Chapter 333: The Slave City of Eden (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 333: The Slave City of Eden (4)
The three of them descended the stairs into the underground.
It was not dark.
The space was filled with brilliant white luminous stones, so bright it was hard to tell if it was day or night.
This subterranean level was about half the size of the city above. And though it was only half, it was still vast enough to rival a moderately sized city.
A city beneath the city.
It was, in the truest sense, an underground metropolis.
Possessing a charm entirely different from the world above, the underground left Belk and Seril looking around like wide-eyed children.
“The heat is incredible…”
“You can say that again.”
Though a cooling system using magic tools was running at full capacity throughout the underground, it couldn’t suppress the intense heat generated by the hammering dwarves.
Beads of sweat dripped from their brows.
“The dwarven slaves are indispensable to our Eden. They build the city’s structures and craft the accessories and magic tools you saw earlier.”
“Dwarves are famous for their exceptional craftsmanship.”
“The items made by dwarves are of such high quality that we sell them to other kingdoms. A portion of the profits goes to taxes, but most of it goes to the masters and the slaves.”
“Is there no exploitation?”
It was a perfectly normal suspicion.
In the outside world, it was commonplace for dwarves, who loved to hammer, to be worked so harshly they could no longer lift a hammer.
Rumors even circulated that dwarves hid in their tunnels not because they feared dragons, but because they feared humans.
But this was the slave city of Eden. Such things were never allowed to happen.
“It is a master’s right to command a slave. It is a slave’s duty to obey. However, that does not mean they should be exploited. A master must know how to cherish and love their slaves. If they break that rule, I will pass judgment.”
As she spoke, Mirabelle’s expression turned cold for the first time since the tour began.
She didn’t say judgment would be passed, but that she would pass it. Her tone implied she truly had the power to do so.
Considering she had effortlessly dispatched even a Knight Order as if it were nothing, perhaps she really could.
Then, just as quickly, she broke into a bright smile, returning to the girl she was before.
“Shall we continue?”
Mirabelle led them along the main underground thoroughfare, deeper into the city.
Gradually, they moved away from the center, and the crowds began to thin.
“How far are we going?”
“As I mentioned, the place we’re headed to is quite… niche. It needs to be separated from daily life, so it’s a bit far out.”
“So much so that it needs to be separated from daily life…”
What in the world could be there?
After walking for some time, they stopped before a large gate. When Mirabelle opened it and they stepped inside, another world greeted them.
The underground had initially been planned solely as a dwelling for the dwarven slaves, but it had undergone massive renovations to reflect the opinions of newly arrived masters and slaves.
The result was the addition of a secret hideout, a place coalesced from the dark tastes of its residents.
This was that place.
Unlike the surface, which was so befitting of its nickname, “Paradise,” this area was painted in a completely different color.
Red lanterns, exuding a sensuous atmosphere, cast a dim, hazy glow over the underground.
On the streets, naked slaves of various races crawled on the ground, collars fastened around their necks. Masked masters were taking their slaves for a walk.
Though their faces were flushed with shame, none of the slaves tried to cover their bodies. They were clearly enjoying this walk.
For Belk and Seril, it was a profound shock, but for Mirabelle, it was a familiar sight.
“Shall we start here?”
She led the two, who had frozen stiff, to a luxurious building.
The entrance alone was extraordinary.
Women were inside glass tubes arranged on the left and right, all of them perfectly still. They had peaceful expressions, as if they were sleeping.
It was a mystical and beautiful sight.
“Dolls…?”
It looked exactly like a display of dolls.
“That’s right. This is the Dollhouse. Of course, they aren’t real dolls. They’re actual people.”
“P-People, you say?”
Seril jumped in surprise at the word “people.” She had assumed they were just lifelike dolls made by a skilled dwarf…
“Haven’t you ever had a thought like that? The desire to only show your most beautiful self to the one you love, for all of eternity.”
“Is there anyone who hasn’t? I imagine it’s especially true for women.”
A person’s appearance changes with age.
Wrinkles form, skin loses its elasticity, and the light in one’s eyes dims. The unstoppable flow of time is the arch-nemesis of all women.
Everyone must have thought it at least once.
He loves me now, but will he still love me when I’m old and no longer beautiful?
What if he comes to dislike me?
“So I thought of a way. A way to remain by my master’s side forever, preserving my current beauty. And that is to become a doll.”
