At a tavern, in the capital Brosenul — Testimony of a former retainer from the Obeniel Earl Family
The High Court of Justice is really full of free time, huh. As you see, I am just another drunkard. Something like the dirt that emerges when you hit something, or like the tab at the tavern. Gahahahaa.
Yeah, it is as you say. Even though I look like this, back in the past I was given the t.i.tle of First Generation Knight. I was unstoppable, they said. Thanks to that, there was a little brawl at the tavern……and that was how I returned to being a good-for-nothing commoner.
So, uhh, what do you want to ask me about? You will be treating me for tonight, right? In return, I will answer anything you ask.
…...Obeniel? You are asking about the succession matter in the Obeniel Family?
……
Ha, hahahaa!
I’ll be lost for words if you are joking with me. Everything at that house is going without a hitch, since the eldest son inherited the position of family head without a problem. If you’re poking at that, you are just wasting your time, uh huh.
Or could it be that? What they call political tussling between bigwigs above the clouds? Royal court factional disputes? If that was the case, it would have been tough on the young master. That the stomach would be felt when there was no pain, and that he would be under house arrest until the succession finished.
Oh, right. Indeed, I worked for their family. That I was rewarded for my long years of service, decorated as a knight and honoured was also thanks to the master-sama — the previous generation head of family, who had pa.s.sed away recently. Well, at the very end, he ruined himself, and the person who kicked off sand with their hindlegs towards his kindness was none other than me.
That being said. I myself am deeply indebted towards that family. That’s why, even if you slit my throat, I won’t be saying a bunch of half-truths that would trouble them.
Eh? I am mistaken? Not the tug of war between aristocrats? Something that personally interests you?
…...Mister, I am not going to be saying nasty stuff. Creating smoke where there is no fire will earn me not a single copper coin. In this world, yeah, each and every one of us know that there is no point in going against the flow. Anything but being a nuisance to others. That is where I draw the line.
So, what is it that you are curious about? I have already drank the alcohol, er, rather, the s.h.i.+p has sailed. I’ll listen to your questions instead of the other things going on in the tavern.
You’re saying that the succession of the household by the eldest son went too smoothly? Why instead of a succession dispute, the other side, the second son backed down so easily?
…...What, that’s it?
The residence I was in back then, how much do I know about that second son or whatever young master?
Uh-huh? He was child prodigy who studied alchemy on his own in spite of his young age, a shrewd fella who sold in bulk the potions he concocted on his own and was also the prodigy that the neighbouring country’s magic academy invited. Surely, just by hearing this, others have said that he was more suitable to succeed the family instead of the mediocre elder brother. Hahahaa!
Still, well. Shall we look at it from another perspective? That guy, how useful would he be if he was the head of the Earl Family, would ya say?
I don’t wanna badmouth the former master’s son but an alchemist is, after all, just a vulgar fraudster. From dubious prescriptions that cannot be distinguished between poison or medicine, to tall tales of trans.m.u.ting lead to gold, and last but not least, immortality too! There must be a limit to big talk. There is no way a parent would want to pa.s.s the role of family head to a child who wears such a hat. From what I heard, that master-sama absolutely refused to drink the medicine his son prepared even on his deathbed. Well, that was the extent of it.
Even peddling potions in the city isn’t acceptable. Isn’t that right? For the big shots, it isn’t their job to do trade. Their job should be making their subordinates do trade. They aren’t allowed to put on the shoes of others.
To begin with, he spent only a year abroad at the acclaimed Academy before getting expelled? What in the world was he guilty of……?
Yes, I have no idea what happened over there. I’m sure you’ll just need to do a bit of sniffing to find out, but young master Talese — the second son in question — before entering the Academy, he gave the knights the sack.
You should be able to understand from this much right? From the start, he wasn’t a suitable vessel to inherit the Earl Family. Hence, he wasn’t a fella that would carry the entire family on his shoulders. Even with n.o.body running the show, it wasn’t like the family would collapse and disperse. Therefore, that was how the elder son became the head of family with little resistance.
Is that enough for you? You get it now? That the young master did not become the family head was completely something he brought on himself. There was not one bit of the “plot” that could be extolled at a cheap opera.
…...Yeah. Had that eerie brat inherited the Obeniel Family, it wouldn’t be strange if the entire Family went downhill.
…...Everything was just about to come to an end too.
…...This way, it is good as it is.
Huh? Whaddya say?
You are asking me how I feel about that young master?
