The Unawakened Porter's Divine System

An Unexpected Offer

~~~

“Have you ever killed anyone?”

Xavier froze.

His mind immediately returned to the dungeon.

The goblins.

The blood.

The countless bodies scattered across the stone floor.

His hands tightened against the sheets.

“Y..yes.”

The Holy Maiden’s eyes widened slightly.

Alexandria’s expression changed as well.

“...Yes?” The Holy Maiden asks.

Xavier nodded hesitantly.

“I think so.”

The Holy Maiden stared at him for a moment before asking,

“How many?”

Xavier thought about it.

He hadn't exactly kept count.

“I'm not sure.”

He lowered his gaze.

“Fifty something, maybe.”

The moment the words left his mouth...

SHING!

Alexandria's sword left its sheath.

Xavier barely had time to react before the blade was already moving toward his neck.

“Alexandria!”

The Holy Maiden's voice stopped her.

The sword halted inches from Xavier's throat.

Alexandria's eyes were cold.

“My lady, he just admitted to killing more than fifty people.”

“He did.”

“He is a serial killer.”

Xavier's face paled.

‘What the hell is happening?!’

The Holy Maiden raised a hand.

“Calm down.”

“But...”

“Wait Alexandria.”

Alexandria reluctantly lowers her sword, though she didn't sheathe it.

The Holy Maiden turned back toward Xavier.

She leaned slightly closer.

“Just to be certain…”

Her golden eyes narrowed.

“Are you telling me you've killed fifty people?”

Xavier blinked.

“...People?”

“Yes.”

“No no no no no!”

The answer came extremely quick.

“I've never killed a person!”

Alexandria's sword slowly lowered.

Xavier swallowed.

“I thought you meant... living things.”

“I killed goblins. And other monsters. Back when I worked as a porter, I've killed a few monsters before too.”

Silence.

The Holy Maiden closed her eyes and sighed.

“I see.”

Alexandria finally sheathed her sword.

“Goblins,” she muttered.

Xavier nodded rapidly.

“Yes, Goblins.”

He didn't think he'd ever been so relieved to clarify something in his life.

“I've never killed anyone before,” he continued.

“I've never even seriously hurt anyone.”

The Holy Maiden studied him.

“You speak as though you wouldn't kill a person even if you had to.”

Xavier's expression changed.

He didn't answer immediately.

His eyes lowered.

“I... don't think I could.”

“Why?”

Xavier remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he slowly spoke.

“Because I believe life is precious.”

The Holy Maiden said nothing.

“There was a time when I almost died.”

His fingers curled against the fabric beneath him.

“I've come close to death more than once, but that time was different.”

It was the first time.

He remembered the feeling.

The fear.

The desperation.

The desperate desire to keep breathing.

“To be that close to losing your life... it makes you understand how much it means to actually be alive.”

His voice softened.

“And if I killed someone, it wouldn't just be their life that I took.”

The Holy Maiden's expression became gentler.

She tilts her head.

“Their family would lose someone.”

Xavier continued.

“Their friends would lose someone. People who depended on them would lose someone.”

He looked up.

“I'd be taking their happiness away too.”

His crimson eyes were unusually clear.

“Maybe that sounds stupid.”

“It doesn't.”

The Holy Maiden smiled faintly.

“Actually, I think it's a very good reason.” She stated.

Xavier blinked.

She continued looking at him for a moment before standing.

“Well, since we've settled that...”

Xavier immediately became cautious.

The Holy Maiden smiled.

“You still owe me.”

“I thought answering your questions was the payment.”

She giggled softly.

“That was only the first part.”

Xavier stared at her.

“Then what do you want?”

“I want you to work for me.”

His eyes widened.

“Work for you?”

“Yes.”

“But I'm not Awakened.”

“You don't need to be.”

She gestured toward him.

“You've already proven that you can fight monsters.”

Xavier didn't know what to say.

“Strength comes with responsibility,” she continued. “If you have the ability to save someone, then you shouldn't simply look away.”

Xavier lowered his gaze.

He couldn't deny that.

He had spent his entire life wishing he had the strength to do something.

Now someone was telling him that he had it.

Even if he didn't understand where it came from.

“Can I think about it?”

The Holy Maiden smiled.

“Take your time.”

“But don't think about running away.”

Xavier looked at her.

“I can find you.”

He felt a chill.

“Yes Ma!” He responds.

He wasn't sure whether she was joking.

Something told him she wasn't.

Xavier eventually stood up to leave.

Before he reached the door however, the Holy Maiden suddenly stopped him.

“Wait.”

He turned.

She stared at him.

Those golden eyes began to glow.

Xavier immediately remembered the last time she'd used them.

The System had reacted.

The Holy Maiden's gaze deepened.

Then...

A sharp pain flashed through her eyes.

“Urgh!”

She staggered.

A thin line of blood slipped down from the corner of one eye.

Alexandria immediately stepped forward.

“My lady!”

“What did you do?!”

Her hand went toward her sword.

“Alexandria.”

The Holy Maiden raised a hand.

“It's fine.”

She covered one eye with her palm.

“This was my fault.”

Xavier stared at her worried.

He hadn't done anything.

The Holy Maiden looked at him through her other eye.

“You can go.”

Despite the blood, she smiled.

“I'll be expecting a positive reply.”

Xavier hesitated.

Then he nodded.

“...Okay.”

He left.

The moment he was outside, he frowned.

“System.”

No response.

“Was that you?”

Silence.

Xavier continued walking.

“You did something to her eyes, didn't you?”

Nothing.

He narrowed his eyes.

“You're avoiding the question.”

A few seconds passed.

Then the familiar text appeared.

[The System Does Not Like Being Observed.]

Xavier stopped walking.

That's why you did it?

No response.

You could have at least warned me.

[The System Was Not Asked.]

Xavier stared ahead.

He couldn't decide whether to be annoyed or impressed.

You're quite troublesome.

No response came.

Xavier sighed.

His mind returned to the Holy Maiden's offer.

‘A Holy Maiden wants me to work for her?’

He had no idea what he should do.

He had spent his entire life surviving alone.

Trusting people had never ended well.

Yet she had saved his life.

And she hadn't treated him like a monster.

He didn't know why.

He didn't know what her Divine Eyes had seen inside him.

But somehow, he found himself thinking about her words.

‘If you have the ability to save someone, then you shouldn't simply look away.’

His feet carried him farther than he realized.

By the time he looked up, he was standing in front of his apartment.

Xavier stared at the rusty door.

He reached for the handle.

Then stopped.

Something felt wrong.

He looked at the lock.

His expression changed.

The door was unlocked.

His heart dropped.

I locked this.

He remembered doing it.

Slowly, Xavier pushed the door open.

The apartment was dark.

Too quiet.

He stepped inside.

One foot.

Then another.

Then his mind suddenly caught up with him.

The hunters.

His eyes widened.

The people searching for him.

The ones who wanted him silenced.

He had completely forgotten about them.

Xavier spun around.

Too late.

Something struck the back of his head.

His vision sunk into darkness as he collapsed.