Chapter 179: Goodbye, Ice Bbippi
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 179: Goodbye, Ice Bbippi
Azyeth was under a curse that prevented her from thinking too deeply, but in truth, she had never been a quick thinker to begin with.
Naturally unhurried, Azyeth’s leisurely nature extended to her mind, and she always needed time to understand things.
The same was true now.
“Shall we wrap it up here?”
She couldn’t comprehend Karami’s words at all.
What is he wrapping up?
Azyeth’s head tilted, weighed down by the question.
Karami began to explain in simpler terms so she could understand.
“You got your emotions back, right?”
A nod.
“You got your memories back, too?”
A nod.
“And you even defeated Skadia to regain your warmth.”
Azyeth nodded once more.
Karami smiled, a smile filled with pride.
“All the shackles that were holding you down have been broken. This means all the conditions for your complete liberation have been met.”
“…?”
“Simply put, you don’t need to be my slave anymore.”
Still, Azyeth didn’t understand. Whether she was a slave or not wasn’t particularly important to her.
But a sense of dread began to rise like smoke. It felt as though something she had taken for granted was about to be undone.
“Don’t be too scared, Ice Bbippi. Reaching complete liberation is proof that you can move forward on your own, even without me.”
“Rami…?”
Though he spoke with confidence, Karami was anxious himself.
He studied Azyeth’s condition.
She’s not going to freeze me, is she?
There were no immediate signs of it, but her expressions were so faint that he couldn’t guess what she was thinking.
She was docile now, but once the shackles were gone, she might act out unpredictably, just as Rin had.
So, just in case.
On the off chance, Karami cautiously asked.
“On the condition that I absolutely, absolutely don’t interfere, I am considering letting you come with me…”
If he was worried she’d do something strange, keeping her by his side to monitor her was one option.
Besides, traveling with someone as overwhelmingly powerful as Azyeth would guarantee his safety.
The risk of emergencies like Zakaril’s attack would plummet. Karami’s own safety was his top priority.
However, dangerous situations were bound to arise as the story progressed, and he might run into obstacles the next character needed to overcome.
Like the battle with Skadia.
It wasn’t just about defeating the dragon; it was crucial that Azyeth did it with the help of the dwarves. It would have been meaningless if Rin had shown up and incinerated it with her fox fire.
But if I tell her to wait, will she actually listen? Without the shackles, I have no way to force her.
The moment she was liberated, they would no longer be master and slave, but equals—Karami and Azyeth. The second she disobeyed and charged in, it would all be over.
That was why he didn’t even travel with sub-slaves, let alone the main ones. The mere presence of a character who wasn’t in the original story was an anomaly.
It meant he wouldn’t allow even the slightest variable.
Still, Karami made the offer for two reasons.
One was his concern that Azyeth might do something unpredictable.
The other was…
She seems particularly fragile.
Mirabelle had her mother, Naredi.
Alfia had Victor and the elves.
Rin had Seira and the yokai.
They all had people who would be there for them even without Karami. Of course, Azyeth had the dwarves, but she was such a peculiar girl that he worried about her more than the others.
“If you have the mindset of, ‘I’d rather kill this bastard than be alone,’ then let’s go together.”
Azyeth stared intently into Karami’s eyes, her expression serene.
“Rami… what do you want to do?”
“If it were up to me, I’d want to go with you, Azyeth. I really mean it. But the world won’t allow it. I am thinking of traveling freely after it’s all over, before I leave, but…”
Azyeth couldn’t read people’s thoughts quickly or accurately, but to compensate, her other senses were highly developed.
She could easily catch even the faintest of emotions. Having lost and then regained her own, this sense was now even stronger.
“Mmm… It’s okay. I’ll wait here.”
From Karami’s unnecessarily long-winded words, Azyeth sensed anxiety, worry, and concern.
He was uncomfortable with the idea of her accompanying him. She emotionally intuited that she would be a burden to him.
Though her arm was healed, Azyeth’s heart still ached whenever she saw Karami’s.
Being with Karami felt natural to Azyeth, but she didn’t want to be stubborn and cause him trouble.
She didn’t want to be someone who hurt Karami.
She didn’t want him to feel any negative emotions because of her.
Because otherwise, her own heart would hurt too much.
Sure enough, as soon as those words left Azyeth’s lips, Karami’s face brightened.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not going to freeze me or anything, right?”
“Yes.”
“A wise decision. It’s not like we’re parting forever. There’s only one left anyway, so I’ll stop by when it’s all over.”
Karami beamed, and only then did Azyeth follow with a faint smile of her own.
“Well then, it seems we’ve settled things. You’ve worked hard until now. Azyeth, you are now free.”
Karami released the contract. The chains were retrieved, and the shackles on Azyeth’s soul disappeared.
“Ah…”
Now a free woman, Azyeth let out a soft sigh.
A series of messages appeared in Karami’s vision.
[Liberation of Princess Azyeth Priana, Who Knew No Spring, Complete]
────────────
Azyeth Priana.
The Snow White of the fairy-tale kingdom, Freezian. The strongest magic swordswoman, skilled in both swordplay and magic, and an undeniable treasure of the kingdom.
She was a woman of few words and far from the benevolent royalty of stories, yet she was loved by all her people for her beauty alone.
But anything in excess can become poison, and Azyeth’s overwhelming beauty was the beginning of a tragedy.
