would flip to the next page. The two shared a quiet afternoon, sometimes the fluff would even look up and excitedly show Nemo something interesting on the page.


    Time flew by quickly and so did the door.


    With a loud bang Violet Beast stomped into the room.


    ¡°I found you,¡± she hissed.


    Nemo and Rainbow Fluff instantly clung onto one another, both of them trembling even harder than what she thought was possible. Nemo was terrified, and judging by the darting eyeballs and fluttering colours, so was Rainbow Fluff. However, one thing she noticed was how soft and fluffy her companion in fear was.


    At least his name wasn''t misleading, unlike Green Lady.


    Whelp. Nemo was going to die today, but at least she got to experience a heavenly soft and comfy hug before being bones in a monster¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°You think you can make a fool out¡ª¡± Violet Beast stopped and stared at the frightened child, or rather what she was hugging. With a growl, she stomped away, grumbling obscenities Grandpa would most definitely scold Nemo for saying.


    It was a few moments before both Nemo and Rainbow Fluff moved. They stared at the empty room and then at each other.


    Nemo and Rainbow Fluff cheered. She hugged the cute little ball and then both danced in circles. They were comrades now, both having survived death and came out unscathed. Whatever misgivings Rainbow Fluff had with Nemo disappeared. She was someone who overcame trials with, and the bond they now share would never be broken.


    Nemo held up Rainbow Fluff swung it in circles, both of them smiling and one of them also laughing, a giggling so squeaky and cute Nemo wished she could¡¯ve laughed with him.


    It was a joyous time. That was the case until Demon Lady stomped in the room and saw paper scattered everywhere, furniture toppled, and a door stuck in the wall.


    Rainbow Fluff zoomed out of the room and left Nemo alone to face the wrath of the housemaster.


    I can explain!


    Wait¡­


    Nemo spent the entire night cleaning up and learning how to install door frames.

 Chapter 10 - suspense is bad for the heart but also exciting

    Nemo blinked and woke up. She scratched her head and tried to remember why she was lying on the hallway floor.


    She remembered learning a skill called Strenuous Reach that allowed her to fling her cloth and wrap it around stuff. After realizing that it meant she could basically swing from anything anywhere she wanted, Nemo immediately wanted to practice the skill and find places to swing, or at least that was her plan but Demon Lady¡¯s glare meant she had to finish her work before she was allowed to goof off.


    So after what felt like an eternity of cleaning up the chandelier she just broke and some other chores, Nemo finally finished her work. She waved a quick goodbye to her still slightly miffed supervisor and skipped back to her room to change.


    Afterwards, she stood in the middle of the hallway outside of her room. None of the house guests wandered into this specific hallway and that was why the Count decided to let her stay in a room here. He also mentioned something about spells and barriers so it was better not to wander, but Nemo haven¡¯t seen any of those things when she sneaked out so she was sure the Count was just, like always, scaring her into not making trouble.


    Foolish friend. Didn¡¯t the Count know by now that Nemo feared nothing? Also, she was not making trouble, she was going on an adventure!


    With a white towel in hand Nemo stood in the empty hallway.


    Strenuous Reach!


    Nemo yelled the skill in her mind. The towel flopped forward and dropped weakly into the air.


    Nemo frowned. Something wasn¡¯t right. She remembered the sensation when she used it last time just a few hours ago when she had to face off against the White Titan. It was a splendid victory. When she flung the towel energy surged within her body and she felt that the cloth was part of her, that she could trust it managing her weight when she hung from the chandelier she eventually broke.


    Now the towel was just a lifeless piece of fabric dangling in the still air.


    Nemo tilted her head and began to think. She clearly remembered that she was able to do the skill just earlier and she had heard a synthesized voice telling her that she learned the skill. Was the earlier experience all just a dream?


    Was Nemo dreaming ever since she woke up in these strange lands?


    Meh.


    This was as real as it gets and Nemo knew for a fact she indeed used a magical ability that allowed her to cling onto any surface with her tower. She thought back hard and realized a key difference between when she was able to use the skill and when she was not.


    Nemo was wearing her housekeeper uniform.


    She dashed into her room and changed into her uniform.


    [Maximum health increased. 3 -> 80]


    [Maximum mana increased. 3 -> 80]


    [Maximum energy increased. 3 -> 10]


    Nemo smirked at her own genius. She rushed back out of her room and flung her towel, her mind instantly imagined the towel latching onto something. The towel heard her command and flew forward.


    [Skill - Strenuous Reach (rank E)]


    The towel soared and was still, straight as an arrow. It vibrated slightly as if it needed to find something to hold onto. Once the towel realized it had nothing to connect to it dropped.


    Nemo looked around and found an ornament sticking out of the walls just big enough and close enough, and most importantly, high enough to test her skill on.


    Nemo jumped.


    [Skill - Strenuous Reach (rank E)]


    The towel once again flew forward but this time it extended. The tip of the fabric became longer like magic and wrapped itself around the ornament and sturdily supported Nemo as she dangled off the ground.


    Nemo grinned and swung but the lustre of swinging in the air correlates to how high she was and Nemo was very close to the ground. With a pout and a thought, the towel loosened and she landed onto the ground.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    An idea struck her like lightning. Nemo could totally swing around like a certain comic book superhero. The ceiling of the hallways were filled with patterned carvings and hollowed nooks and crannies. It was perfect.


    Nemo began climbing the walls. It was much more difficult than when she was energized by Demon Lady¡¯s magic, but she was still confident she was able to scale the walls with little difficulty. After several minutes she reached a height where she was sure the tower could reach its mark.


    Nemo took a deep breath and leapt off the wall.


    [Skill - Strenuous Reach (rank E)]


    The towel darted forward and latched onto the ceiling. Nemo used her momentum and gravity and swung in an arc. She willed the towel to loosen just a moment before she reached the apex of her swing and flung her towel. Once again it repeated the motion of grabbing onto the ceiling.


