A month pa.s.sed.
“Master-sama. It is time to wake up.”
“Ug-ghh…...”
As I lifted my swollen eyelids and sobered up, I could see a girl wearing a crude one-piece and a white ap.r.o.n looking down on me. Needless to say, she was Yuni.
Since she was learning etiquette from the maids of our residence, it wasn’t farfetched to say she was apprenticing under the maids. Of course, her appearance was also appropriate, but as a slave, she had to consider the quality of her clothes. The Obeniel Family was of a considerable standing as a House of Earl. When one becomes a servant, even if one was among the ranks of a commoner, they could be a.s.signed to someone close to an aristocrat or a lower ranked aristocrat’s child. If one was a slave, due to their rank, it was common to see them being allowed to only wear clothing that were several ranks inferior.
“Morning, Yuni.”
“Good morning, master-sama.”
I brought my body to an upright position and exchanged morning greetings. It has been nearly half a year since I brought this child to the household. Could it be the results of her daily training? Yuni was gradually outgrowing her choice of words and the way she totters around like a child. It seems that she has been receptive and enthusiastic to the training by the servants that I borrowed from father.
She was moving in the right direction. Hammering the mould into her from the start would allow her to learn to behave and obey others slowly. It would make it easy to suppress her rebellious spirit if she possesses one. Habits that are picked up by the body cannot be easily forgotten. If I trained her to enjoy lowering her head and do her best for me, I can look forward to her having a greater loyalty towards me when she grows up.
I stretched my arms out as I got up.
“I stayed up too late yesterday…...got my hands onto a piece of interesting information and had to finish it no matter what.”
“Please have some self-love. If you hurt your health…...you are no longer a child.”
“That’s true. Before attaining my long-cherished dream of immortality, I cannot afford to die young.”
I started changing my clothes while engaging in trivial talk. Yuni bravely stripped off my pyjamas and helped me put on my s.h.i.+rt. Having a younger girl a.s.sist in my change of clothes did leave me with a bit of embarra.s.sment but it was the duty of the aristocrats to allow the servants to help out in ordinary day-to-day affairs like this.
Indeed, it must be linked to creating employment but Yuni was ultimately an unpaid slave. This wasn’t good for the economy but, well, I can think of this as part of nurturing a heart for service.
“Hearing as you have obtained new information, would there be a change in today’s schedule?”
After changing, she asked me.
Why would I change my plans for today after obtaining information? It’s obviously because I would be conducting new experiments.
However, it wasn’t the case this time.
“Mm—, deciphering the old text would take some time. For the meantime, we shall continue with the current experiment.”
“Yes, certainly. Then I shall make the necessary preparations.”
Yuni said, as she lowered her head in a natural motion. Her gestures when giving respects were starting to look decent. Being trained by professionals really did make her learn quickly. As I smiled fondly at her progressive growth, I thought that today would be a good day.
Half a year pa.s.sed.
“Guhah!?”
Thrusting forcefully a wooden pole used for training into his solar plexus, the man’s bushy area collapsed. As always, Yuni looked down with not a single hint of emotion even though she completed the achievement of beating down an adult alone with her child-like body.
One year has pa.s.sed since the training programme to elevate her physical potential started. Said man was a first-generation knight, who once partic.i.p.ated in a war and attained himself a meritorious deed, but this was the outcome.
This grown up man was defeated by a seven year old (guessing) girl, furthermore, he was given the initiation attack. No no, it was likely that she would become scarier than this.
“Thank you very much for the guidance today as always.”
“W-What guidance…...”
With quivering feet like that of a newborn fawn, the knight took close to a full minute to recover his footing. He must be enduring Yuni’s single blow to a similar extent.
After all, her strength has been augmented thanks to medicine I concocted. It was a medicine that was discovered with great difficulty. It would not inhibit a person’s skeletal growth as it does not increase the quant.i.ty of muscles but heightens the quality of the muscles. It took no less than the pointless deaths of five slaves. All of them were the cheapest; if they had no worthy skills, the slaves could even be cheaper than toys or sweets, but still, it was undesirable due to the time wasted on handling their disposals. There was this once when father found fault with my cremation of a corpse. He reprimanded me severely and brought me all the way to a church to be preached to.
