Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Master
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It might seem like a strange question to ask people who were just held captive, but surprisingly, it hasn't even been a full day since I was transported here.
So it wouldn't be strange at all if a slave who was just imprisoned knew the way better than I did.
"Phew~ We finally made it back somehow."
But I didn't think there would actually be someone who knew the way.
Since they had to pass through the empire to get back to where they came from anyway, we traveled together.
Of course, we were stopped by the soldiers at the checkpoint at the city wall entrance, but those people were just victims and were called away by the guard captain, who joined us later, to give their statements.
I just showed my adventurer's emblem and got a free pass.
'Well, it should be fine.'
As soon as I passed through the checkpoint, I headed straight for the Adventurer's Guild.
"...I'm glad you're safe."
When I returned, the one who greeted me was Adela, the receptionist I had seen several times today.
The definition of a greeting is to welcome someone gladly, but contrary to that, Adela's gaze seemed disapproving.
To think my favorability rating would plummet just because of one little dismantling show.
Entertainment in this world must be completely dead.
"I've caught all the goblins."
"It took you longer than expected this time."
"I got caught up in some troublesome business along the way."
If I had only been hunting goblins, I would have been done long ago, but I got lost, and on the way, I ran into a golden goblin and had to relieve it of its valuables, which made me late.
Thanks to that, I had set out a little after lunch, but by the time I arrived, it was almost evening.
"Have you completed all the requests?"
"You betcha."
"......Pardon?"
"Of course."
"Haaah..."
Adela sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead as if the day's work had been too much.
If I had my way, I would have put on a dismantling show for her despite the ban, but pitifully for her, I had caught too many this time, and I couldn't be bothered to do it for all of them.
"You only brought the ears this time, correct?"
"Yup."
"Then could you please submit them?"
I opened my inventory and put my hand into the slot with the goblin ear icon marked 'x19'.
When I pulled my hand back out, the goblin ears were in my previously empty hand.
"I was too surprised to ask earlier, but are you perhaps a user of storage magic?"
Storage magic?
Is there such a thing?
I guess if you consider the inventory a type of storage magic, then it is.
But I'm magically inept, so I can't use magic. Explaining it would be a pain, so I'll just go along with it.
"Yup."
"This is the first time I've seen storage magic. It's fascinating... I heard that those who can use it are rare. As expected of someone from the academy, you're quite amazing."
The mention of the academy reminded me.
'Come to think of it, this was an academy story.'
I had forgotten since I dropped out as soon as I arrived.
But if storage magic users are so rare, why is the inventory F-rank?
It seems the author gave it an F-rank because he's never had to deal with an inventory that has a weight limit.
'Tsk, tsk. This is what you get from amateurs.'
While I was lost in thought, Adela, who had finished counting the ears, asked a question.
"You brought back quite a lot......?"
"I was lucky and found a goblin nest."
The truth is I tailed one to find it, but there's no need to mention that.
"What? You went into a goblin nest alone......?"
"Why? Is there a problem?"
"......It's nothing but a problem."
A problem?
Am I going to get kicked out of the Adventurer's Guild for an hour again?
"To go into a goblin nest alone! That's too dangerous!"
"They're just goblins. What's so dangerous?"
"There are exactly 53 adventurers who said those very words and died after entering a goblin nest alone."
That's more than I thought.
"To be precise, 53 is the number of bodies we've found. The actual number is much higher."
Oh.
Why are there so many?
If they had just opened a goblin club like I did, they would have all danced until they died of exhaustion. Surely they weren't foolish enough to go into the nest and fight them, right?
"For a lair of the same rank as the monster, please form a party of at least three. The risk is high."
"Okay."
I answered because I figured it would get annoying if I didn't, but where would I even find a party?
I'll just have to sneak in alone next time and take care of business.
As if she could sense the lack of sincerity in my reply, Adela looked at me with suspicion before letting out a sigh and starting to count the ears she'd been given.
A few seconds passed.
"The number of ears is odd."
She asked.
Since each goblin has two ears, the total should always be an even number.
But it wasn't 18 or 20, but the ambiguous number 19, so it was natural for her to ask.
"A goblin ate it."
So I just answered her honestly.
It threw it up right after, but picky eating is a bad habit.
You have to eat a balanced diet to grow up big and strong. Unfortunately, the good little goblin who wasn't a picky eater is no longer a monster of this world.
"Is that so? That's strange... As far as I know, goblins don't resort to cannibalism, no matter how starved they are."
