Chapter 182: Rest (2)

Chapter 182: Rest (2)

Denshi
blankly stared at the scene before her.

Today,
she had felt a chilly unease all day long.

It
was as if her position was on the verge of crumbling.

The
feeling that her position as the master’s only slave was precarious.

An
intuition that the master might have acquired another slave.

But
that was, literally, just intuition.

Perhaps
it could be called a woman’s intuition.

It
might simply have been due to poor condition or the loneliness caused
by the reduced concentration of the master’s saliva in her body.

Therefore,
she couldn’t be certain of her bad premonition, and that
uncertainty turned toward the women around Balkan.

“……”

Denshi
silently gasped in shock.

Women
who were dead drunk collapsed next to Balkan.

Cow
woman. Heavily armored bun-head woman. Cat woman. Harpy woman. Human
woman. Little girl woman. Slime woman. Woman. Woman. Woman!

Wherever
she looked, it was all women.

But
if you thought about it, it wasn’t surprising.

In
dangerous professions like being an adventurer, women naturally
formed the majority, and Eden was a place where only those of at
least mid-rank among adventurers could come.

‘Now
that I think about it, it was all women the last time too⋯’

It
was only natural that most of the master’s party members were
women.

On
usual days, it might have bothered her slightly but she would have
let it pass, yet for some reason today, the feeling was off.

‘Danger⋯’

Denshi,
knowing Balkan’s bare face, swallowed nervously.

Fortunately,
he always wore a helmet, but if the other party members were to see
Balkan’s bare face?

Denshi
knew its devastating power.

After
all, there was a time when she had lost her mind over it and could
think of nothing but assaulting her master.

It
wasn’t something that could be endured with reason or friendship.

She
could vividly imagine trusted party members suddenly turning and
attempting a collective assault, leaving her master hurt.

‘Although
my master isn’t someone who would be easily overpowered⋯’

As
someone who serves, worrying about him was inevitable.

Moreover,
in Eden, men weren’t always treated well.

“Is
he drunk?”

“Whoa⋯
Look at those arms⋯
Are you sure he’s just drunk?”

People
gazed at the master’s body with ominous expressions.

It
was obvious they were plotting something.

With
men being rare, lust starved individuals acted that way.

Long-unfulfilled,
sticky desires would naturally turn toward a man passed out drunk on
the street.

Click!

“Eek!
Hey! Are you crazy?! Put that crossbow away!”

“Shut
up. Back off!”

Denshi
growled like a madwoman, aiming a crossbow at those leering at her
master. The vultures reluctantly retreated, swallowing their
disappointment.

After
driving off the ominous hyenas, Denshi quickly approached her master.

She
had to wake him and take him to a safe place. Staying here could lead
to an unexpected attack.

“Master.
Please wake–”

Thump!

A
hand grabbed hers as she reached for Balkan.

Squeeze!

A
powerful grip tightened around her wrist.

Denshi’s
gaze turned toward the one who restrained her.

“Do
not touch the consort carelessly.”

Denshi
frowned at the strength displayed by the slightly thin and
youthful-looking girl.

And
instinctively, she realized it. Her intuition sounded the alarm.

“It’s
you, isn’t it?”

“What
are you talking about?”

“The
master’s new slave.”

At
those words, Belle’s expression became wide-eyed.

Her
hostility turned into a questioning look.

“How
did you⋯
figure that out?”

There
was no clear answer she could give. It was pure intuition.

But,
if there was one thing she was sure of⋯

“I
am the master’s first slave.”

By
now, Denshi even felt a strange pride in that fact.

Belle
understood the meaning behind Denshi’s words and hardened her
expression.

–What
the hell. Don’t you dare act up. How dare some newbie try to take
my place?

That
was the impression, slightly exaggerated.

Or
perhaps not so different after all.

The
two slaves glared at each other with hardened faces.

Denshi’s
hand moved toward her crossbow and knife, while Belle’s mouth began
to open.

“Oh,
is it Denshi?”

“Ugh⋯?!”

Click!

In
a drunken tone, Balkan tugged on the leash around Denshi’s neck.

Squeeze!

The
slave, yanked abruptly, was drawn into her master’s embrace.

Denshi’s
heart dropped.

“Gasp,
huff, M-Master⋯?”

“Yes,
yes. Fancy meeting you here again. Been a while.”

Balkan,
happily drunk, tugged at the leash around Denshi’s neck while
roughly ruffling her hair.

Thump.
Thump.

The
reassuring heartbeat of his solid, sturdy pectoral muscles resonated
in her ears.

The
thick, intoxicating pheromones of a dominant female filled the air.

His
rough hand tousled her hair.

An
arm that pulled the leash to just the right intensity.

A
grip familiar in strength and hold.

It
felt as though not only the leash on her neck but also the leash in
her heart had been seized completely.

With
just one gesture, he had imprinted the difference between master and
servant.

As
she soaked in her master’s dependable touch, the sharp wariness in
Denshi’s heart melted away.

“Say
hello. She’s your junior.”