Heh, hehehe……
You’ll be hearing some unpleasant stuff, mister.
Ahh, that’s right…...It seems like tonight’s alcohol expenses is going into this sickening conversation, but this must be what they call a confession. Suppressing everything in the heart alone is, in any case, this way…...holding back is no good. Spilling out everything can be some fun, yup.
I was afraid. No, wrong. Even now, I am afraid.
You ask if he was that violent of a child? Wrong, you are mistaken. Just that one thing, just that alone is kinda good……
It’s the complete opposite. He was really a calm child. I have never once seen him lift his hand against the servants. Even in selfishness, I hardly remember him saying things like that, except when it had to do with his expensive hobby of alchemy. I do recall him asking for allowance in advance a few times, but if the previous head told him off strongly, he would back off docilely. Yes, him starting the sale of potions was also because he needed another source of funds apart from his allowance.
Ya know, after mullin’ over it a tad bit, doesn’t it feel disgusting? Aristocratic children, no matter how well-bred and disciplined they are, usually cannot shut out their dislikes and selfishness. On the contrary, I have one or two memories that hint towards some kinda ambition in ‘im. That is, as though he was an adult in the body of a child, he was good at being obedient. To the last, the only selfishness that stuck through was that he wanted to continue his alchemy research. That was the only thing he would never back down on. More than anything else, just that alone……
What is it? You think he is just like any other obedient child if that is all?
Yes, let’s see…... If that was all there was, I would have settled with that conclusion too.
Though, if you knew what happened, yeah? Thinking back upon it, I can only feel that his usual behaviour was incredibly eerie.
At first it was just weird…...back when that young master bought his first slave. Yes, yes, as you know, he was brilliant since his toddler days, but still he never once took the stance of someone who stood above others. Yes, as the head of family said, it was a chance. If I remember correctly, that was when that guy — pardon me, when the young master was around eight years old. He was still a child and if he properly taught, he should’ve been able to wash his hands from the likes of alchemy — that might be what was on his mind then. At that time, the one acting as both attendant and bodyguard to him was me.
Though it was an aristocrat buying a slave, he was still a child. He wouldn’t be forking out a large sum. Therefore, he rummaged through the slaves in order of price, from the lowest.
…...The slave that the young master chose was in an extremely severe condition. From behind, I could tell that she was a wee la.s.s. The seller must have been a crazy despicable fella. Her face was beaten and swollen, her consciousness cloudy as she stood on the brink of death. A wretched state. What I meant by “from behind” was that, as long as her injuries weren’t treated, I couldn’t tell if she was male or female. In all likeliness, her parents must have incurred the wrath of somebody, and because of that, she was specifically tormented, and despite that, she barely managed to survive, hence, instead of killing and throwing her away, she was sold off to the slave market. Right, she was definitely wasn’t fit for sale. After all, she was a child and a la.s.s at that. Selling her with that kind of motive, her spirit musta been shattered, yea? a.s.suming she was treated, she would probably bear conspicuous scars thereafter, and let’s not forget it was still questionable if she would live after receiving treatment. That was the kind of situation she was in.
Yes, he bought that slave. He was deep in thought for a moment, but he came down to a firm decision. In any case, it seemed that she wielded magical powers. Furthermore, she was an unbelievably superior good in such a cheap slave market. Surely they thought she couldn’t be sold in her condition, so she was priced accordingly. They didn’t think she was at a level where an aristocrat would take notice and buy her. The one who panicked was me. If I pa.s.sively let him buy a slave in that terrible state, as the one who was ordered to attend to the young master, I wonder what the head of family would say.
Right on the money, when I got back, he flared up. What the heck is that inauspicious thing, throw it away! No, kill it right away! That was how it was. It was pitiful, but wasn’t she a dying slave? The young ‘un didn’t try to cover for me and as soon as he got back, he avoided everyone. It seemed as if he would take care of her until she died when he brought her down to the bas.e.m.e.nt in a rush. And then, he isolated himself with her in the bas.e.m.e.nt. His Father could do nothing about it and gave up, letting him do as he pleased.
From then, about a week pa.s.sed. The young master revealed his face from the bas.e.m.e.nt at long last. Oh, besides that, that slave might have finally kicked the bucket, that was what I thought.
…… A girl I have never seen before stood by his side. She appeared to be around six. She was fair skinned and had big eyes; certainly she would become a fine beauty when she grows up. However, she was covered in bandages and her face was uncannily doll-like.
