Chapter 2

Rin, who had been standing at a distance, wondering what was about to begin, suddenly shuddered as a cheerful, husky voice rang out.

The voice belonged to the silver-haired girl who had just been called "slave girl." Her cheerful tone was a stark contrast to the quiet atmosphere she had exuded moments ago. Her voice, which betrayed her innocent appearance, was clear and resonant. With a sly smile still on her face, she spoke with great enthusiasm.

"The slave girl will affirm all of your troubles!!!!!! Go ahead!!!!!! Shout out your daily troubles!!!!!!"

"Sure! I have a lot to say……!"

With a voice that echoed throughout the area, the sister, who had been affirmed, began to spill out her complaints.

"Today, something as awful as a pile of garbage born between the Crap King and Crap Queen happened at the temple! I'm so tired! Comfort me!!!"

"That must have been really tough!!!!!! Good job!!!!!!"

"Oh, thank you……! You're the only one who says 'good job' with a smile after work. You're my only comfort……"

"You're very welcome!!!!!! It's only natural to comfort someone who works hard!!!!!! Since you work hard, it's only right that you should be comforted!!!!!!!"

"But, the bald boss at the temple pays my salary, so he acts like whatever I do is expected, and the senior is expressionless, so I can't tell what they're thinking…… I wonder if I'm doing a good job. I wonder if they think I'm not even worth comforting……"

"Don't worry!!!!!!! The bald boss aside, the expressionless senior is surely comforting you from the heart!!!!!!! They're just not good at expressing their emotions!!!!!!!"

"Really?"

"Really!!!!!!!"

The sister, who had been listening to the slave girl's responses that hit home, suddenly brightened up.

"That's right. I work hard……. But! The adventurers who come to the temple for healing say things like, 'That's enough healing. I know my own body well enough,' as if they're so great that they can make their own judgments! Isn't that the attitude of a prince who goes out on a life-threatening adventure and then acts like he's putting his life on the line?!"

"Absolutely!!!!!!! A sister who takes on the responsibility of healing is a professional!!!!!!! Your job isn't something anyone can do!!!!!!! Not understanding that, and being a customer who harasses you, is a real contradiction!!!!!!! They should just collapse from their own hypocrisy!!!!!!!"

"Right!"

Encouraged by the slave girl, who affirmed her with a cheerful smile, the sister began to vent her frustrations more vividly.

"Also, it's not just the customers! The senior is really scary! Her attitude is so harsh! Even with colleagues she doesn't get along with, she'll just say, 'That's enough,' and cut them off. She's cool, but a bit exclusive."

"I understand!!!!!!! The biggest obstacle in life is usually human relationships!!!!!!! The closer the other person, the scarier they are!!!!!!!"

"Right!?! She's not a bad person, and she's very capable, so I respect her…… But, she's so sharp, I can't relax at all. Honestly, we don't share any interests or topics."

"That's tough!!!!!!! Communicating with someone you don't share interests with requires mutual understanding!!!!!!! Being forced to understand one-sidedly can really wear you down!!!!!!! Your efforts to keep trying despite that are amazing!!!!!!!"

"Uwaan! Thank you so much!"

Rin, who had been listening out of curiosity, was impressed by the slave girl's way of speaking. The positive thinking that rained down on the complaints was powerful, and even when the affirmations became a bit shallow, the momentum was so strong that it didn't matter. The slave girl's relentless affirmation of everything was almost admirable.

Ah, it's not the content of the words, but the momentum that matters.

Even as a bystander, it was easy to be swept away by the clear and confident voice, which was a skill in itself. It created a torrent of conversation, drawing out the pent-up frustrations of the woman who had been holding them in.

Just being affirmed with that voice made it feel like the sediment in one's heart was being washed away, leaving a refreshing feeling.

"And that boss! When I changed my hairstyle yesterday, he said, 'Your old hairstyle suited you better. Why don't you go back to it?' Bald, bald, bald, bald, bald! I'm not living for you, you know! You're the farthest from my personal life, you bald idiot! You have no right to criticize my hairstyle, you bald fool! My senior said my new hairstyle suits me better, you moron!"

