07. It's Mine.
07. It's Mine.
Budulbudul.
Killing intent!
The gaze of Yu Ina from the supreme race 『Noblesse』 was something a mere human like Jack couldn't endure.
Not just him—even the bodies of the slaves stuck to the wall were trembling violently.
Of course, Sihwan was the exception.
He wasn't even the target to begin with, and Bari was shielding him like a barrier, so there were no issues at all.
"This guy's got no sense of sight."
"Ugh... ugh...."
Even as his whole body shook uncontrollably and cold sweat drenched him, Jack stubbornly held on for some reason.
Truly the power of love.
They say humans exert their greatest strength when protecting someone.
That was exactly his situation right now.
To protect Luna, to restore Luna's honor, he fought against the terror of death.
That only made the other slaves even more panicked.
Especially Luna, who was stomping her feet with a face pale as a ghost.
She'd already liked him, but seeing him risk his life defying the master for her sake—how could that not be cool?
But at the same time, her chest felt like it was going to burst with worry.
'What the hell are you trying to do...!'
Just one glance.
That's all Yu Ina needed to kill Jack.
And yet, he was lifting his head to face her.
"Let's hear it. What do you want?"
Whether out of curiosity or sheer disbelief she couldn't hold back from asking, Yu Ina threw out the question.
What the hell could he want to be staring so insolently like this?
Jack strained to hold on, glancing at Bari standing like a shield between Yu Ina and Ryu Si-hwan.
"I... want an apology... from that... doll...! To Luna...!"
Sperm Receptacle.
He wanted an apology for that horrific insult.
He was staking his life on that alone.
If this were in a novel, it might even be praised for ages.
All sorts of flowery words lauding his pure heart, love, and sacrifice—it could be sung forever.
But not here.
No one, not even Luna herself, could agree with him beyond mere gratitude. No, better to say they'd given up.
Sihwan had clearly said he'd entrusted his slaves to Bari, so technically their relationship was akin to master and servant, and demanding an apology from her to a slave? Obviously absurd.
Above all, slaves can only receive apologies from other slaves—that's what made them slaves.
Even for Yu Ina, Bari was someone tricky to touch.
For starters, her exact identity was still unknown, but the abilities she'd shown so far were anything but low-level.
The way she'd produced the cigars at first, built the underground Base, expanded it, whipped up massive buildings in a snap—none of that was something even a 『Noblesse』 saw every day. And mastering the academic field of magic from scratch right there on the spot in just 10 minutes, then spamming countless Fireballs without incantation? That insane feat was literally worthy of being called an 'insane feat.'
That alone made her plenty touchy, but on top of it, she was the cherished doll of a Doll-fucker husband.
Unless he permitted it—and he obviously wouldn't—demanding an apology from her for a mere slave wasn't just absurd; it was beyond her power.
If it were possible, Sihwan wouldn't be jerking her around like this....
"That's hilarious."
Naturally, Sihwan scoffed.
"Looks like this guy's training is lacking. Didn't they teach you back at the main house?"
"No way. This guy's an Irregular."
Yu Ina, now even chillier, started seriously considering disposal.
Just surviving this far meant Jack had already lost 80% of his value as a slave.
"Master!!"
At that moment, Luna—who'd been trembling against the wall—knelt down beside Jack.
Then, with her right hand, she firmly pressed down on the back of Jack's head, slamming her own forehead to the floor.
From the sudden sneak attack, even Jack—who'd held out so long—had his forehead hit the ground.
"We were out of line. We're sorry. We'll gladly take our punishment, so please quell your anger."
"Lu, Luna...!"
"W-we beg you too! We're sorry!!"
The remaining two male slaves and Rina followed, pressing their foreheads to the floor.
A touching scene of everyone stepping up for their comrade.
But Yu Ina still glared down at them coldly, radiating icy fury.
"Luna, you're out. Don't butt in. You too."
"Master...."
They pleaded earnestly, but no dice.
Sure, Yu Ina had crumbled a lot in front of Sihwan, but at her core, she was a cold, ruthless woman.
She cherished Luna and showed her affection, but that was it. Defiance wasn't tolerated.
"Hey, whatever. The owner of those male slaves is me anyway, right?"
"...."
Yu Ina silently nodded.
She might be the top authority in this mansion, but Jack and his group had technically been dispatched to Sihwan.
"So I'll decide the punishment. No problem, right?"
"Fine. But execution is tricky. For that, we'd need to notify the main house."
She added it just in case.
