Corrupted Reincarnation: The Eldritch Maid

[Void POV] Year 5, Day 207 (Morning, Central)

Void looked at the massive structure in front of him—the arena, colosseum maybe. He didn't know the right word for it, just that it was huge, impressive, and built for dragon racing.

The flying platform he was using approached slowly, safe and controlled.

Kira on top of wyvern—Bad Boy—followed alongside them. She looked ready. Nervous but ready.

"Have a nice day, Master. See you at the ceremony this evening."

"That's the spirit, girly!"

Void looked next to him. The dwarf X had assigned to babysit them. Initially Lucifer was supposed to fulfill this role. But he'd left with 22 and Null in a hurry. Now they got this dwarf instead.

All this girl had done since he'd met her: drinking. Yes, it was female dwarf. But classical beard, classical dwarf clothing. If it hadn't been pointed out to him, Void probably wouldn't have noticed instantly.

[Female. She's female. I need to remember that. But she looks exactly like every other dwarf I've met. Same clothing. Same beard. Same everything.]

Others on the flying platform: six members of Black Wings and five maids who traveled with them.

Bad Boy—the wyvern with Kira on top—turned. Direction where all contestants needed to register before the race. There were a lot of dragons and wyverns visible in the air. Already landed too. Many participants. Heavy competition.

Void shouted after her. "Have a nice race!"

Kira waved. Then off she went.

The dwarf patted Void on the shoulder. Friendly. Casual. "Don't worry. I only know Lady Kira few hours. But she didn't look like someone who'd run and make things worse. Perhaps losing the name can even help her. Let her focus on things that matter. Not old family that clearly wants nothing to do with her."

Void decided not to answer.

[Nobody believes Kira can win. The way the bet was made—impossible to win. Her brother made sure of it. She'll lose. That's certain. Fact. What everyone worries about is what happens after. Will she do something stupid? Run? Refuse to give up the name? Make a scene? That would make everything worse.]

[Even I don't believe Kira has a chance to win. But like her brother, she also has a plan. Question is if it works. And if it works... her brother will end up looking like total idiot in front of everyone here.]

The dwarf continued. Professional reassurance. "And don't worry about my drinking. I had a plan to drink today and will do it. Just now can drink in luxury lodge here instead of paying myself." Evil grin. "And as every professional dwarf, I know how to separate drinking and work."

Void didn't actually worry about it. [Seen too many dwarves. How they drink themselves half dead and still stay professional. It's a dwarf thing. Cultural. They function fine.]

---

The platform landed in the arena's massive landing area—organized chaos with hundreds of platforms and thousands of people.

The dwarf guided them inside the massive building through crowds, past vendors, and through security checkpoints.

Finally they arrived at the security screening area with armored-to-the-teeth guards everywhere, serious, professional, and no-nonsense.

The process split their group.

Void, Black Wings, and one maid got full screening. Hand on truth stone. Statement they didn't come here with plans to kill or harm anyone while watching the show.

Void noticed the wording was quite specific. Careful.

[Clearly many visitors here have animosity against each other. They just want to make sure nothing explodes today. Smart. Practical.]

Then mana signatures taken, names recorded, and small enchanted name badges given back—personalized to each person.

The other four maids—those with black loyalty tattoos visible around their necks—got simpler process. Guards just asked names. Done. No truth stone. No mana signature. Just names and badges.

[The tattoos mean something here. Recognized. They have no options of their own. Master's option is their only option. So why waste time screening them? Their choices aren't theirs anymore. Loyalty visible and absolute.]

The guard explained. "Keep your badges on at all times. Lose one? Report to staff immediately. Don't try borrowing someone else's—they're mana-locked to you. We'll catch it."

Direct look at their group.

"I see mages with you. No magic from here on. Sensors throughout the arena. We'll know immediately."

Professional smile returned.

"Enjoy the Central Dragon Race."

---

The dwarf guided them deeper in. Talking. Explaining. "X got you table in Dwarven Union lounge. This arena has four large luxury lounges. One for each major guild. All four are connected. People can move between them. Network. Get to know each other. That's half the point of these events."

They arrived soon.

Massive room full of luxury with tables arranged in multiple tiers overlooking the racing track below. The track was still empty since the race hadn't started yet.

The dwarf found their table—reserved, premium location with a good view of the track.

"Here we are. X really came through. This is excellent positioning."

Only Void, the dwarf, and swordsman Cassian—Black Wings' leader—took seats at the table. The rest of Black Wings and the maids stood nearby, professional and waiting.

[Customs. Only leading servant can sit with master like this. Rest need permission. One of the things that snoopy gnome taught me.]

The gnome had visited Borderwatch twelve times over last five years. Ealdred had found him. Suggested him. So Void wouldn't mess up. Would know how to act. Proper behavior in high society.

