Chapter 299: The Hated Medicine (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 299: The Hated Medicine (8)
After finishing my midday session of what I called ‘education’ with Narsha, I washed my filthy body.
Because I hadn't allowed it, the traces of our lovemaking remained on Narsha’s body.
The woman revered by everyone in the merchant group, a virgin until just moments ago, was now walking around wafting a lewd scent, as ripe as a midsummer’s day.
How could I bear to let her wash it off?
It was too precious to simply rinse away with water.
I had to let it linger for at least a day.
There’s no denying it, forcing someone to submit is fun.
The sense of conquest that comes from forcibly breaking someone who utterly despises you.
A slave.
A female one, at that.
It was a primal form of entertainment, passed down since ancient times.
Of course, one could argue it was a bit extreme, but how a master treats his slave is his own business.
Besides, they all agreed to accept whatever I did to them.
I didn't feel particularly guilty.
In the first place, we were far too twisted to pursue a wholesome relationship like normal lovers. It was better to shed some common sense and head in a direction we could both enjoy.
Occasionally, of course.
If every day were like today, my brain would get pickled in pleasure and I’d turn into an idiot.
Who should I play with next?
Azyeth wouldn't budge from her room, and with Mirabelle, it felt too much like actual abuse, so that was out.
Rin was elsewhere, and Narsha needed a break.
By process of elimination, that left Elize and Alfia.
After a moment's thought, I headed for the cathedral where Elize would be.
My hips were aching from all the vigorous thrusting. I figured I’d go get a blessing and rest a bit.
Ah, I want to drink her breast milk again.
A morning kiss and a glass of breast milk every morning.
That would surely help me live a long life.
Narsha was particularly concerned about my health, so wouldn't she allow it?
I’d have to try persuading her.
The cathedral came into view. When I first arrived in Noctar, it had the feel of a shabby old church, but now it was as pristine as if it were brand new.
"Hey, the boss is here!"
The children from the cathedral, recognizing me, ran out to greet me.
The cathedral also served as an orphanage. In the past, it felt more like an assassin training facility, but now it had become a proper orphanage.
This was partly thanks to Narsha's management, but Elize’s care played a huge role. She truly loved children.
With the merchant group's active support, the children lived lives no different from those in any normal household. Their clothes were neat, and not a single one was skinny from hunger.
"Hello, everyone. Have you all been well?"
"Yes!"
"That's good to hear. You might become my slaves one day, so you need to eat well and grow up strong."
"Can we really become the boss's slaves, too?"
"If you wish. Ah, but of course, boys are—"
"What nonsense are you spouting to these children?!"
Elize stormed out of the cathedral. Her crimson pupils, glaring at me, were filled with the same hostility as my other slaves.
"It's the Saint!"
Elize strode forward without hesitation, pushing the children behind her and blocking my view. She looked like a shepherdess protecting her young lambs from a wicked wolf.
"So you were here, Elize."
"I asked what nonsense you were telling the children."
"Nonsense? I was simply telling them they could become my slaves."
"And if that's not nonsense, what is? How could you try to deceive these pure, innocent children…."
Right. That’s what I’ve been saying all along.
Slavery is a bad thing, isn't it?
That's why I was going around liberating them, but you all told me not to abandon you. Not to free you. You said making you my slaves was a form of salvation, so that's what I've been doing.
And now you’re telling me slavery is bad.
I knew she was only saying that because her affection for me had dropped, but I was still at a loss for words.
"Everyone, would you please go inside to the Sister?"
"Aww, but we want to play with the boss."
"Go on now."
As Elize coaxed them with a warm smile, the children went back into the cathedral.
Then, as if she’d flipped a switch, her eyes narrowed and she glared at me.
"Let's move."
"A secret date?"
"Your very existence is bad for the children's emotional development."
She was treating me like a demon.
If I refused, she looked ready to perform an exorcism, so I followed her to a deserted courtyard behind the building.
"What brings you to the cathedral?"
"I was curious what you were up to, Elize. As a master, shouldn't I be aware of my slave's every move?"
"As you can see, I'm doing just fine. So wipe that sickening smile off your face and get lost. You're tainting the cathedral with your evil aura."
"Anyone hearing you would think I was some kind of evil god."
"If you were an evil god, I could at least have tried to slay you. It's hard to believe you're just a pathetic human. Why aren't you a demonic beast?"
"Probably because the parents who gave birth to me were human."
"Tsk."
Elize clicked her tongue with a look of disappointment.
It was as if she was displeased by the fact that my parents were human. I never thought she’d stoop to insulting my family.
I can't stand it when people insult me, and I can't stand it when they insult my parents either.
Why should I stand for it?
If someone insults you, you fight back.
How should I mess with her?
I wasn't in the mood for anything sexual right now. I needed something new…
Hmm.
An interesting idea came to mind.
It would require a little preparation, though.
