Shall I Sell Myself? Or Will You Buy Me?
“Mister.”
“…”
Syr called out to me, but I didn't even have the energy to respond. Aigoo, my poor aching body. It had been ages since I'd fought that intensely.
“Mister, Mister.”
Syr grabbed me and shook. Don't shake me, it hurts! But oblivious to my silent screams, the kid kept calling my name.
“Earlier, when I didn't answer, you threatened to 'punch a hole in me,' but now that you're not answering, what gives?”
“Haa… why?”
“Are you okay?”
Do my insides look okay to you? Of course not.
If there'd been a healer nearby, I'd have been begging on my knees for treatment. In this state, even my old healer comrade would do.
‘…’
Nah, scratch that. I really don't want healing from that woman. Crazy sadist. Seeing her wield God's blessing like that, this world's god must be off his rocker too.
Otherwise, it makes no sense.
“Not okay. Hurts like hell, like I'm gonna die.”
“Told you to let me take the hits. Why'd you step in?”
Just as she said, my boosted stats let me gradually gain the upper hand against the incomplete lich.
But at some point, it figured out I was protecting this kid and started targeting her relentlessly.
To shield Syr, I had no choice but to eat a few of its spells.
“You're a scrawny thing. Gotta keep your body intact to earn money and pay off that debt.”
I eyed Syr suspiciously. No way…
“You planning to stiff me?”
“I'll bill you for saving me this time too, so plan on paying that back.”
“But it's already past due. And I got no money…”
True enough. I'd declared it overdue, so permanent stat boosts were off the table. At minimum, I had to avoid the stat drop penalty…
No matter how I crunched it, this kid couldn't scrape together that sum in three days. Was my first real skill use doomed from the start?
“Ah…! Actually, Mister, there's one way to pay you back.”
“…?”
Syr looked down at me, head bowed.
“Mister, wanna sell me?”
“…What?”
My brain froze. Absurd. I turned to stare at her. What the hell was this kid saying?
“Just what I said. Sell me as a slave, use the money to pay my debt to you?”
“I'm hurt now so I can't work much, but I've got looks, you know.”
“Folks offered to pay off my debt if I went to them. Plenty approached me after I lost my parents, eyeing me up.”
“So you want me to sell you to recover the loan I gave you?”
“Yes, exactly.”
She smacked her fist into her palm like she'd just thought of it.
“Or better—you buy me?”
“What do you think, Mister? Am I worth as much as my debt?”
Worth that much? To this girl?
What a ridiculous question.
Observation Eye appraising value of target: Syr.
Name: Syr
Strength: F+
Stamina: D-
Agility: D+
Intellect: B
Mana: B-
• Mana Affinity
• Genius
• None
• Possesses qualifications to become an Archmage
• Destined to become the Witch who will burn the world
I wouldn't have shelled out 150 gold otherwise. She was worth it from the start.
Since this possessed world was a game world, she was probably at least a mid-boss type.
Such a girl on my side?
That was worth way more than 150 gold, no question.
“Won't regret it? You have no idea how hard I'll work you.”
She gave a faint smile.
“Then that's my fate, I guess.”
Target: Syr offers herself as collateral to repay debt.
Target: Syr's future value assessed.
Assessment result:
'Target: Syr' > 150 gold
Target: Syr's debt fully cleared.
Target: Syr now bound to you.
The barrage of alerts faded, and a clear iron-chain tattoo appeared on Syr's left wrist.
She checked it and asked.
“A chain tattoo just appeared out of nowhere. What's this?”
“Dunno. Probably a mark that you're bound to me now.”
“Feels like it. Some kinda magic?”
“Beats me. C'mon, let's go.”
I hauled my somewhat recovered body up. Syr stood too.
As we exited the alley, she tossed out casually.
“By the way, Mister, what's your name?”
I knew hers from the status window, but yeah, we'd never properly introduced. Weren't that kinda relationship anyway.
“Bellian. You?”
“Syr.”
With that, we left the alley.
“Ah! But Mister, did you kill my kidnappers and take your money back?”
Oh right.
My senses snapped back. I dashed into the alley, looted the corpses' pockets, and emerged. They'd spent a bit—gold was lighter.
Syr eyed the pouch.
“You recovered the pouch, so you basically got me for free, huh?”
Come to think of it…
“Refund possible?”
“…”
“Kidding.”
A few days passed since resolving the incident.
The weather was perfect that day.
Birds chirping, crowds bustling—ideal for hunting borrowers.
Feeling great, I hit the plaza. Amid the throng, pink hair and a neat nun outfit stood out.
No way…
Was my bad premonition wrong?
“Ah! Long time no see. Bellian, you look hurt—want me to heal you?”
Why was this psycho sadist healer here?!
Selina, my old adventurer party comrade, had top-tier healing. Yet she'd buff her body with holy power and smash monsters with her mace.
No wonder her catchphrase was, “A true healer's job is eradicating the threat at its root.”
But this world's god—merciful or just picky?—made holy power unable to harm anything short of evil. Monsters healed from holy weapons.
Seeing her swing her mace, holy power blazing, fulfilling her “true healer” mission… even I'd think monsters needed rights advocacy.
Truth was, she just loved their screams.
Else she couldn't smile like that.
Anyway, why was she here?
“Selina, why are you here?!”
“Just following God's will, like before.”
“Us meeting again—must be fate, right?”
From today, I'm a fate denier.
“What's this 'God's will'?”
“Someone nearby could plunge the world into danger.”
Her words flashed Syr's future value: “Destined to become the Witch who will burn the world.” No way…
“Anyway, since we met, lemme heal you.”
“Eh? N-no need. You seem busy. I'll hit up another healer later.”
“Aw, don't be shy~”
Selina whipped out her holy-power-wreathed mace. Where'd that come from…?
Whoosh! Whoosh!
She swung it in the air a few times, then raised it over my head.
“Here we go! It'll sting—a lot!”
Crack—!
Selina smashed the holy mace down without hesitation.
This is why I never want healing from her!!!