However, it did bore results and it made Yuni’s physical capabilities improve to a large extent. If she were able to fight like this at 7 years old, then she might be able to handle the job of searching materials I need much earlier than expected.
Chuckling to myself as I pictured a bright future, a knight serving my family faced me with an austere expression.
“Young master…...Please let this girl’s opponent off for today.”
This voice sounded different from pain and felt like the trembling of something instead.
“Yes? Why?”
“Honestly, there is nothing more that I can teach above this. Also, if this continues everyday, my body will not hold.”
As he said, he pointed out to his stomach and wrists that had been repeatedly beaten. There were also countless of bruises on his face. Certainly, Yuni has grown much stronger than he was now. It was at a point where nothing much can be learnt from this man. Furthermore, he even allowed a child to reach all the way to his solar plexus; he has lost all of face of a knight. Considering that carefully, it should be about time to round things up.
Well, I heard that he became a first generation knight not because of his outstanding services in war but rather, because of his value as a personal valet. I did not know what was the average fighting capability for combatants but I am quite confident he wasn’t high up in the hierarchy. It might already be time that Yuni requires a much higher level teaching material.
I nodded in a.s.sent and the man scuttled off.
“Now then, what shall we do from tomorrow? Maybe I should employ an adventurer to teach magic or searching skills?”
“......Is that okay? With that, the money reserved to purchase an experimental tables and other materials —”
Ostensibly, Yuni said so admirably. Though her concerns were unnecessary.
“If you reach a competent level quickly, we can recover all that losses later. I rather you reach that point earlier; we would gain much more eventually by doing this.”
Acquiring raw materials would cost money since we would have to specially buy it from people. If we can collect these materials ourselves, the cost in that field would practically become zero.
“Well, until we make the arrangements for the new teacher, you shall be going monster hunting in the outskirts. Can you do that?”
“Yes. The likes of goblins which often appear near the town would not be any trouble. I have confidence in that.”
Yuni declared coolly. Actually, she was the one who was beating all the monsters that we came across in these plains. The knight that I borrowed earlier helped us out only at the start for approximately a month. She was capable of exploring the nearby forest but I do not know if something might happen in a real battle. It was possible that she meets a large flock of enemies at one go or fight a series of battles and become fatigued or injured in the process, thus, suffer an embarra.s.sing defeat. To genuinely do exploration, it should be more than enough to have another two to three more years of training.
Although things may look this way, I did push forward the timeline from my initial plan. This was due to her advancing quickly, surpa.s.sing my expectations.
I am in no rush. Layering diligence over diligence, I proceeded carefully. It was because there was n.o.body else with her degree of talent.
Three years pa.s.sed.
“The opponent were also adventurers and the result was as expected. Even though it was Yuni, you did not go injury free.”
I said to the her with a body inflicted with injuries here and there while treating her injuries personally.
Yuni would be able to use recovery magic to heal herself if it was just this much, but leaving behind any kind of scar would be troublesome in the future. In that aspect, I can happily brag that I am second to none in terms of leaving no scars after treatment. After all, I was the one who healed those cruel and vile injuries. There were no reasons why I couldn’t treat those battle injuries now.
“.....I have caused you trouble.”
“No no, I was the one who requested you to do this unreasonable job. You shouldn’t be apologising.”
I consoled her, whose facial expression remained unmoved as she lowered her head. No matter how much time pa.s.ses, she hardly shows any emotions but that was due to the way she had socialised for many years. I could at least see that the bottom of her heart was, in any case, disheartened.
“At any rate, those teachers were bothersome……They were trying to s.n.a.t.c.h Yuni away from me.”
“Yes. If they weren’t planning that, I was thinking I should have been able graduate with a more appropriate step.”
“Good grief,” I let out a sigh of exasperation as I nodded.
The ones who inflicted injuries on Yuni were her masters. They were basically, people not from the residence who were giving her guidance. However, somehow, it seemed like they suspected me of conducting human experiments. With that as their force for persuasion, they suggested that they take custody of her since I may turn to her next for the experiments.