While maids worked on their hundred points and extras with Ealdred, Void got his own lessons. How not to embarrass himself. How to carry himself as master. How to navigate places like this without failing immediately.

[First time actually using those lessons. First time in place where I could mess up as master. Hope I don't fail immediately.]

Void looked around. This place contained hundreds of tables. Only a handful were occupied. They'd arrived quite early.

One difference between what he remembered from his past elven nobility training and how Syndicate did things: For elves there was wall between themselves and servants. Yes, they cared about them. But it was like how you care for a racing horse. Valuable property. Well-maintained. But still property.

Here it was different. Servants were seen more like family. They had no issues making really horrible things to break and prepare those servants. But once they submitted, they were counted as family. Special family who may be brainwashed and believe their only purpose in life is to serve. But family still.

He looked around at other tables. Servants sitting, chatting together with masters. Casual. Comfortable. Like equals almost.

[I almost wish I had ability to see souls. To know. To understand.]

This was last thing that had surprised him about what the gnome taught. Massive usage of soul oaths. Not blood oaths like elves did. Soul oaths.

One of the first things he'd been taught as small elf child: how dangerous soul oaths were. Those things gave flickery control. Unpredictable. Unstable.

And the way they worked was scary. Both sides exchanged soul energy. It ended up passive or active based on who gave the oath. But even passive soul energy affected you. Tried to improve your image against the origin of it. And it was in your soul. Layer where no defense worked. No protection possible. No escape available.

He actually didn't believe initially when the gnome talked about how massive the practice was. But after X's laughing jokes that his boss owned his soul, and then this morning literally taking courage and asking the seamstress and her maids—confirmed. Soul oaths everywhere. Standard practice. Expected.

Now he watched every master and servant pair. Thinking: who is more brainwashed in the end?

[Or probably just calculated risk. Master's soul becomes more powerful as they get more energy from those oaths. But also more changed. To like and care where this power comes from. While those more powerful masters also press more on servants to follow and serve. It's like self-feeding cycle. Both sides changing each other. Both sides becoming more bound. Both sides losing themselves slowly.]

[Of course this system can have horrific side effects. Like if someone who has hundreds of soul oaths dies. Everyone in Republic heard story about Cornelius and his hundreds of suicidal servants. Mass death. Mass tragedy. System failure on catastrophic scale.]

Master could also say servants could act freely in these kind of semi-formal events. Remove restrictions. Allow comfort.

Void indicated to everyone standing. "Sit. Enjoy. We have long day ahead."

All the maids and rest of Black Wings sat with relief showing, gratitude, and comfort returning.

Soon waiters came. Taking orders.

Void watched as more people arrived. More tables filled. Most dwarves. It was still Dwarven Union area. But not exclusive. Others mixed in. Networking. Socializing. Building connections.

[This is how power works here. Not in government halls. Not in official chambers. Here. In luxury lounges. Over drinks. During dragon races. Casual conversations that move millions. Deals made over entertainment. Everything wrapped in pleasantries while fortunes shift beneath.]

The track below remained empty. Preparation continuing. Race approaching.

Void waited. Worried. Hoping against hope.

[Kira is out there. With her plan. With her desperation. With everything at stake.]

[Please let it work. Please.]

---

As they had some time before the race started, Void decided to ask the maids. "How was visiting your homes? Your families?"

This was the first task they'd assigned to Black Wings. Many maids wanted to visit homes. But now—Ealdred-trained with Null's seed—they were literal walking gold. Too much risk someone might try something somewhere. So Black Wings took them in small groups to visit families in specific areas. Security. Protection. Safe travel.

The answers came:

"It was nice." Happy. Simple.

"My small brother I remember as dumb kid has family of his own now. Kind of strange." Happy but surprised. Time passing. Change visible.

"I only wanted to visit graves." Serious. Somber.

"We ended up buying my sister." Clearly ashamed to say it. Voice small.

"My parents promised to come visit me next in Borderwatch." Hopeful. Eager.

Void listened. Then caught on one. "Buying... sister?"

Priestess Valencina responded. "As you know, fair number of girls send money home."

Void did know.

[It's becoming an issue. Families learn their "lost" children ended up somewhere close to richness. Then they start asking for money.]

[Poor families usually ask for reasonable amounts. Those aren't the problem. But greedy ones? Those keep pushing. Keep demanding. Keep escalating.]

[We've literally ordered Intelligence Guild reports for some families. Just to know the actual story. Know who's desperate versus who's exploiting. But still don't know how to properly solve it. Pain without clear solution.]

Valencina continued. "Her family didn't look that badly off. Merchants who run shop locally. But after they saw us—high-quality maid dresses, escorts like us—started asking for money. Things ended up dirty fast. Soon took all the gold the girl had." She indicated to one of the maids. "Well, she didn't have much. Had already sent most to family before."