Yes, she must be the slave bought just the other day. That half-dead half-living slave, who still looked like she was dying, should have had a ruined face. You might not believe it, but she seemed to have been fully healed. A child, barely eight years old, accomplished it with his alchemy.
Even I had difficulties believing my own eyes. Recovery magic is, c’mon, not something that unexpectedly accommodating, right?
Among my acquaintances too, there was a guy who quit being a knight, with a strange twist of fate, after recovering from a bone fracture. From how I saw it, that girl’s face was purposely ‘shaped’ that way. Nevertheless, she recovered with not a single scar or blemish. Rather than feelings of admiration, doesn’t this send s.h.i.+vers down your spine? No matter how intelligent he was, it was something beyond the capabilities of a child. I cannot even begin to imagine something worse than that.
After that, if he had raised the girl properly, I might have seen him in a different light. He worked her considerably hard.
What’s with that? It probably isn’t that big of a deal if slaves were just treated roughly? Well, had it just been the ordinary kind, I wouldn’t bat an eye but his was of a different nature. Now, now, just listen up.
First, in the morning, the maids were borrowed and under their guidance, etiquette would be driven into her head. Well, that much was understandable. From the start, she was a slave purchased in order to allow him to practice training servants. That much cannot be avoided.
However, in the afternoon — this is where I start to not comprehend. He brought her out of the mansion and to the plains in the outskirts…...and there, she was made to run non-stop. A race? Nope, not that. The young master simply watched her in silence the whole time. At the start, she lasted for 30 minutes, and as she became used to it, she ran longer bit by bit until the sun set. I had no idea what was happening.
When night fell, she became a helper for his alchemy experiments. The young master was selling potions to merchants, right? That was what she was helping with. Apart from these, she was also made to do many other things.
The girl herself was very obedient. Well, I suppose she was worked as hard as those farmer brats.
And, it was when she became used to that lifestyle. This time, it was weapons training. Not the young master, but the girl. At that time, I finally understood. Making her run around those gra.s.slands were for this purpose. That is to build her foundations. When she was purchased and brought home, she was very weak, so she had to start from physical strength. Once that was done…...he made her, a girl younger than himself of all people to choose from, wield the sword. I was so shocked, I couldn’t say a word.
Yes, I accepted. It was the request from the son of the head after all. I wasn’t too invested in it, but the slave who begged me for guidance was frightfully serious. Once, I tried asking her. Why was she so enthusiastic about it?
And so, the girl replied flatly. It was to protect her master-sama, she said without any hesitation. No matter how much obedience magic was on her, it was still praiseworthy that he brought out her servility to this extent.
When she became reasonably good with the sword, next, it was magic. I somehow paid adventurers money to employ them as teachers. The money was from the proceeds from the sale of potions. Ultimately, the young master took an eye to her because she possessed magic. Compared to her sword training, I fully understood. But why go so far with a slave?
In the first place, if he was employing teachers, wouldn’t it be better if he was the one learning magic? Rather than some mafia-like business, the job of a magician was far more prestigious. Since there were cases of court magicians gaining peerage.
And, what happened next, you ask? Well, it seemed she became good enough to be considered a decently skilled adventurer. She went out in search for stuff the young master wanted and also did other requests to make some money. It’s some miserly tale isn’t it? Even as a joke, the son from an Earl Family shouldn’t be raising a slave for these kind of things. Instead of making a slave a trainee adventurer, couldn’t he directly make a request to the adventurer’s guild? In the first place, it was because doing so would be so troublesome that the guild was established. That would be mistaking the insignificant for the essential.
What? That much is no big deal? You don’t particularly see a problem in his eccentric way of using slaves?
…...True that. Though, this is just the tip of the iceberg. From now on, it’s the real deal.
Please don’t hurry me, mister. In no way is this some boastful talk. I wanted to leave this for the end as much as possible, yar.
That guy — the young master, bought another slave, not long after buying his first slave. It seemed around the time when his potions were selling well. Without the help of the family head, this time, he bought a slave with his own savings.
Nevertheless, that slave died. Even when the first one he bought, was still alive and kicking despite her initial condition. I think the slave didn’t even last for half a year. Before the second slave died, he had bought his third slave. It wasn’t something I paid close attention to, yeah. The fourth person was…...was it the fourth? I don’t really know…… One day, the slave girl that was bought first, carried the corpse of a slave I have never seen before on a cart out to throw it. Other than just that girl being under that guy’s — the young master’s instructions to leave the mansion, there were also other unknown slaves that brought more unknown slaves’ corpse out to throw.
