Unfortunately, I couldn't deck Brunhilda out with her epic gear just yet. I needed to level up my Midas Shop first, which was a bit of a bummer. But hey, I could still hook her up with some other stuff in the meantime, right?
"Brunhilda, from now on, you're my bodyguard," I told her, making sure she understood her role. "Your job is to stick by my side and keep me safe."
She placed her hand over her chest, looking all serious and determined. "It would be my greatest honor to serve you, Lord Soren. You don't even need to ask. I'd lay down my life for you." She said it with this genuine smile that made me feel all kinds of weird.
"Yeah, about that... just call me Soren," I said, feeling a bit awkward with the whole 'Lord' thing. I mean, even when I was a Starfrost, nobody called me 'My Lord.' It was always 'young master' or something like that.
"As you wish, Soren," she replied, and I could swear she was happy about it, even though her expression barely changed.
I couldn't help but feel a bit strange thinking about Brunhilda, especially after what happened with Emma. I mean, Emma dumped me, and now here I was, already getting all cozy with someone new. It was strange, to say the least.
It was even more reinforced knowing she was meaning all her words and I could trust her. Any man would want a woman like her on his side for sure.
"Alright, enough of the heavy stuff," I said, trying to lighten the mood. "I'm starving. Let's grab something to eat."
"Do you wish for me to cook, Soren?" Brunhilda asked, catching me off guard.
"You can cook too?" I asked, surprised.
"Yes, anything you desire," she replied, all confident.
"No, let's eat out for now," I said. I didn't want to treat her like a servant right after summoning her. That just felt wrong.
Sure, I could've bought something from the SHOP, but let's be real—those weren't proper meals. Just snacks and water, stuff to keep you alive but not exactly satisfying. I wanted a hot, delicious meal, and I wanted it now.
When was the last time I had a decent meal in this world? It had to be back when I was still living it up at the Starfrost Estate. After getting kicked out, every meal tasted bitter, probably because of all the family drama. And to make matters worse, I got robbed of the 300 gold coins my family gave me to survive.
But hey, at least now I had more money than I knew what to do with. So, it was time to treat myself—and Brunhilda—to a well-deserved feast.
Just as I was lost in thought, the door to my room exploded inward, splintering into a lots of wooden shards. The sudden crash made me jump out of my skin, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest. Standing in the doorway were two men, their eyes wide with surprise and something far more sinister.
Brunhilda reacted instantly, stepping in front of me like a shield. The two intruders froze, their gazes locked onto her from head to toe. It was like they were mesmerized, but in the worst way possible. The silence stretched on, awkward and tense, until the guy in front finally broke it.
"Well, well, well," he sneered, licking his lips like a predator eyeing its prey. "I thought we'd just find a few gold coins, but look what we have here. Jackpot."
His buddy chimed in, practically drooling. "H-Hey, I want a turn with her too!"
The first guy shot him a dark look. "After I'm done with her, maybe you can have what's left," he growled, taking a step into the room. "Come here, sweetheart. Make this easy on yourself."
I felt a surge of annoyance, but Brunhilda was as cool as a cucumber. I tossed her the Whisperfang and spoke. "Brunhilda, kill them."
She didn't need to be told twice. In the blink of an eye, she was gone, moving so fast she was just a blur. And then, just as suddenly, she was back, standing calmly by my side. The two men, however, were now headless corpses on the floor, blood pooling around them like a gruesome halo.
I had told her to kill them, but even I was shocked at how efficiently she'd done it. She was fast—faster than Gilbert, faster than anyone I'd ever seen. It was like she was operating on a whole different level.
The bodies hit the floor with a sickening thud, and I knew we had to get out of there, fast. But first, I had some shopping to do.
I pulled up the SHOP and quickly found what I was looking for.
[Veil of the Forgotten Night.]
Effect: Reduces the wearer's visibility by 40%; + 10 resistance.
And the best part? It was only 100 gold coins. I bought two of that cloak, one for me and one for Brunhilda. The material was incredible, soft and light but clearly durable. It was a steal at that price from my point of view because I honestly didn't think a cloak with such effects even existed in this world.
Next, I browsed the weapon section, not for me but for Brunhilda. I was good with the Whisperfang for now, and I needed way more training before I could even think about wielding a sword. Besides, my past attempts at swordplay had earned me nothing but mockery back at the Starfrost Estate.
But Brunhilda? She was clearly a monster with it. And I intended to make sure she had the best gear possible.
But I didn't want to go overboard either. A weapon that was too flashy or powerful would attract unwanted attention, and that was the last thing I needed right now. Still, I wanted to gift Brunhilda something special—a token of my appreciation and trust.
I scrolled through the SHOP, bypassing the excellent but somewhat ordinary weapons in the gold coins section and heading straight for the platinum coins section. This was where the real treasures were hidden.
"Brunhilda, what elements are you best at?" I asked her, my eyes scanning the list of powerful artifacts.
She tilted her head slightly, a look of confusion on her face. "Elements?"
"Yeah, you know—fire, wind, stuff like that," I clarified.
Her eyes flickered with recognition. "Ah, you mean Seidr. I am proficient in all, but I excel with Light."
A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. "Perfect."
And then I saw it—the ideal weapon for her.
[Luminous Oath]
Elemental Power:
- Light Element Wielder – Channels the pure essence of light.
- +30% Light Damage – Amplifies all light-based attacks.
- -20% Light Damage Taken – Reduces incoming light-element harm.
Unique Ability:
- Shields of Light – Summons up to 3 protective barriers to deflect attacks. (Cooldown: 30 minutes)
- Price: 20,000 Platinum Coins
The price tag stung a bit, but it was worth it. The first effect, allowing the wielder to use Light Element, was redundant for Brunhilda since she could already do that naturally. But it would serve as a good cover, hiding her true strength from prying eyes.
I quickly hit the "Buy" button, and a bright light engulfed my hand. The light stretched and morphed, taking the shape of a beautiful golden scabbard with the sword nestled inside. The hilt was equally stunning, glowing with a golden hue that seemed to radiate power.
Just holding it, I could feel the overwhelming energy it contained. It was clear that this weapon was way out of my league. Putting aside how heavy it was for me, I couldn't even begin to wield something so powerful. But for Brunhilda, it was perfect.
As I gripped the hilt and slightly drew the blade, I was blown away by its beauty. The blade shimmered with a stunning silver-gold hue, unlike anything I'd ever seen. This sword was, without a doubt, the most breathtaking weapon I had ever laid eyes on. It was hard to believe that there were even better options in the SHOP.
The blade looked like it could slice through metal as easily as a hot knife through butter. I carefully slid it back into its scabbard and handed it to Brunhilda.
"This is for you, Brunhilda," I said.
"M—Me?" She let out the cutest little sound of surprise, her eyes widening.
She really hadn't expected it, had she?
"Yeah," I smiled. "This is my very first gift to you. Take good care of it. I'll get your own sword back to you eventually, but until then, use this one. Just don't go all out with it—we don't want to attract too much attention."
Brunhilda nodded, but her gaze was fixed on the sword in my hand. She reached out and took it, her fingers tracing the intricate designs on the scabbard.
"Thank you for the gift, Soren," she said softly, hugging the sword to her chest. She smiled at me, just a little, but it was enough to make my heart skip a beat.
I felt a weird flutter in my chest, and my heart started pounding like a drum. This wasn't good. That strange connection I felt with her was making me feel even more drawn to her. But seeing her happy made me happy too, so I guess it was worth it.