『Huh? All of a sudden?』
Looks like…I can use Appraisal.
The girl acquired four t.i.tles: Flame Arts User, Cooking Master, Dismantling Master, and Skill Collector. It seemed that after skill level 10, a t.i.tle related to that skill gets added. So there’s a benefit to improving each skill. Skill Collector seemed to increase the efficiency of gaining skill levels.
Well, that wouldn’t be of any help now, so I’ll check it later.
『Fight. You’ll be able to fight.』
“Un.”
『I’m going to defeat that thing. Keep that in your head. And trust your senses and swing the sword!』
The Sword Wielding skill should take care of the rest somehow.
The opponent was a low-rank monster.
There was no way she could lose with a Sword Wielding of level 7. There was even status boosting effects on top of that.
“…Un, okay.”
『Great, good girl.』
“…I’m going!”
To describe the girl’s movements as beautiful would be more than enough. She moved like an adept swordswoman, closing the distance to the bear and stabbing it accurately through the heart. I didn’t feel any resistance; as if she had stabbed tofu.
“Huh?”
『What do you think? Wasn’t that easy?』
“…Because of the sword?”
『Yep. Make sure to say thanks.』
“Un. Thanks.”
The girl was about to put me back in the ground and I quickly stopped her.
『Wait! Don’t put me in the ground!』
“?”
『The ground here makes me unable to do anything. So hold me for a while.』
“Uuun?”
『You can’t?』
“He’s probably going to come get me.”
『Are you talking about the slave trader?』
“Un.”
No way. I was lucky enough to meet a fluffy-eared cat girl. I’m saying I want to be wielded by her!
If the trader finds me, for all I know he might sell me to some rich p.r.i.c.k and I might end up sealed in a h.e.l.l even worse than this one.
『Hey, want to run away?』
“Can’t. I can’t disobey him because of this collar.”
『So it’s a magical tool?』
“Slave collar. We can’t disobey any order. I tried to kill them multiple times but I failed.”
『Are you saying you tried to kill the slave traders?』
“Un. Tried to kill them and run away.”
Whooa. She’s way more hungry & dangerous than I thought. But I didn’t dislike it.
『But you failed because of the collar?』
“Un.”
I saw a man appear from the forest while I was talking with the girl.
It was the slave trader.
“Only one of you’s alive?! And all of the pots are broken! Almost everything’s gone. s.h.i.+t!”
He didn’t look like he was mourning the deaths of the slaves or the lackey at all. Instead, he was saddened by the destruction of his cargo. Geez, this guy was almost
“…”
“Are you the one who killed the Twin Head Bear?
“Yes.”
“How did you…what’s that sword?”
“I found it.”
“Hey, give it to me.”
“…Okay.”
“The h.e.l.l’re you looking at me like that for? Hmph!”
“Awuk. Sor-ry.”
No way. That man just suddenly slapped the girl.
“Tch, how dare a beast look at me with those dead eyes.”
He hit her again! And it seemed like this was normal.
The slave trader took the sword from the curled up girl.
“Hooo. What a beautiful sword. Maybe it’ll make up for all the damages?”
The man ignored the girl who was groaning in pain and began to appraise me.
“Hey, beast. Get whatever goods are useable and carry them on your back. Then we’re going to the town.”
The girl was unable to disobey the man’s words because of the slave collar. She shakily stood up despite the pain she must have felt.
That son of a… He’s p.i.s.sing me off. Really p.i.s.sing me off. I was on the verge of murdering him.
s.h.i.+t! I would’ve killed him already if only this place wasn’t absorbing my mana!
“Kuhegh?”
While I was thinking that, I tried using Telekinesis and it worked. Teheh.
No, it seemed that the mana absorption weakened a little if I got away from the ground.
When I was stuck in the ground, my magic was absorbed instantaneously, but now there was about a one second delay.
So when I thought that I wanted to kill the slave trader and I used Telekinesis with all my might, my body sprung up with alacrity. I stabbed completely through the slave trader’s face, even splitting apart his skull and brains splattered everywhere.
Huh? Looks like I made a whoopsie?
Hmm. Maybe because he was trash? Or because I’m a sword? I didn’t feel any guilt. It was the same feeling as when I first killed a goblin.
