Chapter 331: Eden, the City of Slaves (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 331: Eden, the City of Slaves (2)
“Did you two sleep well?”
The next morning.
Mirabelle came to see Velk and Seril.
“Quite well, thanks to you. The accommodations were excellent, comparable even to my own chambers at home.”
“Our Master always says that first impressions are the most important. We take special care to ensure there are no discomforts.”
“An excellent mindset. And a fundamental one, at that. Though many ignoramuses fail to grasp even such basics.”
Mirabelle gave a light laugh.
“You said you would be our guide today?”
“Yes.”
As promised the day before, Mirabelle intended to give the two a tour of Eden.
One might wonder why the son of a marquis would need a city tour, as if he were some country bumpkin, but Eden was no ordinary city.
After all, it was the world's first city of slaves—a place that had never existed before.
Thus, Velk did not refuse.
“Shall we get going, then?”
Mirabelle led the way, with Velk and Seril following side-by-side.
Velk gazed intently at Mirabelle’s back.
The girl who called herself their guide appeared to be a cute maid of considerable beauty.
But yesterday, she had single-handedly subdued and disposed of an entire knight order.
Velk was no mage and had little knowledge of magic, but that had unmistakably been teleportation.
Spatial magic that only one who had reached the level of an Archmage could wield.
Not only that, but she had also perfectly healed Seril's wounds, which should have left gruesome scars. One could have called her a Saint.
But here, it was highly likely that…
“Are you a witch?”
“Yes.”
“…You admit it more readily than I expected.”
“Of course. It’s no secret here. There are many other witches besides me.”
“I suppose I have no choice but to believe that it’s no secret.”
Velk looked around.
He had seen the city yesterday, but it had been nighttime, and he’d had no time to look around at his leisure, having just escaped.
So this was his first time truly seeing it.
Yesterday, he thought he had seen some kind of bird flying about, but he was wrong.
Celestials.
Beings whose very existence was considered legend soared through the city's skies, flapping their white wings. And not just one, but many of them.
What was truly unbelievable was that demons were flying alongside them. They chatted amicably with smiles on their faces, as if they were friends.
“Weren’t Celestials and Demons mortal enemies?”
“They’re famous for not getting along. But it is our Master's command that they not fight and get along with each other. So, they must obey.”
“Are you saying they are all slaves as well?”
“Of course. Only masters and slaves can live in Eden.”
Velk looked at them once more. This time, he noticed things he hadn't seen at first.
“One of their horns is missing.”
Seril had noticed the same thing.
For a demon, their horns were a source of pride and dignity. Regardless of gender, the bigger and longer the horns, the more popular one was in demon society. They were meticulously groomed and cared for.
Yet one of those horns was cleanly cut off.
“At first, the demons strongly resisted becoming slaves. But thanks to the persuasion of the Demon Queen, Liliabel, they too became slaves. They had their horns cut as a symbol of their vow to never again defy our Master.”
“Hmm…”
“O-Of course, they cut them off voluntarily. Our Master was strongly against it, but they insisted that if they didn't cut their horns, they would eventually rebel again…”
Mirabelle quickly added the explanation, lest he misunderstand.
But there was a part of the story Mirabelle left out.
It was true that the demons had their horns cut voluntarily, but they didn't cut them with their own hands.
They brought a saw and asked Karami to cut them off.
A demon's horns, much like a beastkin's tail, an elf's ears, or a celestial's wings, are body parts with a high concentration of nerves.
It was said that sawing through them would flood the brain with such an intense pleasure that it could turn one into an idiot….
This was also what prompted the Demon Queen Liliabel to so fervently pledge her loyalty to Karami.
Since they only have two horns, it's a sensation they can only experience twice in their lifetime, but cutting off both is said to truly turn one into an idiot.
So, they cut one when pledging their loyalty. Cutting the other just before death became the demons' driving force in life, their ultimate goal.
Chatting about this and that, the first place Mirabelle led them to was a large shop.
Many people were already browsing inside.
“What is this place?”
“It’s an accessory shop. A place where masters gift accessories to their slaves.”
Seril examined the merchandise. It was different from the accessory shops people were familiar with.
There were hairpins, scarves, and bracelets, but no one paid them any mind.
What drew the customers' attention were shackles, chains, and piercings—all items related to slaves.
“They gift these kinds of things to slaves?”