……
Yes, that guy was killing those slaves.
Hahaha…...you are making quite the mystified face huh? Mystified as to why he had no qualms about killing slaves despite not raising his hand to his retainers and maids or throwing tantrums at his family.
Oh, nope. I ain’t criticising him. Certainly, I agree. That those slaves do not have citizen rights. Since they are just belongings. That’s how it is written in the laws of this country too. The same goes for Sankt Gallen and Marlbair. If they’re just belongings, even destroying them — killing them, is not even on par with kidnapping. It’s up to the owners. All depends on their moods, yeah.
My way of speaking was poor, really. Rather than killing, it was torture. Without a care for their cries or screams, he let them die in the end.
No, wrong. What you said was that he might be s.a.d.i.s.tic?
He was something different, I believe. From my long years working at that family and also from the rumours of other families, I learnt quite a bit. It wasn’t just my second or third time hearing about masters from whichever family having a strange habit of strangling women’s necks when he felt like it or masters who find it pleasing to whip mistresses who come from lowly backgrounds.
Yes, yes. There are many people with peculiar pastimes in this world. Among them, there must be people who enjoy killing or enjoy necrophilia, aren’t there? Wouldn’t you say that it is harmless if he just stops at slaves instead of citizens with rights or, much less to say, other aristocrats?
That guy is…...that monster isn’t something that simple.
Calmly! He did so calmly! Regardless of whether the person was crying, screaming, groaning, dying! He doesn’t cry, rage, laugh or rejoice! His frozen snake eyes follows the slaves as they writhe and die!
Ahh, no, wrong. I was wrong. Totally wrong! His reaction was that of indifference. However…...right, he did say those were part of his experiments. Yes, indeed. Alchemy experiments, he said. He fed the slaves drugs, gave them injections, cut their skulls or stomachs open while they were still alive and dissected them when they died…...unbelievable. Doing all that calmly, when he was just a brat!
When they grimaced in pain and died as he had planned, he would snickle! Yes, it went perfectly, he would say! The experiment was a success! When it doesn’t go as expected and the slaves die, he would click his tongue! G.o.d dammit, what the heck was that guy saying!? What did he think the lives of slaves amounted to? Doing all that…...it was as though he was a demon!
Yes, right. At long last, the family head couldn’t take it and rushed to the church, claiming his son had been possessed by a demon. …...However, the pastor diagnosed him to be clean! How can that be possible, such utter bulls.h.i.+t!? If that wasn’t the deed of a demon, then what else could that be!?
That’s right, it was all his fault that the master was at a loss. At first, he ignored it while feeling disgusted. And he was an aristocrat too. Just the slaughtering of slaves. B-but y’know!? He was doing it every single day, countless of people! How many did that guy kill in the residence!?
Dead in the night, there would be a open fire in the courtyard! I knew what it was, it was a cremation! Slaves, who were pale as sheets, were transporting dead slaves on wagons, and flinging them into the fire! While in fear of being next! Argh, d.a.m.n! I remembered! The burning smell of meat mixed with medicine — till today! Even today!
Ugh!?
Oup…...ough……
Ugehhhhhhh!!
……….
Oopsies, I lost control there. Hehe, hehehe……
But y’know, I ain’t spouting lies here?
Really, that monster really is abnormal.
It started when he turned eight, yeah? A normal brat would still be in his runny-nosed years, but he’s still…...still going against providence. I kid you not.
Yes, that is so. That was when I started to escape by indulging in liquor. He put in effort in silencing the slaves as much possible, and was afraid of public scrutiny, but I was appointed the role of patrolling the mansion as if it was karma. I saw it many times over. That h.e.l.l, countlessly……
Mister, you don’t believe me? You totally cannot believe me at all, right?
Hehehe…...I forgot, this is just some nonsense from a drunkard…...if that ain’t it, it would just be the imaginary prattling of a crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d…...fufufu.
But there’s nay helping it…...I must have gone nuts…...since I saw that……
As for him, maybe he was insane too…...that’s right, he must have been insane…...that demon and…...that girl who sticks by his side all the time……
2. At the adventurer’s guild, in the capital Brosenul — Testimony of the receptionist
Welcome to the adventurer’s guild! Are you looking for quests today?
Eh? No? You are here to ask questions? On behalf of the Court of Justice?
