Chapter 33

The prison break was successful.

Originally, there was a rather shoddy bug where headbutting an NPC who had become a slave would remove their enslavement (※this did not affect the progress of the story), and it was never fixed in subsequent updates. It was, in a sense, a "trivial phenomenon." The story of Mevion revealed how the existence of slaves was merely an "additional element." Perhaps it was rare for players to advance the story in Mevion at all.

However, this prison break was groundbreaking for players who were advancing the story. In the quest where an enslaved NPC must be taken to a specific NPC, the enslaved NPC does not engage in any combat when attacked by monsters along the way. However, if the NPC is freed, the supposedly weak slave NPC suddenly fights with great valor against the monsters. Thus, the need for escorting is eliminated, making the process more efficient. However, it wasn't a significant difference, which is why it was never fixed. Moreover, the enslavement magic never appeared again, so the Mevion management might have forgotten about it.

I tried asking the NPC to headbutt me, and it worked better than I expected. The fact that headbutting from the NPC side also removes enslavement is a significant discovery. If I ever buy a slave again, I'll have them headbutt me right away if I trust them.

"Master, it's getting dark. Let's set up camp."

"Ah."

After that, Yuki was back to her usual cold demeanor.

The only difference was that this was undoubtedly her true self. Her cold words now had a human touch of kindness, unlike the previous cold, mechanical ones.

"You don't have to call me 'Master,' you know?"

"No. I've already decided."

"Oh, I see..."

...It's so cold.

Huh? I thought she was opening up to me for a moment...

"I'll take the first watch tonight."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

We quickly ate and lay down.

Sleep soon overtook me.

"......"

"......"

"Huh? Were you looking at me?"

"No."

I felt her gaze, but it must have been my imagination.

I closed my eyes to go back to sleep.

"......"

No, it's not my imagination.

"Hey, you're looking at me, right?"

"No."

"You're lying; you just looked away."

"I'm not looking. Just go to sleep."

I can't accept this...

"......huh"

"You! You're looking, and you even laughed!"

"No. I'm not looking. Huhuhu."

Yuki giggled as she spoke.

It's good that she's more energetic after just half a day, but hasn't her character changed too much?

"Damn, I'll remember this..."

I gave in to the intense sleepiness and decided to sleep, even if I was being watched.

"Yes, I'll remember. Clearly."

Yuki muttered softly. I don't understand this girl...

The next morning.

"Good morning, Master."

When I woke up, Yuki was in the same position, with the same posture and the same gaze as last night.

"...Good morning."

...No way.

I swallowed the question "Did you watch me all night?" and greeted her.

We had breakfast and set off.

At this pace, we should reach the port town of Kula by today.

"Master, what kind of training should I do as a blacksmith?"

On the way, Yuki asked me this.

"Ah, just earn experience points to level up your blacksmithing skill."

"Earn experience points, huh."

"Right now, the most efficient way is to do laps in the Limpfoot Dungeon of Peho."

"Repeating a B-rank dungeon... Is it possible for me?"

Oh, right, I haven't explained that yet.

"We're in a team, right? The team leader can adjust the experience point distribution among team members. If I set Yuki to 100%, all the experience points from the monsters we defeat will go to Yuki, so she can level up quickly."

It's a carry.

"......"

After hearing my explanation, Yuki crossed her arms, deep in thought. Her soft breasts were prominently displayed by her crossed arms, a rather provocative sight.

"I... No."

Yuki started to say something but quickly negated it.

I think she was going to say something about fighting... I'd prefer if she didn't. It would take longer to reach the ninth level of blacksmithing. Yuki must have realized this, which is why she stopped speaking.

"...Understood. This is necessary for me to become a successful blacksmith as soon as possible. I appreciate your help."

"Don't worry about it. I'm just trying to be efficient."

"In return, I'll take care of all your daily needs."

Huh?

"I'll serve you to the best of my ability."

"Wait a minute. What do you mean?"

"I am your slave, so it's only natural."

"No, you're not a slave anymore."

"Yes, I am. Without a doubt."

"No, you're not."

"If the Morris Guild targets us, it's best to maintain a proper master-slave relationship to avoid suspicion."

"......That makes sense?"

I feel like I'm being tricked, but Yuki's reasoning does have a point.

If we need to maintain the appearance of a master-slave relationship, we could just pretend...

"Master, we can see the port town."

"Oh, great! Finally!"

Finally, I can sleep in a bed!

The joy of that made me forget all the things I was thinking about just before.

"...It's beautiful. Very."

"The sunrise is even more beautiful. Let's wake up early tomorrow."

"Yes."

We took a room on the second floor of an inn with a view of the sea and were looking out the window at the sea.

For some reason, we were in a double room.

Having a dark elf slave is not good for appearances. When I was hesitating at the inn's reception, Yuki said, "We're married," and that's how we ended up in this situation.

A comfortable silence flowed between us. We've had such silent moments before, but this time it felt different, almost pleasant. There was a slightly uncomfortable atmosphere.

"Thank you."

Yuki broke the silence.

"For what?"

"For finding me. I'm truly grateful that it was you."

"Is that so..."

Silence again. Listening to the sound of the waves in the distance, I was lost in thought.

Lucia Ayshen, the Duchess—was she really killed by the First Empress of White Castle? If Yuki, who was involved, remembers it that way, it might be true. However, the reason is what concerns me.

I can't shake the feeling that something immensely large and unjust is swirling around.

I know about the twisted nature of Prince Klaus. His mother wouldn't be out of place doing dirty deeds.

What about his father, King Bawel of Castar?

In Mevion, he was depicted as a selfish, money-hungry man. If he's the same in this world, he's probably up to something nefarious. In Mevion, the king was a minor NPC, but in this world, he's a crucial figure if I want to be the best.

Most of all, I'm worried about Prince Main. I can't stand the thought of my friend being dragged into a dirty political struggle.

...I need to investigate. That's what I felt.

For my goal of being the best in this world, for Main's future, and—

"About the First Empress..."

"Y-Yes?"

"Don't worry. I can't do it immediately, but I'll take care of it."

"......!"

When I said that, Yuki's usually sharp eyes widened and she looked at me.

When I met her gaze, Yuki turned her eyes back to the sea and slowly spoke.

"Don't make promises lightly."

Her profile was as cold and beautiful as an ice sculpture.

She hid her smile from me, her long, pointed ears blushing red even through her brown skin.

Thank you for reading.