At
Balkan’s words, Denshi’s gaze turned toward Belle.

“Junior⋯?”

“Belle,
you should greet your senior, too.”

“⋯⋯”

The
two women, with their master at the center, stared blankly at each
other until Belle bowed her head slightly and extended her hand to
Denshi.

Her
posture in the consort embrace was natural.

There
wasn’t a trace of hostility in her demeanor, and the leash on her
neck only emphasized the difference between the ruler and the ruled.

“I
didn’t realize this woman was serving consort. Let us work together
for his glory.”

“Oh,
uh⋯”

Caught
off guard, Denshi took Belle’s outstretched hand.

For
a moment, she felt flustered by the sense of respect, but then,
Belle’s words brought her sudden realization.

A
slave exists to serve her master.

A
slave’s purpose is to be her master’s faithful limbs.

But
what had she been doing until now?

She
had left for training to protect her master but hadn’t been there
when he walked the path of hardship.

What
was the point of becoming stronger if her master disappeared?

Up
to now, her actions had no meaning.

It
wasn’t about becoming stronger but about protecting her master.

“⋯Yes.
Together. For the master.”

While
losing her status as the only slave was bittersweet, her master’s
safety came first.

Having
realized this, Denshi’s sharp gaze softened as she firmly shook
Belle’s hand.

Belle
felt the same.

The
disheveled black-haired woman before her seemed deeply loyal to the
consort.

For
the creation of a more bountiful world of indulgence, the consort
needed to grow even stronger. Only then could she also regain her
original strength.

It
would be good to have even one more competent pawn by the consort
side.

“Exactly.
For the consort!”

“For
the master!”

United
by a common goal, the two slaves quickly bonded, smiling in
satisfaction as they firmly held each other’s hands.

Balkan
watched the scene with contentment.

It
seemed they would get along without causing trouble.

Now,
the remaining issue was⋯

“Heh.”

Someone
chuckled while staring at Denshi.

[Inter■t
LV.6■]
[Currently,
the blessings held by Intert■
■■:
■
items]

Intertt.

A
figure who is like a mentor to Denshi and follows the Puppeteer,
referring to them with reverence.

From
the cloak she wore, four mechanical arms emerged.

Alongside
them were four swords attached to her waist and back.

One
pair of arms crossed over her chest, another rested at her waist, and
the last one positioned itself near a sword handle, ready to draw at
any moment.

Her
movements, both wary of her surroundings and defensive, flowed
naturally, like water.

“Should
I say it’s been a while? Intertt.”

“With
this face, we would have only passed by each other briefly, yet you
recognized me so well.”

“I’m
quite sharp, you see.”

“Kuh…”

Intertt
smirked faintly, running a hand over her face.

Shhhh.

Intertt,
who had the blessing of disguise, began shifting her face to resemble
someone else stored in memory.

Her
appearance changed to that of an ordinary woman whom Balkan had once
encountered at Zirnier’s workshop.

Of
course, neither the face she was now showing nor the one just moments
before was likely her true face.

“When
I looked like this, I never told you my name.”

“I
happened to get a chance to hear it.”

“A
chance… Could that chance be the creature clinging to your side
now?”

Rub,
rub.

Intertt’s
gaze shifted to Denshi, who was snugly pressed against a pectoral
muscle, subtly rubbing her cheek against it.

Denshi’s
gaze also turned toward Intertt.

“I
told him about it. It wasn’t that big of a deal, right? Mentor?”

“……”

At
Denshi’s words, Intertt shook her head, exasperated, as though
looking at a mischievous, uncontrollable child.

“…You
really like Balkan, don’t you? I’ve heard plenty about you.”

“From
Denshi?”

“…That’s
one way to think about it.”

Balkan
tilted his head slightly, puzzled by Intertt’s ambiguous response.

It
was a curious answer.

‘After
all, there wouldn’t be anyone besides Denshi who could tell him
about me… Ah.’

No,
there was one more.

The
Puppeteer.

During
their time in the Outlaws’ Zone, they had encountered something
akin to the Puppeteer’s possessed forms—

“…What?”

Balkan
turned his attention to Intertt, who was now staring into empty space
with a puzzled expression.

“Suddenly,
what are you… Is that really true…?”

The
wary expression she had just moments ago completely crumbled,
replaced with confusion and astonishment.

She
was gazing into the void, conversing with someone unseen.

It
felt as though she was using a long-distance communication artifact
or a blessing.

“…Phew…”

As
if the communication had ended, Intertt let out a sigh while looking
down at the ground, then turned back to face Balkan.

“Suddenly,
but I have a proposal, Balkan.”

“…A
proposal?”

“…Yes.”

Swish.

Intertt
gestured toward something.

Her
trained finger stopped, pointing somewhere specific. Naturally,
everyone’s gaze followed it.

At
the end of her gesture was Denshi, looking bewildered.

“…Me?”

“From
now on.”

Before
the abruptly pointed-at Denshi could voice her confusion, Intertt’s
lips parted.

“Make
that wench reach her peak as a female.”