N-no, no. Over here, we’re as sound as a bell, we definitely do not engage in activities that warrant extra supervision from above.
…...Ahh, it’s about an adventurer that registered with us? Phew, you gave me a scare.
No, it’s nothing. Yes. And so, what would you like to hear about?
An employee of the Obeniel Family? A person who takes on primarily material collection quests? Huh. What has the child done?
Uh-huh. So you want to investigate on the incongruent points surrounding the succession and you wish to learn more about the people involved with the second son?
I understand. If that is the case, we will gladly cooperate. Well, I don’t think we would be of much help regarding the succession issue though.
Yes, I remember clearly. Since that oddball was always standing out.
When was that though, since that happened a long time back…...and what is it? With that gaze of yours.
Har, how old am I? M-my age has nothing to do with this right!? Isn’t it alright to work until whatever age I want! It’s my personal discretion isn’t it!?
Ah.
…...Ahem. I beg your pardon.
We were on the topic of that child, right? Yes, she was indeed a child that leaves a deep impression. Everything about her from top to bottom was strange.
From the time she registered with the guild,she towered above the rest. It was weird. Anyhow, she was such a small child.
That is so. We are not even sure if she is ten years old. Moreover, she was a girl.
I was quite shocked…...when I noticed a carriage bearing a snake insignia had stopped in front of the guild, a n.o.ble child and his attendant maid got off. I initially guessed that he was the client for a quest. It was rare for a child to be the client, but obviously, he was an aristocrat so that was possible. Perhaps he succeeded the family at a young age and maybe had one or two important errands that he wanted the guild to put requests for. However, I was mistaken.
That child came to register as an adventurer, you see. Yes, that young master, the second son of the Obeniel Family said so himself.
I was taken aback. What are you saying, child? Are you sane? If he asked to register himself, I would be able to understand, just barely. It was common to see boys yearning to be adventurers, and there were cases of aristocrats becoming adventurers when they weren’t inheriting the family. That being said, the person he wanted to register was his attendant maid. I asked him to repeat a few times, but he would reply that it was this child each time.
So, I took a good look, and the thing was, the tiny-looking maid-san wore a collar. A silver crude-looking collar. Yes, it was a slave collar.
Well, registering slaves as adventurers was, umm, not totally unheard of. There were parties that had slaves to carry their luggage or to act as meats.h.i.+elds when the time calls for it. Or on the extreme, a rich person might form an all-slave party and use them fully until they were wiped out, that kind of stuff.
Still…...a girl? Furthermore, she was a cute doll-like and slim girl with a fair complexion. No matter how you think of it, rather than giver her the job of an adventurer, I think she should have remained as a maid.
Not only would that not pose a problem to the system, it would also be totally up to the owner to use his slave too. And yet, wasn’t what he was doing throwing aside all face and rational thinking?
And that’s why, just to make sure, I asked. Do you really want to become an adventurer? I said to the slave child. It is written officially in the regulations that, “A requirement to be an adventurer is that the person intends to go adventuring”. With this, if the child was unwilling, I would have called it off.
Well, had the obedience magic been used beforehand and she was instructed to say “Yes” when being asked like that, then it couldn’t be helped. Nevertheless, the person who brought her was a child too. I was sure that he would be caught in this trick of mine.
And next? Somehow the child agreed readily without stumbling. She was willing from her heart.
How did I know? Though there might be obedience magic, it is still unable to change one’s intentions. With resistance from slaves themselves, orders that bend one’s will would make slaves behave slowly and hesitantly. Still, that child showed none of that. It really was her own desire.
I accepted the registration since there was nothing more I could do. I am a receptionist, after all.
It may sound harsh, but in this field, the fundamental principles are freedom and self-responsibility. Freedom is to allow one to become an adventurer even if it is illogical. Freedom is to allow one to take on requests that are beyond their abilities. Freedom is to allow one to die for the aforementioned reason. I cannot hinder a person who wanted to be an adventurer from doing so. Naturally, as befitting of my position, I would earnestly recommend that they take quests which are aligned with their abilities whenever possible. Since this concerns the trust between us and the requesting client too.
Ahh, my apologies. I veered off topic.
That child’s name was…...her name was Yuni. She did not have a surname. She registered at the age of ten. Her registered cla.s.s — a name that reflects one’s signature moves and job scope — was Spellsword.