She might be said to be a slave of a n.o.ble but she was still a child. If there was a negotiation with the owner, it should be possible to buy her out of her contract with money, they said.
If something like that was done, I would not be able to go against the wishes of my Father who was the head of family. Because, even at the best of times, I was devoting myself to alchemy research which was a deviation from what he wanted of me. He would definitely let Yuni go without a shred of hesitation.
Naturally, they haven’t told me all of this directly. It was in the middle of her training, when they casually devised plans for Yuni.
And, when I heard about the betrayal from her, without a moment’s delay, I ordered for an a.s.sa.s.sination. If she didn’t want to do it, I was considering the use of the subordination magic but, she didn’t refuse. She went to kill her teachers, whom she owe a debt of grat.i.tude to and whom showed affection for her, without any second thoughts. I was the one who brought her up like that but frankly, she was one terrifying child.
They were both adventurers who made a name for themselves with just their skills alone but not for a single moment would they have thought that the person they were trying to save, would be the very person who killed them. Since she was the so-called solo adventurer who doesn’t form parties, if it was just one of them at a time, just Yuni, a budding fighter, alone was more than enough to send them to their conclusions. The female magician that was teaching her magic was ended by a single stab on her back while unaware. The bigger problem was the male hermit —a scout who was a professional at picking locks— who was teaching her the essential searching skills. As expected of his skills as a scout, I heard he astutely sensed her killing intent and retaliated with ferocity.
In the end, the most he could do was deal a few cuts to her. It was some good luck that it didn’t end up with him fleeing. From Yuni’s report, to be extra cautious, not only did she deliver the final blow to him, she also buried him. There was also the fear in this world where the dead revives as an undead. Therefore, she had to bury them in a graveyard where memorial services were conducted regularly. Crus.h.i.+ng the corpse can fully ensure that they could never become zombies or skeletons, however, there was the danger that they became ghosts if they were overly consumed by hatred. There were both merits and demerits in this so-called fantasy world. To ensure that a dead man tell no tales, another light push was needed.
Incidentally, among the slaves who were spent by the experiments and who were cremated, there were a few that did become ghosts. Still, after exorcising them with magic, the same individual can never emerge as a ghost again. Surely, as their soul dissipates, they feel the same as I did before I reincarnated.
Leaving that topic aside,
“Graduation, huh. While it was true she took them by surprise, she was at a level where she could defeat both of her masters. This should be a suitable time for Yuni to head out for exploration.”
“......May I have your permission?”
Yuni lifted her head up and her eyes were fixed at me as she gazed at me. It was the same expression when I was praising her. She behaved the same way when she was given sweets or equipments. Did she really want to go adventuring that much?
After completing most of the treatment, I took a seat and continued my suggestion.
“You are already much better and I wouldn’t have to pay for a home tutor. The expenses can be used for new experiments. If you are able to do it, by all means, I would want to go with that plan too.”
“T…...thank you, master-sama!”
Suddenly, with a sound of her clothes fluttering, Yuni prostrated herself on the floor.
“Definitely…...definitely, I swear I will become more useful than ever before!”
“......Err, mm.”
That was startling.
She was always the quiet child, so I never expected that she would raise her voice as though she added an exclamation mark to the end of her sentence.
It appeared that she noticed that I was taken aback. She brought her head, that was elevated for an instant, back down.
“......I have acted disgracefully. Please forgive me.”
“No, I am not angry. Also, you do not have to kneel down before me in such a grandiose manner. It’s not like others are looking over here. …...C’mon, stand up, stand up.”
I let out a small sigh as I forgave her.
I wonder if it is because of the servants whom I entrusted the learning of manners to were strict, some of her gestures when giving grat.i.tude or apology were exaggerated. Certainly, since slaves were a lower cla.s.s than that of commoners who were beneath that of n.o.bles — the lowest of the lowest cla.s.s, it was correct to behave obsequiously. That was the common sense of this world. Although, seeing someone do this everyday would be suffocating for me instead. I do desire an overflowing heart of loyalty, but the last drop makes the cup runs over. I want her to be more fun.