    [Skill - Strenuous Reach (rank E)]


    Nemo smiled. She was swinging like a superhero!


    [Skill - Strenuous Reach (rank E)]


    The breeze and speed felt amazing!


    [Skill - Strenuous Reach (rank E)]


    She could do this forever!


    [Skill - Strenuous Reach (rank E)]


    [Mana and energy insufficient.]


    Oops.


    [Damage received. Health: 80 -> 20. Status received: Blackout.]


    Then there was darkness.


    Nemo sat up and slapped her palm with a fist. So that was what happened.


    ¡°I did remind you to not to overspend your mana and energy,¡± said a familiar echo. The Count appeared from the darkness in the ceiling and descended in front of her, his cloak melded into the shadow he cast. ¡°When you overspend your mana and energy both and you receive a certain threshold of damage afterwards, you would faint.¡±


    Why didn¡¯t you tell me?


    ¡°The short time I spent with you leads me to believe you learn better from experience.¡±


    Boo.


    ¡°Nemo, what do you think of skills. Are you accustomed to them?¡±


    Nemo remembered the surging sensation of energy and how the towel felt like an extension of her body, something familiar and free, and nodded.


    ¡°Please take a seat Nemo,¡± the Count gestured onto the floor and Nemo tilted her head. ¡°I foresee you running off if we don¡¯t have our little chat now.¡±


    Nemo crossed her arms and did as she was told.


    ¡°Let me explain briefly what I discovered. Although I have not yet fully grasped the extent of your Origin and Talents, I believe one of them allows you to learn skills and gain buffs of certain classes without needing to choose one from the System. You being able to use Housekeeper abilities without being one demonstrates it is highly likely that it would work with other classes. There are some tests I would like to run, but before then I must go and acquire some items that would be needed.¡±


    Test sounded fun. She wondered when they could begin.


    ¡°Soon, Nemo. For now, there is one more thing I wanted to tell you. I was actually very impressed on how you managed to make the White Titan yield its march. It is a task not many are able to accomplish. Even Demon Lady praised your bravery.¡±


    Really?


    ¡°In a sense,¡± the Count said as his hidden eyes looked away. ¡°Regardless, I decided it is time for you to start chores in helping some of my more non-violent house guests and tasks that would require you to wander about my mansion. In certain approved areas that are safe of course. So in the next couple of days after you finished your work, Demon Lady will train you in using your abilities so you would be ready when the time comes.¡±


    Ready for what?


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret,¡± the Count chuckled. He then stood up and extended an arm to the pouting Nemo. ¡°Come, let us prepare for supper.¡±

 Chapter 11 - the beginning of life and death is a preperation of tedium

    There was one thing Nemo loathed, one thing that always butted into her play time with no apparent reason other than to waste her time in absolute boredom and that thing was lessons at school. When she found herself in a fantastical land she thought she was done with all those dumb and boring bits of her life but apparently not.


    Nemo was fuming. She had half a mind to ask the Count to teach her some magic to better express herself and one of them would be how to release steam from her ears.


    Nemo understood working as a housemaid. Her Grandpa once said that it was only right to work her keep and not burden others, especially friends. The Count was her friend and provided her with a place to sleep, food, and most importantly an opportunity to have so much fun. She understood working for those opportunities.


    However! Lessons? Boring!


    Why Nemo needed to learn anything was beyond her. Anything relevant to her quest of exploration she would¡¯ve been able to learn about them through experience, and to gain that experience all she had to do, or the Count had to do, was to allow her to go on an adventure. She especially didn¡¯t understand the need of holding buckets of water and throwing the water into the dirt only to had them refilled and repeat the process.


    All under the supervision of Demon Lady.


    It was odd to think that Demon Lady was the person she had the most interaction with, and by interaction she meant veins popping, scolding, outbursts, and Nemo trying her best to appease, but mostly run from, all of the above. With time Nemo noticed that Demon Lady¡¯s expressionless gaze slowly formed into a perpetual scowl whenever the two met.


    The Count charged his housemaster to teach Nemo something and with a reluctant smile full of subdued rage the demon found herself once again with the child, who was now wasting water.


    ¡°Lady Nemo,¡± Demon Lady said through gritted teeth. She was clearly unhappy that instead of a worker in the mansion, the lesson was taught in the name of helping the Count¡¯s friend. It didn¡¯t help that Nemo knew it and she decided to be smug the entire time. ¡°Remember what I said? You have to feel the water and embrace it with your mana. Then, the system will register your attempt and increase the likelihood of it recognizing it as your skill. If it succeeds then you will be able to use Splash of Sanitation whenever you¡­¡±


    Nemo threw another bucket of water into the dirt.


    ¡°Stop. Wasting. Water.¡±


    Nemo thought that was what they were supposed to be doing. With an exasperated sigh Demon Lady started to explain again.


    ¡°Lady Nemo, the reason we are doing this practice is to ensure that you can acquire the skill needed for your next assignment. You do not have a Class and your Origin is only three points in mana. Thanks to an unknown special ability you can use the skills of a Class but since that Class is not granted by the System but by an ability of yours, it skipped the Class creation and registration process, making it impossible to use skills unless we practice and emulate them so that the System can register it.¡±


    Nemo pondered hard then clapped her hands. So that was what they were doing. Why didn¡¯t Demon Lady say so?


    ¡°I am certain I told you all of that, in even further detail, before we began your lesson.¡±


    Nemo stuck out her tongue and looked to the side.


    Demon Lady clenched her fist and Nemo quickly went back to practising. She knew her supervisor wouldn¡¯t hit her but it was still a sign that her teacher¡¯s patience was running out.


    Nemo lifted the bucket full of water by placing her palm at the side of the cold metallic surface. She closed her eyes and tried to feel the water swirling within, to picture its subtle waves and its motion. Suddenly a spark in her mind ignited and just for a moment the bucket within her grasp became water. She only felt the water.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Nemo chucked the bucket, the liquid within glowed like rainbow and sparked like stars. It was beautiful.


