episode_0041

When I opened the door, I saw a man standing with his arms crossed in a slouched posture.

“Hello?”

He seemed like a neighbor on the same floor, so I smiled and greeted him. Outwardly, I was smiling, but internally, I had different thoughts.

“Could this guy be spouting nonsense like Pimax?”

Perhaps because I had experienced that before, my thoughts naturally flowed in that direction. More than anything, the man’s slouched posture and disgruntled expression didn’t seem to suggest he was here to tell a positive story.

“Are you guys the ones who have come up instead of Pimax this time?”

The man shouted in a discourteous manner, matching his slouched posture.

Upon hearing the man’s words, it felt like he had come to preach as a fortune-teller or a cult missionary.

I immediately wanted to close the door.

“I’m not buying. I’ve already read the newspaper and I’m an atheist.”

After habitually uttering those words, as I tried to close the door, the man put his foot in the doorway and grabbed the closing door with his hand.

“What nonsense is this!? I’m asking if you guys are the lucky ones who came up instead of Pimax!”

The door shook as if in a struggle. Just as I belatedly regained my senses and tried to open the door again…

Thud!

A trembling hand from behind forcefully grabbed the door that was being closed. It was a small hand, almost like a child’s.

“Hey -”

“Eek…!? Bi… Bianca?!”

A husky female voice came from beyond the door.

As the woman’s voice came through, the man, who until a moment ago had a thuggish face, cowered like a frightened rabbit, hunching his shoulders.

“Don’t bother the one who doesn’t want it and leave, okay?”

“Why are you here…?”

“Well, because there’s someone I care about here.”

“…! I see!”

In an instant, the man fell away from the door and bowed to the person called Bianca.

“I apologize!”

“Tell the others too. I told you not to mess around with the guy I’ve got my eye on.”

“Yes!”

The man turned his head while hoping for a face that said “He’s alive.” Thanks to him letting go earlier, the door was wide open.

The person called Bianca was a tall woman who looked to be about 170cm. Her body was slender yet firm.

Her chest was quite small, but her lower half was full. Her face was cat-like, and if a Siamese cat was a proud house cat, Bianca felt more like a playful kitten.

“Hmm, is this where ‘that inspector’ is?”

“Pardon? That inspector?”

Unable to understand what was being said, Bianca widened her eyes and looked behind me.

“Kyaa! I knew it was here after all!”

She was looking at Iris, who was standing right behind me.

“Are you here to meet Iris?”

“Yeah! That’s right! Your name is Iris? What a lovely name!”

Bianca spoke with a delighted expression, like a child meeting a mascot at an amusement park. Unless she had come to pick a fight like a troublemaker, there was no reason not to let her into the house.

“If that’s the case, please come in! We haven’t been here long, so we don’t have much to offer, but we can have a comfortable chat.”

“Thank you!”

I let Bianca into the house, and Iris clung to my back without letting go.

It didn’t seem like Iris was doing this because she disliked Bianca; her gaze didn’t even turn toward Bianca. It just seemed like a habit.

I walked with Bianca toward the living room sofa, with Iris clinging to my back like a snail shell. After Bianca sat down on one side, I sat on the other.

Iris sat on my lap?

“Iris…?”

It wasn’t unpleasant. Iris wasn’t heavy either. In fact, she was so light that it made me think I should increase my food intake.

However, the surprising reason was that Iris naturally sat on my knees. At that moment, I was so unaware of what was strange.

“…?”

Iris looked down at me with a puzzled expression.

“Oh.”

I belatedly realized why Iris was behaving this way.

Whenever there were slaves around, she seemed worried about being teased, so she had learned to sit on someone’s knees, which made her think she had to sit on someone’s knees when sitting on the sofa.

“Sit next to Iris. When there’s plenty of room, just sit next to her.”

As I held Iris’s waist and guided her to the adjacent seat, she blinked her eyes and nodded.

“Haha, the siblings get along well,” Bianca said with a cheerful smile. She seemed quite pleased.

“Now, should I introduce myself? I am Bianca, the gladiator who currently occupies the highest floor in this arena.”

“….!”

