While the major player factions remain in a wait-and-see attitude toward gift-giving to raise affection, a large number of ordinary players are still willing to choose giving gifts.
Unlike the first day when I barely managed to cope, my mindset now genuinely hopes to find a suitable master. I need to have a job and can't always rely on adventurers' charity to get by.
But when I tried communicating with adventurers with the mindset of finding a master, I really wanted to complain loudly.
—Are you here looking for servants or looking for wives?!
Although I learned from Hohenhiem about players' true motivations, having them all come seeking romance is troubling me greatly. Isn't there really anyone who needs a maid for work?
Thinking carefully, they might have misunderstood the affection mechanism.
I don't have the right to independently choose which player to become a follower of. Only when my affection reaches maximum value will the mechanism to become a follower trigger. Acquiring an exclusive NPC servant has rigid conditions that can't be completed through shortcuts. However, becoming a follower and finding an employer are two different things—none of them seem to notice the difference.
Troubled by this problem, I don't know how to bring it up. Finding a job turns out to be so difficult.
"Oh, beautiful lady, please forgive me."
After dealing with who knows how many players obsessed with gift-giving today, suddenly a handsome and familiar face entered my view.
A hatefully handsome man I could never forget after seeing once—Sir Ivanhoe of Smylie.
He apologized to me with great sorrow, though I don't remember him doing anything wrong to me.
"Good day, Sir Ivanhoe of Smylie. May the merciful Father God comfort your pain."
"The scars on my body are symbols of honor. From the moment I became a knight, I was prepared to fulfill my knightly duties even if battered and bruised. But why must I inadvertently make the lady I should protect fall for me? My lady, though you say nothing, I know deeply that the wound is in my body, but the pain is in your heart..."
"..."
Have I shown that I'm heartbroken?
"Please forgive me! You have captivating amethyst eyes, yet I let these beautiful eyes be filled with tears of sorrow flowing like rivers. What a grave sin this is..."
He arbitrarily believes that his reckless charge into the adventurer army moved me deeply, making me worry about his safety day and night, and he says not considering my feelings was a knight's negligence... If possible, I'd prefer he actually listen to what I'm saying.
I ignored Ivanhoe's heartfelt self-reproach.
"You've suffered quite a few injuries. It must have been a perilous battle."
"Yes. Several times I nearly lost the strength to grip my sword, but each time I thought of your pure and innocent smile, and I gained almost infinite courage again."
Have I ever smiled in front of Ivanhoe...?
However, I was indeed surprised that Ivanhoe could stand lively before me, even though his head was still wrapped in messy bandages.
At that time I was outside Rothschild village, which should be a neutral area without kill protection. Moreover, logically speaking, Ivanhoe should have been the aggressor, so even if he wasn't a villain with negative [Reputation], he would still face some penalty upon death.
Players can indeed resurrect in the game, but not anytime, anywhere. Usually after death, they need at least 24 hours of resurrection waiting time before returning to Lemoria. Resurrection time is affected by [Reputation] and other factors—the more evil a player is, the more severe the death penalty and resurrection waiting time.
Ivanhoe... I remember encountering him yesterday at about the same time.
Resurrection defaults to full status, yet Ivanhoe is covered in wounds. Combining this information, there's only one truth: Ivanhoe was trampled by thousands or even tens of thousands of adventurers but didn't die on the spot—he stubbornly survived.
I know the armor on Ivanhoe is no mere decoration, but his defense seems much higher than it appears.
I sighed helplessly: "Sir Ivanhoe, would you grant me the privilege of treating your wounds? It might require you to lower your noble head."
"The honor is mine."
The bandages haphazardly wrapped around Ivanhoe's head—I really can't bear to look at them.
Ivanhoe knelt before me like a vassal receiving a lord's reward, but I felt such formality was unnecessary. Due to my height, if Ivanhoe didn't lower his head, I'd have to stand on tiptoes to treat his wounds.
I unwrapped the bandages, took out fresh replacements from my storage space, and applied healing magic assistance to speed recovery. With Ivanhoe's robust physique, he'd probably recover in less than an hour. There should be many wounds under his armor too, but asking Ivanhoe to remove his shirt in public would embarrass me instead.
"Count Smylie departed yesterday evening, returning to the Smylie territory," Ivanhoe suddenly said. "I'm commanded to remain in Rothschild and continue serving as your knight."
I think Ivanhoe might have misunderstood Count Smylie's meaning—it's not about protection but raising affection. Should I say Count Smylie is bold or has full confidence in Ivanhoe?
"I'm very sorry, but I have no need to commission a knight."
I tactfully suggested this to Ivanhoe, but after he stood up, he couldn't properly understand what I meant to express.
"No matter. I'll camp outside Rothschild, and when you need me, Sir Ivanhoe of Smylie will come to your aid. This is a [Quest] Count Smylie assigned to me, and also my mission."
The speaker had no intention, but the listener took it to heart.
[Quest]...
Ivanhoe bid farewell and left after speaking, so he only came to tell me he's living in a camp outside Rothschild?
Watching Ivanhoe's departing figure, I noticed all players staring at the bandages I had personally wrapped around his head with extremely envious and jealous eyes.
One player even gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and slashed his own arm.
"Miss Anna, I'm injured, please heal me!"
"Eh?"
With him as the example, all the players suddenly had a burst of inspiration.
"Miss Anna! I just sprained my ankle! Please help me walk."
"Please, Miss Anna, you must put on a nurse outfit to give me an injection!"
"Someone quickly find a poisonous snake that requires sucking out venom—I have a bold idea!"
Can I... really find a suitable master among these adventurers...