Chapter 56: A Change of Heart
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 56: A Change of Heart
After a great deal of trouble, we made it back to the inn, but the scene was a disaster.
The Reaper's rampage had sliced off one side of the inn as neatly as a fruit cube. To make matters worse, a storm was raging, turning the whole place into a complete mess.
The innkeeper, a rhino beastkin awakened by the commotion, was sitting on the floor, a look of utter devastation on his face.
When he saw me enter, his eyes met mine, and he charged, stomping his feet. He threatened me with his horn, demanding I pay for the repairs since it was all my fault.
This is unfair.
If my slave had caused this, I would naturally take responsibility. That’s a master’s duty.
But Mirabelle isn’t my slave anymore, is she? He should be taking it up with Mirabelle, or her guardian, Naredi. Why come after me?
Besides, the innkeeper showed up late; he couldn't have known the Reaper was here. He had no grounds to place the blame squarely on me.
I had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
It’s blatant discrimination against humans.
He’d been like that from the start. He hadn't wanted to accept me, a human, or Rin, a pink fox, and I’d only managed to get a room by throwing money at him.
Now that he’d suffered a financial loss, he was obviously trying to pin it on me.
Of course, the innkeeper had no intention of listening to my side of the story. Just as I was resigning myself to paying for the damages, Seira stepped forward.
“I am Seira, a team leader from the Immigration Department. In this case, you can receive financial support from the Disaster Management Office. I suggest you visit them when morning comes. I will also do my best to assist you.”
“Hmm, if you say so, Lady Seira…”
The rhino beastkin reluctantly backed down.
Thanks to her, I avoided the financial loss, but sleeping in a wrecked inn was out of the question. We needed to find shelter from the rain.
It was already hard to find an inn that would take in a pink fox like Rin, and wandering around in this storm…
“For now, please come to my home.”
Once again, it was Seira who offered a helping hand.
“I’m grateful, of course, but are you sure it’s alright?”
“If any problems arise, I can just bill you for them. Besides, I don’t think you’re in any position to be worrying about my circumstances.”
Seira glanced at Rin, who was trembling in my arms.
Despite being wrapped in my coat, Rin was shivering uncontrollably, soaked to the bone. She had new injuries that needed tending to as well.
I wasn't in a position to be picky.
“Then I’ll gratefully accept your offer.”
*
Seira’s house was located on the outskirts of the city. It took us a long walk to get there.
It was a modest two-story house.
The furniture inside was nothing special, and its most defining feature, if you could call it that, was the mess.
It was hard to find a place to step. This was less a wolf’s den and more a pigsty.
A room often reflects its owner’s inner self. You can learn about a person by how they keep their home. From this, one could surmise that Seira was lazy.
“I’ve been too busy to clean. I’ve been working overtime every single day because of you, you know.”
“I didn’t say a word.”
Seira rattled off excuses, hastily flinging things aside with her hands and kicking them out of sight with her feet.
The house now looked clean, at least on the surface. I lit a fire in the fireplace and laid Rin down nearby.
First, I dried her off. I used a towel on her wet fur and carefully squeezed the water from her rain-soaked tail, making sure not to hurt her.
She’s being unusually obedient.
I hadn't issued any commands, yet Rin didn't resist, simply watching my hands as I worked. She must have been too exhausted to fight back after all that running.
It made my job easier, so I wasn't complaining. I applied medicine to her wounds and wrapped them in bandages, finishing the first aid.
“I’m going to report this incident to my superiors. Feel free to use the space as you wish, just don’t go up to the second floor.”
“Thank you.”
With Seira’s permission, I rummaged through the house for what I needed. I folded a few dry blankets to make a bed and placed Rin on top, covering her with another soft blanket.
Once Rin was taken care of, I lay down on the sofa to catch my breath. There was something I needed to think about.
That thing from before…
Mirabelle’s Reaper. There was no doubt.
Why did it show up here?
The Reaper’s movements were largely unrestricted. It had zipped back and forth across the city in an instant when it took revenge on Harold.
For it to appear in Vestia meant…
It’s here for revenge against me, isn’t it?
She must be getting revenge for how I treated her as a slave.
Sure, I hugged her a bit, poked her belly fat, squished her cheeks, and sniffed her hair, but!
That’s no reason to send a Reaper to kill me!
What if Rin had gotten hurt? If I hadn't escaped that morning… Ugh, it’s horrifying just to think about.
Returning kindness with vengeance. It just goes to show, no matter how well you raise them, it’s all for nothing. I have to make sure Rin never turns out like that.
“Haaaah.”
A yawn escaped me. Being woken up and forced to run around had made me even more tired.
