Chapter 86
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Omen
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*Chew.*
Chewing on the beef jerky she'd swiped from the kitchen, she walked at a leisurely pace.
Up a tall pillar.
Along a narrow chain.
Exceedingly precarious.
Yet, with perfect composure.
Strolling atop the traction engine that connected the two domains, she leaped down onto the outer wall of the Twisted Tree Estate.
As she lightly scaled the wall, which resembled a snail's shell, she stopped the moment she heard voices.
“…It’s too reckless.”
“You think so?”
“You know how dangerous it is to confront the Fiend Sect.”
“But the Lord of Nakrang isn’t a pushover, and the Calamity Princess is even less so.”
“The Lord of Nakrang and the Calamity Princess being strong is a separate issue from whether we’ll be safe.”
When whales fight, the shrimp’s back breaks.
Hearing the male kobold's words, the female kobold sighed.
“It’s not like we have any other choice.”
“It’s not that there’s no other way.”
“…Are you serious?”
“To protect our domain, we certainly need to consider all options.”
“Chavera, that’s enough.”
“…”
“You know what happened when we tried to walk the tightrope between the Lord of Nakrang and the Fiend Sect.”
“I’m different from my uncle.”
“So you’re aware you have less experience and are less cautious than your father.”
“That’s…”
“Above all, don’t forget how terrifying the White-Masked Young Master is.”
“…”
“In the first place, his very intention in asking us about the Fiend Sect in a setting like that…”
*Chew.*
“Who’s there!”
Perhaps they heard the sound of her taking out and chewing a new piece of jerky.
The male kobold looked out the window in alarm, while the female kobold’s face hardened.
But the tension lasted only a moment.
Seeing her crouched outside the window, the two let out a small sigh.
“Huntress girl, is it you again?”
“How many times have I told you the Twisted Tree Estate isn’t a walking path…”
The female kobold wore a relieved expression.
The male kobold showed a look of clear displeasure.
Looking at her with that strange expression, the female kobold suddenly spoke cautiously.
“Hey, Huntress girl? Please don’t misunderstand. We have no intention of harming your master.”
“Hmph, why are you minding what a mere slave thinks?”
“A mere slave? That's not something we, who nearly lost our domain for lack of a Driver, should be saying.”
“That was just bad luck.”
“How many families are ruined by that bad luck, you should think…”
*Leap.*
Leaving the bickering male and female kobolds behind, she leaped off the outer wall of the Twisted Tree Estate.
Then, she climbed back up the traction engine and ambled along the roofs of the Sleeping Dragon Estate, thinking.
What foolish beasts.
The Twisted Tree Estate was right under the nose of the Sleeping Dragon Estate, after all.
To think they could avoid the master’s eyes in a place like this was the height of foolishness.
Thinking about reporting to her master later and receiving a reward, she happily wagged her tail as she walked along the roof.
“How many times must I tell you that this girl is not Master’s slave, but his vassal?!”
“*Squeak?* What’s the difference?”
“A great many things are different!”
“*Ribbit,* we don’t know complicated things.”
“Eeeek…! Fine! It doesn’t matter if you don’t know, just hurry up and swear your loyalty to Master!”
“We’re already Master’s slaves. Why do we have to swear an oath all of a sudden?”
“That’s what I’ve been explaining this whole time!!!”
The girl on her stroll stopped and glanced down.
She tilted her head as she watched the female slave chattering loudly at the other slaves.
That female slave the master had brought was always strange, no matter when she saw her.
Always clamoring that she wasn’t a slave, and proudly declaring that despite being a newcomer, she was the master’s first vassal.
Babbling pretentiously despite being an ignorant fool, and even the fact that she had a strange lack of scent.
She watched the strange female slave for a moment.
With a leap,
she jumped down from the mansion’s roof and made her way through the gardens of the Sleeping Dragon Estate.
*Rustle, rustle.*
A garden mostly converted into a vegetable patch by the dark elves.
The sight of various vegetables growing among the neat garden trees was not just peculiar, but downright incongruous….
But she liked this garden.
It wasn’t just because she could pull up a vegetable from the patch and eat it whenever she felt peckish.
It was because, unlike the cramped, smelly cage she had been confined to at the slave trader’s, the wide space and fresh air naturally lifted her spirits.
Above all, the divine beast she had contracted with, sharing senses through Synchronization.
The Basilisk, too, was fond of this garden situated in the center of the estate, which made her like it even more.
“Are you on a stroll?”
“...!”
*Startle.*
But while strolling through the garden, she flinched and scurried backward.
“There is no need to be so wary. I, too, was on a stroll and simply spoke to you because you caught my eye.”
As if to prove she meant no harm.
The female witch with the blindfolded eyes spoke calmly without approaching.
But despite her mild demeanor, the girl did not lower her guard.
An ominous feeling that made the fur all over her body stand on end just by facing her.
Above all, the emotions of the Sleeping Dragon Estate’s divine beast, the Basilisk, transmitted through Synchronization.
It made her crouch, ready to flee at any moment, along with an instinctive fear.
“…If my presence makes you uncomfortable, I shall take my leave.”
Perhaps sensing her wariness.
The female witch took a step back.
And as she was about to leave, she turned back to the girl as if she had just remembered something and asked.
“Before I go, may I ask you one question?”
…*Nod.*
“You could gain your freedom at any time, so why do you remain a slave?”
…???
Drivers were prized everywhere.