The highest floor, a heavenly place where the most star-studded and powerful individuals in the arena can enjoy.

Saying that she uses that place meant that Bianca was an immensely formidable figure.

“The top gladiators can come and go regardless of the floor. They can walk around without a slave collar.”

Bianca tapped her neck. As she said, there was no decoration on her neck.

“When you reach the top floor, it’s hard to control with something like a collar, and more importantly, choices are given then.”

“Choices?”

When I showed curiosity and asked, Bianca winked and said,

“It wouldn’t be fun if you found out more than that, right? Reach the top floor yourself and find out!”

“Ugh…”

My lips pursed at her words, like a TV program ending at a crucial moment. Then Bianca laughed heartily and said,

“-If I told you, it would be too unlucky, wouldn’t it? Right? It’ll take at least a few years, even if you try.”

Bianca’s gaze turned to Iris. Iris just stared at me with a blank face. Bianca didn’t pay attention to Iris’s appearance and continued speaking.

“Whether we can arrive at the top floor in good condition is uncertain. So, by the way… If it’s okay, Iris, would you like to go to the top floor with me?”

“The top floor? Can we easily go up there like that?”

Even though I asked, Bianca answered without taking her eyes off Iris.

“Yes, if Iris becomes my disciple, I can take her to the top floor as a master and disciple.”

“Master and… disciple?”

“Haha, actually, I was captivated when I saw Iris wielding the sword and came looking for her!”

Bianca chuckled and patted her on the back.

“As soon as I saw her mercilessly killing demons, I thought, ‘Ah! That’s the one!’”

Bianca got up from the sofa and moved to sit next to Iris. Iris still did not look at Bianca.

Rather than ignoring her, it seemed as if she wasn’t aware of her presence at all. Smiling as if finding that aspect of Iris cute, Bianca spoke seriously.

“Iris, if you don’t have a master, I want to become your master and let you write the history of the sword. If it’s okay, will you join me?”

Iris just looked at me without responding. Bianca remained silent, waiting for Iris’s response.

Seeing that eternal silence might continue, Bianca gently shook Iris and said,

“How do you feel, Iris?”

“Hmm?”

Iris tilted her head as if she hadn’t heard anything Bianca said.

“If Iris doesn’t have a sword master, Bianca would like to be Iris’s sword master. If Iris follows Bianca… hmm?”

Before finishing her sentence, Iris raised her head. At the same time, she tightly grabbed my clothes.

“Krk…”

A tsunami of emotion swept over her at the gesture that seemed to say, “I won’t go anywhere without you.” Wiping away the tears pouring down like a waterfall inside, she spoke to Bianca.

“Seems like Iris doesn’t want to be separated from me. Probably because she’s my only family.”

“Hmm… that’s awkward,” said Bianca, furrowing her brow.

“You can’t be taken to the top floor because you’ve already been sold,” she continued.

“I’ve been sold?”

I immediately recalled the zombie I had encountered today.

“I thought I got away with it, but I was already sold?!”

The thought of possibly parting ways with Iris sent shivers down my spine. Seeing my tense expression, Bianca raised her hand.

“Even if you’re sold, it’s the usage rights that are sold, not you.”

“Usage rights?”

“Yeah, in this arena, when a slave fighter gains enough popularity, their usage rights are sold to those with money or power. In simple terms, it’s like a ticket to play with them as if they were toys.”

Relieved that I wouldn’t be sold outside, I sighed.

“Phew… I’m glad. I was flustered at the thought of parting ways with Iris.”

“Hahaha! The way you both care for each other is really cute.”

Bianca laughed joyfully and then addressed Iris once more.

“If you follow me, you won’t have to worry about your usage rights being sold, and you can participate in fights as you please without risking your life. You can completely let go of the slave life.”

Bianca explained in a calm voice.

“And you won’t have to engage in those annoying petty fights like earlier.”

“Petty fights?”

“It’s a side effect of gathering similar strong individuals on each floor.”

Bianca earnestly answered and asked again.

“How about it? It’s quite a good deal. Oh! And you can even learn swordsmanship from a genius swordsman!”