11 The Collector (Part 1)

"So, what's a Collector?" asked Mia from across the room that they had rented for the night to rest their body for tomorrow's 'big day'.

After three days on the road riding on Black either camping out or sleeping at any available lodgings, they finally arrived at the Dennington Village. A small village which was located an hour ride to the Beast Forest.

"Hmm...?" Rasz who was currently busy preparing their needs to enter the Beast Forest, had only been half-listening to Mia. He had to stop his actions for a moment to properly listen to her question.

"You told me back at the Salem's Pub and Inn that you work as a Collector. So, what exactly do you do?" Mia repeated the question once again to Rasz.

"Oh, that..." While once again turning his focus on the backpack, he answered Mia's question. "Well, to explain in simple terms, you can say that I'm some sort of a treasure hunter."

Mia quirked her brow at Rasz's answer. "Treasure hunter? As in you go around the world traveling to collect interesting stuff and later sold them off... That kind of treasure hunting?" asked Mia incredulously.

Hearing Mia's tone, Rasz laughed softly. "I'm sure that there are indeed some Collectors out there who are just like what you had mentioned just now. However, most Collectors and that includes me, will only <Travel> between the [Worlds] when we were hired by employers that asked us to bring those treasures back to them. Only when we had succeeded, then they will pay us."

"And If you don't succeed..."

"We'll end up wasting precious time and money risking our neck to obtain the assigned treasures."

"That's harsh."

"Well, there is something harsher than failure." Rasz paused a moment as if remembering back to a memory from a long time ago.

'Death,' that was what Rasz had wanted to say and Mia knew it. However, as if not wanting to bring any negative aura with them when they entered the Beast Forest tomorrow, he had instead uttered a different word, "Competition."

"Pardon?" asked Mia not expecting Rasz to say this in the end, after that unsettling awkward silence at his silent thoughts seconds ago.

"Being a Collector is like being a businessman. In this job, you are selling your service — your competence at being able to bring back the treasure that was asked by the employer. Some employers can be really desperate in wanting to get that particular treasure, and to ensure that, they will hire several Collectors in one time. Whichever Collector managed to bring the treasure back, will received the payment," explained Rasz.

"That's... really harsh." Not knowing what more to say about how bad the life of these Collectors turned out to be, Mia simply repeated her previous comments.

"Isn't it a really hard occupation then, being one of these Collectors? Why do you even one to be one?"

Rasz once again laughed hearing Mia's harsh words.

"Like I have said Mia, being a Collector is like being a businessman — you need to be smart. Every time I got requested, I made sure that particular employer had and will only ask one Collector per treasure hunt. Otherwise, I'll just decline. Most of the employers actually have enough money to request one Collector at a time only anyway," said Rasz still laughing.

"Besides, this Collector's life gives me a sense of freedom, you know..."

When Mia heard Rasz's honest confession, she was reminded of her own aspiration to become an archaeologist — the thing that gave her a sense of freedom.

Back then, at this moment Mia didn't realize that 'the sense of freedom' that Rasz was speaking of wasn't the same as hers. He had instead meant those words exactly as it is.

Rasz hadn't been telling Mia the truth about his occupation as a Collector, or rather he couldn't, because of the order of secrecy that had been 'attached' to the Servant Bond that was placed within his heart and soul to a certain extent. If he were to tell anyone any bit of information about himself — even the small things like his favorite color — the Servant Bond will cause his heart to enter a state close to death, only to be revived once again after he was transported back to his Master — his Owner.

Indeed, the employer that Rasz seldom mentioned during their conversation was his Master. He was only ever a Collector for only one person and no other. This life will continue for as long as he was alive, especially since the Servant Bond that was cast on him was a lifetime worth of bond. This Servant Bond meant that as long as his Master was alive, so will he — unless someone actually killed him — and since his Master was basically an immortal, it seems like he will be stuck as a servant for a very long time.