"If you're done with your business, hurry up and leave. I need to get back to the children."
Elize tried to shoo me away.
I’ll back down obediently for now.
For now.
As soon as I returned to the merchant group, I sought out Mirabelle. I grabbed her soft cheek and pulled.
Why? Because Mirabelle's cheek was there.
Did I need any other reason?
"Mirabelle, I need your magic."
"Ouch… W-What is it?" Mirabelle asked, making no effort to hide her displeasure.
"It's a spell to catch a child-preying bat. A spell to catch a pedophile."
*
There was no end to the number of pitiful children.
Powerless to resist the conflicts started by adults, they were easily exposed to misfortune.
Through no fault of their own.
Elize, too, had such a past and had watched children suffer through tragedy right beside her.
That was why she cherished children so dearly. To prevent them from suffering the same tragedies she had.
She absolutely did not have any ulterior motives toward them.
The way she hugged them, kissed them, and wanted to put their cheeks in her mouth and gobble them up…
She could swear on her god that it was not—
"E-Excuse me."
—or maybe it was.
Late at night, long after the sun had set.
A grimy little boy appeared at the cathedral when all the children were already asleep.
He looked to be about five or six years old.
Ash-gray hair.
Ash-gray eyes.
His handsome features were already apparent despite his youth, and he exuded a cuteness appropriate for his age.
It was clear he would make many girls cry when he grew up.
His appearance seemed to resemble someone she knew, but such a trivial thing was of no importance to Elize.
He was just a child who looked like he needed an adult's care.
"Who might you be? What brings you here?"
"I heard… I could get something to eat if I came here… Can I have some too?"
Growl.
The boy clutched his empty stomach, his eyes pleading as they sparkled with desperation.
He was only asking a question, but he fidgeted with his tiny, fern-like hands, watching Elize's reaction as if he had committed a grave crime.
He was a truly pitiful sight. His appearance instinctively stirred Elize's maternal instincts, and her heart suddenly pounded in her chest.
"Food! Of course, you can have food! Ah, why can't I produce milk? That would have been perfect!"
"…Pardon?"
"It's nothing. You're hungry, aren't you? Come in, quickly!"
Elize took the boy's hand, led him into the cathedral, and prepared a meal for him.
She didn't hesitate to serve him the meat dishes she only occasionally gave the other children. Some of them might complain about the special treatment if they saw this, but…
A starving child must be fed well!
In her current state, no protest could reach Elize.
Resting her chin on her hands, Elize watched the boy eat with gusto, a smile never leaving her lips.
"What's your name?"
"My name… It's Yuri."
"Yuri! What a pretty name. Are you alone? Do you not have parents?"
"I've been alone from the beginning."
"Oh, you poor thing!"
To think such a pitiful child existed.
It wasn't exactly a rare occurrence.
In a world where pillaging was common and demonic beasts could annihilate entire villages, a person's life was like a candle in the wind.
That made it all the more pitiful.
Being alone was incredibly lonely.
"It must have been so hard for you, coming all this way by yourself. You can rest easy here."
"Thank you."
And so polite, too.
She was incredibly proud of how well he had grown up, even without parents.
Compared to him, that man…
A man less mature than a child.
How could they look so similar yet be so different?
Looking at Yuri, she kept seeing an overlap with him, but the two were clearly different people.
Yuri had no blood pact binding him, no shackles of subjugation on his soul.
She had wondered if that worthless man had transformed to play a prank on her, but that wasn't the case.
It was just a resemblance.
With her mind at ease, Elize could dote on the boy freely.
"Yuri, do you have a place to go?"
"No."
"Then stay here at the cathedral. We take care of children like you here. Alright?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Hehehe. It'll get cold. Hurry up and eat."
*
After putting Yuri to bed in the cathedral, Elize returned to the merchant group's estate.
If she had her way, she would have stayed by his side, but she couldn't.
Elize was Karami's slave. She couldn't even dream of spending the night out without his permission. Her only option was to go back first thing in the morning.
As she walked down the corridor toward her room, Elize ran into Narsha.
"Where are you going at this hour?"
"The Master has summoned me."
The state Narsha was in was quite the spectacle. The only things she wore were an apron and a pair of panties. A shameless woman, through and through.
And she gave off a strange smell.
A sort of lewd, feminine scent.
There was also a faint smell of blood mixed in.
I don't need to see it to know what happened.
It was obvious what that man had done to her.
"You have it rough, too."
"You seem to be in a good mood, Lady Elize."
"Well, yes. Something happened to make me so."
A brief silence fell between them.
"I'll be on my way, then."
"Good luck. I hope you serve that man enough for my share as well. So that he has no reason to look for me."
"That's not likely to happen. I can't be the only one to suffer."
"Whatever you say. May your wish come true."
Shooting a sneer at Narsha, who looked like she was being dragged to a slaughterhouse, Elize walked past her.