Chapter 88

Although she was suffering the second-worst thing that could happen in someone's life, Gisela didn't give up hope. She wanted to survive to one day return to her hometown and family. However, things wouldn't be so simple. Since those thugs didn't want to live seriously, they didn't consider the things they would need to survive. They lost their chance to create a camp and to scavenge food and water. Due to the fact that they were scumbags, not a single survivors' camp accepted them. However, not a single person stood up to free Gisela and several other girls from the claws of those men. Without shelter, food, and water, those guys only did the only thing they could do to survive... they attacked survivors' camps.

For a while, they managed to survive doing that, but eventually, they bite more than they could chew. The thugs died after fighting against powerful soldiers of another camp. Unfortunately, Gisela and the others didn't become free... the big cities hadn't been recovered yet. So, the only thing one could to survive was to fight. Gisela didn't have the power to fight... in the end, to be able not to die of hunger, she sold her body.

At that point in time, history only repeated itself. Gisela didn't have weapons, and she couldn't use magic, so, kept doing the only thing she could to survive. It was a vicious circle, without weapons or magic, one could obtain coins; without coins, one couldn't buy things to eat or hire guards to protect themselves, without strength she couldn't fight or obtain weapons.

Eventually, cities like New York were recovered. However, people like Gisela were ostracized from society. Even while the new society was slowly being rebuilt, her options didn't change. Things only got a little better when William created his organization, to stimulate his future subordinates, he contracted young and pretty people like Gisela and trained them to become maids to serve his subordinates. While she was taught, Giselas wasn't mistreated. However, things changed when she found her first master.

For some reason, maybe because he had a great physique and became a little famous before the monsters appeared, Gisela's first master was a very prideful person. Although he wasn't that strong in terms of skills and stats, he treated himself like a big deal. So, every single of his problems, he tried to solve with violence, and when he got his ass kicked, he used Gisela to relieve his stress. Punches, kicks, sometimes he even used his sword to torture Gisela and at night...

"You didn't have to say that..." Leon said.

Gisela nodded. Although she was trying to hold back, Leon could see her trembling like a leaf. Leon thought it couldn't get worse, but it got worse. One day, Gisela's master didn't get just his ass kicked; he also got humiliated in front of a crowd. Like always, he unleashed his frustration on her, but that time... he went too far and destroyed her eye with his sword. After that, she almost died of blood loss.

"... What did the people in Hearth of the North do?" Leon asked.

"They bought potions to heal my wounds and discounted the price of those from his salary," Gisela answered.

"Only that?" Leon asked.

"Yes," Gisela said.

"... How did your previous master react?" Leon asked.

"... He tormented me where the others couldn't see." Gisela answered.

"So, the reason why you greeted me while kneeling and always keep your head down is..." Leon said.

"He said that he didn't want to see something so ugly," Gisela said. "He also said that I should stay in that position while he was away."

"While he was away... that means that my apartment is also your apartment?" Leon asked.

"No, Leonard." Gisela shook her head. "I just sleep here, the apartment is yours, but if that idea displeases you, I can sleep in the corridor."

"I'm not so heartless to make you do that..." Leon sighed. "But still... frankly speaking, I don't want to sleep in the same place as you. You lived a hard life, much harder than mine. So, it wouldn't surprise me if someday you snaps and decides to kill me while I sleep."

"I swear Master! I will never do that!" Gisela raised her voice but soon lowered her head in apology.

"I'm not your master... I will ask you a question, and I'm giving the order not to lie." Leon said. "What do you want to do from now on besides survive?"

For a moment, Gisela didn't understand the meaning behind Leon's question. Rather, she didn't understand because Leon asked what she wanted to do, and her will and opinions became irrelevant in the previous four years. He wanted to hear what she wanted to do if she had the opportunity to do whatever she wants.

Gisela had a ready answer for that, but she gave up on the idea of saying it when she saw the look in Leon's eyes, he didn't want to hear a lie. In the end, Gisela didn't have to think all that much, his choices always tormented her, so if he had the chance to do something besides only surviving…

"… I want to obtain the power to protect my own life." Gisela said, looking at Leon in the eye and showing her determination.

"Very well, it seems you didn't give up on hope yet; I will help you with that." Leon declared. "However, if you try to screw with me or reveal anything that I will do in this room, I will kill you. Do you hear me?"

"Yes!" Gisela said, still overflowing with determination.

Leon created one steel knife and then gave it to Gisela, the process looked so surreal that she hesitated in receiving it. When she accepted it and felt the weight of the knife, she understood what Leon wanted her to do.

"I will only give you three more orders," Leon declared. "Don't try to kill me, don't reveal what I can do to anyone and train here until you obtain the power you want."

"Yes!" Gisela answered.