Chapter 330: Eden, the City of Slaves (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 330: Eden, the City of Slaves (1)
“Hah, hah, hah…”
A faint gasp echoed, as if it might be the last.
“There they are! Don’t let them get away!”
It was a night where even the moonlight was hidden by clouds.
Torches flickered in the dark forest.
A knight order pursued the criminals, cutting their way through the rough woods.
At the edge of their sight, a man and a woman fled in a desperate hurry.
The man, dressed in fine noble attire, was Velk Bofman, the eldest son of the House of Marquis Bofman in the Osvel Kingdom.
The woman, in stark contrast, wore shabby clothes and a shackle around her neck. Her name was Ceryl, and she was Velk Bofman’s slave.
The ones chasing them were the knights of the Bofman family, from whom the two had escaped.
Their crime: a love that transcended status.
To put it romantically, it was a lovers’ escape.
Velk loved his slave, Ceryl, and Ceryl, in turn, loved her master, Velk.
But it was unthinkable for the heir of a marquis to form a romantic bond with a mere slave, so the marquis had intervened to separate them.
He had Ceryl abducted, intending to have her killed in secret.
Fortunately, Velk had caught wind of the plan beforehand and prevented the tragedy, but their situation was dire.
The moment they were caught by the knights, they would be separated forever.
“Just a little more, Ceryl! We just have to get out of this forest. We’re almost there!”
Their destination was a paradise for slaves: Eden, the City of Slaves.
This forest was the dividing line between the Osvel Kingdom and Eden. If they could just get through it, they could receive help from the warriors of Paradise.
Then, not even the marquis’s knights would be able to touch them.
“Hah, hah… I’m… doing… my best… but…”
Ceryl gasped, her breath coming in ragged bursts. Her words came out in broken fragments.
Under the pressure of being chased by knights, running through a rough forest was an ordeal for a woman.
Fortunately, their pursuers were also on foot, but Ceryl was not in good shape.
It wouldn’t be surprising if she collapsed at any moment.
“Captain! The forest is about to end!”
“Tch. We must catch her, no matter what. His Excellency the Marquis’s orders are to retrieve her corpse if we must! Mages, prepare your spells!”
The mages began to prepare their magic.
Red magic circles materialized before their staves.
“Fire!”
A volley of fireballs shot through the air, exploding right behind the fleeing pair.
BOOM!
“Aargh!”
“Kuh!”
Caught in the aftershock, Velk and Ceryl were thrown through the air. They hit the ground and tumbled over and over.
“Ugh…”
Velk struggled to regain his senses from the impact. Then, the image of Ceryl’s face flashed in his mind, and he shot up.
“Ceryl!”
Ceryl couldn’t get up.
Having been slightly behind him, she had taken more damage than Velk.
Her clothes were burnt, and her back was covered in burns.
“Hk…”
“Ceryl, are you okay?”
“I’m… sorry, Master Velk. I think this is as far as I go.”
“No, Ceryl!”
“Please, forget about a lowly woman like me and walk proudly as the heir of the House of Bofman…”
“Ceryl! Ceryl!”
Clank, clank, clank.
The knights surrounded the two.
Velk instinctively moved to shield her.
“Hand over the slave, Young Master.”
“Never!”
“I thought you might say that.”
The knight captain gave a slight nod. Soldiers moved in and forcibly separated Velk and Ceryl.
“Let go of me! I said, let go!”
Velk struggled violently, but there was no way a gently raised nobleman could shake off trained soldiers.
Shing.
The knight captain drew his sword and approached Ceryl.
Limp and without the energy to resist, Ceryl looked up at him with weary eyes.
The knight captain remained unmoved, as if his heart had dried up and was immune to her pitiable gaze.
“If you must blame someone, blame your own fate for being born so low.”
Ceryl’s head drooped.
The knight captain raised his sword high into the air and swung it down.
“Ceryl!”
Just as the blade was about to fall upon Ceryl’s neck…
Thunk.
“Hmm?!”
The sword stopped.
The movement was unnatural, as if stopped by an external force rather than his own will.
“M-My body?”
It wouldn’t move.
He couldn’t even lift a finger.
As everyone stood bewildered, a voice came from the sky.
“Are you by chance Master Velk and Miss Ceryl, who applied for immigration?”
A maid girl on a broom was floating in the air.
“Who are you!”
“My name is Mirabelle, and I’ve been assigned as the guide for the new master and slave. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Mirabelle greeted them politely.
“Was it you who stopped me?”
“Yes. It seemed the slave was in poor condition, so I came to escort you personally.”
“Escort? Who is escorting whom! This man is the heir to the House of Marquis Bofman! The place he must return to is our domain!”
“Hmm, that may be so.”
Mirabelle looked down below.
“But you’ve crossed into my master’s territory, you see?”
The place where they stood was no longer a forest, but a plain.
A few steps back was the forest, but they were clearly outside the boundary line.
