The Fading Echoes of the Cage
"Hah... hah. What? It was you?" She then grinned. It was a strangely twisted smile. The girl was wearing a stained, single-piece garment. Despite her short hair that didn't even reach her shoulders, it was tangled in various places, and the area under her eyes was hollow. A large slave brand was etched onto her cheek. She didn't look much different from how she had appeared inside that cage.
"W-well, look at you, all dressed up, hah." Conversely, she scrutinized my appearance. I wasn't luxuriously adorned, but thanks to daily grooming, there wasn't a single tangle in my hair or tail. I wore a cloth garment underneath, layered with a thick outer coat made of fabric and leather. I had guards on my joints and a small bag slung to my side for storing adventure gear. Overall, I felt quite tidy.
Was she always this small? Judging by my line of sight, she seemed to be about the same height as me. Perhaps because she was so emaciated, she actually looked even smaller.
When no answer came from me, the girl's hands began to tremble. "What, you, you, are you ignoring me right now?" The trembling that started in her hands spread throughout her entire body, causing her to shake violently. The way she stuttered every time she spoke made me feel a sense of pity. She hadn't been like that, at least not in the cage.
"S-so, you think you're something special now!" the girl shouted, venting her spite. "Just because you were lucky enough to meet a good master!"
The cunning leader who used to torment me inside the cage was nowhere to be found. There was just a pathetic little kid standing there.
"Don't look at me with those eyes!!" Screaming, the girl lunged at me. Her right arm was stretched straight forward. Had she sharpened her fingernails? I lightly thrust the rod I was holding toward her. I hadn't put any strength into it; I just wanted to push it out to keep her from getting close, but the girl threw herself onto the rod and tumbled over. She was weak. I didn't even feel a sense of revenge for what I had suffered in the cage. It felt like walking down a dark alleyway that had terrified me as a child, only to revisit it as an adult. It was nothing, I thought, feeling a strange sense of desolation.
I watched the girl who had fallen to the ground in silence. Was it fortunate that someone had bought her? Or was it a misfortune? Seeing her wretched state, I only felt compassion. The girl clutched her stomach and coughed repeatedly. People passing by began to stop one by one, murmuring among themselves. Drawing too much attention is bad.
"Hey! What are you dawdling for!" A man shouted, pushing through the crowd. He was a man of quite substantial build. He grabbed the girl by her hair and hoisted her up. Even though it must have hurt, the girl didn't even let out a small groan, let alone a scream.
"I told you to do it ages ago, and you're still loitering here!" The man turned his head toward me. "What are you going to do! I had plenty of uses for you today, and look what you've done!" Perhaps because he had been drinking, his face was flushed. Being a large man, his exaggerated gestures made him look intimidating. Every time the man moved his arms, the girl was dragged around by her hair.
"That slave of yours struck first."
"Yeah, the kid didn't do anything."
Boos erupted from the spectators. I made eye contact with the protagonist in the crowd. As soon as he confirmed that I was at the center of this incident, he hurried through the crowd and approached my side.
"What is going on?"
"That person broke my property, so they should pay the price."
"Property?" The protagonist scanned the surroundings for a moment, then frowned as if he realized that the 'property' was the girl. "According to the people around here, you were the one who attacked first. Shouldn't you be the one apologizing to our companion instead?" The protagonist continued, his eyes intense. "Because you failed to keep your person in check."
"That's right. Exactly."
"He's got a point."
"Hear, hear!" The crowd reacted. The man, sensing that the situation wasn't turning out well for him, scratched his head vigorously. "Forget it. I won't ask for the price of the property, so just go."
"No. Apologize for shouting at the child."
As soon as the protagonist finished speaking, the crowd became rowdy again. It seemed they were already enjoying this dispute as part of the festival. The man let out a groan of frustration. At that moment, the girl, who had been unable to say a word while held in the man's grip, spoke up.
"M-master. There is no, no need for that. That girl is also a slave, a slave."
Upon hearing those words, the man's expression changed completely. He then said, emboldened, "I can't apologize. How can a person apologize to a piece of property!"
The spectators also became noisy. Unexpectedly, there were many opinions agreeing with the man this time.
