Chapter 1

In the depths of the night, in a quiet town, a regretful voice echoed through a tranquil park surrounded by trees.

"Ah, damn it...!"

The one groaning and clutching his head was a young man, about seventeen or eighteen years old. His name is Ren. He is a new adventurer who came to this town from the countryside. Adventurers delve into dungeons to battle monsters or accept quests from people to gather materials. This profession, which plays a significant role in the country's industry, has gained popularity among the youth, especially since it has produced many heroes in recent years.

Ren was one of the many young men who came to this city from the countryside, dreaming of becoming a hero as told in the tales on the streets. However, reality was harsh.

In the city, where he knew no one, there were few places that would accept him, a newcomer with no connections or skills. Despite his enthusiasm, he was repeatedly turned down when he tried to find a party to join. After much perseverance, he finally managed to join a mid-level party.

There, he was assigned the role of carrying supplies to get used to the dungeon's atmosphere. Ren, being a new recruit, honestly had only a vague idea of what adventurers did in dungeons. He reluctantly accepted the role of carrying supplies, suppressing his heroic aspirations.

However, even in this role, Ren failed.

"Ha, what a mess..."

Thinking back to his blunder today, he let out a self-deprecating sigh. Being scared by the monsters he saw for the first time was one thing, but when they unexpectedly attacked, he panicked and scattered the supplies he was supposed to carry. This led to the party's early retreat.

Leaving the countryside to become an adventurer, and failing so miserably on his first day, was particularly hard to bear. What hurt the most were the words of the young mage who joined the party a year earlier.

"What are you here for? If you have no talent or drive, it's better to quit early."

The words, spoken with a look of disdain, cut deep into his heart. What hurt the most was that he had no grounds to argue. Indeed, he had done nothing. He only caused trouble for the party. A brilliant performance was a dream within a dream. Even a gritty battle was beyond him. He couldn't even do the menial tasks properly.

"This wasn't supposed to happen..."

Why did he become an adventurer? Thinking back to today, he couldn't help but wonder. The older members of the party took the dejected Ren to a tavern, where he was either consoled or mocked, making him even more disheartened. He left early, feeling even worse.

Was it good or bad that no one besides the female mage told him to quit for being useless? Could he continue after exposing himself in such an embarrassing manner today? Perhaps it would be better to quit for real.

"Ha... huh?"

As he let out a dark sigh, Ren noticed a girl.

She looked to be about seventeen or eighteen, with beautiful silver hair that had a bluish tint, cut short. Her face was strikingly beautiful, but what stood out even more was her unusual attire. She wore a used贯头衣 (a type of traditional clothing) and a leather collar with a metal chain around her neck. When she entered the square, she was so dejected that she didn't notice her unique appearance.

Moreover, she held a wooden sign in both hands. It was a crude sign made of a wooden stick and board painted white. She wasn't holding it up but rather used the part with writing to cover her mouth, from her nose down.

The sign read:

"Fully Affirmative Slave Girl: 1000 Rin for 10 minutes"

Ren couldn't understand what it meant.

"...What?"

He blinked, forgetting his own troubles, as he stared at the unbelievable sight. His brain could read the words on the sign, but it refused to comprehend them. The phrase "Fully Affirmative Slave Girl" was a philosophical jumble of words that no ordinary person could understand. It was a terrible power word that lacked any sense of human rights or dignity. It was an outfit and sign that shouldn't exist in this world.

As Ren blinked, trying to believe what he saw, his eyes met those of the silver-haired girl in the贯头衣.

"..."

She smiled silently. Despite the sign covering her mouth, it was a smile that drew people in. Seeing this, Ren was flustered.

What is this? It's scary.

Faced with an incomprehensible situation, Ren lifted himself from the bench and took a step back. He couldn't understand anything about the girl standing before him. The slave system was abolished long ago, so why was there a "slave girl" standing so boldly? Ten years had passed since the previous emperor, who ruled with tyranny, was overthrown by a hero. Many things had changed, but he had never heard of the slave system being revived. At least, Ren had never seen a "slave girl" in his life. Such a thing shouldn't exist in this country.

Moreover, 1000 Rin for 10 minutes? What kind of fee is that? It seemed suspicious.

He first suspected it was a new scam. Was it a way to lure customers, with a scary man waiting somewhere? If he got close, would a tough guy try to rob him? He had heard of such scams before, even though he was young.

But there was no one around the girl with the sign. It was too cheap to be a legitimate service, and the贯头衣 was a bizarre choice of clothing. It was suspicious. Too suspicious. The very existence of a "slave girl" was absurd. How could anyone think of dressing like that and holding such a sign? What was the purpose?

"...No, it's none of my business."

That was Ren's conclusion after much thought. He decided to pretend he didn't see anything and go home. It was best not to get involved with strange things. He convinced himself that she was probably dressed like that for some kind of punishment game. Besides, he had a dungeon adventure planned for the next day. It would be a waste of time to get involved with a strange girl, no matter how beautiful she was. He should go home and rest.

Just as he turned to leave,

"Slave girl!"

A woman ran up to the strange girl in the square. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, with a somewhat pure aura. Ren recognized her.

Who was she? He searched his memory and remembered. She was the sister at the temple who treated adventurers returning from the dungeon. He hadn't recognized her because she was in her nun's habit when he saw her.

Why would a temple sister know a suspicious "slave girl"?

Ignoring Ren's confusion, the silver-haired girl called "slave girl" smiled silently, accepting the woman's visit with a calm smile. The nun, who had run into the square, looked extremely regretful, almost on the verge of tears. She took 1000 Rin from her wallet and handed it to the slave girl.

"Here, take this!"

"..."

The slave girl, who had received the 1000 Rin from the nun, moved the sign that covered her mouth. The sign, which had hidden half her face, revealed a well-defined jawline and lustrous lips that glowed even in the dark. She was as beautiful as expected.

"Hey, listen, slave girl!"

"I understand!!! Of course, I'll listen!!! Tell me anything!!! Hehe!"

Her husky voice, full of energy, echoed through the square.