Snow. Cold. Wet. Melting. Annoying.
Blood trickled from my mouth and nose, dyeing the white bed of snow crimson.
My body reeked of piss. The disgusting liquid soaked through my dirty rags and froze, sending shivers down my spine.
Hypothermia was creeping in as the full moon rose, casting its silver glow down on the world. But my mind wouldn't falter, and my body wouldn't give up - even if the winter breeze felt strong enough to crumble me to dust.
"I need to warm myself first."
With a long sigh, I struggled to get to my feet, my joints feeling like they were snapping with every movement.
I reached into the rags covering me and pulled out two things: a lump of dull white stone and a bottle of red liquid.
I chugged the whole bottle. As for the white stone? I pissed on it. As the yellow liquid reacted with the rock, the outer layer hissed and brightened. Heat began to radiate, hot enough to melt the blood-stained snow around me, warming me up.
Quicklime and a healing potion. Useful tools I had filched from the mansion's storage.
Only a fool would go out into this whiteout without a contingency plan. If I had magic, I wouldn't have to resort to this. But my lack of power was a benefit in itself.
No one suspected me. When they checked on me, they just saw a dumb, crazy, and desperate kid who picked up some stones. So, I got away with it.
Now, I just have to wait for my new master. They will heal me up and shelter me. I'm not sure if they will treat me well; there's a high chance I'll be abused, but survival is guaranteed. No one trades for a slave just to kill them.
Especially a noble one.
That was enough for me. Escape is a problem for another time.
Of course, I knew I bet my life on a slim possibility. Maybe my new master will be a piece of shit who tortures people for fun. Or maybe I'll be killed immediately and harvested for organs.
But one can hope. This is my only chance to change things.
So I waited. And waited. I waited so long that the quicklime went cold and my piss-stained rags dried stiff against my skin.
Then, just as the moon reached its zenith, the snow stopped falling. The relentless wind finally subsided.
I saw a black carriage tearing across the sky, pulled by two headless phantom steeds. Each one glowed with an ethereal blue light, cutting through the darkness.
The semi-translucent horses neighed, so loudly that it vibrated deep in my chest, shattering the silence of the night.
They dove straight toward the earth, landing with enough force to send a geyser of snow shooting into the sky.
Damn. I'm dealing with a big shot, huh? Better keep my eyes in check, or I'll fry my brain.
So I lowered my gaze, focusing only on the dirty snow beneath me.
I heard the carriage door open. Then, footsteps.
Even without looking directly, I could feel the pressure, a vibration in the air itself. This wasn't a normal human. Her steps were silent, as if she were floating, yet her presence felt heavy.
"Oh, look at what we have here. A dirty, bruised child, covered in rags and piss."
Her voice rang out, lighter and younger than I had imagined. I had presumed she would be an old hag, given the title of 'Grand Witch.' Apparently, that wasn't the case.
"Speak, child. Are you the one promised to me?" She asked, taking a step closer.
I remained passive.
In my 35 years on Earth, I learned that dealing with superiors is simple: act obediently and wait. Wait until you can topple them. Or better yet, make yourself useful and exploit them for your own gain.
"Yes. I am Leon Keys Vermilion, son of Siegfried."
I nodded, keeping my voice meek and weak.
"Hm… your father sold you off, your body is frail and cold, and a stranger suddenly appears before you."
She took one final step, brushing a slender finger against my blood-stained cheek.
"And yet, you are calm… strange."
Now that she mentioned it... It indeed was odd. Was it because of my fused mental state? Or had I simply become apathetic toward my own body?
Either way, I slipped up. But backing down wasn't an option. I had to double down.
"Is it that strange that I am calm?" I asked.
"Very." She said, pressing her slender fingers against the side of my neck, checking my pulse, trying to gauge my mental state, to see if I would become panicked or not.
But that trick wouldn't work on me.
"If that is the case, then it is what it is. What are you planning to do now, ma'am? Leave me in this snow? Kill me? Or take me in?" I asked, my eyes still fixed on the ground, my voice perfectly stable.
She paused for a second. I could practically hear the smirk in her voice.
"Interesting." She lifted my chin up, forced me to look at her, forced me to… not look away.
She was indeed, an out-of-the-world beauty with bright blue hair and deep, red eyes. Her face matured, yet there exists a hint of childishness in it. Her outfit was that of a magician, large hat, long dress, but the most defining feature was her dangerously plunging neckline.
"Look at me."
Her deep red irises ignited with an enchanting light, shifting from crimson to a brilliant, piercing gold.
As if she were trying to hypnotize me.
What is this?
[Mystic Eyes of Domination. Grade: Golden]
A violent wave of nausea crashed into my skull the moment my curiosity spiked. My eyes activated on instinct.
I almost vomited on the spot if not for my trained self-control.
What a nuisance, I can't control them perfectly yet. Luckily, I managed to force the power down, stopping myself from analyzing any deeper.
But that reaction piqued her interest. She withdrew her hand from my neck, tapping a thoughtful finger against her chin.