    [Skill learned - Splash of Sanitation (rank E)]


    Nemo grinned. There was only one thing to do. She had to do it again.


    Nemo dashed to the pond but was quickly stopped by Demon Lady.


    ¡°It seems like you can read her mind better now, my dearest housemaster,¡± said the Count who appeared out of nowhere. Nemo was already used to seeing him show up whenever and wherever.  At this point she just assumed every shadow within the mansion was the Count.


    Demon Lady raised an irritated eyebrow but decided to stay silent. Nemo figured that whatever was bottled up inside would explode if given the opportunity. She had to tread carefully. For at least a couple of days.


    ¡°Still, Nemo, congratulations. One more lesson and you will be able to use all of the housemaid basic skills,¡± the Count said and Nemo instantly sank to the floor when she heard there would be another lesson. The Count simply chuckled and continued. ¡°Do not despair as once you have completed the lessons you would then be equipped to serve tasks in other places of the mansion.¡±


    Nemo¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    ¡°Yes, Nemo. You will have graduated from the hallway in front of your room!¡± the Count bellowed, arms raised high and his cape fluttered. Nemo celebrated with him and jumped in rhythm with the motion of his cape.


    ¡°Another one?¡± came a silent yet eerily grating voice. With gritted teeth the Demon Lady stepped to the side and punched a pillar. With a loud explosion the entirety of the structure was ground to dust. ¡°I feel better now. I¡¯ll have it fixed soon. I¡¯ll take my leave now master. Lady Nemo.¡±


    Demon Lady left the yard and Nemo could do nothing but stare with a slacked jaw.


    ¡°At least her reaction was less explosive than I anticipated. You should¡¯ve seen what she did when Headless Housemaid began her training. I had to terraform the entire north wing of the mansion.¡±


    Is this not the north wing?


    The Count simply smiled.


    Oh boy. In order to change the topic, Nemo quickly asked the Count who Headless Housemaid was.


    ¡°She was one of my loyal servants and excelled at what she did. However, after a certain incident she decided to hole up in her room and only comes out to work. Even then with her knowledge of the layout of the mansion she avoids everyone. Even I require some effort to get into contact with her.¡±


    Is everyone in your mansion a shut in?


    ¡°It seems like you have hit the nail on the head as they say,¡± he said with a smile and a paused. ¡°Most if not all who live in my manor carries a heavy burden. Due to my very nature I am unable to help them or even lighten their pain. You however, seem to be able to do something. These are my dear friends, whether they are guests or my servants, and I wish that in the process of working here, I would also like your aid in this particular matter.¡±


    Nemo stood straight gave the Count and salute. If she would be able to get all those interesting people to open up to her, who knew what fun shenanigans she could be apart of.


    Why me though? What can I do?


    ¡°I do not know exactly why or what. However, one thing is for certain that should prove you far more capable than you think you are¡± the Count said and the smile beneath his mask grew mischievously, like a kid who was about to pull a prank. ¡°You are still alive after all this time, are you not?"


    Gulp

 Chapter 12 - Nemo and Headless Housemaid (part 1 - first encounter)

    With great power came great capability to prank someone. Nemo believed that was how the superhero saying went. What the superhero forgot to mention was that she also needed to take care that the greater the prank, the easier it was for her to anger the victim.


    However, when Nemo demonstrated the ability to cling to high places and drop water out ot thin air, there was only one thing to do. It would be a travesty not to do that one thing.


    Nemo spent the entire day off trying to find victims for her newly discovered ability. Yet even then most of her intended targets had really boring reactions.


    The White Titan stalked the hallways without care as usual and the water leaked down for her to mop up. Rainbow Fluff soaked up all the water and simply looked at her with a bewildered expression before floating away to wherever. The Count on the other hand must¡¯ve already figured out her intention and basically roamed around by dipping in and out of the shadows on the ceiling.


    Nemo believed the house guests not on friendly terms with her might¡¯ve provided much more entertaining reactions, but their ¡®I will murder you¡¯ aura more or less dissuaded the notion. That was when Nemo realized that there was one more individual in the manor that would provide an entertaining reaction without also risking herself being shredded to pieces.


    That was why Nemo decided to douse Demon Lady with water. It was a long journey and she had many failed attempts but she finally found success.


    That was also why she was standing in a hallway with en entire section blown off.


    ¡°I do believe you have outdone yourself, Nemo¡± The Count said as he slithered down from what was left of the ceiling. A hint of amusement was masked behind his tone. ¡°It seems you do have a talent for making another break character. It had been a very long time since I¡¯ve seen Demon Lady just storm off like that. Well, if we discount the other times you have made her do so.¡±


    The Count then pondered for a bit, his smokey tendrils wavered around the chin of his mask.


    ¡°Alas, it would be wise for you to avoid Demon Lady for some time. I have no doubt she would not inflict any harm towards you. My mansion however would only be able to sustain a limited amount of her outbursts. This also means you would need to seek out Headless Housemaid to complete your final training.¡±


    Nemo protested with a silent groan but the Count remained unmoved. After ten minutes of staring in his face with the ferocity of a tiger, Nemo stalked towards the room of Headless Housemaid. Nemo was unhappy that she needed to attend another lesson but meeting someone new was always fun.


    Nemo knocked on the door. It was one not unlike her own but the room itself took quite some time to get to. It was far away from the servant quarter. The owner of the room clearly had special accommodations and didn''t want to be around others. Nemo wondered was it safe to bother someone like that but the Count assured her that Headless Housemaid was kind, and even if she wanted to do something she couldn¡¯t, whatever that meant.


    No one answered.


    Nemo thought that Headless Housemaid was not in the room but the Count assured Nemo that it was because the servant inside was ignoring her. There was one way to get the shut-in out and that was to make to largest ruckus ever.


    Nemo gladly obliged. She couldn¡¯t speak but she was a master at making loud noises.