“I understand your circumstances, but those without permission cannot enter. If these two wished to return, I would send them back, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
“And what of it!”
“It means I will welcome our guests and expel the uninvited.”
Mirabelle wiggled a finger.
“It’s late, and the journey back would be difficult, so I’ll do you the favor of sending you home directly. If you have further business, please send a formal letter through the proper channels. Now, farewell.”
“Who do you think you—!”
Fwoosh!
The knights vanished.
Only Velk and Ceryl were left, standing dumbfounded.
Mirabelle approached them.
“You are Master Velk and Miss Ceryl, correct?”
“Y-Yes, that’s right.”
“Allow me to introduce myself again. My name is Mirabelle, and I am your guide to Paradise. I’ve come to escort you.”
Before leaving his family’s lands, Velk had contacted Eden in advance.
They had told him they would send a guide once he crossed the forest.
He just never imagined a young girl like this would be the one to come.
“Agh…”
Ceryl groaned and collapsed. The knights were gone, but her condition was still critical.
“Ceryl, are you okay?”
“You seem to be badly hurt. Excuse me for a moment?”
Mirabelle touched her staff to Ceryl. In the blink of an eye, the wounds vanished, leaving not even a scar.
“Huh?”
“Th-The wounds…?”
“This isn’t originally part of my duties, but I can’t just leave someone who’s injured,” Mirabelle replied with a gentle smile, as if it were nothing to be surprised about.
Once healed, Velk and Ceryl were guided by Mirabelle toward Eden.
The paradise of slaves.
Eden, the City of Slaves.
The city’s lights were as numerous as the stars in the sky, shining so brightly that one could mistake the night for day.
Various non-human races walked the streets, while others flew through the air.
Above all, the scenery was as beautiful as a painting.
“It’s beautiful…”
Ceryl’s eyes sparkled.
Though he didn’t say it, Velk agreed. He had visited many great cities, but he had never seen a place like this in his life.
He could only stand there with his mouth agape, lost in admiration.
“First, before you enter, we’ll conduct a simple entry screening.”
“Entry screening?”
“It’s a procedure to confirm whether you are qualified to come to Eden. You just need to answer my questions. Oh, and lies won’t work, so please only tell the truth.”
Mirabelle began her questions.
“Are you two in a master-slave relationship?”
They nodded.
“Miss Ceryl, were you forced into slavery?”
“Well… yes, but now I am Master Velk’s slave by my own will. That is certain.”
“Have you ever been subjected to violence by your master?”
“Um…”
Ceryl hesitated to speak.
She glanced furtively at Velk.
“Ceryl?”
“Um… does that include what happens at night?”
“Ceryl??”
“He’s the kindest person in the world, usually, but at night… he turns into a wolf. Ah, it’s not that I dislike it, not at all, I was just wondering…”
“Ceryl???”
“Of course! In fact, you could say that’s a very basic virtue a master should possess, so you don’t need to worry. Alright, that question is settled…”
A few more questions followed. Soon, Mirabelle asked the final one.
“Will the two of you continue to maintain your master-slave relationship in the future?”
Velk’s eyes narrowed.
“What is the purpose of this question?”
“The minimum requirement to reside in our Eden is to be a master and a slave. If you refuse to remain a slave, you cannot enter.”
Velk looked at Ceryl. Only she could answer this question.
The world did not look kindly upon slaves.
Just moments ago, she had nearly been killed for that very reason.
No matter how beautiful she was, no matter how kind her heart, that was the reality of being a slave. Nine times out of ten, a person would wish to be freed from slavery.
To that question, Ceryl’s answer was…
“Yes.”
An affirmation.
“Are you certain? If you are being threatened, or if you feel you have no other choice, please feel free to tell me. I can help you.”
“No. It’s true that when I first became a slave, I was upset and depressed. I thought I would never see the light again in my life. But my master saved me. I want to live the rest of my life repaying him.”
“Ceryl…”
“I will live as my master’s slave until this wretched life of mine comes to an end.”
Her eyes were filled with determination, so resolute that no words could sway her.
Mirabelle smiled brightly and nodded.
“Miss Ceryl, your feelings have been clearly conveyed. To test you any further would be a discourtesy to you both.”
“Then…?”
“I welcome you both to Eden! Normally, I would explain the city to you, but it’s too late today, and you must both be tired, so I will guide you to the guest lodgings. Is that alright?”
“Ah, yes, please.”
Mirabelle led the two to their lodgings.
“Please get a good night’s rest, and I will see you again tomorrow. Have a good night.”
After Mirabelle left, the two were alone.
Velk and Ceryl faced each other.
“Are we safe now?”
“It seems so.”
“Oh…”
Tears of overwhelming emotion welled up in Ceryl’s eyes. Velk pulled her into a warm embrace.
“You don’t have to worry anymore, Ceryl.”
“Yes, Master Velk.”
For the first time in a long while, they went to sleep in the same bed.