High-level Drivers of 3-star or higher were beings that even nobles were desperate to recruit.
A girl like her could easily pay her own ransom.
Why remain bound as a slave?
Hearing the female witch’s words, the girl blinked blankly.
Not only had she never considered such a notion, but she couldn’t understand why she would even do that.
As if understanding her answer from her expression alone, the female witch nodded.
“I see…. If one does not know the weight of chains, even freedom can become a restraint.”
…?
“Well then, please continue to enjoy your stroll.”
Until the female witch, who had bowed her head slightly in parting, left.
The girl, tilting her head in confusion, eventually left the garden in the opposite direction from the witch.
She was no longer in the mood for a walk.
And the place she returned to was, quite naturally, her master’s office, located in the highest part of the mansion.
*Clatter.*
“Hmm, did my little lucky charm have a nice walk?”
The boy in the white half-mask.
The master wasn’t particularly surprised to see her suddenly burst in through the window.
He simply smiled and held out his hand.
She gladly scampered to her master’s feet.
And accepting the master’s hand as it stroked her head, she smiled happily.
Walks were enjoyable, but she was happiest in moments like this, acting cute for her master and being doted on.
Unlike her previous masters.
He didn’t hit her.
Didn’t starve her.
Didn’t lock her up.
She truly liked this master, who even took her hunting sometimes.
—Especially since he was stronger than anyone she knew, and generous enough to teach her how to become stronger herself.
“Did anything interesting happen on your walk today?”
*Wag, wag.*
“The Twisted Tree folks are still wishy-washy. It’d be easier for everyone if they just went ahead and betrayed us to contact the Fiend Sect.”
*Nod.*
“Shuttle is about ready to earn its keep, but charging it takes too long.”
*Tilt.*
“And… Pandora asked you that, did she?”
Instead of words, she used hand gestures, foot movements, and tail wags.
After hearing the story she conveyed, primarily through Synchronization.
The master snickered.
“Asking something like that when she has no intention of shedding her own chains. Pandora is still an interesting one.”
…?
“Don’t worry about it. It’s a story my lucky charm doesn’t need to know.”
*Nod, nod.*
“No, maybe I should ask just in case.”
As if a thought had just occurred to him.
The master lowered himself to her eye level and looked straight at her with his crimson eyes.
“Lucky Charm, you’re mine, right?”
*Nod.*
“What will you do if a time comes when you don’t want to be mine anymore?”
*Shake, shake.*
“You’re saying that will never happen?”
*Nod, nod, nod.*
She nodded her head.
It was only natural that she belonged to her master.
It was a fact that would never change.
Looking into her eyes, which held not a shred of hesitation or doubt, the master smiled warmly.
“Yeah, that’s all I need.”
…?
Her puzzlement over his cryptic words was brief.
When the master took out a piece of beef jerky and popped it into her mouth, she quickly forgot her question.
She just mumbled on the jerky, swallowed it with a gulp, and even licked her master’s fingers, basking in happiness.
Until a sudden knock came at the door.
*Knock, knock!*
“Uhm, My Lord. I have something to report.”
“Come in.”
She shot a small glare at the intruder who had stolen her cozy time with the master.
She already disliked the rabbit, who was so scrawny it was hard to tell if it was male or female.
To be interrupted like this, her mood couldn’t possibly be good.
“About the Fiend Sect. I’m very grateful you entrusted me with the investigation, but…”
“Grateful for what? It’s just proper placement. Your braggart kind are the experts at this sort of thing.”
“…Yes, that would normally be the case.”
Annoying.
Those twitching rabbit ears.
The long bangs hiding his eyes.
The slightly drawling voice, trying to feign bravado.
Every time she saw that rabbit, he was strangely grating on her nerves.
Much more so than the simply foolish beasts, the strange female slave, or the scary female witch.
“Hmm. ‘Normally’ sounds like a problem has come up.”
“You could say that.”
“What kind of problem?”
“Well, as you know, our Guild is an organization of the lower class, right?”
Beating around the bush.
He was talking in circles.
As if avoiding an unfavorable topic.
Or as if trying to gauge something.
“But since these commoners are in all walks of life, there are internal affiliations within the Guild.”
“Like how you, braggart, belong to the Bard’s Guild before being an envoy of the Guild?”
“Yes. Besides that, there’s the Baker’s Guild, the Mason’s Guild, the Merchant’s Guild… we tend to gather by trade and help each other out.”
It’s because these various associations are connected that the Guild can exert influence over the entire Sorcerous Dominion.
To the rabbit, who spoke as if making an excuse.
The master asked with a warm smile.
“So, what’s the problem?”
No more idle chatter, get to the point.
The master’s attitude, cutting him off with smiling lips but unsmiling eyes, was utterly firm.
It was enough to shut the chattering rabbit’s mouth.
But even that sight felt grating to her.
Including the words the rabbit finally spat out as if he’d been waiting for this moment, all while looking intimidated and gauging the master’s reaction.
“The Thieves’ Guild in the City of Deformity has refused to cooperate.”
***
“For such an esteemed personage to grace this humble hovel with your presence, I’m so honored I don’t know what to do with myself.”
“And in that spirit, I’ll give you an answer myself.”
“—Piss off.”
While Naru was sweating buckets.
With both feet propped up on the table.
Watching the master of the City of Deformity’s Thieves’ Guild, who had his arms crossed and was snorting derisively, Dion nodded.
“Hmm, there’s definitely a problem here.”