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    [Skill - Splash of Sanitation (rank E)]


    Magic flowed into her hand and Nemo poured puddles of water onto the floor. Normally she would feel bad for making a mess but the Count did tell her to do whatever she could to get Headless Housemaid out of the room. She believed that was what the Count said. His wording not so much, but the meaning definitely.


    The art to annoy others was a skill Nemo honed over the years and started to master ever since she moved into the mansion. Everyone here had the ability to storm away before she could do anything so she had to learn to push the limits. She had to learn to annoy others just on the edge so they could continue to make funny and angry faces while not messing up Nemo¡¯s shenanigans.


    Splash. Splash.


    Nemo hopped and skipped from puddle to puddle, small noises of water sprinkled in front of the door. Headless Housemaid had no idea the severity of what would happen next. Nemo continued her act and she could do it all day. Stomping on puddles was in itself fun. However, she didn¡¯t have all day so she continued and waited for the right moment.


    A small rustling of bed sheets could be heard within the room. It was an opening. She couldn¡¯t allow Headless Housemaid get used to her ruckus.


    Nemo channelled magic again but this time with all her might, gathering as much energy as she could within her palms. When it was about to burst she unleashed a torrent of water and doused  the door directly.


    [Skill - Splash of Sanitation (rank E)]


    After the splash she began whacking the door with her cloth and the loud snaps echoed in the hallways. It was not enough. She started to jump and stomp and pound on the door. This was fun. She was conducting a symphony, one full of noise and cheer. Now she only needed one final climactic drop.


    The door slammed outward and Nemo tumbled backwards.


    Nemo rubbed her forehead, a boo boo that would be red for a day or two. She shook her head and looked at the girl standing in front of her.


    The girl was wearing the same uniform as Nemo except for some differences. Her shoes were black instead of brown and unlike Nemo¡¯s they were shined perfectly. She wore a black long sleeved dress that covered her entire leg with simple white trims and an apron in front of it. The only that was missing was a bonnet. Devil Lady taught her what it was called. To be more precise however, the entire head was missing.


    Nemo screamed in her own head and fainted.


    When Nemo awoke she found herself sleeping in a bed not her own but she was warm and dry. She rubbed her eyes and saw Headless Housemaid sat in a chair next to the bedside tending Nemo.


    Headless Housemaid realized Nemo was awake and was still. She was afraid to scare the little girl.


    Nemo was already used to it. The first time was a surprise for sure. She would¡¯ve thought she would be used to the literal naming by now but once she saw the monstrous and had a good scare, she now found the unknown exciting.


    The maid realized that Nemo was not scared she then got up to a stand and proceeded to pour a cup of hot tea and gave it to Nemo. Nemo reached for the cup and took a sip. It warmed her body and gave her a fuzzy feeling. It was delicious.


    The Headless Housemaid was not scary at all. She was kind and gentle. Nemo might¡¯ve even made another friend who couldn¡¯t speak!


    Nemo gave her a thumbs up and a grin.


    The housemaid bowed. It was graceful.


    ¡°So what do you want, punk?¡±


    A voice rang out of the headless body and Nemo¡¯s smile froze.

 Chapter 13 - everything done? some fun before we begin shall we?

    ¡°Move your feet, maggot! If I see you dragging your feet I would rain down punishment so hard you wish you were *beep* in the *beep*!¡±


    Gasp. Language!


    Nemo moved her feet as she was told and dragged the mop across the hall. She would¡¯ve laughed at the censoring magic of the mansion or how the body of Headless Housemaid desperately flailed and tried to quell her inner voice of anger, but Nemo did laugh earlier and was told to shut up with words so colourful she decided for the sake of her own sanity she would just do what she was told.


    Besides, the body looked so kind and was trying her hardest to shut herself up. It was a shame she didn¡¯t have a mouth, or face, or a head.


    Nemo wondered what the exercise had to do with learning a new ability but if the Count said Headless Housemaid could help then she trusted his judgment. The body also gave her a thumbs up so Nemo must¡¯ve been doing something right.


    Still, Nemo was having fun. The sensation of dragging a mop around and having it swish and swoosh on the floor without caring whether or not she was cleaning was something Nemo could do. She was essentially just running around and making splashy noises. Besides, she made all this mess in the name of training and practice, sure she didn¡¯t need to clean up afterwards.


    That would¡¯ve been a real pain in the butt.


    Unless¡­


    The training was simply running around with the mop. It shouldn¡¯t matter where she ran as long as she was mopping, right? Which meant she could be somewhere far away from a certain angry voice that was going to tell her to clean up.


    Nemo was a genius! She turned around from the end of the hallway and sprinted to the turn in the other side. She saw the body of Headless Housemaid clap for her supposed enthusiasm and heard the angry voice begrudgingly admit so, she felt a little bad for what she was about to do. However, in the name of training and self-improvement, definitely not because she found a reason to goof off and make an excuse if things turned for the worse, she turned the corner and left the Headless Housemaid waiting for someone that would never come back.


    Brilliant!


    Nemo ran and she had never felt faster! She ran until she realized she never told Headless Housemaid what she needed help for. Not that she could. She just never confirmed what the exercise was exactly for and she was already tired and cannot run anymore.


    Nemo stalked back to the Headless Housemaid, who although was waving at her with a silent cheer, had an angry accompanying voice.


    ¡°Where the *beep* have you been?¡± the voice yelled and Nemo visibly recoiled.


    Nemo stalked to the Headless Housemaid and started gesturing around, telling her that nothing worked and how frustrated she was and asked how would the exercise help.


    ¡°Stop fooling around. You can¡¯t be my successor if you don¡¯t build enough stamina. How else are you going to clean the mansion in a single rotation?¡±


    Nemo lifted her hand and directed her palm at Headless Housemaid.