Fortunately(?), Sihwan had no intention of killing Jack.
"Execution? That's brutal. You think I'd do that? I'm a good guy."
"...."
Yu Ina looked exasperated.
But as always, Sihwan didn't give a damn.
"This guy's just like that, right? Got a thing for Luna despite being a slave, so he's rebelling like this. That's how guys are. They wanna act cool in front of a girl they like. Kinda natural, if you think about it."
"So what's your point."
"It's natural for a guy, but zero points as a slave. Killing him's overkill, so just adjust that part, yeah?"
"...Hah."
Yu Ina, roughly guessing Sihwan's intent, clicked her tongue.
"Luna called him Jack, so that's probably his name? Jack, you're gonna be a eunuch. That's your master's first order."
"!!!"
Jack's heart plummeted.
A eunuch....
All he did was... ask for an apology... anyone could see he was in the right... and now a eunuch...? That's too much!
Luna's heart ached too.
Even knowing it could never happen, of course it was sad if he became a eunuch.
"Sigh... that do it?"
"Yeah. At least for this issue."
"Fine... Normally, castrating a male slave requires main house approval. Slave breeding's important. But since the slave's clearly at fault here, we can handle it arbitrarily and report after. This really settles it?"
"Yeah. That works."
Yu Ina nodded and turned her gaze to Jack, still kneeling.
Same position as before, but the power in her gaze was different now.
Puk!
The sound of something bursting.
Jack's pants soaked through wetly, a pool of blood forming around him as the metallic stench of blood rose.
"...Aaaaagh!!!!"
"...!!"
Jack let out a bloodcurdling scream, clutching his crotch with both hands and rolling on the floor, while the slaves who'd been kneeling nearby flinched away in shock.
"I made sure he won't die. You lot take good care of him. Luna and Rina, follow me."
"......Yes."
The two male slaves Yu Ina pointed to dragged Jack into the room, and the downcast Luna and Rina stood up.
.
.
Back to the dining room.
The food had gone cold, so they tossed it all and had to prepare fresh.
"I've got a question."
In the much heavier atmosphere than usual, Yu Ina spoke up.
"You see a fellow human treated as a slave and feel nothing?"
"What's that out of nowhere?"
"That's why. You don't look angry or sad at all."
It was, in a way, a natural question.
Yu Ina was genuinely curious.
"You don't get humans yet. Humans enslave other humans too—does it matter if another race enslaves humans?"
"Hard to understand. Why enslave your own kind? Why not rescue them?"
"I'm the one who doesn't get it. Why waste my time and resources rescuing them just because they're the same species?"
"......Your answer's so selfish it transcends imagination—I don't even know what to say."
From Yu Ina's perspective, it was utterly baffling.
In the world, how could someone see their own kind enslaved and suffering and ask why they should save them?
She had no clue what to even reply.
"Humans are a greedy species that heavily otherizes."
Out of nowhere, Eleonore—who'd been quietly eating—spoke up.
This was the first time she'd opened her mouth since the meal started, including the Jack incident.
"They form groups for symbiosis, but they constantly amplify only the differences between themselves and others, exclude them from the fold, and ultimately classify them as enemies. At that point, 'species' loses all meaning. Add desire to the mix, and things spiral into utter horror."
"Oh. Ellie, you know your stuff? But didn't you ask something similar before?"
"I knew it intellectually... but then I was convinced."
"I see."
Was her inner explainer self, dormant for a bit, revived? She was saying some pretty plausible stuff.
"What a petty, frail species."
"That's why they've advanced like this. Even made Bari."
"Desire is the mother of progress."
"Dunno. Looking back at history, humans self-destructed from that desire. And they still fight among themselves."
"What, are you guys different? Didn't you lot lose the Tower to greed too?"
"We didn't lose it to greed, but... whatever."
What was the point of saying more?
Their values were worlds apart.
"But saying that means you're aware slavery's wrong?"
"What're you talking about."
"Come on. You said it doesn't faze you? You're asking how I feel seeing a slave of my own species because you think slavery's wrong."
"Wrong...? No? It's natural to be ruled if you're weak. Feelings might get hurt, sure. Like that male slave earlier. Emotions get bruised. But does that make it wrong? Dunno."
"If democrats heard you, you'd be on the guillotine."
"?"
"Nothing."
"What about you? You don't seem to outright deny slavery—why say that?"
"Nah, just wanted to know how Noblesse think about it."
"What a joker."
"Yeah, reflex."
"...."