Chapter 22

“……?”

Alec’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden pop-up window.

Pink letters floated above the nearly empty dinner table.

…Affection level increased?

He hadn’t even expected it.

He almost let out a startled sound but managed to stay composed, lowering the window and taking a sip of water as if nothing had happened.

Why did it go up?

‘Could it be because I made dinner…?’

It seemed likely.

Louise’s teary-eyed exclamation about how delicious the food was had been genuine.

For him, it was a simple dish, but to think that something like this could raise his affection level…

In truth, Alec had cooked many times in his past life.

He had even obtained certifications in Korean, Chinese, Western, and Japanese cuisines.

This was due to a “special quest” in his previous life.

Each time he earned a culinary certificate, he received special rewards, so he had no choice but to pursue them.

Thanks to that, making simple dishes like pasta was no challenge.

Who would have thought it would be so useful here?

However, he did have to consider which of his recipes wouldn’t seem out of place in this world.

Honestly, he had given up on raising his level.

He didn’t expect to gain affection from Louise, whom he had just met, and he felt uneasy about trying to earn affection points on purpose.

‘Maybe… if I cook ten more times, could the affection level reach 10?’

He started to think about what other delicious dishes he could make besides pasta.

* * *

After a very satisfying dinner, I brewed some black tea and headed to the drawing room. I planned to share a cup with each family member.

‘Maybe the meal was so good that I feel more energetic.’

As I carried the tray towards the drawing room, I paused for a moment.

I noticed the candlesticks and vases I had planned to sell at the market earlier in the day.

I was sure I had intended to take them out, but they were still there in their original place.

Had I dreamt it?

Shaking my head in confusion, I entered the drawing room with the tea set. All eyes turned to me as I walked in.

Setting the tray down on the table, I said,

“Is this really a haunted house? Nothing strange has happened yet.”

We had only moved in a few days ago, but nothing odd had occurred aside from the two candles that had inexplicably gone out and our unusually deep sleep.

I assumed a draft had blown out the candles, and our long nap was due to sheer exhaustion.

“…Hmm, you’re right.”

The first to respond was my mother-in-law.

As I poured her tea first, she casually picked up her cup and inhaled the aroma.

My sister-in-law, who seemed terrified of even mentioning ghosts, hugged her legs tightly.

“No, don’t talk about ghosts. They might come out if we mention them.”

I handed a cup of tea to Alec as well.

His eyes, which had been quietly observing us, flickered slightly.

“But Alec, haven’t you noticed anything strange? I hope there really are no ghosts. The previous owner did move out because of them, after all. It’s a bit worrying.”

I cradled the warm cup in my lap and looked at Alec.

After a moment, he spoke.

“…Well, since we haven’t been driven out yet, maybe everything will be fine.”

“That would be great. No need to be anxious for no reason.”

When I spoke hopefully to him, he subtly averted his gaze.

After a moment, he lowered his hand from his lips.

“Or maybe the ghost has already accepted us as the new owners. So don’t worry too much.”

His eyes were steady and without hesitation.

Looking into those eyes for a moment, I replied with a faint smile.

“Alright.”

If a ghost really did appear, I’d worry about it then.

I quickly shifted the conversation to lighter, more trivial topics.

* * *

After a short tea time and once everyone had gone to bed, the house was quiet.

Alec waited until his family was asleep and then opened the system window again.

It had been a long day.

He had woken up early to herd sheep and had captured Gideon as a familiar after breakfast.

His family still seemed anxious about when the ghost might appear, but nothing they feared would happen.

Gideon had already accepted the new homeowners.

He, who had such thoughts, checked the status window.

Thanks to recruiting Gideon, his job skills that were previously locked were now open.

[Job: Necromancer / Level: 1]

[Number of Minions: 1/1]

The problem was that at his current level, he could only accommodate one minion.

Although reopening the job skills was beneficial, his job level had plummeted back to 1.

All the tens of thousands of minions he originally had were now gone.

Other skills related to being a Necromancer were equally useless.

To increase the number of minions, he needed to level up or receive rewards from special quests.

‘Gideon.’

He called out his first minion with his mind’s voice.

Minions and players were mentally connected, so there was no need to speak out loud.

Soon, a small beast emerged from under his bed.

[Growl!]

‘Did you call, master?’

‘Shh. Quiet.’

He climbed down, kneeling on the floor, and patted Gideon’s small head.

‘You mustn’t be seen by others.’

Gideon, understanding his words, responded with his mind’s voice.

[Growl.]

‘Good.’

Alec smiled slightly, patting Gideon’s back. Though he was a ghost, his soft fur wrapped around Alec’s fingers.

Upon joining his system, Gideon automatically referred to him as master.

Generally, ghosts were programmed to be loyal to the player once they became minions.

The more innocent the ghost, the easier it was to be influenced by the player.

However, he needed to warn Gideon since there was a chance they might encounter other family members while following his instructions.

‘Be careful not to run into my family later on.’

At Alec’s warning, Gideon barked softly, indicating he understood.

Although minions couldn’t leave the system unless he summoned them, it was still good to give a prior warning.

‘…Now that the job skills are unlocked, should I level up?’

With this accidental affection gained, such thoughts came to mind.

Various voices flashed through his head.

[Level up to defeat the tyrant Axen and eradicate the forces of evil!]

‘It would be so refreshing if someone showed up to defeat the tyrant. I would be so happy.’

‘Now Alec is our hero.’

“…”

It felt as if the world around him was urging him once again to defeat evil and establish peace.

He couldn’t understand why he had to undertake such a troublesome task not just once, but twice.

‘This isn’t even a real game, why do they keep making me do the hard work?’

Alec pressed his fingers against his forehead.

Moreover, this world was troubling him in unexpected ways.

‘Why does leveling up require affection?’

Level 5 requires affection

***

“Do sheep always waddle like ducklings?”

The next morning.

After breakfast, my mother-in-law and I sat on a picnic mat on a hill, basking in the sunlight.

The view was quite nice, encompassing our new mansion, the flock of sheep, and the vast forest in the distance.

But my mother-in-law, seeing the puffed-up sheep, made a comment.

To me, they looked less like sheep and more like large bundles of wool rolling around.

Despite the free-range grazing, had they been entirely neglected?

I suddenly had a good idea and asked my mother-in-law.

“Mother, would you like to shear the sheep with me?”

“…What? Are you asking me to do such hard labor?”

As expected, her reaction was not favorable.

“Hard labor? This is a premium activity that can only be done in such a peaceful and fresh pastoral place. Shearing the sheep will naturally clear your mind and be very good for mental stability.”

“It seems more likely to make my body ache than to stabilize my mind.”

“It’s always good to move your body moderately for your health.”

“If you like it so much, do it by yourself. I’m going to go back inside. I’ll burn my face if I stay.”

“It’s …….”

As expected, my mother-in-law rejected my proposal without hesitation.