Once I ascertained with my own eyes that Yuni had stood up, I changed the topic.
“Well, I would be happy to see an enthusiastic Yuni. That’s how it is. From now on, we need to face towards Yuni’s adventurer debut and should make preparations for it. Let’s register at the guild in the start of the next month.”
They were troublesome, but necessary formalities.
If one becomes an adventurer, he or she would be able to enter dangerous areas unallowed for ordinary people. So far as it goes, it seems that there are unlicensed adventurers who skip registering with the guild — either because they are some shady lot who have a serious previous conviction record, or are active criminals — ignoring standard procedures. Nevertheless, those were the root of superfluous quarrels. Being found out and getting fined was just the start of it. Coming across official adventurers while at the exploration destination might end up in a squabble, and there was also the fear that they might be accused of illegal activities like poaching. In the case of being found guilty of committing unpardonable evil deeds, one could be made the target of a subjugation just like monsters. Such troubles are not of my liking, so I would make sure to register.
“For now, let’s get the exact types of equipment ready. Do you have any special requests? The one using them would be Yuni, hence, do not hold back and give me your opinions.”
“Then, master-sama —”
After being prompted to speak at ease, she talked, but somehow with a tendency to hesitate.
“How about something like a rugged combat-ready maid uniform?”
……
Huh, what was that again?
“......Maid uniform?”
I doubted my ears instinctively and asked her to repeat herself. In response, she nodded.
“A maid uniform.”
In any case, my hearing was normal.
She was anxiously avoiding eye contact with me, but still, that was what she said.
Exactly where and how did she come up with that kind of request I wonder. True, she was used to wearing the maid uniform and moving in them would likely be easier for her. Be that as it may, does she have the intent to wear that out while adventuring?
Perhaps this was some first rate joke by Yuni. As I considered, she stared at me earnestly.
“......That may not do?”
Her pair of upturned eyes looked uneasy as she asked me.
This kid is serious about it. I have confidence in that.
No, maybe she got a shock from personally taking care of her own teachers and was in a state of confusion? It left a strong unease in her, but when I was giving her treatment, I made sure to check her vitals. Her pulse and perspiration were both normal. Therefore, I could unmistakably declare that she was sane.
Thoughtlessly, I placed my hand on her forehead. I hardly troubled Yuni. She was always following my instructions. I didn’t have to use the magic on the collar or the other measures that prevents rebellion. Moreover, what you see was all the result of training. She has by far, outstripped my expectations. Such an excellent child, where and how did I make a blunder, that she would answer with “Maid uniform” when asked what she wanted for her equipment.
As I remained baffled, I said.
“.......Well, I’ll handle it.”
I am sure my face was mostly cramping up.
While I replied with an an unusual answer, I was the one who started this topic. Furthermore, this request was made strongly by a child that barely asks anything for herself. It wasn’t something that couldn’t be done, so if this much was able to satisfy her demands, it would be considered a relatively cheap business. I decided to think this way.
As expected, she reciprocated with a deep bow.
“For listening to my impertinent request with all ears, I am immensely thankful. …...I pledge to become ever more motivated.”
“Oh, yeah. …...Do your best.”
This was my first time saying something like that. And I answered while chasing more thoughts.
Maid uniform, huh…… If I tailored the white alice band — the one that is worn on the head — or the ap.r.o.n, as an equipment, it should come out as something that can withstand fights and adventuring. Above all, it was the same kind of clothing that she wore on a daily basis, hence it can also be said to have a high concealability in her everyday life. With that line of thought, it wasn’t a bad suggestion to make such an equipment for Yuni.
Don’t tell me she made that choice with that in mind?
I drew up a plan in the back of my mind while contemplating.
Two years pa.s.sed.
“—Now then, the final test. Kill yourself with what you are holding.”
Immediately after giving my orders, the slaves that were holding onto the ends of the rope with both hands, pulled and tightened it without any hesitation. Even though it was wrapped around their own necks.
“Guh, ugh…...”
Sounds resembling a frog being strangled to death by a snake arose.
