Time for a New Kind of Ecstasy, Part 4
High-rank and mid-rank adventurers would never take her in. Thus, her only remaining hope lay here, at the gateway where low-rank and novice adventurers frequently passed through.
"Please... I am looking for a master."
At this gateway, the beautiful girl in the black dress desperately had to find someone willing to become her master.
"I want someone to be my master... I will work hard. I will do anything... anything at all... So please... is there no one...?"
Hearing her sorrowful plea, Ted felt a sharp pang of pity in his chest.
And at the same time, even though he had never seen this beautiful girl before, she felt strangely familiar.
It wasn't that he recognized her face. A beautiful Intelligence Weapon with long black hair and dark eyes—those distinct features seemed to tickle a dormant memory.
What was it...? I feel like I'm forgetting something incredibly important.
Ted stared into her eyes as she endured the mockery of the surrounding crowd and the guards. Her long black hair framed a pair of dark, mesmerizing eyes that threatened to draw him in. Her pale skin, illuminated by the flickering torches and magical lights, was smudged with dirt, as if someone had thrown a clod of earth at her.
Yet, even the grime could not diminish her innate beauty. She wore a tattered, filthy black dress, but if she were properly cared for, she would undoubtedly be breathtaking.
But why was everyone tormenting this beautiful girl instead of taking her in?
The reason was simple: public perception.
While some argued that Intelligence Weapons should be treated as people, the overwhelming majority maintained that weapons were, ultimately, just objects.
Therefore, no matter how beautiful they were, Intelligence Weapons were rarely treated as human. Most viewed them as mere property, devoid of any human rights.
Consequently, they often became prime targets for those with twisted, depraved desires.
People would project the filthy urges they couldn't inflict on actual humans onto these sentient weapons, who looked human but possessed no legal protections.
By insulting and tormenting this beautiful girl, the onlookers were indulging in a sick, vicarious pleasure.
Any more of this will only leave her scarred. Isn't there some way I can help her?
If he had enough money, he would have claimed her as his own without a second thought. But bound by these harsh, practical constraints, Ted could only agonize over his options.
Just then—
"Haha! Look who's back!"
Galdray, the guard at the Beginner Zone Gate, stepped forward and bellowed with a boisterous laugh.
"You haven't turned into a monster yet?"
Galdray pointed a mocking finger at her.
"When you finally hit your limit and turn into a monster, I'll put you down myself! So don't worry and just hurry up and turn! Hahaha!"
"Bwahaha! Count me in on the hunt!"
"A monster-in-waiting should be out in the wild with the rest of the beasts! Don't go turning into a monster around decent folks and causing trouble!"
"Get lost!"
"""Hahaha!"""
Spurred on by the guard, the crowd's jeers grew louder and harsher. Under the weight of their cruelty, tears welled in the eyes of the girl in the black dress.
"My, my... aren't you all being a bit too harsh?"
Just then, a scantily clad woman emerged from the crowd and approached her. It was the Brothel Woman.
"You said you need a master, right?"
At those sweet words, the girl in the black dress spun around and nodded eagerly.
"Y-yes! Are you... are you willing to be my master?"
A flicker of hope lit up her face. But it was short-lived.
"Well, I'll have to inspect you first before I decide~ You're of age, right?"
"Of course. I am fully mature."
"Then we won't have any legal trouble... Let's check your condition, shall we?"
The Brothel Woman grabbed the hem of the girl's tattered black dress. And then—
Whoosh!
Without warning, she yanked the skirt straight up, exposing everything underneath.
"Ah?!"
Shocked by the sudden assault, the girl's face flushed a deep crimson.
"Well, you certainly have a nice body."
Exposed all the way to her navel, her pale, slender torso was flawless and beautiful. Although it was night, the abundance of torches and magical lights illuminated her lower half with stark clarity.
The only saving grace was that the girl happened to have her back to the crowd. As a result, only two people could see her intimate areas: the malicious woman holding up her skirt, and Ted, who happened to be standing directly in front of her.
"A-a man..."
Only then did the girl notice Ted. Her face burned even hotter with embarrassment.
"I-I am so sorry. You had to see something so unsightly."
Even though she was the victim, she apologized to Ted.
"P-please, stop..."
