Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy

Chapter 286

After briefly losing my mind over the message, I quickly regained my focus and checked the message again.

[The status of Jacal Burrow changes from 'Contractor of the Evil God' to 'Your Servant!']

Servant? Does that mean the word refers to a servant in that context?

To confirm my understanding, I used my emotion skill on the word "servant," and a new window popped up.

[Destined Subjugation]
[This person's life and death are now subjugated to you.]
[1. The subjugated subject cannot harm you. 2. The subjugated subject must only take beneficial actions towards you. 3. The subjugated subject must absolutely obey your commands.]

The moment I checked all the phrases, one word flitted through my mind.

Slave.

If everything written here is true, it means that Jacal has become my slave.

No, it might even be worse than being a slave.

If I tell him to bark, he has to bark. If I say to roll over, he has to roll over. Even if he gets furious during the process, he can do nothing but wag his tail.

Having finished my understanding of what it means to be a servant, I crossed my arms and contemplated Jacal's usefulness.

For now, he’s pretty useless.

He’s weak, doesn’t know much, has few connections, and unlike Joina or Feiby, he’s not a character I cherished in the game.

It could be amusing to play with him, but that’s about it. It’s hard to see him having any value beyond that.

But that’s only true for now.

Despite having the background of the Burrow family and the nickname of the 'Cabbage Prince,' considering his performance in the game, if I can raise him well, he could definitely become useful.

What’s more attractive is that he has no choice but to obey my commands.

This means I can manipulate him just like controlling a character through a monitor.

Hehe. I wonder what kind of hell I could create for Jacal.

Just thinking about him rolling around, piling up resentment against me, makes me chuckle.

For now, it makes sense to raise him based on the Burrow family's spear techniques, aiming for a versatile style.

Additionally, I’ll need to develop abilities to handle various tedious tasks like Karia and Alsetin do.

Later, I’ll also have to increase his political skills so he can become my ally in high society.

Listing them out seems to add more tasks, but who cares? It’s not like I have to do them myself.

As long as this ambiguous toy-slave doesn’t break, I’ll be fine.

While I was pondering what to make him do first, Jacal began to twitch.

Jacal, waking from his slumber, confirmed his fingers and toes were moving with bloodshot eyes.

And only after confirming that everything was moving freely did he press one hand against his face and let out a long sigh.

Has he finally escaped the dream?

Ever since being made into a wedge in the dungeon by Nakrad, Jacal had been dreaming continuously.

Dreams of when the mansion was lively.
Dreams of when his brother was alive.
Dreams of when his brother was dying.
Dreams of the people in the mansion being slaughtered.
Dreams of his father choking him.
Dreams of his mother and servants weeping blood tears of resentment towards him.
And dreams of something warm and gentle flowing into his body.

After all those dreams passed, what Jacal faced was a dream where he encountered an unknown being.

Standing right in front of him, the being’s gender, body shape, age, face, voice—nothing could be recognized about this strange existence.

The only thing he could feel was that this being was holy and sacred, and it conveyed these words to him in the dream.

‘Poor, foolish child.’
‘Even if my apostle saved you from sin, it doesn’t mean all your sins are erased.’
‘Originally, you were meant to live in pain, both alive and dead.’
‘Considering the merits of your own apostle, I will grant you a chance for atonement.’
‘You should hold gratitude for being alive, child.’
‘You are destined to live for my apostle for your entire life.’
‘At the same time, you must always reflect on your own position.’

What kind of dream was that? Reflecting on the strangely realistic and vivid dream, Jacal suddenly recalled and frantically inspected his collarbone.

He remembered that the unknown being had left a mark on his collarbone in that bizarre dream.

“...Crazy.”

It wasn't just a simple dream?

Then that means it was real.

“Why are you flaunting such a pitiful body? If you're trying to make me laugh, you’ve failed. It’s so pathetic that it’s almost laughable.”

As Jacal blankly stared at the mark left on his collarbone, a voice rang out from beside him.

The voice was all too familiar to Jacal.

How could he forget that clear yet irritating voice?

As he raised his head to question why she was here next to him, he was met with Lucy's face and froze.

In the past, Jacal had disliked Lucy, but he had to admit that her appearance was decent.

Her face, which stood out no matter where she was placed, was undeniable.

However, she was merely cute and pretty. He never thought of her as attractive.

To Jacal, Lucy was just a doll that looked beautiful from a distance, but as soon as one got close, it became clear that it was filled with poison.

Just a pretty little brat.

But now, things were different.

As Jacal took in Lucy's appearance, he lost all words he had planned to say and could only think about how beautiful she was.

“Ugh. Sneaking glances at me, huh? Can’t even hide your perversion? It’s disgusting. I wish you’d just bite your tongue and die.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just that you’re so beautiful, my Lady.”

Jacal, who was about to say that nobody would like a girl like her, was shocked to hear the polite tone that escaped his mouth.

What? Why is my mouth moving on its own?

“Ha ha ha! Look at your stupid face getting even stupider!”
“Do you know anything about this situation?”
“Curious? Want to know? Then why don’t you kneel and beg me to tell you? Maybe I’ll tell you then.”

Though Jacal wanted to scream why he should do something like that, his body had other ideas.

Despite his unwillingness, he found himself kneeling on the ground, bowing his head before Lucy.

