Chapter 29

"What does Norman look like?"

"He's a well-built, middle-aged man with black hair and a beard..."

"I see."

After arriving in the neighboring country in an instant, we moved on horseback with the map given to us by Lord Lloyd. Since I couldn't ride a horse alone, I was riding with Rufus.

At first, it was very scary because we were going at quite a speed, but the moment Rufus said, "I won't let you fall," my fear mysteriously disappeared.

"Once we rescue that man, we'll escape immediately?"

"I also want to check if my friend Eliza is there."

"…Eliza?"

"Yeah."

I don't know anything about Eliza, but I'm sure if we go to that place, we'll find out. I wanted to believe that she had returned to her original body and was living happily, even though we didn't know.

I don't know if the facility itself is illegal. Some people became slaves after committing crimes. In any case, today we decided to rescue only Norman, and Rufus and the others would investigate later.

As the sky began to turn red, the familiar scenery finally came into view. It was the place where I had spent most of my life.

—We really made it. It feels like it was a long time ago, even though I only lived here a few months ago.

"……"

At the same time, I felt like crying from the bitterness and sadness of remembering the hard days, but now wasn't the time to cry. Norman is still living here.

We tied the horse a little away from the place and decided to walk the rest of the way. The horse would be too noticeable in that empty area.

The first thing we saw was a large field. Everyone was dressed in tattered clothes, working hard on the farm. I felt helpless as I searched for Norman.

"…Is this a forced labor camp for slaves?"

"I think so."

The two of us frowned at the sight. It wasn't a pleasant sight, and even I, who had been doing the same thing for a long time, felt my heart grow heavy.

It was about time for the men to finish their field work. The women must have already finished and were preparing dinner.

"…I found him."

A tear rolled down my cheek when I saw him. I quickly wiped it away with my sleeve and told the others.

Norman is alive. I was so happy and relieved, but thinking about how he had been living this life while we were reunited with our family and living happily, my heart ached terribly.

"Really, I'm glad you're safe…"

"Is that the man?"

"Yes, that's him."

Lord Kevin nodded deeply.

"I'll take him out. In the meantime, the two of you look for Eliza."

"Understood, please take care. Also, be careful with the collar he's wearing. If the guards spot him or he goes outside the facility, an electric current will run through it."

"Got it, I'll be careful."

Rufus reassured me that Kevin would definitely be fine. I nodded at his words, and we split up.

Rufus and I moved together and first peeked into the small hut we used to live in, but there was no one there, only cold dinner laid out.

"If she's not here, she might be in the south."

The sun was about to set. As we hurried, Rufus muttered, "Is that their meal?"

"Yeah. They only get one bowl of soup in those small containers. But the bread is so hard that it fills you up pretty well."

He must have found it hard to believe that such a thing could be a meal. He looked at me with a puzzled expression as I explained.

"You know this place well."

"Yeah, I lived here for 10 years."

The moment I said that casually, Rufus's expression dropped.

"……What?"

"Didn't I tell you before that my body was taken? During that time, I was working as a slave here."

He stopped walking abruptly, and I stopped too.

"…You were eating that and working like those people here?"

"Yeah."

"For 10 years, continuously?"

"Y-Yeah. I suddenly returned to my original body during the party."

Rufus covered his mouth with one hand.

"What have I done…"

"Huh?"

It seemed he was blaming himself. His face was so pale, it looked like he might die.

"Do you believe my story?"

"…Yeah."

"Thank you. And Rufus, it's not your fault, so please don't worry."

"It's not like it's not my fault…!"

He really isn't to blame. Thinking about what I did for 10 years, I think it's only natural.

Believing a story like "my body was taken" in such a situation would be crazy. If I were in the same position, I probably wouldn't have believed it either.

But he's such a kind person that he can't help but worry.

"Anyway, please don't worry. Let's go?"

When I said that, he just said, "I'm sorry," and started walking again with a dark expression. We encountered a few guards along the way, but Rufus took them down quickly before they could make a sound. I was amazed by his strength.

"If she's here, it would be in this hut…"

I gently opened the door to the hut where she was always made to cook at this time. Of course, it would be best if she had returned to her original body. I prayed that she wouldn't be there.

As my heart raced, I entered with Rufus. Suddenly, a voice came.

"…Excuse me, who is it…?"

From behind the shelf, Eliza herself appeared.