    [Splash of Sanitation (rank E)]


    ¡°What the hell are you doing? I¡¯ll kill you, you punk!¡±


    The voice began to curse and the sentences had more words Nemo didn¡¯t understand than ones she did. She felt bad for the body but she had to express her displeasure somehow. How dare the voice made her run around for nothing?


    Nemo decided to explain things, or rather try, and proceeded to cast her skills. She splashed walls, wet shoes, and flung herself everywhere.


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    ¡°What are you doing. Hey stop her!¡± the voice yelled at the body. However, the body patted her own shoulders and then mummers were heard. ¡°So you wanted to learn about the Clean and Dust ability. Why didn¡¯t you say so?¡±


    Nemo could feel her legs losing strength. It was her own fault for not confirming what they were doing she chalked it up to being stunned by the discrepancy between body and voice. She pointed towards her mouth to answer Headless Housemaids question.


    ¡°Oh right,¡± the voice dismissed before handing Nemo a piece of white cloth. The body pointed to the wall and the voice continued to explain. ¡°Hold onto it and start wiping here. You should know how to channel mana by now so just start doing that and thinking about cleaning the spot. Try to feel it with your mind and we¡¯ll work from them.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound so bad.


    ¡°Now get moving!¡±


    Yelp. Nemo began wiping. She closed her eyes and let the mana flow to the tower. She continued for who knew how long and she felt it. The surface of the cloth was now an extension of her.


    [Skill learned - Clean and Dust (rank E)]


    That was easy. So Nemo ran all that for nothing. The body gave her a thumbs up but she heard the voice click her tongue and complained about time wasted.


    How dare she. Nemo looked at Headless Housemaid¡¯s body who felt Nemo¡¯s intention and gave ger a thumbs up. Oh? That made things interesting. Water fight!


    [Splash of Sanitation (rank E)]


    [Splash of Sanitation (rank A)]


    [Splash of Sanitation (rank E)]


    ¡°Hey stop it, you two!¡±


    Amidst the laughing and fun, small inconsequential complaints could be heard. However, she paid it no attention. What was the voice going to do, yell at them to death? Nemo and the body of Headless Housemaid kicked up the fun and began flinging around and blasting one another with water. If the voice was still complaining all she had to do was drown it out with fun!


    They played for who knew how long and Nemo eventually found herself back in Headless Housemaid¡¯s room. She sat on the bed and the maid was gently wiping her hair. Nemo knew the body was kind and the voice was still silent. Nemo wondered what was her story. It might¡¯ve been really interesting but she doubt the voice would tell her and the body couldn¡¯t really speak.


    ¡°Not like I can do anything about it,¡± a voice grumbled and the hands drying Nemo¡¯s hair shuddered lightly. The voice then sounded panicked and quickly apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to. I fine, really.¡±


    The voice trailed off and Nemo thought she might¡¯ve interrupted something personal. She sprung up from the bed and waved Headless Housemaid goodbye. The body seemed tell Nemo she was not finished but Nemo knew better. With a grin Nemo exited the room and heard a small ¡®thank you¡¯ as the door closed.


    Nemo wondered what it was like. She knew how difficult it could be when a person was unable to speak and tell others exactly what was on their mind, but what about the opposite? What about a mind with only a voice and no means of accomplishing any of their goals? For Nemo she would never trade her voice back for never able to have fun. She now kind of felt sad for the voice.


    Nemo sighed a silent sigh and began walking to the Count¡¯s office. She would help the Headless Housemaid later, for now, she had gotten all three of her abilities and did what the Count asked. Now she had to began her new assignment. How exciting!

 Chapter 14 - gathering companions and onward

    ¡°Nemo, I want you to go and check up on the White Titan,¡± the count said with his back towards Nemo as he gazed out the window. How rude. ¡°In case you are wondering why it is because of a certain agreement I made I cannot enter his dwelling without permission. It is of utmost importance you do so swiftly.¡±


    Nemo did not wonder that.


    ¡°If you are wondering why I have my back towards you, it is because an accident happened in my workshop and I did not have time to procure a new mask for the time being. I do not wish to experiment on your sanity so I must apologize for not being able to face you.¡±


    Nemo snorted. The Count said ¡®face¡¯ even though he didn¡¯t have one.


    ¡°Nemo, I must ask of you that you do realize why my mask was broken, correct?¡±


    Did you trip?


    ¡°Well no, I have no recollection of such an incident nor do I believe I am physically capable of such a feat¡± the Count sighed. ¡°I do remember, however, that you in your eagerness to please Demon Lady you splashed water all over her. Since she is still following my orders, she decided the best way to express her frustration was to give me a punch to the face instead of you.¡±


    So that was what the loud explosion was.


    The Count shook his head and his misty body deflated a bit. With a sigh, he gave Nemo the directions to where the White Titan¡¯s room was located and returned to the other room, his workshop.


    It was a quest! She raised the piece of paper containing the directions and let it bask in the crimson light outside the window. The first time ever since coming into the mansion, Nemo could go on an adventure that did not involve sneaking or getting caught by Demon Lady.


    Nemo tipped the door open and peeked out into the hallway. Good. Demon Lady was nowhere to be seen. She didn¡¯t want to the Count to get into trouble.


    With a new sense of purpose, Nemo skipped towards her destination. It was not where the White Titan was, it was someplace else. Everybody knew that in order to go on a quest she would need companions.


    Before Nemo began to search for her companions, there were a couple of individuals out of the running. She knew those people would be busy. It was certainly not because the Crimson Duchess would splatter her to the wall, or that the Violet Beast would eat her, or that Green Lady wanted to turn her into a plant. Demon Lady was the most reliable but she was also the busiest. Maybe if she begged, however, the kind and beautiful Demon Lady would definitely agree to help her.


    Nope. She slammed the door in Nemo¡¯s face.


    Nemo wanted to throw a tantrum and kick the door, but something in the corner of her eye caused her to turn her attention elsewhere. It was Chrome Ronin. Nemo had not interacted with the silent robot ever since she met him at the dinner table months ago but she was always eager to play with him. It was an egg-shaped samurai robot! How could she not? She wanted him to teach her the way of the sword.