『Hm, what should we do now?』
“Un?”
『Let’s check the situation for now. Stay calm.』
“I am calm.”
『You’re way too composed.』
She was way more “My Pace” than I first thought. I could see her becoming a star player (big shot?).
『You’re my wielder.』
“I am.”
『I’m basically a magic sword so I’m…pretty strong.』
“Un.”
『So I want you to use me in the future as well. As a sword. I don’t want to end up on a shelf somewhere. Do you have any plans on using me? By that, I mean do you have any plans on fighting demonic beasts by using me? That’s the gist of it.』
I couldn’t force such a life onto this girl.
She’s the first wielder I met and I really wanted her to use me, but I’ll give up if she says no.
“I do. I really do.”
She gave an immediate answer. She looked heroic as she gripped me tight and raised me towards the sky.
“I’m going to get stronger. For sure.”
She said that intensely; there must have been some kind of circ.u.mstances.
『Do you have a goal?』
“I’m going to break through the wall.”
『The wall? What’s that?』
She told me that Beastfolk can evolve just like demonic beasts.
There are all kinds of conditions, but Beastfolk admire and respect their evolved brethren.
But the majority of Beastfolk die before they evolve.
That meant it was that difficult to evolve.
And because no one of the girl’s race, the Black Cats, have ever evolved, even the other Beastfolk treat them like the dregs of society.
The girl’s parents also tried to evolve, but their strength failed them during the height of their adventure. After that, the girl who had been left behind was abducted by the slave traders.
The girl said she inherited their wish and that her goal was to evolve.
『Yeah, yeah! That’s a good story! I really like it! I’ll definitely get you to evolve!』
“Really?”
『Yes! First, let’s train super hard and get stronger. And then we’ll go to a dungeon, level up there, and then evolve!』
“Thanks.”
『Ah c’mon, it’s nothing much! After all, a wielder and her sword aren’t strangers! Um, come to think of it, what’s your name?』
I had still not asked my precious wielder her name.
But the girl’s answer was as I expected.
“Don’t have one.”
『So you really don’t have a name?』
“Don’t have one.”
It did say she didn’t have a name, but she really didn’t have one.
『How?』
If she had parents, then there was no way she didn’t have a name.
“After the slave contract, your name disappears.”
『Huuh? What’s that mean?』
『Some owners want to give their slaves new names. So my name’s gone.』
I see. That must mean the contract took away her ability to say her name. It reminded me somehow of Yubasa taking away Chihiro’s name (tn: Spirited Away reference).
“I was eight when I became a slave and my name disappeared.”
Then that meant for the four years she was a slave, she never gave up her goal. Even though her life must have terrible. That made me respect her a little more.
『I see… Then, what was your name before that?』
“Fran.”
It was the same name as the dog I raised long ago, but it wasn’t bad. And it was easy for me to say.
『Hmm. Then your name is Fran.』
“It’s okay?”
『Why? Is something wrong?』
“No. That’s not it. My name is Fran.”
She looked happy. Her tail was sticking straight up and she was nodding her head.
Now talking to her was easier.
But the next thing Fran said surprised me.
“What’s your name?”
『Huh? Mine?』
“Yes.”
I hadn’t talked with anyone since I reincarnated so I didn’t have a name. I hadn’t thought about it to an almost pathetic degree.
I couldn’t remember my name before reincarnating, and my status said my name was Unknown.
s.h.i.+t! I would’ve thought of a really cool one if I knew this was going to happen!
『Um…』
“Don’t have one?”
『Yes.』
“Well then, I’ll give you one.”
I mean, that sounded okay. Since she’s my wielder.
I’ll probably get closer to her if Fran calls me by a name she likes.
I didn’t feel picky about it so any name was good.
“Mmmm…?”
『Badump badump.』
“Hmmm…?”
『What could it be…?』
“Guuuu… I decided.”
『Oh! Okay! So? What is it?』
“Master.”
『What?』
“Master.”
『Why?』
“You said that you would train me. So you’re Master.”
『Ah, did you come up with anything else? Is that it?』
“No. I am in your care, Master.”
Uwah! The notice descended! No way, my name’s Master? For real?