“Please grant me the honor of hearing your story.”

What the hell is happening?

Why is my body speaking?

...Could it be?

“Wow. Looks like you’ve got no pride left? Well, I guess that’s why you signed a contract with that pathetic weakling evil god. You’re nothing but a disgusting piece of trash.”

The sacred being’s words about his apostle.

“Congratulations. You have the honor of serving me now.”
It was Lucy Alrn!?

“What’s wrong? Too happy to even speak?”

Jacal didn’t want to accept the fact that Lucy, who was far from being devout, kind, or holy, was the apostle of the god, but acknowledging it wouldn’t change reality.

His body, which could not even bear to lift its head, had long since succumbed to Lucy.

“Well, it must be an overwhelming honor for a piece of trash like you who signed a contract with that pathetic evil god.”
“...How do you know that?”

How does she know?

How does she know that I signed a contract with Tariki?

Surely, when I left the mansion, she didn’t know anything!

“I get that you’re an enormous idiot, but how about thinking a little before you speak? Your brain isn’t just decoration, right?”

Hearing Lucy's words, Jacal reflected back on his memories.

When the mansion was completely devoured by the evil god's apostle.
When he realized amidst the chaos caused by an intruder that their true purpose was to sacrifice the lives of the entire territory.
When he shouted that things were different from what he had signed for.
When he grabbed someone by the collar, insisting that this wasn’t what he wanted.
And then—

“My Lady.”

As Jacal cautiously lifted his head, his voice trembled.

“I have something to ask.”
“What is it?”
“What has happened to the Burrow territory?”

Lucy’s lips curled into a smirk as she saw the tremor in Jacal's eyes.

“Are you curious?”
“Yes.”

He wanted to know.

“Are you really, really curious?”
“Yes. That’s right.”

He wanted to know what kind of results his foolish wish to return to the happy landscape of the mansion would bring.

“The trash prince is going to be so shocked. Still curious?”
“Yes. Still.”

Just like the unknown being had said, whether everything had been smoothed over or if disaster had come to turn into an unquenchable sin.

“I want to know.”

He wanted to know.

Hearing Jacal’s voice, Lucy chuckled and then lifted Jacal’s chin with her toes, speaking.

“Hmm. You seem really eager.”
“Yes. That’s right. So please.”
“Then I won’t tell you.”

This girl is playing around to the end!

As Lucy giggled, Jacal seethed with rage inside.

Lucy raised her lips even higher and continued.

“It’ll be more fun to see it with your own eyes. Won’t it, Auntie?”
“Are you saying to take me? I knew you’d say that, so I prepared in advance.”

As a voice came from behind, a hand landed on Jacal's shoulder, and the surrounding scenery shifted.

In a dark room.
To the scene of a plaza.

“Ugh. How much time have I wasted because of that damned evil god?”
“I completely failed my business this year. I can’t see a way out.”
“Hey, guys. At least we survived thanks to the Artistic Order.”
“Hey, you jerk. Just because you profited, you’re acting all relaxed?!”

The merchants who always sat in the middle of the plaza and conversed.
When the evil god's apostle was present, they moved only their hands with empty eyes, but now, lively voices flowed from them.

“Oh my! Sister, aren’t you too skinny?!”
“You’re just as bad! Did you think the evil god would take your body and put you on a diet?!”
“Thanks to that, I’m worried about my tooth when it comes out.”
“Oh my, really?!”

Two women, the talkative ones of the city.
When the evil god's energy blanketed the town, they had never once opened their mouths, but now, with their lively voices, other women gathered around.

“If anyone has any issues with their health, please come to the church!”
“Hey, priest! This friend’s face still doesn’t look healed.”
“Hey! Are you serious?!”
“Ah, I’m sorry. What’s determined from birth is under the jurisdiction of the god Armaadi.”
“Priest?!”

When Jacal was dreaming dumb dreams, two men who existed like the background of a bar were now happily chatting with the priests of the Artistic Order.

As Jacal quietly observed them, he suddenly lifted his head to look at the sky.

A blue sky. Clouds flowing by.
And the sun, guarding right in the middle.

There was no darkness present.

“Ha.”

The words of the unknown being were right.
The sins that could have arisen from his foolish actions had dissipated.

Originally, countless lives that should have been lost could now laugh and live their daily lives.
Though his sins remained sins, they did not hold a place in reality.

“Jacal.”

At the sound of a hard and heavy voice that pierced his ears, Jacal turned his head.

His father.
The head of the Burrow family was there.

“Jacal Burrow.”

Jacal couldn’t reply to the Duke of Burrow.
He couldn’t bear to look into his father’s eyes.
He felt guilty about the foolish actions he was about to commit.
And he feared that all this guilt would erupt from his father’s mouth.
That those desolate eyes would push him away, perhaps even throw him into hell.

Jacal pressed his lips shut and took a step back.

However, that step could not move far.
Before he could flee, the Duke of Burrow swiftly approached and grabbed him by the nape of his neck.

“Welcome back.”
“...Ah... Father? I...”
“You’ve returned well.”

As Jacal tried to say something, for the first time since his brother’s death, he felt his father’s warmth and simply shut his mouth.

The foolish wish of a young child had traveled a long, long road and was finally fulfilled under the warmth of the sun.