“Yes. They are all items that show at a glance that one is our Master's slave. In Eden, we have a culture where a master gifts these to a slave when they are acknowledged as a true slave. My own shackle was a gift from my Master.”
Mirabelle proudly showed off the black shackle around her neck. But Velk couldn't quite comprehend their way of thinking.
“I understand what you mean, but aren't these a bit much to be used as adornments?”
“Necklaces and rings don't suit a slave. Shackles and chains do. A brand suits them better than makeup.”
“Hmm…”
Still unaccustomed to Eden's culture, Velk found it difficult to grasp.
Just then, he spotted Seril looking at a display stand. In her hand was a bright red, heart-shaped object.
“Where does this go? Is it a ring?”
“That's a piercing. It's up to the master where to put it, but they're usually worn on the chest or navel.”
“O-On the chest…”
Seril's cheeks flushed crimson.
She couldn't take her eyes off the heart-shaped piercing.
As if she were extremely interested.
“Seril?”
“Y-Yes?!”
“Let’s go somewhere else.”
“Ah, yes!”
Seril hastily put the piercing down and left. Even as she exited the shop, she glanced back, a look of longing on her face.
*
After that, the two followed Mirabelle to various other places.
A branding parlor where slaves were branded.
A slave salvation center, a place to become a savior and master to lonely slaves brought from the outside.
There was a whole host of facilities, including an ordinary casino.
While nothing immediately piqued his interest, one place did catch Velk's attention: the Soul Contract Sanctum, where the souls of master and slave were connected.
Even if their bodies and minds became one, their souls remained separate. How happy he would be if he could bind his soul to Seril's.
Seril seemed to be thinking the exact same thing.
And so, the two immediately tried to connect their souls as one, but…
“Only masters and slaves who have resided in Eden for over five years can form a soul contract.”
They were refused.
“Why is that?”
“Once souls are bound, they remain connected even in death. It's not something to be done out of a moment's curiosity.”
“This isn't a moment's curiosity. We are sincere.”
“That's right. You saw me swear to be Lord Velk's slave forever, didn't you, Lady Mirabelle?”
“That was merely a test to see your resolve. Even if you are sincere now, there's no guarantee your feelings won't change. The human heart is fickle. Especially that of a hot-blooded new master.”
If that were to happen, their bound souls would torment each other for all eternity. Through death and rebirth, again and again.
Therefore, a soul contract had to be entered into with the utmost caution.
“Please don't be too upset. If your bond endures, you will be able to do it one day.”
“…I understand.”
A rule was a rule, and he had no intention of throwing a childish tantrum. He gave up cleanly.
“Um, Lady Mirabelle.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“What in the world is that ice tower?”
Seril pointed to a tower erected in the north. It was so colossal its spire seemed to touch the sky, and the sunlight reflecting off it spread throughout the entire city.
“Ah, that. That's a tower guarded by a dragon, and inside lives Snow White.”
“A-A dragon?”
“Yes. Only those permitted by the princess may enter.”
The tower was guarded by the Ice Dragon Skadia.
The Snow White living in the tower was Azyeth.
There was just one problem. Azyeth had become obsessed with a different fairy tale. For the past few years, she had been growing out her hair so a prince could climb it, completely forgetting that her master lacked the physical strength to scale a tower.
“By any chance, that dragon…”
“Yes, she is also our Master's slave.”
“Wow…”
Seril knew who “our Master” was. It had to be the Slave Reaper.
To have a Demon Queen, Celestials, and even a dragon as slaves… It was beyond imagination.
She wanted to see his face, just once, to know what kind of person he was.
“By the way, I just realized something.”
“What is it?”
Velk glanced around.
“Aren't all the slaves here women?”
Here. There. Women in shackles, bearing brands, could be seen everywhere one looked.
Occasionally, men could be seen, but they were all masters.
All the slaves were women. Not a single male slave was in sight.
“You didn't know? All slaves who enter Eden must be female. Masters can be male, though.”
“Why is that?”
“Our Master, the founder of Eden, declared that he would only accept female slaves, no matter what.”
“I cannot accept that. Isn't that gender discrimination? Surely there are male slaves who also need help.”
“We get that question a lot. He told us to reply to those people like this.”
“And what is that?”
Mirabelle cleared her throat with a khm and imitated her master.
“If you have a problem with it, go make your own.”
A simple statement.
If you don't like it, do it yourself.