The soul is separated from the body, and all biological functions are halted. This stops the aging process.
Magic is used to prevent decay, preserving the body permanently.
This is linked to the soul contract. By binding the master’s and slave’s souls as one, the slave can remain with the master even in death.
The body remains by the master’s side, just as beautiful as it is now.
“Furthermore, consciousness resides within the soul, so they can see normally and even converse with their master within his mind. And…”
Mirabelle looked at Seril and smiled playfully.
“A body from which the soul has departed is, quite literally, a living doll. It cannot resist in any way. For instance, even if the master were to handle the body as he pleases.”
“That’s…”
“Aren’t you curious? How a master would handle a body that cannot resist? He would surely pour out all the inner desires he normally keeps hidden. And you know, the kinder the master, the greater those desires tend to be.”
Mirabelle spoke with such detail, as if from experience.
Seril swallowed hard. Her eyes, now hazy, darted toward Belk for a moment.
Then she snapped back to her senses.
“B-But if the soul leaves the body, isn’t that the same as dying?”
“Absolutely not. The master possesses the slave’s soul, so they can awaken at any time just by returning the soul to the body. However, not a single one has chosen to awaken yet.”
“Why not?”
“They all came to a realization. For a slave, liberation is not about regaining freedom.”
People live their lives carrying immense anxiety and fear.
What should I eat?
What do I have to do tomorrow?
What about the future?
What if I get sick?
What if I get old?
An endless series of torments.
A life full of anxiety.
The shackles of life.
But by becoming a slave and offering one’s body, mind, and soul to a master, one no longer has to feel such things.
One can live without a single worry, without a single thought.
“Liberation from a meaningless life. Eternal rest. That is the true liberation of a slave. Furthermore, it is the ultimate goal in life that all people in this world should pursue.”
Mirabelle closed her eyes and clasped her hands together, an ecstatic smile on her lips.
“I, too, am eagerly awaiting the day I can cast off this small body and enter that rest, entrusting my all to my master.”
“Hmm…”
“This might still be a difficult concept for you, Seril. But I firmly believe that the day you understand my words will come.”
*
The underground world Mirabelle guided them through was filled with things they could never have imagined.
There were slaves whose personalities had been expunged, turning them into living sex toys.
Others were petrified and kept as decorations in homes.
Some had their limbs magically removed, forcing them to crawl on the floor. The sight of a prideful celestial crawling like a turtle was a considerable shock.
Mirabelle explained that with the help of magic, she could return to her original body at any time, but judging by her expression, it seemed she would live like that forever.
She looked far happier crawling on the ground than she ever did flying in the lofty skies.
While moving, Belk and Seril also spotted a group.
There were two masters and two slaves. They exchanged their slaves with one another and then disappeared.
“What was that just now?”
“Well… sometimes there are masters and slaves with peculiar tastes. Some masters enjoy seeing their slave being embraced by another master, and some slaves enjoy being embraced by another master…”
“That’s insane.”
“I admit, I still don’t quite understand that one myself… and I probably never will. But as long as it’s done with everyone’s consent and they aren’t causing any trouble, there’s no justification to sanction it, so we have to let it be.”
As a city of slaves, freedom had to be guaranteed.
That was the rule of Eden.
If they started imposing restrictions on things they disliked, the very foundation of the city would crumble.
This was why the underground could be maintained.
Whether master or slave, they had all come here voluntarily and had chosen all their actions of their own free will.
They were simply doing their best to be liberated from their tedious lives.
In a way, they were the most optimized citizens of Eden.
Of course, this applied to masters and slaves who were accustomed to the city, not to the two who had just arrived.
Unable to endure this world they could not yet comprehend, they returned to the surface.
Seril took a deep breath of the clear air. The sights she had witnessed underground made her feel dizzy.
“I don’t think I’ll ever have a reason to go underground again…”
“I agree.”
Though Belk and Seril said this, Mirabelle knew something they did not.
Those people in the underground had once been newcomers, too. There was a time when they were as pure as these two were now.
Soon enough, they too would struggle to break free from their boring lives.
And they would descend into the underground.
In pursuit of pleasure.
Mirabelle could see it.
“This concludes the tour. Allow me to greet you both once more.”
Mirabelle curtsied, holding the hem of her skirt.
“Welcome, new master and slave! To the paradise of slaves. A heartfelt welcome to Eden!”