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— Knock! Knock! Knock! —

"Coming, coming! Ugh... Why do alchemists need to open so early? Goddamn Alchemy guild and their nonsensical rules." Lizzy grumbled as she got ready to open her shop.

But as soon as she opened the door, she almost had a heart attack. F-f-foxes?! What did they want this time? \'Please, please, let this be a nightmare; I\'ll soon wake up and—\'

"Woo! Woo!" (We need stuff! We\'re counting on you!)

A second later, the creatures had invaded the shop! And, of course, the Flame Mansion\'s young master was with them, checking the surroundings as a king would his domain. He proudly raised his face…

"A-ah?! Gosh, what happened to you?! Are you alright?!"

The kid\'s face was utterly burned. It looked as if someone had voluntarily dropped boiling water on his head! What monster would do such a thing?! But that wasn\'t all…

He was also carrying a picture book, one that seemed utterly EVIL! Lizzy could sense the Demonic Energy oozing out of it even from a few meters. It was… a picture book?! What was up with that?!

Not only that, but he looked so calm…

Burns —> No reaction

Demonic book —> No reaction either

Army of foxes —> Chill as a cucumber

Lizzy opened and closed her mouth a few times. It wasn\'t that she didn\'t want to say anything, but that she didn\'t know if she should. Were those secrets of the Flame Mansion?

Seeing how cautious she seemed, a shadow of a smile appeared on Jack\'s face. He had been right about this girl! She was far from simple, and he wanted her! He subtly signaled a fox.

"Woo! Woo!" (Here! This is for you!)

A cute-looking fox handed Lizzy a note.

— Is owning this shoddy shop your dream? Or do you perhaps desire more from life? Would you like to become an agent of the Flame Mansion? There will be benefits…. —

Jack saw right through her. Anger as he called her shop shoddy, shock as she saw the recruitment offer, and confusion/excitement as she pictured the possibilities.

"H-hey is this for real?! Did your master really ask you to give me this? Do you swear on the Flame Mansion?" Lizzy asked, as serious as a girl could be.

"Woo!" (Of course!)

Never had a fox seemed that assured and trustworthy! Of course, Master had approved it. He was the one that had given them the GO! He was even nodding along!

Jack saw her hesitate. He saw the wariness; he saw the self-doubt, he saw so much… until her pulse started accelerating, and the light in her eyes changed. It started shining so brightly!

"I\'ll do it! Where do I sign?!" She heroically declared, only for a fox to hand her yet another note. Except, this one contained something utterly outrageous!

— Swear Eternal Loyalty to the Foxes\' Master and make a vow of silence. —

​ This wasn\'t something to be done half-heartedly! This would mean she\'d become part of the Flame Mansion\'s pirate ship for the better or worse. It also seemed SHADY AF! Yet…

\'You can do this, Lizzy. Nothing risked, nothing gained; such is life. Besides, the Flame Lord is quirky but has a decent reputation. Everything should be fine….\'

"I, Lizzy Lamprey, solemnly swear that I\'ll be loyal and—" She completed her vow to perfection. It was so well done that Jack instantly began clapping, and so did the foxes!

— Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! —

There was more clapping than in an adult video: it was deafening!

The baby was…. Clapping?! Also, what was up with that scheming grin on his face?! More importantly, why was he looking at her like a wolf looked at an innocent lamb?

"Welcome aboard, Lizzy!"

"Y-you can talk?!"

That\'s when her magical vow finally registered. With horror, she suddenly felt her soul linked to…. This guy?! W-wait… what?! Did she just sell her soul to a Baby?!

As for Jack, he was happily grinning as he checked his notifications!

[Gained your first human subordinate!]

[Ding! Obtained the Leadership Stat!]

[Companions Buffed by 0.1%!]

Sure, that buff might as well be inexistent now, but how much would it grow in the future? He couldn\'t wait to have thousands of s̶l̶a̶v̶e̶s̶ subordinates!

"Now, Lizzy… Let\'s play a game…"

"NO THANKS! I\'m good!"

Her reaction was instantaneous. As soon as he uttered these words, the room\'s aura changed. Somehow, the foxes all emitted big B energy! (Bandits)

She wanted no part to take in it! Yet, she had just sworn allegiance…so she had to convince him, or she was doomed!

"Think about it. I\'m just a pure and innocent little alchemist! It\'s better for everyone if I stay in my lab working! I\'ll provide support from here. That\'s a good idea, right, right?!"

She was desperate, very desperate. Hearing her hurried speech, Jack gently grabbed her hand, slowly guiding her toward the nearest window.

The scene looked so strange: a baby dragging along a terrified and shaking full-fledged adult. It was as if the world had turned upside down. He chuckled as he pointed outside.

"Pure and innocent little alchemist, was it?"

— Lizzy\'s Lusty Emporium!—

"T-that… that\'s different!"

How much trouble was this damn sign going to bring her?! But then the way she glanced at Jack changed. If he knew how to read… had he been messing with her all along?!

This new Master of hers was a SADIST! \'Lizzy, poor Lizzy, you\'ve done fucked up this time!\' She was already beginning to regret her rash decision.

"Relax, it\'s an alchemist I need… and an informant. For starters, do you know where I can procure the magical catalysts on that list?" She was handed yet another note.

She started reading it… froze.

She restarted reading it… froze again.

She read it whole as if speedrunning… freezing again!

"Y-you…those are all Demonic Ingredients?! Who are you trying to poison?! No, never mind, I don\'t want to know!" She once again lamented her big mouth.

Jack turned toward his picture book.

"Hey, don\'t look at me like that! Yes, it\'s all demonic or poisonous, but I told you already, didn\'t I? Archmages are meant to defy the rules of the world!"

Now the book was talking?! Lizzy started laughing, seemingly losing grasp over reality. "This is all a dream, just a dream." And a second later… a ghost appeared!

Right before her, Jack and some ghost mage began arguing.

"You see, poison can also be medicine. We\'ll use all this to stimulate your body and bring it to greater heights! It\'s the perfect tonic that I designed myself!"

"Aren\'t there safer methods?"

"Spat! Safe?! Safe, your ass! The pursuit of magic is a deadly road! Did you lose all courage? Where did the kid ready to jump into an inferno go!"

"Pfft— He went to Lizzy\'s Lustful Emporium."

"…He really did. Anyway, Lizzy, was it?"

As the two stared at her, poor Lizzy felt like a rabbit eyed by two hunters. What had she done to deserve this?! Was this retribution for her "odd" shop?!

She racked her brain, quickly trying to find an answer. "I know where you can find them… but…. You\'ll have to venture into the Underground!" She violently shivered once more.

The Underground, was it? This would be the perfect job for a bunch of shady-looking cloak-wearing foxes, right? Jack didn\'t even flinch, a massive smile on his face.

"What are we waiting for? Let\'s go!"

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Jack Bright (Classless)

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BODY 9 (STR 3 / AGI 3 / RES 3)

SOUL 44 ( MAGIC 8 / SENSE 17 / WILL 19)

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(NEW!)

- Leadership! (0.1%)

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