Having one’s neck tightened was agonising. Breathing would be blocked off and even blood flow would be obstructed until consciousness was lost. At the end of a few minutes of struggling, the slackened lower half of the body would discharge feces and p.i.s.s, as they die. Among the methods to commit suicide, I suppose it was the lowest of the lowest. Under actual conditions, there were people who writhed in pain while having their necks hanged, causing the rope to snap. Much less to say using the strength of hands to suicide, if there wasn’t a sufficient amount of determination, it couldn’t be pulled off.
However, the slaves that have been ordered by me did not waver in their arms’ strength, continuing to kill themselves with the rope. Because I used the subordination magic? Nope, wrong.
“Yuni, has the magic activated?”
“No. Both emission of magic and magical techniques have not been detected.”
“Alright, then there are no problems.”
At the same time when I nodded with satisfaction, the test subjects, the slaves, trembled and collapsed on the operating table. And then, a horrid stench that induces one to pinch their nose enshrouded the underground lab.
They have died. Not by coercion from magic; from the start to the end, it was only verbal instructions.
“The subjects’ vital signs are confirmed to have stopped. The experiment is a success.”
Yuni’s soft voice announced the great progress of my research. I was in the mood to laugh out loud and do a small dance, but I paused. Because of the things that leaked out in the final moments on the operating table, it wasn’t that big of a deal but it wasn’t an environment in which I wanted to breathe in deeply.
“......That took a long time. That is to realise complete control over a person through brainwas.h.i.+ng.”
That’s right, brainwas.h.i.+ng.
As I have mentioned countless of times, the collar on the slaves that forces them to submit to me was something that could be deactivated by their magic. In order to completely overcome that, there was a need to restructure from their brains to obey me. Opening their heads with a scalpel, tampering with their brains, to the very end, all the methods used to take away their will to betray were surgical, or it could thought of as embedding the thoughts of obedience. Someone from somewhere once did used this method to mar Yuni’s face, and I later put the same method to practical use when treating Yuni. The parts that were desired were temporarily destroyed and regenerated to a desired shape.
The crux of this method was that it isn’t possible to deactivate the brainwas.h.i.+ng by magic. After all, the brain of the subject after the operation would be healthy, so recovery magic will not be able to heal it. The only way to treat it might be to temporarily destroy the part of the brain that creates the effect of brainwas.h.i.+ng, and then healing it to its original form. This means that the same operation has to be repeated.
Even if someone tries to dispel brainwas.h.i.+ng magic, it wasn’t like I was controlling them by magic, hence, even the target for the magic was lacking. For argument’s sake, there might be a loophole and there might be a risk that the real brainwas.h.i.+ng magic could overwrite the controlling rights…...but such a brainwas.h.i.+ng magic user does not exist and therefore, I did not have to consider how to cope with this fatal magical attack and could devote myself to research.
Most importantly, it was the best measure to prevent betrayal that I wished for now.
“Congratulations, master-sama.”
Yuni reverently lowered her head, congratulating me on the success of the experiment. For no apparent reason, her cheeks were blus.h.i.+ng faintly. Possibly, the joy she was experiencing was much greater than mine.
“By receiving this procedure, master-sama’s slaves can become more idealistic yes…...”
Somehow, she murmured together with a feverish sigh. The reason for it was as she have said.
The her from before, seemed to have been greatly dissatisfied with how I constantly drew a line with my actions.
From day one of obtaining Yuni, I have been doubtful of the power of the collar to make the slaves submit to me. Yuni’s magic was above average, and I prescribed miracle drugs of which were gotten from experiments, further boosting her powers. That’s why even till today, I interact with her while always being on alert for hints of betrayal. Even during the experiments, mealtimes, and sleeptime too. From time to time, I would hand down some orders restricting some specific actions, also I would never let go of my protection equipment when sleeping…...well, such kind of things have been going on the whole time.