"Apologize." The protagonist spoke, undeterred.
"Hey, people make mistakes. Isn't it a bit too rigid to demand an apology to a slave?" A voice erupted from the crowd. It was a remark criticizing the protagonist, not the man. The crowd grew even more agitated. I felt a direct malice toward slaves that I hadn't really sensed in Silverion.
"And if I don't? Do you want to go a round?" The man grinned. The protagonist adjusted the gloves on his hands. As always, silence was tacit consent. "You guys are the witnesses. This fight is a duel! Don't say anything else later!" Having said that, he threw the girl aside carelessly.
The man was a head taller than the protagonist and had a massive build. He had every reason to be confident in a fight. He clapped his hands twice and lunged at the protagonist with a shout. The protagonist dodged the man's reaching hands by stepping back slightly. Then, he kicked out, striking the man's thigh. A dull thud echoed, and the man flinched. Cheers erupted from the crowd.
The man threw punches wildly. The protagonist dodged them easily as well and kicked his leg again. The crowd cheered as if he had done something incredible. It was strange. Even to my eyes, the man's movements were far too slow. Yet, the people were reacting as if he were an immense powerhouse. From then on, it was a repetition of the same thing. No matter what the man tried, the protagonist dodged the attacks lightly. Doing nothing didn't change anything. In the end, no matter what the man did, he only ended up getting kicked in the thigh. Gradually, the man's shouts began to mix with groans of pain. Then, after dodging a reaching hand, the protagonist landed another kick, causing the man's knee to buckle inward, and he collapsed with a thud. The protagonist didn't miss the opening and drove his fist into the man's face as he fell. The man slumped to the ground, and cheers erupted from the surroundings. The protagonist stood there looking down at the man, not even a single breath out of place. The girl with the wolf ears was trembling in fear.
"Hey! Move aside!" Adventurers in charge of security pushed through the crowd. The person at the lead was a giant with a long scar on his lower jaw—Baikin. He stroked his chin with a troubled expression.
"Hazel!" Meredith ran in through the path the adventurers had cleared. As soon as she arrived, she pulled me into her arms. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you alone."
"...I'm okay." It was a warm embrace, even for a slave.
"Mister, what is all this about?"
"It's a legitimate duel. That's what that man said." The protagonist gestured toward the fallen man. The man was groaning and showed no signs of getting up. The people around also sided with the protagonist. With so many people chiming in, it was no different from a marketplace. Baikin glanced at me, held in Meredith's arms. He then grinned.
"If it was a duel, then it can't be helped. Alright! Everyone listen! This duel is a victory for the adventurer Jiun!" Baikin shouted in a loud voice. It was a booming voice that pierced through the crowd. "The duel is over, so everyone go about your business! Disperse!"
At those words, people began to scatter one by one. The adventurers pressured those who tried to remain until the end. The man was helped away by the adventurers. The wolf beastkin followed behind with a dazed expression. Her tail was drooping, making her look somewhat hollow.
"You're quite young, aren't you." Baikin patted the protagonist's arm. Every time he patted, there was a loud thudding sound. Looking at the protagonist's expression, it seemed it really hurt.
"Thank you."
"Forget the thanks, do you see that building?"
"Yes."
"I'm in charge of that area, and I have to be there all night."
"How many people?"
"Make it about three or four." He then pulled a sack from his pocket and handed it over. "Bring some meat, too. You're buying the drinks."
"Yes!"
"Hah, speak a little quieter, you're going to blow my eardrums out." He then led the adventurers who had finished clearing the area and disappeared leisurely. The path where even the adventurers had vanished had returned to its original state. Only the grass, trampled and crushed by the crowd here and there, was a witness to how many people had gathered here.
"Well then, shall we buy something to eat and watch the festival?" I nodded enthusiastically at the protagonist's words. I tried to run out and grab his sleeve, but Meredith was holding onto me. Perhaps she was feeling responsible in her own way. I turned my body and hugged her tightly. Meredith also pulled me into her shoulder with one arm and placed her other hand on my head. Her hand brushed against my hair, making a soft rustling sound. The day was only now turning dark. The festival was just beginning in earnest.