Isn’t this amazing? A Spellsword is, among the adventurers, a start amongst the stars. Wielding both magic and the sword, a Spellsword can easily deal with any situation. Saying it from the mouth is easy, but it isn’t just about innate talent, it has to be complemented with a correspondingly high level of training to be fit for this cla.s.s. Bluntly speaking, it isn’t something a slave can become, much less a ten year old girl.
Oh, yes. From what I overheard, there was a puzzling request from the Obeniel Family many years ago. Anyways, it was something about requesting for adventurers to teach skills to a slave. The request was handled by a senior of mine, and when I heard about it, I thought to myself that there really existed weird aristocrats, but now, on hindsight, it was in order to train her, I suppose.
Obviously, she became famous in a blink of an eye. She was a slave, a girl, a Spellsword and a maid to boot. A clump of controversies.
Had she anything to do with maids, you ask? Of course, she had. That child, for some reason, was wearing a maid uniform. Even when she came to take requests, or to receive rewards or when shopping in town — always. Most likely, she dons that outfit when she goes adventuring too. That’s what the rumours, originating from the town’s gatekeepers, say about her. They said they let a collared maid with a sword through. Weird, right?
It wasn’t just one or two occasions when other parties caught wind of the rumours and asked the owner to sell her to them. As you know, she is a slave and if the owner was agreeable, her status was such that her very self was a tradable product. It is human nature for a buyer to want to get their hands on an excellent rookie. And to top it off, since she had a beautiful appearance, don’t you think she has the makings of an extraordinary meal, if you get what I mean? Well, the young master did not part with her in the end.
You ask how she fared as an adventurer? Undisputedly stellar. Because she did not form parties and went solo — what you may term as a lone wolf — she did not go for large-scale quests which required the strength of numbers. However, her request completion rate exceeded 90 per cent. Most of her failed quests were due to other adventurers who booked it and established a lead. For a solo who does mainly exploration and item finding quests, she probably surpa.s.ses the skill level of a ranger.
She stopped at rank C, but if she took on most quests like how other normal parties do, I believe she would be A cla.s.s by now. Originally, the right to give yourself a nickname is reserved for rank Bs and above, but for her, we made an exception and allowed her to do so at rank C. Currently, she is known as “Yuni the Silver Wolf” and her name has spread so wide that if you are an adventurer in these parts, but didn’t know her name, chances are you are an illegal adventurer.
Huh, you cannot grasp the extent of her abilities? A rank A adventurer might be tasked to subjugate dragons. Does that make it easier to understand? An incident that requires the mobilisation of an army of significant size can be dealt with the capabilities of a few rank As — or possibly just one alone. . Right, she has no impressive achievements that can be examined for reference, but from my standpoint, she is doubtlessly a rank A.
Just that, well…...she is a troublemaker. She was a docile girl and was not the type to start a tussle. After all, she stands out doesn’t she? Adventurers are a capricious lot who live acting fancifully and showing off. Among these brutes, as long as you are too outstanding, you’ll be embroiled in conflicts in no time.
For example, let me see……
It happened when she was still a beginner, I guess? There was a group of three people coming from some other place to the capital. And so, like her who came to take on a request, they came to book a request they wanted to do. And the case was that the other side was senior , larger in numbers and what’s more, male. They took a high-handed position and recommended that she hand over the request. However, she didn’t back down. That child became an adventurer in order to secure funds and desired materials used for research for her master-sama. Basically, she wanted to have the request in order to gain permission to enter the hunting ground which is normally restricted for entry.
Thus, one of the members of the party exploded in anger. Since she was wearing a collar, they could tell she was a slave with a glance. If they let this slave make light of them, wouldn’t their future progression be doomed? As I mentioned earlier, it was common sense that slaves were sacrificial p.a.w.ns made to carry luggage. Hence, they thought all they had to was to show her some pain and she would back down quietly. Using just their hands, they tried to smash her and send her flying.
Right, emphasis on “tried”. That child nimbly dodged and dealt with the ones who made a move on her by tripping them, making them fall in an unsightly manner. That made me chuckle. No, looking back on the incident, I didn’t think it was something funny though.
By now you should be able to guess what happened later, yes? In front of crowd and a very busy one at that, they became notorious for getting lightly dealt with by a tiny girl. A great disgrace. Under these circ.u.mstances, whatever they do would just be piling shame upon shame, yeah, since it got so out of hand. Like this, they seethed with murderous intent. You’re just a slave, what are you trying to pull!