From the time I bought her, I have been teaching her to have loyalty, and yet, everyday I continue to be sceptical of it. If it was me instead, just one day would be enough for me to throw in the towel. To date, the other slaves that have been purchased with the same motive as Yuni, only except the person herself, the other useful slaves who could not sustain, ended up dead. Separating them into categories, 20 percent of them killed themselves, 10 percent broke down mentally, and the remaining 70 percent secretly planned to rebel so I sent them to their ends. All of them were capable with magic and in their own ways, were expensive slaves. Nothing beats such wastefulness.
And thus, even for her who has endured such a lifestyle without a word of complain, lately, she leaked out them like tears falling.
“Please, allow me to become a more complete slave.”
She said.
I committed to memory this feeling of being so overwhelmingly happy that I wanted to jump out in joy when I heard those words. It was the instance in which the many years of education have yielded fruit. I am sure Helen Keller’s teacher, Sulluvan, felt the same as I am now, in that moment when Helen spoke of the word, “Water”.
Of course, there was a chance that this was cajolery in order to get my guard down, so for now, I was trying to recover my focus.
For that reason, while remaining unperturbed and vigilant, I said.
“Hmm, this is no more than securing some early success. The same operation on Yuni would have to take more examples I believe?”
“......Yes. I understand, master-sama.”
Yuni faintly lowered her brows. Not sure if it was because she was always expressionless and that I am not used to it, but I could see the clear disappointment on her face. That this might just be for appearances, was among the realm of possibility too though.
“If that is the case, I have one suggestion.”
“Hm, what is it?”
She said while pulling out her handkerchief.
“For next time, before entering this final test, may I ask that the subjects put on diapers?”
“Ah.”
Unwittingly, my mouth was left agape — the stench that was barging in made me feel sick. I grew accustomed to some degree of stink from repeating human experiments, but it was not like I could completely eliminate the unpleasantness.
Leaving that aside, it is true that each time the same thing was done, the lab would become contaminated and for that, I seek your forgiveness. Doing experiments here was tough for me, and for Yuni who has to handle the cleaning up afterwards, it must have been much harder on her.
“Mother of G.o.d! Had I not realised about that thing!?”
Filled with regret and self-loathing, I brought my arms to my head. Since the operating table was designed for cases when there was a loss in body function, things like diapers were always kept in reserve. To think that I would have clean forgotten about it!
Such a miserable silly mistake thinned down my joy in achieving experimental success.
“......I only realised just earlier too.”
Yuni said so in an attempt to console me.
Seriously, I had what number of years of experimentation under my belt, and yet I failed to notice something this simple.
However, well, this was also a good opportunity to fix my lax mood.
“Lights are usually followed by shadows huh…...and it took us great pains to get to this final stage of the experiment too. After clearing things up, we shall have to rethink if there are any other problems.”
“I understand.”
After finis.h.i.+ng up with the tremendous cleaning that we were both reluctant to do, we reexamined the problem areas of the experiment anew.
There were no other problems found.
One month pa.s.sed.
“Don’t c-come…...do not come! I’ll do anything so please don’t come near me! G-get out!!”
“Haah…...I got it, just getting out is good right?”
In an attempt to quell the screaming from behind, I got out of the room.
Even after I closed the door, I could still hear ceaseless shrieking from inside.
Father has been always acting like this as of late. Every time he saw my face, he would expel a strange voice. It looks like he has finally lost it. Despite being ridden with an illness, he wouldn’t even let me conduct a medical examination on him.
Secluding himself to his bedroom, there was no way anyone could have met him unless they expressly made a visit. I wonder if it could be considered a blessing. If we were at our meal area and he was screaming like that, it would be out of this world.
“How pitiful.”
That voice emanated from my brother, Lynes Strein Obeniel. It appears that he had been watching from outside the room.
Having entered adulthood, his manliness has all the more surfaced, just like a n.o.ble youth with a fair complexion straight out from a picturebook. The only thing was that he has been recently furrowing his brows all the time, creating an unapproachable aura which was a fly in the ointment.
“Yes, really. If he could at least calm down, I am sure he would be able to receive treatment from the church.”
At how I lamented at father’s condition, brother laughed scornfully.
“Who I was referring to was you.”
“Eh, me? Why?”
As I blinked my eyes at those unexpected words, he sighed back at me in a flaunting manner. What the heck was he trying to do.