"So, these are Rainbow-grade Mystic Eyes? Not even I can control you, huh?"
Mystic Eyes? So that's what they are. Judging by her tone, mine are high-ranking. Possibly the highest. Makes sense, but I don't think it was worth the heavy price.
Though I can still use this fact to my advantage. But I need to be careful with my words.
"My eyes... I can see everything. The past, the future, even the fabric of reality itself. The only limit is my own mind."
I looked straight into her deep red eyes, proclaiming it with confidence.
"Master, you wouldn't want to miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, would you?"
Of course, I was exaggerating - playing the con man. Just examining her eyes gave me a massive migraine. But I wasn't technically lying, was I? My awakened mind is proof enough of that.
I presumed a smart person like her would recognize my value and calculate the risk versus reward. Even if I am useless now, I can still be developed; investing in me is the right choice.
She didn't really have any good reason to say no, especially when she had bothered to show up here.
I am weird. So what?
I won anyway.
"Huh. Right. You are indeed something else." She sighed and reached out, pulling me closer. "It seems I have found an interesting toy to play with for now."
"But first." She tapped lightly on my shoulder. "I don't want my precious carriage to smell like piss. Understand?"
I nodded.
It would be great if she could provide me with a new set of clothes. But where would I change? It's not like there are any warm changing rooms in this freezing wasteland. And I'm pretty sure she wouldn't let me in the carriage smelling like this.
"Don't worry about that. I am the most brilliant of magi, after all."
"Wait, can you read my mind-?"
Before I could finish my sentence, a dome of stone erupted from the ground, sealing us inside.
She snapped her fingers. In the blink of an eye, my dirty rags were ripped away. I was completely naked.
Shit!
"Whoa... what are you doing?!" I immediately covered myself with my hands as a stream of hot water came out of her hand, washing me like some kind of cattle.
This is humiliating. What is wrong with the people in this world? Do they not know the word 'consent'?
Oh, wait… right. They think I am just a clueless child. If the roles were reversed - if I were changing my nephew's clothes back in my old life - I wouldn't have thought twice about it. Why would she?
"Huh? What's wrong?"She asked, staring at my beet-red face. She looked me up and down, down and up, and then, as if something finally clicked, the mage let out a dumb "Oh."
"You are a boy, sorry, you just looked too pretty for one."
Her vacant, stupid expression told me everything I needed to know.
Greatest mage, my ass. She couldn't even recognize my gender at a glance?
"Please stop staring! I am freezing right now!" I yelled, trying to hurry her up.
Only then did she reach into her comically large hat and pull out a set of clothes, pulling a move straight out of a certain blue, earless cat's playbook.
She handed them to me, her eyes never leaving my body.
She was probably just examining my physical condition, checking for injuries. But ugh, this was so uncomfortable, so embarrassing.
Fine. Just calm down. This is nothing compared to getting pissed on by my own father.
I thought the humiliation was over. Then I looked closer at the clothes.
It was an outfit for a little girl. A very girly, very cute one with ribbon and a frilly, long skirt at that.
I was a thirty-five-year-old ballistics professor. Now I am a dress-up doll. If dignity were a currency, I would be bankrupt. Should I just kill myself and try for a reroll? Because I have a feeling this isn't going to get any better.
Am I going to have to endure this for the foreseeable future? Oh, God.
Fuck my life.
"...Fine."
With a tired sigh, I pulled the clothes on. To my surprise, they were incredibly comfortable, far higher quality than the trash I wore back home.
"Oh, look at you! So cute! Just like a porcelain doll!" Her face lit up the moment I finished dressing.
Even though I have no idea what I look like right now, judging by her reaction, I'm probably adorable.
I didn't know how to feel about it. On one hand, the clothes were warm and soft. On the other hand, my body dysmorphia was starting to kick in.
It just didn't feel right. If I were still the ignorant toddler I was a month ago, I wouldn't have cared. But I'm not him anymore.
Well, it is what it is. At the end of the day, I achieved my goal. Having to wear girls' clothes is just a minor inconvenience. Once I reach my new home, I can just request a set of boys' clothes anyway.
I heaved a deep sigh and stepped toward her.
"Thank you, Master." I bowed my head, trying to look grateful. Even though I wasn't.
She didn't seem to care if I was sincere or not; she just needed the performance.
My new master reached out, taking my hand and gently pulling me into the carriage.
"Let's go." She smiled at me. "Oh, and by the way, my name is Elaine. Just Elaine."
Just like that, I stepped into the fated carriage and started a new chapter of my life.
It's a bit weird to admit, but… being a slave to this 'Elaine' might not be so bad. In fact, it's definitely better than rotting here until I turn fifteen.
Now, I need to plan ahead. Acting cute to earn her affection... yeah, that seems like a good first step.
I used to research ballistic and ammunition, though I can't use magic; my body is that of a wet noodle. The law of physics still somewhat exists; I should be able to create some kind of modern weapon in this world.