As soon as I saw it, my gamer intuition told me.
This is it. The one thing that can help me.
So, I didn't hesitate to choose it.
[ chose [Mind Singularity] as a special privilege.]
[Are you sure of your choice? It won't change in the future.]
"Yes."
[Your will has been probated.]
[Specific Trait has been granted.]
[The Gallery wishes you good luck.]
As soon as the voice of the system went silent, I looked around me.
I was still in the body of Damien Nilfheim, my new identity in this world.
If you remember him from the game,
Gambling, playing with girls, vandalism, trafficking, intimidation and extortion, blackmail, appropriating other people's property…
And that's just the good parts of him.
But no matter how long the list was, he got away with it. It was because of his family name.
Nilfheim.
One word that can strike terror into even the bravest of men.
The family in charge of Investigations, Interrogations and Executions in the Eternal Sun Empire.
Those whose word could decide the fate of even the unattainable higher nobles.
That's what the Nilfheims were.
And granted, growing up in an environment where those who didn't fear him worshiped him, Damien couldn't help but be a spoiled bastard.
Pushing thoughts of my personality to the back of my mind, I reopened the description of my new Trait.
[Mind Singularity] [Ex-Rank]
[Allows the user to connect their mind with the minds of other living beings.]
Simply put, the ability to meddle with other people's minds.
Something that at first glance seemed oddly unhelpful to [Ex-Rank], but my mind saw it as the only hope of this world.
[Fates], the main causes of the destruction of this world, rejected any common sense approach and logic applied to them.
Any attempt to change them only led to ten new problems, and any pressure to change them ended up accelerating the fall of the world.
Common sense and logic didn't work against them.
And the conclusion I came to after thousands of hours in [Gallery]:
[Fates] need to be changed from within.
And if there was something capable of doing that...
"Gigachad."
The embodiment of human strength, tenacity and future. One who rejects standard logic and bends the world to suit himself.
Only such a creature could help.
And, strangely enough, each of us had our own inner Gigachad. Some days it was dormant, some days it was hidden by our complexes, and some days it was simply suppressed by the world around us.
But if you awaken it, you can change everything.
[Fates] were no exception. If they can awaken that, changing everything won't be impossible.
...at least, that's what I thought.
In reality, I had yet to find out if that was possible.
An experiment on [Fates] could inadvertently bring about the instant end of the world, so that wasn't an option.
So I headed out to find [Research Subject #1].
***
As I said, the Nilfheims had authority. And Damien used it to the fullest.
Although he wasn't the heir to the House of Nilfheim, he was more than that – he was a piece of trash and a bastard.
Following the prototype of the spoiled aristocrat, he was real trash.
But even in that area, he stood out. Should I say Damien was first-rate trash?
Now was to begin my journey to correct his bad reputation and gradually change his tainted image in the eyes of others...
But I wasn't going to do that.
If I'm in a bastard's body, why not make the most of it?
If life gives you lemons, make lemonade out of them, don't you?
...even if they were rotten, spoiled lemons.
With these thoughts, I used my own body and stormed the maids' break room.
"Young Master..."
The Head Maid, who was also there at this moment, turned to me, looking like she had met a problem.
I ignored her, my eyes exploring the room until I found her.
[Maid_1].
She was standing exactly between [maid_15] and [maid_3], making hot, fragrant tea.
"You."
I pointed at her before taking her hand and turning to the Head Maid.
"Is she already serving someone? If not, she is now my personal maid. If yes, then let them know that she is now my personal maid."
Showing the tact of a civilized man, unknown to these barbarians from the fantasy world, I left the maids' break room without waiting for their reply.
Right from there, I quickly went back to my private room.
It was spacious enough to be called a separate house, though it was only a room.
Rich chandeliers, expensive furniture, exquisite paintings...
"What a waste of irreplaceable resources. Do you think so too?"
"..."
[Maid_1], whose hand was still in mine, remained silent, saying nothing.
Perhaps my new maid wasn't in the mood for a serious discussion of art right now.
By the way, she didn't have the innocent charm of a young lady that you sometimes expect from a pretty maid, rather her charm was more mature and intense, closer to those who in our civilized society are called Milfs.
Should I call her [milf_maid] or maybe [mature_maiden]?
"What's your name?"
"...Esther."
"Alright Esther, as you heard, from this second onwards, you are my personal maid. If you still remember your past master's face, forget it. It's pretty easy so far, isn't it?"
"...Yes, Young Master."
"We'll skip the complicated stuff, the only rule is that when I say bark, you bark."
"..."
"I can't hear the answer?"
"...Woof."
"I haven't said anything yet... but I like your foresight. Plus one point."