    Nemo waved at the samurai and received a slight bow. Before she was able to approach him, the robot retracted his legs and rolled away.


    That was so cool! Nemo raced towards the samurai but she never managed to catch up. It was not that the robot was too fast, it seemed like rather the distance simply lengthened until the samurai turned the corner and was gone.


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    Darn. Next time.


    Nemo had no luck with Chromed Ronin, but the next companion candidate would surely answer her call.


    ¡°Why the hell are you back?¡± asked the haughty and antagonistic voice of Headless Housemaid as the body waved happily at Nemo. ¡°Just so you know, I only tolerate you now so don¡¯t go thinking we are friends and you can visit me whenever you like!¡±


    Nemo ignored the voice and stepped into the room as the body happily prepared tea for her. She only met the two a few hours ago but she felt like their relationship would blossom into a strong friendship. She refused to treat them as a single entity as it felt disrespectful to the caring and gentle body of Headless Housemaid.


    ¡°I suddenly feel extremely annoyed.¡±


    It must¡¯ve been her imagination.


    Nemo sipped tea and began explaining her grand plan. She was going on an adventure, a presumably dangerous place as the Count required her to learn those abilities before allowing her. The quest also sounded urgent so Nemo needed all the help she could find. Who better than one of the mentors who taught her all those abilities?


    ¡°What the flying ¡ª wait! At least let me lock the door¡±


    Nemo ignored the voice¡¯s protest and grabbed her hand. With the latest, and only, additions to her team, she rushed to her destination. The three of them turned corners and walked down hallways, the two of them skipping merrily as the voice grumbled about obscenities Nemo purged from her mind.


    They found themselves once again in front of Headless Housemaid¡¯s room.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the White Titan,¡± the voice said as she locked her door.


    See? Nemo was such a genius to have asked for such a great guide. She followed Headless Housemaid in silence as the voice continued to complain to her body. On the way, they spotted Rainbow Fluff and the maid dashed behind a pillar. Nemo, however, waved at the little ball of cloud with cheer and was returned with a happy little ball of cotton resting on the top of her head.


    ¡°How?¡± Headless Housemaid stuttered, even the body was a bit timid as she approached. Nemo should be the one dumbfounded, however. How anyone could be afraid of such a precious little ball of coziness was a mystery to her.


    Nemo tilted her head forward and prompted the maid to approach the rainbow. The body and the voice was hesitant, but Rainbow Fluff seemed comfortable resting on Nemo¡¯s head and allowed the maid to touch it.


    The body of the maid squealed in delight and began patting Rainbow Fluff, who seemed to have accepted the maid, while the voice stayed silent. It was perhaps for the best. Nemo didn¡¯t want the fluff to get scared after all.


    Nemo and her odd group of friends continued forward, taking deliberate turns as Headless Housemaid guided them.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there, it is just around the¡­¡± the voice began but was soon silent.


    Nemo followed the invisible gaze of Headless Housemaid and she felt a surprised and anxious skip from Rainbow Fluff on top of her head.


    The group was greeted with not a room or any form of dwelling. There was only a giant-sized hole that broke through walls and into the crimson land outside.


    Oh dear.

 Chapter 15 - getting lost and bumbling about

    Nemo whistled a dry melody as she skipped along a path of dirt, she and the ball of fluff on her head bopped to the windy and nonexistence tune wafting out of her lips. It didn¡¯t matter. She was enjoying herself and so was Rainbow Fluff. The Headless Maid looked to be in a great mood as well if she ignored the constant low grumble. Her neck danced to the scenery as if an ethereal head was taking in the sight.


    Nemo was stuck in the mansion for several months, and although she got to meet interesting characters and make some new friends, having to stare at the same walls every day, even if they were lavishly golden, could get boring rather quickly. She believed that Demon¡¯s Lady grumpy face did not help alleviate her predicament, but she could do little about that.


    That was not to say there was nothing interesting or new, but Green Lady punted Nemo out of her room for wrecking some tea sets, and Violet Beast¡¯s lair was home to someone who wanted to eat her face.


    That was why Nemo treasured this opportunity. She got to get out of the mansion and go on a quest to bring home one of the Count¡¯s house guest. Nothing could stand in her way!


    Nemo stepped on air and she face-planted into the aftermath of a giant footprint.


    ¡°Look at you!¡± laughed the voice of Headless Maid while the body hopped down and helped Nemo up. Why can¡¯t the voice be as kind as the body? Rainbow Fluff fidgeted in the but Nemo gave both of them a thumbs up.


    ¡°It seems like we are on the right track at least,¡± said the voice as her laughter died down. Nemo did wonder how they were able to lose the trail of a ginormous titan capable of rending landscapes and breaking ground. It was even more mysterious that the White Titan made no sound when it traverses the land outside.


    ¡°We would¡¯ve caught up to him already if a certain someone did not mess things up,¡± the voice said sternly as Nemo rubbed her chin. It was a good observation. Someone was trying to delay them, to hinder their quest. ¡°It was your ogling and running around everywhere.¡±


    Oh right.


    Regardless, it was simply a little detour. Now that they were back on track, everything should be fine! Besides, it would be a crime to hold back on her curiosity.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with. I want to go back to bed.¡±


    Nemo gave the voice a face and she heard someone clicking an invisible tongue.


    The group continued forward. Nemo lead the charge. Her overalls were smacked with dirt and her face less so, but she kept her smile and tried to whistle a different tune. Rainbow Fluff floated in the air and followed to the side, consistently jolting to every sudden sound. The Headless Maid diligently watched their back and her voice complained whenever an opportunity arose. Nemo didn¡¯t mind. It felt like a trip. There had to be chatter and noise, and she knew she herself couldn¡¯t really start a conversation. It was nice to have a grumpy voice rant in the background.


