The Villainess and I, her Zombie

Every noble in Fruit Salad that meant something gathered at the kingdom's capital, Salmagundi, to witness the children of the high class fully enter the system during the first-kill party.

It was an old tradition, older than the kingdom itself, in fact, it was closely connected to the most widespread religion of the world, known simply as 'the System'.

According to the System's laws, when a human became ten years old, they could become a so-called 'player character'.

It was a bit peculiar phrase, considering that everyone could technically start leveling up from the moment of their birth, but truth to be told, not many people put much thought into it.

Becoming a player character was an initiation, a ceremony, that put the young children on the path of the System.

What kind of religion the System was in the first place?

The System was everywhere, it was inside of everyone and dictated their way of life.

It granted skills, magic power, and titles, to those who worked hard.

With its personalized messages showing to each individual, it would lead confused, lost people back on the right path with something called the story events and their impassable boundaries.

The System was showing everyone their life purpose.

Not all at once, but slowly, as they leveled up and progressed through their stories.

The way of the System could be practiced anywhere, there was no need for temples, the System was already there, within the hearts of the people.

They just needed to accept it.

And once they went through the ceremony, they would start receiving quests from the System.

A quest was similar to the messages that showed up when someone gained a skill, the difference was there was a certain activity or condition that had to be fulfilled to complete it.

A quest could be failed.

But if someone completed it, they would receive a great reward.

The experience points necessary to level up.

The invaluable skills that would aid them immensely.

And the titles that would boost the power they already had and helped them cultivate it to a higher level.

Even if someone didn't initiate and become a player character, they could gain skills and level up, the story events would show up too, but there would be no quests showing up for them to accept and complete.

And since after the initiation the quests would start arriving even if the player was level 1, and they would stay active until they were completed, or the specified time ran out, - even after the player leveled up and new quests showed up - it would be irrational to level up before becoming a player character and forsake the easy to complete early quests.

Because, for example, level 1 quests wouldn't show up for someone who initiated to a player character at level 2.

The part about the initiation for young nobles being an important social event where their families could show off their wealth and power, was something that the royal family came up with and wasn't a real part of the System.

...

...

Cranberry was in a terrible mood.

She was standing amongst the other children her age, and although most of them were showing excitation or anxiety, the only red-haired girl there was frowning clearly displeased, and tapping her finger on her crossed arms in annoyance.

Although everyone present was apprised before they entered, the level of the appraisal used was low and only revealed their level.

Without any surprise or exception, everyone was level one.

Cranberry was pissed off because she thought that she will be able to show the results to her mother, and make her stop forcing her to use unsuitable weapons.

But no such luck...

Then the door to the room opened and everyone looked that way.

It wasn't the big door through which they all were supposed to enter the stage for the initiation, but the small door through which they all entered before.

The one who entered was short enough to not show up above a bunch of ten-years-old.

"Eww...! What is this?!"

"Ah! A monster! A monster escaped!"

"Don't be ridiculous! Look at its clothes, that's clearly someone's familiar."

Kids were talking amongst themselves as the one who entered limped between them.

"Haa..."

Cranberry sighed and some of the tension left her body, she even put her arms down.

"Graough! (My lady, I did it!)"

And soon a seven-year-old looking blue boy approached her and groaned.

"Did you do what I asked? We're good?"

Cranberry asked in a cold voice.

"Graough... (Yes, I did...)"

Zombie groaned and this time remembered to nod his head in affirmation.

"Graough... (I still don't think it's a good idea though...)"

Zombie sulked and fidgeted.

Cranberry glanced at him and rolled her eyes.

"Calm down, if we did something wrong, the system warning would pop up, right? But it didn't, so it's fine."

She shrugged her shoulders.

"More importantly, you didn't lose that, right?"

She squinted her eyes and asked.

"Graough! (Wha...?! Of course not!)"

Zombie waved around his right, disabled arm, and turned around, showing a long thin package safely hanging across his back.

"Good. It's already bad enough that mother forced us both to wear those ridiculous outfits..."

Cranberry complained and pulled on a big ribbon on the lower back of her dress.

Said dress looked a bit off, the red and black colors suited the girl but even Zombie knew they weren't her favorites, it had puffy sleeves that always annoyed her, not to mention the skirt part that wasn't suited for running, and even worse for using Cranberry's favorite skill - charge.

Even her shoes...

No.

Especially her shoes were bad for running around!

They were red sandals with thin straps!

Only her hairstyle, a high ponytail, was somewhat optimal for her style of combat.

She also had a purple scaly whip at her hip but she was intentionally ignoring it.

As for Zombie...

From top to bottom he was dressed like a miniature butler.

White shirt, black pants, black west, black bowtie, and black shiny loafers.

"Why do you have comfortable shoes? We leveled up your Toughness skill so much...! You could run around barefoot and be just fine!"

Cranberry complained, jealously eyeing Zombie's feet.

"Graough...? (Do... Do you want to try them on...?)"

Zombie took off the shoes and carefully pushed them toward his master.

"...haa..."

The girl glanced between the boy and the loafers, and the sigh she let out sounded almost as if she was sulking.

"I'm not only taller than you, my footwear size is bigger too."

She groaned and looked at the ceiling.

"Graough! (Oh, that's even better!)"

Instead of being disappointed, Zombie perked up and proceeded to remove what looked like two folded handkerchiefs from inside the shoes.

"Graough. (No one really paid attention to my attire and the shoes ended up too big, so I had to improvise.)"

He explained.

"Pfft...! Ha ha...! Ekhm...!"

Cranberry's short laugh sounded more like dog's barks, so she quickly cleared her throat and coldly stared at anyone who looked her way.

"Anyway. If it's like that, well, why not?"

She shrugged her shoulders and lifted her foot to remove the red sandal.

"Don't just crouch there like that! Help me!"

The girl scoffed at the blue boy and reached her foot towards him.

She also grabbed his lowered head to keep the balance.

"..."

Zombie sighed deeply but stayed silent.

"What...? Do you have anything to say?"

"Graough! (Nope!)"

Cranberry asked aggressively but Zombie shook his head a bit and groaned in denial.

"Hmph! That's what I thought."

With one of the loafers on, Cranberry walked a few steps, lifted her leg a bit, and tapped the floor with her toes a few times.

"Ha... it fits... This is much easier to move around in. But how does it look?"

She wondered.

"Graough... (It seems a little bit off...) Graough. (But they're black, your dress has black accents... It works out fine.) Graough! (I would even dare to say that such style suits you!)"

Zombie was nodding to himself and groaning, again and again, it made Cranberry look at him with an annoyed expression.

"Make it short. Do I look good enough to not become a laughing stock?"

She asked.

"Graough! (Definitely good enough!)"

Zombie nodded vigorously.

"Good. Then give me the other one, quick. It's almost time."

She returned to him and after supporting herself on his shoulder changed the other shoe.

Now Cranberry was wearing the shiny loafer and Zombie ended up barefoot, holding a pair of red sandals in his left hand.

As if someone timed it, the big door opened wide and all the gathered children started walking outside towards the area where the initiation ceremony would take place.