With the attack of the greedy Ice Dragon Skadia, the kingdom vanished into the annals of history, and Azyeth became a doll.
Snow White was trapped in ice no one could approach, and she fell into an eternal winter slumber.
That should have been the end of her story.
But you suddenly appeared and twisted the tale’s end.
You awoke the sleeping Azyeth, introduced her to countless new experiences, colored her empty pupils with the hue of emotion, and melted her frozen heart with warmth.
The doll, who could do nothing on her own, learned to be greedy and to strive for what she desired.
The pure white snowfield of her life was filled with your footprints, and so her life became you.
The winter that seemed it would never end has passed, and spring has come.
A spring called you.
────────────
Azyeth Priana’s liberation is at 100%.
Reward: 50,000pt has been awarded.
[Master of Negotiation Lv.MAX]
-Some will regard your words as truth. Your powers of persuasion are greatly increased.
[Soul Shackles Lv.MAX]
-Form a contract with a slave’s soul. They will grant you absolute obedience, and their overall stats will increase dramatically.
[Generous Master Lv.4]
-The probability of a slave's affection increasing upon receiving your gift greatly increases.
-The probability of rolling a high number on the Dice that Twists Fate slightly increases.
────────────
[Fully Liberate the Main Slaves. Progress: 3/5]
Neither the description nor the rewards were particularly dynamic. They were all just enhancements of what I already had. I dismissed the window.
The liberation was complete.
Now, it was time to part ways.
“You can do whatever you want. You can go to Doomheim, or if you feel like it, head to Vestia. They’ll welcome you if you mention my name.”
“Okay…”
“If you miss me, try to think of your inner Gigarami. It will guide you. Or how about decorating the kingdom?”
“The kingdom?”
Karami’s energy surged as if he’d just had a brilliant idea.
“You can decorate this empty kingdom with your ice magic. For instance, fill the streets with statues of people.”
“Hmm?”
“Show me the Freezian Kingdom from your memories when I return. Wouldn’t that help with the boredom while you wait?”
Azyeth, who had been tilting her head, finally understood what he meant and nodded.
“Well then, I’ll be on my way. Should we shake hands before I go?”
Karami extended his hand.
It was a gesture of ‘good work.’
And besides, Azyeth had always liked holding hands.
Azyeth stared down at Karami’s hand for a good while before shaking her head.
“Mmm. It’s okay.”
“…Excuse me? Ah, right.”
Is this her way of saying she doesn’t even want to touch me now that she’s no longer a slave?
Never imagining he would be rejected, Karami awkwardly withdrew his hand.
He climbed into the carriage.
“I’m really going now. Take care.”
“Okay.”
He set the carriage in motion.
The carriage grew smaller and smaller in the distance.
Azyeth gave a small wave toward the departing Karami.
She watched until the carriage was completely out of sight.
Soon, the carriage left the Freezian Kingdom.
As he drove, Karami thought to himself.
Finally, the last one.
Mirabelle was a variable, but that didn’t change the fact that there was only one slave left.
He was on the verge of putting a period at the end of this long, long journey.
But I already don’t want to go.
Being the last one, her difficulty was higher than any before. There were frequent cases of failure even when one knew the strategy, all because of her unique traits.
On top of that, her personality and her actions were eccentric, even compared to the other slaves.
But what could he do?
She, too, was a slave with a pitiful story, and it was his role to liberate the wretched.
First, I have to go get her.
The man-eating bat.
*
In the Freezian Kingdom, after Karami had left.
Now alone, Azyeth turned her gaze away as the carriage disappeared. She stared quietly at her own hand.
When Karami had asked to shake hands, she had almost taken his without thinking. The urge to hold it had surged within her.
But with patience bordering on a miracle, Azyeth had held back.
Because she knew that the moment she held his hand and felt his warmth, she would never let go.
She was so desperate that for a moment, she could sympathize with how Skadia must have felt when she froze her.
But she knew she couldn’t do that, so she endured.
It was okay, though.
He said he would be back soon.
Until then, she would prepare what he wanted to see.
Azyeth turned and walked toward the kingdom.
The wind, which had felt warm just a moment ago, now felt a little lonely.
*
The ruins of what was presumed to be a former village, with not a soul in sight.
The light of the full moon shone down on a half-destroyed cathedral, the only structure that retained some of its shape.
Moonlight streamed into the convent’s prayer room, illuminating a woman kneeling below.
Her silver bob cut reflected the light softly, creating a rather sacred atmosphere. Her skin was pale, completely devoid of any hint of blood.
She wore a revealing black nun’s habit that clung to her body, accentuating her curves and boldly exposing her legs from thigh to ankle.
The nun clutched a rosary worn as a necklace, her eyes gently closed as she waited for something.
Time passed, and finally, the woman’s eyelids fluttered open.
A blood-red glow was slowly revealed in her eyes.
“As I thought…”
No matter how many times she repeated it, no matter how much she prayed, the voice never came.
The voice of God did not reach her, a woman drenched in blood.
She wasn’t disappointed.
She hadn’t had any expectations.
If He had any intention of helping, He would have done so long ago.
As the nun stood to leave the cathedral, she swayed heavily and braced herself against a wall.
“Ah, anemia…”
With a trembling hand, the nun took out a canteen of milk and drank from it. Her expression eased, and she let out a deep sigh.
“Now this is a god…”
A god? Don’t make me laugh.
The real god is the cow from the next village.