"Hahaha. You don't say."
I may have fed it to him, but I wasn't the one who ate it, so I didn't say anything wrong.
From the dismantling show earlier, I could tell Adela had a weak stomach, so there was no need to tell her the truth.
After confirming the count, Adela took out some copper coins from under the counter and handed them to me.
"19 goblin ears confirmed. Here are 19 copper coins."
Money earned through hard work.
Finally, I could get something to eat.
"By the way, it seems you caught something else while you were out hunting goblins."
"Pardon?"
What, how did she know?
Do I have a camera on me or something?
No, this is another world, so maybe she planted a miniature crystal ball on me?
But what do I do? I didn't bring back any human ears.
As I was thinking that.
"The person behind you keeps staring."
Behind me?
Is being a medium a basic requirement for receptionists these days?
She must be seeing the ghost of the man I killed behind me.
And when I turned around.
'What is she doing here?'
My eyes met with a woman who had navy blue hair and silver eyes.
***
"So. You're saying you were kidnapped and about to be sold as a slave when an adventurer rescued you and brought you here. Is that right?"
"Yes."
"Haaah... Everyone else said the same thing, so it doesn't seem to be a lie. Alright, that's all for the questioning. You can go."
"Thank you."
Since she said the same thing as the people before her, her interrogation, being the last one, ended quickly.
After finishing her questioning with the guard captain at the checkpoint, she was allowed to enter the empire.
'......What should I do now.'
She had entered the empire, but having already lost her purpose, she could only wander.
The place she had lived was a small village far from the Beastkin Nation.
She had been living peacefully with her family and friends when a sudden attack by humans killed all the men and adults, and only a few young girls were kidnapped and dragged away.
She herself was one of them. At first, she resented humans with a burning passion, but after seeing another human locked in a cage, that feeling subsided.
Even if she went back to where she came from, there would be nothing left, and there was no family left to welcome her.
'And I have no way to get back......'
Until just a moment ago, she was a slave locked in a cage.
To get back from here, she would need to take a carriage, but she had no money for that, and now, no reason to return.
Worrying about it wouldn't provide an answer.
All she could do was let her mind go blank and wander aimlessly through the empire.
With her ears and tail exposed among the countless humans, it was inevitable that she would draw the gazes of many people.
Those with less prejudice against her kind, in particular, were more drawn to her beautiful appearance.
'I feel like I've become some kind of spectacle......'
She was originally scheduled to be taken to an unknown place and sold at a slave auction, so these stares were a predetermined part of her fate.
But one man's intervention had changed her destiny.
'......Come to think of it, where did that person go?'
Just as she thought of him, the man who had saved her came to mind.
They had parted ways at the checkpoint because she was being questioned, but perhaps he was somewhere in this city too.
At the sudden thought, she quickened her pace.
She didn't know where he was, so if she wanted to find him before the sun completely set, there was no time to hesitate.
The first place that came to mind was the academy.
The empire's academy was famous enough that even people from the Beastkin Nation knew about it, and looking back, she remembered him wearing an academy uniform.
But.
'Is he really an academy student......?'
It didn't make sense for an academy student to be alone in the middle of a forest.
Moreover, his actions......
Luke himself might not have known, but she had seen everything when he killed the mercenaries there.
Not just her, but all the women who were there.
It was a very gruesome scene for an ordinary person to witness, but what happened to the ones who were about to rape her was none of her concern.
In fact, it was nothing but satisfying.
And so, she checked all sorts of buildings. Restaurants, inns, weapon shops, and so on.
A building that came into view as she wandered the empire.
The Adventurer's Guild. Other than the academy, it was the place he was most likely to be.
Thinking it would be hard to find him if he wasn't here either, she stepped into the building.
And.
'He's here!'
Her eyes fell on him, standing at the reception counter on the opposite side of the entrance, talking with a receptionist.
Pure black hair was rare in this world, so she was able to recognize him at a glance.
Plus, he was still wearing the academy uniform, looking exactly as he did before they parted, so there was no doubt it was him.
She stood at the entrance, watching his back.
'If I have nothing left... I can build something new.'
It was only natural to develop feelings for the person who saved you.
Whether those feelings were big or small.
That was why she decided to live a new life.
She quickened her pace and walked toward his back.
As she did, the receptionist, who noticed her first, gave him a heads-up. He turned around, and her silver eyes met Luke's crimson ones.
Luke gave her a strange look, but she carefully parted her lips, and the first thing she said was.
"......Master."