“You do not understand? Apart from entering a lowly business, you sullied our family’s social status, and finally, you have even ran out of father’s favour. What else can we call that but pitiful?”
It appears that he was speaking with sarcasm. From the start, we weren’t close brothers but a few years back, whenever I saw him, he was like this. Whenever he sees a human face, he would treat it as though he came across a c.o.c.kroach and father would make a fuss equal in intensity. In recent times, however, I could only feel hatred from the way brother looks at me.
“Yes, I see. That is one way to look at it.”
There was not a single worth in seriously accompanying in this compet.i.tion. I nodded with calmness.
Now that he mentioned it, it was tragic. I, who have been pampered by father since I was a child, had become a target of animosity by him. It was certainly disaster for a child who has lost the love from his parent.
In any case, father wasn’t pleased with my continuous killing of slaves on the operating table.
Why that was so was odd. In this country, it should be the case that not a single hoot will be given no matter how many slaves were killed, if they were your own property. In order to ensure that my research could continue safely, I made sure to check whether there was anything that was considered against the regulations beforehand. Furthermore, whether it was father or brother, it wasn’t once or just twice when they killed slaves who has their disfavour. And so, why am I the only one who was reproached for it? I cannot understand at all. No doubt I was ‘consuming’ them at too fast a pace, but was it something worth scolding over?
Well, I couldn’t be bothered with what father thinks. As long as it does not pose any demerits to me, I couldn’t care less if I was loved or hated. Not only were my research funds already covered by the sale of potions, as an adventurer, Yuni could earn an income. Therefore, I had no need for a small allowance.
The problem was at the very end of losing his mind, he excluded me from inheritance, but even if I was carrying out a crime — carrying out but not yet exposed — it wasn’t considered impolite in terms of social etiquette. In fact, it was not like I took part in social life. Yet, father considered that there was no law in what I did.
Perhaps uninterested in my response, brother twitched his brows and stiffened his cheeks.
“......Hmph. It looks like it’s impossible for you to comprehend.”
“Maybe. So, is that all you have to say? If that is so, I would like to be excused.”
I turned around while saying. Honestly, having a conversation with brother was tiring. Every single time we met, all he had to offer was either sarcasm or orders for me to stop my research. Even though I would have to die some day if the immortality research couldn"t be completed. Does this person see no problem in my death?
There was no meaning in endlessly continuing a conversation which no end could be seen. What I hated most after dying, was pointlessness.
Just as I was about to walk back to the lab,
“Speaking of which, Talese —”
Obstinately, brother called out to me again.
“Where is that slave of yours? For some time now, I haven’t seen that slave.”
The person he was asking for was likely to be Yuni. All my slaves existed for the laboratory table. Generally, they died due to the effects of the experiment, or they were dealt with because I had to prevent information leak. That’s why, when he referred to a slave by “that slave”, it would mean the long-lived her.
“What is it, elder brother. Are you interested in Yuni? Even if you desire her, I will not give her to you.”
Supposing that this country’s king tells me to hand her over, I would have to say no. Having costed me a colossal amount of time and money, I have finally brought her to a satisfactory level. I have no intention to pa.s.s her over to a bunch of people who do not even know the alphabet “A” in “Alchemy”. All the more for this fella whom I know so very well.
Turning my head over my shoulders to look, brother was grimacing in an extremely vexed manner.
“A slave that is the same kind as you, getting tainted by the stink of intestines, I would have to asked to be excused from that. I was simply curious.”
What a rude thing to say. We are always watching out for our hygiene. For me and for her as my helper, we were not imbeciles who couldn"t clean ourselves and remove the filthy stink. Not only do we use the bath frequently, we make sure to change our clothes too. In terms of maintaining the cleanliness of slaves, I dare say we are the best in the capital — no, the entire world.
As you know, bacterias are the source of experiments going awry. Regarding sterilisation and disinfection, I obsess over it like how I deal with corpses. I know the smell of the disinfectant could be said to be strong, but describing it as an intestinal stink was really out of question.
Brother made a slightly pleased expression towards my faintly sullen look.