    ¡°You cheeky little¡­.¡± the voice continued and Nemo simply smiled and enjoyed the walk.


    The sky was red and dark clouds swirled above. The bloody stratosphere fell into the abyss that peered down. The whirlwind was unmoved, still in its consumption, but it was nonetheless expanding. It grew, people knew, every time they blinked it grew. They knew it was bigger, they simply didn¡¯t know by how much.


    Nemo thought it was pretty neat. One day she would like to see what was inside the darkness. Although it would¡¯ve been quite a boring reveal if it was simply a giant elephant or some other monster.


    The woods to the side were leafless trees, bare branches that twisted and wrapped around each other. It invited Nemo. It wanted to give her a hug. She wanted to check it out. However, before she could even walk two steps, Rainbow Fluff pulled on her shirt and tugged her back. Nemo turned around quizzically and saw a ball of drained color furiously shaking it''s head.


    Nemo patted the fluff and assured it they would not enter the woods. Rainbow Fluff was clearly frightened and there were no signs of the White Titan there. Today was a team activity, being selfish was a no-no.


    ¡°I wish you were this cooperative earlier,¡± said a voice that Nemo ignored. ¡°Listen here, you. The manor was built on a land twisted by forces you cannot possibly imagine. Within the authority of the Count, we are safe, but the further we wander and the longer we linger, the world is going to eat us alive! Do you understand? Stop screwing around!¡±


    The world eating them? Stop making stuff up.


    ¡°I am about to really let you have it.¡±


    Nemo turned around and made funny faces, taunting the voice. She had no body, what was the voice going to do, curse her to death? She continued and the body of the maid was desperately trying to calm something down.


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    ¡°Gah!¡± the voice yelled and Nemo was taken aback. Maybe she pushed her luck a bit too far. She braced herself for the slew of beep words that didn¡¯t come.


    The world was silent. Then it exploded into shrieks. It came from the woods, but the trees didn¡¯t cry. They laughed without making a sound, but she heard them speaking into her mind. Before she could comprehend what was going on, from within the tangled mass flew giant eyeballs.


    They were bloodshot eyes twice the size of Nemo. The bulging bloody veins dripped red liquid and squirmed within a sickly yellow wrapped in pulsing skin. The iris was shattered, fracturing as the veins traveled through them. The pupil, could only be described as darkness.


    Nemo froze, the sight shocked her for a moment. However, she snapped out of it and quickly turned to the Headless Maid who already had magical energy swirling in a bucket she produced out of thin air, which Rainbow Fluff instantly plopped in to hide.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    The two bolted with Rainbow fluff in toll. The monster eyeballs began to give chase. They were fast. How did they even fly? Their mass boiled and tendrils began to shoot out from their back. The attacking shots cracked the ground and splattered, dissolving into a mist of steam and melted the ground.


    What was that? Isn¡¯t that really dangerous?


    The assault of exploding corrosive missiles continued, but thanks to the magic of Headless Maid, the voice cautioning them of incoming attacks, and of course, Nemo¡¯s superior agility, the three remained unscathed.


    ¡°Why are you so useless?¡± the voice screamed as the body picked her up. Nemo lied. She was pretty slow and required her companion to carry her. She was thankful she was rather light.


    The three, or rather, only Headless Maid ran. The escape was going well, but as more and more eyeballs converged, their assault became much more difficult to defend against. One of the tendrils made it through the maid¡¯s barrier and forced her to jump. The attack missed Nemo and her carrier, but it hit the bucket and Rainbow Fluff fell out.


    The eyeballs converged on the helpless fluff. One was faster than the rest. Its pupil widened, the darkness within extended towards the entirety of the eye and revealed thousands of scattered teeth. It swallowed the fluff.


    No!


    Nemo screamed a soundless cry but before she was able to push herself away from the maid¡¯s grip and go help her friend, the monster exploded and disintegrated others near the explosion. Within the smoke and ashes was a shivering Rainbow Fluff.


    Nemo ran to the poor creature and wrapped her arms around it, calming it down. The terrified ball soon settled down and looked up. It was scared. Nemo patted its head and the teary eyes began to smile. That was when Nemo realized the out to their situation. Why doesn¡¯t she just toss the exploding deadly weapon at the monsters?


    Rainbow Fluff sensed her intention. It shook his head and attempted to pry free of Nemo¡¯s grip. Nemo gave the fluff a resolute stare. They need it to step up. They were counting on it. If the fluff was scared it could simply close its eyes and trust Nemo. She gave it a thumbs up and the fluff puffed its body, They could do this.


    Nemo pulled back her hand. She identified a group of monsters, still hesitant after witnessing what happened. She ran and aimed, throwing the fluff of destruction with all her might. The fluff soared. It then plopped on the ground. Oops. It seemed like Nemo was also quite weak.


    ¡°We¡¯ll handle it,¡± the voice sighed and Headless Maid approached. Rainbow Fluff also turned towards Nemo with an exasperated expression. It then formed a picture of a young girl holding a ball and batting some monsters. Nemo smiled. They could count on her. ¡°Hold onto Master Rainbow Fluff.¡±


    Nemo held Rainbow Fluff in both hands. Time to dunk on some fools. Headless Maid grabbed her clothes and chucked her into the group of monsters. Nemo was not scared. She had a weapon in her hand.


    Nemo slammed the fluff into the eyeball, the force splattered the monster and the shock wave exploded the others in the vicinity. She was flying, guiding the fluff towards their enemies. She flew like an arrow, taking down monsters like some ancient folklore hero shooting down the suns. It took a while, but after most of the monsters died, the remaining fled.


    They did it.


    When Nemo and the fluff returned to the ground, all three of them gave each other a high five. She felt bad for leaving the voice out, but what could she do?


    ¡°So, what now?¡± the voice asked and the three of them realized they still needed to find the White Titan.


    Onward!