Drowsiness washed over me, but I couldn't sleep tonight. The Reaper had retreated once, but it could come back.
Just get through tonight.
*
Tidik, tidik.
The crackle of sparks from the fire filled the living room with a cozy ambiance. After some time had passed, Rin peeked her head out from where she’d been buried in the blankets.
Running around in the middle of the night must have been exhausting, because Karami’s resolve to stay awake had been crushed by sleep. He was fast asleep, snoring away.
Rin blinked a few times, staring at the bandages and blanket wrapped around her body, before turning her gaze to Karami.
“…”
Rin rose cautiously. She padded softly toward the sofa on all fours and then leaped up onto it.
She stared at Karami’s sleeping face, her nose just inches away. There was a small scratch on his cheek—an injury he’d gotten when he rolled to catch her.
Rin licked the wound, only pulling her tongue away when his face was covered in her saliva.
Then, Rin settled on Karami’s stomach, curling up into a ball.
Sniff, sniff. She took in his scent. It was a refreshing forest aroma, but within it, Karami’s own scent was one that put her heart at ease.
Rin burrowed her head deeper into his stomach and closed her eyes.
*
“Gah!”
Karami’s eyes flew open. The unconscious realization that he had been sleeping jolted him awake.
Despite warning himself that he absolutely could not fall asleep tonight, he had apparently slept soundly. Sunlight streamed through the window; it was morning.
Quickly gathering his wits, Karami first checked to see if Rin was safe. Thankfully, the house was just as it had been last night, but Rin was gone from her spot by the fireplace.
Did she run away?
Worried she’d be unable to move if the Reaper appeared, Karami hadn't issued any commands to restrain her.
He hadn't chained her, either. He had planned on staying awake, so he hadn't thought it necessary, and finding chains in the middle of the night would have been difficult anyway.
This was no time to stand around.
He had to find Rin as quickly as possible. With the help of the cat people scattered throughout the city, finding her distinctive pink fur wouldn't be too difficult.
“You’re awake?”
“Seira?”
Seira emerged from the kitchen, holding a mug of hot coffee. She was wearing the same office attire as yesterday, and dark circles ringed her eyes.
Signs of having pulled an all-nighter.
“When did you get back?”
“Not long ago. Why do you look so frantic?”
“Rin is gone.”
Seira took a sip of her coffee with a deadpan expression. She licked the coffee from her lips before speaking calmly.
“Then what’s that on top of you?”
“Huh?”
Only after Seira spoke did Karami look down and discover Rin curled up on his stomach. She was sleeping soundly, like a little fox cub.
Once he registered her presence, he felt a slight weight that he hadn't noticed until now.
“Why is she here…?”
This was the same Rin who had stubbornly insisted on sleeping on the hard floor, even when he’d tried to tempt her onto the bed. She was especially wary of humans, so Karami hadn't forced her.
For her to climb onto his stomach of her own free will was, to Karami, nothing short of ironic.
“Looks like she had a change of heart.”
A change of heart.
Karami mulled over Seira’s words as he looked at Rin.
Had all the meat he’d fed her finally paid off? Maybe his [Generous Master] skill was kicking in. He gently stroked her head, careful not to wake her.
“There’s something more important to discuss. It’s about the Reaper.”
“Was there damage elsewhere?”
“Yes. I thought it had left peacefully, but it seems it went on a bit of a rampage. However… its targets were strange.”
What did she mean, its targets were strange? Karami remained silent, waiting for Seira to continue. She shared the information she’d gathered overnight.
“The only ones attacked were the street cat people.”
“The street cat people… you mean…”
Seira nodded, as if confirming Karami’s suspicion.
“All of them were individuals contracted to you as slaves. Fortunately, not a single one of them died.”
“No one died?”
“According to their testimony, they were struck by the Reaper’s scythe and collapsed, but a moment later, they got up completely unharmed. They said they don’t feel any aftereffects, either. But…”
Seira’s voice trailed off.
“Why are you making that face?”
Karami’s expression was strange. His eyes were wide, as if he’d seen a ghost.
She hadn’t known Karami for long, but this was the first time Seira had ever seen him look so shocked.
“You…?”
He didn’t respond, just stared into empty space. Had he been possessed by the Reaper? Seira started to feel uneasy.
Karami couldn’t tear his eyes away from the empty air. No, it was only empty air to others. In his vision, he could see something no one else could.
A system window, though it wasn't quite a status screen.
It hovered before his eyes.
[Fully Liberate the Main Slaves. Progress: 2/5]
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[Fully Liberate the Main Slaves. Progress: 1/5]