“—I thought, possibly, that you have finally sacrificed that girl to your experiments.”
And now he was being more sarcastic. Saying this would be mean, but I couldn’t contain my laughter at his statement. Use Yuni in the experiments? From the day I bought her, I have always been doing so. Even now, I am doing that.
“I was just about to go and meet her…...So then, my apologies.”
Putting an end to this fruitless and unproductive conversation, I hurried to the underground bas.e.m.e.nt.
Good grief, the long awaited day and this messed up thing happens. Despite this being the day when she finally clears the first stage.
Well, whatever. The jeers from these people who can’t understand was as good as background noise. Rather than be preoccupied with them, I might as well speed up the procedures.
Because once this is done, I can finally complete my first p.a.w.n at long last.
Laid down above the bas.e.m.e.nt’s operating table, she was sleeping.
The anaesthesia was adequately showing its effect. The operation will soon be finis.h.i.+ng. The cut from opening the head has already closed and her hair looked better than ever before.
“......You’ve worked hard, Yuni.”
I muttered while stroking her hair unconsciously.
A flood of emotions and thoughts weighed on my chest. In the span of six years, she was my prided slave that met my expectations, received training and continued to pile up accomplishments. The day when she would become more or less complete has come. There was no way I felt nothing about this.
She, who had her eyes shut while in a tranquil slumber, looked as beautiful as a princess from a fairytale. That was how I sincerely felt.
She had long eyelashes that decorated her closed eyelids and a straight nose that was well-shaped. In spite of losing some colour from her lips due to lost of blood from the anaesthesia, her lips still boasted of an elegance that gives the impression of petals.
A top rate sculptor would be able to perceive the final form of his work from the gradations of a raw stone, but if that was true, I don’t think I could reach great success on that path. This was because I wasn’t able to imagine six years ago, that she would transform from a broken body and shattered soul discarded at a slave market to being a beauty today. Even after I healed her, I remember being deeply awestruck by the gap before and after the operation, but the her of now who has experienced growth leaves a far deeper impression than ever before. I’m sure, as she becomes an adult from now on, she would probably become more beautiful.
And I know that underneath the beautiful mould, a more profound functional beauty is lying dormant. I knew the strength and sharpness of a lunge of a sword from this slender arm. The speed and elasticity of those legs when they were das.h.i.+ng on the ground. Skills to conceal one’s presence and to discern the enemy’s presence. The many many stockpiled skills and knowledge. The extent of her magical power, which was the reason why I picked her, was such that even as she sleeps, the faint magical power leaking from her was enough to overwhelm me.
Above all, the fact that all of this exists for the sake of me and acts for the sake of me was wonderful.
From this round of operation, Yuni lost the element to disobey me. That portion that carries such a thing has completely disappeared from her heart. Literally, word for word, her everything has become mine.
“Fufufu…...”
Reflexively, my cheeks felt slackened. It was a feeling like I held on to all the treasures of the world.
For my immortality research, the first step was just to obtain a supporter that would absolutely not betray me and yet, it felt this fulfilling. If the time comes when I achieve my long cherished desire, I wonder how much exhilaration I would savour?
Ahh, I wonder if this child would wake up early. There were countless of things I wanted to talk about. I wanted to talk about the next research and the next experiment with Yuni as early as possible.
I suppressed my stray emotions. Undoing the anaesthesia and forcefully waking her up was an easy matter. However, watching her doze off calmly like this, creates a surging emotion that makes me want to, as much as possible, allow her to wake up in the most natural and most comfortable way. It was because I made her work thoroughly hard up to now and I would have her work even harder for me from now on. I want to bestow at least this much kindness.
As I was thinking,
“Mnn…...”
Yuni’s eyelids quivered, and opened slightly.
Her awakening was very much earlier that expected. Could this be because of her increasing resistance to the anaesthesia?
The once vacant jade green eyes of hers became focused, regaining an emerald glimmer.
A cool and clear awakening that reminds one of the blooming of morning glories. I greeted her while caught up in the moment.
“Morning, Yuni.”
“......Good morning, master-sama.”
——And four years pa.s.sed.