 Extra.001 (teaser: Nemo and the Duchess)

    The Duchess glided forward with a steady pace, her steps unseen and unheard under her crimson dress. No matter how fast Nemo followed, the distance between them did not close. The little girl¡¯s mind was filled with unease, but she dared not slow down. The women in red would not allow it. If the child could not keep up, she would simply leave her behind, the child doomed to wander forever in an unending candlelit abyss.


    That was what the Duchess told Nemo, and the child wondered if it was just a story grown-ups used to scare children. She did not think it was impossible to get lost, but she was confident in her ability to go places. The master of the mansion was also her friend, surely the Count would come to get her, and even if he didn¡¯t, the broken vases she accidentally forgot to clean up would at least make a scary demon come after her.


    Still, she rather not risk testing the truth of the story, not to mention the Duchess invited her to tea, that was an opportunity she never thought would come. The Duchess was one of the few, or rather only, house guests that still wanted to splatter Nemo, after all. For her to invite Nemo to spend time together, that alone was reason enough to follow the woman.


    Was it a trap to kill Nemo without the Count knowing? Nah.


    Nemo blinked and found her face smacked against the Duchess¡¯ legs. The child looked up and met the bloodshot eyes of the woman and quickly stepped back to give her an apologetic smile. The pair already made it to their destination when Nemo was lost in thought and they now stood before the private room of the Duchess.


    ¡°Come,¡± the Duchess finally said after what felt like forever. Nemo wondered what the woman was thinking. Her expression was the same as Demon Lady¡¯s when Nemo made a mistake, which was weird since the girl did not remember making any.


    The door swung open and Nemo followed the Duchess into the room.


    The room was without light except that of the night sky outside the window. The flash of red was stark and painted the furniture in its path red from whatever color it once was while those not graced by the light remained hidden in the shadow.


    ¡°Take a seat,¡± the woman commanded as she moved towards the table. Nemo blinked and the woman was already sitting on a chair. The child skipped to the chair opposite the Duchess and raised her hand in protest. The chair was too tall, but the Duchess did not care one bit the child was not able to get onto it. ¡°Don¡¯t keep a lady waiting. The tea is getting cold.¡±


    Nemo stuck her head out to the side and saw the Duchess daintily sipping tea without a care in the world. How dare she! Did she just invite Nemo to make fun of her? Most likely. However, the child would not allow the woman to get her way! She would have that tea!


    Nemo began scaling the ginormous piece of furniture, but no matter what she did she would always slide down to the floor. Why was it so smooth?


    ¡°You can always give up, the door is but a few steps behind you.¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Nemo was really angry. She could hear her teeth grinding. However, it was true that she could not climb the chair, as the surface of it was for some reason as slippery as wet ice, despite it being as dry as the leftover bones she threw for stray dogs back home.


    Wait, Nemo didn¡¯t need to climb on the chair, she simply needed to be on it. It was brilliant! She walked towards where the Duchess was, but before she could enact her plan, the woman gave her a death glare that felt like could kill.


    ¡°Do not touch me,¡± the Duchess said, punctuating each word with a hiss through gritted teeth. Nemo crossed her arm and gave the woman a disapproving pout. What was she supposed to do? This was clearly not a fair challenge. The woman glared back, unwilling to budge, but after an intense staring contest, it was the Duchess who relented. ¡°I care not how you take your seat as long as you do not make a mess of my dress. However, make your choice soon. I have no intention of waiting any longer.¡±


    Nemo will show her! She turned and turned, searching for something to use. However, the only objects in sight were the table and chairs. Everything else would¡¯ve been hiding in the shadows, but something told her that going into the darkness was dangerous. She trusted her instinct. This meant she could only use whatever was in front of the windows.


    Windows? That was it!


    Nemo hopped towards the windows and grabbed the curtains to the side. She pulled herself up and then slid back down. The curtain was smooth like silk. However, it was not hard like the chair was. She tied the cloth around her waist and fastened herself to the piece of fabric. She began to swing, her body swayed higher and higher against the wall with each kick in the air until she was finally able to grab the other curtain that was on the side of her chair. She then loosened the cloth around her waist, and with a kick, she flew.


    She then plopped onto the chair. The fall stunned her but she quickly hopped back up and puffed out her chest against the Duchess. She showed her. She heard the Duchess click her tongue, but the woman in red eventually relented and said, ¡°finally.¡±


    Nemo wanted to sit, but she realized if she had the top of her head would barely reach the table. Oh well, she would have to stand during tea time.


    ¡°Tell me, child,¡± the Duchess said before Nemo could reach for her cup or any of the snacks. ¡°What do you intend to do? The Count for whatever inexplicable reason decided to have you housed and fed. His generosity escapes my understanding but nonetheless it is something granted to us. You, however, earned none of that, yet here you are, under his protection.¡±


    Nemo frowned. The Duchess was right. She was indeed only fooling around and letting the Count take care of her. Even now her friend was busy working out a way to send her home.


    ¡°In the end, you infuriate me,¡± the Duchess said after observing the pondering child before her. ¡°To think you could walk the same path as us despite only being a child. The Count is honestly a fool, calling you a friend. If he truly believes so, then he is unfit to rule the mansion. For his sake, child, leave this mansion, at once.¡±


    So the Duchess brought her here to threaten her. Nemo honestly did not care. However, the woman insulted her friend and their friendship. She would not take it lying down. Nemo jumped on the table and stomped one of her foot forward. She raised her finger and slammed it down towards the Duchess. Nemo will proudly tell her why she was wrong and that the two were great friends. She was not being the best friend she could be, but she definitely had what it took to do so.


    Oh, wait. Nemo couldn¡¯t talk.


    ¡°Begone,¡± said the Duchess. With a click of her tongue, the Duchess waved her hand and a sharp wind blew. The door to the room blasted open and Nemo tumbled to a wall before the door slammed shut once more.


    Owe.


    Nemo realized the Duchess never intended to serve her tea. The woman insulted her friend and lied about snacks.


    This meant war.