And so was Yuni resentful of them, you ask? She wasn’t an ordinary person though. No matter how much she was denounced as a slave, she kept a clear and composed look. What is a slave anyway?
That was the feel of it. She must be loyal to her master-sama from the bottom of heart huh, I thought at that moment. Still, that kind of att.i.tude of hers just added more fuel to the fire. Even though it would have been all good if the chap who attacked her first and the others gave up then, they said it. Insults to her master-sama, that is.
…...Please don’t ask me for the details? By any chance, if word gets to that child, my life would be in danger.
And, by the time I realised what happened, the area became a bloodbath. She really did it, that child. A quick job that even my eyes couldn’t keep up with. I remember that scene where the breeze blew with a whoosh. Despite being indoors. She must have used some gale-type magic. She drew a one handed sword, connected it with a swing and brought down one person. She used magic to deal with the remaining two with her other free hand, one by one. That was what happened, I think…...since I couldn’t catch sight of it, it’s just conjecture. Can you believe it? A ten year old girl, freely slaying three men who were greater in age, body and probably experience in adventuring? Had I not known how that girl operates, I would most likely be having nightmares.
She was blameless. The loss of a battle between fellow adventurers was decided by death. They are a lot who spend their years battling monsters, and consequently, many of them were quick to pick a fight. Furthermore, most of them have fighting ability appropriate to their way of life, therefore, mediating would be a pain. That’s why, well, dying in that kind of situation meant that the dying person was in the wrong. A person worthy of the name “adventurer” adventures day in, day out, and it is the maxim that they protect themselves in these adventures. Of course, if someone murdered ordinary townsfolk, they would be excommunicated from the guild and be made a subjugation target, though.
Leaving that aside, the real scary part starts from here. It being a one-sided slaughter rather than them killing one another, made it all the more scarier.
She was shaking. She was an expressionless girl who was always quiet, smileless and did not even sulk. That was the first time I’ve seen her emotions thrown off balance. Large tears welled up in her eyes and she bawled her eyes red. At first, I got the wrong idea. That, ah, Yuni was indeed a girl. That crying in regret after murder was something likely for a girl.
However. She might have been a newbie, but she was still an adventurer. Someday, when she gets used to her requests, she will find bandit subjugation requests among them. If I’m not mistaken, that young master did show interest in a portion of the stolen goods and negotiated directly with the requester to obtain them in exchange for the reward money. …...She had already killed people. I remember her plopping down a leather bag containing a freshly severed head as proof of completing that request. It totally killed the mood.
In that case, I considered if she would be arrested and punished but that won’t happen. Since she knew how to read and was a serious person by nature, she should have remembered the rules of the guild. I did pa.s.s her the rules of the guild when she was registered. She should at least know that there would not be any punishments regarding her case.
And so, I asked her even though it would have been great if I’d just kept quiet. Yuni-chan, what’s the matter? Wasn’t that question out-of-place? I’d likely lost it after witnessing the blood sprays and smelling the intense reek of blood. I usually won’t be near such scenes. Saying such a thing to a child who had killed just a moment ago. Despite knowing that a calm human would consider this being a child killing an outlaw.
She replied. Saying that she went against the instructions of her master-sama. That she did that despite being told not to start disputes.
…...I could hear my own blood changing colour. I felt cold sweat flowing profusely. That there were monsters that bore such resemblance to humans. A monster that I could never hope to understand by way of thinking or behaviour. In fact, it felt like it had suddenly appeared in the middle of town. I mean, is this the first thought of a person who just killed someone? Before feeling guilt or fear from punishment, her first concern was her master, you know?
I cannot comprehend her reasoning. I had believed that she was that afraid of being punished but it appears that I was wrong. From what she said, her master-sama was benevolent. That he would smile and forgive her for any small mistakes. And yet, she went ahead and disobeyed his instructions because she was pampered so. She said she was afraid that she turned out to be such a bad slave.
She must have been fl.u.s.tered too. That scenario of her describing clearly her true feelings, was the first and the last. Though that is as far as I have heard. She was baring out such a unique and crazy way of thinking after all. My brain couldn’t keep up. I felt a terrible nausea, but it wasn’t just because of the disastrous scene. …...I was afraid. In front of me, was a ten year old child crying uncontrollably. The reason for her crying was still ambiguous.