Amidst her exposed flesh, the most striking detail was her black-striped panties. Though they looked clean and freshly washed, they bore the heavy toll of time. The fabric was frayed, riddled with tiny holes. It was a pitiful sight. He had guessed as much from her tattered dress, but it seemed she didn't even have a spare pair of underwear to change into.
"P-please don't do this..."
The girl looked pleadingly at the woman holding her skirt.
"W-what are you doing? This is embarrassing. There is a man watching."
"That's perfect~ You need to get used to the gaze of men anyway. Didn't you say you wanted a master?"
The Brothel Woman smirked.
"Besides, we need to check if a newcomer is used goods or brand new~"
With a sly grin, the Brothel Woman reached for the girl's panties. She grabbed the waistband and yanked them all the way down to her ankles.
"Ah!"
The girl gasped in sheer panic, her eyes darting frantically between her completely exposed pussy and Ted.
"T-to a man! I showed it to a man! Oh, no..."
Because she was busy holding down the struggling girl, the Brothel Woman hadn't actually inspected her pussy yet. At this moment, Ted was the only one who had laid eyes on her bare, exposed slit.
"W-why are you doing this?! What do you mean, 'checking if I'm used'!"
She desperately tried to pull her panties back up.
"I have never sold my body! I am a virgin! I have kept myself pure all this time so I wouldn't disappoint my first master!"
"Anyone can say that~ We'll only know once we take a look, won't we?"
As the relentless woman kept pressing, the girl's resistance grew more frantic.
"I told you, a m-man... a man is watching! No one is allowed to see that place except my master!"
"You're going to serve plenty of male masters from now on, so why care? I told you, get used to it."
"What are you talking about?! A weapon can only serve one master!"
"Ah~ Well, I run a brothel. You've got a pretty face, so you'll sell well. You're desperate for money, aren't you?"
"Ah..."
At those words, tears finally spilled over the girl's cheeks.
"Now!"
Grab!
The Brothel Woman swiftly seized one of the girl's legs and hoisted it up.
"Ah?! Ahhh?! What are you doing?! Everything... everything is on display like this!"
"Hahaha! How else am I supposed to check inside your pussy if I don't spread you open?"
*Spread!*
With one hand, the Brothel Woman pried the girl's pussy lips wide open, presenting her intimate crevice directly toward Ted.
"Ahhh!"
"Hey, handsome adventurer over there! What do you think? Is this piece of property's pussy brand new, or is it used goods?"
Bathed in the glow of the nearby lights, her fully exposed pussy revealed a pair of beautiful, delicate pink labia. Just as she had claimed, she was indeed a virgin. Deep inside her pink slit, her pristine hymen was clearly visible.
"...Hey. Cut it out."
Ted spoke up, barely suppressing the sudden, intense erection threatening to burst through his pants at the sight of her gorgeous, exposed pussy.
The Brothel Woman tilted her head in confusion.
"What's this? Are you one of those adventurers who actually thinks of Intelligence Weapons as people? Most folks just treat them like objects."
In this society, they were indeed treated as objects. Ted himself had once taken that for granted when he was a child, so he couldn't argue too fiercely on moral grounds.
"Whether you think of her as a person or an object, that's not the point. If she says no, you don't force it."
"...Well, I can't argue with that."
The Brothel Woman pouted.
"I'd hate to get on the bad side of an adventurer who might become a customer at my establishment later... Fine, I'll let it go."
She released her grip on the girl's pussy. The girl in the black dress hastily pulled her panties back up, her face burning red as she bowed slightly to Ted in gratitude.
Then, she turned back to the Brothel Woman and spoke with a sorrowful expression.
"I... I do not wish to sell my body in a brothel. I am looking for a master who will wield me as a weapon."
With that, she wiped away her tears, spun on her heel, and fled into the dark forest.
"Ah..."
Ted watched her retreating figure, a heavy weight settling in his chest. But what could he possibly do? This was the harsh reality of the world.
Just then, Galdray walked over and clapped a hand on Ted's shoulder.
"Hey, pal. Why get so worked up over a mere object? Is this your first time seeing an Intelligence Weapon?"
Ted's expression turned bitter at the guard's words.
"I know how people view them... but did you really have to torment her like that?"
