VRMMO: My first Contractee is Yandere

I am not all-knowing or all-powerful like a god.

The man in front of me lets out a big sigh.

He has quite a bit of composure in front of me, an apostle of the evil god. Even among warriors, such composure is rare. Considering that, this opponent might be strong.

At the very least, he is stronger than the lowly ones who are only pretending to be vigilant in front of him.

"Lady Atori, you have no merit in opposing me, and the disadvantages are far too great. Do you understand that? I am a lord recognized by the country. No matter how capable an adventurer you are, harming me means opposing the nation."

"..."

"Moreover, I am a wealthy merchant. Merchants from all over the cities will oppose my enemies. Turning merchants into enemies is troublesome, you know? You won't be able to buy anything, nor sell anything."

That could indeed be troublesome.

The guild basically operates for the adventurers. To prevent us from becoming powerful rogues.

However, adventurers who have become rogues are enemies.

Fighting this man could turn the nation and merchants into enemies. For example, even if the adventurer's guild conducts an investigation, there's no guarantee that the investigators won't be bribed.

I see.

I understand now why the gods said, "Nobles, royalty, and those in power are troublesome."

They are not strong. They are simply... a hassle.

If that's the case, it's better to overlook an attack once in a while to reduce the hassle. Moreover, if I cooperate with this person, I might even gain a reward.

Surely, ordinary people would think like that.

I recall what the guide said earlier.

Before me lay a bag filled with gold coins.

"Well then, shall we return to the topic?" the lord said.

"The matter of you unjustly attacking my subordinate... Is this acceptable?"

"Hmm."

"My subordinate, who caused you trouble with his reckless judgment, has died, but I will ensure that his family receives appropriate punishment. However, Atri, even though you are an A-rank, it should be the law that decides his fate. It would be better not to kill him if you can avoid it in the future."

I thought he was a different kind of person.

It seemed he was trying to say, "The only one at fault is the gatekeeper. Let's make everything go away with money." If I refuse, I would be regarded as an enemy, and it would become troublesome.

Honestly, it's a situation that could go either way... or so I think.

But I don't have much reason to refuse. Since I was attacked, I need to defeat him. Yet, this guy has already accepted defeat from the start. No, he has no intention to fight.

He probably doesn't wish to oppose me either.

As it stands, the only merit in killing this man is the feeling that "I should kill him."

But is my judgment truly correct?

I am free.

I can kill this man or choose not to. However, freedom also means bearing responsibility. Do I really need to kill this man to that extent?

After much hesitation, I said.

"I'll forgive the attack. I don't need the money."

"That won't do, Atri. I can't feel at ease unless you accept the money. Refusing it would be an act of hostility."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"I don't mind being hostile."

"Really? It would also inconvenience those around you, you know?"

"..."

My surroundings refer to the gods.

I don't want to trouble the gods. I sighed.

"I understand."

I accepted the money.

After receiving the small amount of money, I decided to go home.

At the very least, the lord seems to be above me. My domain is combat, and I don't care about anything else.

This city has little of worth.

There seem to be no materials or quests that would please the gods. The gods say that rare events are often found in places like this.

However, it seems that unless one is as omniscient and omnipotent as the gods, one cannot find rare events.

As I emerged from the lord's house, the guide rushed towards me.

"Oh, Atri! How was it? That lord is indeed wicked! Now is the time to show him the power of Atri!"

"I received money. I won't fight."

"Wha—! So you're just another ally of scum... Just using borrowed power, huh? In the end, you think that the power of something you picked up won't defeat the power of money?"

"I value money more than you do."

"Wha—!"

All of my power comes from the gods.

It is my freedom to wield it or not. This is because the gods made a contract with me for "freedom."

More than anything, I have no inclination to fight for this man.

After all, he tries to control me.

He has tested me repeatedly with his words, determining my worth by his arbitrary standards, and as soon as he saw I might be useful, he tried to manipulate my thoughts.

I am foolish.

I am nothing more than a little girl who is obedient to the gods except in terms of brute strength.

Thanks to the power of the gods, I have learned to calculate numbers, but I still remain within the realm of an ordinary village girl.

Yet even I have honed my instincts while wandering the battlefield.

My power, freedom, and contract are too valuable for me to fight for this man.

That lord understood his own limits. At the very least, he regarded me as a threat and devised every possible means to counter me.

I now understand well why this man cannot defeat that lord.

"Well then."

As I was about to leave, the guide drew a knife from his waist and pointed it at me. A well-used blade. However, that blade lacked the peculiar malevolence of a tool that has drawn blood from humans.

It is not a weapon.

"What's this?"

"――――!"

He exuded a murderous intent.

Just that made the guide stumble backward and start to emit an odd smell. What a disaster. In some ways, he attacked me more skillfully than that lord.

As I tried to escape, an old woman with a hunched back raised her voice.

"What are you doing, Graham!"

"G-Grandma, help!"

"Don't mess with me! I saw everything! Yelling at such a little girl and expecting something in return! How ridiculous!"

"B-but…"

"Don't mess with me!"

The old woman's voice was loud.

It was a voice far larger than one could imagine from her wrinkled face. The gods had said, "A loud voice is a weapon." Perhaps it would be at least as effective a weapon as the knife the guide was holding.

The old woman bowed her head to me.

"I'm sorry. This matter is not your concern. This kid has caused you undue trouble. The least I can do is bow my head to you. Please forgive me."

"It's fine. The weak seek out the strong."

"You're something else, aren't you? As an apology, let me welcome you a little."

I don't want it.

I don't want it, but I don't have the motivation to ignore her.

"I understand."

I was invited into the old woman's home.

It was a decaying house that looked like it might collapse at any moment. Four chipped bowls were placed on the table. They appeared to have been polished well, and even in such a house, they shone beautifully.

Freshly poured into a new bowl was tea.

More than tea, it was probably herbal juice. It didn't seem to be poisonous even when I appraised it. The old woman seemed to have some knowledge of tea ceremony, and the tea itself was surprisingly delicious.

"Oh, I'm so happy. It's not often that I get to host a girl of this age."

The old woman busied herself with hospitality.

She seemed lonely as she whispered that she wanted to offer some sweets but had none.

Today, I decided to stay at this old woman's home as she suggested. Since there were plenty of ingredients, perhaps her meals and supplies would improve instead.

Even I wouldn't extort free meals in such a village.

The old woman gratefully accepted the food I offered, apologizing as she did.

I recalled the moment I received money from the noble earlier.

Well, it's different from that time. But in terms of having to accept something I don't want, it's the same.

Today was not a good day.

The gods have not returned...

It seems they need to go shopping. Even gods need to shop. There are times when I need to shop too, so it's the same...

I was treated as the noble wished.

Originally, I should have worked diligently as a servant of the gods. However, even I find it difficult to move effectively when the gods have been absent for two days, and on a day when I lost to an enemy...

I should not fight in such a state.

As a servant of the gods, I cannot squander my life at will. Anger wells up within me at my own inadequacy. I did not use the mattress infested with fleas.

There is a bed given to me by the gods...

After using an insect-repelling potion, I fell asleep.