And what next, you ask? There was nothing I could do so I called for her master-sama. That child cried for as long as she stood, so I wanted him to come and take her back. I wanted the shepherd who could precisely control that unfathomable living thing, to help bring her back home quickly. I mean, isn’t that the case? Not only does she kill others without hesitation, I do not know what goes through in her head at all. That being is constantly in a state that goes beyond the boundaries of reason. That is enough to be considered terrifying.
That young master, the distinguished son of the Obeniel Family, made a “can’t be helped” expression before accompanying me. With really quick steps. Because it took great pains to explain the situation to the residence’s doorkeepers. He was a friendly person to an extent where you wouldn’t think he was an aristocrat. Oh, uh, sorry. You were from the High Court of Justice and are an aristocrat too. That was a slip of the tongue.
And so, the young master brought that child back and the day ended. She was amazing, you know. As soon as the young master arrived, she got onto her knees. There was a puddle of dried blood on the floor but she didn’t seem to notice at all. Her beautiful appearance unshowered by a single spurt of blood was stained red in the time it takes to say “ah”. It was unforgettable. While going down on her hands and knees, she apologised many times over by saying, “I am sorry, I am sorry”. The young master’s reaction? …...He smiled and forgave her. Yes, he was a really valiant and broad-minded person. In addition, he possessed wisdom. After hearing what happened, he quickly guessed that the party she fought with were wanderers not from these parts. He consoled her by telling her that it didn’t seem like they would have backers in this area, so it wasn’t that serious of a fight. Wasn’t he a kind master? The bad impression that I had when he first brought her here was instantly blown away.
…...What is it? I am making a weird expression?
Eh? You ask if I didn’t feel anything scary or weird from her master?
Ahaha, please stop. I have no reason to think like that of her master, right? I mean, c’mon, right? Judging based on our conversation here, right?
Please guess my answer. Really. I beseech of you.
Well, these kinds of things happen. From then on, whenever the adventurers in these parts spot a maid, they would pay attention as to whether that maid had a collar on her. Sometimes, there would be fres.h.i.+es who are unaware of that and upon incurring her wrath, they would disappear into an unknown darkness or something like that. Such a ghost story is also prevalent here. Ahahaha.
There seems to be several similar cases like that, but the one that leaves the biggest impression on me was this incident. After all, it happened before my very eyes. My liver went cold—, honestly.
Ahh, besides that.
Please do not get me wrong here? I’ve said quite a fair bit but I do not really dislike her. I see her often on a normal basis, she always behaves seriously, and above all, she was talented. Though, she is a little hard to understand, gives full priority to her master’s affairs and thinks very little of killing others. I can say this because I have been in this industry for a long time. I have grown used to seeing people who are different from others or people who are broken somewhere. There’s a fairly large proportion of these kind of people, yeah? Of course, her level of anomaly was rare though.
But, just but. For an adventurer, some level of madness would make it a right fit for the job.
For a first-rate adventurer, if they accomplish one big job, they can profit enough to live enjoyably for awhile. It was an amount that a commoner would never be able to make in his whole life. Nevertheless, there exist a whole lot of them who are never satisfied and would continue braving the risk. Despite there being the danger of forfeiting one’s life with a single blunder, no matter what kind of job it is. They would gleefully poke their heads into quarrels and continue stepping into labyrinths. Don’t you find that weird? Every last one of them wore down their minds by continuously putting lives on the edge. Surely, they have a loose screw somewhere. And so, for these people, when they become absurdly skillful, they get out of hand.
That’s why I have a hypothesis. A person being mad somewhere is, in some way, a requirement to be a top-notch adventurer. Humans who stand in places where ordinary people wouldn’t, would naturally possess something different in their hearts. In that case, she is unmistakably top-notch, I guess. In fact, the job is perfect for her. If the master doesn’t want to let her thread on a tiger’s tail, we would not have any qualms on our part. Adventurer is the perfect calling for her. Though her real job is a slave maid.
Can I say whether she is here?
Unfortunately, we had to relinquish our valuable talent.
Yes, regarding the master studying abroad, I heard he was at Sankt Gallen. Truly wasted. Though, I hear he has returned as of recent. Still, I haven’t seen him at all. Maybe he is busy with work at his residence? Well, there is no doubt she is with her master.
If you do meet with that child, please send my regards. Also tell her, please do consider doing some quests at our guild when she’s free. I am still somewhat apprehensive about her, but as long as I do not meddle unnecessarily, she would be a reliable person.
To her master…...please tell him to hold onto her reins tightly. Yes, that’s all I can think of to say to him.
Still, about this conversation, is it really related to the succession matter?