Galdray shrugged.
"Man, you're too soft-hearted. If you feel that sorry for her, why don't you just become her master?"
Galdray scanned Ted's gear.
"Your gear looks pretty decent, like a mid-rank adventurer... Wait, is that you?"
Galdray gasped in surprise. He hadn't recognized him at first because of the high-quality gear, but looking closely at his face, he realized it was a familiar adventurer.
"You're that rookie I always see at the Guild! Did you rank up? Haha, congratulations!"
His attitude was night and day compared to how he had treated the Intelligence Weapon. When dealing with a fellow human, he was just a good-natured guard. This stark contrast left a bitter taste in Ted's mouth.
"...Thanks."
"But seriously, pal. The 'Black Princess' is just an object. You'll only make life hard on yourself if you treat her like a person."
At Galdray's words, Ted's eyes widened. It felt as though a severed thread in his mind had suddenly snapped back together.
"What did you just call her...?"
"The Black Princess. You didn't know? She's a legendary weapon, but in the worst way possible."
"The Black Princess...?"
Ted gasped in shock and spun around to look for her. But the girl known as the Black Princess had already vanished into the shadows of the night.
Ah.
A wave of regret washed over Ted as a long-forgotten memory resurfaced—a story of deep remorse his grandfather had shared with him when he was just a boy.
"Do you know the legend of the Black Princess?"
"No, Grandfather. I've never heard of it."
In a small, rustic cabin in the countryside, a young Ted sat listening to his grandfather.
"It is a legend about a pitiful weapon that has failed to find a master for a thousand years... I saw her only once when I was young."
"If a sentient weapon goes without a master for too long... don't they turn into monsters?"
"Indeed they do, my boy. That is how the monsters of our world first came to be."
His grandfather's face grew solemn.
"Poor souls that were corrupted by darkness because they could not find a master or were abandoned... Their descendants are the monsters we hunt today."
"Then did the Black Princess turn into a monster too? If she hasn't found a master in a thousand years, she must be a terrifying monster by now!"
At those words, his grandfather gently patted young Ted's head.
"No, she hasn't, my boy. The Black Princess has endured her loneliness through sheer strength of will."
"Through strength of will?"
"Yes... She still wanders the world alone to this day, searching for a master and partner who will wield her."
"But why hasn't she been able to find a master?"
His grandfather's expression turned bitter once more.
"Cruelly enough... it is because the Black Princess possesses a terrible curse."
"My goodness! That means if someone could normally play for a hundred days straight, they'd only be able to play for ten!"
"Only you would use such an example, child..."
His grandfather chuckled, stroking Ted's hair again.
"Because of that curse, the Black Princess has spent a thousand lonely years without ever finding a master."
"Grandfather, why do you look so sad? It's just a weapon, right? It's just an object."
Back then, young Ted had thought just like everyone else. His grandfather had found that deeply regrettable. After all, he too had treated them as mere objects in his youth.
"Yes... Just like everyone else, when I was young, I mocked the Black Princess, dismissing her as a useless weapon and a mere object..."
"Do you regret doing that?"
"Deeply... It was only after I grew old that I realized how foolish I had been. If only I had reached out to her that day, not as a weapon, but as a person..."
His grandfather closed his eyes.
"If only I had, I wouldn't have had to see that sorrowful look on her face..."
Looking up at his grandfather, young Ted had made a pure, innocent promise.
"...If you're sad, Grandfather, then I'm sad too. So I promise. I'll grow up to be an adult who can understand your feelings."
Ted had grasped his grandfather's hand, locking pinkies with him.
"And if I ever meet the Black Princess, I'll reach out to her in your place."
His grandfather's eyes had widened.
"...Do you mean that?"
A look of relief had washed over his face, as if a portion of the heavy regret in his heart had finally been lifted.
"Yes! I'm going to become the **World's Strongest**! A curse that reduces my stamina tenfold is nothing I can't handle!"
Young Ted had grinned brightly.
"I'll become the Black Princess's master and warmly soothe the loneliness she's carried for a thousand years!"
"I see... I truly hope your dream and that promise come to pass."
That was the promise he had made to his grandfather fifteen years ago. It was a vital promise he had vowed to fulfill once he became a financially stable mid-rank adventurer.