Void tried to remember. [Haven't heard anything about this maid's family issues specifically. Must have kept it quiet. Didn't want to burden anyone.]

"Well, after they understood no more gold to get from her, they targeted us. Said we're rich S-rank party, we need to pay. If that didn't work, promised to sell her younger sisters to slave shop to get gold instead."

Void's reaction was immediate. "WHAT?"

Valencina continued calmly. "They probably wanted to sell the girl anyway. She had almost no personal items. She was almost sixteen. Quite clear most effort was put into sons who should take over family business."

"Where is the girl?" Void almost looked around. Then realized. [Can't be here. Too young. Left somewhere safe probably.]

But the number hit him. Sixteen.

[Damn. This number again.]

As patron of Borderwatch orphanage, he had quite clear understanding of various issues with children and slavery. Most girls were sold between ages sixteen and twenty. Twenty was upper limit where parents could sell children who lived with them. Sixteen was age of consent in Republic—under that, sexual acts even with slaves were crimes.

[About a third of children in Borderwatch orphanage had run from home due to fear of getting sold. By law, parents lost rights the moment kid was counted as abandoned. That's why the orphanage existed. That's why we funded it. That's why it mattered.]

"In school now," Valencina continued. "We weren't sure what to do with her. Contacted home—Alpha knew some internal school in Central. Her old owner at Adventure Guild had kids learn there. We used most of yesterday to sign her up and get stuff needed. Happily they agreed to take her mid-year after some extra donation."

[School instead of seed. Alpha's choice. Why? Too young maybe? Or Alpha's barriers showing again—she likes people choosing freely to get brainwashed. Even if it's the last fully free choice they make. Issues with her own past. Born as child of servants. Had to leave home just to have any choice at all. Projecting maybe. Hard to tell with her sometimes. But girl is safe. That's what matters.]

Bearkin mage Reis sent over seed network. «22 taught me really nice spell. Had chance to test it out there. This evil family will never-ever sell children again. And not only dad—used it on sons too. While parents bargained over the price, sons suggested the girl should move her ass for us. Perhaps we'd pay better price then. Literally pimping out their sister for negotiation leverage.»

[I know that spell. 22 taught me too. Different from what was used on LOVER and X. This one's pure evil—undetectable, slow-acting, turns victim into eunuch over few months. Permanent. No healing possible.]

[But this family deserved it. Sons pimping their sister. Parents selling her. For once, 22's evil actually served justice.]

The dwarf commented casually. "You know, a real elf master would never have these issues. They'd just disallow all communication over some clever reason and be done with it. No complications."

Void thought how to answer.

But before he managed, the maid whose sister they'd saved answered. "Master Void cares about us."

The dwarf looked at her. At Void. Understanding showing. "I can see that."

She shifted topics while looking around the lounge.

"As this story already has a happy ending and your sister probably has soon the same tattoo around her neck as you—" clever wink "—perhaps some different topics?"

[This dwarf just literally hinted the girl's sister will soon have same elven loyalty tattoo. Brainwashed. Processed. Serving and happy. It was bit evil. Bit of a joke. But also... probably accurate. We already have several sisters among the maids who came for "advertisement." Saw their siblings happy. Wanted same. Pattern repeating.]

The dwarf scanned the room. "Oh, check there. We have actual royalty here today. Crown prince—can't remember his name, something long and complex—from a superpower. Arrived some months ago with big entourage. Everyone's been busy trying to sell him all kinds of stuff since then. Guy's actually been super careful. Despite Banking Guild's best efforts to loan him so much he can never pay it back."

The dwarf pointed to distant table.

Void looked and saw some guy sitting with about twenty maids standing nearby—standard luxury display and power projection.

What was strange: one of the maids was looking at him. She also looked somehow familiar.

He checked the name badge. Vespera.

Then it connected. [Vescari. Cardinal Vescari. Some relative of his?]

[I should forget about her. Nothing important. Not my concern.]

He looked away.

Then his eyes caught on the handrails at the edge of the lounge.

[High enough to kill someone?]

The thought came strangely easy. Too natural. Like it had already been waiting for him.

He frowned faintly.

[No. That's stupid.]

But his gaze stayed on the rails.

[Not stupid. Practical. If someone fell from here, would they die instantly? Or just break bones? Security should know things like that. People should know things like that.]

Void stood. Walked to the side where handrails were protecting viewers from the drop.

Looked down. Ground far below. Perhaps thirty to forty meters. [High. But not impossibly high.]

[Would I survive the fall?]

[Easy to test.]

[Useful to know.]

[Just climb over the handrail. One step. Then we know.]

He reached for the handrail.

Some voices. Someone asking him to stop. Wait. Come back.

[Irrelevant. Finish first. Explain after.]

[People will understand once there are results.]