"That bald guy is the worst!!!!!!! A bald person has no right to comment on someone else's hairstyle!!!!!!! A bald person who comments on someone else's hair is a living menace!!!!!!! A bad bald person doesn't even realize their own head is bald!!!!!!! They should have died with the hair falling out of their scalp!!!!!!!"

"Right!"

"Right!!!!!!!"

Isn't that a bit harsh on the bald guy?

Rin, who felt a bit uneasy, gently touched his head. The fluffy sensation was reassuring. It's still okay, but he should check his parting in the mirror when he gets home. Premature baldness is a thing. It's better to be cautious.

Rin, who was in his late teens, felt a new unease about his hair, but he watched the slave girl and the woman with bated breath. He didn't know why he was watching, but there was a magnetic pull.

The sister continued to vent her frustrations to the slave girl, and each time she was affirmed, her face brightened. After ten minutes, the slave girl, who had been in the midst of a storm of curses and self-affirmation, suddenly closed her mouth and covered it with a placard.

"Full Affirmation Slave Girl: 10 minutes for 1000 rin"

The placard's inscription caught the eye of the sister, who had been shouting her frustrations with a torrent of words.

"Oh, it's already been ten minutes. I'll skip the second round today. Thank you, slave girl! I feel much better!"

"……"

The sister, who had been so gloomy when she first came, now waved her hand brightly and cheerfully. The slave girl, who had been covering her mouth with the placard, nodded with a silent smile. The momentum from earlier seemed to have vanished, and she had returned to being a quiet, smiling girl.

"……"

It was as if Rin had seen something incredible, or maybe not.

Rin, who had watched the entire scene, was overwhelmed but understood. In short, the "Full Affirmation Slave Girl" was someone who listened to people's complaints and affirmed them. It made sense that people would pay for such a service. The "Full Affirmation" part was understandable, but why she called herself a "slave girl" and wore a tattered garment was a mystery. However, he understood what she was doing.

And there was a change in Rin's heart.

The momentum of the slave girl's way of speaking had washed away even the sediment in Rin's heart, a bystander.

"I'll try harder, too."

Watching the sister's complaints, Rin realized something.

He wasn't the only one with troubles.

The sister's complaints were a good example. When you try to do something, there will be unpleasant things. It's normal to struggle at the beginning. Even in a world you've chosen to enter, the path to your dreams isn't always enjoyable. Sometimes you might even doubt your own worth.

However, it's no use just wallowing in those doubts. It's fine to reflect, but ending in self-denial is unproductive.

It's not about negation. It's about affirming what you can do and taking a step forward.

He had just become an adventurer. What had he accomplished? He hadn't failed or succeeded enough.

There were things he could do. Saying he wanted to do something without actually doing it was meaningless.

It wasn't about feeling; it was about taking action.

He had come to this town to become an adventurer. It was too early to give up.

Wasn't it?

Absolutely!

"Alright!"

Rin, who had affirmed himself, slapped his cheek to muster his courage.

He would return to the tavern. The senior adventurers would surely still be drinking. He would join them and listen to their stories.

Their stories of failure would be his potential failures. Even if he was mocked for his inexperience and failures, he would ask what he should do. He would learn from their experiences and apply them to himself. He would identify what he could do and use it as a foundation for tomorrow's adventure.

He would use any means necessary. He would latch on and achieve results to show that woman magician.

"Alright! I'll do it!"

Rin left the square with a shout.

"……"

The slave girl watched him go with a quiet smile.

Readers who bookmark a story are like heroines to the author!!!!!!! Right, slave girl!!!!!!! You must feel the same way!!!!!!!?!!!!

That's right!!!!!!! Bookmarks are silent affirmations!!!!!!! The full affirmation slave girl for novel authors is you, the one who bookmarks!!!!!!!