“Do you hate it?”
Her lack of expression didn’t change at all, but there was a slight sign of worry in her face. Though it was very slight.
There was no way I could say I hate it if she makes that face!
『I don’t hate it at all! What a good name!』
“Un.”
And that is how my name became Master. How should I put it; I thought it was a peculiar name for a sword, but it didn’t matter to me because Fran liked it. That’s what I told myself.
『Then what should we do now? The slave trader’s dead, but what happened to the contract? Is it gone now?』
“No. The collar didn’t come off.”
Fran pointed at the collar.
We needed to do something about it.
『And we can’t break it?』
“No. It breaks, I die.”
『Huh? For real?』
“For real.”
Dang, that was close. And I was about to cut it apart.
『What can we do to end the contract?』
“Tear apart the contract doc.u.ment.”
『The contract doc.u.ment. Could this guy have it?』
“Un. I’ll look for it.”
Fran started to search the slave trader’s corpse.
But what if it’s not here? I mean, what if it’s hidden somewhere else?
But my worries were unnecessary.
“It’s here.”
Fran took out a sheaf of parchment from the slave trader’s breast pocket. One of those was Fran’s contract doc.u.ment.
Was this messy bundle what was forcing Fran into being a slave?
Dealing with this will free Fran.
『Let’s tear it apart!』
“Un!”
Fran clutched the bundle and grunted from exertion.
But it didn’t tear at all.
She tried time after time, but Fran couldn’t tear it apart with her strength alone.
“…I can’t.”
『Then let’s cut it. Put the contract on the ground.』
“Un.”
Fran lifted me above her head.
And swung me down with gusto.
『Nice! It worked!』
And right after the contracts were split in half:
Crack!
The slave collar fell off by itself.
『Whoooa! Do you feel okay?』
“I’m okay. No problem.”
I didn’t feel any mana coming from the slave collar. It looked like the contract was gone.
“Thanks.”
Whoooa. The cat girl is embarra.s.sed! It was nice to see that.
But it was cute. And at a closer look, she was a pretty girl. After she grows up, she’ll attract the attention of everyone near her.
No way. I cannot allow that. If you want to date Flan, you’ll have to beat me first!
“Look at this.”
While I was getting angry by myself, Fran found something.
It was a pouch that the slave trader had.
『Is something in there?』
I looked inside. Yep, there were multiple things in there.
I first saw multiple coins. I didn’t know how the currency worked in this world so I had no idea how much this was worth, but they looked like silver and copper coins so they likely weren’t worth a lot.
And a few tools. Surprisingly, they looked like magical tools.
A torch magical tool that created fire. A water bottle that made drinkable water. A bracelet that gave a small boost to strength, and more.
They weren’t amazing, but they looked fun. The truth is, I wanted to use them but they wouldn’t work in this place because of the mana absorption.
I couldn’t calm down in this mana absorption area so I had her leave it.
『I don’t know how far the mana absorption extends to, but let’s leave the forest for now.』
“Okay.”
We left after she found a knife, cooking tools, clothes, and other useful looking things from the wagon. Of course, I stored the bear as well. I activated Dimensional Storage for a moment.
And Fran tied my blade to her back by using the cover of the wagon and the belt of the lackey.
Fran had a small build so I was very close to touching the ground. I needed to ask her to do something about that.
Also, because Fran had what were basically rags around her body, she put on some shabby clothes from the wagon. I suppose she changed from looking like a slave to looking like a street urchin.
『Then shall we go?』
“Un.”
Fran was surprised at the increase in her physical abilities that happened because she equipped me.
Fran was taken aback after we left the forest in less than thirty minutes.
“Amazing. Master is amazing.”
『Hahaha. Aren’t I?』
“Un.”
『Then what shall we do now? Do you have a destination in mind?』
“Uuun, there’s a town.”
『Near here?』
“That way.”
『So it’s that way but…do you know how far away it is?』
“Not really?”
Anyway, it seemed that she had heard by chance that the slave traders were taking them to the east. Because Fran had the Directional Sense skill, she was able to tell what direction she was going. And that is how the vague answer of ‘That way’ came about.
『Then let’s go that way.』
And so, we took off with the slight feeling that our journey was taking off.