"Twenty silvers for this twig? You must be drinking early today. I wouldn’t give you five."
"Fifteen," the guard countered, crossing his arms.
"Ten. And not a copper more," Vane sneered. "He looks like a strong breeze would snap him in half."
"Deal." The guard didn’t even hesitate, snatching the ten silver coins Vane tossed his way.
He shoved Theo toward the wagon and walked away without looking back, whistling a cheerful tune.
Theo stumbled, catching his balance just before crashing into the spokes of the wheel.
He was free from the caravan, but he was now the property of a man who looked like he traded human lives for pocket change.
Vane glared down at him. "Listen carefully, rat. You breathe when I tell you to. You walk when I tell you to. Now, grab that chain and tie yourself to the back ring. We leave in five minutes."
The merchant turned and waddled toward the front of the wagon, shouting orders at his driver.
Theo let out a long breath.
He slowly crouched down next to the wagon wheel, his hands reaching for the chain.
As he did, he finally got a close look at the girl sitting just a few feet away.
Despite the chains binding her delicate ankles, there was an unmistakable aura about her.
Theo shifted closer, the text still above her head.
"Hey..." Theo whispered. "Are you alright?"
The Reborn Empress didn’t move for a long second. Then, very slowly, she raised her head.
"Who are you to speak to me, mortal?"
"Mortal?" Theo blinked.
He stared at the girl sitting in the dirt. Her clothes were torn rags, her arms were thin as twigs, and chains bound her bruised ankles to the wagon wheel.
She looked like a strong gust of wind could knock her over.
Even so, she spoke with the authority of a ruler sitting on a high throne, staring down at a peasant who had accidentally stepped on her shadow.
Theo gulped.
If he didn’t have the system’s text floating above her head confirming her identity, he would have thought she was just a crazy teenager whose mind had broken under the stress of the slave market.
"Right... mortal," Theo muttered, letting out a chuckle.
He slowly raised his hands. "I mean, I’m pretty sure we’re both mortals right now. And we’re both chained to the same merchant’s wagon. So, I don’t think either of us is in a position to pull rank."
The girl’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Theo decided to drop the sarcastic approach.
She was an Empress in her past life.
Pride was probably the only thing keeping her sane right now.
If he wanted to build a connection and trigger his investment skill, he needed to offer something tangible.
Tied loosely to his waist was a small bamboo flask.
It was his daily water ration from the caravan guard. He had saved the last few drops, knowing that the midday heat under the three suns could be lethal.
His hands made the process clumsy, but he finally managed to untie the flask.
He pulled the stopper out with his teeth and spat it into the dirt.
"I’m Theo," he introduced himself, keeping his voice low.
He held the bamboo flask out toward her. "And you look like you’re about to pass out from dehydration. Drink."
The Reborn Empress stared at the bamboo flask. Her bleeding lips parted slightly, but she didn’t move to take it.
"Are you really going to be stubborn right now?" Theo whispered, leaning a bit closer.
He nudged the flask toward her bound hands. "Look, I get it. You don’t trust me. But if you don’t drink, you won’t survive the trip to wherever that fat merchant is taking us. Just take a sip."
She brought it to her lips and tilted it back. It wasn’t much but she swallowed it desperately.
The moment the water passed her lips, the world around Theo seemed to freeze.
[Investment successful. Investment: One mouthful of rationed well water.]
[Target Identity confirmed: Reborn Empress Liana.]
[Reward calculation in progress...]
[Congratulations, Host! Reward: Minor Purity Water Body.]
Theo’s jaw dropped. A what?
Before he could even process the words on the screen, a sudden surge of energy erupted from deep within his chest.
It didn’t hurt... In fact, it was the most incredible sensation he had ever experienced!
It felt as though a freezing waterfall had crashed into his veins.
The exhaustion that had been dragging his muscles down for weeks simply melted away, washed clean by a pure current that raced through his entire body.
He could hear the faint drip, drip, drip of a leaky barrel three stalls down.
He looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers.
The cuffs felt heavy, but no longer immovable. If he focused, he felt like he could probably endure a fight, maybe even slip out of a tight hold by dislocating his own thumb without feeling the pain.
I can’t believe this... Theo thought, dumbfounded.
I gave her one sip of dirty water. One single mouthful! And the system gave me a martial physique?
His mind raced as he looked at Liana, who was lowering the empty bamboo flask, her breathing slightly more even than before.
What was the standard for this system?
Did he get a life-altering reward just because she was literally starving and on the brink of death?
Was the value of the reward based on how desperate she was when he helped her?
If giving a dying Empress a sip of water yielded a Minor Purity Water Body, what would happen if he gave her a full, hot meal? What would happen if he bought her a healing potion?
What would the system give him if he actually figured out a way to break her chains and set her free?
The possibilities were so terrifyingly vast that it made his newly refreshed head spin.
"Hey! What do you think you’re doing, you little rat?!"
A loud voice shattered the moment.
Theo snapped his head up.
"Did I give you permission to sit around and share drinks?!" Vane bellowed, raising the cane high above his head. "I didn’t pay ten silvers for you to socialize with the crippled merchandise! Get on your feet!"
Theo stood up, brushing the dirt off his ragged trousers.
"My apologies, master..." Theo said.